Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carolyn Kim, managing partner at Motto Beverage Company, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are an innovative beverage company that makes fresh soda entirely from plants. We make matcha and rooibos tea easy and enjoyable to consume. We trace our simple ingredients right to their source: apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, agave, Japanese Matcha, South African Rooibos, and sea salt. That's it. Our customers are matcha lovers. They're athletes, they're culinary artists, they're career-driven, and they're balanced (just like our ingredients).
Tell us about yourself
I fell in love with matcha because of Motto. I met the Founders nearly a decade ago when I was running Social Events for Boston's brightest. After bearing witness to the quick adoption of their Sparkling Matcha, I was determined to stay involved. Fast forward to 2020, I joined Motto Beverage Company as a Managing Partner to support the vision of making Motto the go-to alternative to beverages that lack nourishment, quality, or flavor. Our plan is to expand our product line and make them widely available for purchase.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Receiving feedback that our beverages give people something to look forward to every day. That's what this is all about.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
There's a lot of misinformation to compete against and navigate around. We don't believe that it's sustainable to consume synthetic or highly processed foods in our diets without long-term health consequences. Everything in moderation - including nutritive, natural sweeteners like honey and agave are delightful in mindful proportions. We do not align with the slew of zero-calorie sweeteners that are bombarding the marketplace. Clean, natural ingredients and 'keeping it simple' is harder than it sounds -- plus it's more expensive. But the bottom line is it's worth it and reflects in both the flavor and how you feel moments and hours after consumption.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Read "Applied Strategic Planning" by Leonard Goodstein, Timothy Nolan, and J. William Pfeffer.
- Choose your team wisely and commit to full transparency and overcommunication.
- Constantly prepare for the worst-case scenarios while staying focused on the dream.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://drinkmotto.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolynMeenan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkmotto/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynmeenan/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.