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

Hi Billy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Prior to becoming an entrepreneur I was active duty military for 20 years. During that 20 years, the mantra of my work/life balance was “work hard play hard”. Luckily for me my work life came naturally easy to me, which allowed my “play hard” life to be anything I wanted it to be. I remember being excited to retire from the military, taking roughly a 75% pay cut and becoming an entrepreneur where my work life would essentially be my life. At the moment, my social life is very bare but due to the fact my work life is 100% focused on a company and idea that I created and I’m solely working towards, makes that 100% worth it!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
For the last five years of my military career, I knew one thing, and that was when I got out of the military I would never work for someone else again. I never had an exact plan of what I was going to do in regards to creating my own company or investing, but I knew an entrepreneurial path was what I wanted. Having gone through so many dire problem-solving moments throughout my career, I had a vast recognition that I can handle most situations, if not all. With that inner confidence to know that I have the ability to succeed, I knew the biggest hurdle would to just get started. And once I was on a path, I knew I could overcome any obstacles that were surely (and oh have they) going to arise. The biggest lesson learned so far has to not get a head of the process. Too many things can go wrong that if you get too far ahead of yourself, you’ll lessen the chances of being able to recover from a minor obstacle. But as long as you have the knowledge that you will never quit, then you can internally have the ability to find a solution for any problem.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is never a dull moment here in Scottsdale, Arizona. And depending on the time of the year, we would definitely check out a game whether be the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Suns, any spring training game, or the waste management open. Outside of sporting events I feel this is a major bar and restaurant hub. Slightly biased, but I would definitely check out Goodwood Tavern and order up a Martini Mates Espresso Martini. That would be an amazing finish to a day filled with either hiking the Superstition Mountains, checking out the botanical gardens, visiting one of the many attractions, or playing a round of golf at any course of your liking.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
AUSTRALIA!! During my 20 years in the military, I had the opportunity to be stationed in Melbourne Australia for almost 4 years. As a socialite during that time, I noticed the espresso martini had a different vibe there, more than anywhere I’ve ever seen. It was an absolute culture, almost a religion! They had espresso martini festivals, and even served on tap at popular locations. The best part was how standardized the cocktail was, no matter where you were, you were served “the” OG espresso martini. When I return to America, I noticed ordering an espresso martini at 10 different bars, you will receive 10 different cocktails. At that time there were a few, if no RTD espresso martinis on the market. So that’s why I wanted to create an espresso martini made with the OG ingredients of espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur. I called the company Martini Mates as an ode to my realization of love for espresso martinis discovered in Melbourne Australia.

Website: www.martinimates.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinimates

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrwright1/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinimates/

Image Credits
Time Jones

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