Career Success in the Drinks Industry: Beyond the Glamour of Social Media
What's Right For You? A Honest Conversation To Have
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Dear Bottom-up Drinks Builder,
Today, let's have an honest conversation about careers in the drinks industry, Whether you're behind the bar, working for a brand, or anywhere in between. While social media feeds are filled with cocktail competition wins, 50 Best Bars celebrations, glamorous brand launches, and fancy trade shows, the reality of building a sustainable career looks quite different.
Let's address the elephant in the room: there's too much focus on external validation and not enough on personal growth. Mental Health is at stake.
At 44, going to bars made me realize that I was starting to be one of the oldest in the room, so I feel responsible for guiding younger generations.
The Trophy Chase
Whether it's winning competitions, getting industry awards, or landing that seemingly perfect brand role, ask yourself: are you pursuing these for the right reasons? Too often, I see talented professionals chasing accolades before mastering their craft. They're more concerned with being seen as successful than becoming truly skilled.
The Real Success Path
Actual career growth starts with mastering fundamentals. Before rushing to the next level, truly master where you are now. Whether you're a bartender understanding every service aspect or a brand manager grasping every detail of your market, excellence comes from depth, not just breadth.
For bartenders, this means mastering everything from stock management to customer psychology. For brand professionals, it means understanding marketing and distribution mechanics, account relationships, and market dynamics.
The business fundamentals matter regardless of your role. Learn to read P&Ls, understand costs, track performance metrics, and manage resources efficiently. Whether running a bar or managing a brand, these skills serve you.
Social Media vs. Reality
Is that brand ambassador posting glamorous travel photos? Is that marketing manager sharing fancy launch events? They're not showing:
- The late nights doing reports
- The challenging sales targets
- The constant pressure to perform
- The time away from family
- The administrative work that consumes most days
- The complex stakeholder management
- The budget constraints and tough decisions
Similarly, that senior role you're eyeing might not actually suit you. Whether it's in bar or brand management, leadership requires skills different from those required to excel in operations.
Some of the best bartenders choose to stay behind the bar, just as some excellent brand managers prefer market execution to corporate leadership. And you know the best of this? It’s fine. You’re not a loser just because you don’t want to climb the ladder. It took me a while to understand it.
I’ve been pushed onto the ladder thinking of myself. My dream was to become a Director until it wasn’t. When I got that “Senior Director” title, I realized it wasn’t for me and required a different skill set than I wanted to pursue.
Finding Your Path
Success looks different for everyone, and each path requires different skills and mindsets:
Operations Excellence:
Some of the most respected people in our industry have chosen to master their craft - whether that's bartending or brand building at the market level. They're experts in their domain, masters of execution, and often find more satisfaction and financial reward than in management roles.
Management Track:
Whether in venues or corporations, management isn't just about strategic decisions. It's about people management, conflict resolution, budget control, and organizational politics. Be honest - do these tasks energize you or drain you?
Training and Education:
Perhaps your gift is teaching others. Many successful professionals have built careers around education, whether training bar teams, developing brand knowledge programs, or consulting. Each requires a unique skill set.
Commercial Development:
Your strength may lie in building business relationships and driving growth. For example, you could develop key accounts as a bartender or manage distributor relationships as a brand professional.
The key? Understanding what makes you tick, not what LinkedIn or Instagram suggests you should want.
Brand Ownership:
Let's talk about brand owners for a moment. The industry often celebrates big exits and corporate buyouts, but that's not the only definition of success. Some of the most fulfilled brand owners I know aren't looking to sell to a major corporation. Instead, they're building sustainable businesses that:
Provide steady income for their families
Create lasting value in their communities
Allow them to do what they love every day
Build a legacy they can pass on
Give them autonomy and creative freedom
There's nothing wrong with dreaming of a big exit, but there's also immense value in building something that sustains you and your family while allowing you to enjoy the journey.
Success might mean growing steadily and sustainably rather than explosively, staying independent rather than selling out, and being a respected local brand rather than a global player.
Continuous Improvement
Instead of chasing the next promotion or award, focus on systematically understanding your field. Whether it's deep product knowledge or market dynamics, don't just memorize facts—understand the 'why' behind everything.
Learn how the whole industry ecosystem operates, from supplier relationships to consumer trends, trade marketing, and revenue management. Each piece connects to create sustainable business success.
What's Next?
Ask yourself these hard questions:
• What parts of my current role do I love, and which do I tolerate?
• When I look at people five years ahead of me in their careers, whose day-to-day work appeals to me?
• What skills am I missing that would make me truly indispensable in my current role?
• Am I building capabilities that will still be valuable in ten years?
• Is my current path aligned with my real interests, or am I following someone else's definition of success?
Remember: The most successful people in our industry aren't always the most visible on social media. They often quietly master their craft, build solid relationships, and create sustainable careers—whether behind the bar or a brand.
This isn't about lowering your ambitions or slowing down your career progression. It's about being strategic and honest about what success means to you.
Sometimes, the most brilliant career move might be sideways rather than up - gaining new skills, exploring different aspects of the industry, or deepening your expertise in your current role.
What matters is that each move serves your long-term objectives, not someone else's expectations.
Careers are built bottom-up.
I hope this mini-guide will help you develop the small, consistent habits you need to build your brand from the ground up.
Whenever you're ready, there are more ways I can help you:
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Does this Guide resonate with you? Have you already implemented some of the aspects discussed above? Drop a comment and start the conversation 👇