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Ground Floor Opportunity
Ground Floor Opportunity
Looking for a senior sales leader to join Smith Teamakers as either Senior Director or VP of Sales. Entrepreneurial…
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Tom Clemente shared thisExciting news indeed!Tom Clemente shared thisExciting news! The Coffee Cherry Co. has officially achieved upcycled certification for its Coffee Cherry through the Upcycled Food Association (UFA)’s Upcycled Certified™ program demonstrating its commitment to preventing food waste by growing the upcycled economy. www.coffeecherryco.com #coffeecherry #UpcycledCertified #UpcycledFood #sustainability #foodwaste #foodandbeverage #pressrelease
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Tom Clemente shared thisDarren, congratulations on this award. It’s great to see the brand Steven Smith built and his legacy of quality live on at Smith Teamaker. Congratulations to all the the Smith Teamakers especially Steven Smith for this recognition. 🥂🍾Tom Clemente shared thisSpecial thanks to our many customers, partners and investors who have enabled Smith Teamaker to "Enrich Lives through Exceptional Tea Experiences" (and grow one heck of a business in the process).
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Tom Clemente shared thisTom Clemente shared thisThe #upcycledfood movement made headlines last week at Expo West 2022 where over dozens of Upcycled Food Association members debuted with innovative and award-winning products actually making an impact. We were honored to provide our members a platform to speak about their category-defining products and the impact they are making in the marketplace at an incredible show! Get the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ghpDHExR #upcycledcertified #upcycling #cpginnovation #expowest2022
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Tom Clemente shared thisSome really great work here. I hope you enjoy viewing it.Tom Clemente shared thisCheck out my ArtStation post on our new VFX & Film final project! INFERNO and Dante's Pizza are OUT NOW. Thanks to everyone at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) for making this possible! Andy Romine Vic Bonilla Yoh Handa Alyssa Nicholas Sam Williams Demytrius El-Masry Cara Lewis Nathan Collins Shania Smith Elijah Hawkins Aliah Dunne Whitney Bybee Messiah Fagerholm Franchesca Enriquez Raymond Sundvall #graduate #filmmaking #filmproduction #visualeffects #seattlewa
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Tom Clemente shared thisSome outstanding work by my son Charles Clemente in these challenging work from home times. Great job Charlie.Tom Clemente shared thisIt is great to see that the creative wheels have kept turning with our VFX student projects. We know how hard it is to keep a creative team working remotely. Thanks Charles Clemente for the great job editing this for your team: Raymond Sundvall Aliah Dunne Cara Lewis Demytrius El-Masry Elijah Hawkins Franchesca Enriquez Nathan Collins Shania Smith Sam Williams Messiah Fagerholm Justin Rohona, Catherine Jeong, and Whitney Bybee Your students are doing great work Vic Bonilla ! https://lnkd.in/gVJcDwG #vfxartist #education #workingremotely
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Tom Clemente shared thisTom Clemente shared thisOur September Newsletter is here! We talk #sustainability, #cascara, and #IBIE2019. Coffee Cherry Tea is cascara but better. Check it out: https://lnkd.in/fAqm5zc
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Tom Clemente shared thisIf you are in need of “Food Safe Cascara” the Coffee Cherry Co. can help!Tom Clemente shared thisFor beverages or baked goods Coffee Cherry is available wholesale. Check out www.coffeecherryco.com or reach us at info@coffeecherryco.com with any questions #coffeecherry #cascara
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Tom Clemente shared thisTom Clemente shared thisOur August Newsletter is out - Coffee Cherry Tea = cascara but better! Stumptown Coffee Roasters has a tasty new beverage, VinePair talks cascara, and we share our Coffee Cherry Tea Spritzer recipe to keep you cool | https://lnkd.in/g6Vatjm
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisI just celebrated 45 years with Weyerhaeuser. When I think about this milestone, what stands out most is not the number of years, but the extraordinary people I've had the privilege to work alongside and the opportunities I've been given to learn, grow, and contribute. I’m incredibly proud to be part of a company whose values, purpose, and commitment to its people have remained strong throughout decades of change. I've been fortunate to work with talented colleagues, inspiring leaders, and dedicated teams. It’s an honor to be part of such a great company! #Grateful #WorkAnniversary #Weyerhaeuser #Leadership #Teamwork
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisI have big exciting news to share today. After 16 years at the helm of Intentional Futures, I've decided to promote myself to Chairman and bring on a new CEO to help grow and evolve this very special place. If you or someone you know is well-versed in what it takes to not only run and grow a high-performance consultancy but do so in ways that advance positive outcomes for every employee, every client, and society writ large, consider throwing your hat in the ring. In case you're wondering, I will remain actively involved in the business and work AND I'm excited to support our next generation of leadership as they take the organization to a new level and new places. Apply for the role here: https://lnkd.in/gVyQ5_v3 You can learn more about this position in a live Town Hall session on 9/28. I'll be joined on this call by member of the Leadership and HR teams. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gi4VJGcP
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Tom Clemente liked thisSteven Smith Teamaker's mint is truly the best.Tom Clemente liked thisOur founder, Steven Smith Teamaker was always an innovator. In the early days, when Pepppermint was only used for chewing gum and toothpaste, Steve brewed it as a beverage and a new industry was born. We’ve nurtured relationships for generations, and still partner with the best Peppermint growers in the world. Who just happen to be right here in Oregon.
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisI want to recognize and thank our 2026 interns Gian Manhas and Sam Dilworth! Gian and Sam were hard working, curious, and talented interns. I hope they were able to look behind the curtain and gain insights into the culture and expectations of a wealth management team. I also want to thank my team of Daniel Wilskie , Darby J. , Anya Krishnaswamy , and Tyler DeBrock for their time, leadership, and mentorship of the interns. In particular, I really appreciate Tyler, as a former intern, creating a game plan for our interns.
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisAt 5 AM standing on the retail floor before opening the doors, you see the true engine of an enterprise. When I was blessed to have a front-row seat as Starbucks grew from 600 stores to 24,000, that was where reality lived. It was never in remote boardrooms or strategic slide decks. It was with the hourly wage workers who showed up in the dark, opened the doors, and made the entire machine run. The original spirit behind Labour Day was simple and profound: recognition, dignity, and collective action. It was created for honouring the people whose labour built communities, industries, and national prosperity. Over time, modern business culture started looking past them. Today, that identity is broader than ever. It touches service, clerical, care, retail, logistics, and the manufacturing floor. It is anyone relying on earned income and daily effort without high-status leverage. When leaders lose touch with the frontline, organizations begin to drift. We measure outcomes on spreadsheets and forget the human hands carrying the real weight of execution. I have come to learn that genuine leadership is never about rank. It is about stewardship. It is about seeing, respecting, and honoring the teammates who do the heavy lifting every single day. I know it. Because I lived it. Strategy is only as real as the dignity we extend to the people asked to deliver it. This Labour Day, we honour the hands and hearts that build our organizations and our communities from the frontline up. Love be with you. Lead on.
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisThe Dallas Metroplex has, not only a stunning skyline, but also top global talent. Many thanks to Dallas Business Journal, Ollie Chandhok, Randy Kazmierski, and Ashton Gambrell for organizing and hosting superlative networking events. And, thank you, to Christopher Cervantes, C(k)P®, CIMA®, CFP®, CPFA®, NQPA® and Larry Jackson (Valorus Advisors) & Travis Sartain and Cameron Ongena (Marsh Agency) for co-hosting the event.
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Tom Clemente liked thisI'm thrilled about our new partnership with Betsy Frost, who has joined the Steven Smith Teamaker Board of Directors. She brings a rare blend of experience and intellect, delivered with grace and grit and is going to make a huge difference as we continue to scale the business. Welcome to the TEAm Betsy! https://lnkd.in/eZceuQs8Tom Clemente liked thisWe're thrilled to welcome Betsy Frost to the Steven Smith Teamaker board. As Smith continues to scale and redefine the specialty tea market, Betsy brings a particularly deep understanding of the beverage space from her operating expereince as the CEO of Q Mixers and board experience at Hoplark Brews & Teas. And, her blend of grace and grit which will help shape our future. Many thanks to the Women on Boards Project, Kierstin Rielly and our partners at NextWorld Evergreen for bringing this new relationship together.
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Tom Clemente liked thisTom Clemente liked thisA week ago, I finished my third Haute Route Alpes. A 500 mile bike race climbing +60,000 ft across the French Alpes from Nice to Geneva. On my 59th birthday. Three lessons for life and business: a) DREAM BIG. If you don’t dare to believe you can do something audacious, you never will. b) PLAN RELENTLESSLY. Think ahead. Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Prepare for Weather, Equipment, Nutrition and Train like your life depends on it. c) FIND YOUR PEOPLE. Surround yourself with people who are better than you. They will challenge you, encourage you, and pull you. Emotionally and physically.
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Desiree Sylver
The premium cigar landscape is evolving, and cigar lounges across the country are feeling the impact. Once dominated by legacy brands and large distributors, the market is now being reshaped by boutique cigar companies that bring authenticity, exclusivity, and stronger profit potential to retail partners. For lounge owners focused on growth and retention, boutique cigars are no longer optional. They are essential. Today’s cigar consumer is more informed and adventurous than ever. Aficionados seek unique blends, compelling brand stories, and limited production cigars that offer an experience beyond the ordinary. Boutique brands meet this demand through small batch craftsmanship, innovative flavor profiles, and a sense of discovery that keeps customers engaged. Unlike mass produced cigars, boutique offerings create conversation. Customers ask for them by name, return to purchase again, and bring friends to try them. This behavior increases foot traffic and repeat visits, the lifeblood of a successful lounge. Higher Margins and Faster Turnover Boutique cigars often provide stronger margins than large corporate brands. Without heavy marketing overhead, boutique companies can offer competitive wholesale pricing while maintaining premium retail value. This creates a powerful revenue dynamic. Lounges earn more per stick while benefiting from faster turnover. When customers perceive a cigar as exclusive or hard to find, they are more likely to purchase immediately, improving sales velocity and humidor performance. The Power of Brand Story One of the greatest advantages boutique brands bring to lounges is story driven marketing. Customers do not just buy cigars. They buy into the narrative behind them. Drunk Chicken Cigars exemplifies this advantage. As a woman owned boutique brand founded by Desiree Sylver, the company stands out in a traditionally male dominated industry. Its bold identity, memorable name, and commitment to quality create a strong emotional connection with consumers. Lounge owners benefit from this built in conversation starter, encouraging engagement and loyalty. Demand That Starts Before the Lounge Boutique brands like Drunk Chicken Cigars generate consumer demand before customers enter the lounge. Through social media, influencer partnerships, and owner led messaging, the brand encourages smokers to request Drunk Chicken Cigars at their local lounges. The lounges that thrive today are those that embrace change. Boutique cigars represent a shift toward experiential retail, higher margins, and customer driven demand. By partnering with brands like Drunk Chicken Cigars, lounge owners gain access to products customers seek, stories that spark engagement, and revenue opportunities that extend beyond the humidor. In a competitive market, differentiation is everything. Boutique cigars deliver that differentiation and are proving to be the key to sustained growth and profitability.
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Carlos Vigil
The U.S. wine category is shrinking. Bonanza Cabernet keeps growing anyway. That's worth looking at if you're in any business where the category is moving against you. U.S. wine sales fell roughly 6% in 2024 (SipSource). Wine Intelligence (acquired by IWSR) forecasts volume dropping at -2% CAGR through 2027, faster than the -1% pace from 2017 to 2022. Regular wine drinkers aged 21-34 fell from 29% of the base to 23% between 2019 and 2023. The board decks all have the same sad category chart right now. And then a $20 Cabernet from the Caymus Vineyards family just keeps taking share. According to Impact Databank, Bonanza launched at 131,000 cases in the U.S. in 2020 and has added 60,000 to 80,000 cases every year since. Double-digit volume growth. The category was falling the whole time. We dug into how. Four things stood out. 1. They priced against the occasion, not the shelf position. Bonanza lives where a weeknight steak dinner lives. Around $20. The slot was crowded but no one held it with real winemaking credibility behind them. Silicon Valley Bank's 2025 State of the Wine Industry report found the top quartile of premium wineries grew revenue 22% in 2024. The value-with-credibility window is open. Has been for a while. 2. They borrowed trust rather than building it cold. Chuck Wagner's name is on it. Decades of Caymus equity, spent carefully on a value tier without pulling the flagship down with it. That's genuinely hard to do. Heritage brands tend to hoard the halo or blow it. Bonanza did neither. 3. They dropped the rules the buyer never cared about. No vintage on the label. No single appellation. They blend across California lots to hit a consistent taste profile every time. Wine people were unhappy about this. Buyers at Costco Wholesale and Total Wine & More were not. The person grabbing a bottle on a Tuesday just wanted it to taste the same as last time. Bonanza built for that person. The consistency thing is probably the most transferable idea here for anyone building a consumer brand outside wine. 4. Supply structure did the real work. Multi-region sourcing means they buy fruit where the value sits each year. Cost structure moves with the market. A Napa-only brand at that price can't follow. The wine world sells vintage variation as romance. The grocery shopper reads it as inconsistency. Bonanza picked a side and moved on. A declining category and a growing brand at the same time. It's not rare, actually. For any team staring at a flat or shrinking market: the category number is an average. Find the occasion that wasn't priced for. Use trust you already have. Ignore the rules your customer never knew existed. What brand in your category is pulling this off? Drop it below. If this is useful, follow me on LinkedIn. We do this regularly across growth, transformation, and value creation. #WineIndustry #BrandGrowth #MarketStrategy #ConsumerInsights
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