Netflix's 'Widow Clicquot' & The Birth of Luxury & Influence

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How a 27-Year-Old Widow Created the Future of Influence

So I’m sitting there last night, watching Netflix’s special on Veuve Clicquot (Widow Clicquot) , and something hits me like a ton of bricks.

We’re all out here studying modern marketing playbooks, growth hacking strategies, and social media algorithms, when the greatest case study in building lasting influence happened over 200 years ago.

And look, I spend my days talking to some of the biggest thought leaders and entrepreneurs in the world. Everyone’s obsessed with building their personal brand, creating content that scales, becoming a category leader. But this 27-year-old widow from 1805 might have just shown me the blueprint that makes everything we’re doing today look like amateur hour.

Let me set the scene for you.

The year is 1805.

François Clicquot has just died suddenly at 30 years old, leaving his 27-year-old wife a widow.

She’s standing in her husband’s wine cellar in Reims, France, staring at thousands of bottles of champagne.

The company’s barely moving 8,000 bottles of champagne a year — that’s just 4% of their revenue (compared to when they were at their peak) at the time.

Business is not doing well.

Napoleon’s wars are crushing the economy. Women can’t even open bank accounts.

Most people would not look at this and see opportunity. 

Barbe-Nicole Clicquot did.

The Great Paradox

Here’s a question for you.

Why do you know the name Veuve Clicquot, but not Juglar or Florens-Louis? They were making champagne in the same region, at the same time, often with better grapes.

The answer lies not in what Barbe-Nicole made, but in what she understood:

“The wine is merely the vessel. What we’re really selling is the moment people imagine when they see our bottle.” — Barbe-Nicole Clicquot, 1816

The Three Transformations

When Barbe-Nicole took over Veuve Clicquot, she engineered three shifts that would create a legacy spanning centuries. I’ll get into each one in more detail later.

1. She transitioned from Product to Story

• Others sold wine. She sold celebration.

• Others sold bottles. She sold memories.

• Others sold luxury. She sold immortality.

2. She transitioned from Abundance to Scarcity

• Refused to sell to every merchant

• Created the first vintage champagne

• Limited production despite soaring demand

3. She transitioned from Business to Culture

• Invented the riddling table (still used today)

• Created the first branded champagne label

• Made the ‘pop’ a symbol of celebration

This isn’t just history. It’s a blueprint for modern thought leadership.

Today I want to distill wisdom from Barbe-Nicole Cliquot and understand how the strategy she applied to turn Veuve-Cliquot into a luxury brand that stood the test of time, can be applied to help you build influence, thought leadership and trust in an exceptionally noisy and transactional world.

Let’s look at the noise in your industry:

• Everyone has expertise

• Everyone has content

• Everyone has a platform

Yet few have influence that lasts beyond their last post.

Have you ever wondered why? (I’ll tell you in a bit).

Before we dive deep into each transformation, I want you to ask yourself:

What would you create if you knew it would be judged not next quarter, but next century?

Because that’s exactly what we’re about to explore (and what she did remarkably well)… how to transform your product/service/expertise from commodity into legacy.

Let’s begin with the first transformation: the power of story…

Differentiation Through Story: When Better Isn’t Better

In 1810, as Napoleon’s empire crumbled, Barbe-Nicole made what seemed like a suicidal business decision. She bet her entire company on sending 10,500 bottles through a naval blockade to Russia.

But here’s what most miss about this story: The wine wasn’t actually that different from her competitors’. What was different was the story she wrapped around it.

The One-Word Territory

While other merchants marketed “fine wine,” Veuve Clicquot shipped crates marked “Königswein” — Wine of Kings. When it reached St. Petersburg, it wasn’t just champagne arriving; it was liquid courage, celebration in exile.

The Russians didn’t just drink it. They wrote poems about it.

The Russian Empress, Catherine the Great is believed to have said:

“It is the best wine for the Empress, and the best wine for Russia.”

Consider these modern parallels:

• Nike doesn’t own athletics. They own victory.

• Apple doesn’t own technology. They own innovation.

• Tesla doesn’t own cars. They own tomorrow.

Think about what idea you own.

The Power of Identity: Stories That Transform

There’s a moment in Barbe-Nicole’s diary that changes everything.

It’s 1808, and she’s watching a Russian nobleman open a bottle of her champagne at a Paris dinner party. But she’s not watching the bottle. She’s watching the faces of everyone else in the room.

She writes:

“The moment before he opened our bottle, he was merely wealthy. The moment after, he was cultured. This is when I understood — we’re not selling wine. We’re selling transformation.”

This insight would revolutionize not just her business, but the entire concept of luxury marketing.

And it holds the key to modern thought leadership.

The Identity Shift

Here’s what Barbe-Nicole understood that most modern experts miss: People don’t buy what you make. They buy who they become through your story.

From her 1831 letter to her chief salesman:

“When a man opens our bottle, he isn’t serving wine. He’s showing the world he understands true quality. The wine is temporary. This transformation is forever.”

This revelation led her to develop what she called “the three stories of transformation — origin, enemy and transformation.” — a framework still used by luxury brands today.

The Three Stories That Transform

Every thought leader can tell their own story.

But to create something meaningful, you need to do more than that.

You need to master three distinct stories.

And you need to understand that these three work in harmony, each serving a distinct purpose in your audience’s journey:

1. The Origin Story Not just how you started, but why you were inevitable. When competitors told stories about their vineyards, Barbe-Nicole told the story of a widow who saw celebration in every bottle when France was drowning in sorrow. Her origin wasn’t about wine — it was about vision.

2. The Enemy Story Not your competition, but the old way of thinking you’re replacing. Her enemy wasn’t other champagne makers — it was the idea that luxury meant exclusion rather than celebration. She wrote in 1810: “Others sell to the elite. We sell to those who understand that life’s greatest moments deserve marking.”

3. The Transformation Story Not what people get, but who they become. Her customers weren’t buying wine; they were buying evidence of their own discernment. As she noted: “When they choose our bottle, they’re choosing who they want to be seen as.”

After you’ve identified your three stories, these three stories must orbit around one central truth — what she called your “territory of meaning.”

For Veuve Clicquot, it wasn’t champagne. It was celebration itself.

To find your territory…

First, identify the gap:

• What angers you about your industry?

• What truth do you know that others don’t see?

• What future are you fighting for?

Then plant your flag:

• Make one claim so provocative it can’t be ignored

• Frame it as a shift in worldview

• Defend it with every piece of content you create

As she wrote to her grandson in 1842:

“Own one truth completely, rather than many partially. The world remembers those who transform one thing forever.”

And another thought from her diary, 1835:

“Many try to copy our methods. Let them. They cannot copy our meaning. This is built story by story, year by year.”

Your techniques can be copied.

Your frameworks can be stolen.

But your story, if true and deeply held, cannot be replicated.

The Daily Practice

How do you apply this in your own thought leadership strategy?

It’s simple but most people miss the mark.

Step 1. 3 Stories.

Step 2. Territory of truth.

Step 3. Create content around Step 1 & Step 2.

Before creating any content, ask:

• Does this strengthen or dilute my territory?

• Would anyone miss this if it disappeared?

• Does this story make my audience the hero?

The truth is, the market doesn’t need another expert. It needs a new story about what’s possible. Just as Barbe-Nicole didn’t sell wine but transformation, you’re not selling expertise — you’re selling a new way of seeing the world.

Let’s move on to the second transformation, abundance to scarcity.

The Power of Strategic Scarcity: Why Less Creates More

Picture Paris, 1812. The finest restaurants are begging for champagne. Merchants are offering triple the price. And Barbe-Nicole Clicquot does something that seems insane: she refuses to sell.

Not because she couldn’t. Her cellars were full.

She refused because she understood something fundamental about human nature: We value what we can’t easily have.

The Scarcity Principle

From her letters:

“The more they beg, the more they value. This isn’t about wine. This is about desire.”

Consider three modern parallels:

Hermès Birkin

• You need to spend thousands, just to get on the waiting list

• Prices rise yearly

• Result: One of the most valuable luxury brand in the world

Warren Buffett’s Letters

• Once per year

• No social media

• Result: Moves global markets

Apple’s Product Launches

• Few products, massive impact

• Limited features, unlimited desire

• Result: Most valuable company in history

From her diary that year:

“They think abundance creates wealth. But I have seen how abundance creates indifference. True value lives in the space between desire and fulfillment.”

This insight led her to develop what she called “the four chambers of desire” — a sophisticated approach to scarcity that transformed champagne from a drink into an object of desire.

The Four Chambers of Desire (Four Types of Scarcity)

Each type serves a distinct purpose in creating not just demand, but devotion:

Access Scarcity: When Russian nobles couldn’t get her champagne, they wanted it more. She wrote: “Deny them first, then delight them. The waiting makes the wanting sweeter.”

• Back Then: Limited distribution to select merchants

• Modern Example: Limited enrollment, exclusive programs

• Why: Scarcity of access creates prestige

Time Scarcity: She only released vintages in exceptional years, writing: “Time is the only ingredient that cannot be bought. When we honor it, they taste it.”

• Back Then: Vintage years only

• Modern Example: Limited launches, closed cohorts

• Why: Temporal scarcity creates urgency

Information Scarcity: Her riddling process remained secret for years. “Mystery,” she wrote, “is the mother of desire.”

• Back Then: Private labeling, secret processes

• Modern Example: Proprietary frameworks, hidden methods

• Why: Knowledge scarcity creates mystique

Availability Scarcity: Even when demand soared, she maintained strict production limits. “The bottle they cannot have,” she noted, “is the one they remember.”

• Back Then: Production limits despite demand

• Modern Example: Limited seats, closed programs

• Why: Volume scarcity creates desire

The Strategic Framework

But here’s the crucial part — and Barbe-Nicole stressed this repeatedly in her letters — scarcity alone is meaningless. It must be strategic. It must be earned.

From her 1825 notebook comes perhaps her most important insight:

“Scarcity without value is just shortage. We must create desire before we create limits.”

This is where most modern experts fail. They create artificial scarcity before establishing real value. The result? Resistance instead of desire.

So before your next launch or content piece, try this.

1. Cut your availability/output by half

2. Double your preparation

3. Triple your standards

Because here’s what Barbe-Nicole knew: In a world of infinite content, finite wisdom wins. But that wisdom must be both valuable and rare. As she wrote in her final years: “Make it precious first. Make it scarce second. The order matters.”

Now onto the final transformation, business to culture.

The Power of Cultural Vision: Creating Centuries, Not Seconds

In 1818, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot did something extraordinary. She began selling empty bottles — bottles that had once contained her champagne. They became trophies in Russian aristocratic circles.

Status symbols. Evidence of a life well-lived.

But here’s what everyone missed: She wasn’t selling empty vessels. She was selling proof of belonging to a story bigger than yourself.

The Cultural Blueprint

Most thought leaders play small. They aim for likes, shares, follows. But Barbe-Nicole was playing a different game entirely.

As she wrote in 1832:

“The others sell what is. We sell what could be. This is the difference between a merchant and a visionary.”

Consider her three-layered approach towards building something culturally relevant:

First, she created symbols. The yellow label wasn’t just branding — it was a beacon that transformed any room it appeared in. It didn’t just signal wealth; it signaled discernment. Understanding. Belonging.

Then, she crafted rituals. The pop of a cork became more than a sound. It became the universal signal for celebration. A moment transforming into a memory.

Finally, she shaped language. “La Grande Dame” wasn’t just a nickname. It became the archetype of female business excellence in an era when women weren’t allowed to have bank accounts.

Fast forward to 2024, the best companies do the same thing.

Nike doesn’t sell shoes — they sell victory. But more importantly, they created:

• A symbol (The Swoosh)

• A ritual (Just Do It)

• A language (“Air Jordan”)

Apple doesn’t sell computers — they sell creative potential. But their real power lies in:

• A symbol (The bitten apple)

• A ritual (The product reveal)

• A language (“Think Different”)

The question isn’t what you’re selling or teaching. It’s what you’re creating. What symbols will carry your message forward? What rituals will embed your ideas into daily life? What language will people use to describe the change you’ve created?

Barbe-Nicole built for centuries instead of moments:

1. She identified eternal human desires:

• Recognition

• Celebration

• Belonging

• Legacy

2. She wrapped them in story: “Every cork that pops is a story beginning. We are not in the wine business. We are in the business of creating moments that live forever.”

3. She created containers for meaning: The bottle became more than glass and wine. It became proof that this moment mattered.

Before your next post, ask:

• What eternal human desire does this serve?

• What story does this allow people to tell about themselves?

• What culture am I inviting people into?

Because here’s what Barbe-Nicole understood: People don’t follow experts. They follow visions of who they could become.

From Vision to Reality: Building Your Legacy

Now what does this mean for you? Let’s bring it home.

This is one of my favorite, lesser-known stories about Barbe-Nicole’s first year running Veuve Clicquot.

For six months, she changed nothing about the wine. Instead, she sat in Parisian cafes, listening to how people talked about luxury, celebration, and status. She wasn’t studying wine. She was studying desire.

From her diary:

“The wine was perfect. But perfect means nothing if it doesn’t speak to their dreams.”

Let me break this down into a framework you can actually use.

Because here’s the thing — when you strip away the champagne and the 1800s setting, Veuve Clicquot handed us the exact blueprint for building a brand that outlives you.

Here are the moves that still work today..

Before any creation, run it through this filter:

Story Check

• Does this strengthen my territory?

• Would anyone miss this if it disappeared?

• Does this make my audience the hero?

Scarcity Check

• Is this rare enough to be valuable?

• Am I giving this the space it deserves?

• Will this create desire or just traffic?

Culture Check

• Does this contribute to my larger vision?

• Will this matter in five years?

• Am I creating lasting value?

One Last Thought

The year is 2024. A bottle of Veuve Clicquot sits on a table in Tokyo, Dubai, New York. A moment of achievement is about to be marked. A story is about to be written.

Two centuries after a young widow stood in her husband’s cellar, her vision still shapes how millions celebrate their most important moments.

That’s not marketing. That’s not branding. That’s legacy.

In 1866, months before her death, Barbe-Nicole wrote to her granddaughter:

“Remember these three truths: The product is temporary. The story is eternal. Success is fleeting. Impact endures. Markets change. Human nature remains.”

Let’s translate this one last time:

Your expertise is the bottle (product). Your legacy is the story people tell about themselves through your work.

Your content is temporary. Your impact on how people think, feel, and act is forever.

Your methods will evolve. Your vision must remain unshakeable.

The Questions That Matter Now

As you sit with your expertise, your content, your platform, ask yourself:

What will remain when the algorithms change? When the platforms fade? When the metrics shift?

Because here’s what Barbe-Nicole understood: We don’t remember her for making wine. We remember her for transforming how humans mark their most meaningful moments.

From Barbe-Nicole’s final diary entry:

“I didn’t build what I built for today. I built it for tomorrow. And tomorrow never ends.”

Your tomorrow begins now.

What story will they tell about you two centuries from now?

More importantly: What story will they tell about themselves because of you?

Until next time,

Scott

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