This Brand Has Something Not Even Jeff Bezos Can Sell

在这个正在进行的系列中，我们将分享来自真正的企业家的建议，技巧和见解，这些企业家每天都在进行商业斗争。(为了清楚起见，已对答案进行了编辑和浓缩。)

Who are you, and what’s your business?

We are Tristan Mermin and Jon Lawson, the operating executives of Batiste Rhum. Batiste is authentically the next generation of rum production. people who discover Batiste Rhum are initiallysurprisedby the clean, lightand bright flavors, and by the transparent and verifiable eco-positive process that we follow.

是什么激励你创造了这个产品？

Living in the Bay Area, we saw food products like coffee and chocolate sourced from the many tropical regions around the globe benefit from a little California ingenuity. The possibility of doing this same process with rum from the Caribbean seemed to be something to look into and hopefully discover.

As luck would have it, Tristan met HubertDamoiseau on the island of Marie Galante just as Hubert was finishing the reconstruction of his family’s plantation and distillery. We came to a mutualunderstanding that they could develop Batiste as the exclusive U.S. brand for the plantation and distillery.

How is it different from others like it?

Most rum making uses molasses because it offers a lower cost, lower quality,yet stable base to use for fermentation. Sugarcane-juice-based rums, like Batiste Rhum, are a small portion of the rum market because the juice starts self-fermenting/ rotting within minutes of crushing the cane.Many sugarcane rums are "funky" due to this fact. We monitor fermentation constantly to prevent unwanted mold and bacterial growth.The precision of ourfermentation allows for a one-time distillationonaclearrum that can be enjoyed neat. And from the ground up, we pursue practices that limit carbon creation.No field burning,no long-term waste like plastics.

在生产和销售这种产品时，你学到的最大的教训是什么？

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企业家这个词对你来说意味着什么？

Unwavering belief in yourself and enthusiasm for what you’re doing.Those traits naturally create a sense of ownership that you can’t buy anywhere -- not even Jeff Bezos can sell it!An entrepreneur can mean someone who stands between an idea and the market.The entrepreneur acts as the conduit steering the ideas into reality and success.

你最艰难的挑战是什么，你是如何克服的？

Our solution to creating market awareness and product acceptance:find professionals in the market that are passionate about this industry and understand what we are doing.Invite them to join us in creating a growing network and reward the inpiduals for sharing their capabilities and social capital with ongoing meaningful participation in our company.This creates teams of people who work on the brand, not for the brand, and passion is contagious.

你在做决定时最依赖什么特质？

We are dedicated researchers. We believe in following instincts after research and then making collaborativechoiceswith our team.Our final decision-making process has two levers: (1) Is the resistance appropriate? and(2) Will the result be beneficial?

你的领导风格是如何演变的？

We rely more on trust. After assessing a team member'sstrengths and weaknesses, we trust them more.If we can’t do that, we know we’re working with the wrong people.If we can’t trust someone, we’ll find another way.

是否有特定的引用或说您用作个人动机？

Tristan – “Understand the difference between excellence and expertise, and always choose excellence.” – Unknown (but excellent!)

Jon - “Yes. Lick ‘emtomorrow, though.” was General U.S. Grant’s response to the observation that his army had been surprised, routedand badly beaten that day (first day of the Battle of Shiloh). It’s a good reminder that mistakes and setbacks will inevitably come, what is important is how you decide to go forward.