Almost four years into my cocktail-based business venture, I found I needed a bit of inspiration. Although my passion for my endeavor has never waned, I have often taken moments to remind myself that there is more to life to work, no matter how much I love what I do. I found my personal reprieve during a recent trip to Hawaii (as a national finalist for the Ocean Vodka competition). Upon my return to Charleston, I decided now was the time to add a little business inspiration to complete the mix.
It was late July of this year that I found myself perusing the Martha Stewart American Made Facebook page. They had held awards the year before, and I was curious as to the entry date to submit my own line of cocktail infusions. American Made works with and helps promote American-based producers of artisan products, with a special focus on those that are socially and economically aware. Every year, there is a two-day summit in NYC offered to budding and seasoned entrepreneurs, where they announce that year's honoree's for the award. The summit features a long list of speakers, including a healthy pack of celebrity entrepreneurs, as well as Martha Stewart herself.
When I read about the upcoming summit, my interest was immediately piqued. Within a few minutes, I had secured a Gold Ticket (The "VIP" of the American Made summit, which included several perks, such as a pre-opening party and lunch with Martha).
Fast-forward several months, I am post-summit, with a new dose of inspiration and a few stories to share. In a nutshell, was the American Made summit worth it? Absolutely. I'll be back next year, but with a slightly modified plan of action (number one being a cell phone with longer battery life.)
New York City is a quick two-hour flight from my home base of Charleston, SC. My plan to arrive several hours early to prepare for the VIP pre-opening party was unfortunately defeated by a hacker that took down several major websites, including Spotify, Etsy, Reddit, Amazon, and a slew of others. This included the website needed for me to access my key to my "cosy West Village apartment". In the midst of trying to figure out how to get into the apartment, my phone died- one caveat of using a phablet or Samsung Note 5- and suddenly I found myself cross-legged in the basement of an apartment building, in a small alterations shop, where they kindly agreed for me to borrow their AC outlet so I could plug in my charger while I called my host to locate a back-up key.
Just thirty minutes shy of the end of the opening party, I strolled into the entrance of One World Observatory, where the event was being held on the 102nd floor. Better late than never. I had the good fortune of meeting another tardy American Made attendee that had been stuck in traffic en route from Boston, and we entered the elevator for the quick trip to the top of the building.
The event, even though it was in the final stages of wrapping up, was evidently a success, with beautiful layouts of cheese, charcuterie, and assortments of delicious passed hors d'ouevres. I admired the view, and quickly made the way to the bar for one of the signature cocktails of the night: a Maple Old Fashioned. The invite had stated "cocktail" attire, and indeed the guests fit the part. I was surprised by the demographics of the crowd: a lot of fresh faces, with many fitting in my own range of early 30's.
The next day, Saturday, was the big event, held at the Martha Stewart Omnimedia headquarters. Once inside, I found the table with my nametag, and quickly made the way to the main room of the event. The event was held in a huge, open room that was lined with the companies that were chosen to be part of the American Made market. They had their wares on display throughout the day, with attendees able to shop in between speakers and events. The goods for sale ranged from fine finished leather products, pickles, jams, hats, and jewelry and decorations made from metal and wood. It was like being on Etsy, but with a 3D experience of the most incredible items that the site had to offer. The talent and passion was apparent in every booth, and it not a surprising fact when Martha Stewart later mentioned that the vendors were hand picked by herself and her team. Every single item was worthy to be in her magazine.
We soon began making our way to the seats. I made sure I had a seat with a camera-friendly angle, and was grateful that I had that foresight, as pictures I snapped of Martha and Jessica Alba (!) would have been disgraceful if I had sat behind a post.
The event began with Martha Stewart announcing the 2016 American Made honorees. The selection process had been different this year, as there was no open submission. Once again, the companies selected were clearly worthy of their accolades, from the Loki Fish Company that runs a sustainable fishery in Seattle, to the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, in Brooklyn. The stories behind the companies and their journey up to that stage was the confirmation that I had made the right choice in finding my much-needed dose of inspiration.
The speakers panels began following the introduction of the honorees. The first: "Martha & Jim Cramer talk Mad Money". Toward the end of the session, an attendee asked how to repair a relationship with a customer that is upset. He responded, "You can make things up to them by buying them a drink." With over 10 years in the Food & Beverage industry under my belt, I would have to agree, this is sound advice.
The following panel was "American Fashion: Timeless Traditions in a Global Marketplace" with Joseph Abboud, Chief Creative Director of Tailored Brands, Inc., and Zac Posen, Designer & Founder of the House of Z and creative director for Brooks Brothers Womenswear. I appreciated that the panel applied to entrepreneurs in all fields, not just fashion. One of my favorite quotes came from Zac Posen: "I see the world through our differences", a comment he made when the moderator broached the subject of diversity in fashion.
I am certain I am not the only one that had an uncanny amount of excitement about the panel that followed, with Martha Stewart and Jessica Alba. Alba's enthusiasm, natural beauty, and confidence was just as spectacular in person as on-screen, and clearly her ability to build the Honest brand to where it is now has a lot to say for her being a multi-faceted and strong-willed entrepreneur. Of her many words of wisdom, her advising to "Know what you don't know" when building a company, was the standout. Entrepreneurs will always wear many hats, but some of them will not fit. So find someone with a smaller (or bigger) head and outsource as needed.
As an entrepreneur in the specialty gourmet foods category, I was excited to see the following line-up for "Stirring up an Industry: Food Innovators" with Fabian Siegal, Founder/CEO of Marley Spoon, Nocolas Jammet, Co founder & CEO of Sweetgreen, Jack Algiere, farm director of Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, and Sarah Michelle Gellar, beloved acress and Chief Brand Officer & Co-Founder of Food Stirs, with Geoffrey Zakarian as the moderator. Their panel touched on keeping sustainable business models in mind, as well as recognizing the gap in the market to fill the void when coming up with business ideas.
Next, was lunch with Martha. Those of us with the Gold tickets were able to dine at long, beautifully decorated tables. We enjoyed a three-course meal (beginning with a beet salad which was to die for, and of course the ingredients were all sourced locally from sustainable farms). Martha sat at the head of the table next to us. She greeted us in between courses, and took questions from the group (I had many, but didn't even know where to begin. I decided I 'd sit and listen.) During this time I discovered that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, where we were attending the event, is 120,000 square feet. Now that's what I call office space!
The rest of the day went by quickly, with the next panel being "Entrepreneurial War Stories" with Barry Sternlicht, Chairman & CEO of Starwood Capital Group, and Bill Sweedler, Co-Founder and General Partner of Tengram Capital Partners. Their stories were impressive, and it was Barry Sternlicht's comment, "Perseverence is genius in disguise", that really got my wheels turning.
A very special part of the day was when those of us with Gold tickets had the opportunity to have Chef Emeril cook a traditional Louisiana gumbo. Chef Emeril walked our group (about 25 of us) through the basics of preparing a proper roux, and guided us through the rest of the steps for the dish. They handed us each a small bowl of the gumbo, prepared by Chef Emeril. During the final moments, he took questions, one of which was my own, in which I asked about the process of choosing recipes for a recipe book. My company, Southern Twist Cocktail Co., is in the outlining stages of a cocktail recipe book, and his advice made perfect sense: keep it simple. Whether it's a gumbo or a play on an old-fashioned, add too many steps and complicated ingredients, and you will lose your audience.
The end of the day was unfortunately nearing, but the last panels proved to be just as enjoyable and informative as the first, with panels touching on social media, obtaining capital through VC's, and technology. Each panel had a wealth of information, however they were very succinct in their messages and the audience stayed captive until the very end.
In the panel "Seeding for the Future" with Victor Friedberg, Co-Founder and Marketing Director of S2G Ventures and Alejandro Velez, Co-Founder of Back to the Roots (a 2015 American Made nominee, with the most fascinating business. Their first product was a mushroom farm that grew right from the box. Talk about innovative!). Velez commented that he boot-strapped the first five years, and recommended other entrepreneurs do the same, before seeking outside capital. He added that the more time and money you invest in yourself, the more likely the investors are to do the same, and recognize the viability and validity of your company.
Martha Stewart came on stage to conclude the jam-packed day. She encouraged everyone to stay, shop the markets, and enjoy the wines, cocktails, and food that they were bringing out for the closing cocktail party. I made sure to catch up and exchange business cards with the individuals I will be keeping in touch with following the event. I realized I had missed the one person I was really hoping to meet: Martha Stewart. Coincidentally, she was right behind me, talking to a vendor at one of the booths. I waited for her to finish, knowing she would soon be mobbed for selfies and introductions (which she did graciously concede to.) I quickly held out my hand, introduced myself, and handed her my business card, making a comment about my business with cocktails. She smiled and shook my hand, before turning to greet the line that was beginning to form to take her picture.
The weekend was just what I needed, as I arrived back in Charleston with renewed energy, and immediately got back to work on my projects: a new line of gift-sized cocktail mixes, as well as new flavors to join the four existing. I've also thought of more ways of adding sustainable and more eco-friendly materials into my products. And I already have my eye on a new flavor that would be just perfect next year to serve at Martha Stewart's American Made closing cocktail party...
In the meantime, I'll be enjoying all the goods in my killer swag bag.
Thanks, Martha.
