Scrolling through my feed lately, I've been struck by something incredible.
Our industry—heck, the whole business world—seems to be at this amazing turning point. We're all asking ourselves: What does real success look like?
Don't get me wrong, the bottom line still matters. We're running businesses, after all. But this growing chorus asks, "What if we could do well by doing good?"
Here’s what I’m seeing, and, honestly, what gets me excited to jump out of bed every morning:
We’re thinking long-term and considering the impact of our decisions on the next generation. We’re asking how to invest alongside our companies in our communities and environment.
We’re innovating with intention. Beyond creating new products, increasingly those within our industry are innovating to solve real problems. Spirits catering to dietary restrictions, packaging designed with decomposition and carbon footprint in mind. It’s great stuff!
We’re finding value beyond our shareholders - investing in our employees and communities and recognizing that we all win when they thrive.
And, of course, we’re realizing that transparency is key. Setting key goals, not just financial but for our impact. I’ve seen so many saying, “I want to reduce our plastic use by this much before next year” and then holding themselves accountable to those goals.
Balancing all of this isn’t easy. There's always that temptation to treat it like a checklist: "Yep, we did our community thing. Check. Environmental initiative? Check." It’s essential that we don’t lose sight of what drove us to pursue these goals in the first place.
For me, it's simple. I want to make a positive difference in this world. And you know what? Looking around our industry, I see that same fire in so many eyes. It makes me proud to be part of this community.
By the way, congratulations to Mara Smith of Inspiro Tequila and Amanda Victoria (Mintz) of Siponey Spritz for becoming B Corps! Your dedication to transparency and sustainability is EXACTLY what I'm talking about here!
#SpiritsIndustry #PackagingIndustry #Sustainability #Balance