Paul Hletko — Founder, FEW Spirits (est. 2011, Evanston, IL). Grain-to-glass craft whiskey brand known for Chicago-style bourbon, distinctive flavor, and creative collabs. FEW became part of Samson & Surrey, now under Heaven Hill.

Key Takeaways (quick hits)

• Position before production: FEW chose Chicago bourbon—distinct taste by design, not "safe."
• Price = signal: Set as an affordable luxury (~$45–$50) to telegraph quality without scaring off trial.
• Give fans a story to repeat:
• Place: Evanston—birthplace of Prohibition—baked into the brand.
• Personal: Family roots in Czech brewing, disrupted by the Nazis—heritage and grit with purpose.
• Find your customer where they already gather: Niche blogs/communities beat broad ads early on.
• Innovation portfolio: Run levels 1–4 (from small tweaks to patent-backed "new-to-world") and balance the mix so safe work doesn't crowd out bold bets.
• Hard lesson: Cash flow is the boss—brand strength shortens the payback clock.

8 Practical CEO Questions We Covered

1. Who exactly is your customer—and what story do they already tell their friends?
2. What deliberate product difference will they notice on first sip/use?
3. Where do they already hang out (blogs, forums, on-premise, niche media)?
4. How do you set good/better/best pricing without cannibalizing the hero SKU?
5. What's your 90-day proof a new SKU earns shelf (rate of sale, repeat, gross-to-net)?
6. How do you split innovation L1–L4 this year—and who owns the mix?
7. What's your cash clock (spend → sell-through), and how does brand reduce it?
8. What's your one-line retailer pitch that makes them choose you over the next similar bottle?