Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robert Pallone . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Robert, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I’ve been working since I was 16 years old and learned that I had to recover quickly from setbacks. This is especially true in the fast-paced industry of hospitality, where there is no time for complaining. You learn from your mistakes and move on.
I started my career as a busser, then worked as a bartender, manager, brand ambassador, and sales and marketing consultant. After working in multiple facets of the industry, I then transitioned to business owner and Co-Founder of Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs. That trajectory propelled me forward, taught me different aspects of the business and gave me the confidence and resilience needed to keep going through all the obstacles you face as a business owner.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Co-Founder of Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs, which seeks to showcase and celebrate the tropical flavors of the Dominican Republic with spirit aficionados around the world. Our first expression, Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, is the first-ever shelf-stable fresh fruit liqueur inspired by the old-world style of European liqueurs.
Chinola (chee-noh-lah), as passion fruit is called in the DR, has about six to eight large passion fruits in each bottle and no artificial colors or flavors. The fresh fruit gives Chinola its bright orange color and nectar-like texture. It’s not like other passion fruit liqueurs that use synthetic colors or artificial flavors.
Chinola began in 2014, along with Mike Krychowecky, Co-Founder, and Andrew Merinoff, Co-Founder and CEO, whose family lineage in the industry goes back generations to Pre-Prohibition. Industry gurus, Gabe Orta and Gui Jaroschy, who are friends, helped us perfect the recipe.
We’re also proud of the fact that Chinola has been key in supporting the infrastructural growth of the Samaná community where our farm, El Valle de Chinola, is located in the Dominican Republic. From building a road that makes this area more accessible to creating small bridges, electric poles, and water wells that help boost tourism and the local economy, giving back to the community is at the core of our business.
Today, Chinola is available in 33 states and 12 countries. We recently launched in the UK, are actively expanding to new global markets, and, excitedly, will soon launch our second fresh fruit liqueur.
We’ve come a long way and couldn’t have done it without constantly honing our skills and persevering despite countless obstacles.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Two qualities that have had the most impact during my entrepreneurial journey are resilience and perseverance. Resilience teaches you to learn from your mistakes and perseverance teaches you to keep going no matter what. The Chinola team’s knowledge and insights of the hospitality industry indicated that there was a need for our product and helped guide us to a solution. Chinola first garnered success in bars and restaurants as our shelf-stable fresh fruit liqueur allowed bartenders to craft fruit-forward cocktails with just a twist of the cap.
The best advice I can give anyone early on their entrepreneurial journey is to take action as soon as possible and be willing to adapt and improve things along the way. As business owners, you will need to learn and do new things you might not have even thought of before. As a small business owner, things will be unpredictable, my business partners and I have worn many hats, nothing was beneath us, especially in the beginning.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
My personal story has taught me that it’s best to be well-rounded, this is especially true at the beginning of a business when you need to be flexible and ready for anything.
It took almost eight years to finalize the Chinola recipe and land on the right production process. I’ve done everything from pollinating passion fruit by hand on our farm, to tastings at local liquor stores and events, to sales calls, business planning and marketing strategy. As a business owner, no task is ever too small or too big to undertake.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chinola.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chinola/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=chinola
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chinola-passion-fruit-liqueur
Image Credits
All Photos Credited To – Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs
