By: Bertha Gonzalez-Nieves - Co-Founder & CEO at Casa Dragones Tequila Company
Identifying your true passion can be a great challenge, but if you give yourself the chance to be open, genuinely curious and determined, you can find it. When your true passion stands before you, its power is so strong, you’ll recognize it. It will awaken your determination and enable you to discover your true potential. Discovering this is one of the greatest opportunities that you can give yourself, and is the key to unleashing your personal growth.
In my case, it all started when I was 23 years old, living in Mexico City, studying for my undergraduate degree in Business Administration and preparing to go on a scholarship to represent Mexico for a program in Japan. As part of my training, I had to learn everything about Mexico to be able to eloquently represent my country—from our economy, to our traditions, to our beliefs and culture. As part of this training I was invited to the town of Tequila, Jalisco to experience the production process of making Tequila first hand.
From the first moment that I stood in an agave field, my world was transformed. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of these majestic plants, and of the blue-green fields that stood so silent, patiently growing these plants for up to ten years. The process of elaboration also impressed me. The art of making Tequila was so technical yet so handcrafted. This was the process of making the spirit that Mexico was famous for, and there I stood, in the center of it all.
I knew from that day onward that Tequila was my passion. I developed my work experience and earned a scholarship for a Masters degree at one of the top universities in the U.S. to study business and marketing. When I graduated, I knocked on the doors of the top Tequila companies in Mexico. I was unafraid and singularly focused.
As a young Mexican woman from a traditional family, working in the spirits business wasn’t exactly the path set out for me. When I accepted a job with the top Tequila company in the world, I never once thought that I was a woman working in a man’s industry.
For me, I was a woman with passion for Tequila. The more I learned about the Tequila industry, the more my passion grew.
After a decade of working in the Tequila industry, I met Bob Pittman, the co-founder of MTV, in a party in Brooklyn. Our meeting was by chance. But what followed wasn't simply luck. Bob and I shared a passion for Mexico, and for Tequila. He was a sharp, confident entrepreneur with major successes under his belt. I knew I wanted to partner with him. I was eager to become an entrepreneur and to push my knowledge of Tequila further.
We founded Casa Dragones with the objective of pushing the boundaries of what had been done before in the Tequila industry. That meant being one of the Tequila producers driving the industry into the future, with modern processes, sustainable practices and the commitment to deliver the highest quality Tequila in the world. To this day, we have never let go of this vision.
This drive to innovate drove me to create a Mexican spirit brand that could compete with other international luxury spirits, like Cognacs and fine wines. And that is what I am truly passionate about.
My passion was a gift that I found in the middle of an agave field. I didn't understand it, or where it would lead me. It was so strong that I didn’t question it. It felt right to work in the Tequila industry from the day I started, and the same passion fuels my determination to continue on my journey today.
Discover Casa Dragones here.
