Eric Dopkins

Wildcard
DISC Type : cis

C.E.O. & Founder at Milestone Brands, LLC

Austin, Texas, United States

Overview

Eric Dopkins is a seasoned beverage industry executive with over two decades of leadership experience. As the Founder and CEO of Milestone Brands, he focuses on acquiring and building innovative alcohol brands. His career is marked by transforming organizations and successfully growing brands like Deep Eddy Vodka and Empress 1908 Gin.

Outside of his professional life, Eric has an interest in sports, particularly following the Sacramento Kings. He is an alumnus of California State University, Chico, where he was a member of the Delta Psi Delta Fraternity and the Marketing Association, indicating a long-standing interest in team and community environments.

He successfully grew Deep Eddy Vodka into one of the fastest-growing spirit brands in the U.S. before founding Milestone Brands.

Personality Overview

ROI Driven

Friendly But Slow

Requires Proof

They are often friendly and nice, but can sometimes suprise you with their piercing questions  They are unlikely to ever become strong champions even when the conversations are going well; you should focus on cultivating other champions They typically tend to be late adopters even when they seem friendly and excited about what you have to sell

Topics They Care About

Building Spirit Brands
His career centers on acquiring and developing alcohol brands, having founded Milestone Brands and previously serving as CEO of Deep Eddy Spirits during its rapid growth.
Organizational Culture
He emphasizes building teams with passion and confidence, and developing a strong organizational vision to drive a high-performance culture.
Promoting Gin
Actively promotes the future of the gin category, specifically highlighting the growth potential and unique qualities of his brand, Empress 1908 Gin.

Media Appearances

The Liquor Store Podcast: Episode 75 – “Acquiring, Innovating & Building Spirit Brands” (featuring Eric Dopkins, CEO & Founder of Milestone Brands, LLC). Featured in The Liquor Store Podcast (Libsyn)

See Now

ABL Confirms Annual Meeting Keynote – Eric Dopkins, CEO & Founder of Milestone Brands, LLC to Speak. Featured in American Beverage Licensees (ABL)

See Now

Work History

1-2016
C.E.O. & Founder at Milestone Brands, LLC
4-2013 - 1-2016
C.E.O. at Deep Eddy Vodka
5-2010 - 8-2012
President at Young's Market Company
6-2008 - 5-2010
VP and GM at Pernod Ricard
8-2007 - 1-2008
President at Boz Spirits

Education

1988 - 1992
Bachelor's degree from California State University, Chico
2001 - 2001
Executive Food Industry Management from University of Southern California

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 32 Location : Austin, Texas, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : C.E.O. & Founder at Milestone Brands, LLC
URL has been copied!

Insights For Selling To Eric

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later
  • Help them realize that there is no personal risk in making this decision
  • Be prepared for a lot of questions, answer them objectively

DONT's

  • Don’t overhype the product/pitch, keep it measured
  • Do not sound overly eager, modulate your energy levels especially if you are generally enthusiastic
  • Avoid winging it with them particularly, answer a question only if you know the answer well

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Eric is

  • Clear proof of product value matters to them, followed by others' testimonials and rapport.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Eric

  • They are likely to give you a clear answer without taking you around in circles. However, if you share a good relationship, they might not be so forthcoming.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Eric move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Eric take some risk or not?

  • They weigh all decisions systematically and are unlikely to take many risks.

You And Eric

Personality Compatibility


More Profiles

Discover additional public profiles from our index.

Search more profiles

Looking for someone else? Search here for anyone.

Or visit Humantic AI to know more.