Ok Google

You basically created a new category within the beverage industry. Did you realize it was a new category when you set out to do this?

I had no idea. I think that the first meeting that we had with a conventional grocer like a Kroger or Safeway, I learned at that point, after looking at a planogram, so I didn't even know what a planogram was. But once I actually heard about this planogram where that was basically dictating exactly what they would put on the shelf.

I don't even know what a planogram is.

So a planogram is essentially a map that says, "this is what is gonna go on a shelf." So when you walk down a beverage aisle or any food aisle there is a map that says a certain percentage of this aisle is going to be soda. A certain percentage is going to be water. A certain percentage is gonna be enhanced waters but all of the enhanced -- I think it was actually called sweetened enhanced waters. Then I realized that, number one, we were starting a brand new category that hadn't existed, but also, so much of this power that existed in conventional grocers was grandfathered in from years and years of dealing with the large soda companies. And I had to figure out ways to grow my business outside of that. Because they were not only locked in to working under this planogram theory but also it was gonna cost me a lot of money. I mean I was hearing numbers like millions and millions of dollars in order to get in. And I'm self-funding this company. I didn't have millions and millions of dollars to actually go and buy shelf space at a Safeway. And so early on I took a step back and I think at that point there were so many points along the way and I think that was one of them where I really thought, "I don't know if I can do this. I don't know how I can really break through to that next level without having big checks."

And that's when I met with a little company called Google that was truly a little company down in Silicon Valley. And they were -- it's a funny story -- they were trying to hire me for a tech job, and I said, "I'm just not ready to make a commitment yet." and he said, "Well what are you doing?" probably anticipating it was working for Microsoft or Yahoo or somebody else, and I said, "I have started this beverage company and I'm really trying to figure it out." And he kind of laughed and thought, a beverage company -- like you have beverage experience? And started naming all of these reasons why it was a bad idea, and I said, "No, not at all but we got it into Whole Foods and he was like, "Wow, that's amazing! You got into Whole Foods?" And I said, "I know -- and it's actually selling, and it's like a tiny tiny little business but I just really want to see where this thing goes." And he said, "You know we just started hiring, we just hired a chef but I don't think we've done anything about the drinks, so why don't you call this guy and see if he'll put your drinks in there." And I said, "It'd be great!" So I got in my car and I brought him ten cases and then the next day he called me and he said, "So can you drop 30 cases tomorrow?" and then...

Just like that.

By the end of the week, yeah they went through it. He was like, "The employees loved it!" And he was paying me for it, and you know just as soon as I dropped it off he was giving me a check and I was like this is amazing business! And so pretty quickly they became our largest store. I mean it was it was amazing.