We were lucky to catch up with Ryan Malkin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ryan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I recently launched Set The Bar, a 50 state compliance app for the alcohol beverage industry. Set The Bar provides the most commonly asked rules and makes access affordable and easy to understand. This idea was several years in the making. I manage my own law practice, Malkin Law, focussed on serving the alcohol beverage industry. Over the years I have been asked by clients to prepare 50 state surveys on a variety of topics, like how a brand can provide samples to consumers or provide point of sale to bars and restaurants. Because the laws change from state to state, these surveys are time consuming and costly to clients. Many clients just don’t have the budget or don’t want to put resources behind these materials. Malkin Law is also counsel to American Craft Spirits Association and the Florida Craft Spirits Association, so I thought these smaller distillers with limited budgets could really benefit from this app.
Given the proliferation of apps and everyone accessing everything from their phone, I wanted to provide a solution for clients that didn’t involve accessing different documents or spreadsheets from a phone, especially when loading and viewing documents and spreadsheets from phones can be problematic. I thought an app would be a great resource for everyone in the industry.
I spent years speaking with various app developers and getting quotes and years. Most quotes were just too high in comparison to the risk. Finally, app development costs came down and I found a solution that allowed me to do launch the app, allow me to make changes on my own and offer this great resource. Set The Bar does not provide legal advice and is not the same as Malkin Law, but a separate entity.
Finally, it was time to gather all of the research, design the app and get the the app developed. It was a lengthy process, but we finally got there and launched! Check it out at www.setthebarapp.com
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
In one way or another, I have been a part of the alcohol beverage industry for over 20 years. I started out writing about the industry as a journalist. I covered trends, product reviews and interviewed brand owners and industry leaders. I did this prior to and during law school, and even on a freelance basis thereafter. I still write for publications, such as SevenFiftyDaily and Craft Spirits, to this day; now focusing on legal-related topics within the industry.
Due to my love of the industry, when leaving the New York County District Attorney’s Office I sought a legal career in the alcohol beverage industry. I initially found that at Pernod Ricard USA. Pernod Ricard is the supplier of such global brands as Absolut, Jameson, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, and many more. I had the great fortune to travel the country providing training and answering questions related to sales and marketing in all 50 states, in addition, to supporting others in the sales, marketing and operations divisions of the company. After several years, I moved to Miami and formed Malkin Law, PA. Malkin Law is a boutique firm focusing on the alcohol beverage and cannabis industries. We are counsel for the American Craft Spirits Association, Florida Craft Spirits Association and Cannabis Beverage Trade Association, so as you can see we are big supporters of the industry. We work with some of the biggest brands in the world and start-ups with no experience at all, just a dream.
We review industry specific agreements, help with trademarks, licenses, compliance, and most aspects of starting, running and even selling an alcohol beverage brand.
I recently launched Set The Bar, which provides affordable and easy to understand access to alcohol beverage rules. This is just another way that I try to innovate within the industry and provide value. I am proud to be recognized as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 2022 Future 40, recognizing 40 individuals who are shaping the industry.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Being goal orientated, easy to reach, very responsive, and well versed in the business and legal side of the industry. When I say goal oriented, I mean the client’s goals. When a client asks if they can do something, I often ask to hear what they want to do and work toward that goal, offering alternatives and suggestions to ensure compliance without drifting too far from the client’s vision.
Because I know the business inside and out, I have a deep understanding that allows me to analyze options that best suit the client.
I am also lucky to have a great team, including my longtime colleague Ashley Hanke and also Luciana Salinas, and we are proud to work with great clients who we support and they refer others our way. Certainly word of mouth is our biggest source of new clients.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Be consistent and strategic about your social posting to build an engaged audience. Find opportunities to write thought leadership pieces and become an authority in your industry. I’m a true believer of public relations because it helps establish credibility and awareness. Recently we have formalized our marketing efforts and we are seeing it pay off. As a business owner you can’t do it all so when you can, hire the experts to help you. Share your accolades, client reviews/testimonials, press coverage on your website and social media.
Contact Info:
- Website: malkin.law and setthebarapp.com
- Instagram: @malkinlaw
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/malkin-law & https://www.linkedin.com/company/set-the-bar-app/
Image Credits
Photo by Matt Sayles for Wine Enthusiast, all others none needed