Many of us make pivots in our career. I had my own where I had really was focused on networking in tech early on but then after I did my first presentation to a room of 500 people, I discovered I really liked it and found a new role in technical marketing. Our guest has a similar story where he wanted to get into distilling, made a successful gin brand then tried to build a whiskey brand, but realized how hard it was and thought, how can I get more people to try our products? And that’s how Whiskey Riot was born. Bobby Finan is the Founder and Organizer of Whiskey Riot Festivals across the country and we get into his past of getting into the distilling business and how he took on personal debt to hold his position at his first company and launch Whiskey Riot simultaneously. Now Whiskey Riot is expanding to more cities so if you’re looking for a new event to attend, put this one on your list.
Show Notes:
- Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about distilleries creating music halls.
- Before there was a festival, you had your own brand and forged your way into spirits early on.
- When you wanted to start a distillery did you have a business plan?
- What was it about your Tommy Rotter gin that really took off?
- Why didn’t your whiskey business ever take off?
- Did you think you could make people come to you instead of going out to stores?
- How were you funding Whiskey Riot?
- What was your return on investment for a typical event?
- How do you evaluate a city for a new festival?
- Why would a legacy brand vs a new brand want to go to whiskey fest?
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