You Can’t Pay Anyone to Care About Your Brand, with Chuck and Trey Butler

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when your distributor stops paying you, your brand disappears from store shelves, and you cannot afford a lawyer? Chuck Butler and his son Trey Butler, founders of Responsibly Vodka, lived it. After 220 days without a sale, they represented themselves in a hearing with the Georgia Department of Revenue and won the release of their brand, something they say, as far as they know, had never been done in Georgia. Chuck spent 19 years in law enforcement before he started a distillery in 2013. He and Trey launched Responsibly Vodka in 2019. Today it is in roughly 450 of Georgia’s 1,600 liquor stores, and one store has bought more than 1,000 cases this year. They are also in Tennessee and are looking for the right distribution partners to grow. This conversation is for every CEO and founder who depends on distributors, partners or consultants. You will hear why buyers want a story and a brand, not just a great product; why you cannot write a check big enough to make someone care about your business as much as you do; why you must know your customers and your numbers; and how Trey uses TikTok, LinkedIn and sales reps to build demand in a crowded market. In this episode you will learn: • Why a story and a brand sell more than a great product alone • Why you cannot pay anyone to care about your brand as much as you do • What happens when one distributor controls your cash flow • How two founders prepared and won a state hearing with no funds for a lawyer • Why you should know your customers and your numbers cold • How to turn every no into fuel (and my "no sheet") • How the next generation builds demand with TikTok, LinkedIn and sales reps CHAPTERS 0:00 Meet Chuck and Trey Butler of Responsibly Vodka 2:04 Brand beats product: why buyers want a story 6:48 Never give up: how to handle every no 8:23 You can’t pay anyone to care 17:11 When a distributor stops paying you 19:24 Representing yourself against the state 26:33 Trey on social media, sales reps and scaling 34:11 Riding the roller coaster, and how to help The guests are sharing their own experience. This is not legal advice. I work with CEOs and entrepreneurs who have hit a growth plateau. If this conversation has you thinking about your own business, your partners or your next level of growth, book a complimentary strategy session with me: https://scheduler.zoom.us/jaclyn-strominger/book-a-connection Want one idea, one story and one action step in your inbox every week?Join the newsletter: https://go.jaclynstrominger.com/newsletter Connect with Chuck and Trey: https://daltondistillery.com/  Support the show Support the Show - subscriber and get a Unstoppable Success Badge@ If you are ready to become unstoppable and create real momentum, here is your next step: Book a private strategy call: Let’s map your next level of growth Book a Strategy Call Join the Unstoppable Success Community: Surround yourself with high-performing leaders and real conversations Skool Community: Unstoppable Success  Get the Book: Charting True North Stay connected and visible: Unstoppable Success Podcast Connect with Jaclyn on LinkedIn Become a Sponsor. Learn more!  Email: [email protected]