Above Board - Nicole & Brent Slone

Speaker A: You might need MIDI if you ever hairsprayed your bangs into a waterfall, layered slouch socks, tied a scrunchie to the bottom corner of your T shirt, or tried to go for a run with a CD player. If this took you down memory lane, you might need MIDI. Perimenopause can start 10 years before you actually go through menopause. So for some women, that can be as early as 35. Nobody ever told you that? Well, nobody told us either. That's why we built midi. If you're experiencing symptoms like night sweats, weight gain, or just generally don't feel like yourself anymore, you may be in perimenopause. But here's some good with the right care, these symptoms are treatable. Book a virtual visit with a menopause specialist at MIDI. Visit joinmidi m.com to schedule with an expert who gets IT specialist LED care. Virtual visits. Insurance eligible midlife needs. MIDI results may vary. Medications prescribed only if clinically appropriate, based on a consultation with a clinician. Insurance coverage varies. Check with your plan for coverage.

Speaker B: All right, welcome to the podcast, the Last one from 7748 Santa Monica Boulevard. Thanks for joining. We have above board on today. Either one of you can take this. What does the company do?

Speaker C: Well, we are revolutionizing cocktails with a, uh, product that is challenging a very stale category in the alcohol industry known as liqueurs.

Speaker B: And it's sugar free. That's the magic.

Speaker C: It is sugar free and plant based sugar. So our sugars are allulose and monk fruit. Um, they act like sugar everywhere, but in the body they have zero glycemic load, but they're sticky and sweet. And that's what brings a bubbourd to life with this line of liqueurs that we have.

Speaker B: And I love them, I tried them. But of all the things you guys could be doing with your lives, which I'm sure are a lot of things, why did you land on this? What did you see in the overall alcohol category that was clearly missing? And you're like, let's go dedicate our life or the next five, ten years of our life to this problem.

Speaker D: Yeah, it was, it was out of frustration. Uh, so we'd go out to dinner and we were just frustrated by the lack of low sugar options. Right. So we typically live a keto or a low carb lifestyle and sugars and everything.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: And you know, SoCal is such a beautiful craft cocktail scene. Right. And so we'd be out and we would ask the bartenders to make, uh, you know, a low sugar or no sugar version. And they were just as pissed making it as we were receiving it. Right. Because the cocktail became unbalanced. It didn't taste good. And so.

Speaker C: And it wasn't their fault.

Speaker D: And it wasn't their fault.

Speaker C: They didn't have the ingredients.

Speaker D: They did not have the ingredients.

Speaker C: You know, when you get a skinny marg and it tastes too good to be true, it's because it is.

Speaker D: That's right.

Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker D: Most bartenders say they just make regular margaritas when people ask for skinnies.

Speaker B: Yeah. They just add more ice. It's a little more diluted.

Speaker D: Yeah, that's right.

Speaker B: That's it.

Speaker C: Or a bunch of agave. Right. Which probably is better for us, but it's still spikes your glycemic loads or it's bitter. So, uh, you know, it really was out of a true void in the market. A need that, um, we actually started out as a sugar free cocktail syrup company. We thought we're going to go directly,

Speaker B: so just simple syrup.

Speaker D: That's where we, that's what we started

Speaker C: with simple syrup that we grew from there.

Speaker B: How long did you do that?

Speaker C: Well, from kitchen concept to production took us two years. With that one year pivot from a syrup company into installation. Innocently, the alcohol industry. Yeah. It was like I was making a coffee one. I was like, well, why on earth? When I just put this in alcohol, I'm gonna put it in alcohol. And then I pictured myself at the grocery store in front of the liqueur section with the Chambord, the Cointreau, the Frangelico. And there is not a single alternative for any one of these base liqueurs that people have come to know and love over the last hundred years.

Speaker D: Yeah. And then when we started doing research, found that nobody was doing it, you know, we're like, oh, my God, it's kind of crazy. There's avoiding the market and it's like, that's time. We were like, we have to, we

Speaker B: need to pivot first.

Speaker D: But we did, gosh, seven different expressions with the syrup. So old fashioned is my drink. So we did, uh, an old fashioned syrup that you basically just put bourbon in the syrup in. So no simple syrup. Right. It's, well, our version of it.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker D: And then that was so good that we did a black, black walnut version that was even better.

Speaker C: We have a pecan one too.

Speaker D: Uh, yeah. We did watermelon basil for margaritas. And so we may revisit that at some point. Sure.

Speaker B: What was your favorite? Like, what Was the. Is it the bourbon one or the old.

Speaker C: I'm gonna say that black walnut.

Speaker D: It was bonkers. It was so good. And you would take just an ounce of it, uh, two ounces of whiskey, and put it over a large rock.

Speaker C: Voila.

Speaker B: And it's way less sugar.

Speaker D: No sugar, no sugar.

Speaker B: When did you guys know you were onto it? And so obviously internally, you're solving your problem at home. No problem. Maybe with your friend group. But at some point you're like, okay.

Speaker D: I'd say in the very beginning, when we made the first simple syrup, we both looked at each other like, holy shit. Like we're, we're onto something here. Because, uh, the beauty about allulose is that it looks, tastes, acts like honey. And like Nicole was saying, everywhere but in the body. So it's sweet and it doesn't have that diety aftertaste that, you know, aspartame and erythritols. Sugar alcohols have.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker C: We went through them all, you know, having lived that lifestyle.

Speaker B: Ah.

Speaker C: My mom got me, um, hooked on something called the pilot's diet, which was previous to Atkins.

Speaker B: What is that?

Speaker C: Back in the 90s. So believe it or not, it was keto. But basically. But the drink was dirty martinis. So the pilot diet, it was like for pilots who are always in the air. I'm thinking this is so 70s, right?

Speaker B: Um, cigarettes and dirty martinis on the pilot diet.

Speaker C: And I was the girl drinking dirty martinis in the 90s in Santa Barbara when I was going to school. My friends were like, what are you drinking? I'm like, this.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker C: Cause the hangovers too, you know.

Speaker B: Totally.

Speaker C: And I always forget that, that selling point when I'm speaking to people, you know, it's either dehydration or sugar that leads to the hangovers. I mean, clearly over overindulges, we can

Speaker D: take care of one of them, but

Speaker C: have to still drink water.

Speaker B: You know what's funny? When we met and you introduced the company and you gave me like the tasting, a part of me was like, this can't be real.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Like, which is a weird thing. Just as a consumer. Right. It's like, it must be too good to be true. And all of a sudden I don't believe you. It's really a strange thing if you think about it. It is, Right. And so is that what you're a

Speaker D: hurdle for us, right? 100%. We initially thought that we were just going to target on premise locations, so bars, restaurants, hotels, whatever. Right. And then we would strategically find grocery, uh, stores Liquor stores in that geographic region that they could point to for home use. Right. And kind of the opposite happened. We found that because our products have to be tasted to be believed, that we had much more traction, uh, in liquor stores and grocery stores because we would do these three hour demos and we're selling 15 bottles in three hours. And on average, the cases, they're reordering. Right. So it became the cycle and we're like, it really became, you know, our, our path forward. So then we started thinking, okay, let's target, you know, uh, grocery and, uh, liquor store change. And then that kind of drives the social media side too. Right, because there's more brand awareness there. But it is a hurdle for us

Speaker B: because that's weird, isn't it?

Speaker D: Yeah. We had, we were doing a bourbon event and we had walked away from the table. There's this couple that we're now good friends with, they were at the table and the husband was like, no way. This is going to taste like shit. I'm not trying it. And the wife ended up trying it and they fell in love with it and they're trying to help us sell it.

Speaker C: And just crazy story to find us some investigation.

Speaker B: It's like carb free pizza. Like, who's going to believe that you guys did it. You figured it out.

Speaker C: That's right. So this is really cool. I didn't tell you this. So, uh, Deanne, she is a huge champion of ours with the Stella foundation. And we had gone through this incubation program trying to get funding, you know, and she's like, I couldn't believe it. You didn't make it through. Um, she's like, I brought your bottles in. She said, I'm diabetic. I tested my glucose. I tested it before. I had three drinks. I tasted it after, and it did not spike my blood sugar. And I was like, can I get that writing or, you know, can I get that?

Speaker D: Can we record you saying that?

Speaker C: Yeah, it was a huge endorsement because, you know, I mean, I haven't tested it myself, but I do know that, you know, allulose is a huge, huge, um, aspect to all the products in the, in the.

Speaker D: Yeah, there's a ton of research.

Speaker B: Will they sponsor you? The American Diabetic Association?

Speaker D: I would imagine they brought that.

Speaker C: That'd be your healthy alcohol here.

Speaker D: I mean, we thought about talking to, you know, doing podcasts with, uh, PhDs and totally, you know, and having them, you know, kind of speak to it where it's. That's not coming directly from us as the Business owners. Right.

Speaker B: When you guys talk to investors, what are like the hurdles that they ask you guys, like, is it that they're missing or what is it that they either like me, Right. Where I didn't believe it. I was like, until you try it, which is one thing. But then did they not get it?

Speaker D: Well, I. When they try it. So typically we'll try and send them bottles ahead of any sort of conversation.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: You know, I think the big, biggest hurdle for us right now is we're small. Right. And we're only in, um. You know, they say if you can get in 40 locations in your first year, you're doing great. We got into 95. We got 10 stores with Ralph's, which is owned by Kroger's. We got into several total wine, uh, locations. We got in with the Hyatt. Right. And so the biggest thing for them is seeing the revenue. I mean, we grow every quarter.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: But it's not at a rate, you

Speaker C: know, where we haven't been around long.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: So it's really.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: There's no way you're building the brand at this rate. Right. So the awareness. Yeah, yeah, I got you.

Speaker D: Yeah. And so she's CEO, front of the house, sells, you know, strategy from that perspective. And I've always worked in tech, so my job has been, I operate as a cfo. I'm kind of more of a coo though, and I, uh, love operations and strategy and so I'm kind of driving our investment package and raise. But yeah, the biggest thing is just, uh, seeing that traction. There's hesitation. Right. Is this really going to take off? I mean, we've proved market viability in Southern California, but I think we still need a few more larger corporations to come in and.

Speaker B: Sure. Like a BevMo or something. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker D: But the positive, though is that we don't have anyone on our cap table. So. Yeah, we've been self funded to this point.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker D: So, you know, we're kind of at that point. We're running out of capital. And so it's like, look, great opportunity. This is going to take off. We're first to market. Yeah. And we've had other people in the industry that have been around for decades that have said we're a unicorn brand.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: Because we're not a vodka going after just the vodka market. Right. And so the way I structured the investment package was if you look at just the, the, uh, global market for Bailey's, Kahlua and Cointreau, it's $8.4 billion okay. Just for those three liqueurs. Right. So every time we add an expression. So we're launching an Aperol and an amaretto in Q3.

Speaker A: Smart.

Speaker D: And you know, that just exponentially grows our market potential. Every time we launch an expression, we have, uh, a Midori, a melon for Midori, raspberry for Chambord, and a hazelnut for Frangelico, in addition to the Aperol and, uh, Amaretto that's coming out.

Speaker C: So there's so much we can do, like creme de caco. I mean, it just goes. It's endless. It's really quite endless. And we have the best food scientists and we have mass capacity to scale. We're with Corning and company, upside of, uh, petaluma. And, uh, they have 18 wheelers backing in all day long.

Speaker D: Yeah, they're doing like 100,000 cases a week or something. Crazy.

Speaker B: So you're like the poppy of the alcohol industry. Yes, I guess is the way. I'm just always trying to digest things as an investor. I look at decks all the time and so like, that to me is instantly. It, uh, you're the poppy of. Right. So poppy came, they copied the Coca Cola, the Pepsi, and then they got acquired for just under a billion, I think.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Uh, successful. And so in that sense. But the same model. Right. So lower sugar, interesting movement.

Speaker C: There's better for you beverage, better for you, everything. I think everyone is finally paying attention to what they're putting in their bodies.

Speaker B: Shocking.

Speaker C: We've been like, led around by the nose forever. I mean, remember the whole, like, fat free? Well, all they did was add tons of salt and sugar. It's like everyone got obese. So, you know, it's time. You know, I think our timing really, especially with alcohol, a lot of people are backing away from it in general. So that could be part of the hesitancy.

Speaker B: Uh, how do you guys answer that? When people say, you know, Gen Z is in drinking, blah, blah, blah, uh, you know, I, as friends, I say 20% or things are down 20% across the board, it seems. What is your take on that?

Speaker D: We kind of meet in the middle. Uh, you know, we also check the low ABV box just because we are liqueurs. Right. So, for example, starting with Obi Noodle House down in San Diego, they created a drink. Well, they call it the Hippie Seltzer, but basically it's just our orange and, uh, club soda and squid lime topo chico.

Speaker C: So, you know, obviously people are either abstaining or doing other things. Right.

Speaker B: That's Actually, what it is, they're not abstaining.

Speaker D: They're just doing other things.

Speaker B: They're picking a different poison.

Speaker C: So I guess this is just like the perfect middle ground for someone who maybe still does enjoy the buzz of a cocktail and, um, just doesn't want the compromise of the sugar and feeling that way the next day.

Speaker D: And we've heard, too, from, you know, testimonials, people that have talked to us. It's. Some people that are really health conscious are just not drinking because of the sugar, the carbs, you know, what it does to their body. And so, um, we've had several people say that they'd be more inclined to drink something like this. Right. Because they know what it's doing to their body. Right. And so. And our support, or the analysis that we did prior to launching supports that. And we found, like, across all different age cohorts, they all responded in a similar way in that they were willing to spend more money on premium healthy cocktail alternatives.

Speaker B: Interesting.

Speaker D: And then under those same conditions, they'll purchase more. Right. Because, you know, psychologically, if you feel like you're making a good decision, you're gonna, you know, you'll have that second drink or that third drink, they'll use it more.

Speaker B: The velocity.

Speaker C: I always say, the restaurateurs, they'll pay more, they'll buy more, and they'll come back to a place that has something that is in alignment with their health goals that they can't get anywhere else. Because, I mean, we're doing decadent, mudslide martinis, you know, cosmopolitans, like, you know, things that have just been off limits for so long. Even think about restaurant after dinner drink menus completely unvisited, they're gonna go. And, you know, you're irritated.

Speaker B: That's a good point. Yeah.

Speaker C: You know, somebody orders, uh, you know, you make it through your meal, you didn't eat the bread, you made the good choice. And, you know, we're all y' all drinking or whatever, and then somebody orders cheesecake, it's like, oh, am I gonna have another vodka soda? You know, and so I love how it reopens up that whole category of drinks for restaurants.

Speaker D: Last point is, for them, it also opens this untapped revenue stream. Right?

Speaker B: Totally.

Speaker D: Like Nicole is saying, you know, people will come back for it. Right. And if it's something you don't have in your menu, you're going to. You're going to appeal to other customers. Right. That. That will purchase more.

Speaker C: And, uh, this guy I met with in, um, Palm Springs he was like, there's like a whole category missing on my menu. He's like, so I have the mocktails, I have the low abv, like where is the no and low sugar cocktail?

Speaker B: I was going to ask you, how do you guys think about that? So it's like there's a company called the New Bar here in la which is all mocktail, so it's all non elk, but they're sort of like the kingmaker in the sense of there's a lot of noise in that world where it's like, but how do you know what's good? Right? And so to the consumer, they don't know either because there's no brands that exist to tell them what's good. And so they basically become the king maker. And so a phony Negroni tastes like a Negroni for you guys. How do you look at it? Do you look at it like, like what's your ideal world of a bar director? How does he put you on the menu in your world? Is it just like old fashioned, but it says no sugar? It's your own category, no low sugar.

Speaker D: Ancillary to that? I think we're just. It makes for a diverse menu because all customers are different. You know, I think that even if you're putting together a food menu, right, you want to have options for different people. Right, right, right. Steak for men or, you know, clean piece of fish.

Speaker C: When you look at our Nolo, um, our first one is a Margarita using tequila as a base. The second one is a Cosmopolitan using vodka as a base. The third one is a revolver using a bourbon or whiskey, you know what I'm saying? And then the last one is either tequila, which is our mudslides delightful with our Irish cream, our coffee and, um, either tequila or vodka. So it shows that it uses all the other products they already have.

Speaker D: Yeah, and that was, that was really a, it was also an eye opener for us because when we started approaching these on premise places, you know, we'd hear it'd be June and it's like, you know, we're not going to make any menu revisions until the fall. You know, give us a call in four months. We're like, we have to find a way around this. Right. And so we started creating. It takes about five minutes to do, but we'll grab their logo off. Uh, you'll make your own web, you know, we'll white label it for them. And then we put those five cocktails on there and just say, look, 20 off. Buy a mix case, two bottles of each implement this menu for 30 days. Right. Just to give it a try. And so we have coasters that have a QR code on the back, or we can do a table 10 or whatever. Right. And so they don't have to reprint their menus. Right? That's right. Uh, and every restaurant and bar that has done it ordered within the 30 days. Like they purchased, you know, a case of each.

Speaker B: And so what do you call it, though, on the menu? So if I'm looking at. So I'm a consumer now, so I'm not the bar director. I walk in, you guys are there. Uh, what's the menu say?

Speaker D: No. And low sugar cocktails.

Speaker C: No, slash low.

Speaker B: And it's its own little menu.

Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. And then it says above board or the price point.

Speaker B: Is it the same?

Speaker C: It's a little higher.

Speaker D: It depends on the margarita.

Speaker B: Let's say a margarita.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: The highest I've seen it is $17.

Speaker B: That's, uh, about a margarita here. Yeah. I think most of the Piper San Diego. No la is like a whole lot. It's a cranberry. It's like 20. I was yesterday I was somewhere. It was $22.

Speaker C: I told you we belong here.

Speaker D: That's right.

Speaker B: Yeah. All right, so it's like 17, 18, which I would say today in Los Angeles, standard issue pricing. Okay. Yeah, that's not bad.

Speaker C: Um, like, The Cosmo was 12. We, uh, just got in with the Brigantine chain down in San Diego. Um, they're giving us a run with it. Oh. I did want to say. So we got in with a restaurant, concert venue called Humphries, and they're all about rock and roll. So we named our cocktails the Mudslide. Um, they did Landslide. Right. And then the Revolver. That's a Beatles album. So we're even able to get, like, fun and try and match the vibe of whatever they're doing. I love that creative aspect of it. And we have an amazing, um, mixologist on staff that.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker C: Man. He's, ah, impeccable.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: He used to work for William Grant and Sons, and he did the whole super bowl setup for the height locations. He did like 12 different bar setups. But. And I'm talking really unique cocktails. Like things with like, clarified milk, bell pepper.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker D: It's like. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker C: And he loves our products. He's randomly. My hairstylist's husband. And she's like, my husband does this. And I was like, oh, just the way things are lining up. It's like, of course, of course.

Speaker B: Okay. So this is the thing. Right. So you guys are entrepreneurs, you're doing the thing. And they're like, there's so many places you can spend your time. So here we're talking about a menu for an on prem. Look, a bar.

Speaker C: Yep.

Speaker B: Yeah. And then. But you know, what's working is the other stuff. So like uh, the grocery store reorders, the tastings. And so it's like, how do you manage the focus? Right. Because it's like always the thing what cranks the needle. Because I'm loving the bar stuff. I think that's so smart.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker B: You go to a bar, there's a non sugar menu.

Speaker D: That's right.

Speaker B: That makes sense. Like my brain goes like that should exist if it exists with food.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker C: Remember what you were telling me about the seltzers? How like the top four.

Speaker D: Yeah. If you look at, if you look at the top 10 alcohol products being sold right now, four of them are seltzers. Like that's. That says something. What do you mean?

Speaker B: Like, what are the.

Speaker D: Okay, I don't remember them on top of my head.

Speaker C: Like there's a bunch.

Speaker D: There's sure.

Speaker B: Like the high ends. Okay.

Speaker D: I think White Claw or High Noon. Like. Yeah, that realm. Right. Uh, and so just as far as gross revenue across the U.S. right.

Speaker C: And it proves that people are after low sugar options.

Speaker D: Think golf courses too, right?

Speaker B: Oh, uh, yeah.

Speaker D: How many people do you see drinking seltzers out on the course and.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: Instead of beer, you know, exclusively.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: So I guess that was encouraging for us to see people seeking out even though they're in the form of nasty tasting seltzers. A lower sugar option.

Speaker B: Yeah, totally.

Speaker D: There's a market for.

Speaker B: The stigma's gone now too. Like I remember when Michelob Ultra first came out, it was like, don't be that guy. Right. Like, it was weird. And now it's kind of like accepted. And it's almost like, oh, that guy. Yeah, that guy value his health.

Speaker D: Yes.

Speaker A: Wow.

Speaker B: It's like aspirational.

Speaker D: Right?

Speaker B: It's all changed.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: So how much are you guys raising capital now?

Speaker D: We are.

Speaker B: Okay. How much are you raising?

Speaker D: One, uh, point four is what we're looking for. And so the plan with that is to get us through the next two and a half years. We're looking at a 12 state expansion by next year.

Speaker B: Okay. What states are you in now?

Speaker D: Currently we're just. We've only sold in California and Wyoming.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker D: But we just got into D.C. delaware, Maryland. We're working on North Carolina because we also have a home there in Raleigh. And then New Hampshire unexpectedly just popped up. We had a call with the distributor there that really likes our products.

Speaker B: New Hampshire's great.

Speaker D: You know, we're back to your point about, like, where do you put your focus? It's. It's constantly changing. Right. But it's like, uh, so it's like we always use the scrappy.

Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, it's good. Yeah.

Speaker D: We always use the term. We have to protect our base. Right. So let's keep the things going that are actually working. And then we're trying these other things to. To see what sticks.

Speaker C: And we just pitched to like Princess Cruises and Nor.

Speaker D: Yeah. We had to call with, I mean,

Speaker C: get on board with above board. Like, how perfect for, like, cruise ships.

Speaker D: Right? Above board. Right. And we could bring, you know, brand these.

Speaker B: Like, I just thought of like, like tennis clubs, golf clubs. 100% like those.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: Or they're like Wellness Cent with bars.

Speaker C: Well, speaking of, I know we're headed to, um, Palm Springs on Sunday. We're doing the Classic Club. They're bringing our brand on. And it's such an honor. We're being partnered with Lalo and all these top brands. And what's great, I say to say it again is that we play well with others. Like, there's not a whiskey or bourbon. What's the, uh, bourbon that was at the house?

Speaker D: Oh, ah, Whiskey pig.

Speaker C: Whiskey pig. M. We just did the California Restaurant Awards and I brought my coffee over and we shared one and he brought a bottle over and so I was pouring them at my station as well. He's like, I cannot tell you how many people said how great our stuff tasted together.

Speaker B: I love it.

Speaker C: And now he wants to do a collaboration.

Speaker D: The old Fashioned again is my drink. And so what I love about the revolver, it was actually created by a guy in San Francisco back in the early 90s. I'm drawing a blank on his name. But what is great with our coffee is that typically Kahlua leaves that, uh, long aftertaste in your mouth. Ours is very subtle and it dissipates really quickly. So you can have a high end bourbon and you're still getting the profile from the bourbon. And then it's just a light coffee note on the back. It's so. And then a couple of dashes of orange bitters. It's phenomenal. I actually make you one.

Speaker B: Well done. Yeah, I can't wait.

Speaker C: I like mine a little sweeter. So I'll pour our orange on top of it. So our three flavors are the orange coffee and Irish and They work so beautifully together. Like, even our orange and our coffee together with Mezcal.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: It's dynamite.

Speaker D: Insane.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: So what do you guys have on deck for the, like, closing out Q3, Q4 of this year? What's. What's on the agenda?

Speaker C: We got a nod from, uh, Target.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker C: So, uh, they offered us, um, more territory than I was comfortable with. I actually reeled it in a little bit. Um, they wanted to put us in financial side.

Speaker D: I'm like, why are we.

Speaker B: Let's go use the credit card.

Speaker C: I know that it's velocity of sales. It's like, to get a sale like that, to me, that's where the hard work begins. Because if it's not turning over, if it's not selling, you just shot yourself in the foot.

Speaker B: That's right.

Speaker C: So because we are in Total Wine in Palm Desert and Temecula. I said yes to, um, Palm Springs Targets and Murrieta area because we can work those and make sure they're being serviced. And we have to get the brand awareness. And people can't ask for what they don't know exists. How do you look for something you don't know exists?

Speaker B: Totally.

Speaker C: And our font, it says zero grams of sugar as small as can be because the TTB insisted on it. And not only that, but we had to support our 0 grams of sugar with a nutritional panel on it. But I love that now because I'm look above board, full transparency. And then our QR code takes you to the website where you can see what allulose is. You know, explains everything about it.

Speaker B: Is there. So you know how if something's vegetarian, there's like, an icon gluten free. There's the icon.

Speaker D: Uh, we are gluten free as well, and we have the icon in our bottles.

Speaker B: Is there an icon for no sugar? Or can you guys, like.

Speaker D: I don't think.

Speaker B: Because I'm just thinking about, like, this,

Speaker D: like, if there's no governing body for.

Speaker C: I did chat it. No, there's not. But there's, like, cool ones you can come up with because, uh, Antonio with the Hyatt. Well, we met. We thought we were meeting with the, um, beverage director for the Oceanside property. Turned out he was the national beverage director for Hyatt. He saw us as leading the charge in the whole better for you beverage movement. And he wants to implement it throughout California at the Hyatt Regency brands on their spa menu. He wants a spa menu?

Speaker B: Yeah, it makes sense because all you

Speaker C: get is champagne when you're there. You know, And I don't know, I

Speaker B: was just thinking of our tennis club. Like I remember a tennis club. We all play and then we go drink.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: And it's like, it'd be kind of nice if these things were, uh, no sugar or there was an option for it. Right. Otherwise everyone's drinking tequila soda.

Speaker A: That's right.

Speaker B: Which is fine. But not a sugar free mark, right? Yeah, exactly. Have a sugar free mark.

Speaker C: There's so many outlets for what we're doing.

Speaker B: Yeah, no, I love it.

Speaker C: It's fun. I just got involved with a golf group of women, um, because they had chapters in Palm Desert, Orange county, you know. And honestly I've been trying to get him to get certified to be a scuba diver and he wants me to golf. So this is my way of saying I'm gonna start golfing, but why not golf with a bunch of wonderful women who are set in beautiful locations and are all business minded. I couldn't make it to the first event. Um, I just joined them. Um, but I sent up bottles and I guess I had the most amazing time.

Speaker D: Yeah, that's so great. But that kind of plays into the question you asked, like Q3, Q4, where are we going? How do we stay focused? And so we spent a lot of this year kind of researching and looking at where's our demographic, what are these groups that we should target? Tennis courts, golf courses, even ski resorts in the wintertime too. I think there's a play there with, with coffee and Irish cream as well. So we applied to. Most large corporations will put out an RFP in Q1, but it's not until 2026 until they get implemented. So yeah, we applied for, I don't know, 12, 13 of them. So we're hoping that, you know, if just a couple of those come through, we're good to go. And even though RNDC faltered in California, they're CEO agreed that he would distribute for us nationwide if we. When, when we land. Yeah, our first national account. Right. But yeah, I think, you know, towards the end of this year we're really focused at, ah, you know, making those campaigns, those automations, you know, for golf courses, for tennis clubs, yeah, for spa

Speaker C: resorts and also jumping on any like event that we can in Southern California that is like on the lower end.

Speaker D: Well, that's how you guys met, right? I mean it's like totally.

Speaker C: You got to show up, you got to share your product and you know, it's, it's hard work. It's a ton of schlepping. Like we do like Four events a week.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Kudos to you, by the way. You went there. We were just getting seated. You came over, yeah, you want to try my product? And I was like, yes. And I was like, yeah, do you have it?

Speaker C: And I think he looked at me

Speaker B: funny, like, of course I do. Like, he's. He's actually interested in trying this thing.

Speaker C: It was like nine.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker D: And we tried it.

Speaker C: It was lunch.

Speaker A: It was great.

Speaker B: It was a lunch. Yeah.

Speaker C: Ye. The ladies you're with. I loved your guys's reaction, but, yeah,

Speaker B: so kudos to you. I mean, honestly, that's. I think that's missed in the entrepreneurship world. It's like that. That's such a thing.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: You have to, you know, it's like you have to. You have to commit to everything you possibly can.

Speaker D: That's right. Everyone. You can.

Speaker B: Yeah. You never know, ever.

Speaker C: People have been so kind to us too. Like, genuinely, like, just like, okay, so I know. You know, and then they'll just. I'm like, wait, I need to like, make a chart. Because they have so many connections that they want us to, you know, potentially. And it's just like, it gets a little overwhelming sometimes. Like just driving up from San Diego to here.

Speaker B: Totally.

Speaker C: Just all the possibilities as we drive through Orange Laguna, you know, I'm just like, how are we gonna do that? Territory?

Speaker B: Yeah, you'll just be planning.

Speaker D: I mean, we can make a living just in California, right?

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker D: I mean, California is what, 14% of the alcohol market in the U.S. crazy.

Speaker B: I mean, Vegas. Once you're in Vegas, you're huge. That's it. Uh, $3 billion of M MGM makes 3 billion on food or so Sorry, Bev. Annually. Crazy. Like, dive bars do 15 million there.

Speaker D: Uh, speaking of Vegas and Tahoe, we're, uh, we're actually doing the world curling event, which is going to be televised. We backed into these guys, uh, we met.

Speaker B: That's like the only sport I love watching.

Speaker D: It's so fun, right?

Speaker B: The sweet Relax. I don't know.

Speaker C: They have.

Speaker D: Didn't know, like, the behind the scenes. They have these, like, drinking parties, like, while they're doing it and like afterwards and karaoke and like. Yeah, I mean, they're a wild group. We cannot wait to get into it. Three days. We have a few bars, Tahoe Blue

Speaker C: conventions or like Arena. It's crazy. We're like, uh, yes, we will. Yes, we will show up. And yes, we'll be licensed by then, so.

Speaker B: Well, look, we'll have you guys at pawn shop obviously next year. Q1 put us on the docket and

Speaker D: we'll launch and do Congratulations to you. I mean, that sounds like an amazing venture and we can't wait to see it. Yeah.

Speaker B: Tell everyone where they can find you guys and where they can support. Obviously, one of my favorite things.

Speaker D: We'll post on. That's one thing we always do with every location, uh, that we get into. We do a big social media push and share it out to everybody.

Speaker C: Yeah. So, um, our handles drink above board. That's our website as well as our Instagram. Um, you can order online. And other than that, the Total Wine and more, we're only in six locations. San Diego and out in the desert, as I mentioned. But we're looking at, uh, expanding into about six more.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: Through Orange and la. Because it doesn't make sense to have events here if somebody can't go find it and buy it.

Speaker D: Right.

Speaker C: But smart Total Wine is reordering constantly, so we know we're on the right track.

Speaker D: Yeah. And then Ralph's. We just got into 10 locations with Ralph's and just in San Diego. Yeah, it's only 10 down there, but they have 187 stores in California. So, uh, that'll be a longer play. But yeah, I think if we.

Speaker B: And Target, maybe soon, we'll see.

Speaker D: Yeah. Yeah. That's exciting. A lot of these keys, you know, key pieces are coming together and we're. We're so blessed and, you know, excited about what we have in front of us and, you know, really think that we have something unique and. And, uh.

Speaker B: You sure do.

Speaker D: We just want to get it in everybody's house.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: This is the last pod in this space, guys.

Speaker D: Thank you.

Speaker B: I'll never forget this moment. This is so fun. Thank you guys for being a part of this.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: And you're now part of our story as we grow also.

Speaker D: We really appreciate it.

Speaker B: All right, thanks, guys.

Speaker D: Thank you.

Speaker B: As Diego said, this was the last podcast in our old studio space. We're going to take a break between now and when our next studio space is built. Sometime around the new year, this podcast began at a dining room table, and this latest iteration was Startup to Storefront 2.0. It was a bittersweet moment leaving the space, but startup of the storefront 3.0 will be nothing short of epic because we're going to be broadcasting from the second floor of Pawn Shop, a new sports bar that will redefine what a sports bar can be. So thank you for listening, for supporting us, and for being a part of this journey. We can't wait to share what's next, so be sure to tune back in when we return in the new year.

Speaker D: Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from M. Mint Mobile. Now, I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it

Speaker C: turns out that's very illegal.

Speaker D: Uh, so there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment

Speaker A: of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 month Plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. C terms.