November 26, 2015 / Smoke / Comment / Blog, Inspiration
Giving thanks to all my family and friends. Cheers to all.
Morning Prayer
Let me awaken every morning and be thankful for what God has brought me.
Let me awaken every morning knowing things are as they are meant to be.
Let me awaken every morning knowing life is a journey and I am just a part.
Let me awaken every morning knowing the day will
bring challenges, opportunities and learning experiences.
Let me awaken every morning with self-love and self-acceptance, so I may be more tolerant of myself and others.
Let me awaken every morning with an open heart, so love may rush in and out like the tide of the mighty ocean.
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August 26, 2015 / Smoke / Comment / 2015 Event, Blog, Brand Management, Brands & Distribution, New Products - Brands, Taliera
I’m very excited to announce our new brand – Beach Whiskey. More to come…
Cheers, Smoke

BEACH WHISKEY™ INVITES YOU TO YOUR PLACE IN THE SUN™
Brand new whiskey says, “life’s a beach” in the super-premium segment
Los Angeles, CA (August 27, 2015) … The Ultimate Beach Party has begun! Beach Whiskey™, a meticulously crafted super-premium American whiskey is set to launch this fall.
“Over the last decade, the spirits industry has seen significant growth in both market size and share,” said J. Smoke Wallin, co-founder and CEO of Beach Whiskey and CEO of Taliera, a brand incubator and global sales, marketing and distribution agent. “At the same time, global fascination with American whiskeys and the explosive growth of flavors in the category means the time is right for a new brand like Beach Whiskey.”
Beach Whiskey (SRP $27.99, 750ml) is carefully crafted in the United States from corn at partner distilleries to produce a clean and crisp base, before filtering and blending to exact specifications. The team at Beach Whiskey spent much of the past year tasting whiskeys and flavors and testing those profiles with consumers and trade experts to perfect the recipes and final product.
At launch, the Beach Whiskey portfolio includes Original (40% ABV / 80 proof), Bonfire Cinnamon™ (35% ABV / 70 proof), and Island Coconut™ (26% ABV / 52 proof).
Beach Whiskey celebrates the beach life and all that comes with it… parties, sports, relaxing, good music, and having fun. Even the packaging – an etched label on an embossed sea glass bottle – is designed to evoke the spirit of the beach life and it’s a love of the beach that brought the Beach Whiskey creators together. In addition to Wallin, founding investors of Beach Whiskey include TV and radio personality Billy Bush, and entrepreneurs Andrew McGinnis and Kenny Dichter.
Wallin, a native of Longboat Key, Florida, said while growing up he spent all his free time either at the beach or in and around the water. “Because we all love the beach, we also share the responsibility for protecting it. Beach Whiskey believes in preserving the world’s water and beaches, and by promoting the beach lifestyle, we hope to raise people’s awareness of this precious natural resource.”
Andrew “McG” McGinnis, co-founder and SoCal native, is an avid surfer, waterman and beach volleyball player, who grew up playing beach sports and living the beach life in Santa Monica, Malibu and on Lake Tahoe. “Beach Whiskey is about combining my love of whiskey with my love of the beach,” said McGinnis. “It’s about creating a fun and delicious whiskey that can be enjoyed at a daytime beach party or by a bonfire at night.”
Beach Whiskey will be featured at the Hospitality Executive Exchange (HEE), a gathering of food and beverage industry leaders, at the beach on Amelia Island, FL (August 29-September 2) where Bush will be giving the keynote. “I love the idea of combining fine whiskey with the beach life,” said Bush. “Beach Whiskey provides the right mix of fun with great flavors. I’m excited to be a part of this ground-breaking brand!”

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD — Season: 2014 — Pictured: Billy Bush — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
“We are absolutely thrilled to be the first conference to introduce Beach Whiskey to the Hospitality Industry, and having Billy Bush as our welcome keynote speaker is the icing on the cake,” said Jen Robinson, CEO/Duchess of The Pineapple Group LLC, which owns and manages HEE. “Beach Whiskey is definitely a brand that we want as a long-term partner, and where better to showcase it than at the beach.”
Simply delicious and smooth, Beach Whiskey cuts across traditional beverage categories and appeals not only to whiskey aficionados but also to anyone who loves a great cocktail and a fun time in the sun. “Beach Whiskey is exceptional!” said Kendall Lockwood, Indianapolis Craft Mixologist and GM of the Ball & Biscuit, who created signature cocktails for the brand. “It is wildly versatile – great straight, on the rocks or blends beautifully with a variety of flavor profiles in cocktails.”
Michael Tolley, CCO/Beverage By Design agreed. “As a seasoned beverage trainer, bar consultant, and a drink recipe developer, there is nothing I enjoy more than a spirit in the raw! Beach Whiskey is one that can stand on its own, conceived in an era of craft, not misery. A spirit of today, for today… Beach Whiskey! I’ll have mine on the rocks.”
Beach Whiskey will be initially available in Southern California and Florida, with a selective rollout planned in major markets during early 2016.
About Beach Whiskey™
Beach Whiskey was founded in 2015 by entrepreneurs who are leaders in the beverage, entertainment, lifestyle and business services industries. Beach Whiskey is an American whiskey made for sun worshiping, moon chasing, fun seekers. A whiskey for the wise and the whimsical. A whiskey for those drawn to the water, the waves, who welcome a little wickedness. Beach Whiskey is about time…… your time, our time, our whiskey! Born on the beach, enjoyed everywhere. No matter where you are, our mission is to bring the beach – “your place in the sun” – to thirsty, fun-loving whiskey drinkers everywhere. Please sip and swim responsibly!
Media samples and hi-res images are available upon request.
Contact Laura Peet, PeetCom, Inc., lbptalk@aol.com, (917) 860-6285.
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August 17, 2015 / Smoke / Comment / Blog, Inspiration

I’ve been thinking about the concept of pressure after a conversation I had with several recent college graduates who are at the beginning of their careers. What is pressure and how do I handle it when I feel it? When I think about this topic, I immediately think about sports and how the great competitors face incredible pressure at specific moments. Yesterday’s PGA as Jason Day closed in on his first major win with Jordan Spieth on the hunt. Day has had so many near misses, putting those nagging doubts out of his head and playing strong for a record breaking 20 under major was incredible to watch. How does one do that and what can the rest of us learn from it?

I decided to go back to a classic and highly motivational book I have gone to since my days of Cornell wrestling, The Edge, by Howard E. Ferguson, 1982. Here is the legendary coach of one of wrestling’s greatest high schools, St. Edward of Lakewood, Ohio take on pressure:
“Time’s running out. Your team trails by one basket. The noise of the crowd is deafening.
What do you do? Do you hide, or do you break from your opponent and come out to get the ball for the last shot?
If you’ve prepared mentally and physically as we have mapped out, you’ll never need to worry about pressure; in fact, you’ll go out of your way to put yourself in pressure situations. You’ll be the type of athlete who thrives on a close game, a tight match. Pressure is something you put on yourself when you’re not prepared. If you don’t have faith in what you are doing and you fear the unexpected, then its something for which you didn’t properly prepare. All pressure is self-inflicted and, like anything else in life, you can look at it in several ways. You can look forward to it or you can cringe in front of it. … If you welcome pressure, you’ll be amazed at how successful you’ll be. When the situation gets tight, you’ll have the edge because you’ll know: 1. There’s just as much pressure on your opponent, 2. Exactly how to handle it, and 3. Chances are he(she) won’t.
No matter how confident you are though, sometimes you’ll find yourself caught up in a pressure situation and little doubts of your ability will creep into your mind. No need to panic, no need ot think its unnatural. Even the great ones have moments of fear. The secret to their success is that they know exactly how to handle these moments – they know they can’t avoid them, so when the pop up, they don’t lose it – they handle them. They slow it down a little, they go back to their very fundamentals of their particular sport and they concentrate. Slow it down. Get your confidence back. Get your edge back. Then face the pressure head-on.”
In business, just as in sports, you make a choice in a “pressure” situation. You can either embrace it with the confidence of preparation and a belief in your ability and your content or your can let it get to you. I’ve probably given 1,000s of presentations or speeches over the years to important audiences, customers, and business leaders. In every one of these situations, even early on, I felt the pressure in the form of adrenalin. I grew to feed on these situations. I embraced them. Even early on, these were the situations I sought and thrived on. Whether it was getting a meeting with Walmart’s Sam’s Club at 23 years old and traveling to Bentonville, AK to present on my own, taking the lead on presentations to our major suppliers or going out to the investment community and raising $100s of millions while still in my twenties, I put myself in “pressure” situations. While there were always ways in which I could have improved or done better and each of these experiences could have been terribly nerve racking, but instead they where incredible learning experiences in which I thrived.
As a person starting out in the business world, you will have opportunities presented to you to take a lead on a project or to represent your company in a meeting. Take them and embrace them. These are the moments that separate the performers from the rest. These are the moments that enable one to stand out from the crowd. Feeling it is natural, even with proper preparation.

“Pressure is something you really put on yourself. If its not real, why put it on yourself?” -Kyle Dake
Kyle Dake is an American former collegiate wrestler at Cornell University. He won four NCAA Division I national tittles in four different weight classes. With his fourth title in 2013, he joined Cael Sanderson and Pat Smith as the only four-time NCAA champions.

As NBA legend, Larry Bird put it back in his playing days, “In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for that last shot – not in anybody else’s, not in anybody else’s hands in the world.” I look at business situations similarly.
While no one expects a new entrant to the workforce to excel in every situation right from the start, you will have opportunities to put yourself into a “pressure situation”. Seek these out. Always be the one who raises their hand and steps up. Don’t fear failure. Take the chance and be willing to put yourself into these situations. You may not realize it at the time, but your boss and other senior people in your organization will notice. More importantly, you will gain experience and confidence by going through these experiences. The more you do this, the more you will have confidence and never get rattled.
“Courage is grace under pressure.” Ernest Hemingway
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July 17, 2015 / Smoke / Comment / Blog, Brand Management, Distributors, Supply Chain

I have to admit, when I first read about the same day delivery service I was a bit skeptical. How would it work? Why would I really want it? Could anyone really do it at scale on a sustained basis?
Experience:
Well, early this morning I was reading the news on my iPhone and received a message from Amazon that all Prime members now had access to same day delivery (1-2 hours from order) through its new service called Prime Now. #PRIMENOW It piqued my interest. Is this real? Can they really pull it off? So I downloaded the Amazon Prime Now app and started browsing. I was amazed at the breadth of offerings from grocery to sports to electronics and more. I’ve been in the market for a luggage rack for my truck and found exactly the type I wanted. I knew we were out of eggs and browsing the groceries made me think about breakfast so I added some free range organic eggs and all natural sausages. Click click click and my order was in process.
They gave me a delivery window of 8-10am (my order was placed around 5:45am). I received my order exactly as expected at 9am and was able to make breakfast before the rest of my day unfolded. The driver told me I was among the first 10 orders in Indy. This was a profoundly positive experience.

Amazon Prime Now is currently available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Manhattan and Miami. The service will continue rolling out to additional cities in 2015
What does this mean?
It is a game changer. Not immediately, but with a sustained effort, I believe this could drastically change how consumers (and businesses) think about behave with their purchasing. Home delivery is great and has been around for a long time (think the milkman of old, bottle water delivery etc). We get deliveries from Amazon and tons of other companies all the time. Some of these are next day or 2nd day which is super convenient. We get a weekly grocery delivery of organic and locally grown produce from Green Bean Delivery which is FANTASTIC! We have to plan our order by Monday at noon and receive our delivery of groceries on Wednesday of each week.
All that said, the idea that one can simply run out of something or decide one “needs” (wants) something, almost anything, and make it so two hours later is different. This is what 90% of running errands ends up being. Going to the store for this and that and picking up a few things in between larger shopping trips happens to all of us (or our families) every day. What if we could cut most of that out? What if you need something you simply think it (a couple of swipes is not much work) and it arrives in about the same time it would take you to go out and shop, pick your items, load your car, drive home, unload your car. This requires a different kind of thinking around what is possible, but I don’t think its a that big of a leap for most of us.
Implications:
For Consumers
- Time – For no extra cost (driver tip cancels out gas you would have used perhaps), it frees up time. How much time in a week do we spend running to the store, shopping and returning? 4 hours? 8 hours? More? What more productive things or fun things can one do with that time. It is big.
- Convenience – No need to plan very far ahead, need something, make it appear with no effort. Wow.
For Small Business
- Time – Same as above, many small businesses buy things by shopping. Eliminate that need and do you eliminate a need for headcount manning the store while someone is out buying supplies?
- Service – out of something? – now you can replenish immediately and provide your customers whatever you were missing in a short time.
- Investment savings – reduce safety stock/inventory on certain items and replenish each day as needed. For many small businesses (and large) space to store inventory is a real issue. What if you could simply replenish as needed? Though this service is focused on consumers, for many small businesses, it could be a better alternative to traditional distribution or running to Costco or Sam’s Club for stuff. I’d expect Amazon to build out this aspect over time.
For Retailers & Distributors
- Increased retail competition – just when you thought it could not get worse for retailers, it is getting worse. Things that one swings in to just grab could be diverted to this. Think of convenience, pharmacies (e.g. Walgreens and CVS), grocery (Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Publix), electronics (Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, Target), sports equipment (e.g. Dick’s, Sports Authority).
- Increased distributor competition – the businesses that source from traditional distributors could shift some of their purchases to this kind of model. It will create the need for distributors to up their service level to stay competitive which can also drive up their costs.
Overall, I think I just experienced the future today. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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