Several years ago, I interviewed Carl Nolet Jr., CEO of Nolet Spirits USA, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. The eldest son of Carolus Nolet Sr., Carl is part of the 11th generation of Nolets to join the family business and helped successfully launch Ketel One Vodka in the United States. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:

Adam: What is something about you that would surprise people?

Carl: Something that people are often surprised to learn is that my family’s distilling story began in 1691, when Joannes Nolet established Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland. We have a deeply rooted history in producing the world’s finest spirits for the past three centuries. My brother Bob and I are reminded of our family’s legacy and ingrained work ethic on a daily basis. We are the 11th Generation of the Nolet Family and we represent a heritage which spans over 330 years. With this heritage comes incredible responsibility, but also an awareness that my family’s lineage is a part of our brands. Ketel One Family Made Vodka, NOLET’S Finest Gins and Ketel One Botanical are a result of my family’s passionate pursuit of excellence.

Adam: What are your hobbies and how have they shaped you as a leader?

Carl: My favorite activities are playing soccer with the kids, golfing, tennis or simply going for a swim in the ocean. Active sports have fostered my competitive spirit and desire to win as a leader. At the end of the day, I enjoy gathering with family and friends over a finely made cocktail. I like to say that a day without a Ketel One Vodka, NOLET'S Gin or Ketel One Botanical cocktail is a day wasted. One of my favorite martinis is the Vesper made with NOLET’S Silver Gin, Ketel One Vodka, and a splash of Lillet Blanc. It’s a great classic cocktail that shows off our NOLET’S Silver and Ketel One elegantly. Other favorites are a NOLET’S Silver Gin + Soda garnished with a grapefruit wheel or a Ketel One Botanical Spritz.

Adam: How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Carl: It’s hard not to consider my family’s business history, but what comes to mind is our ingrained work ethic as a family. My role serving as President & CEO of Nolet Spirits U.S.A. grew over time. I have worked in nearly every role at Nolet Distillery in an effort to better learn all the intricacies that come with operating a distillery and crafting the beautiful spirits we produce. I’ll never forget my first job working for our family business and how eager I was to get started. I started at Nolet Distillery not in a corner office, but rather polishing miles of copper. I was tasked with polishing all of the copper in the distillery. I got right to work scrubbing the copper with a towel and cleaning solution. It was here I learned my first lesson: “If you don’t know what you are doing, ask.” The chemicals from the cleaning solution ended up dying my hands green! I was told from the Master Distiller, “If you would have asked, I would have told you to use gloves when you polish copper.” The green color didn’t come off for days! From the cleaning copper story, I learned that if you don’t know how to do something, ask someone who does; don’t assume you know what you’re doing; seek advice and guidance from those who have gone before you. Having worked with my family to build Ketel One Vodka from the ground up, I was extremely humbled when my father entrusted me to grow the brand and build the company in the United States in 1992. I traveled across the country to educate bartenders about my family’s vodka and it’s crisp, sophisticated taste. If an account wanted to purchase a case of Ketel One Vodka, I would not sell the buyer the product until he or she personally listened to our story, how Ketel One is made, and why it is named after the coal-fired Distilleerketel #1. The bartenders then went through the ‘Ketel One Vodka Taste Test’ and experienced firsthand “The Four F’s” of Ketel One Vodka – Fragrance, Flavor, Feel and Finish. This education process is also something my father taught me. Today, I am intricately involved in every aspect of our company. I’m very fortunate that my role still allows me to travel the country and personally connect with talented hospitality and retail staff, and the many great salespeople that all help sell and love our Ketel One Vodka, NOLET’S Finest Gins, and Ketel One Botanical. It’s something I truly enjoy and I never get tired of hearing either the trade sharing their experiences using our products or fans telling me when they first discovered them.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Carl: A leader must exhibit qualities of passion, commitment, and integrity. In our organization, we define a successful manager as one who gets results through others. To be effective, a leader needs to develop the ability to inspire, to encourage, and to motivate others. In my experience, a leader learns by taking action, seeking challenging growth opportunities, and setting a standard of excellence in their work.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Carl: As the 11th Generation, my brother and I are fortunate to be able to lean on 330 years of family distilling expertise. We have surrounded ourselves with an experienced team. When it comes to leading and managing teams, I recommend transparency, not overcomplicating matters by “keeping it simple” and fostering a perspective of “upside down thinking” as it relates to our business approach. It simply means, doing the opposite of what your competition is doing. We value our team members and believe that in the ideology that “people make brands, brands don’t make people.”

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Carl: Be a good listener – I like to remind people that you have two ears and one mouth. Information flow should come from many different perspectives to be able to paint a full picture. Only then can you make the best-informed decisions.

Be authentic, genuine, and continue to innovate - Consumers don't just buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Our family has always maintained the highest standards in crafting the world’s best spirits. A foundational truth behind the success of our family’s business is “Quality and care before everything”. Every batch of spirits distilled at Nolet Distillery is tasted by a Nolet family member before it is approved for bottling. This authenticity is what makes our brands stand out from competitors and enhances the reason why consumers believe in our products.

Our family business would not have survived over 330 years had we not been adaptive to change, innovation, intimately understanding our consumers and challenging ourselves to become even better. We are seeing that more and more consumers want out-of-the-box spirits as they experiment with cocktail-making at home and are becoming more creative. With that, our brands incorporate a variety of botanical offerings to help differentiate from other spirits in the market and create never-before-seen spirits. We launched our Ketel One Botanical varietals a few years ago, to honor the consumer movement into conscious living. Ketel One Botanical is a spirit crafted with real passion and real botanicals. Conscious of the cultural shift towards mindful living, my brother Bob and I  were determined to create a delicious alternative to wine and a thoughtful offering for those seeking an easy drinking experience with a fresh taste. Ketel One Botanical is vodka distilled with real botanicals and infused with natural essences. It has no carbs, no sugar, and no artificial flavors. And we recently introduced the Ketel One Botanical Vodka Spritz - a convenient, craft experience that’s inspired by what we created with Ketel One Botanical. The Ketel One Botanical Vodka Spritz is fit for a variety of occasions – from moments of relaxation with family, to spending a day at the pool or park. Our family is continually innovating to meet consumer needs and we’re obviously not done yet. There’s more to come from the Nolet Family in the future.

Maintain a long-term perspective ­- Our family doesn’t think in quarters; we think in generations. As the 11th generation, my brother Bob and I are building upon what our father Carl Nolet, Sr. has accomplished. It is important to maintain a long-term perspective on the company and brands. I would advise to set a budget and stick to it. In the difficult moments, I would encourage an honest review of the business. One of the hardest parts is looking in the mirror and realizing that your idea needs to change or simply be stopped. I see a very bright future for our brands as we strive to continue our legacy of excellence, giving the consumer the very best.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Carl: The best piece of advice our father has given my brother, Bob, and me is “Try not to make mistakes”. The reason why the word “try” is at the beginning of the sentence is because when you try not to make mistakes, they will be less catastrophic as you are doing your best to eliminate the pitfalls ahead of you. His aim, which influences our decision-making today, is to aim high, do everything correctly, and not make mistakes along the way. There’s a lot of pressure to uphold the legacy of a 330-year-old company that prides itself on excellence and perfection. I’m honored to be able to carry on the legacy and heritage of our Nolet family and brands.

Adam: How can anyone pay it forward?

Carl: Our family has always believed in the importance of paying it forward. We are most proud to contribute to those organizations whose service and work directly affects our local community, whether it’s supporting children’s health issues, environmental causes, or the arts. Our involvement with the charities we support is often the result of a personal connection or passion with the cause. We hope to pass down and instill this same spirit of giving in our kids when they see the direct impact these charities have at a local level. We believe as a family that the spirit of giving needs to be done in the unspoken word. It’s about the charity or cause and not about us. It’s about being humble, possessing a sensitive awareness to the needs around you, and responding in kindness. It’s about having a “see something do something” mentality. Giving back can be shown in many different ways. Everyone has something to contribute through their time, talent, and treasure. I’ve realized that seeing your name on a building is great, but paying it forward doesn’t have to be just about money. I have found that time and talent are the most rewarding ways to pay it forward.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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