[EMBARRASSING PHOTO WARNING]
Hi folks,
Do you want to know the NUMBER ONE thing I get asked?...
"If you're Jim, who's Tonic? 🤣"
So much so that I was going to buy a dog 🐶, take it with me to the early events Jim and Tonic were booked for and just put a sign saying "before you ask, he's Tonic", but my wife Clare is more of a cat woman so I shelved the idea - for now 😊
Anyway, where was I?...
Oh yes, right, the things I get asked the most as Jim and Tonic founder...
I decided I couldn't really write a full blog post about a dog called 'Tonic' so I thought, what's the second thing I get asked the most as J&T founder?
And then I realised, people want to know WHY I started Jim and Tonic!
The truth is, there wasn't ONE simple reason, there were SEVEN, so here they are, enjoy, and remember, no comments mocking my pics yeah? 🙄
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I LIKE GIN AND TONIC
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I LIKE JIM AND TONIC
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I LOVE BUSINESS IDEAS
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
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CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
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GINTERESTING PEOPLE
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HUMBLED AND GINSPIRED
1. I LIKE GIN AND TONIC
I liked Gin and Tonic, even when a G&T was unfashionable and all my friends were drinking WKD Blue and even when it was only consumed by Grannies and teenagers stealing their Grannies Gin… I liked Gin and Tonic.
Even when it was served in unwashed midball glasses with one or two rapidly melting pieces of ice, a slice of lemon stolen from yesterday’s cupcake and with poor quality tonic and poor quality gin for that matter I liked Gin and Tonic.
Did I mention Jim and Tonic was started because I like Gin and Tonic?
2. I LIKE JIM AND TONIC
Lots of people chortle at the name Jim and Tonic, more than you or I would imagine. Many a Jim can be spotted being snapped by one of our beautiful vans… particularly Genevieve who seduces other Jims very effectively 👀
I actually thought of the name while skiing with friends ⛷️, it was the first time I experienced the wonder of a G&T in a balloon glass, garnished well with a quality tonic.
I first had a Williams Chase elegant with apple and juniper with a Fevertree Indian tonic, then a Monkey 47 with cinnamon and orange peel……I was blown away and no longer liked gin and tonic… I loved it 😍😍😍
While ordering my 4th or 5th G&T I slurred the words Jiiiinnnn & Tonic, it sounded like Jim and Tonic…. I chortled…. checked online domains and bought the URL www.jimandtonic.com for £20 (a price Godders our Head of Marketing now chastises me for).
I chortled some more, parked the idea and continued to enjoy my new found love for Gin and Tonic for a few more months.
3. I LOVE BUSINESS IDEAS
Jim and Tonic was the first credible business idea that matched my interests well, others that started and failed or missed the cut are:
- A mix and match bike shop (I may still do this) 🚴♂️
- A mix and match scooter shop (I may still do this) 🛵
- Starting my own property management company 🏘️
- House building and letting – (failed at this in the 2008/9 crash) 🤫
- A young designer’s clothes shop - (I may still do this) 🤠
- Where’s my drink, a rubber band to locate your drink (as bad as it sounds) 🥳
- Micro economy shoe making in different countries – (might still do this) 🥾
4. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
My good friend runs a very successful Corporate Golf Day for the retail sector.
I was with him on the pre-day scouting out the plan for the event when he said “Are you having a hole for Jim and Tonic or what”
Instead or replying it’s too soon, I blurted out the words “why not?”.
I gave the co-ordinator my email address jim@jimandtonic.com and website www.jimandtonic.com and went merrily on my way.
The only issues we had were as follows:
- We didn’t have a website
- We didn’t have an email address
- We didn’t have a van
- We didn’t have a menu, equipment or any product
- We didn’t have any branding
- We didn’t have much money
- The event was 2.5 months away
5. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
I love a challenge and proving naysayers wrong which was another reason to get Jim and Tonic was going despite the jibes of my peers.
Here's me in a party hat to all the 2016 #haters 😂
6. GINTERESTING PEOPLE
I’m not particularly techy and don’t really enjoy working on my own and so I needed and searched for something that involved great people.
Jim and Tonic has afforded us the ability to work with, partner with and employ some truly amazing people who Ginspire, Ginclude, Ginterest and Gintertain our customers and me every single day.
We’ve got a varied mix of staff mainly from the performing arts world and they’ve gone on to successful TV shows acting and producing, theatre, singing and all sorts of other things. Many stay and we’re working together building the business in all four of our main areas: bars, distilling, events and online sales.
It really is a great journey with great people.
7. HUMBLED AND GINSPIRED
The golf day was upon us 🏌️♂️ our first event. Genevieve our mobile gin van was finished at the 11.5th hour and driven on to hole 14 of the course. The problem was we were in the middle of 3 holes and it was a sunny day 🌞
We’d brought enough stock to cover 350 drinks and expected to do 150 tops, we did 450 with a couple of runs to the suppliers adding to the experience of the day.
Golfers revelled in it and our first staff Chess and Charlotte smashed it and delivered what we’re about and Jim and Tonic from day 1, great staff, great product and smiles.
That evening at the presentation, a thanks was given to all partners and suppliers at the event, Titleist, Adidas, Rolex, Aston Martin, da da da and Jim and Tonic.
We received a huge and unexpected cheer… myself and Nick were humbled to the core and may have shed a tear… we’d been ginspired and couldn’t wait to crack on.
All we needed from here was a plan.
Jim
xx
Please comment below!! 👀
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