Tony Chvala: Amazon to Axia Spirits - #77

Host Alex Quin speaks with Tony Chvala, CEO of Axia Spirit! Axia Spirit is a distilled beverage brand that produces extra dry spirit distilled from the aromatic resin of the Mastiha tree, found on the hillsides of Greece. Aside from this, Tony has also helped grow industry giants like Amazon and Groupon into the giants they are today. In this episode, you will learn the steps Tony took to ensure a smooth transition from managing various startups to building a startup of his own. Tony also shares awesome marketing tips he's learned so far as a marketing professional. 

Wisdom Nuggets: 

• Since his high school days, Tony has shown interest in sales and marketing. This taught him one thing, how to solve problems. Problem-solving is crucial in brand growth. The mentality of being a problem solver stuck with Tony and has helped him overcome most of the obstacles that have come his way. 
• Tony shares that when he moved into building small startups, he would only accept the job if he thought the product was innovative or disruptive. For individuals who want to penetrate the startup market, this is a good way to begin.
• One of the things that will always make people remember your brand is its impact on their lives. How you interact with your customers and the impact you bring into their lives will determine how often they remember you. 
• Alex mentions that consistency, an excellent brand voice, good press, and a smart team are the recipe for success.

‍Podcast Outline:  

[01:18] Podcast begins

[01:19] Introductions

[2:01] Your team is doing a fantastic job at engaging with the local community - Alex

[2:35] It is about the experience, Axia Spirit is a unique experience itself - Tony

[2:36] So let's talk about Axia, break it down for me - Alex

[3:05] It is essentially a base spirit that competes with the likes of gin, vodka, and tequila. - Alex

[3:15] How did this whole thing come together, man? - Alex

[4:10] We wanted to take a greek spirit to the international playground - Tony

[5:41] How far back does your marketing go? - Alex

[7:08] What did high school Tony want to do? - Alex

[7:20] I've always had that desire for sales and marketing - Tony

[8:11] I never thought I'd go from running multi-billion dollar organizations to small startups - Tony

[10:11] How long did it take you from conceptualizing to actually having products? - Alex

[11:40] Break

[15:18] How was the switch for you? -Alex

[16:54] One of the cool things about a long career is that you really get to meet interesting people - Alex

[19:19] What do you see for the brand in the next 10 to 5 years? - Alex

[22:34] As a person, Tony, how do you want to be remembered? - Alex

Power Quotes:  

[17:13] “You don't have to have a massive team to make an impact; Just find the right people”- Alex

[20:12] The minute you stop being authentic, you’ve lost it -Tony

[25:23] Bring people up, don't be the only one that wants to win - Alex

Resources Mentioned:  

Axia spirit

Hustle inspires Hustle

Axia Spirit’s instagram