AMP’s Post

Uncle Nearest is dominating the whiskey industry! As previously mentioned by AFROTECH, Uncle Nearest is a Black-owned whiskey company spearheaded by Fawn Weaver to commemorate Nathan "Nearest" Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. The company has since made significant strides in the spirits industry, with availability in over 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurants in 12 countries per outlet. One aspect of the company's continued success has been its ability to secure funding through individual support, "It's always been an investor in my company sharing with people in their network that, 'Yeah, it's risky as hell, but I'm willing to take that risk.' Then they convince their peers who express interest in investing," Weaver told Fortune. Per the outlet, Uncle Nearest is now valued at $900 million, putting it on the brink of Unicorn status. Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eUVzZMns #AFROTECH #Whiskey #BlackOwnedBusiness

It’s been nearly a year since I left my job with Mauro Auzinger to go and make healthy iced tea at Marna, and these are my reflections: The Awesome Bits: 1. 2024 was the year we went viral on TikTok. Since February, using just our phones, we have managed to grow an amazing community of nearly 15,000 people on a platform that up until recently we weren't entirely sure how to use. From day 1, we’ve focused on telling our story, bringing people along in real-time with everything that we do and we have seen first-hand the reward of being authentic in our approach. 2. We landed our first retail listing with Fortnum & Mason! This was an incredibly special one for us given their deep relationship with tea, and its testament to the drinks that we have set out to create that they were selected to be a part of the range. 3. As of yesterday, we have now surpassed the number of cans sold in the whole of last year, in just over 4 months. We have set out to forge great relationships with all that we work with, and it is thanks to these that we are able to give our iced tea the chance to be shared with everyone. The Tougher Moments: 1. Courier nightmares. We saw a massive increase in orders after our first TikTok post, and with that came the issues of cans arriving to our customers damaged. This was really frustrating for us, as we take special care in the fulfilment and presentation of our cans. And so, for the last month, we have spent real time and energy to find a solution, and we now have a better-designed box that protects what we work so hard to create. 2. Making sure that the highs don’t get too high, and the lows get too low. This was something my old boss told me when I left Lazard, and boy were they right. It can be draining at times, but its those harder days, which make the great ones feel awesome. 3. Distribution challenges. The food and beverage industry is a complex web of different supply chains and key individuals, and making progress can be slow going sometimes. We are learning everyday and slowly but surely, we are getting the hang of it all. It is an exciting time, and although there are many hurdles ahead, we can feel the support from everyone, which means a lot. #makingmarna #startuplife #icedtea

Espresso may not be the answer to ALL of life’s problems, but it’s worth a shot… just kidding! It’s definitely NOT the answer to the problem my clients may be facing in regards to questions about their marketing. The best answer to that challenge is to have a plan. I help you understand, learn and implement the RIGHT strategies for your business... no caffeine required (but definitely encouraged)! Ready to dive in? DM me to get started! #haveaplan #StartWithaSmile #nocaffeinerequired #worrylessdreammore

Brewing Success: #RageCoffee Hits INR 100 Cr in Cumulative Sales! 🚀 Fuelling the coffee revolution, D2C startup Rage Coffee achieves a milestone with INR 100 Cr in cumulative brand sales by December 2023. Founder and CEO Bharat Sethi shares the triumph on LinkedIn, celebrating the collective effort that propelled Rage Coffee into the spotlight. In the face of scepticism, Rage Coffee's mad hustle and unwavering execution capabilities have proven critics wrong. Sethi acknowledges the pivotal role played by investors, partners, loyal customers, and the dedicated team in this journey towards excellence. Navigating challenges with just 5-7 SKUs, the startup's success story is a testament to resilience and innovation. Over 3.2 million customers have embraced Rage Coffee's offerings, spanning sachets to jars, through various channels, both online and offline. Sethi proudly highlights the brand's independence from a single channel, ensuring a diversified and robust market presence. As Rage Coffee's aroma continues to permeate the coffee landscape, this achievement is not just a milestone—it's a testament to the power of dedication, customer loyalty, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. #Opodsunakya #Opodisagoodhabit #indianstartups #indianstartupnews

I love #startuplife. Way too much soda - but honestly, building a startup from scratch is just a different experience, whether it's tech of food/beverage. Coming from the SMB/CPG packaging space, we understand that #supplychainpain is 💯 real for companies of all sizes....and have set out on a mission to simplify it for food and beverage SMBs with an easy-to-use software. If you're interested in talking about #supplychainpain and #startuplife - let's connect. We are looking to listen to the biggest problems in supply chain for this segment and get some feedback on our soon-to-be-released SMB product.

This is a telling post and Jarret deserves a lot of credit for telling it straight. Last spring we were designing a functional drink and I was visiting South Carolina. I went to 3 grocery stores and bought one sample of 13 distinct functional drink brands. I didn't bother with the 1st generation sugar and caffeine energy drinks. These were all what I refer to as 2nd generation drinks. I put them in the fridge and tried them the next morning. I let them warm and tried them again and after 12 hrs when the carbonated ones were flat, I tried them again. Oh my, as a group they were horrible and got worse with age. One really horrible one actually did improve in both secondary tastings. Meaning it would have been better produced without carbonation and I imagine the company didn't even test that use case. We have a long way to go. The market wants a better tasting kombucka with clearer health benefits. There are some companies kicking it. The biotic companies in Canada like COVE now in Costco US and the US company Olipop which is now in Canada, those are great products. And non-alcoholic beer producer Partake, another Canaidan company taking names in US grocers has an incredible product. Don't forget, that beer protien is one of the easier and fastest protiens for the body to absorb. There are lots of ways to get functional. But the consumer market is a flavor and mouth feel buyer value. Aim Higher! Design like a wine maker is what I tell people. Bench trial, bench trial, bench trial!