WEBVTT 00:00:01.251 --> 00:00:03.920 (gentle music) 00:00:06.506 --> 00:00:09.175 - As you think about yourself as a CEO, 00:00:09.175 --> 00:00:11.261 what are the two core capabilities 00:00:11.261 --> 00:00:13.722 that have made you successful? 00:00:13.722 --> 00:00:15.974 - The first is being analytical. 00:00:15.974 --> 00:00:19.019 I don't know how everything works. 00:00:19.894 --> 00:00:22.897 It's very easy to go out into the market 00:00:22.897 --> 00:00:24.858 and spend a day selling and come back 00:00:24.858 --> 00:00:26.317 and think that you have the answers 00:00:26.317 --> 00:00:27.610 to how the business is doing 00:00:27.610 --> 00:00:29.279 or what's resonating. 00:00:29.279 --> 00:00:32.157 And that's one example. 00:00:32.157 --> 00:00:34.826 We've been able to do more and see more 00:00:34.826 --> 00:00:37.203 and come to better conclusions 00:00:37.203 --> 00:00:38.997 than most companies our size, 00:00:38.997 --> 00:00:41.916 because we've gotten our hands on data 00:00:41.916 --> 00:00:43.752 that gives us direction. 00:00:43.752 --> 00:00:47.839 The second thing is to communicate. 00:00:47.839 --> 00:00:52.135 I think that people do their best work 00:00:52.135 --> 00:00:54.971 when they feel part of something. 00:00:54.971 --> 00:00:59.225 And so I am constantly reminding myself, 00:00:59.225 --> 00:01:00.602 does everyone know this? 00:01:00.602 --> 00:01:01.978 Do all the right people know this? 00:01:01.978 --> 00:01:03.730 Do they understand why we're doing something? 00:01:03.730 --> 00:01:06.316 Do they feel included? How can we make them feel connected? 00:01:06.316 --> 00:01:09.861 All of that sounds so soft, 00:01:09.861 --> 00:01:11.529 but it's so hard. 00:01:11.529 --> 00:01:13.239 It's constant. 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:17.077 You can't really oversell it. 00:01:17.077 --> 00:01:21.206 - So, how did you approach innovation from the start to now? 00:01:21.664 --> 00:01:23.958 Sean, the founder, is a genius at this. 00:01:23.958 --> 00:01:27.045 I remember calling him and saying, 00:01:27.045 --> 00:01:30.090 "We have too much of this one kind of barrel 00:01:30.090 --> 00:01:32.550 and I don't know what we can do with it." 00:01:32.550 --> 00:01:34.928 He said, "Oh, this is going to be fun." 00:01:34.928 --> 00:01:38.056 And he came up with what has become 00:01:38.056 --> 00:01:42.727 our most celebrated series or line. 00:01:42.727 --> 00:01:45.522 The basic concept is that unlike wine, 00:01:45.522 --> 00:01:46.856 whiskey doesn't age in the bottle. 00:01:46.856 --> 00:01:50.902 At the same time, there's a whole emphasis on age. 00:01:50.902 --> 00:01:53.655 So we took those barrels and we set them aside 00:01:53.655 --> 00:01:57.867 and we've released little pockets of them every single year. 00:01:57.867 --> 00:01:59.536 So you can collect them 00:01:59.536 --> 00:02:01.788 and taste them against each other. 00:02:01.788 --> 00:02:03.540 What happened over the course of this year? 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:04.958 What happened over these three years 00:02:04.958 --> 00:02:07.252 and what are the attributes that have come out? 00:02:07.252 --> 00:02:08.878 So it's called our Vertical Series 00:02:08.878 --> 00:02:10.046 and it's 00:02:10.046 --> 00:02:14.968 the most celebrated or most attended to Pinhook release. 00:02:14.968 --> 00:02:18.096 - What is awesome about entrepreneurship 00:02:18.096 --> 00:02:20.640 is you have problems 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:24.144 and those problems suggest the innovation. 00:02:24.144 --> 00:02:25.562 - So, looking ahead. 00:02:25.562 --> 00:02:28.648 In 10 years, what's your vision for Pinhook? 00:02:28.982 --> 00:02:32.235 - The likely, the long-term, 00:02:32.235 --> 00:02:34.654 self-sustaining place for Pinhook 00:02:34.654 --> 00:02:37.323 is to be in the portfolio of 00:02:37.323 --> 00:02:40.076 like a Diageo or a constellation, 00:02:40.076 --> 00:02:43.538 a company that has a whole stable of brands 00:02:43.538 --> 00:02:45.832 and a sales force that can, 00:02:45.832 --> 00:02:47.959 in a cost effective way, go to market. 00:02:47.959 --> 00:02:52.672 And the audience and power, respect, et cetera 00:02:52.672 --> 00:02:57.302 to continue to build it and give it new opportunities. 00:02:57.302 --> 00:02:59.179 But, I think 00:02:59.179 --> 00:03:02.056 that there are different ways to get there. 00:03:02.056 --> 00:03:04.851 The traditional wisdom would say 00:03:06.311 --> 00:03:09.230 that we've gotten to a place where we have definitely made it, 00:03:09.230 --> 00:03:10.815 we're a brand that can't disappear. 00:03:10.815 --> 00:03:12.734 We've gotten to a place where if you have a conversation 00:03:12.734 --> 00:03:14.068 with a Diageo, or a constellation 00:03:14.068 --> 00:03:16.279 they'll say, "Oh wow. 00:03:16.279 --> 00:03:19.449 That's great, that's impressive." 00:03:19.449 --> 00:03:20.450 But there's still a way to go. 00:03:20.450 --> 00:03:21.784 We've got our work cut out for us. 00:03:21.784 --> 00:03:23.203 But so far, so good. 00:03:23.203 --> 00:03:25.163 Alice, thank you so much for being here today. 00:03:25.163 --> 00:03:27.207 - I had the best time. Thank you so much. 00:03:27.624 --> 00:03:30.293 (gentle music)