Podcast Summary: How Leaders Lead with David Novak

Episode #267: Michael Meldman — Be One of One in Your Category
Date: November 27, 2025
Guest: Michael Meldman, Founder and Chairman of Discovery Land Company, Co-Founder of Casamigos Tequila, Part Owner of the Las Vegas Raiders
Host: David Novak

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, David Novak sits down with Michael Meldman to uncover the leadership philosophies and innovative thinking behind Meldman’s success as a real estate developer, entrepreneur, and brand builder. The conversation covers everything from the unique culture at Discovery Land Company’s properties to launching Casamigos Tequila with George Clooney and Randy Gerber, and what it’s like to own an NFL team. Meldman emphasizes the importance of being "one of one" in your category, nurturing talent, and staying consistent with your brand.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Branding and Leadership Philosophy

• Reinventing Himself Through Branding
  • Meldman shares how he overhauled his wardrobe from the casual, playful pinks of Casamigos to the black-and-silver of the Las Vegas Raiders:

    "As you can see, I'm a branding guy so I'm always wearing a project shirt with either the Raiders or Casamigos... My whole wardrobe was pink and now it's black and silver and white. I don't know if it's an upgrade or not." (02:19)

• On Leveling Up as a Leader:
  • Never complacent, always pushing himself and his team to improve:

    “I’ve never, ever, like, gone complacent on anything. We’re always, you know, pushing ourselves to be better.” (36:10)

2. Discovery Land Company: Reinventing Luxury Lifestyle Communities

• Philosophy Behind Discovery:
  • Meldman wanted to make golf—and club life—fun, informal, and family-oriented:

    “The irony of the whole concept of Discovery is when I started the company, I never golfed a day in my life, and I was never a member of a country club.” (05:08)

  • No stiff dress codes; play in what you’re comfortable in.
• Business Model:
  • Meldman describes their approach as using the exclusivity and fun of the golf experience to sell high-end real estate:

    “We use [the golf course] to sell the real estate, and that’s where the money is in our business.” (09:40)

• Creating Unique Experiences:
  • Meldman describes the "comfort stations" on their courses—creative, nostalgic amenities that evoke childhood fun.

3. Building Great Brands

• Principles of Brand Building:

  “The key is consistency. We always strive to be the best of the best wherever we are... always striving for excellence.” (10:27)

• Learning and Adaptation:

  “Learning from every project and making the next project better is important.” (10:36)

• Loyalty and Culture:

  “We have a whole group of individuals who started working for me right out of high school or right out of college and have never worked for anyone else. So their DNA is Discovery.” (10:53)

4. Talent & Leadership Development

• Meldman is praised for identifying and nurturing talent:

  “I don’t say it’s necessarily eyeing talent, but I think it’s really nurturing and... creating talent. Because what we do is so special and different than what anyone else does.” (12:56)

• Success stories: Employees starting as valets or fishing guides and working up to senior roles.
• Memorable Quote:

  "We've had valets parking cars turn into operational leaders, and we've had outdoor pursuit people who were fishing guides turn into general managers of clubs." (12:31)

5. Formative Experiences & Early Career

• Meldman credits his values and approach to leadership to his Midwest upbringing and lessons from his father—especially integrity, character, and “doing the right thing”:

  "My dad and my grandfather taught me integrity, character, to follow the rules and just be the best person you can." (14:24)

• Stories from formative jobs: Being a blackjack dealer led him, by chance, to commercial real estate:

  “It taught me how to count to 21.” (16:57)
  “I had a knack for making deals. So that was kind of the beginning of it.” (17:56)

6. Learning Through Challenges in Development

• Meldman details the lessons from his early, protracted battle to develop land in California, which instilled a deep respect for environmental planning and shaped Discovery’s harmonious approach:

  “I basically got a PhD in planning, environmental planning by spending 18 years doing that.” (23:40)

• He shares how reducing density and working with nature, not against it, became hallmarks of his projects.

7. Navigating Community Opposition

• When developing controversial projects like Bakers Bay, Meldman faced organized opposition (“F. Mike Meldman” T-shirts), but he persevered through leadership, communication, and investing in local communities.

  “Whenever there’s people against us... it always seems like it’s a big community... but it might have been five people... that’s who people want to listen to.” (26:15)

8. Casamigos Tequila: The Unlikely Billion-Dollar Brand

• Origin Story:
  • Meldman, George Clooney, and Randy Gerber liked tequila but wanted something better, so they created their own for private consumption and Discovery’s properties.

    “We didn’t really do it to sell it. We did it for ourselves... we figured George would just drink a lot, so we would be good.” (30:20)

  • Successful sampling at parties and among friends led to rapid demand and subsequent billion-dollar sale.
• Key to Success:

  “The real reason Casamigos did well was because it was good tequila. If it wasn’t good tequila, it wouldn’t matter who was behind it.” (32:23)

9. Approach to Relationships & Trust

• Meldman discusses building trust with high-profile clients and friends:

  “I get people mostly on their good days because if they’re not happy at their Discovery property, they probably wouldn’t have bought at Discovery.” (34:04)

• Insight into how Discovery becomes a place for busy, high-achieving people to reconnect with family.

10. Ongoing Growth & New Ventures

• Developing regions globally (Europe, Middle East), and striving to be “one of one”—the singular, standout property in each new market:

  “I like going to places where we’re one of one. Introducing the concept... I think Discovery Dunes... is going to change luxury real estate in Dubai.” (46:35)

• Pivoting into new wellness-focused alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks post-Casamigos.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leadership Values:

  “Just always do the right thing, be a good sport.” (15:54)

• On Creating a Unique Product:

  “If you could do 24,000 cases your first year, it’ll be a huge success. So we made 24,000 cases... and sold out that first two days. And we never had to put another dime in it. We sold it for a billion dollars in four years.” (31:12)

• On Golf and Challenges:

  “I was the worst golfer ever... And I’m an athletic guy and I’m strong, and I just tried to muscle it, which isn’t obviously the way to go.” (39:27) “You gotta be disciplined, you gotta be patient and you gotta be persistent.” (42:08)

• On Patience and Success:

  “Everyone wants instant success. And it doesn’t work that way. As you know, it takes hard work... I tell my kids that a lot... Be patient. You’re not who you think you are right now, but you’re gonna be that person.” (48:52)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Discovering the Brand’s DNA & Talent Development: 10:27–14:05
• Childhood and Lessons on Integrity: 14:15–16:46
• Early Career (Blackjack to Real Estate): 16:46–19:42
• Environmental Lessons in Development: 20:05–25:44
• Facing Opposition at Bakers Bay: 26:03–29:17
• Casamigos Tequila’s Creation & Sale: 29:39–33:24
• Developing Trust with Celebrities & High-Profile Clients: 34:04–35:45
• Evolving as a Leader and Business Growth: 36:05–37:42
• Golf and Embracing Challenges: 39:21–42:08
• On Loyalty and Leadership: 42:43–44:29
• Future Ambitions / “One of One” Strategy: 45:20–48:47
• Advice for Leaders: 48:52–49:57

Reflections & Debrief (with Host Commentary)

• On Brand Experience at Discovery Properties:

  “Discovery properties are incredible... you got the music, there can be eight people playing, but if you’ve got two, they’ll let you through. The camaraderie is great.” (50:48)

• The comfort stations and laid-back policies stem from Meldman's desire to make golf enjoyable for families, highlighting entrepreneurial empathy.
• Core Themes:
  • “Be one of one”—boldly differentiate, but always with purpose and customer empathy.
  • Loyalty and consistency aren’t just business concepts—they define how Meldman relates to people and builds organizations.

Takeaways for Leaders

• Be “One of One”: Find your unique lane and deliver an experience that transforms the category. Don’t differentiate for differentiation’s sake—do it because it adds real value.
• Consistency Counts: Stay true to the brand’s values and standards. Define who you are and what you’re not.
• Nurture Talent: Invest in people, believe in them before they believe in themselves, and offer growth from within.
• Practice Patience: Real, sustainable success takes time, discipline, and persistence.
• Innovate by Observation: Watch and understand your customers’ real needs, then have the courage to break industry norms to meet them.
• Lead by Example and Humility: Meldman doesn’t see himself as a great leader; he just loves what he does, invests in people, and models the behavior he wants to see.

For anyone building brands, leading teams, or aspiring to make a unique mark on their industry, this episode is full of practical wisdom and inspiring stories from a leader who’s done it at the highest level.