A strategic Leadership & Mindset Workbook to build stronger teams
We have created a practical, real-world guide to personal leadership, operational improvement, and professional growth inside a working distillery. It’s built for the reality of small teams and craft-focused businesses where every decision – and every standard – makes a big impact.
This isn’t a ‘mindfulness’ theory or inspiration book. Look on social media if you want slogan heavy soft coaching. It’s a curated, specialist toolkit to help those working in drinks head towards better thinking, better habits, and better outcomes, shift after shift.
It approaches the subject matter in two ways, as it’s intended for a dual audience:
- Owners, Founders, and team leads:
Those responsible for shaping team culture, improving systems, and protecting standards across the business. - Operators, Distillers, and emerging leaders:
Those ready to take ownership of their craft, influence others, and build meaningful careers through leadership behaviours, not just technical skill.
Wherever you sit today, this workbook will meet you there and help you grow from it.
“Craft isn’t just what you make. It’s how you think, how you work, and how you lead. This workbook shows you how to build all three.”
Olivier Ward, Founder of Everglow Spirits
How is it relevant for owners, as well as those getting ahead in their careers ?
This workbook is designed for distillery owners, team leads, and production managers who want to develop internal leadership, and protect the quality and resilience of their distillery.
Through suggested structures – it helps build consistent standards, better habits, and stronger teams by giving you the practical tools to make it happen.
That said, it’s specifically written for individuals to take action – irrespective of their status. You don’t need permission to raise your own standards or positively influence culture.
So, if you want to fast-track your own development, strengthen your reputation, and take real pride in your work, this is your guide on how to do it.
“What does the ‘craft’ in craft distilling mean? For me, it’s about the standards, systems, and habits people build when no one’s watching. It’s in the culture of a place.
Olivier Ward, Founder of Everglow Spirits
That plays out with the pursuit of better making, the humility to keep learning, and the journey to improve over time. Each takes work to develop, which is why I designed this workbook to help producers raise those elements, every day.”
Mindset & Leadership workbook, step by step
Success in distilling comes from how you think, how you lead, and how you build.
That’s why this workbook is structured to strengthen your mindset, sharpen your standards, and help you lead.
01
Mindset Foundations
Build resilience, adaptability, and pride in the everyday craft. Learn how your mindset shapes your work and your career trajectory.
02
Operational Excellence
Shift from just making spirit to building better systems. Discover how small daily disciplines create consistency, quality, and stronger teams.
03
Leadership in Action
Leadership isn’t a job title. It’s a set of habits. Learn how to support others, set standards, give feedback, and strengthen your team culture.
04
Real-World Case Studies
See leadership and operational excellence in action. Real examples show how mindset, systems, and behaviour drive better outcomes.
05
Action Plans for Growth
Turn insights into habits. Set personal goals, plan team development, and structure your own continuous improvement rhythm – inside and outside the distillery.
06
Practical Tools and Prompts
Every section includes small action steps, practical templates, and tools. It is more than just theory – it’s a working document to strengthen your craft, one decision at a time.
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What will I gain by using this workbook?
This workbook gives you the tools to grow in every direction that matters – personally and professionally. It helps you sharpen your focus, be better equipped to build leadership habits, and strengthen your consistency in the everyday realities of distilling operations.
You’ll walk away with practical ways to set goals, reflect on progress, give better feedback, influence your team, and take more pride in how you show up, whether you’re just starting out or leading a team already.
Viewed from an ownership perspective – It will benefit operational strength too as it helps teams improve morale, communication, and day-to-day rhythms. It helps reduce mistakes, and strengthen internal leadership without needing big budgets or formal training programs.
Why does this workbook exist?
Craft distilling isn’t a typical career – and it deserves better support than generic leadership advice. Often, there’s no clear ladder, nor a simple blueprint for success. Some days are about chasing flavour and flow; others are pure graft and discipline. That’s the beauty of it: physical, mental, and emotional work all at once.
It’s also why the best distillers aren’t just operators. They’re leaders, stewards, and problem-solvers for something bigger than themselves, and they need tools that reflect that reality if they are to develop further.
This workbook isn’t about chasing titles or ticking boxes. It’s about doing the real work – the quiet, daily practice of sharpening your standards, supporting your team, and improving what you can.
Most of all, it’s about learning and leading from wherever you stand today. Craft distilling doesn’t need perfect operators. It needs committed ones. People willing to invest in themselves, take pride in the hard days, and keep raising the bar, consistently, over time.
That’s who this workbook was built for, and that’s who will shape the future of this industry.
“Leadership isn’t a role you’re handed. It’s a craft you build day by day – through your habits and your mindset.
Olivier Ward, Founder of Everglow Spirits
If you want longevity in any career, how you approach your work, how you think about it, and how you keep growing matters. This workbook gives you the frameworks and tools to develop your own success.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s included in the workbook?
The workbook contains over 60 pages of practical tools, leadership frameworks, personal reflection prompts, real-world case studies, and team development exercises, specifically written for the realities of craft distilling.
Is it relevant for individuals as well as businesses?
Yes – very much so! This workbook was designed to support both personal career development and team growth.
If you’re an individual looking to take more ownership of your craft, strengthen your leadership, and accelerate your career, it will give you the tools to do exactly that. If you’re an owner, manager, or team lead, it gives you practical ways to build stronger systems, better culture, and more resilient teams.
Is this just for distillers, or can marketers and other team members use it too?
The workbook is written with distillers, operators, and production teams in mind – but the core lessons apply across the whole business.
If you work in marketing, brand building, visitor experience, or management inside a craft distillery, you’ll still find huge value in understanding how standards, leadership, and culture get built from the floor up. Leadership isn’t limited to production roles, and neither is this workbook.
Are there examples I can learn from?
Yes. We redacted their names, but there are four real case studies included, each showing how mindset shifts, small leadership actions, and better operational systems lead to better outcomes.
If you’re ready to grow your craft, your team, or your career – this is where you start.