If you ask Matt Jones, building Four Pillars Gin brand was never just about the gin. It was about creating something people could connect with.
It all started in 2012. As he found himself back in Sydney, after a stint heading up strategy for a brand experience agency in New York City, Matt leaned into an unlikely partnership opportunity: creating (and selling) gin. He met PR expert and entrepreneur, Stuart Gregor, who soon introduced him to a friend, Cameron Mackenzie, and the three of them began shaping the idea of Four Pillars Gin.
“I firmly believed that building a great brand would come down to two things,” he tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ, reflecting on those early days. “Making a great product and serving that great product up to people in the form of great – and wherever possible, physical – brand experiences. Gin seemed like a perfect category to test out those theories.”
Turns out, the test worked. Fast forward to late 2023, and Four Pillars has been named world’s best gin producer by the IWSC in London, three times over. Looking for a new challenge, Matt set his focus on a different project: writing his book, Lessons From Gin.
There was just one thing to figure out, the book required a creative space away from the familiar buzz of the Four Pillars HQ. Enter, The Commons – co-working spaces for businesses, startups and solo creatives like Matt.
“I wanted a creative space where I could think and write. Initially I was working and writing up a storm at The Commons in Surry Hills, but I soon started to take advantage of my membership and roam across the different locations,” he says.
“The aesthetics and vibe of each Commons space always feels right to me, and the warmth and hospitality of the Commons team always make me feel like I’m coming home.”
At its core, The Commons is about creating an environment where ideas can come to life. With beautiful, thoughtfully designed locations across Melbourne and Sydney, it’s so much more than a traditional office. For Matt, it’s a place where proximity and community drive the ultimate productivity.
“I am a huge believer in the importance of physical workspaces and teams working together in person. Creativity is part of it, but there’s also a huge productivity benefit from what I think of as serendipitous proximity. When you’re together, information flows almost by osmosis,” he says.
“Membership somewhere like The Commons gives you the best of both worlds. The ability to come together in a professional working environment that’s not your own kitchen or dining table, but with the flexibility we all now expect in this modern working world.”
Now, Matt splits his time between Four Pillars, keynote speaking, and running a boutique brand growth partnership called Think Story Experience. The networking and community events he has access to at The Commons have been a key part of that balancing act. “Being able to connect with both the founder and creative communities has got me involved in a stack of things that simply wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise,” he says.
Thinking back on the early days of Four Pillars Gin, Matt imagines how much a space like The Commons could have elevated the experience as they built their own in-house creative teams. “Had it existed at the time, it would have been the perfect home for our brand and creative team,” he shares. “We built our brand on collaboration, and The Commons is all about that.”
For entrepreneurs and creatives looking for a workspace, Matt’s advice is simple: “Prioritise fit, flow, and fun.”
A space should feel right for your business, work with your lifestyle, and make going to work enjoyable. “We spend a huge proportion of our lives at work, so finding joy is half the battle!”
Visit The Commons to explore flexible memberships, coworking spaces and programs of community and networking events.
Discover the Four Pillars Gin range at fourpillarsgin.com.
