Bullseye Breakdown Ep. 104 - Travis Barnes - Battlefield to Boardroom: Building a Whiskey Empire

How do you go from three combat tours in Iraq to launching a nationally distributed whiskey brand? In this episode of Bullseye Breakdown, we sit down with Travis Barnes, the Marine veteran behind Hotel Tango Distillery, the first combat-disabled veteran-owned distillery in the U.S.Travis shares his full journey—from bootstrapping with student loans to battling billion-dollar bourbon brands for shelf space. If you're building a brand in a competitive market, this episode is packed with real insights on scaling smart, storytelling with purpose, and staying true to your values.This episode is a must-watch for entrepreneurs, brand builders, and business owners who want to learn how to scale smart, stand out, and survive in competitive markets.🔥 This episode is packed with real insights—let’s break it down!🚀

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How bourbon industry shifts are disrupting small distilleries

✅ The "shotgun vs. rifle" strategy for sustainable business growth

✅ The biggest challenge Travis faced scaling Hotel Tango

✅ The worst business advice he ever got—and why ignoring it saved him

✅ How Hotel Tango is giving back to veterans and the community📌

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold Open: The name change from Hitting the Mark

00:52 – Travis’s Story: Marine Corps to whiskey founder

05:40 – The bourbon industry’s dirty little secret

10:11 – What makes Hotel Tango’s brand stand out

16:50 – Scaling smart: from 12 products to just 2

24:19 – Industry trends, flavor innovation & LTOs

31:07 – Navigating shelf space politics & retail psychology

34:52 – Using data to drive real sales

36:58 – Core values & keeping integrity in business

41:30 – Relationship-first growth and community impact

46:08 – Hotel Tango’s veteran support and philanthropy

48:35 – Final thoughts, call to action, and wrap-up🔥

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📲 Follow Travis Barnes & Hotel Tango

🔗 Website: HotelTangoDistillery.com

📸 Instagram: @hoteltangodistillery

📘 Facebook: Hotel Tango Distillery

🐦 Twitter/X: @hoteltangoindy

📲 Let’s Connect!

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/chief-builder

🔗 website: www.bullseyebreakdown.com

📸 Instagram: @bullseyebreakdown

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