Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh Irving. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Josh thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The mission behind Socorro has always been to give back to those who are an inspiration to us. The word Socorro translates to “help” or “assistance” in English which is the foundation of our brand. For every case of Socorro purchased, we donate a case of purified drinking water to nursing homes, orphanages and churches in Jalisco, Mexico. Our business was born solely from our love and passion for tequila, not because we had the money or experience needed to create it. We followed our passion and made it our mission to give back to those who have inspired us. Now, three years in, this brand is so much more than our tequila. Our “why” lies with the people of Jalisco and striving to help provide clean water to their people, which led to our “Case for a Case” initiative.

Pablo and I often discuss how money is tangible, but inspiration is not. We choose to take the intangible every day. The most rewarding part of what I do is the philanthropic aspect of the business and the relationships I have created with the people in Jalisco. These relationships are why I do what I do and what keeps me going every day. It’s important to stay true to your missions and always come back to what inspired you in the first place.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Graduating from college, I went straight into the spirits business. This was not by choice. It was never a “dream” growing up. However, reflecting on where I am today, it was the unforeseen dream. From 2010-2015 I worked for a distributor in Texas and in 2015 I was recruited by an importer to work directly with different brands in different liquor categories. This is when my passion for entrepreneurship was realized . Working with many brands (big and small), I was able to directly see all the successes and failures that were transpiring. One brand that I worked with, Clase Azul really opened my eyes to what true leadership, passion, care, and culture was about. The magnetic culture that the owners created was the epitome of inspiration. It was not about money, “winning”, etc. it was about happiness, care, and passion.

I had always been an agave spirits connoisseur, but working directly with different brands & companies taught me that the numbers will come if you lay the foundation by doing the right things day in and day out.

This is how I met my business partner, Pablo Antinori. I vividly remember coming home one day and telling my wife, “when I decide to start my own business, Pablo is the person I want to do it with”. In 2018, Pablo and I came to the conclusion, there are very few people as passionate about tequila as us….. let’s stop selling other peoples tequila and go create the best tequila”. Jalisco, was the future. Throughout our time in Jalisco, the people of Mexico’s culture became an addiction. Always taking the best in people, embracing the present, loving, caring, family, and selfless. It was the ultimate Inspiration. However, poverty was a real, daily problem that a lot of people in Mexico face. The majority of the struggles that we continued to witness related to the shortage of potable water. Before we had a partnership for our tequila, we decided to build a partnership with the people of Mexico that were dealing with this issue. Our namesake, Socorro translates to Help or Assistance. Regardless if we sold one or 1,000,000 cases, our case for a case initiative was going to be a big part of our story. So for every case of tequila we sell in the US, we donate a case of water to different orphanages, nursing homes, or churches that do not have access to clean drinking water. So finally in April, 2o2o we launched Socorro Tequila. Trials and tribulations were a part of our daily lives. Due to the pandemic the business plan and our expertise were irrelevant. I quit my job in September 2019, just days after our first child was born. Panic was the norm but passion and belief in what we were doing never wavered. Restaurants were closed, hotels were vacant, liquor chains were not interested. We spent the next six months either “living” in Mom & Pop liquor shops or working with restaurants. Selling to restaurants was not the goal. It was honestly to see how we could help our brothers and sisters in the industry during these unprecedented times. Looking back (as it relates to our business), I would not change one thing. As human beings, we never really know who we are until we are pushed into a corner. Sink or swim was our mentality and I am proud to say, we swam faster than I could’ve ever imagined. We have created four brands since the inception of Socorro. Exited one brands and continue to drive business and grow distribution month over month with the other three. I have learned more about myself and business in general than I thought possible. Until July 2021, the company was made up of Pablo and myself. Currently we have 10 full time employees and are strategically adding entrepreneur minded individuals to our team.

The definition of success is not concrete. My definition is: be a good person, have a good product, do what you say you’re going to do.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

It’s known that anyone planning to invest in a startup believes in the person more than the idea. You can have a grandiose plan on paper, but if there is an ounce of doubt about the founder(s), it is difficult to get people to buy in.

Our goal when outsourcing funding for I & A Agave Spirits was to find people who have the financial means but also people who we trust and had expertise in different areas of business where we were lacking, all so that we could avoid trial and error. This process has paid massive dividends, and we have avoided what otherwise were inevitable mistakes.

All in all, some people invest in things because they see a positive financial outcome, and there are people who invest in people. Give me half the money, but give me people who care about people and the intangible.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One big lesson I had to unlearn was not all people want to be entrepreneurs. I have always told new employees, “you are not joining this team to be replaceable. Always be the player controlling the moves on a chess board and not just a piece .” However, most individuals do not want to be the player/master, and coming to grips with that has been difficult. People are either investments or (necessary) bills. The latter is required to live comfortably, and the former creates opportunities. Know who is who and give your all to those investments.

Another unlearned lesson is that you always want people to believe what you believe in and share the same passions as you. But at the end of the day, people’s goals won’t always align with yours, and you have to realize and understand that so you are not let down or disappointed.

Being passionate about something should never dwindle. But to be disappointed by others not reciprocating or mirroring your passions should not be a disappointment, but a realization that everyone has different aspirations for different reasons and should not discourage your personal journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: iandaagavespirits.com
• Instagram: @Socorrotequila @Soledadtequila @Jaliscoliqueurs
• Facebook: SocorroTequila SoledadTequila
• Linkedin: I & A Agave Spirits
• Youtube: Socorro Tequila

Image Credits
Josh Irving