What Drinking on The Job Taught Me
Being on this side of the bar is a bizarre place to sit. But herein lies an attempt to share the parts unknown of becoming a brand ambassador, and the key ingredients to becoming an effective one.
As my email signature reads, I am the North American Ambassador for St~Germain elderflower liqueur, representing the brand nationally as an extension of the marketing department. My day-to-day role involves educating bartenders and the public about our spirit in the media, as well as out in the real world at bars, restaurants, and trade shows. I am also responsible for the strategic planning of programs, events, and campaigns aimed at increasing our visibility and awareness. This all boils down to selling products. As an artist, it took me some time to accept that. But no matter what you add to your simple syrup, in the end it is simply sugar and water. You must understand how your roles functions and supports your organization’s goal to truly be successful. Marketing teams aim to move their beautiful spirits off the shelf and into your glass, which takes nothing away from the deep thinking, creativity, and brilliant artistry that goes into accomplishing that mission. An ambassador lives in an interlayered world in the spirits industry - with late nights and early mornings. The most successful ambassadors are those who have journeyed through the world a bit already because you will have to use so many different skill-sets. One day, I am creating global education tools and training our ambassadors around the world, the next day I am at the bar sipping the most incredible cocktails and supporting brilliant craftsmen until three. And then I am on a major global campaign shoot styling cocktails with a call time of six.
Before I discovered the brand ambassador world, I started my career in fashion and worked in many different areas. I moved to New York City from DC when I was seventeen because I wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw, the main character from Sex and the City, exactly to the tee. I literally thought someone was going to stop me on Fifth Avenue and give me a job at Vogue, so I moved to New York to pursue that. I started to find my voice within fashion, and I realised what I really wanted to do was tell stories. I had always been drawn to how artistic activism had been used throughout history. This fueled my passion to center people of colour as the creator of their own narratives and the visuals that communicate who we are in the world. Historically in America that has not been the case. I found magazines to be a place to bring that socio-political engaged content to life in a way that was very approachable and beautiful at the same time.
That was my focus for quite some time. I ended up moving to London to continue my education in fashion theory because I really wanted to create my own publishing house to tell these stories. So, I go to London and have that incredible experience. Then I came back to the States and it was very difficult to find a job at that time, so I started bartending to make money. I did not consider it as a creative outlet and certainly not a professional career path. But when a co-worker suggested I enter a cocktail competition, I realised that this was a place where I could tap into art activism again. That was really the “aha” moment for me, when I started to look at the beverage industry similarly to how I was looking at fashion. I could use artistic disciplines to experiment and tell stories about important issues through cocktails in an artful, pleasurable way that is also accessible. I was competing in Bacardi Legacy and met Colin Asare-Appiah, a Senior Portfolio Ambassador for Bacardi at the time. He was like ‘you should be doing what I’m doing and be a brand ambassador’. This was the first time I had heard of a brand ambassador; I had no concept of what this was. Colin was this otherworldly, larger than life being, and what I saw him doing was going into the best places and hanging out with the coolest people. I thought ‘well this seems like an awesome way to see the world and educate others on products you love, to meet people and even support creative expression.’ I ended up applying for the Grey Goose Brand Ambassador position in New York City and I got the job.
The journey of brand ambassadorship is a beautiful one, yet rarely a straight line. These key three steps have helped me stay on course and find my way.
1. See the world and take people with you
Travel is number one for me and my biggest source of creative inspiration. My father is an immigrant from Panama and my mother was a flight attendant for twenty-five years, so I grew up with a deep understanding of various worldviews. Seeing the world helped me appreciate the delicious nuances diverse cultures contribute to our existence. There is such value in being exposed to different architecture, textiles, food, flavours, smells and experiencing other cultures firsthand. Journeying through the world changes you and opens your perspectives on things. If you cannot catch a flight, go to a museum, read books about other cultures outside of your own, or explore the neighbourhoods you never visit in your city. This helps you build a rich artistic palette to draw from. And then bring people along for the ride. A part of being a great ambassador is the ability to transport people to the places you have seen and experienced. This profession can give you access to many rich experiences, yet they are not for you to just store in your memory bank. It is for you to share those beautiful imprints with those around you.
2. Master active listening
To truly connect to people and build community, you must learn how to listen. Having a pulse on what is happening in their world is key. I quickly discovered that just sitting at the bar was not going to be enough to stay tapped into the needs and preferences of bartenders once I stepped from behind the bar. I think it was the late Larry King that said, “if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.’ Active listening is more than hearing or observing what people are saying. It is about empathy, have the curiosity to investigate deeper than the surface level questions because you really care to understand. I believe once you have those insights, you then can create spaces and opportunities to engage with people in an impactful way.
3. Get the balance right
While I work in the spirits industry, my life does not revolve around alcohol. It has taken me some time, but I have reached a sweet place of harmony between who I am and what I do. To intentionally protect my space as an individual, who is also the face of a globally recognised brand, I started by identifying my core values and committed to keeping them front and center, no matter where my career journey took me. I prioritize self care rituals and make time for personal travel. I have become the guru of a seventy-two-hour getaway. The insane hours, indulgent meals, intense travel schedule, and demands on both my mind and body require me to stay on top of self-care. I have known many brand ambassadors to burn out and the lifestyle really takes a toll on their personal life. I use my PTO [Paid Time Off, or paid holiday time], I log off on weekends, I get proper rest and immerse myself in nature or activities that do not center around my work life.
Recently, I have refocused my approach to social media as well. For example, I have developed a posting system for Instagram, where a certain percentage is dedicated to cocktail happenings, my travels, beauty and then the branding knowledge I want to share with my community. It has been a healthy way for me to express all the parts of who I am, not a visual log of what work event I am at, or a cocktail recipe I create. I do not believe representing a brand means you have to be a walking, talking billboard 24/7 - it is just not realistic. It is important to know your core values, your personal brand identity and figure out what the right balance is with the brand you represent professionally - then set that expectation with your company and your audience.
Essentially, simple syrup of being an impactful brand ambassador is to remain open and curious to the world, be of service to others, and take care of yourself along the way.