Lessons from Gin: Business the Four Pillars Way

How a global industry icon was created right here in Australia — with insights, stories and recipes from a co-founder of Four Pillars Gin How did a small business from a regional Aussie town get voted the world’s best gin producer THREE times? Four Pillars Gin, a craft distillery in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, today is not only an Australian favourite but a global powerhouse. Co-founder Matt Jones shares the secrets behind building a brand that started as a small cult favourite and has become a world-leading success. Including stories, recipes and business lessons from a decade of gin-soaked archives, Lessons from Gin has the ingredients you need to grow your own business and brand. Matt tells his side of the extraordinary Four Pillars story, sharing what he and the team learned in a decade that changed the distilling industry in Australia. Taking you on his journey as a creative brand strategist during the rise of social media, he reveals how Four Pillars became a benchmark for excellence and a beloved household name. You’ll discover how true innovators think creatively and strategically, with practical models for driving incredible growth in your own career and industry. In Lessons from Gin, you’ll learn how to: Place creativity at the heart of your business Design a brand that tells a story Craft the kind of product excellence that wins fans and followers Create experiences that engage and build a community of loyal believers Develop a culture and lead a team of passionate people through a shared purpose and vision Build a sustainable business anchored in genuine values and bold ambition Lessons from Gin gives Four Pillars fans real insight into how their favourite gin conquered the world. It is a must-read for entrepreneurs, business owners, marketers, and leaders in any industry who want to craft a brand that people love to want.

Table of Contents:
About the author xi Prologue xiii Part One: Thinking 1 1 In the beginning, there was a decision 3 2 Okay, so we’re doing this. But doing what, exactly? 7 3 Riding the fourth gin wave 11 Drinks Break No.1: The (Gin) Martini 16 4 Starting as you mean to go on — every decision matters most 23 Useful Bit #1: Decision Checklist 28 5 It’s never too early to think about your why 33 Useful Bit #2: The Butterfly and The Brick 38 6 Growth theory, relationships and money 45 Useful Bit #3: Picturing Success 48 Useful Bit #4: Thinking in Action: A Four Pillars Example 54 Part Two: Crafting 61 7 Rare Dry Gin and the crafting of the Four Pillars brand 63 Useful Bit #5: Capabilities, Behaviours and Relationships 72 8 The first three months 75 Useful Bit #6: Feeling Benchmarks 78 9 Overnight emails, opportunism and staying on strategy 83 Drinks Break No.2: The Gin & Tonic 90 10 From gin to gins … and ‘Made From Gin’ 97 Useful Bit #7: Strategic Storytelling 102 11 Experiments that worked 105 Useful Bit #8: A Four Pillars Example 112 Part Three: Sharing 119 12 Launch as you mean to go on 121 Useful Bit #9: Conversation Hierarchy 130 13 Collaborative to the core 135 Drinks Break No.3: The Negroni 142 14 A gin-fuelled content rocket 147 Useful Bit #10: Theory of Brand Success 152 15 Home is where the gin is 159 16 Faith in the power of experiences (and word of mouth) 171 Useful Bit #11: Brand Experience Playbook 174 17 A people-powered gin family 179 Useful Bit #12: A Four Pillars Example 182 Part Four: Growing 187 18 Balancing acts 189 Useful Bit #13: Simplifying Complexity 196 19 Leading through growth 199 Useful Bit #14: Choice Matrices 206 20 The best in the world … pivoting and staying the course 211 Useful Bit #15: Visualising Transformation 222 21 Questioning everything 225 Useful Bit #16: A Four Pillars Example 230 22 Ten years down, another decade ahead of us 235 A final word 241 Drinks Break No.4: Drinking better (gin) 242 PS: A useful reading list 253 Acknowledgements 257 Index 259