The Patron Way: From Fantasy to Fortune - Lessons on Taking Any Business From Idea to Iconic Brand

by Edelstein

How a billion-dollar business ascended from a forgotten dusty agave field in central Mexico The Patrón Way details the unorthodox building of the brand, the extraordinary creativity and marketing ingenuity of Patrón's cofounder, Martin Crowley, and his life partner, Ilana Edelstein, and the way Patrón single-handedly transformed the face of the liquor industry. Edelstein was involved in every aspect of the business--from the brand’s iconic bottle to designing the sexy and attention-getting outfits worn by the famous "Patrón Girls" at promotions and parties to running the back office. Patrón is a tequila so sumptuous--and so brilliantly marketed--that it has become the world’s leading ultrapremium tequila and has changed the way the spirit is what was once "gasoline" slammed back in a shot glass is now poured from an exquisite hand-blown bottle into a chilled glass and sipped to attain a "Patrón high." Today, Patrón has grown to over a billion-dollar brand, and it is the largest generator of revenue of all tequila brands. Edelstein combines the dramatic story of the company’s rise to success in an astonishingly competitive and sometimes cutthroat industry with practical business lessons about R&D and brand building that business leaders can put to productive use in any industry. A tale of love, sacrifice, celebrity, dizzying success, and ultimate betrayal, The Patrón Way reveals for the first time all the details behind the intimate relationship and marketing genius of the "power couple" that transformed the spirits industry. PRAISE FOR THE PATRÓN WAY “ The Patrón Way is a good chronicle of a luxury brand's path to success. . . . Ms. Edelstein dispenses useful advice to aspiring entrepreneurs."
The Wall Street Journal “Anyone desirous of making sense of tequila’s current status will be well served by chugging The Patrón Way .”
Slate "There are some good lessons for entrepreneurs launching a product. No doubt, the rise of Patrón is something many would love to emulate. And Ilana Edelstein was there from the beginning and delivers an inside view of the story."
New York Journal of Books "Business lessons echoing 'know who the true tastemakers are, and use them wisely' are sprinkled throughout the book. . . . most readers will appreciate the informal 'tell-all' style that reveals an emphasis on doing some paperwork to cement their role in any business they help grow."
Library Journal “I can honestly say The Patrón Way by Ilana Edelstein was a delicious cocktail of innovation and inspiration with a twist of tragedy for a bittersweet finish.”
TequilaAficionado.com

Genres: Business

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Dick Weaver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Puffery, pure and simple.

[Lisa Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Described as a “deeply personal business narrative,” the story centers around the development from the ground up of Patrón tequila, a “brand that single-handedly changed the face of the liquor industry,” by its co-founder, Martin Crowley, and as told by his then young and lively life partner, Ilana Edelstein.

Tequila is by far my spirit of choice. I’ve loved it for decades, and I still love learning by tasting more tequilas and by researching its fascinating history. That’s why when the offer to preview Ilana Edelstein’s new book, The Patron Way, came across my desk, I jumped at the opportunity.

I wasn’t fooled by the above description, however. In fact, I’m not even a fan of Patron Tequila.

Drinking it is an unsettling experience for me, though I do understand the big batch Patron Tequila available today is a different product than the one the partners Martin Crowley and Jon Paul DeJoria fell in love with years ago. I simply wanted to learn about the early days of one of the biggest brands ever.

A Lifestyle Business

Yes, business is a key player in this story. At a time when the term “Lifestyle Business” had yet to be coined, Patron was just that. Ilana Edelstein and Martin Crowley, along with J.P. and Eloise DeJoria, lived that lifestyle and created the Patron brand around it.

The DeJorias had money and plenty of Hollywood connections. Martin Crowley had hustle and Ilana had an instinctive, albeit racy, style. The combination was magic.

Great juice, sexy presentation of the distinctive bottle with the green ribbon, and even sexier presenters in a time when using gorgeous women to promote liquor was a novel idea.

Today, products and celebrities are branded intentionally and strategically. By contrast, the Patron brand grew organically through the millionaire lifestyle lived by J.P. and his gorgeous wife, Eloise, and guided by the hustle and determination of the rough-around-the edges Martin Crowley and his bombshell lover, Ilana Edelstein, who softened his brash approach to business.

Having a background in branding and marketing, I understood all that. I’m a novelist with a degree in business who pays her rent with marketing work.

It made perfect sense – top end lifestyle and top shelf tequila. But, what captivated me was the love story.

*Spoiler Alert*

The Patron Way is the tragic story of a thirteen-year love affair between Martin Crowley and Ilana Edelstein that ended when ego, greed, and lawyers got in the way.

Ilana was making a great living as a financial advisor to school teachers. When Martin asked her to give it all up and work with him full-time on Patron, she didn’t hesitate to accept. He didn’t offer her shares, a paycheck or a wedding ring, only the opportunity to continue their love affair living the glamorous lifestyle they both enjoyed.

She was madly in love with him and, by all accounts, he with her. What more could two lovers want than a business they could build together? Why wouldn’t she accept?

It all went well for a loving couple that seemed to complement each other perfectly. A beautiful home, parties, A-list social circles, yachts and island vacations. Until Patron became so in-demand that it caught the attention of Big Liquor.

The book blurb describes it as an “astonishingly competitive and sometimes cutthroat industry.” Cutthroat it was.

Lawyers swooped in and worked on Martin’s insecurities. His health was failing due to advanced heart disease and he and Ilana weren’t married. It doesn’t take a genius to see how lawyers could play that to their advantage.

What if she broke up with him and filed a palimony lawsuit? If he’d known the history of Marvin vs. Marvin, Martin Crowley wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but lawyers can make persuasive arguments.

What if she tried to take half of his half of the company? What if she sued for unpaid wages? Did she have a contract? Did they have an agreement?

Martin follows the questionable advice of lawyers, enacted by an even more questionable court system. This is where the glitter fades and the story turns ugly.

He breaks up with the woman he loves, the woman he can’t bear to sleep without at night. Hearts break. There is a long drawn out trial, her reputation is smeared and yet, he continues to watch her, to stalk her, to love her, and she still loves him.

He moves to a house on Antigua and shelters his money. A new will is drawn up. Though he assures her she’ll be fine, he promises her nothing.

At the end of the story, Ilana is rebuilding her life. All those years of love for Martin and Patron earned her nothing in the way of financial security. Though she is still loyal to the Patron brand and loves Martin dearly, she realizes she must press on. Martin’s story doesn’t end as well.

His financial future is secure with Patron, but when he has a heart attack at the top of the stairs in his beautiful home in Antigua, the lawyers that he depended upon to protect his interests were nowhere to be found. He died alone, at the bottom of the stairs, surrounded by his wealth. His body was found the next day by his staff.
ilana edelstein, the patron way, tequila

Author of The Patron Way, Ilana Edelstein

My heart ached for Ilana, for her hard work, love and devotion, for what she’d gone through with the breakup and then what she must have felt when she learned how the love of her life had died.

Though I may never be a fan of Patron Tequila, I can honestly say The Patron Way by Ilana Edelstein was a delicious cocktail of innovation and inspiration with a twist of tragedy for a bittersweet finish.

The Patron Way is available at Amazon.com and other booksellers in both ebook and hardcopy.

[Hbombme · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be interesting to those seeking to learn how a spirits brand known as Patrón came to be. It does not go in the weeds on all the business details and overweighs the personal story of Ilana Edelstein "Mrs. Patrón" whose love interest Martin Crowley "Mr. Patrón" was the driving force behind Patrón's success. However, the book does have enough of business anecdotes and choices made that explain what might have made it a successful venture. Thus, I would also recommend it to someone interested in starting a consumer-focused business.

"Within months, the entire Los Angeles area knew that we were associated with Patrón, which was unique in an industry in which there is rarely a live person behind the brand. It's what the best salespeople do: build personal relationships."

[Kalani Scarrott · Rating 3 out of 5]

First ~60% was good insight into how they built the brand and started it. After that, it was more about the author and her breakup with the cofounder which IDGAF about. Recommend the first half of the book though!

[Mark Fine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Delectable Read…Well Worth It!
Author Ilana Edelstein exudes a worldly charm as she tells a very personal story about a very public brand, Patron Tequila. In her "spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" approach one gets a vivid picture of the behind-the-scenes mechanics and personal sacrifices required to conceive, launch, establish, and attain primacy in a new category of the liquor industry, ultra premium tequila. Unlike the conventional business primer--dry, crusty, and didactic, "The Patron Way" liberates both author and reader from convention and in a very human way provides us with many lessons taught and lessons learned.

As I savored Ilana Edelstein's words, I came to realize the underlying appeal of her book: it was more than a the story of a "brand", to me it became analogous to the trials and tribulations of a super rock and roll "band"--and equally compelling; just substitute the libation for the music and Ilana's story rocks!

First, it was the liquid chemistry. The exquisite elixir brewed up by Martin Crowley and master distiller Francisco Alcaraz. Then it was the human chemistry between the four major principals: Martin, Francisco, JP DeJoria and most significantly, the author Ilana Edelstein. This powerful collaboration, where everyone had a clear role to play, syncopated in harmony. And with mutual respect and a shared philosophy dedicated to excellence (and premium prices and packaging) they changed the worlds' view on tequila and gave us a "must have" lifestyle-brand in little more than a decade. Amazing!

Inevitably the foursome lost their rhythm, and the beat became uncertain, in both professional and human terms. Refreshingly Ilana dispenses with the expected `O woe is me' self-serving rant, and devoid of bitterness gives us instead a forthright account of the trials (legal) and challenges (personal) that confronted them in the 13th year. The duality of the final coda of "The Patron Way" book reflects how life and business can be messy--where winners can also be losers, and vice versa. That is what makes this book such a worthwhile read; a gentle reminder that as one soars toward the sun...gravity is only a tug away.

Caveat: Mark Fine is the author of "The Zebra Affaire"
The Zebra Affaire Mark Fine

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read my full review: http://bit.ly/18cdNt4


My opinion: I felt that this book belonged more in a memoir genre rather than a business genre. Now, as another Goodreads reviewer already stated, this is not your typical business book. It was rather "spicy" almost what one would find in a gossip rag and gave way too much of the author's personal history with not enough as to what made Patron a successful recognized brand. Not to mention I think that there were a ton of skeezy happenings that did need not be written about. After she wrote this expose, it was then in a two to three page summary that she wrote 10 points with one paragraph expounding of why each point was important. It was very odd.

Also, I felt that this was much more of an infomercial for how great Patron is versus evaluation of a business model. Most of the information given was learned in business school 101.

I know when I seek out McGraw Hill Professional, I am seeking out your traditional business book. Again, I reiterate that this was FAR from it. That is not to say that there were not some lessons to be learned from the book.

On a final note that I just came across. The author has some really cool pictures on her Amazon page that were not included in the book. Now, I was reading an advance copy, but if they were included in the book, I think I would have had them in my copy.

Source: McGraw Hill Professional for review

Would I recommend? : Not for branding/marketing business purposes. Looking for a book for teaching young women the importance of business relationships with significant others? This book is for you! I think this author had some very important points on getting business affairs IN WRITING and not trusting a partner (either married or unmarried) to always have your best business interests at heart during a romantic relationship breakup. I think, as women, we trust our partners way too much and don't keep it business. For that...this author gave an excellent cautionary tale that would have garnered a 4 star rating. It wasn't the purpose of me reviewing the book, as an MBA with well over a decade in business development/marketing experience, my focus was much more on the marketing/branding aspects.

[Victor Barger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your typical business book. In fact, it's more of an autobiography than a business book. Unfortunately, the subtitle, "Lessons on Taking Any Business From Idea to Iconic Brand", suggests otherwise. As such, you may be disappointed if you buy this book for that purpose. However, if you're interested in the story behind Petron Tequila, this is a worthwhile read, and it definitely serves as a cautionary tale for entrepreneurs.

Note: the author claims that not having a well-defined target market was key to Petron's success. What she doesn't realize, however, is that the target market was essentially defined by (1) the high price; (2) the nature of the product (i.e., ultra premium tequila); (3) the initial geographic area (i.e., Los Angeles); and (4) the extensive promotion at events attended by the rich and famous.

Disclaimer: I received a pre-release digital copy of this book from the publisher.

[Kevin Eikenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just above the actual title of the book, these words are splashed: “The Untold Inside Story of the World’s Most Successful Tequila”

It sort of is.

I received this book from McGraw Hill to review – they asked and I accepted. Why? I thought the story sounded interesting, I knew nothing about the story, and I have enjoyed a few sips of Patron over the last few years – and I don’t even like tequila.

The book is written by a person very involved in the formation and development of Patron as a brand, starting in 1989. While I thought it would be a book on business and marketing, it is more and less than that.

Read more...

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a combination memoir and marketing strategy book on the birth and nurturing of the iconic brand of tequila Patron. It is quite interesting and very well written. It would be a great read for anyone involved in brand marketing, some great tips and teqnigues that were used and also the personal lives of the couple involved in making the brand and up to today's ownership of the conglomerate that included Patron. A great read!

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of an autobiography rather than a business book. However, there were some critical pieces of the Patron story that I think were touched upon in the book. The Aperitif at the end was very worthwhile. A good book for branding and marketing not for a history of Patron.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought and read this book in order to learn how to market and build a successful brand. While the story is interesting, this book is more of a biography than a business book

[Tom Hardinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly a good read

Recommended to me by my girlfriend I approached this book slowly and quickly became engrossed. Great story, well told. Thanks Illana