Industry: Hospitality
Client: St. Petersburg Distillery
St. Petersburg Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery rooted in the heart of St. Petersburg, Florida. Known for its award-winning vodkas, gins, rums, and whiskeys, it blends traditional techniques with local ingredients to create spirits that capture the character and creativity of the Sunshine State.
Now expanding into Harmony Grove, a 30-acre destination, the distillery offers tours, tastings, and live events that celebrate craft, community, and connection—raising a glass to Florida’s flavor, artistry, and spirit.
Challenge
As the Chief Experience Officer (CXO), my goal was simple—drive traffic, delight customers, and build lasting brand loyalty. But before you can engage an audience, you need solid foundations. The challenge wasn’t just marketing; it was rebuilding operational, digital, and experiential infrastructure to ensure every customer interaction reflected the brand’s promise.
Operational Infrastructure
Before we could elevate the guest experience, we needed structure. Using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), I developed training programs and standardized processes to strengthen internal communication, improve accountability, and enhance skill development. This framework aligned every department—from tours to retail—to a shared set of goals and metrics.
Role & Responsibilities (Team Structure)
I don’t believe in “wearing many hats.” I believe in putting the right people in the right seats—Subject Matter Experts who own their craft. I restructured the organization, identified skill gaps, and built clear Roles & Responsibilities (R&R)sheets. This allowed us to assess each team member’s alignment with their seat and provide targeted training to raise the collective bar.
“Do your job right, do it 100%, and do that everyday.”
Digital Presence
The brand’s digital footprint needed a complete overhaul. I led a website redesign focused on SEO performance, streamlined navigation, and stronger storytelling around our new direction. My philosophy: there’s no point waxing the Ferrari if there’s no engine. The new site became that engine—built to drive bookings, brand awareness, and engagement through venue rentals and staged events.
Online Tour Agents (OTA)
With over 43 million visitors coming to the Tampa Bay area each year, digital visibility was key. I expanded the brand’s reach by integrating with major Online Tour Agents (OTAs) like Viator, TripAdvisor, and Expedia—making it easier for tourists to discover, book, and share their distillery experience.
Physical Presence: “Own Your Backyard”
Crowdsourcing a distillery is about creating critical mass—multiple reasons to visit, stay, and return. Partnering with Tampa Bay Markets, we brought our brand beyond the distillery walls, appearing at high-traffic events across the region. Then came Phase 2—launching our own on-site “Makers & Shakers Market,” turning unused space into a community hub that naturally funneled visitors toward our retail store.
The Final Brand Touch: The Beta Program
Once guests entered the retail space, I shifted focus from foot traffic to product engagement. Enter The Beta Program—an interactive customer feedback loop. Using small, unbranded bottles and a digital feedback system, we invited guests to taste experimental recipes and vote on favorites. Winners earned naming rights and a signed bottle from the Master Distiller. The result: higher purchase frequency, stronger emotional connection, and authentic customer-led product validation.
