Raise a glass to Chris Fletcher, Vice President and Master Distiller at Jack Daniel‘s—one of the few human beings to hold this prestigious title. What makes Chris’s story even more remarkable? His grandfather held the same position before him. Working at a historic distillery overseeing 3 million barrels and nearly 1,000 employees in tiny Lynchburg, Tennessee (population 5,000), Chris has turned family legacy into a modern-day masterclass in consistency, people leadership, and craftsmanship.

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Find out the keys to Chris’s and Jack Daniel’s success in three, two, one!

Three Key Insights

1. Pursue Your Passion Later, But Pursue It With Purpose

Chris’s path wasn’t predetermined. Despite having a master distiller grandfather, he didn’t seriously consider the family business until later than you might expect. “It wasn’t until I got a summer job after my sophomore year in college that I started to think, well, that’d be pretty cool if I could learn how to make whiskey,” Chris explains. Sometimes, he says, the best careers find you when you’re ready for them, not when you’re forced into them.

Takeaway: Don’t chase a career because you are “supposed to” do it—pursue it when you’ve discovered why it genuinely excites you.

2. Great Products Are Built on Great People, Not Just Great Processes

When asked how Jack Daniel’s maintains perfect consistency across millions of bottles, Chris didn’t talk about technology or technique first. He said, “It’s about people… you can’t make whiskey without great people.” What’s remarkable is the deep community roots of Jack Daniel’s: so many employees have parents, grandparents, and siblings working alongside them. In a town of 5,000, the distillery employs nearly 1,000. “It’s the families of Lynchburg that make this product what it is,” Chris says.

Takeaway: Build a team of people who are invested in your success because they’re invested in your mission, not just a paycheck.

3. Get the Fundamentals Right, and Everything Else Follows

Chris revealed something surprising: the master distiller’s job isn’t about constantly tasting and tweaking. Instead, “If we’re consistent with what’s coming out of the distillery — off of our stills to the charcoal mellowing — that clear new make spirit will always work in that barrel.” He added, “A barrel doesn’t mess whiskey up. It’s kind of the other way around.” His advice for entrepreneurs? Nail the fundamentals first, then trust the process.

Takeaway: Excellence at the foundation—not constant intervention—is what creates consistency and quality over time.

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Two Ways to Learn More

Dig deeper on topics Chris touched on with these great reads:

1. How to Build a Winning Company Culture

2. Family Business Succession: Lessons from Industry Leaders

One Question to Ponder

Here’s our question for you: If you could inherit a legacy business from a family member, would you take it, or would you rather forge your own path?

Send your answer to: howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com. We’ll read the best answers on a future episode of How Success Happens!

About How Success Happens

Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.

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