Meet Matt Hirsch | National Trade Marketing Manager at Chinola & Entrepreneur”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matt Hirsch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matt, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Especially in the United States there is the belief that in order to get ahead you need to “out work” everyone. While there is truth in that and I have worked very hard my entire life, working hard while also working smarter is the key. This is something I have learned over many years and something I continue to work on every day. A big part of “working smarter” is to have a good work-life balance. I find that I am actually more productive and creative when I regularly take time for myself to relax and just enjoy life and not just be working all the time. While that may sound obvious, I find the majority of people that work hard don’t put this into practice.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of achieving my current position at Chinola. The road getting here has not been easy with lots of twists, turns, and bumps along the way. When I started with Chinola, I was the first full-time employee at the company and in three short years we now have a team of over twenty people and have turned an start-up brand into one of the hottest brands in the US liquor industry. I feel that my personal success, as well as my success at Chinola, is attributed to a set of core values: (1) Treat others with respect; (2) Do what you say you are going to do; (3) Know what you know and equally as important, know what you don’t know; (4) Build a great network of collaborators; and (5) Be thinking outside your comfort zone. The rapid succes of Chinola can be attributed to not only a fantastic product, but also building an amazing team of industry professionals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I travel extensively for both work and pleasure. I have found no matter where I am that I really enjoy a good mix of touristy things (especially if it is my first time there) and spots where the locals hang-out. So if it was my friend’s first time in Miami, I would plan the itinerary with that in mind. Some of the more touristy, but still “must experience” things would be walking around Wynwood to see all the beautiful murals, going to Ocean Drive to look at the art deco architecture, and enjoying the sites and sounds in Little Havana. If they wanted to do some serious shopping we would spend one of the afternoons walking around the Design District. For more of a Miami locals’ experience I would probably take them paddleboarding, go to some of the more quiet beaches, and definitely a drinking tour of Miami’s best cocktail bars woven in throughout the week.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My uncle and business mentor, Larry Klesman. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago from cancer, but I have learned so many lessons from him in both business and life that I utilize daily.

I also attribute so much of my success and who I am today from skateboarding. I realize that will sound funny to most people, but those who skateboard know that you learn a lot about yourself from doing it. Everything from sheer determination to respect; I have learned over the course of my life while skateboarding.

Website: www.chinola.com

Instagram: @MisterHirsch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrhirsch/

Image Credits
Daytime skateboard photo by: Elio Borjas Photography