Service Academy Business Mastermind

“You can sometimes convince somebody to buy a bottle of your whiskey the first time because of the story that you have, and I think we have a good story, but if the whiskey is no good, then they’re never going to buy another bottle. So the ideal combination is you’ve got a really good story and you’ve got a really great product.” -Ted Dumbauld, USNA ‘81 Ted Dumbauld is the Founder and CEO of SoNo 1420, an innovative, Double Gold award-winning distillery in South Norwalk, CT known for its ultra-premium brand whiskeys, vodkas, ready-to-drink vodka-based cocktails, innovative Threesome Ready-to-Mix Cocktails, and botanical gins. Before starting SoNo 1420, Ted was a successful investment manager of public and private securities and an aggressive and creative deal-maker. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and his Master of Science in Finance from the MIT Sloan School of Management. In this episode, we discuss: Ted’s inspiration for starting SoNo 1420 and