Kevin Hart live on TBPN

This is our full interview with Kevin Hart and his business partner James Morrissey, recorded live on TBPN. We discuss Kevin Hart’s approach to building authentic, long-term brands rather than slapping his name on products, his partnership with James and their strategy for breaking through a crowded tequila market with real ownership and storytelling, and the operational grind behind scaling a $200M business, from hands-on distribution to adapting to shifting media, consumer behavior, and the next generation of creators. Sign up for TBPN’s daily newsletter at TBPN.com Follow TBPN: https://TBPN.com https://x.com/tbpn https://open.spotify.com/show/2L6WMqY3GUPCGBD0dX6p00?si=674252d53acf4231 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/technology-brothers/id1772360235 https://www.youtube.com/@TBPNLive

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jordi Hays?

  What's going on?

• 0:00Speaker 01

  What's going on, Ross?

• 0:01Speaker 02

  How are you?

• 0:02Jordi Hays?

  Welcome to the show.

• 0:03John Coogan?

  Thank you for taking the time.

• 0:04Jordi Hays?

  Big day.

• 0:05Speaker 02

  Thanks for having us.

• 0:06John Coogan?

  Big day. Would love to get, I think everyone knows Kevin Hart, but...

• 0:11Jordi Hays?

  Well, I think everyone knows James. I was gonna ask the opposite. I was gonna say...

• 0:14Speaker 01

  Yeah, I was gonna say, it's not about me, man. I'm gonna take a second and I'm gonna highlight my guy.

• 0:20John Coogan?

  Okay.

• 0:21Speaker 01

  Yes, you know, some may be familiar with the idea of Kevin Hart. But in this space, man, it's more about my business. And, you know, business is great when you have great partners. So, take a second to highlight my guy, man. James, James has done a phenomenal job in self, with self, with his company, with his own entity. And the idea of finding cool ways to create and develop partnerships with faces that are, and can be, more than just an ambassador, but more of a brand. He's done a great job, man. He's done a really good job of vetting out the space.

• 1:02Speaker 01

  And I'm lucky to have found someone with the mindset, the understanding, to help me do the things that I want. So, execution only happens when you have people that can do so. James is that. He's an executor. So, you know, I'll tell you about...

• 1:16John Coogan?

  Yeah, yeah. How did you two meet? What were the first meetings like? Where did the meetings take place? Like, where did all this come from?

• 1:23Speaker 02

  We met about five years ago in the depths of COVID through mutual friends. And we're in the space of building brands in joint venture with well-known individuals in entertainment. Brands that they wanna own, not just endorse.

• 1:37John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 1:38Speaker 02

  And we wanted to go into the tequila space for a long time. And we liked the category. We thought it was very compelling. But the celebrity tequila space is completely oversaturated at the time. It was very noisy. We needed something really compelling to break through and to make it right for us. And when myself and Kev started talking during COVID, it became very clear very quickly that we matched each other's energy.

• 2:03Speaker 01

  Absolutely.

• 2:03Speaker 02

  In terms of understanding the responsibilities of being... Not just a face, but the brand, being a business partner.

• 2:09John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 2:10Speaker 02

  And the responsibilities of owning a brand and building one of these businesses for the long term.

• 2:15Speaker 01

  But you, I think you understood early on, um, what my, what my wants and not wants were. Like, you know, the, the biggest, and I'll say the most important rule that I have, I'm never, I'm never slapping my name on anything. Right? If I can't embrace it, or I can't do it, uh, on a daily and really have a authentic response to it and engage with it as if I engage with everything in my life, then I don't want to do it. So, all of my partnerships across the board, um, whether it's ownership plays, equity plays, or, um, ambassador-like roles, I truly am embedded and invested into the thing.

• 2:53John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 2:53Speaker 01

  So with the wine and spirits space, having my own tequila, it was necessary because I said, look, I only drink tequila. I'm drinking everyone else's product. So developing my own version of a product that I can then drink at the same level that I drink my own when I am in a space of comfort or celebration could be dope, but let's put a story behind it. Like, let's make it, let's make it different and let's exist in some rare air. What, what can be defining or redefining in this space that base, that basically represents me in the best way?

• 3:24John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 3:24Speaker 01

  And he was very diligent in, in answering those questions and helping me, um, navigate on that road, right? So, the idea of hard work and hard work tasting different and the idea of a celebration, um, being, being attached to Grand Coromino because we believe that life should not only be celebrated, but what you do on a daily should be celebrated. So, hard work in whatever, whatever way, however it fits to you, how do you choose to celebrate it? My job was to give you a choice. Grand Coromino is that.

• 3:54John Coogan?

  You mentioned that the space was crowded. How did you think about finding differentiation on the product side, the distribution side? Uh, what really stuck out as like, okay, it is a complicated space, but there's a big opportunity here.

• 4:07Speaker 01

  I would say, man, you know, you have to have access. So Juan Domingo Beckman Jr., of course, the family, what they've done in this space. You know, you're talking about generation on generation of success and growth in the business, right? Like, from a distribution, you know, outlet or opportunity, there isn't a bigger option. So I think for us, it was getting Juan to understand the real want. Getting him to understand the passion behind my want. And that this is not a celebrity play. This is not a check grab and run. This is a want to build something that can literally be attached to my family name

• 4:49Speaker 01

  and give me an opportunity to build generational success, wealth, visibility, whatever you want to call it. But I want, I want that. How do I get that? You have to go to the people that have it. So I think that was our biggest, our biggest want. And as you talk about separating yourself, well, when you have that machine and that machine understands your real energy and those two things connect, well, you're already so much different from anything else in the space, right? Like, the space is crowded because people believe that, oh, let's get a famous person and put the famous person's name on a bottle and just put the bottle on the shelf and it's yourself. That's not true at all. Like, why did you make it? What's the story behind it? What do you care about? Do you really drink this?

• 5:34Speaker 01

  And if so, why? And how did you develop the liquid? What is your plan for a year, two, three, four, or five? Like, people really love a story. And if you have an authentic one, I find that people respond to it. So the years of operation and configuration as to what we want to do were the best parts of the business because after the liquid came out, well, it wasn't a shock to us of why we were happy and why we loved it. We did the work. We did the work.

• 6:04Jordi Hays?

  Yeah, question, question from the chat. Walk us through the actual product development process. I'm assuming trips to Mexico, a lot of tastings, iteration.

• 6:15Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 6:15Jordi Hays?

  But what did that look like?

• 6:17Speaker 02

  So there's a lot more that goes into this business than meets the eye for the consumers, right? So to your point earlier, the liquor business, the alcohol business, it's a very complex industry to navigate, based on the three-tiered system dating back to the years of prohibition. So there's certain criteria and ways you've got to navigate, and ultimately to build success, our perspective on it within consumer products and goods, and particularly within alcohol, where we saw the biggest opportunity over the last five years, is large corporations typically do not disrupt. They innovate, they innovate well with liquids, they innovate well with package, but generally they're not disruptors. And that's not saying the alcohol industry alone, it's every large industry.

• 6:57Speaker 02

  So it takes independent entrepreneurial companies to be real disruptors, like you guys were speaking to the guy from Grooms the other day. Yeah. You guys were speaking to, you know, John from Happy Dad. These are independent companies that are bucking the trend, and our model has been, let's be that independent spirited business, let's make those bold, calculated decisions in real time, and be really fast and agile in terms of how we operate in the market day to day, but let's partner with the best large corporate in the business, being Proximo and Juan Domingo Beckman from the Beckley Corporation, and let's bring some real scale to the table. So that muscularity of the Proximo machine, and the agility of us in the market every

• 7:41Speaker 02

  day, leading on what consumers see, that's been a very successful partnership for us, and it's helped us to walk that trend.

• 7:48Speaker 01

  And I also think, just to add to that, right, like, you know, you're not dealing with rocket scientists, right? Literally, like, people that are successful and people that have won, they've done it for a reason. So you're not trying to recreate the wheel or redesign the wheel, you're trying to better service the wheel. So sometimes the wheel, it falls into a space where everybody jumps on and the expectations are of norm, and they don't understand that you've got to energize the wheel, you've got to yell, go in with some new energy, and what you'll find, those people will respond to that. I think our energy... Yeah!

• 8:24Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 8:25Speaker 01

  Hell yeah! I don't know what that was, but yeah! Okay? I don't know. But yeah! Okay?

• 8:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 8:33Speaker 01

  Yeah! Okay? It's just that real? It's not real? Just a minute. I don't know.

• 8:43Jordi Hays?

  Yeah, you need, you guys, we'll, we'll get you guys set up with a soundboard for some of your other meetings for when you're on Zoom.

• 8:49Speaker 01

  That just does something to me. I got chicken expresso in real time.

• 8:56John Coogan?

  Okay, so, uh, yeah, Teresa on strategy, uh, you have a massive platform, but you have to get the product to a place where people can buy it when you're promoting it. What was the thought between distribution, getting it in stores and then starting to push the promotion funnel versus, uh, just telling everyone about it and they're like, yeah, I'm excited, but where do I get it? Oh, it's only available in a few stores.

• 9:18Speaker 01

  Well, A is patience.

• 9:20John Coogan?

  Okay.

• 9:20Speaker 01

  Um, and B, it's actually realizing the real work that goes with that. Like, yes, I have a large platform and a huge social media following, but that doesn't mean that as soon as I post something and say, do it, that people respond.

• 9:33John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 9:33Speaker 01

  Um, you have to like be on the ground.

• 9:35John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 9:36Speaker 01

  You have to do the real work. So within distribution, you gotta go and you gotta go talk and meet and shake the hands and build the relationships, right? Um, the work that you're looking for is a response and when people feel the, the, the reason for your, your implementation in this space. Like when, when the partners meet you and they say, oh, he's not here for fiction, he's here for real. This is not fake. Yeah, we will support and we will back and we will suggest this to the new customer when they walk in. Try Kevin Hart's Secret Killer. It's really good because Kevin came in here and Kevin sat in front of us and Kevin made us understand not only why we should taste it, but why we should back and support it.

• 10:20John Coogan?

  Yeah.

• 10:20Speaker 01

  Um, it's no different from a new artist. If a new artist is really hungry, you're showing up at every radio station and every DJ outlet and you got your, you got your CD or you got a hard drive. Cause I want you to hear my sound, listen to it and you're gonna get way more no's than you are gonna get yeses. But the breakthrough yes, when it goes in the radio waves, makes the work so much worth it. In this space, the work of getting every restaurant, every, uh,

• 10:50Speaker 01

  Every chain, every wine and spirits liquor store, independent chain, etc. Like, yeah, I read. So I expect to see the results of my work. I expect to see people responding because I know what I did to get it in to a space of conversation. And I think for me, that energy is an energy that I'm not going to let go of. And my partners have responded to it tremendously. That's why we sit where we sit today.

• 11:18John Coogan?

  Where is the business today? How big is it? What are sales? What can you tell us about the shape of the business?

• 11:24Speaker 02

  The business today, Grand Cormeno is now the fastest growing celebrity tequila brand in the world.

• 11:32John Coogan?

  There we go.

• 11:34Speaker 02

  And we grew last year by a hundred percent year on year. We've done $200 million in retail sales.

• 11:41Jordi Hays?

  Hit that gong, John.

• 11:45John Coogan?

  Congratulations.

• 11:46Speaker 01

  It's turning into a DJ California. This is better than anything I've ever done.

• 11:55John Coogan?

  Should, uh, zooming out, should every celebrity launch a product? Should every influencer have a product? What advice are you giving to other celebrities?

• 12:05Speaker 02

  Absolutely not. I would say that from a celebrity perspective, most celebrities should not create businesses that they want to own. The endorsement model is a good model for most celebrities, but for entertainers who truly have the understanding, the know-how and the commitment to put in the work and prioritize said project over everything else outside of their deja vu, that's when it's compelling. And that was what was compelling in this partnership.

• 12:33Speaker 01

  Well, I don't, I don't even like the word, the word celebrity when it's used and attached to me because it's, it's, it's, it's underwhelming. Yes, it's, it's underwhelming to, to what I really am, right? And I get it. I get what that is. I get the star celebrity, etc.

• 12:49Speaker 02

  It's not why we partner each other.

• 12:50Speaker 01

  But as an entrepreneur, as a, as a real business mind, as a real like worker that's not afraid to do.

• 13:00Speaker 01

  You build etcetera, um, you, you're, you're so much more, right? Like the, the, the idea of a mogul or concept of that, um, is, is just a person that wants so much. And is willing to do so much and in doing so much, it means I'm not afraid to partner or align with people who have done. So in this space, slapping somebody's name on something and just thinking that it's, it doesn't work. It doesn't work. You're, you're, you're, you're in rare air of opportunity. And the celebrities that have had amazing success in the space of business, brand, um, portfolio. They do the work, right? Like I, just throwing out names, you, you look at a Kim Kardashian.

• 13:43Speaker 01

  I don't think Kim gets the true credit that she deserves at all times of actually doing the work. People don't understand, Kim shows up. Yeah. She doesn't just have the idea, she shows up, like the people know that they're gonna see her on a daily. The office full of employees know that Kim walked through the halls. They know that her office is there and she's in meetings, she's on call, she does the work. So I myself am a do the work, uh, individual. And I think when you are and, and you are committed, there is no worth of loss. You're always gonna win because you're doing what everyone else refuses to do.

• 14:24Speaker 01

  They don't have the patience, they don't have the, uh, strength and mental ability to stay true to something. Through the ups and downs and see it all the way through. It's not easy. Yeah. It's a, it's a very, very hard space to operate in. And yes, we're in amazing air right now and I love it. Will it stay this way? Who knows? But no matter what, if you're committed to it, whether it's up, down, whatever, you're true to the process. And you know that ultimately, sun is always gonna be at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. That's where we are.

• 14:52Speaker 02

  That, that, that was the most compelling part of this partnership. Having a partner who understands, who's willing to be on the phone every day, the good days and the bad.

• 15:00Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:00Speaker 02

  Um, but ultimately understanding the business behind the brand.

• 15:04Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:05John Coogan?

  So Kevin, how are you thinking about maybe not work-life balance, but work-work balance? You have multiple roles, multiple projects. If you're going into a movie, are you telling everyone, "Okay, I need to, you know, I need space, I need focus for a couple of weeks," or are you trying to have, "Okay, I'll do something in the morning and then something in the evening"? What is your workflow like on a day-to-day basis?

• 15:30Jordi Hays?

  You're gonna be pouring shots for the whole cast, and the director.

• 15:35Speaker 01

  This is an example of why things need to, why things need to fit your lifestyle. Right? If things fit your lifestyle and fit your day-to-day, you'll find that you're never forcing and truly fighting for time.

• 15:47John Coogan?

  Sure.

• 15:47Speaker 01

  Right? Everything can be done correctly. I am a, I am a product of structure and operation. I have an amazing team around me. And within that, if I'm doing a movie, I'm doing a movie. But while doing a movie, well, how do I make my partners a part of said movie? There's a space is for me to amplify partnerships or relationships. If I'm on tour, can I position or present certain relationships or partnerships that I have to be visible while I'm doing the things that I'm doing? Hey, man, I'm golfing. What partners can I align or, or, or place in within what I'm doing on a regular? Hey, I got vacation time coming up, but when I do go on this vacation time, man, it's relaxing,

• 16:29Speaker 01

  but I have certain relationships and partnerships that service the idea of relaxation and what it looks like and what it should feel like. As a partner, you're always thinking of how to service those that are aligned with you. And when you have a mind like that and you operate like that, it becomes a systematic thing. It's never a fight. So, yes, I am 365, I am, you know, a sun-up-to-sun-down person with work, but because of my system, nobody gets left out. Wife, kids, partners, business, comedy, film, you know, company, let's just say, within

• 17:14Speaker 01

  company, employee, relationship, like, all of these things are embedded into an idea of my day-to-day and what I have to do. So, it's, it's, it's never left behind, it's never skipped or overlooked, it's, it's implemented, and rightfully so.

• 17:31John Coogan?

  Everyone's been tracking a million different changes in media and entertainment over the last decade throughout your career. Like, what has been the biggest crucible moment? What has been the biggest trend change that you felt, okay, I need to adapt my strategy? I think everyone in my community needs to adapt our strategy. How have you processed the evolution of media over your career?

• 17:56Speaker 01

  I'll say getting older, right? I mean, I'm about to be 47 this summer.

• 18:04Speaker 01

  Sitting and witnessing, witnessing a shift in marketing and a shift in entertainment, right? This younger generation and how they are navigating and operating within social media, within storytelling, within finding ways to present themselves to the masses. I mean, you know, the concept of a live streamer and a person that is literally talking to a screen all day and looking at a chat with comments, but finding a way to build revenue to where it's coming in droves, right? That, to me, it's exciting. It's exciting to see a shift. So, you don't fight that.

• 18:49Speaker 01

  You find a way to be a part of it. You find a way to support it. So, where I think I've had an amazing lift is in amplifying that younger generation, right? Like, when I have a chance to sit beside some of these younger guys that are doing these amazing things, or it's dope for them to have stars like myself on their platforms or supporting them in that space. I don't need nothing or want anything in return. I just want to see people win. But when you're supporting the new, it just makes you aware. Not being aware is ridiculous. Fighting what is, in real time, a new space of success, you're seeing ad revenue crazy

• 19:31Speaker 01

  spins from the biggest brands in the business, and you're seeing where they're now spending it. Television is changing. The on-demand feeling want has changed. We watch movies and what movies have changed. Love entertainment still exists today, but it's bigger than ever because people still wanna go out. But you realize they still wanna be home. You gotta go and you gotta say, how do I basically fit into these pockets? And how do I deliver in a manner to where it's real and it's never forced? Where you do that with support first and and elevation for them and then things come back to you. Right now, it's all about me saying, I see you, young guys, you young women. I love what you're doing. I wanna see you win. How can I help you?

• 20:15Speaker 01

  And then in return, their audience gets to say Kevin is cool. But it's it's a it's a them first, me second now.

• 20:23Speaker 02

  This is a prime example, Jordy, of you guys. When we when we've been tracking what you guys have been doing for the last two years. It's it's incredible. And when the business outlets came up and turned to the list of targets, TVPN was on the top. We wanna be in the story. We wanna know what's new. We think it's bold and exciting what you're doing. Congrats on the deal with OpenAI. But I mean, you guys are just getting started. But us knowing you, us knowing that we wanna be on that platform, that's what it's about. And big companies don't often think that way. But we're empowered to be able to make those decisions day to day to be here with you.

• 20:56Speaker 01

  It's a great point, really good point.

• 20:57Jordi Hays?

  Last, last question, guys. Uh, James, is there a competitive dynamic between some of your different partners? The chat is talking about your work with Post Malone and ASAP Rocky. Uh, I know all these guys are very competitive. Is there any kind of dynamic internally who who can build the biggest brand? I know you don't, I know you don't want second or third, Kevin.

• 21:20Speaker 02

  It's not, it's not a competition, but there is no shortcut to success and it's hard work is required.

• 21:27Jordi Hays?

  Oh, it's a, it's, it's, it's looking like it's a competition.

• 21:31John Coogan?

  Whenever somebody says it's not a competition, you know it's a competition.

• 21:34Speaker 01

  I will tell you this. Uh, we should all look at what each other are doing. And you figure out ways to take small pieces of the recipe that that's working, right? Like, I think ASAP and Post have done a great job in building businesses and building brands. Um, myself included. And when you see what's working for for each other, you find ways to take pieces. Like, ultimately, I want to see everybody win. I would love to see us all win. I would love to see his company succeed and be everything that it should be and more. But

• 22:08Jordi Hays?

  You would just hate for somebody to win, win more than you.

• 22:15Jordi Hays?

  I want everyone to win, just slightly less than me. I'm winning.

• 22:24Jordi Hays?

  I love it, guys. I, I, hey, hey, if I was a betting man, I'd be betting, I'd be betting on you. I know you, I know your work ethic is gonna be insane. I know while they're sleeping, you're gonna be at every restaurant, every club. Yep. Getting everybody, uh, on the program. So, uh, I'm excited to, uh, to follow along and thank you guys for, for sending. We will, um, we will enjoy it, uh, this weekend.

• 22:50Speaker 01

  Yeah, the next time, the next time I'll be in the studio.

• 22:53Jordi Hays?

  Yeah, let's do it.

• 22:54Speaker 01

  The wrong, and I want to get all the effects, uh, in real time, man. Yeah, I need to, your, your energy is unbelievable, man. You guys deserve the high.

• 23:03Jordi Hays?

  Yeah, screwed over, screwed over a little bit there.

• 23:11Jordi Hays?

  Let's go.

• 23:12Speaker 01

  That's what I'm talking about.

• 23:13Speaker 04

  Thank you, guys.

• 23:14Speaker 01

  Thank you, guys, man.

• 23:15Jordi Hays?

  Uh, great, great, great to see you guys. Congrats. We'll talk to you soon. Have a good day.