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Charge Forward Podcast
The Charge Forward Podcast: Dedicated to those who choose to Charge Forward into the Storm when hit with challenges. This is what makes them different and has lead to their success. When in doubt.... Charge Forward!
Charge Forward Podcast
From Top Shelf to Legacy: The story of Fiyori Vodka
From Top Shelf to Legacy: The story of Fiyori Vodka
Clarence Darkwa, founder of Fiyori Vodka & Johnnie Robinson, join the Charge Forward Podcast to share the incredible story of launching a premium vodka brand rooted in integrity, innovation, and intention.
Fiyori isn’t just another bottle on the shelf—it’s redefining what luxury tastes like. With a clean finish, no harsh ethanol bite, and a 97-point score at international spirits competitions, this ultra-premium vodka is winning over both connoisseurs and casual drinkers. How clean is it? Clarence tested it himself:
“I drank the whole bottle… and woke up at 8 a.m. feeling fine.”
In this powerful episode, we unpack:
🧬 The science behind Fiyori’s crystal-clean taste
🏆 How it became a gold medal-winning vodka with a loyal fanbase
🧠 Why 90 seconds of consumer behavior shaped the entire brand identity
🤝 The power of relationships in a self-funded spirits startup
⚙️ Behind-the-scenes of partnering with Pronghorn (Diageo) to scale as a minority-owned brand
🍸 What’s next: Espresso martini RTDs and nationwide expansion
Clarence and Johnnie Robinson are on a mission—and it shows. Whether you’re a spirits enthusiast, brand builder, or entrepreneur navigating a competitive space, this conversation is a masterclass in resilience, reputation, and real results.
“He was good to me.” That’s how Clarence wants to be remembered—and after this episode, you’ll understand why.
👇 Connect with Fiyori Vodka:
🌐 Website: https://www.fiyorivodka.com
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/fiyorivodka
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/fiyorivodka
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I drank a whole bottle, yeah, yeah. And I gave him a whole bottle and I said I want to drink this whole bottle tonight, at least for us, we have a very clean vodka and we've seen the effects of no hangovers the next day.
Speaker 2:Hey team, jim Cripps, here with the Charge Forward podcast and I got to tell you I have a special treat for you today. You've heard me say that before, but I am so excited to bring to you two gentlemen that worked with me for a number of years and are doing crazy awesome things just out in the entrepreneurial space and really kind of changing a liquor kind of idea. And it started here in nashville, so in the studio with me today clarence darkwa he is the founder and ceo of fiori vodka. And johnny robinson, who man, he put up with me for a decade. Uh, johnny is the vp of branding and sales at fiori vodka.
Speaker 3:Guys, welcome thanks for having us absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2:Now I'm just going to go throw this out there, just right out of the gate clarence, I believe you were the first hemp infused vodka to hit the market I was the first in tennessee, okay, um, so I always like to give credit when credit is due.
Speaker 1:Um, the product has had kind of been out there, uh, not in a big way, but, um, when there was a whole CBD craze, I think a lot of companies tried their hand in creating products made with hemp right, hemp seeds and things like that. So I believe I'm the best out there. I can guarantee that I'm probably the best out there. Uh, but I do want to give credit to those like, uh, that have been out there. That was a company in California when I was doing my research. Uh, even the person that I, the distillery that I actually started with had kind of created a formula initially for that product. So, uh, but like I said, we've tried to be the best and we believe that we are yeah.
Speaker 2:Now, how long has this been going?
Speaker 1:on. So the process really started December 2019. So a friend of mine, jason Rijal, owns a company called Guidance Whiskey here in Nashville and he literally walked up to me and said I'm going to put you in the liquor business Now. Prior to that, I was doing crazy entrepreneurial stuff. I had created a shisha which is for hookahs. I didn't like hookah, but I had created a shisha because shisha is normally made with tobacco. And I decided to become a mad scientist in my kitchen and created a shisha with hemp flour instead of tobacco and created a shisha with hemp flour instead of tobacco Because I understand the health, the bad things with tobacco. I'm not a tobacco fan at all. I've never smoked in my life, predominantly due to the chemicals that they're putting on the plant Definitely, definitely and just tobacco overall. I mean there's quality tobacco, but overall, when you look at tobacco, in a sense it's not a good product.
Speaker 2:Well, the crazy thing in my world is like, if you look at the health benefits of nicotine itself, there are plenty of things that nicotine can actually help with. Oh, but it's all the garbage that goes along with it that causes cancer and is so harmful for definitely definitely, and really a lot of it came off of just watching people do it.
Speaker 1:You know you flavor something and you have a lot of people smoking and do not know what they're smoking, right, especially in the hookah world, right, which is something that originated in the Middle East, east, africa type of thing. So I just became a mad scientist. I bought a bunch of hemp flour and I started making shisha out of my kitchen. Shout out to my daughter she had to watch all that. All that happen. Look like I was growing weed in the house or something like that. But, um, and then in 2019, uh, at a party, uh, december 31st, uh, jason, I had thrown some couple of events with the shisha and we used guidance whiskey for it. So I developed a relationship with jason and he basically walked up to me see how I put you in the liquor business, and that was it walked away.
Speaker 1:So January came around Um, I'm kind of anxious, like what is he talking about? And I had no idea about liquor. I'm a, I drink socially, but not I don't really pay attention to it. Um, and we went to his office. He called me one day, went to his office and, uh, he made a call to a distillery, um, and obviously me being in the hemp industry, the distiller had already kind of created a hemp vodka type of product and kind of just started from there. So that one call um.
Speaker 1:Literally I went back um to the house and then COVID happened, yeah Right. So we had some scooter a scooter rental company called dash scoototers got destroyed in the tornado that we had March 3rd of 2020. I had a party bus company. So you can see, I was an entrepreneur, a serial entrepreneur pretty much, having a bunch of companies that got shut down during COVID. So I literally had nothing else to do. So this idea kind of came in to pay attention to the industry, because I was watching the news one day and it said the two most important businesses are hospitals and liquor stores. When COVID happened, right, people were either getting sick or going to the liquor store to buy a drink.
Speaker 2:And how many people go to the liquor store and then end up in the hospital? Well, you know correlation. And then end up in the hospital? Well, you know correlation.
Speaker 1:So if you look at this liquor sales industry, it became it was high sales around 2020. So I used to go sit at a liquor store and just watch how people interacted with liquor, and there was a couple of things that I picked up, like you know what type of bottles were sitting on the top shelf. You know which spirit do most people go to? How quickly somebody spends time at a liquor store and average about a minute and a half. They go, grab what they know and they walk away. A whiskey drinker sometimes pays attention because they're paying attention to the different type of whiskeys. If I could, drink is likely Tito's and walks away. You know what I'm saying? Um, and I just started studying. I had nothing else to do.
Speaker 1:I started studying and by the end of 2020, through R&D, we created Fiore Vodka. Now, the name Fiore came from a friend of mine, Ida, who's from Eritrea, Eastern Africa, and we're looking for a name that will be ideal, but just not a simple name. And she said well, what about Fiore? Which means flower, uh, language as well, and they also have some good, uh, positive, meanings in their culture. So, uh, and I'm big on names, names matter. So, um, that's how we ended up coming up with Fury of Fury vodka and so, uh, it's been a process, it's definitely been a process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and you know we've talked several times kind of throughout this. Johnny, how did you get thrown?
Speaker 3:into the mix, crazy enough. So you know, back in the day I hired Clarence when we all worked together at Sprint, and you know we really created a bond and a friendship after that. And so you know he would just hit me up randomly like dude, like hey, I'm about to launch in the Virgin islands, or you know, I'm switching, you know, distribution through Atlanta or whatever the case may be, and so he'll just hit me up and we'll just talk and we're talking, and we're talking, I'll give him some ideas, this and that. Like, hey, this is what I think we should do. This is that. You know, it's just, you know, a friendship me, he's picking my brain, we're going over stuff. And from there, and it's like this is multiple years of him, it's just going back every couple months we may talk just workshops and stuff. I remember, like towards the end of 2023, he calls me. He was like man, listen, I got some challenges. This is what I'm working through. And I'm about to start giving him some advice, like I normally do, and he literally stops me dead in my tracks and he's like don't say anything else, just can you come on board, can you be a part of this? And I was like I wasn't expecting this, right.
Speaker 3:And so, from there, I was like you know what, let me think about this. For sure, I just started a new thing down in downtown Nashville. I was signing on as a, as a um director, and I was like you know what, let me see how I can make this work. Right, I'm going to start this new thing out of marketing and sales organization. Um, how can I fit the time in to really, you know, give fewer the attention that it needed? And so I said, you know what, let me come up with some strategies for us. Let me write some stuff on paper. Let's come up with a go-to-market strategy, let's figure out the finances, let's do all of this.
Speaker 3:And from there, like you know, six months later, uh, I stopped working at that company and it was like that, really, that was a blessing in disguise, right? Because for there I was able to truly dive into how we can take this thing to the next level, right? So from that first call till then was just like you know, putting stuff on paper is trying to figure this out. How can we rewrite what's already been done and then grow it from there? So it got a little bit deeper. Because at first, you know, I said, sure, I'm a help, I'm a put, whatever time, and after work on the weekends, I'll figure out how we can get this thing done.
Speaker 3:Um, but once I transitioned from the organization, it was like, okay, how can I make Fiori my full time thing? Yeah, and honestly, it was like I went to the wife. It was a little bit of prayer because Clarence, on that call, he was like listen, man, I want you to be a part of this, but I can't pay you right now. He was like I want to see how we can grow this thing. And so I was like, well, first I need to truly learn about the liquor industry. Like you know, I'm giving you advice on how to do sales and operation, all of this, but I need to dive in and figure this thing out.
Speaker 3:But you know, um, thinking about how I can, you know, not have any income for a while, you know, pray about it, talk it over with the wife.
Speaker 3:Um, I mean, you know we were pregnant with our, our third child at that time. And so it was like, hey, how can we make this work to where I could come on board, be full time with this? And so I get back to him like hey man, you know I prayed about it, talk with the wife, she approved. Let I get back to him like hey man, you know I prayed about it, talk with the wife, she approved, let's figure this thing out. And so from there, like I mean six to eight months of just grinding and grinding, and we really were able to like bring this thing to where we're at now, to where, you know, slowly becoming a household name, and, uh, finally can say we actually have, you know, monthly income coming in. And you know, that's kind of how it started Right, because again it went from a friendship to now business partners and it's just been, it's been great ever since. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:So what makes it different? What, what? What sets Fiore Vodka apart from everybody else?
Speaker 1:Well, you know, one of the things is the hemp seeds, right. So obviously, being in the hemp industry with my other product that I had, which I still have, I just haven't really focused on as much as I focused on a vodka experiments. We eventually moved, the distillery moved from a different, uh, from the original distillery had to a different company and we really went in deep on the rnd part of it. So, uh, how much can we add on there? That kind of affects the product. You know, learning about ttb laws, you know, and you know there was a lot. It took me about six months to get reapproved for it. You know, uh, owning the formula and everything like that. But hemp seeds, I just understood the benefits of it.
Speaker 1:So I use hemp seeds every morning for my smoothies hemp seeds and chia seeds. And then also the process of how we do it. So the filtration process, how we proof it down with reverse osmosis water, the health benefits of reverse osmosis water, cleaning out the metals that are in the water. So you're getting the purest form of water to proof it down and then we run into another filter to clean it up a little bit more. So you probably get into more the most cleanest vodka in the market I don't want to say the most cleanest vodka out there. There's probably some more than that's clean, at least for us.
Speaker 1:We have a very clean vodka and we've seen the effects of no hangovers the next day uh, the fact that you can drink something that doesn't overpower you're not drunk, you're not. You know it's pretty much a clean, clean product and so that's what I think sets it apart from your normal vodka. When you smell it, you know, initially, when we're doing a tasting, the first thing people do is smell it and you can't smell the overpowering ethanol. You know, vodka is kind of like ethanol anyway, so you don't smell that overpowering of the ethanol and it's just a great product that you could use in cocktails. You don't taste it in your cocktails, but you know, for me I've tried this before, so I was speaking on it I drank a whole bottle. Yeah, yeah, yep, I went when we were launching in Georgia, did a launch party at a friend of mine's restaurant and I gave him a whole bottle and I said I want to drink this whole bottle tonight. And you know, just keep making me cocktails that does not include sugar, because I'm, you know, a lot of people add drinks, like sugary type of drinks, on that affects you a little bit, but literally drank the whole bottle.
Speaker 1:Now, I guarantee you I was not myself, so I'm not going to sit here and say it's alcohol still. But what was very unique is I woke up around the next day, around eight o'clock the next morning, and I was fine, I was good, I was good to go, I was able to function, I was able to do everything I was supposed to do, which is different from when I normally have other cocktails, that or other spirits and stuff like that. I wake up and like two or three drinks and I wake up and I feel like crap, yeah, so something that I've tried out and it's just different. It's just. I think if you look in the market right now, we're the only ones in every market that we are in, we are probably the only ones that have a hemp seed product on there. So that's pretty much what sets it apart.
Speaker 2:Yeah, product on there. So, um, that's pretty much what sets it apart. Yeah, well, one of the things that I notice is it's much smoother. You know, to me vodka I mean, I'm not a vodka drinker, just by and large, yeah, but it's got that bite, that burn, yes, to the back of your throat and this does not have that yep yep, a lot of.
Speaker 1:It is again the process you know. So, uh, we start the process over in mount prospect, uh, illinois, right outside of chicago, uh, with a company called two eagles, so that's the one I did the r&d uh uh with and we went deep. We went deep, uh, the person that actually helped with it was a person that created fireball, I think helped create fireball uh, so we went deep in what we wanted and then we finished the process here at Flight Whiskey, flight Spirits, actually over in Hendersonville, and so throughout the process, you know it's a lot of paying attention to it. So, like I said, we use very clean. We have a whole filtration system that we use the reverse osmosis water to proof it down, filtration system that we use, uh, the reverse osmosis water to prove it down and then, after you prove it down to 80 proof you, you go through another filtration system before it gets bottled and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:So, uh, I I wanted a product that if you're not a vodka drinker, you're willing to try, because you know most people they turn up their face or I remember I was doing the tasting one time and the lady was expecting uh to have an exorc. You know you drink, like shaking and stuff like that, and she drank it and she was like, oh, you know, and that's that I knew I had something, when what they're expecting is not what they get, you know. So that was very important to me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think he's not highlighting all the true details on why this vodka is so great, right? Yes, for sure. The reverse osmosis water helps make it pure in that five-time distillation process. The hemp seeds also makes it just a nuance with a flavor palette that you just don't get in a vodka right, and again, our clientele will tell you 100% that they like it over top tier brands like Tito's and some of the other brands that are out there. It's because of those two combinations of the five times distilled with the reverse osmosis and then the hemp seeds there's a lot of people now trying to get into the industry and make a hemp vodka right, but they're not infusing it to the level in the process of what we're doing it, and that's truly what's setting it apart. It doesn't taste like you're drinking like something with CBD oil or something like that. Right, because there's a true infusion, that's happening and it gives it a nice flavor palette on the back end, right, and so again going back to the smoothness. But also there was a lot of research and development that went into it.
Speaker 3:I mean, this isn't the first product. Like when Clarence first started this, he went through multiple iterations that were actually selling on the shelves, right, those products, you know they got some awards. But when he went back into R&D and he was like, no, I want these to win gold, like I want it to be a household name to where it tastes better than anything else on the market, the first product didn't have that. And so, to be honest, like it was good but it wasn't great, right. And for, to be honest, like it was good but it wasn't great, right. And for me to come on board, honestly, that was one of the first things. I was like, dude, it'd be hard to sell just an OK product, but it's easy to sell a great product, yeah. And so when you know it's like a staple in my house and several other people that we know is because it's just a really good product, and going through all of that good product and going through all of that, so, again, like the product that he has now, I think he truly understood that it was great.
Speaker 3:When you start winning awards, like 97 points on taste and flavor, yeah, right, something like that. Like that's not us saying it's good, that's the award show saying it's good, that's right. When you're winning gold at several of the award shows right, that's what set it apart. And then you see all these other people who have, you know, something like a hemp product. Um, and they're not even winning those gold standards and high level of praise from the award show. So again it just I think it goes back to the Testament and the hard work that he was putting in to make sure that he had a quality product. And again the community, like you know, all of Nashville is starting to tout that no, this is probably the best vodka, definitely in Tennessee for sure.
Speaker 3:That's locally made.
Speaker 2:That's great. Now so your, your actual distilling operation is is here in Middle Tennessee too.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. So we a good friend of mine, mike Dirk, and his partner Price we started off in a two thousand square foot building. We just they just moved it to Hendersonville, an 2 000 square foot building. We just they just moved it to hendersonville, an 18 000 square foot building. Uh, they have other products that they bottle as well in the still. So, um, we're, you know, we're growing with them, as they're growing as well. So he has a couple of products himself. We have some products on the team that is from, you know, washington. Uh, shout out to con artist. We have, um, who else am I missing? Generic, yep, uh, who else are crispy?
Speaker 3:cool, oh yeah, crispy cool. They're doing their big things up up, I think is it miami or they're not. Georgia, georgia okay, yeah, yeah, they're rtd doing big stuff uh barry with uh wistie yeah that's.
Speaker 1:That's pretty good. I'm missing anybody else um chief chief chief out of memphis.
Speaker 1:So we have a community pretty much that, uh, we share. We get on a call, probably once or twice a month, and just share information, you know. So, in this industry it's very tough. You go to a liquor store, you have options right, you have thousands I'll close about a thousand options in a liquor store, liquor store. So our goal is to see what stands out. Like you know, to make something that stands out when a customer goes in there, that I've tried, that I like, that, that's what I'm going to buy. And I'll tell you a quick story.
Speaker 1:I was talking to one of the managers at Total Wines a couple of days ago and I actually, saturday, had done a total wine tasting. I sold 12 bottles in two and a half hours and, uh, I was talking to her and she was like, yeah, you know, uh, somebody walked into the store and was like this is the best vodka I've ever had and grabbed it and sold it, uh, and bought it and pretty much. And that's what we're looking for. We're trying to build a customer base that, when we're not there selling it, that's what they want. And once you get that customer, once we get that customer that is loving it. You got a customer for life.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely. Well, I think one of the big things that maybe not everybody realizes is, yes, the product's got to be good, but also the packaging has to be fantastic so if you will walk us through the process on the on the bottle and show us the bottle, yes, definitely so a lot of process went into this bottle.
Speaker 1:This is probably the fourth version. Yeah, this is the fourth version of the bottle. Uh, we get better. You can see it, you get better.
Speaker 1:Now the idea of the design really came from you know how, back in the day I think people still do it today when you went to somebody's house and they had liquor Grey Goose Belvedere, they're always like, even if it's empty, it's still sitting on the shelf because people pay attention to the design. You can have a great product, but what attracts people to it? You know, oh, let me see the design. So I took a lot of time and a lot of money to figure out the design and obviously, with it being named Fiori, meaning flower hands, you got the flower design and everything like that. But I wanted to attract people. I wanted people to see it and say it catches your eye. And that was a lot of it.
Speaker 1:From the research of being in the liquor stores and just sitting there and watching people interact, you know. So you realize that the bottles that look generic tend to stay that way. They stay on the shelf. The ones that, um, look nice, even if they weren't buying it, they will spend at least five to 10 seconds looking at it, and once they attracted to it, they will start reading about it. And then, once they start reading about it, your hope is that they would try it, and once they try it, that you got a customer for life. Yeah, so All right.
Speaker 2:So, team, we're going to do something that we have never done before. We are swapping the bowling pin out for the product Nice.
Speaker 1:I think it looks pretty good. Yep, yep.
Speaker 2:Uh, well, you know again, I think one of the things that, while we worked together so well for so many years, is we get the fact that, yeah, you got to do the right things, but you also have to have a great product that you can stand behind. And you got to feel good at the end of the day. You got to be able to tell your kids that you went and you did something. You know you stood on your word, and so I'm not surprised that you've created a great brand and a great you know, a great product.
Speaker 2:Um, nor am I surprised that Johnny's working with you now and that you, you guys, are probably two of the best networkers that I've ever come across. I mean, the number of places that I've been that they know you is just staggering. And then, especially when I go somewhere with Johnny, johnny knows everybody, uh, so I think it's, it was just meant to be. You just had to get to a certain spot where it was like, okay, now it makes sense. And then y'all, y'all got it there together. What has been one of the things that and this could have been in the beginning or more recent that you're just you're almost shocked by that that that was a challenge you had In regards to just the business.
Speaker 1:Well, first of all, to kind of piggyback on what you just said before the question, one thing that I learned when we were in absolute wireless together is uh, johnny was great in analytics. Right, spend time in the office. He's breaking down numbers. Uh, if I had any challenges with sales, he would tell me well, do this, do this, do that Right. I was good at building relationships. I had the great relationships with a lot of our managers and things like that, some of our salespeople, so I could talk to people, talk them off the ledge Pretty much yourselves. We're not selling anything like that. Weirdly, sean, sean Bowden from Franklin just called me the other day. So I still have great relationships with people where we work and stuff like that. So I think the partnership of that really helped and that's why I was able to call him and just piggyback off the ideas from him.
Speaker 1:But now, going back to your question as far as the challenges, a lot of the challenges, because a lot of the brands that you see are either celebrity driven or you know there's a lot of money thrown into it. You know you have, you know, brands that are spending millions on products, right, and so when you got little loves coming in self-funded. You know, trying to push your product, it is hard when you're battling against bigger brands, right? We all know Tito's, right? Tito's has been around for God knows how long. What I draw my inspiration from is just studying who you're going against and one of the things that I learned with Tito's before Tito's became a big brand even Casamigos or anything like that they were around for like 10 years, right? I remember talking to my distributor over in Georgia, savannah, and they Eric was telling me about how he was at a trade show the first time they got to Tito's. He was in a trade show and their owner, tito's, was walking around with Tito's in a brown paperback trying to find somebody to talk to them. Now people can't, can't wait to talk to them, you know. So I draw my inspiration from that.
Speaker 1:It's not a quick get rich quick scheme for me. It's something I truly believe in. It's a. It's a we put some years in and we have some a long time to go. But those are the challenges of dealing with. When I walk into a store, you know you see somebody that's so used to Tito's are going to go buy it, or so used to Belvedere, that's what they're going to buy. So I think what has been helpful for us is doing a lot of the taste is being right in front of that customer. So you know, like I told you, I sold 12 bottles of total wines last Saturday. I have 12 people now that have tried my going to try my product. Even if I get five people to come back and buy it, that's a win right there. And so those are the little things. So I think just laying the foundation of the product is very important and for me that's been the challenge. What about you?
Speaker 3:Donnie man. So I'll go back to some of the challenges that you used to call me with before I truly came on board and it was just like wow, like how do you get past some of this stuff? Right? Again, going back to whether it's the finances right, you're a self-funded startup. You're bootstrapping this from the ground up. How do you compete with other brands? How do you bring more SKUs on board? How do you get people as brand ambassadors to help push your product?
Speaker 3:Right, you have to be out here going to trade shows, being in front of retail locations and also going to them to see if they can pitch. And he's like dude, how do I do all of this at once? Well, all right, let's get the finances together first. Right, let's figure out how we can make some money and you have a great product. So that's how can we, you know, work on the finances. Then, from there, like, how do you mix? You know, personal and business. That's huge as an entrepreneur, right? Oh, yeah, for me, you know, having three little ones now under five um, with, uh, you know, grayson, my oldest, having, no, no longer under five as of today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, yes, he is officially today.
Speaker 3:Happy birthday, grayson Uh uh in unison.
Speaker 2:Happy birthday Grayson. Happy birthday Grayson.
Speaker 3:So you know, trying to balance that personal and you know business is also, it's a struggle, right. So, uh, trying to figure out, you know, hey, I'm up till midnight every single night, whether it's creating content or you know, writing a strategic plan for the week or whatever the case may be. Um, but then you know, going to, how are we going to be the household name and getting you know the product at every single retail location throughout Nashville, tennessee? And then you know we have distribution in Georgia, we have distribution in the Virgin Islands. Like how are you pushing that and having those go to market strategies that can truly make sure people are coming back to buy? There's just so many different challenges. And then for me, I was bringing a level of sales and operations that didn't 100% apply to the liquor industry, which is completely different, right. And so I'm talking to Clarence and he's like you can't do that, you can't do that. I'm like, okay, that's another hiccup, that's another challenge there. He's like we got to do this, we got to do that.
Speaker 3:So I partnered up with Pronghorn. They're an arm of Diageo. Just about everybody knows who Diageo is. They're the largest liquor conglomerate out there, right, or at least one of the top three for sure. And they have what you call a spirits prep program and in that prep program they help prepare you to transition into the industry. And so, luckily, as soon as I was coming on board with clearance, they were doing that program.
Speaker 3:I got a chance to get a part of that program and so in that program I mean we're talking to high level executives and CEOs of some top tier brands, from Uncle Nearest to Blue Chair Bay. I got to go to the offices in New York for Moet Hennessy, remy. Like, we're meeting these people, they're talking about the industry, they're giving us really good feedback and advice and so being able to like listen to what all their challenges were and seeing, like hey, for you somebody transitioning to the industry and, you know, being a startup brand, these are the obstacles that you guys are going to face. But these are some of the things that you can do to overcome it. Like, how are you speaking directly to your clientele? How are you getting out there and getting people to taste and, you know, acquire your product? How many events are you doing every single month?
Speaker 3:And so, again, I say that program was just invaluable for us and what they do, their mission is working with minority brands right valuable for us, and what they do. Their mission is working with minority brands, right In terms of whether that's mentorship, um, funding, you name it Right and so being able to partner with them has been one of the best resources that we have, and then being able to talk through just strategic ideas on how we can overcome some of these challenges, and that's something that's still going on to this day with them. So is it?
Speaker 2:like an incubator program.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 3:So specifically for minority owned liquor brands, yeah absolutely that's exactly what they do, and so they have about 32 brands under their actual portfolio.
Speaker 3:Those are brands they bring in and they support those brands and then they again, they also do mentorship, and so that's one of the programs. You know, I started with the spirits prep program. We'll be going through the mentorship program with them as we continue to help, you know, grow the brand. Again, we keep meeting and we just were partnered we were actually booth right next to them when we went to WSWA in Denver and it was great to be able to reconnect with him. So, you know, being able to have people that you can talk to, who's been in the industry for so long, especially people that are, just, you know, doing huge things I mean these are multi-million dollar and billion dollar brands that are willing to sit and take the time to try to invest in you and talk you through how to overcome certain challenges that's been, that's been great for us well, reality is, selfishly, they want you to succeed because then they've got another brand that they can distribute.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I mean it's a great program, yeah, for sure Fantastic.
Speaker 2:I remember cause you called me because we we had been at a convention at that same facility, the one in Denver, so I thought that was incredibly interesting and kind of cool. For sure it was, that's cool. Um, what do you? What's next? Well, like, what do you what? What's the next? If you could remove a hurdle, or if you could check something off off your box of this is what things that we're working on, like what would be the biggest one? What would be something you're just like yep, we knocked that off.
Speaker 1:It's you, you know. This is a big step forward. So for me, for me personally, um, I'm big on foundation. I've grown what you have, johnny, when I get on a call with him at 11 o'clock at night, when he's calling me with this crazy questions, he wants to create another brand, you know. So we we're uh, we're kind of working both angles. We're looking to distribute a little bit more gets more land distribution right now. Now we have Georgia, tennessee, we have St Thomas. Shout out to Jay Black, he's the one that introduced me to St Thomas. He works at St Thomas in the Islands Market and it's really popular in St Thomas. Right, it is, it is. Yeah, we just literally shipped about 40 cases there last week. So, working with them, I love St Thomas. I know you went there recently.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we were there and you were like we probably got that all over the shelves there, so that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're working that. So Jay kind of handles that market for us and we kind of piggyback off that. But you know, I think one of the biggest things that we kind of agreed on is this putting another product on the shelf, put another SKU on the shelf, Is this going to be like an RTD? Is this going to be a?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So we're in talks I'm trying to look about partnerships and things like that with a company called Withco Something we we talked about kind of threw it in his ear to see what we can do. So shout out to withco uh, it's josh uh who owns withco. It's a mixing company, so I'm a mix mixer pretty much. So he has, uh uh, an espresso martini as a bouquet. Uh, hey, girl, an old-fashioned pretty much. You take two ounces of his product, two ounces of my vodka, mix it together, you have a great product. And I'm a big espresso martini person, so his espresso is top notch.
Speaker 1:So we're looking to put some kind of RTD on the shelf. You know that's coming down. So me and Johnny talk about that a lot, but for me it's just growth. You know we're trying to bootstrap it out, growth and just build that customer base, one at a time, just looking to get into more liquor stores. You know, looking the time, just looking to get into more liquor stores. You know, looking to get more distribution around the nation that we can support.
Speaker 1:Because one thing people don't understand is that you think that you've got a distributor. Distributors are like glorified delivery drivers. You know. First of all they want to have to pick your product up and you have to be careful with the type of distributor you go with, because some distributors will pick you up and just shelf you if they feel like you're a threat to some of the product that they have. So you know, those are the challenges that I had. You know, when I first got into it I'm like when I got my first distributor, I was like, hey, yes, I'm good, I'm on the shelf, we're good. I didn't hear from them for three months after that, you know. And so you understand that you have to sell to the distributor the right distributor, to the distributor the right distributor. Then you have to go into the liquor store and try to pitch the liquor store to buy your product. Then the distributor has to deliver the product. Then you got to go back in the store and sell the product, you know. So those things like that, you know.
Speaker 1:Again, I think the beautiful part about it is that we are learning from every aspect, right, and I think that allows you. It's kind of like building something from the ground up, a building, right? Uh, you know the foundation, you know the walls, you know the color you want on the walls, everything like that and we're learning as we go along. So, uh, for us it's just a, you know, probably bringing another skew in um, and still learning, just still learning. Partnerships and learning, you know, learning Every day. I'm Googling something. Figure out what would be the right way to go on this angle. We failed in certain places and we've gained in certain places. Just the continuous learning, for me, is important.
Speaker 2:We have a rule in our house and it is did we win or did we learn? We actually don't use the fail word.
Speaker 2:Okay, because as long as you learned something to take into tomorrow, I mean, it wasn't a failure. Definitely, you learned something Definitely and you had to learn a lot of things along this way, right? If somebody out there right now is listening, maybe the vodka is their thing, maybe the vodka is not their thing. What do you see as maybe the top three mixers or drinks that are currently being made? I know it's popular here in Nashville. I'm sure this is playing into your RTD strategy. What do you think is in the running for that?
Speaker 1:Espresso martinis is probably the fastest growing uh, um type of drink that's out there. Um, I'll be honest, if I go to a restaurant and I'll order an espresso martini, it's not good.
Speaker 1:I'm not coming back okay it's become a thing for me, you know. So I go to a restaurant, I'm paying attention to the bar and stuff like that. An espresso martini, I think, would be probably top. Uh, probably lemon drops. A lot of people love lemon drops. Um, it's pretty good. Um, I tried a dirty martini the other day. That's not my thing, you know, I'm not. You know that's. I feel like that's a, that's a vodka, vodka drink. But you know, um, you know, as far as, like, from my research and things like that, espresso martinis, uh, I would say lemon drop. What else do you think?
Speaker 3:So espresso martinis are definitely like bringing back vodka to be. I mean, vodka has been for the longest the number one selling spirit, right, yeah, tequila is slowly inching into that space of trying to overtake vodka, but I mean it's the easiest to make drinks with that space of trying to overtake vodka, but just I mean it's the easiest to make drinks with. And so when you look at what's out there, the espresso martini is on the menu everywhere you go and it's kind of like that resurgence of like what helped bourbon get so popular? And it was the old fashioned. That kind of really was like everybody's getting old fashioned. I got to try it old fashioned at this place, this bar, whatever the case may be, espresso martini is it right now. And so you know that's one of the driving forces in the vodka space right now and you know everybody's like how do you really re-innovate the space? Like, how do you do something different? What type of innovation? That's kind of where vodka's at right now I mean we're kind of one of the top leaders in that that's being considered like hey, you're, you're, you have some level of like, um, innovation that's happening because of what we do, how our process is made.
Speaker 3:And so the espresso martini is it like that's the drink, that's the driving force, and then anything else that you have out there like, uh, like you said, a dirty martini is, like, extremely popular. I mean, it's a, it's been a staple for years. Um, lemon drop surprisingly kind of went away and now they're back and that's what people are drinking. It's like, oh, jim, and then, like you have some really good drinks. But at the same time, just a shout out to Clarence when he went through all of this research and development, he made this product to be sipped, right, yeah, and so you put this over ice. If you're a vodka drinker, you're going to love this, like, just like you're sipping a good bourbon. Um, cause again, that flavor palette, the nuance, um, the taste that you're going to get is just really, really good.
Speaker 3:Me, when I am every single week visiting accounts, I'm focusing on, you know, retail accounts. Clarence is more focused on getting bars and restaurants because for us, like you mentioned, like, we need to be on the menu, and we're on the menu at several places around town, helps us grow, you know, gets the word out, um, but how do you create a really good drink here in Nashville when everybody wants to be downtown, they want to try something that they haven't had before, right, and so we let the bartenders really kind of go wild, like it's like, okay, there's some really good flavor profiles. How can we, you know, mix something together? That's really really good clearance. What would you say your favorite place that we currently have the bucket? That you really like that menu product?
Speaker 1:um, I'll say, germantown pub has been with us from day one. Uh, shout out to germantown pub. They created a drink called the melon kush and, uh, what's interesting to me is, you know, just not about having just a great product, but the idea of selling. Obviously, we've been in sales, you understand, you know, when we did our saturday sales in there. Absolutely, you know, it's, it's the art of right. So, uh, when you have a drink called a melon kush on the menu, people pay attention to that. Oh, what is that? You know, sometimes you're selling them. Oh, I wish you had this in there. And then you know it doesn't have it, you know. So, um, the melon, uh, shout out to them. Plain jane has been with us. Uh, they out of, uh, east nashville area east nashville um, they've been rocking with us from day one.
Speaker 1:Um trying to think offhand some places have changes.
Speaker 1:Uh, some places that had us and changed and so we're trying to rebuild, and a lot of it was, uh, there was a period that I would say that we didn't sell anything when we were trying to move from, uh, our old distributor to a bounty, which is a distributor, ended up getting bought by Ajax. Now we're, with Ajax, one of the bigger distributors in the nation, so it's just kind of reintroducing the product to the masses. So, you know, shout out to Germantown Pub, plain Jane, golden Pony. We've done several things there. Tall Tales we're about to do an event May 3rd over there, so they'll have our product, and of course, they're making an espresso martini which, by the way, they have one of the best ones I've tried before. So they're doing their thing over there. I hope I'm not missing anybody If I am.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry, there's a couple more and we have some bars in Atlanta that has it and so a couple more in. You know, we have some bars in Atlanta that has it. Really, St Thomas, you know, distributed there, actually owns a couple of bars up there and so he has it there as well. So they make a couple of cocktails with it and we're actually going in July to kind of oh sounds terrible.
Speaker 1:Terrible to have to go visit St Thomas, I know, especially when it's a carnival too, which is one of my dreams. So oh, wow, yeah, I'll be there strategic planning on when that business is definitely, definitely, so I had to write that in the book, yeah.
Speaker 1:So like when we go to uh uh, and the beautiful thing about what we're doing is when we go to restaurants, it's not just about just get the product on the shelf yeah, it looks good on the shelf and everything like that, but if nobody's really asking for it, they're going to go with what they know and, through my research, most people go with either what's on the menu or what they know right and likelihood. If you have it on the menu, they're going to try it. So when we go to uh, um, what they call on-premise locations, ideas, and not just to bring the locker, the vodka in, in, but let's talk about how we create a cocktail with it. Let's talk with your top bartender. Let's create something. I'm big about creation, you know so uh, you know just not the standard liquor, uh drinks that we have out there. But let's create less. You know, when you get the right bartender, they love to create. That's what I want to do. So we want people that are willing to create and be creative in doing that. So yeah.
Speaker 2:So let's just say, somebody is watching this in Atlanta. Where can? Where can they find you? Either in a bar or in distribution points.
Speaker 1:So the quickest way really to get it online so you can go online. If you're a vodka dot com, we actually rebuild our website. So in about a week or so we'll have a new, more updated website but you can go online and order it. I think we ship to 44 states. I think there's only four states that we do not ship to. You can actually buy in Tennessee. Tennessee has a law that you can't buy here. I think Utah, south Carolina, I think they just send me it's four states Outside of that. You can always buy it online. If you want it straight to your house, Sure, we have it at Prohibition Liquor, which is in Atlanta, and a couple of places.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we've probably, over the last several years, had about 50 accounts in Atlanta. Clearance did so much like just feet to the ground, hitting Atlanta tough, right. I mean it's a huge market. We're currently going through a new distribution in Atlanta. So that means we're going to like rebrand all of our locations that we're currently working with Right, and so that's going to be huge for us. It's like all right, we're growing here like at a crazy pace right now in Nashville.
Speaker 3:But now going back to like hey, how do we keep our focus to where when we're expanding in one market and then now we're bringing it to another market that has a true demand? I mean we're getting calls every single day like, hey, atlanta, atlanta, atlanta, atlanta, all right, right, now let's go online Right and you can get the product. Um, we're working through like we just need a bigger distributor in Atlanta, right To be able to handle the footprint that we're looking at. And so you know, um, as we go through back to challenges that we currently have, like that's just one of the challenges, and launching in multiple markets at the same time, I mean we just got a call for a brand new market in Texas right now. So it's like all right, hey, how do we be able to ship you know whether that's half a pallet to Texas and be able to make sure that we support that market in full, while also finding, you know, new distribution in Atlanta and then continue to focus here and then also focusing on the Virgin islands, and continue that pace.
Speaker 2:Well, you really don't know where it's going to hit, right. I mean, all it does is take one like high profile bartender or one high profile liquor store, or maybe even just an employee in one of those places to really get it cranked up. So you can't really afford to do something halfway.
Speaker 3:You know and I, to point to what you're saying, I mean, really that goes back to clearance and how he works relationships Right. So we have a huge partnership with total ones. I mean we easily sell 15 to 20 cases a month out of total ones and that's big and so, but that goes back to the relationship that clearance was able to set up. It wasn't easy getting in total wines, uh, and they mess with us tough, like when we have a really good event coming up, um, really really soon, and we're partnered with them, we're sitting right next to them to be able to highlight and showcase that, hey, you can get our product in total one amongst other locations, but, um, being able to have that level of support and people that truly trust and say, hey, no, I mean, this is one of the best brands around.
Speaker 3:We have that at so many stores that truly support us. Again, they understand we're small, they support us because we're local, but I mean they're willing to give us in caps posters on the wall Like ownership is like this is the best vodka. I don't drink vodka, but this is the one that I drink. You guys should buy this. Like, that level of support that we get is you know how this thing is running like, how it's funded, how it's you know making the impact around for us to be able to continue to, just, you know, make the waves that we're making. So that's awesome.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. You know, obviously this has been just a walk in the park since you started this. It's been so easy. But I think part of it, Clarence, for you specifically is, I think it highlights just the fact that you are not a stranger to putting in the work, to actually just go out, shake hands, kiss babies, talk about it and try to figure out where the common ground is and what's in it for them. How can you help them?
Speaker 1:um, you know I'll say this uh, I learned a lot from my mother and that I think I started entrepreneurship very young, without even knowing it. I was selling fake jabot jeans and ice iceberg. My uncle sent me from new york in school, you know. So, even if you look at my high school, I had a Sean John outfit that was probably fake but, hey, I was selling it.
Speaker 1:So it is what it is, but I've seen how you know, my family, especially my mother, has built relationships with people, you know, and how far relationships could take. You take you if you're genuine with it. Right, so it's not I'm building a, I don't need something from you. I just genuinely build good relationships. You know just, I like people, I like dealing with people, I like to learn from people, and I think that has translated in when I'm selling a product or when I have a product out there that people are willing to support or willing to give me advice on it, because it's genuine, right, I'm big on just learning from people. Um, I want people to win, you know. I'm big on just like, if I learn something, you know, like when we learn awards, like, hey, you got to apply for these awards, you know. So I'm telling all the brands that I know, hey, let's go apply for these awards, let's do this because we know how this is how, this, how we win, right, we know what, what are the, the bigger brands doing and how can we implement that same thing for us and not be scared to do it? So I like to share information.
Speaker 1:I don't have that crab in a barrel mentality and I think it serves me well, but I just genuinely like dealing with people. You know, I think if you look at my friend circle, it can be in everywhere, any and every. I have friends that are super rich. You know what I'm saying, because we sit down and have a dinner and not look at it. Okay, you, you got more money than me, it doesn't matter to me.
Speaker 1:Uh, so I just love dealing with people and, um, that's just my. I guess that's my superpower, I guess that's I just love it. And again, like I said, I learned that a lot from my mother and just the type of relationships that she has, that you know somebody that came from ghana that you would never think would be friends with this person. You know friends with that person and I think it's just served me well, and you know, I just want to keep the tradition going and that's what I tell my kids and my daughter just build great relationships with people, because when people like you, they give you information and then you know, and that's important to me.
Speaker 2:So well, I think one of the first things I remember you talking about is how tough your mom was and and I forget, I forget how exactly you phrased it, but you basically said she was like arnold schwarzenegger. You were like, if she says she's gonna be back, she's gonna be back. Oh yeah, and you better watch out, oh yeah so I, I love that.
Speaker 2:I think she she's probably the glue, that kind of held your family together as as you guys were moving here, and that kind of stuff. I I mean it couldn't have been easy.
Speaker 1:Definitely she. You know it's, you know. So this is the first time I'm actually telling this story. Like my, my dad left Ghana when I was four, I think about four, came to America to kind of start it off and then my mom left about a year later, a year and a half later. So I just kind of started off and then my mom left about a year later, a year and a half later. So and you know, I know it was tough for her to leave me left with my grandparents and my step grandmother and my grand, my granddad, and it was very tough, very tough, because I was very close to my family, my mom and my dad. I was super close to them.
Speaker 1:You know, I look at some of the pictures I used to dress like my mother. You know I had some of the best outfits out there, had a whole Pepsi outfit on that. I was looking fresh to death, you know. And then all that disappears out of the blue Right.
Speaker 1:So I went through a period of, like you know, and I'll say this, I think that period of being left and gone about myself shaped how I treat people, because I wasn't treated well, you know, by. You know, that's this idea that if your parents or a family member signed America, they're just rich Like we're walking around. I remember a story of somebody said you go buy clothes at TJ Maxx and there's money in it and I'm like, so that's the, that's the. At least back then that was the. Uh, the thought process of if you come to america, so you know you get left with family members that don't treat you well because you know your parents are in america and we're here taking care of you. And you know, even though they were sending stuff like my, my mom was sent clothes and they'll give it to their kids, you know. So I went through a very tough period and I vowed not to treat people that same way, uh and um, and then I came here and I have a little brother. So now I'm thinking I'm going to get all the attention again and know this little big head boy, you know, shout out to Orleans is getting all the attention.
Speaker 1:So I think that part of life kind of shaped me that. You know, some people go through things and they use as a crutch to everything that they do. I try to take those things and say I'm not going to repeat that. Yeah, you know so even even as parenting, you know, do we all make mistakes as parents, and I'll be first to admit, I've made some mistakes as a parent, but part in large it's like OK, I did, this is what I went through. I'm trying to avoid that with this part, you know, and so that shaped me a lot as far as, like, those between the age of five and 10. I came here when I was 10 years old, very aware, and then also having to go through the American school system from a whole different country, you know what I'm saying. That was, that was, that was scary, that was scary. But you know, again, it's one of those things you go through something you realize that it probably wasn't good for you, so try not to uh duplicate that for anybody else around you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and stuff like that well, I think it highlights just how important your family thought it was in order to come to the united states. Um, and I don't know if y' if y'all have seen this or not, but L Lagutan, which we all used to work with, L's story is very similar in that his dad was a doctor in the Philippines and decided to move here really to get here. Before he was born, they were already pregnant and had to leave his older sister with family before they could afford to bring her over, and so you know it, it blows my mind to be able to leave a child, but at the same time, it just shows how powerful their conviction was, Cause I can't imagine that that would be easy for anybody in order to to go provide a different opportunity for the entire family.
Speaker 3:So and I think it just again. I know it's hard and you went through a lot of hardship, but I guess it still speaks to just your family dynamic, cause I mean you're doing okay, you have a you know brother who is somewhat famous and, uh, if you know, you know if you know, you know, you know and so you know. I mean like you were able to overcome some challenges and now you're here.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, and to be honest with you, I'm glad I went through those challenges. You know, you know, and those challenges still shape me as the man that I am today. And I'm still learning, like I, like I said, I love to learn. Uh, to learn. Sometimes I take time out and be like, okay, did I make the mistake? Did I treat this person the right way? Did I do this the right way? And I always go back to how I was and how I grew up and stuff like that to say you know, you never know what somebody's going through, so you always want to be kind to people. So and it goes back into the relationship that I built. You know what I'm saying. So there's people in my phone I can just pick up and let it all out to and they'll listen to me, pray with me and things like that. So I love it. Yeah, that's awesome man.
Speaker 2:What's next for Fiore? I mean, I know you're working on RTD. Is that the next?
Speaker 1:step. Johnny wants it to be the next step. I want it to be as well. He convinced me last week that that's what we're working on. I think one of the biggest things we're trying to do is secure some funding in this. We're in a space where I think that's important to create some more funding so that we can grow as a brand as far as, like, the foundation is already laid. We have a nice bottle, we have a great product that we can stand behind. The feedback has been great. So I think what the next step is how do we get funding so we can grow and multiply what we're doing right now? They just opened up the Chattanooga market for us, so we're going to actually start selling in Chattanooga. Am I saying it right? Chattanooga, yes, you are. Chattown, yeah.
Speaker 3:So if you're in, Chattown look out, town lookout will be there, uh, real soon, a few months or so, probably, so probably less than that yeah, when you think about our roadmap that you know took a while to create, I sat down with clarence and like, listen, this is where we need to be over the next 12 to 18 months. Um, we need to have more skews on the shelf, right, whether that's larger or smaller size bottles of the product. That is what our customers are asking for. It's like when you start having, you know, repeat business. We want to make sure that we're bringing the product to them in the way that they value and want the product. Definitely looking at more of an RTD, whatever that looks like. Right, again, we have at least three different products in development right now that we're talking through A couple of partnerships that we are working on that will drastically change the landscape of what we're doing.
Speaker 3:We met some really good people out in Denver when we went to WSWA, and so when you think about where we are now and how we can transition this over the next 18 months, again, I know, like funding for sure, right, if we just had unlimited funds, we could easily blow up the market. Right, but as we continue to bring what we currently have in scale, that to being a household name here in what? Just Nashville? Right, because, just, it's such a robust market so many people come here. Right, that's our number one roadmap is how do we, you know, change the landscape and say, hey, will you go get vodka? And you walk into the store, you're grabbing for Fiori and not the other guys. And then more and more and more distribution.
Speaker 3:Right, we have a roadmap of exactly where we want to go next, the next five states that we want to go to. We can support those markets, we have plans for those. Uh, and then again, keep bringing more to the shelves. So how do we do that? We keep doing them and it's just, you know, feet to the ground, keep bootstrapping it and we'll definitely get there. Um, but the roadmap is happening.
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, well, I know, for both of you and myself included, uh, family is just a massive driver for what we do, how we do it. You know the, the presence that we, we, we want to make sure that we are presenting. Um, what's a, what's a common thread, or what do you? What do you think is one of the most important things that you share with your children? Like, actually, hey, you know, haley's the oldest. Uh, shout out to her she's already prepped for college, yes, about to graduate, innsworth, yep, and um, you know. So you know, she's a strong, just fantastic young woman. What are some of the things that you've instilled in her that that have helped shape her life?
Speaker 1:I think biggest thing again, going back to my childhood and saying the things that I went through, just be good to people, just be good to people. I think that's the basis of everything. When we start there, everything kind of flows from there. So, uh, build good relationships, um, you know, pray with people. You know she's very, she's very spiritual. Right now she's going through that, that phase of her life. You know, uh, challenges come up. You know it's apparent. You, you go these, your kids go through these challenges that you didn't kind of go through and you kind of I'm trying to get old school with it, but it's, it's a new generation right now. So I'm learning just as much as she's learning. But the basis of it is just be good to people. You know, do the do the right thing, be good to people. Do not, do not steal from people, do not take from people, do not try to hurt people. You know, and you do good, good will come back to you and so that's the basis on it and stay in school. That's important.
Speaker 1:But shout out to Haley she's going to North Carolina A&T playing softball. You know her mom has been big on softball with her, so shout out to them both for making that happen. I'll give that credit to her. Uh, she's gone through four years at answorth, which is not easy, you know. She's definitely it's definitely not easy. But I would tell you just the power relationships is why she's living in that school, you know, because that school is not cheap, you know. But uh, just the power and relation to foundation, my and then you know my mom building those relationships there. So when it was time for her to go there, it was easy, it was an easy call, you know. So it was quick to make that happen. Um, but yeah, that's really much. Just be good to people.
Speaker 2:And then a little bit of an age difference. You got a little man too.
Speaker 1:You know that was a family family thing that we wanted to do. His name is Roman. Roman lives in Huntsville right now, so he'll be here with me this weekend. That's the. That's the next generation of the Darko family. My brother ended up having to have a nephew that's three months younger than mine, so we kind of did it all together. Oh, that's all Shout out to Kofi. So he has our namesake Both me and my brother's like Kofi, and so my nephew's also named Kofi as well, and so it's cool to have two new boys in the family that are running around and, you know, growing up together, growing up together, things like that, and so you know, having that it's a gap, it was a, it was a big gap, but I'm very happy because I think that you know, I have children. I have. My daughter is going to be able to have somebody look over. You know, when my time is up, god forbid. But when my time is up, I feel like I've built a foundation for the next generation of my. My last name.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And then, johnny, you got, you got one, three, five. Is that right? That's correct. Yes, yeah, yeah so for me.
Speaker 3:Luckily, I was able to have my dad in my life, who is my number one and first mentor. Shout out to you, jim. You've also been a mentor for me for, you know, over 15 years now and I truly value both you both of you for being able to you know, help and grow me as the man that I am, and so having my dad and he is one of 11, being able to see all of those uncles that I had be show, like me, how to be a man and raise the kids Right. I truly hope that I can be that father figure for my three boys that I currently have.
Speaker 3:Um, and it's not easy, it's a challenge every single day just making sure you instill the values, um, that you truly believe in. How do you want to leave a legacy and how do you want to be perceived and how do you, you know, bring in a level of discipline to your family? Like, as you know, like the Robinson family I mean, they have a huge name and a huge legacy. Like, we have over 40 family members who all attended Tennessee State University. One of my uncles was a tennis coach, another one was a football coach. No-transcript. Make it work the best we can, yeah absolutely Well.
Speaker 2:And a big shout out to uh, to Stephanie, uh, cause she's just an absolute gem, she's, she's fantastic. Um, and I don't know your uncle's name, but a little bit of a shout out to him, because if it hadn't been for him, y'all wouldn't have met, Right, that is true.
Speaker 3:Nice to you up there, Jim. So yes, so, uh, my uncle, he was the tennis coach and that's how you know. I did a work for him at TSU. Uh, doing a little bit of work study at that time, and um, she transitioned over from track and field, came to play tennis. Um, cool little story about her. She never played tennis before, learned how to play tennis on the collegiate level and one one of the first games that they had on the collegiate level like she out here beating people Like how do you just shout out to her as an athlete? So, yes, we met in college on the tennis court. I still, to this day, swear that I can beat her. I try my best, I keep up. Let's just say that.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. So now we're going to transition to a little bit of a fun, fun space in the in the podcast. So if, if you guys were throwing a launch party, okay, and you had to pick five people, and these five people, they could be people you know, they can be what you don't know, celebrities, anybody that has ever lived throughout history. Yeah, and the whole point was to put Fiore vodka on the map so that everybody knew this. I don't care where you're at. You couldn't be in the middle of the sand in the Middle East and not know about Fiore because of this launch party. Wow.
Speaker 3:I got one.
Speaker 2:I got three.
Speaker 1:And I'll let you do the rest.
Speaker 3:The first person that comes to mind is Fawn Weaver, which I mean she is a household name. Now she started Uncle Nears. It seemed like it, you know, exploded overnight. Um, I remember, through the Pronghorn partnership, um being able to be with um, the number two over at Uncle Nears. Um, the she, she was just like given gems and how they were able to create the brand, the entire story and like, just, you know, I follow everything that she does. Like how do you take something like Uncle Nearest and be worth you know the billion dollar valuation that they have and continuously build that brand out again? It's like, overnight in this industry that's just not easy to do, especially when it's so, you know, guarded from some of the people at the top, and how they're being able to put so much money out there. It's like how do you continuously do that? And the fact that she was able to like hey, tell me from scratch, be at the launch party, you know, please, yeah yeah, absolutely claren.
Speaker 2:What about you?
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, shout out to Fawn Weaver, she's definitely somebody we look up to. And Miss Butler, who's the master distiller there, as well. I'm a music guy, so Bob Marley, I grew up with Bob Marley. I feel like Bob Marley will share the message of Fury Vodka. So cool that everybody will get with it. You know, since music is still reigning to this day, cory Vodka is so cool that everybody would get with it. You know, since music is still raining to this day, every person from Ghana knows Michael Jackson. I always tell Josh there's a kid running around right now that does not know English but can sing every single lyric of Michael Jackson.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:I don't believe that. Yeah, so I think he's a pop icon that you know is forever a staple, so I would love for that to happen. I'm a big Snoop Dogg fan. I know he has his own product right now. Snoopy, if you're listening, hope you're listening.
Speaker 2:That's right, fiori might be there. I mean, it's got hemp seeds in it. It's got hemp seeds in it. Hey, close to it.
Speaker 3:We actually have a meeting with them yeah soon.
Speaker 2:We, we got some things lined up in there possibly coming soon.
Speaker 1:I hear a few already got because smoking. Yeah, so those people and for me personally this might not make a dent in it, but I would love to see my grandmother, who I never met. I never had a chance to meet her. My grandmother, who I never met. I never had a chance to meet her. My mom speaks so highly of her. And my grandfather from my dad's side, who I spent time with when I was in Ghana. Just to see he's a very, very, very smart man, Very smart man Ran all the road roads in Ghana, pretty much Oxford educated, and just to see how proud he is of me, I think I would love for him to be in that room as well. So it's a lot of people that could be in that room, but I would say those three for me, yeah absolutely all right now.
Speaker 2:So so let's just say those are the people that are gonna be there, that are, they're gonna be the spotlight, but you got to have somebody emcee this thing. Who's?
Speaker 3:hosting. I don't know, kevin Hart.
Speaker 1:Kevin might talk about his tequila. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I thought you wanted somebody a little taller.
Speaker 3:You got a tall bottle.
Speaker 1:You got a tall bottle. We need a tall person. Oh, that's a tough one, that's a tough one. That's a tough one. Maybe you, jim, you good with words now, you are definitely good with words, you know, you're definitely good with words. Uh, uh, yeah, I don't know, that's uh, that's a tough one. Right there there are a few celebrities that I uh that I think would align with the product that I think would be good, like john sally. I've always been a big fan of john sally, you know, and he's into that health aspect of things. Uh, megatron from, uh, john, uh, I just know him as Megatron Johnson. Yes, uh, hall of famer, Uh, yeah, somebody like that would definitely be a good MC. Um, man, you stumped me with that one. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to we have to have tryouts. Yeah, we probably have to, probably have celebrities send their, uh, their their three minute intro video to to see who gets picked.
Speaker 1:Definitely, absolutely I like that. Yeah, nice, we might do. We might do it in saint thomas. You get good weather in the beach, you know so that's right.
Speaker 2:Who can? Who can say no to that? Definitely we can get michael jackson come out for that one Say no to that. Definitely. We've been getting Michael Jackson come out All right. Somebody out there right now is they're struggling with whether or not they start their company. They are, they're trying to figure it out. They're shaking in their boots. What's it? What's a bit of?
Speaker 1:advice you give them. You know they always say just do it. I truly believe in just doing it. You're going to go through challenges. Right In life, when you wake up every day, it's a challenge. Right, there's some people that do not have the opportunity to wake up Right, and you know they're going to go through those challenges.
Speaker 1:I think what entrepreneurship is is a reflection of life itself. Right, I wake up every day, hop in the car. You have to drive to work if you have to go to work. Right, if you work in remote, you walk down the hallway. You still have to go. Do it Right. So I've kind of adopted the mentality of Nike Just do it Right. You're doing it, understanding that it's not going to be sweet starting off. Right, I think one of the things that has been very beneficial for me is I love challenges.
Speaker 1:I love the fact that brands that have been out there started and then they failed. I've gone through almost everything you can think of. You know, like just understanding the laws of liquor, and you know things that you think you can do and you can't do and the challenges that come with it, and I think there's a beauty in overcoming those challenges. I love that, you know, as much as I love the product and I know I have a good product it's not the product that drives me. It's the challenge of being able to walk into a store and say I'm right there, amongst those that are you know, that are sitting on the shelf. It's the beauty of the process, it's opening up a new market. Having that person that's standing in front of me, loving it so much and doing that's what drives me. So I would say, if you're going to gonna do something, find the part that drives you and just go for it. Yeah, that's as much effort as you get up in the morning, take a shower. Hopefully you take a shower in the morning and do what you have to do. Use that same thing to drive you and just understand that those challenges road bumps, road bumps are gonna happen, but I'm willing to go over them and the feeling that you get afterwards is what you're chasing and I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1:I mean just going back, like 2020, when I lost the scooter business with the tornado and the party bus shut down and I brought the scooter business back and then it got stolen again and I brought it again and it got stolen again, I haven't quit. We actually about to launch it next week at a marathon. Music works. Uh, we're going to have our scooter business there. So if you're ever in Nashville and want to ride some mopeds and stuff like that, dash scooters is out there. But I love that challenge because you're going to have those road bump bumps and you know, um, the devil is going to stop you. There's going to be, there's going to be things that are going to stop you. I just love going over that hump and just going to the other side and just looking back and said I did that, you know. So, yeah, I love that part of it.
Speaker 2:So well, great stories are not created by easy paths. Definitely plain and simple. Definitely. Uh, you also don to figure out who you are with an easy path. Um, and on that same note, so big shout out to Barry Walker over at marathon motorworks. Uh, in fact, I know you've got a meeting with him.
Speaker 1:I'm going to go see Barry after this you know, uh, barry, barry's one of those guys.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, um, so I'm gonna tell a little story about Barry. So Barry is, um, for anybody that doesn't know, barry owns Marathon Motorworks. He has been trying to buy every vehicle that was ever produced by Marathon to put back in the showroom. It is a beautiful place over there and you know one of the vehicles that he acquired just maybe two years ago. He'd been trying to buy that vehicle out of Argentina for 28 years. He's got another one that he's trying to buy out of. I think it's out of Queensland, australia, and they've been negotiating for 30-something years. He's trying to put all the vehicles that are still like possible to put back in the building and the dude, just he doesn't hear the word no, um, you know he's, he's got a, he's got a property over not too far from from where I live and uh is great friends with my uncle and they've worked on a lot of projects together. But, um, he has a track loader of all things that for us to talk about in this conversation. So Barry has a track loader. And, for anybody that doesn't know, barry is in a wheelchair. Yep, and this track loader he had modified. They welded a steel beam. They took the windshield out, welded a steel beam in and then pick himself up and then slide back into the cab so that he can run his own track loader. Yep, so you know it's the Charge Forward podcast for a reason. Yep, all right. You know your family Charge Forward.
Speaker 2:Coming into the United States, difficult decisions, difficult situations to put a child into you come here and throughout all that, you use that experience and the lessons you learned and the things you want to do and don't want to do to not only grow yourself but, at the same time, how to get out there and start growing this brand and your other businesses, the relationships you built along the way. For somebody like Johnny, I mean. I remember the first time I met Johnny Big shout out to Paul Bechtelel, uh, or lauren bechtel, as everybody at walmart knows him. So paul calls me one day and he's like hey, I'm sending a guy your way, you're gonna want to hire him today. So johnny, johnny, stops by. Johnny doesn't even know what he's like. He's like I don't know. Paul told me to come here and uh, I mean, we sat down for 15, 20 minutes.
Speaker 2:I'm like yeah absolutely, and we worked together for a decade. Um, and I just can't speak enough good words about both of you. You're just absolutely rock stars when it comes to being strong men. You say what you're going to, what you mean. You don't pull punches, you're just a man's man, and so I'm proud to know both of you. Uh, I'm excited that you got some good stuff going on. I'm excited to see where Fiore goes. I have no doubt that it's going to be a household name and that you're going to just crush it, especially with this RTD product, which I know there's a lot of growth in in that space right now.
Speaker 2:So I'd love to see you guys jump into there. One last question. This is for each one of you have you put any thought into how you want to be remembered?
Speaker 1:Yes, I actually have. Okay, yep, yep, it goes back to just that he was. He was good to me, he was good to me. That's this I think you know when you those words, as simple as they are, has so much that goes into it. Right, he was just good to me, he was, he was a good person. You know we always talk about that in funerals and stuff like that. Oh, he was a good person. And you know, somebody sent back that.
Speaker 1:No, no, I wanted to be where he was good to me and I'll tell you where I got that from. Rest in peace, lenny. Lenny, the time, the short time that I knew him and when we went to his funeral, it just that's the feeling that I got. He was just good to people. I never saw him argue with anybody. I can't say that about me. I probably probably argue sometimes, but he just left a positive imprint and everybody that was in that room and that kind of stuck with me, uh. So, yeah, I definitely want to be remembered as he was just good to me. I could be remembered for fewer. I could remember for other things, that's fine, but if a person is standing there and asked and they could speak the truth he said he was good. To me that matters.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3:That just you know, hey, did you leave a legacy, that one your family is proud of? I've always wanted to make sure that you know my father like truly. He appreciates and is just happy for all the things that I've been able to accomplish. And then, like you know, one of my superpowers is being resilient through the storm. That level of calm, right, I've heard that from you for many years and everybody that I speak with it's like this guy. You know he can get it done, like he's the one that you bring in. You would call me the fixer, right? Um, and that's what I remember me for being able to come in, solve problems. Um, leave that legacy of hey, he was able to accomplish what he said he was going to be able to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love it. Well, guys, thank you so much for coming in and spending some time with me. And, um, just as a tribute out there to Lanny Buchanan, who left us far too early, uh, I had the pleasure of working with Lanny for almost a dozen years and Lanny really was one of those guys that didn't lose his cool. In fact, if you push Lanny to the point where you did, I mean you're probably a very, very select few that got to see that side, but just a rock star dude that was just steady Freddy Like he much to Clarence's point, he absolutely was good to people. And again, just if you knew Lanny Buchanan, you know exactly what we're talking about. But, guys, thank you so much. I can't wait to see what Fiore does next. I can't wait to try the RTD product, just all the things, and I think you'll both know if I can help you in any way.
Speaker 3:I'm absolutely glad to Thank you for having us here, Jim. I mean, this has been a pleasure. We appreciate you and everything that you do.
Speaker 2:And Nashville we're coming. Yes, we are. Yeah, I love it. I love it. Well, team, you heard it here on the charge for a podcast. Uh, special thanks to uh Fiore vodka, to Clarence Darkwell and to Johnny Robinson for spending some time with us and sharing a little bit about about their hemp infused uh vodka. That is just absolutely growing in popularity and you need to get out and try one of these in one of those locations that they've got one of those specialty drinks here in Nashville or Atlanta, or if you're vacationing St Thomas, maybe even if you're there in July, you might get to meet these guys. As always, special thanks to the team here at HitLab Studios Nashville and our sponsors, sense Custom Development, Sense Leads and Charge Forward Solutions.
Speaker 2:Until next time I, jim crips, take care, team, is jim crips here with the charge forward podcast? I just want to tell you I love you, I appreciate you listening, I appreciate you for subscribing and sharing the charge forward podcast with people you know and you love, because that's what we're here for. We are here to share the amazing stories, the things that people have been through the for. We are here to share the amazing stories, the things that people have been through, the ways that they were able to improve their life, so that you can take little nuggets from theirs and help improve your story and be better tomorrow than you were today. I hope that this is the tool you needed at the right time and that you find value in the amazing guests that we bring each and every week. Thanks so much and don't forget new episodes drop every Thursday.