Her Story
About Erica
Erica Williams brings two decades of expertise to her role as brand manager and director for Castano's Tequila, one of the fastest-growing ultra-premium craft tequilas in the United States. She began her career by accident right out of high school with an internship at an alcohol company in Jamaica, where she was retained and has since advanced through various roles and brands. Her path includes positions at Diageo, where she honed her brand-building skills, head of rooms at Campari Group overseeing global brands like Appleton Estate, and five years as Director of Consumer Ending Growth at Blue Ridge, managing strategic direction and sales enablement for a portfolio of 26 brands. Erica holds a bachelor's degree and completed an executive master's program in Jamaica focused on practical skills, supplemented by WSAT certification from Napa Valley and recent DISCUS training. She is also active in mentorship programs for experiential marketing, serving as both mentor and mentee.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Erica
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Two things. The first one would be, I believe, in always showing up. You know, do not doubt your capabilities, you will learn. Show up. And ask questions, be curious enough to where you are earning... you're yearning for that knowledge, so you don't get frustrated by your, you know, by your lack of skill set right now. When you remain curious, you just grow. You grow in every environment, and people tend to nurture you when you have that genuine interest in being better. The second thing I would say is that try to figure out, you know, what you really want to do, like, try different things, and use your youth to kind of, like, experiment and see what best fits for you, what kind of people you want to work with. People is always at the heart of everything. Don't be afraid to start over. You know, even if you choose a path, and you feel like this is not it, just stop and start over.
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