1 Who am I?
I am Michael Milloy, I have been married for 30 years. I met Greta in Brooklyn, New York, whilst living there in 1988, and we have 2 grown up children, and 2 beautiful granddaughters aged 10 and 3. I am a keen photographer and you will often find me out in the Scottish countryside photographing this country’s beautiful scenery and wildlife. You can find me on Instagram #mickmilloy. Oh, and I take pictures of the family too!
2 Where the dream began
For that past 30 years I have worked for 2 large multi-national companies and for the past 20 of those, I worked for Diageo, one of the biggest spirits drinks companies in the world. You may or may not have heard of Diageo, the parent company, but you will certainly know the brands that they own. Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Gordon’s and Tanqueray gin to name just a few of them. They also have a huge range of malt whiskies in their portfolio and this is where my passion for scotch whisky came from. You will hear plenty more about them in future blogs.
3 More about me.
I worked in many roles over the years, at the packaging site, managing bottling production lines, managing storage warehouses, I worked on global brand redesigns in the European technical centre and finally, in procurement, managing the suppliers of raw material ingredients. I’ve seen it all.
After being made redundant, I took it as a sign, and a huge opportunity in my life. With the amazing support of my wife and family, I knew I could do something different. Rather than search for another job doing more of the same things, the decision was easy and it was clear to me that I would find a way to share the world of Scotch whisky with others.
4 What could I do exactly?
I decided that touring Scotland with likeminded people, in a unique and luxurious way, was where I would like to take my new small business venture. I wanted to differentiate myself from the regular whisky trips that run every day. I would offer something more. I would keep things in small intimate groups, treating clients like VIP’s. Guests would be picked up at their hotels or homes, rather than trying to find a bus stop in a strange town in the rain. They would arrive at tour locations in style. There would be special touches along the way, and I would offer clients some, or, if they wish, complete control of their destiny. This, I thought, would make me stand out from the crowd. I would provide the knowledge and experience to help shape a very memorable experience that truly reflects the customer’s aspirations.
5 Setting up business.
So off I went, into the world of running a business. What needed to be done? Get a company name, build a website, have a domain name and a web host, get social media up and running, learn about bookkeeping and taxes, advertising, purchase a vehicle, insurance, write the terms and conditions, create a privacy policy, cookies, come up with a marketing strategy, even write blogs like this one. It was all a bit overwhelming. There were times when I wondered if it was really worth it. However, when I visualised the outcome and what I was aiming for, it drove me to keep going.
6 What am I offering?
I needed a product! I thought long and hard about what would work best, so I started to work out where I would actually take people and how.
Firstly, I created a brand of tour I called Bespoke Creations. Here, the client is involved in as much or as little detail as they wish. He or she will work directly with me to create a private chartered trip, tailor made with the guests at the forefront of every detail. They have full exclusive use of a luxury vehicle throughout. From the initial contact, we have conversations by email, phone or video until we have created an itinerary at a budget that the client is completely happy with. Every detail is taken care of, from the minute we meet until we depart at the end of their journey. The client and their party just sit back, relax and enjoy.
For clients who want this all taken care of for them I also wanted to have a set of offerings that have been carefully planned in advance. This way customers can simply book a space on a tour. I came up with a seasonal strategy, changing the routes depending on time of year, which would allow the offering to remain fresh. I would also offer some special tours that run less frequently, as they are more extensive, including overnight stays across Scotland, in order to provide a deep immersion into what the world of Scotch Whisky has to offer in a relaxed manner. I would review these regularly with client’s feedback to make sure that they are perfect, and consistently look to improve on them and keep them relevant.
7 Is it only whisky?
My passion is whisky, but I am also very proud of everything that Scotland has to offer. I can build other activities into any trip, such as golf, fishing, historic castles, battle sites, movie locations or whatever you want. The client calls the shots and I make it happen. I can guide you through the process and ensure you get a trip to remember.
8 What’s next?
The website is now up and running, as is my Facebook and Instagram pages and I am discussing opportunities with clients, with a view to travelling as soon as restrictions allow again.
I hope you found this of interest and it has given you some insights into me, my dreams, Whisky Prestige and how I plan to make this business a success.
This is my dream, look out for more blogs coming soon with stories from Scotland and whisky learning sessions, and please get in touch if you want to make a dream of your own come true. I’ll be delighted to help you make it.
I can be contacted at michael@whiskyprestige.co.uk or on + 44 (0)7803 856449 or go the contact section of my website. I look forward to hearing from you.
Slàinte mhath
Michael
