Building Brands from the Ground Up with Chris Maffeo

·47 min·4 clips

Chris Maffeo explains how his great-grandfather's 100-year-old wholesaler shop closing shaped his entire approach to brand building.

The episode begins with host Shawn Soole introducing the first live stream of 2025 and guest Chris Maffeo, a brand-building consultant and podcast host. Maffeo recounts his start in the industry, influenced by his great-grandfather's 100-year-old wholesaler shop in Italy that closed, losing generational knowledge. He details his corporate beer sales career at SAB Miller and Carlsberg, where he worked in export departments, learning to prioritize rotation over distribution and simplify messaging for third parties. A key moment was his entry into craft spirits via Clubhouse, where Paul Letko from Few Spirits engaged him, sparking his focus on this sector. Maffeo discusses the pillars of brand building, stressing the importance of mastering unscalable fundamentals like selling the first bottle before scaling. He addresses the tension between passion and business, noting that many brand owners dislike selling and must either partner with sellers or learn to do it themselves. The conversation explores scaling challenges, with advice on winning home turf before exporting and opening markets one by one. Maffeo talks about balancing authenticity with growth, using examples like Simon Ford, and how to compete against big brands by solving unique problems for bar owners. He critiques social media strategies, advocating for authenticity over polish and leveraging collaborations for visibility. Common mistakes include passing responsibility to distributors without follow-up and not creating demand before capturing it. Maffeo shares his 2025 plans to develop digital courses on practical topics like getting on cocktail menus. The episode concludes with deep questions on lessons learned, wisdom, and legacy, tying back to his family's lost knowledge.

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