December 17, 2021 • 34 mins
Ingrid Best is breaking barriers and changing perceptions of women in the Spirits Industry.
She is the CEO & Wine Negociant of her namesake wine brand iBest Wines, launching 2022. Prior to her current role, she was the Executive Vice President, Global Head of Marketing of Spirits at Combs Enterprises overseeing the Cîroc Ultra-Premium Vodka and DeLeón Tequila businesses.
She has worked at the largest wine & spirits suppliers on the biggest brands including Diageo (Cîroc Ultra-Premium Vodka and DeLeón Tequila), Moët Hennessy (Hennessy and Belvedere) and Bacardi (D’USSE).
Ingrid shares with us the significance of following your passions, surrounding yourself with people that support you, her experience advocating for women and people of color in the spirits industry, and the best tools for marketing in the digital age.
Host: @itstanyatime
Guest IG: @ms_ibest
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Money Movers, Welcome back to Money Moves, the daily
podcast determined to give you the keys to the kingdom
of financial stability, wealth and abundance. Hey money Movers, Welcome
back to the Money Moves podcast powered by Greenwood. Our
(00:22):
next guest is breaking barriers and changing perceptions of women
of color in the spirits industry across the whole entire world.
She is a global head of Marketing Spirits at Combs Enterprises.
She has worked with some of the biggest brands in
the spirit industry, including Diaggio, Hennessy, Bacardi and now of
course Siroc and Delhi. On Money Movers, please welcome the
(00:43):
marketing powerhouse Ingrid best to the podcast. Thank you so much.
It's so good to be here. Thank you so much, Taniel.
That was That was a great intro. Girl. I'll take
it girl. This podcast is about giving accolades and flowers
to people when they're due, and you deserve all of that.
It is such an honor and pleasure to have you
on the podcast today, so we welcome you with open arms.
(01:06):
Thank you. It's really good to be here and listen.
I am so impressed by the work that you all
are doing. At Greenwood, big, big fan, and so I
I couldn't turn this opportunity down. Thank you sis, thank you. Well,
I'm going to start off by saying you are such
an inspiring woman. I love having boss women on the podcast.
(01:28):
We had a whole separate edition of that. So I'm
really excited to share your story in this incredible journey
that you've been on for you know, a couple of
years in this industry. So can we start at the
beginning because I think, you know, one of the things
that I love to convey is that you know, nobody
is really an overnight success, and you have a great
story of starting from the bottom. Now you're here. So
(01:50):
if you could start off with how did Inger get here? Yeah,
twenty years in this game? Um, and you're right, you
you do not start where you are at twenty years
in right, you start someplace. So I started as an ambassador,
you know. I had a friend say to me, you
would be great in the spirits business, you know, and
(02:11):
you should look into it. It was one of those Um,
I've been in the music industry for a few years
as a street promoter. I was damn good at it,
and you know, but the music industry was changing, things
were really going digital and people were just changing. And
so I went online to craiglist that's what we used
to do back in the day, right to look for them,
(02:33):
and somebody was like connecting us and there was there
was an ad to launch a Spears brand, and I
was like, this is what they were talking about. And
I got a call and next you know, I got
the gig to launch a brand actually for Diageo, a
high end run brand as an ambassador. I killed it
and I realized, I said this this industry feels right.
(02:55):
I really like this and that's where my career started
as an ambasdositor and then I just went on you know,
reputation and relationships and ambition. Of course worked for some
of the biggest suppliers in the world as you mentioned.
And now I am overseeing and running the Spheres division
for Sean love CoNb which is a dream come true
(03:18):
for me. You know, he has really been the pioneer
in this business for black and brown people and so
so to sit side by side with him twenty years
you know after entering this business is something really special. Wow.
I mean with an incredible trajectory because you think about it,
like as a street promoter, like the hustle it took,
especially the game was so different then, right like when
(03:39):
people were handing out flyers saying, come to this event.
Here is an activation. Um so like your hustle that.
Do you feel like that really informed you know your
work ethic as you move forward through the industry. Absolutely. Absolutely,
There's a lot of things that we do now, you know,
some of the pivots we had to make because of
the pandemic, for instance, I had to dig back and
(04:02):
think about what were the things that we were doing
when we didn't have access or reach or right like
where you just have to kind of get gritty and
think outside the box. So it certainly informed. I think
my career as a whole. It's informed the fact that,
like people just want you to tell the truth in
your marketing. People just want you to be relatable. They
(04:23):
want to be you know, they want you to be accessible.
And a lot of that I learned through street promotions.
I really, I really did, and I'm really grateful to
that experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and
I literally pull a lot of that game into into
how I managed the business today. Yeah, So even talk about,
(04:44):
you know, your experience as a women of color, a
woman of color, sorry, in the spirits industry. You know,
typically before moguls like um Puff when with his Sarroq
and Delhi on, you know, it was typically a very
white ownership industry. How was it break can in in
those early days? It wasn't easy. Um, there weren't a
(05:04):
lot of people that looked like me. I tell this
story all the time. There were very few. And the
few people that I saw that looked like me weren't
you know, wasn't seats at the table, wasn't decision makers,
wasn't hiring you know, people who were making hiring decisions,
which you need right to to be able to break
in industries, different industries at times. So it wasn't easy. However,
(05:29):
because you know the landscape of the consumer was starting
to be much more multicultural, black and brown. You have
to have someone that can inform you on how to
speak to us and what to do. And so I
really leaned into that. I leaned into understanding that I
was a commodity to a lot of these companies, um
(05:51):
that really needed to get their hiring practices together. Let's
just say what it is right, because there just wasn't
enough of us. So not easy. But I took it
as an opportunity, right, I took the challenge as an
opportunity to really, uh really really make a difference I
think in the in the industry that I grew to love.
But definitely not easy. Not a lot of people that
(06:13):
look that looked like you and I when I when
I got started. And that's part of my commitment today
and why my entire team looks like you and I,
you know, and I love that because oftentimes I work,
you know, deeply into the startup in tech world, and
I'll get messages from women, you know, across the country
being like, how did you break in? There's nobody that
looks like me? And so when you hear your story,
(06:33):
you realize, like, look, sometimes you're just gonna have to
find a mentor that doesn't look like you. But you know,
as soon as more and more of us get into
those environments, we're pulling up others behind us. And so
twenty years later, you know, you're now building the companies
that are employing so many women, so many people of color,
and we've changed the world. Yeah, yeah, you know, ally
(06:55):
ship is real so I want to go back to
your point around like, sometimes you do have to tap
into people that maybe don't look like you, but get
it right that they can land a lend a hand.
So ally ship is a real thing, and I've had
I've experienced ally ship folks that are not black and
brown that see said, there's a bit more of a
challenge for me to navigate and move. But then you know,
(07:18):
when you can have someone that understands you, looks like you,
is willing to have those conversations that you often need
to have, it's priceless, right. And you do find yourself
in in in a in a different positions. So for instance,
the position that I'm in now head of marketing, you know,
(07:39):
executive vice president, that is because of Sean love Come.
That is not because you know, some of the other
organizations that I've worked for in corporate America thought that
I was fit to be in that role. And and
so there is a difference when you're working with your people,
they see you differently, right, And yes, it is our
duty to go back and um extend that same hand
(08:03):
the way that someone has extended it to you. So
and that's what I'm doing. I love it. I love it.
You are it's I mean, it's incredible to see. So
let's talk a little bit. Now. You're at this huge
brand you're working for, you know, an icon like Sean
Dinny Combs, and he and you, of course have been
both responsible for creating some of the most well known
(08:24):
liquor brands across the world. So I don't think it's
over inflated to call you a marketing genius. You know, recently,
I've had a few people. I actually had one of
my agency partners say to me the other day, girl,
you were you were on a role on that call. Yes,
you're a genius, And I was like, I like that.
I'd like how that sounds. I mean, I think we
(08:46):
all need to step into our power and feel comfortable
being able to talk about ourselves that way. So yeah,
I'd like to think that I am a powerhouse when
it comes to marketing. I am a powerhouse when it
comes to creating and and connecting the dots um and
I'm creating brands that are like household names. And I
(09:06):
think that's something so special, you know, because it's not
just it's not just in our own community, it's in
white communities. I mean, I've traveled all over the world
and you can find some rock, you can find eli on.
So I just think there's there's so much inspiration in
that and to be able to share your story and
tell so many because there's so many women right now
who are is trying to start brands or businesses. So
I'm wondering if you can sort of share, um some
(09:29):
of the stories that you know you've accumulated over the
years about building these brands, just some tips and pointers. Yeah,
you know, I think the first thing it goes back
to my early days of street promotions, Like I was
an intern. I talked about this a lot, right, finding
ways to get close to the things that you're passionate about. Right,
(09:51):
you gotta immerse yourself to think that you can like
love something but not get close to it and then
master It's a little ba words. So I think the
first advice to any woman or man that's aspiring to
do to be an entrepreneur or to break into a
business is like, figure out ways to get close. And
(10:11):
that may mean that you're not necessarily getting paid, but
that you're being paid through experience. So find ways to
get close would be my first advice. And I did that,
and that internship that I had undersway, I still revert
back to some of the experiences that I had, and
that was many years ago. That was many more years
(10:32):
in twenty right, So it's it's get close, get as
close to it, live it and breathe it as you can.
And you know, live and breathe it as much as
you can. Don't do anything you're not passionate about. And
people will hear me say this over and over again. Yes,
you're gonna have things that you're like, I like that,
it's cool. But do you love it? Are you willing
(10:54):
to be relentless about it? Are you willing to do
it day and night? Does it make you excited? Does
it fit into your five, your ten, you're fifteen year plan?
And things change, don't get me wrong, but you do
need to be passionate about the thing that you're saying
you're going to invest your time and and if you're not,
be okay with shifting and changing, be okay with that.
(11:17):
You know. I think that's a big one. I think
a lot of people don't realize you can reinvent yourself
as many times as you want to. Oh yeah, absolutely,
And you know, what other do it if you're passionate
yourself about you know. And these are the type of
conversations that I love because they hit so much harder
the older you get. And so I honestly wish that
(11:38):
people had just pummeled them into me the the younger
I was, because you hear it and it just seems
like this really high level advice. But the world is
so changed now where you see people who are so
young following their passions and I'm just telling, like I
just tell them over and over again, you're on the
right track. If this is what gets you up in
the morning, like I promise you just keep going. And
you know, the money comes after that, because it's you're
(12:00):
on this authentic pathway. It's this roadway and it's a
it's an amazing place to be right right, Yeah, the
money is gonna come you. You just you have to
do the work, become an expert, get close to the
right people. Assemble your team. I tell people all the time,
I've always had a team, whether it's the team of
my girlfriends who are inspiring me in a certain way,
(12:22):
right whether right like you, you've got to have people
assemble your team, assemble your tool kid, that's going to
help you, you know, go after the things that you're
trying to go after. You have to. You can't do
it alone. And I don't know too many people that
are really really successful on their own. I just don't.
So you've seen dramatic changes in the marketing industry. You know,
(12:45):
there was at one point it was magazines and it
was ads. Now we transitioned to digital and now we're
in this like new era of Instagram and social media marketing. Um,
what do you feel like are the best rules right
now for companies to reach their audience? Oh, there's so
(13:06):
many you know. Listen, the world of social media is
fascinating and it's you know, for some would say it's
a necessary evil. Not everyone is using social media for
the right thing. Not everyone is keeping it real on
social media. Some of it is about fantasy, right, it's
(13:28):
feeding people what what they think they maybe want or
what they need in the moment. But certainly I think
social social media is a bit a big one. I
still think radio is a great avenue, and that could
be because that was such a part of my early
career that I understand radio. But I do think that
(13:50):
there's still tons going on in that space. There's a
lot of non traditional stuff going on, like advertising through
mediums like pinterests. Right, Like, as people are building these boards,
you can also be feeding them in the things that
you want to be want to um, create an interest in, right,
(14:11):
so they never think of interest. I feel like you're
totally putting me onto stuff now. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,
Like that's that's a great avenue. I would definitely say
like streaming, right, like TV, people are watching TV maybe
a little less in a traditional way and are watching
TV in in a diverse kind of a way. So
(14:32):
I would definitely say, you know, streaming television if you
have budgets, if we want to hear the whole budget, right, right, right,
then you do that. But I also just think that
like um folks who are bullish about creating their own
content on social media, because we can take it back
to just the everyday entrepreneur, you know, get creative about
(14:56):
what you're showing people. Do storytell, be willing to storytell.
I think is a big one for the more, smaller,
more you know, boutique entrepreneur. Do do do do do
exercises and storytelling. People love stories. That's what our business
our business is one big story. These brands have origins,
(15:16):
they come from a place, you know. Then they're to
connect it to folks like you know, Sean love Combs,
and then they're connected to folks like me. It's all storytelling.
I think the biggest avenue for brands these days is
tell a story. Tell the story. Tell tell a story
about your brand. And you know, I think like part
of that too is like be real with your stories.
(15:37):
You know, you can't people smell a fake from five
miles away, right, and so just be yourself whatever your
brand is, like, just be yourself. Yeah. You know, my
one of my colleagues, Dion, he always says, we just
have to tell the truth. Just tell our story, and
I'll tell you for us. In the way we approach
our you know, the marketing for our brands and you
(15:59):
know what we want to do, it's all rooted in
our truth. It's all rooted in in in just really
telling the truth. So that that's such a powerful point
that you make. You tell the truth. You don't need
all the thrills. You know, I'm an interpret I'm an entrepreneur.
This is why this business is important to me. This
is why you're important to me. You know, just tell
(16:20):
people what you need from them, and they're they're really
receptive to it. I love that part about it. They're
super receptive to it. Absolutely absolutely right, all right, Ingrid,
we just we you know Ingrid, the world is on
the tail end or maybe the beginning, I'm not really
sure of a global crisis in the pandemic. How did
this affect your business and what was it like in
(16:40):
March when we realized the world was going to shut
down for not just you know, the business at Shira,
Sarraq and Delian, but for the spirits industry in general. Yeah,
you know, I started this job in the pandemic. I
started this job eight days before the world went on
chef no, uh yeah. And so I will tell you
(17:03):
going back to that, like creating opportunity, like challenge opportunity,
challenge opportunity. I literally I remember sitting thinking, Okay, put
on put on your big girl pants, because you're gonna
have to create opportunity out of this. You've never been
in a pandemic. You don't know what that looks like.
You don't know how that's going to impact your business.
(17:23):
The first thing I want to tell you is that
there were so many people bartenders, wait staffs, DJs, owners
and operators, their businesses stopped. And so the first thing
was also just thinking about like how do you help people?
What do you do in this crisis to help people?
You also wanted to think about like frontline workers. So
(17:44):
it became less about like what does the brand need
and it's like how does how do we use our
platform to make sure that we're addressing what the world
needs first and then thinking about the brand. So one
of the things we did early on we did a
dance than um did. He did, yes, and we raised
(18:06):
I think close to five million dollars from that dance
than he had all his friends sons. Yeah, I mean yeah,
you know who his friends are, right, showed up basically
for frontline workers, and that was all powered by our brands.
That was something that we came together as a marketing
group and said this is the right thing to do,
(18:26):
and you know, and it was all of his idea.
He goes, guys, I'm gonna dance, We're gonna raise Lane
and now you don't typically necessarily have to be thinking
about that as a liquor brand. Right. We then went
on to partner with different organizations around lots of the
people who were out of work, and thinking about how
do we help some of these people, how do we
get them back to work, how do we get them
(18:46):
doing social content right? Take them? These people were typically
behind the bar. Okay, we'll set up bars in your
house and let's do some content around bar attending. So
there was a lot of that that we had to
do first. But then after that we unleashed, you know,
a series of incredible gifting, award winning gifting that people
(19:07):
were like, this stuff is showing up to my house.
It's incredible, and we became the talk of the town
for our gifting. We also sponsored versus Another just really
a moment in time, our historical moment in time where
you know, Swizz and Tim brilliant, they're brilliance to say,
we're gonna bring this to your home. We want to
figure this out. We're gonna use social media and figure
(19:29):
it out. And and and you know, I got a
call from my boss and he said, make it happen.
This is the thing we need to be bringing to
people's homes. So we I would like to say we
did a good job pivoting you know, yeah, not only
did we do good, right, and we we made sure
that we were available to the people that we needed
to be available to and showing up. But we also
(19:51):
had fun. And I'll tell you, our brands are growing
double digits, double digits loving the brands we are, loving
our people, and a lot of it was just because
we knew how to show up during a really difficult
time in a real way. Right going back to the
like telling telling the truth, we just did in a
in a very real way. There was a beautiful synergy
(20:14):
between our brands and versus they. Those are really impactful,
you know. From the dancing thing. I forgot about that.
I mean, I guess we've been sort of in the
midst of this pandemic for almost two years, but I
definitely remember that. And it just was a good vibes feeling.
You know that there's a giveback. You know, it was
providing entertainment which we all deeply, deeply craved and you know,
(20:36):
it was a weird way to connect, but we were
all used to it through our screens and stuff, but
it was meaningful. It was meaningful, right, and it's and
it's the stuff that you're proud about. Right. As a
liquor company. I have lots, you know, I have a
lot of social responsibility. You can be fun brands, you
can be brands that have social responsibility and still do
(20:57):
things that are anchored in a purpose us, you know.
And so for me, the pivot in in the pandemic
was a lot of like, how do we anchor ourselves
because we have a platform to do it, but then
how do we also just have fun responsibly? Right? Um?
And I think Versus was a real example of that.
Our gifting is a real example of that, you know,
(21:18):
tapping different people, have fun post the bottle, do your thing.
We're you know, like just let's let's let's let's not
be too serious at a time that's very very serious.
Let's find a way to still have our joy, right
And so we did that and I'm super proud of it.
I'm super proud of my team. And again, our brands
are growing, We're doing well, and we love our consumer
(21:41):
and I think our consumer can feel that from the
work that we're doing well. We feel like this is
truly a product and I think more and more that
was created with us in mind, right, you know, There's
been so many other products that we buy and I
think there's this narrative, especially with George Floyd and Black
Lives Matter, where you know, we're the consumers of somebody
else's product. But this was really made by somebody who
(22:02):
understand understood us in our black communities, in our brown communities,
and was like, yeah, let's have a good time. We're
responsible with it. But this was created for us. And
there's so much power in that now there is, and
I think you know, uh did he has certainly been
an example of like I'm going to take my seat
at the table and then I'm going to you know,
(22:24):
make sure that I'm bringing folks along. And you know,
I will tell you that the industry as a whole
is growing. There's far more black owned brands as a
result of him, you know, creating that way with the
first deal with Surroq and then subsequently being you know,
a black man to actually own his own tequila. There
(22:46):
are tons of brands now that you know that we're
all seeing that are owned by by black people. Um.
I think more and more companies understand you have to
have people that look like us making decisions. You stop
to It's imperative. And I'll tell you the industry is
watching my team. I mean we are doing things as
(23:10):
seven black women. Oh so your team has seven black women,
seven black women. That gives me goo. Yeah, My marketing
team is seven black women. And listen, I tell people
all the time, they're not on my team just because
they're black. No, they're on my team because they're really
(23:32):
incredible marketers. They are the best of the best. I
see it all the time. And and they're black, and
that's hey. And we work together, we love each other.
We're a family. And and it shows again in the work.
We we know what events to connect with right and
an authentic way. We know the events that sometimes just
(23:53):
needs support. You still have a lot of folks doing
things that simply just need an additional arm to help
them get it off the ground. So going back to
that entrepreneurship and connecting with the ripe folks and you know,
all that kind of a thing. You know, our brand
is showing up for people because we know what we
know what our people need. Absolutely. You know, it's really
funny because here in Atlanta, there's a couple of like
(24:16):
pocket companies that were built maybe twenty years ago in
the tech space, and you know, twenty fast forward twenty
years they've all gone on to create all these spinoffs
and so everyone will like if you make a web
of like it was the I S. S Mafia. They're
all doing all these other things. And I think it's
really similar with Diaggio because I remember being in New
York and like two thousand and ten, and so many
(24:37):
of my friends worked for Diageo, work for Spirit companies,
and it's just they've spread and grown into these incredibly
powerful positions. And often times, like people talk about networking
and how you meet people, but I often say, like,
your best allies are your contemporaries around you, and fast
forward ten years, like those people are going to be
(24:59):
ten years up the ladder like you, and you can
pick up the phone, you can call them, and that's
how you build a team of superstars. Right, Yeah, No, totally,
And I think a lot of it too. For many
of us who have navigated corporate America, you get to
a point also where you're just like I'm really good, yeah, right,
Like I'm really really good, and I'm gonna go and
(25:19):
do my thing, Like now it's time for me to
do my thing. And the hope is that those of
us that have done that, that we go back and
grab people in the process. Right, It's so important and
it goes back to what we were saying before, you know,
in in in how you approach your business and how
you build you make sure you have a good team,
(25:40):
make sure you're you're building good people around you. And
you may be a very small business, but make sure
if you if you're a small business and you just
need one good advice, and make sure it's that friend
that's the best advice is going to tell you the
truth about your business. So yeah, no, it's uh, it's
it's a good time in the midst of I think
challenging times because we can't say everything is all good,
(26:04):
but if we can do good in our respective ways.
To do good, which is what you all are doing
at Greenwood Bank, right, is like that's all we could do. Yeah, yeah,
you know is do our part. And you know, I
think like green is a perfect example because if you
look at our founders, you know they've had some success
in here, they are pouring it back into the community
and you know it's this isn't a philanthropic effort, but
(26:27):
it's also it's altruism. It comes from a really good
place and the same can be said for the work
that you do. The same could be said for the
work that Sean does. And I think it's a beautiful
thing because the impact of it will just be so
much greater. Yeah, yeah, it is generational. Generational is generational.
The work that we're doing is generational, certainly when you're
(26:48):
talking about our wealth. Right. So even you know, when
I think about my role, part of what attracted me
to amongst many amongst sitting next to an icon and
one of the things that really attracted me was his
track record for having black women at the helm, Right.
I wanted to continue that legacy of having black women
(27:09):
leading the marketing efforts alongside him. And I will eventually
have someone under me that I will hand this thing
off to. Right, And that's right, That's that cycle that
we should all be pouring into. It's it's imperative we
have to. And I think when we think about businesses,
when you talk about what are some of the advices
that you could give, you know, maybe a small business
(27:30):
owner somebody thinking about, you know, what they should be doing,
think about that. What's the legacy if you're entering into something,
is it legacy work? Yes? Right, we all should be
We should be challenging ourselves if that's important to you,
If that's important, like to think anyone black and brown
legacy work should be important absolutely. You know, Oh my gosh, well, Ingrid,
(27:53):
you are already leaving such a legacy behind and there's
so much more to go. Tell us what's next for
Ingrid Best three point oh, Ingrid Best three point oh
to continue to represent black and brown people in the
spirits industry. I realized that marketing genius cool. I'll take that,
(28:15):
But my purpose is really rooted right and making sure
that we have a voice in this business, continuing to
do the work that I think, you know did he
set out to do right many years ago, So continuing
keeping that ball going. And then you know, listen, I
have ambitions to one day own my own brand, and
(28:36):
he's very supportive of that. And you know that ownership thing,
taking all of the know how that I've compiled from
you know, building incredible marketing campaigns and helping other brands
and other companies and you know, and and sharing that
with with the world. So eventually, I think Ingrid three
point oh is my own brand, right, And now I
(28:57):
want you to spell all the secrets is it in
the liquor industry? It and something completely different or maybe
more than one. I don't know, what do you think?
You know, Definitely in the liquor industry because it's what
I'm good at, passionate about, right back to those tips
that I shared earlier. So I'm good at it. I
love it, I'm you know, there's far more that I
(29:19):
want to pour into it. So yes, definitely in this business.
But then I also like there's a lot of other
things that I'm passionate about as well. Art It's something
that I'm very passionate about. I'm an art collector, so
you know, how do I help that industry make sure
that again we're getting we're getting our fair peace, not
just as artists but as collectors and gallery owners and
(29:42):
so on and so forth. You know, mentorship is hugely
important to me, you know, big big dreams and goals
down the road. Is you know, is there a mentorship center?
How do we help people, you know, really really develop
mentorship programs and internship programs, because I think people don't
really realize that, like mentorship is as easy, like just
(30:03):
take a call, Just take a call, you know, But
it's so funny because I remember I was I was
listening to a panel, I mean years ago, and this
one woman said she was like she worked corporate and
she was like, you know, people were asking for tips
on how to be a good mentor, and she said,
I always return a woman's call first. I don't care
if it's a cold call. I don't She's like, that's
(30:25):
the little thing. And it was such a small nuance,
you know. But she was like, in the corporate world,
like men call each other back first, they put this,
and she was and it was just like small things
like that. But mentorship is it seems really easy, but
it feels like a hard thing for a lot of
people to find and authentically connect with someone who can
really help them for the for the in the long term. Yeah,
(30:47):
it's it's become difficult, right, finding internships, finding mentors. Fine,
Like it's it's and that's because we're busy, right, there's
a lot going on. But you know, down the road,
I would I would love to whether it's help people develop. Yeah,
what does a mentorship and the internship program look like?
(31:10):
It doesn't have to be that difficult encumbersation. Yeah, we
just have to make ourselves available. So I love that.
It's already got my mind going because it's so many
different things, you know, on like is it us saying Okay,
we're gonna put in a couple interns in low level,
whether it's the it's it's is there a data bank
for it, it's that's a great idea. Yeah. Yeah, So
(31:30):
there's there's a lot of right, there's a lot of
things that I think I have ambitions to do, but
certainly I'm in the Spears business now. My ambitions currently
are continue to drive you know, uh Sirok and Delhion
lead this a beautiful, incredible team of black and brown people,
and just to continue to be a voice in this
business the way you all are in a voice right
(31:53):
in in the financial sector, in the wealth sector and
the banking cctor. We need people are willing to say,
I'm gonna be a voice for this thing, right and
so for now I'm a voice in this thing, this
Spirit's business. That yes, Oh, thank you so much, Ingrid.
You are so inspiring and please continue to be the
marketing maven that you are. We are all watching you
(32:16):
and the brand grow and we're so proud of it
and we're so grateful. Um that we have pioneers like
yourself in the industry, and I just hope that so
many that tuned in were inspired by your journey and
got to hear more about you and what you've accomplished,
because it's no small feat. Thank you so much for
having me. Like I said, huge fans can't wait to
have an account. That's a shameless sug and I did
(32:39):
anything you guys ever need let me know, I appreciate it.
Got all entrepreneurs, young people, anyone who's just trying to
figure this thing out, keep going well, Ingrid. Before we leave,
please tell our money money Movers audience where they can
find you on social media, um, and also where they
can buy Sarrok and Dellian. Okay, Well, you can find
(33:02):
me on Instagram at miss Underscore I Best. That's Miss
Underscore I Best. Or you can find me on LinkedIn
just my name, first and last name, Ingrid Best. You
can also see my background for anyone who's just like curious, right,
how did she do it? So? Lincoln is a great
place to see that. And then sir Rock and Daily Yo,
you could buy it at your local stores. Okay, you
(33:25):
can also order it online. It is available her Dailian
is an absolutely beautiful tequila. I'm into it. Well, it's
happy hour somewhere, so let's get off this. Let's get
off this podcast and poor us as a drink. Thank
you so much, Ingrid, and we will chat again soon.
Have a great evening. Thank you so much, you two,
and thanks to the whole Green routine. Thank you so
(33:47):
much for tuning in. Money Moves audience. If you want
more or a recap of this episode, please go to
the Bank Greenwood dot com and check out the Money
Moves podcast blog. Money Moves is an I heart radio
podcast powered by Greenwood Executive produced by Sunwise Media, Inc.
For more podcasts on I heart Radio, visit the i
(34:09):
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
podcasts from
Hey Money Movers, Welcome back to Money Moves, the daily
podcast determined to give you the keys to the kingdom
of financial stability, wealth and abundance. Hey money Movers, Welcome
back to the Money Moves podcast powered by Greenwood. Our
(00:22):
next guest is breaking barriers and changing perceptions of women
of color in the spirits industry across the whole entire world.
She is a global head of Marketing Spirits at Combs Enterprises.
She has worked with some of the biggest brands in
the spirit industry, including Diaggio, Hennessy, Bacardi and now of
course Siroc and Delhi. On Money Movers, please welcome the
(00:43):
marketing powerhouse Ingrid best to the podcast. Thank you so much.
It's so good to be here. Thank you so much, Taniel.
That was That was a great intro. Girl. I'll take
it girl. This podcast is about giving accolades and flowers
to people when they're due, and you deserve all of that.
It is such an honor and pleasure to have you
on the podcast today, so we welcome you with open arms.
(01:06):
Thank you. It's really good to be here and listen.
I am so impressed by the work that you all
are doing. At Greenwood, big, big fan, and so I
I couldn't turn this opportunity down. Thank you sis, thank you. Well,
I'm going to start off by saying you are such
an inspiring woman. I love having boss women on the podcast.
(01:28):
We had a whole separate edition of that. So I'm
really excited to share your story in this incredible journey
that you've been on for you know, a couple of
years in this industry. So can we start at the
beginning because I think, you know, one of the things
that I love to convey is that you know, nobody
is really an overnight success, and you have a great
story of starting from the bottom. Now you're here. So
(01:50):
if you could start off with how did Inger get here? Yeah,
twenty years in this game? Um, and you're right, you
you do not start where you are at twenty years
in right, you start someplace. So I started as an ambassador,
you know. I had a friend say to me, you
would be great in the spirits business, you know, and
(02:11):
you should look into it. It was one of those Um,
I've been in the music industry for a few years
as a street promoter. I was damn good at it,
and you know, but the music industry was changing, things
were really going digital and people were just changing. And
so I went online to craiglist that's what we used
to do back in the day, right to look for them,
(02:33):
and somebody was like connecting us and there was there
was an ad to launch a Spears brand, and I
was like, this is what they were talking about. And
I got a call and next you know, I got
the gig to launch a brand actually for Diageo, a
high end run brand as an ambassador. I killed it
and I realized, I said this this industry feels right.
(02:55):
I really like this and that's where my career started
as an ambasdositor and then I just went on you know,
reputation and relationships and ambition. Of course worked for some
of the biggest suppliers in the world as you mentioned.
And now I am overseeing and running the Spheres division
for Sean love CoNb which is a dream come true
(03:18):
for me. You know, he has really been the pioneer
in this business for black and brown people and so
so to sit side by side with him twenty years
you know after entering this business is something really special. Wow.
I mean with an incredible trajectory because you think about it,
like as a street promoter, like the hustle it took,
especially the game was so different then, right like when
(03:39):
people were handing out flyers saying, come to this event.
Here is an activation. Um so like your hustle that.
Do you feel like that really informed you know your
work ethic as you move forward through the industry. Absolutely. Absolutely,
There's a lot of things that we do now, you know,
some of the pivots we had to make because of
the pandemic, for instance, I had to dig back and
(04:02):
think about what were the things that we were doing
when we didn't have access or reach or right like
where you just have to kind of get gritty and
think outside the box. So it certainly informed. I think
my career as a whole. It's informed the fact that,
like people just want you to tell the truth in
your marketing. People just want you to be relatable. They
(04:23):
want to be you know, they want you to be accessible.
And a lot of that I learned through street promotions.
I really, I really did, and I'm really grateful to
that experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world, and
I literally pull a lot of that game into into
how I managed the business today. Yeah, So even talk about,
(04:44):
you know, your experience as a women of color, a
woman of color, sorry, in the spirits industry. You know,
typically before moguls like um Puff when with his Sarroq
and Delhi on, you know, it was typically a very
white ownership industry. How was it break can in in
those early days? It wasn't easy. Um, there weren't a
(05:04):
lot of people that looked like me. I tell this
story all the time. There were very few. And the
few people that I saw that looked like me weren't
you know, wasn't seats at the table, wasn't decision makers,
wasn't hiring you know, people who were making hiring decisions,
which you need right to to be able to break
in industries, different industries at times. So it wasn't easy. However,
(05:29):
because you know the landscape of the consumer was starting
to be much more multicultural, black and brown. You have
to have someone that can inform you on how to
speak to us and what to do. And so I
really leaned into that. I leaned into understanding that I
was a commodity to a lot of these companies, um
(05:51):
that really needed to get their hiring practices together. Let's
just say what it is right, because there just wasn't
enough of us. So not easy. But I took it
as an opportunity, right, I took the challenge as an
opportunity to really, uh really really make a difference I
think in the in the industry that I grew to love.
But definitely not easy. Not a lot of people that
(06:13):
look that looked like you and I when I when
I got started. And that's part of my commitment today
and why my entire team looks like you and I,
you know, and I love that because oftentimes I work,
you know, deeply into the startup in tech world, and
I'll get messages from women, you know, across the country
being like, how did you break in? There's nobody that
looks like me? And so when you hear your story,
(06:33):
you realize, like, look, sometimes you're just gonna have to
find a mentor that doesn't look like you. But you know,
as soon as more and more of us get into
those environments, we're pulling up others behind us. And so
twenty years later, you know, you're now building the companies
that are employing so many women, so many people of color,
and we've changed the world. Yeah, yeah, you know, ally
(06:55):
ship is real so I want to go back to
your point around like, sometimes you do have to tap
into people that maybe don't look like you, but get
it right that they can land a lend a hand.
So ally ship is a real thing, and I've had
I've experienced ally ship folks that are not black and
brown that see said, there's a bit more of a
challenge for me to navigate and move. But then you know,
(07:18):
when you can have someone that understands you, looks like you,
is willing to have those conversations that you often need
to have, it's priceless, right. And you do find yourself
in in in a in a different positions. So for instance,
the position that I'm in now head of marketing, you know,
(07:39):
executive vice president, that is because of Sean love Come.
That is not because you know, some of the other
organizations that I've worked for in corporate America thought that
I was fit to be in that role. And and
so there is a difference when you're working with your people,
they see you differently, right, And yes, it is our
duty to go back and um extend that same hand
(08:03):
the way that someone has extended it to you. So
and that's what I'm doing. I love it. I love it.
You are it's I mean, it's incredible to see. So
let's talk a little bit. Now. You're at this huge
brand you're working for, you know, an icon like Sean
Dinny Combs, and he and you, of course have been
both responsible for creating some of the most well known
(08:24):
liquor brands across the world. So I don't think it's
over inflated to call you a marketing genius. You know, recently,
I've had a few people. I actually had one of
my agency partners say to me the other day, girl,
you were you were on a role on that call. Yes,
you're a genius, And I was like, I like that.
I'd like how that sounds. I mean, I think we
(08:46):
all need to step into our power and feel comfortable
being able to talk about ourselves that way. So yeah,
I'd like to think that I am a powerhouse when
it comes to marketing. I am a powerhouse when it
comes to creating and and connecting the dots um and
I'm creating brands that are like household names. And I
(09:06):
think that's something so special, you know, because it's not
just it's not just in our own community, it's in
white communities. I mean, I've traveled all over the world
and you can find some rock, you can find eli on.
So I just think there's there's so much inspiration in
that and to be able to share your story and
tell so many because there's so many women right now
who are is trying to start brands or businesses. So
I'm wondering if you can sort of share, um some
(09:29):
of the stories that you know you've accumulated over the
years about building these brands, just some tips and pointers. Yeah,
you know, I think the first thing it goes back
to my early days of street promotions, Like I was
an intern. I talked about this a lot, right, finding
ways to get close to the things that you're passionate about. Right,
(09:51):
you gotta immerse yourself to think that you can like
love something but not get close to it and then
master It's a little ba words. So I think the
first advice to any woman or man that's aspiring to
do to be an entrepreneur or to break into a
business is like, figure out ways to get close. And
(10:11):
that may mean that you're not necessarily getting paid, but
that you're being paid through experience. So find ways to
get close would be my first advice. And I did that,
and that internship that I had undersway, I still revert
back to some of the experiences that I had, and
that was many years ago. That was many more years
(10:32):
in twenty right, So it's it's get close, get as
close to it, live it and breathe it as you can.
And you know, live and breathe it as much as
you can. Don't do anything you're not passionate about. And
people will hear me say this over and over again. Yes,
you're gonna have things that you're like, I like that,
it's cool. But do you love it? Are you willing
(10:54):
to be relentless about it? Are you willing to do
it day and night? Does it make you excited? Does
it fit into your five, your ten, you're fifteen year plan?
And things change, don't get me wrong, but you do
need to be passionate about the thing that you're saying
you're going to invest your time and and if you're not,
be okay with shifting and changing, be okay with that.
(11:17):
You know. I think that's a big one. I think
a lot of people don't realize you can reinvent yourself
as many times as you want to. Oh yeah, absolutely,
And you know, what other do it if you're passionate
yourself about you know. And these are the type of
conversations that I love because they hit so much harder
the older you get. And so I honestly wish that
(11:38):
people had just pummeled them into me the the younger
I was, because you hear it and it just seems
like this really high level advice. But the world is
so changed now where you see people who are so
young following their passions and I'm just telling, like I
just tell them over and over again, you're on the
right track. If this is what gets you up in
the morning, like I promise you just keep going. And
you know, the money comes after that, because it's you're
(12:00):
on this authentic pathway. It's this roadway and it's a
it's an amazing place to be right right, Yeah, the
money is gonna come you. You just you have to
do the work, become an expert, get close to the
right people. Assemble your team. I tell people all the time,
I've always had a team, whether it's the team of
my girlfriends who are inspiring me in a certain way,
(12:22):
right whether right like you, you've got to have people
assemble your team, assemble your tool kid, that's going to
help you, you know, go after the things that you're
trying to go after. You have to. You can't do
it alone. And I don't know too many people that
are really really successful on their own. I just don't.
So you've seen dramatic changes in the marketing industry. You know,
(12:45):
there was at one point it was magazines and it
was ads. Now we transitioned to digital and now we're
in this like new era of Instagram and social media marketing. Um,
what do you feel like are the best rules right
now for companies to reach their audience? Oh, there's so
(13:06):
many you know. Listen, the world of social media is
fascinating and it's you know, for some would say it's
a necessary evil. Not everyone is using social media for
the right thing. Not everyone is keeping it real on
social media. Some of it is about fantasy, right, it's
(13:28):
feeding people what what they think they maybe want or
what they need in the moment. But certainly I think
social social media is a bit a big one. I
still think radio is a great avenue, and that could
be because that was such a part of my early
career that I understand radio. But I do think that
(13:50):
there's still tons going on in that space. There's a
lot of non traditional stuff going on, like advertising through
mediums like pinterests. Right, Like, as people are building these boards,
you can also be feeding them in the things that
you want to be want to um, create an interest in, right,
(14:11):
so they never think of interest. I feel like you're
totally putting me onto stuff now. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,
Like that's that's a great avenue. I would definitely say
like streaming, right, like TV, people are watching TV maybe
a little less in a traditional way and are watching
TV in in a diverse kind of a way. So
(14:32):
I would definitely say, you know, streaming television if you
have budgets, if we want to hear the whole budget, right, right, right,
then you do that. But I also just think that
like um folks who are bullish about creating their own
content on social media, because we can take it back
to just the everyday entrepreneur, you know, get creative about
(14:56):
what you're showing people. Do storytell, be willing to storytell.
I think is a big one for the more, smaller,
more you know, boutique entrepreneur. Do do do do do
exercises and storytelling. People love stories. That's what our business
our business is one big story. These brands have origins,
(15:16):
they come from a place, you know. Then they're to
connect it to folks like you know, Sean love Combs,
and then they're connected to folks like me. It's all storytelling.
I think the biggest avenue for brands these days is
tell a story. Tell the story. Tell tell a story
about your brand. And you know, I think like part
of that too is like be real with your stories.
(15:37):
You know, you can't people smell a fake from five
miles away, right, and so just be yourself whatever your
brand is, like, just be yourself. Yeah. You know, my
one of my colleagues, Dion, he always says, we just
have to tell the truth. Just tell our story, and
I'll tell you for us. In the way we approach
our you know, the marketing for our brands and you
(15:59):
know what we want to do, it's all rooted in
our truth. It's all rooted in in in just really
telling the truth. So that that's such a powerful point
that you make. You tell the truth. You don't need
all the thrills. You know, I'm an interpret I'm an entrepreneur.
This is why this business is important to me. This
is why you're important to me. You know, just tell
(16:20):
people what you need from them, and they're they're really
receptive to it. I love that part about it. They're
super receptive to it. Absolutely absolutely right, all right, Ingrid,
we just we you know Ingrid, the world is on
the tail end or maybe the beginning, I'm not really
sure of a global crisis in the pandemic. How did
this affect your business and what was it like in
(16:40):
March when we realized the world was going to shut
down for not just you know, the business at Shira,
Sarraq and Delian, but for the spirits industry in general. Yeah,
you know, I started this job in the pandemic. I
started this job eight days before the world went on
chef no, uh yeah. And so I will tell you
(17:03):
going back to that, like creating opportunity, like challenge opportunity,
challenge opportunity. I literally I remember sitting thinking, Okay, put
on put on your big girl pants, because you're gonna
have to create opportunity out of this. You've never been
in a pandemic. You don't know what that looks like.
You don't know how that's going to impact your business.
(17:23):
The first thing I want to tell you is that
there were so many people bartenders, wait staffs, DJs, owners
and operators, their businesses stopped. And so the first thing
was also just thinking about like how do you help people?
What do you do in this crisis to help people?
You also wanted to think about like frontline workers. So
(17:44):
it became less about like what does the brand need
and it's like how does how do we use our
platform to make sure that we're addressing what the world
needs first and then thinking about the brand. So one
of the things we did early on we did a
dance than um did. He did, yes, and we raised
(18:06):
I think close to five million dollars from that dance
than he had all his friends sons. Yeah, I mean yeah,
you know who his friends are, right, showed up basically
for frontline workers, and that was all powered by our brands.
That was something that we came together as a marketing
group and said this is the right thing to do,
(18:26):
and you know, and it was all of his idea.
He goes, guys, I'm gonna dance, We're gonna raise Lane
and now you don't typically necessarily have to be thinking
about that as a liquor brand. Right. We then went
on to partner with different organizations around lots of the
people who were out of work, and thinking about how
do we help some of these people, how do we
get them back to work, how do we get them
(18:46):
doing social content right? Take them? These people were typically
behind the bar. Okay, we'll set up bars in your
house and let's do some content around bar attending. So
there was a lot of that that we had to
do first. But then after that we unleashed, you know,
a series of incredible gifting, award winning gifting that people
(19:07):
were like, this stuff is showing up to my house.
It's incredible, and we became the talk of the town
for our gifting. We also sponsored versus Another just really
a moment in time, our historical moment in time where
you know, Swizz and Tim brilliant, they're brilliance to say,
we're gonna bring this to your home. We want to
figure this out. We're gonna use social media and figure
(19:29):
it out. And and and you know, I got a
call from my boss and he said, make it happen.
This is the thing we need to be bringing to
people's homes. So we I would like to say we
did a good job pivoting you know, yeah, not only
did we do good, right, and we we made sure
that we were available to the people that we needed
to be available to and showing up. But we also
(19:51):
had fun. And I'll tell you, our brands are growing
double digits, double digits loving the brands we are, loving
our people, and a lot of it was just because
we knew how to show up during a really difficult
time in a real way. Right going back to the
like telling telling the truth, we just did in a
in a very real way. There was a beautiful synergy
(20:14):
between our brands and versus they. Those are really impactful,
you know. From the dancing thing. I forgot about that.
I mean, I guess we've been sort of in the
midst of this pandemic for almost two years, but I
definitely remember that. And it just was a good vibes feeling.
You know that there's a giveback. You know, it was
providing entertainment which we all deeply, deeply craved and you know,
(20:36):
it was a weird way to connect, but we were
all used to it through our screens and stuff, but
it was meaningful. It was meaningful, right, and it's and
it's the stuff that you're proud about. Right. As a
liquor company. I have lots, you know, I have a
lot of social responsibility. You can be fun brands, you
can be brands that have social responsibility and still do
(20:57):
things that are anchored in a purpose us, you know.
And so for me, the pivot in in the pandemic
was a lot of like, how do we anchor ourselves
because we have a platform to do it, but then
how do we also just have fun responsibly? Right? Um?
And I think Versus was a real example of that.
Our gifting is a real example of that, you know,
(21:18):
tapping different people, have fun post the bottle, do your thing.
We're you know, like just let's let's let's let's not
be too serious at a time that's very very serious.
Let's find a way to still have our joy, right
And so we did that and I'm super proud of it.
I'm super proud of my team. And again, our brands
are growing, We're doing well, and we love our consumer
(21:41):
and I think our consumer can feel that from the
work that we're doing well. We feel like this is
truly a product and I think more and more that
was created with us in mind, right, you know, There's
been so many other products that we buy and I
think there's this narrative, especially with George Floyd and Black
Lives Matter, where you know, we're the consumers of somebody
else's product. But this was really made by somebody who
(22:02):
understand understood us in our black communities, in our brown communities,
and was like, yeah, let's have a good time. We're
responsible with it. But this was created for us. And
there's so much power in that now there is, and
I think you know, uh did he has certainly been
an example of like I'm going to take my seat
at the table and then I'm going to you know,
(22:24):
make sure that I'm bringing folks along. And you know,
I will tell you that the industry as a whole
is growing. There's far more black owned brands as a
result of him, you know, creating that way with the
first deal with Surroq and then subsequently being you know,
a black man to actually own his own tequila. There
(22:46):
are tons of brands now that you know that we're
all seeing that are owned by by black people. Um.
I think more and more companies understand you have to
have people that look like us making decisions. You stop
to It's imperative. And I'll tell you the industry is
watching my team. I mean we are doing things as
(23:10):
seven black women. Oh so your team has seven black women,
seven black women. That gives me goo. Yeah, My marketing
team is seven black women. And listen, I tell people
all the time, they're not on my team just because
they're black. No, they're on my team because they're really
(23:32):
incredible marketers. They are the best of the best. I
see it all the time. And and they're black, and
that's hey. And we work together, we love each other.
We're a family. And and it shows again in the work.
We we know what events to connect with right and
an authentic way. We know the events that sometimes just
(23:53):
needs support. You still have a lot of folks doing
things that simply just need an additional arm to help
them get it off the ground. So going back to
that entrepreneurship and connecting with the ripe folks and you know,
all that kind of a thing. You know, our brand
is showing up for people because we know what we
know what our people need. Absolutely. You know, it's really
funny because here in Atlanta, there's a couple of like
(24:16):
pocket companies that were built maybe twenty years ago in
the tech space, and you know, twenty fast forward twenty
years they've all gone on to create all these spinoffs
and so everyone will like if you make a web
of like it was the I S. S Mafia. They're
all doing all these other things. And I think it's
really similar with Diaggio because I remember being in New
York and like two thousand and ten, and so many
(24:37):
of my friends worked for Diageo, work for Spirit companies,
and it's just they've spread and grown into these incredibly
powerful positions. And often times, like people talk about networking
and how you meet people, but I often say, like,
your best allies are your contemporaries around you, and fast
forward ten years, like those people are going to be
(24:59):
ten years up the ladder like you, and you can
pick up the phone, you can call them, and that's
how you build a team of superstars. Right, Yeah, No, totally,
And I think a lot of it too. For many
of us who have navigated corporate America, you get to
a point also where you're just like I'm really good, yeah, right,
Like I'm really really good, and I'm gonna go and
(25:19):
do my thing, Like now it's time for me to
do my thing. And the hope is that those of
us that have done that, that we go back and
grab people in the process. Right, It's so important and
it goes back to what we were saying before, you know,
in in in how you approach your business and how
you build you make sure you have a good team,
(25:40):
make sure you're you're building good people around you. And
you may be a very small business, but make sure
if you if you're a small business and you just
need one good advice, and make sure it's that friend
that's the best advice is going to tell you the
truth about your business. So yeah, no, it's uh, it's
it's a good time in the midst of I think
challenging times because we can't say everything is all good,
(26:04):
but if we can do good in our respective ways.
To do good, which is what you all are doing
at Greenwood Bank, right, is like that's all we could do. Yeah, yeah,
you know is do our part. And you know, I
think like green is a perfect example because if you
look at our founders, you know they've had some success
in here, they are pouring it back into the community
and you know it's this isn't a philanthropic effort, but
(26:27):
it's also it's altruism. It comes from a really good
place and the same can be said for the work
that you do. The same could be said for the
work that Sean does. And I think it's a beautiful
thing because the impact of it will just be so
much greater. Yeah, yeah, it is generational. Generational is generational.
The work that we're doing is generational, certainly when you're
(26:48):
talking about our wealth. Right. So even you know, when
I think about my role, part of what attracted me
to amongst many amongst sitting next to an icon and
one of the things that really attracted me was his
track record for having black women at the helm, Right.
I wanted to continue that legacy of having black women
(27:09):
leading the marketing efforts alongside him. And I will eventually
have someone under me that I will hand this thing
off to. Right, And that's right, That's that cycle that
we should all be pouring into. It's it's imperative we
have to. And I think when we think about businesses,
when you talk about what are some of the advices
that you could give, you know, maybe a small business
(27:30):
owner somebody thinking about, you know, what they should be doing,
think about that. What's the legacy if you're entering into something,
is it legacy work? Yes? Right, we all should be
We should be challenging ourselves if that's important to you,
If that's important, like to think anyone black and brown
legacy work should be important absolutely. You know, Oh my gosh, well, Ingrid,
(27:53):
you are already leaving such a legacy behind and there's
so much more to go. Tell us what's next for
Ingrid Best three point oh, Ingrid Best three point oh
to continue to represent black and brown people in the
spirits industry. I realized that marketing genius cool. I'll take that,
(28:15):
But my purpose is really rooted right and making sure
that we have a voice in this business, continuing to
do the work that I think, you know did he
set out to do right many years ago, So continuing
keeping that ball going. And then you know, listen, I
have ambitions to one day own my own brand, and
(28:36):
he's very supportive of that. And you know that ownership thing,
taking all of the know how that I've compiled from
you know, building incredible marketing campaigns and helping other brands
and other companies and you know, and and sharing that
with with the world. So eventually, I think Ingrid three
point oh is my own brand, right, And now I
(28:57):
want you to spell all the secrets is it in
the liquor industry? It and something completely different or maybe
more than one. I don't know, what do you think?
You know, Definitely in the liquor industry because it's what
I'm good at, passionate about, right back to those tips
that I shared earlier. So I'm good at it. I
love it, I'm you know, there's far more that I
(29:19):
want to pour into it. So yes, definitely in this business.
But then I also like there's a lot of other
things that I'm passionate about as well. Art It's something
that I'm very passionate about. I'm an art collector, so
you know, how do I help that industry make sure
that again we're getting we're getting our fair peace, not
just as artists but as collectors and gallery owners and
(29:42):
so on and so forth. You know, mentorship is hugely
important to me, you know, big big dreams and goals
down the road. Is you know, is there a mentorship center?
How do we help people, you know, really really develop
mentorship programs and internship programs, because I think people don't
really realize that, like mentorship is as easy, like just
(30:03):
take a call, Just take a call, you know, But
it's so funny because I remember I was I was
listening to a panel, I mean years ago, and this
one woman said she was like she worked corporate and
she was like, you know, people were asking for tips
on how to be a good mentor, and she said,
I always return a woman's call first. I don't care
if it's a cold call. I don't She's like, that's
(30:25):
the little thing. And it was such a small nuance,
you know. But she was like, in the corporate world,
like men call each other back first, they put this,
and she was and it was just like small things
like that. But mentorship is it seems really easy, but
it feels like a hard thing for a lot of
people to find and authentically connect with someone who can
really help them for the for the in the long term. Yeah,
(30:47):
it's it's become difficult, right, finding internships, finding mentors. Fine,
Like it's it's and that's because we're busy, right, there's
a lot going on. But you know, down the road,
I would I would love to whether it's help people develop. Yeah,
what does a mentorship and the internship program look like?
(31:10):
It doesn't have to be that difficult encumbersation. Yeah, we
just have to make ourselves available. So I love that.
It's already got my mind going because it's so many
different things, you know, on like is it us saying Okay,
we're gonna put in a couple interns in low level,
whether it's the it's it's is there a data bank
for it, it's that's a great idea. Yeah. Yeah, So
(31:30):
there's there's a lot of right, there's a lot of
things that I think I have ambitions to do, but
certainly I'm in the Spears business now. My ambitions currently
are continue to drive you know, uh Sirok and Delhion
lead this a beautiful, incredible team of black and brown people,
and just to continue to be a voice in this
business the way you all are in a voice right
(31:53):
in in the financial sector, in the wealth sector and
the banking cctor. We need people are willing to say,
I'm gonna be a voice for this thing, right and
so for now I'm a voice in this thing, this
Spirit's business. That yes, Oh, thank you so much, Ingrid.
You are so inspiring and please continue to be the
marketing maven that you are. We are all watching you
(32:16):
and the brand grow and we're so proud of it
and we're so grateful. Um that we have pioneers like
yourself in the industry, and I just hope that so
many that tuned in were inspired by your journey and
got to hear more about you and what you've accomplished,
because it's no small feat. Thank you so much for
having me. Like I said, huge fans can't wait to
have an account. That's a shameless sug and I did
(32:39):
anything you guys ever need let me know, I appreciate it.
Got all entrepreneurs, young people, anyone who's just trying to
figure this thing out, keep going well, Ingrid. Before we leave,
please tell our money money Movers audience where they can
find you on social media, um, and also where they
can buy Sarrok and Dellian. Okay, Well, you can find
(33:02):
me on Instagram at miss Underscore I Best. That's Miss
Underscore I Best. Or you can find me on LinkedIn
just my name, first and last name, Ingrid Best. You
can also see my background for anyone who's just like curious, right,
how did she do it? So? Lincoln is a great
place to see that. And then sir Rock and Daily Yo,
you could buy it at your local stores. Okay, you
(33:25):
can also order it online. It is available her Dailian
is an absolutely beautiful tequila. I'm into it. Well, it's
happy hour somewhere, so let's get off this. Let's get
off this podcast and poor us as a drink. Thank
you so much, Ingrid, and we will chat again soon.
Have a great evening. Thank you so much, you two,
and thanks to the whole Green routine. Thank you so
(33:47):
much for tuning in. Money Moves audience. If you want
more or a recap of this episode, please go to
the Bank Greenwood dot com and check out the Money
Moves podcast blog. Money Moves is an I heart radio
podcast powered by Greenwood Executive produced by Sunwise Media, Inc.
For more podcasts on I heart Radio, visit the i
(34:09):
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
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