Michael Satterfield
Passion is a funny thing, in most cases, the things we are most passionate about are something we are innately drawn to. My passion for cars goes back as far as I can remember. One of my favorite memories is the first time I drove my father’s 1965 Mustang Fastback, the excitement, the freedom, the feeling of speed. That passion for cars and driving has shaped my life, my career, and my relationships. It fueled my drive to start my own business working in the automotive industry, design and race cars.
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| Don Julio among the agave |
It’s like the old saying goes, “Do something you love and you won’t work a day in your life”. That is one hundred percent true. Today I get to work with some of the biggest brands in the automotive world and I make a living attending the most prestigious car events, driving supercars, and designing clothing. Not bad for a guy who grew up on a small farm outside Los Angeles.
That’s what is so inspiring about the story of Don Julio González, a man with a singular focus and a passion to produce the best tequila in the world. Starting as a young man, Don Julio began distilling his own tequila, word quickly spread and soon Don Julio would build his own distillery in the historic city of Atotonilco, he called the distillery La Primavera (the Springtime). For the next forty years he would refine his tequila, always a perfectionist, he made sure to have control of every step of the process. From growing agave in the highlands of Atotonilco to the roasting, distilling, and bottling of every bottle everything was done under the watchful eye of Don Julio.
By the mid-1980s, Don Julio had become the standard for tequila and as the fame of the brand grew far beyond central Mexico, he made a bold move and created the world’s first luxury tequila. Don Julio’s passion elevated tequila from a drink of the people to a category-defining and award-winning international spirit. On my many trips to Mexico, I have found that Don Julio is synonymous with tequila and if you take just one sip you will understand why. As it says in the film, Don Julio started with nothing but passion and created a legacy.
