243 From Idea to Reality: Starting an Alcohol Beverage Company with Mitchell Stern
I sit down with Mitchell Stern from Darling Mimosa and we're chatting about Following Your Curiosity, Starting an Alcohol Beverage Company, and Navigating Entrepreneurship
This week I sit down with Mitchell Stern from Darling Mimosa and we're chatting about Following Your Curiosity, Starting an Alcohol Beverage Company, and Navigating Entrepreneurship.
Darling Mimosa is a bright sparkling orange mimosa in a can. Made with Ontario wine and real orange juice. No preservatives or additives.
The idea for Darling Mimosa started with a few friends, hanging out in a kitchen, making brunch and realizing that there were no canned mimosas on the market!
After doing some research, they found that no one was making canned mimosas so they quickly got work.
Today, Darling Mimosa is inspiring you to Live Life on the Brightside!
In this episode, we discuss…
The creation of a sparkling mimosa in a can made w/ Ontario wine and real juice
Mitch’s role as a consultant and advisor to other CPG & Beverage Brands
How he finds balance while having his hands in various projects.
Access the transcript for this episode:
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Hey, visionaries, welcome back to the show. So back for his second appearance on the show. Is Mitchell Stern. You might remember Mitchell from Visionary Life Podcast, episode 1 0 8. We talked about elevating the brand experience with his former company, Station Cold Brew Coffee, and we dove into the journey of becoming an entrepreneur.
Especially while navigating mental health challenges and riding the rollercoaster. And we talked a lot about experiential marketing and strategies that you could also leverage if you're building a brand. And oh my gosh, we dove into a lot of real talk on that episode. So I'd highly encourage you go back, listen, uh, if you're looking for an extra episode, but today I get to reconnect with Mitch and he is someone who.
Always loved chatting with. I've known him and been acquainted to him for probably like six or seven years. We originally met on the streets of Toronto while he was sampling Station Cold Brew. We did a lot of work together when I was working for Vega and he was growing Station Cold Brew as their marketing direct.
But today Mitch is actually pouring into a brand new project called Darling Mimosa. You might have even tried these canned mimosas. They are so good. They're actually made with Ontario wine. Um, I live in Ontario, so it's local wine. And Real juice. So basically in this episode we chat about Mitch's serendipitous moment and really what happened with the origin story of Darling Mimosa and how they basically built the entire brand in six weeks, which is so crazy.
Uh, we talked. To about just like where Darling Mimosa is going and how they've found success in such a short amount of time. Uh, and then towards the end of the episode, we also talk about Mitch's other role as a consultant and an advisor to other CPG and beverage brands and how he finds balance while having his hands in various projects.
Can you guys relate if you're multi passionate? I feel that way all of the time. Like, Mitch, I wouldn't have it any other way. So I know you're gonna love this episode. There is so much to dig into here and honestly, you might wanna listen twice. So definitely go check out the, the show notes if you wanna watch the YouTube or if you wanna, uh, get all of the links to what we talk about.
and if you wanna find Darling Mimosa, you can probably easily find them on Instagram. They're just at darling mimosa. Or you could even connect with, uh, Mitch on LinkedIn. I feel like I can't talk today, , so it's a Monday. Forgive me. Uh, just type in Mitchell Stern on LinkedIn and you can go connect with him.
He's such an awesome, real and just vulnerable individual that I've always admired. So enjoy this episode. Mitch and I hope to see you guys soon.
Mitch, welcome back to the podcast. It's been, as we mentioned in our pre-chat about two and a half years since we sat down virtually, I think our. First conversation on the Visionary Life Podcast was actually just at the beginning of the pandemic. So I think we were supposed to do it in person and then it turned into a Zoom interview and here we are two and a half years later.
Zoom interview part two. So, you know, last time we chatted we kind of talked about, um, you know, a lot of important concepts around building resilience as an entrepreneur and the rollercoaster ride that you can expect and sharing the highs and lows. And I think. We're gonna keep this as a continuation of that conversation and just catching up on what you've been up to, uh, since we last chatted.
So welcome back to the show.
Awesome. Thanks. Uh, thanks for inviting me back. Uh, if you had told me two and a half years ago that we'd be doing this again over Zoom. Yeah. Uh, and what's occurred in the past two and a half years did, I'm not sure I would've believed it, but, uh, here we are. Here we are. I'm happy to.
Here we are.
And you know what? That's a thing like, you know how some people talk about building a five year plan or a 10 year plan? Sometimes I'm like, I just don't know that we can really calculate where you're going to be in 10 years because so much is serendipitous. And I know both you and I are passionate about connections and saying yes to opportunities and meeting people and so much unfolds through.
These moments that we really couldn't plan or put into a 10 year strategy. I don't know how you feel about the long term planning versus living in the day to day and just embracing things as they come to you.
Yeah, I mean, I'm, I'm very pragmatic and I oftentimes admittedly, for better, for worse, live more in the day to day.
And I think as an entrepreneur you kind of have to, because you're sort of in the weeds all the time. And, uh, one thing that I, I try to, uh, stay conscious of. Is trying to think a little bit larger. Even if, um, you know, knowing that if I build a five year plan or a 10 year plan today, it's probably going to be different.
Um, I think it's still important to do that to, to set those goals for yourself and, you know, manifestation I believe in. And so like, you know, I think that's, I.
Absolutely. Yeah. I kind of have that hybrid approach too. It's like, have the plan, but know that there are things that are gonna fall into your lap and opportunities that you couldn't have written into that.
So it's kinda like fluctuating, but maybe being somewhere in the middle. Mm-hmm. . So, Okay. So since we last chatted, You have embarked on a brand new journey and you are the co-founder of Darling Mimosa, and I've tried them. They're amazing. They're actually at the L CBO in my tiny little town that I live in, so that's really, really cool.
Uh, congratulations. So Darling Mimosa is a canned mimosa drink made with Ontario Wine, Real Juice. We need to know how the heck did this brand come to be? What's kind of like, Aha moment or origin story, or whatever you guys call it. Uh, can you take us back to where it all began?
Yeah, I, I can for sure. I mean, like, at the beginning of the pandemic, um, uh, as a lot of people were doing, uh, we, I think we all had a lot of time to reflect and sort of like figure out, um, you know, personal things.
And for me, I, I was, uh, really missing sort. That spark that I had when we started my previous business station, Cold Brew. Cause I, and, and what I realized was I really love that sort of like early stage ideation, creative, uh, you know, white market sort of like, uh, new product innovation. Um, Piece, piece to the puzzle.
And so I naturally sort of found myself just thinking daily about what could be next. And I had actually come up with a brand concept called Brightside. And the whole idea was just sort of like living life on the bright side. Uh, Early on in the pandemic, that was also, um, uh, I'm not gonna use the term mantra, but it was something that I was trying to lean into a little bit because nobody knew what the heck was happening.
Um, and, and, you know, feeling sort of like living in gratitude. That's all. And I had, I had mentioned this brand concept to a very close friend of mine who's an, an amazing award-winning creative director and now business partner, uh, Kim Tarlow. Um, And one day we found ourselves at her cottage in Collingwood early pandemic.
We were sort of in our bubble. There were six of us together. Um, and I was making mimosas for, uh, for the group. And I sort of asked the question like, How do I make this? Like, I don't know what the ratios are. I wasn't a mimosa drinker. I didn't know a ton about. What it was, but obviously was familiar with it because it's so universally recognized.
And I had this moment where I was just like, this should just be available in a can. And as a, you know, self proclaimed beverage nerd, I, I follow the beverage industry quite closely in Canada, the us and I know what's happening in, in the beverage alcohol space, and everything's moving into cans, wine in cans, cocktails and cans, you know, vodka, sodas, et cetera.
And so I started digging around and fortunately I had some people in my network, um, who was sort of one of my advisors with Station, um, who came from the L cbo. And so I called her to say like, Is there a reason this product doesn't exist? Like mimosas are one of the most universally recognized cocktails yet?
I can't buy it in a can. It doesn't make sense. So is there a reason? Yeah, the answer was there was, there were no, there was no good reason. Um, and so naturally, I. Figured out that maybe we could do it ourself. Uh, we paired that with this concept of Brightside and, uh, you know, this sort of like bright, optimistic, uh, energy of the Brightside brand that I had come up with paired nicely with, uh, what a mimosa stands for, which is, you know, mimosas are synonymous with celebration.
And so we dove in, my partner Kim and I, we, we in six weeks. Uh, formulated a liquid, built a visual identity for the brand. Uh, we brought on an amazing designer to be sort of like co-founder as well, and, uh, unbelievable. Um, and the three of us sort of like, yeah, I mean, I'm thinking back six weeks was not a lot of time and we pitched the L CBO and they, and they loved it.
Um, you know, they love the fact that we use Ontario wine. It's a big part of our value proposition. Um, and we wanted to create something that was, uh, an authentic mimosa and again, like pretty straightforward. Um, you know, I joke that I spent eight years trying to educate people on cold brew coffee, why it's different, a new way to drink coffee and to drink it out of a can.
This is very different and certainly much easier, um, to sort of like educate. Uh, we did run into some trademark issues with the term Brightside, uh, which is, which led us to Darling, um, which I'm very grateful for I in that moment. Uh, when we realized this, I had a very hard time with it, truthfully. Um, but our tagline that we had come up with was, Go ahead, darling.
Live life on the bright side. and so darling just became this natural fit, and I'm very happy with where we netted out because Dar the term darling has this very sort of like, lovely, supportive, um, you know, like I know lots of people whose parents are, are, uh, you know, from the uk and, and, and it's a very endearing term.
Yeah. So there's like this positive association with it, and, and that's where we landed. So that's like the initial start of Darling and that's, that was the middle of 2020.
Wow. There's so much that I wanna unpack there, but first, do you feel like there was an element of right place, right time, and even to add onto that, right, people like it feels like to create something in six weeks and to all be like, Yeah, let's stop what we're doing and go forward with this.
Something was working there.
Yeah, there's no, there's no question. I mean, I, I think that people are presented with opportunities all the time in terms of timing. Yeah. And you know, it's a very fortunate and privileged thing to say. Of course not everybody has given that, and I feel. Grateful that I, I do have that opportunity and did have that opportunity, but at the timing was great for sure.
Um, and the people are the most important part. Like I said this, I've said this from my days with station, like, Station would never be what it was without my two partners. Like I, I firmly believe in, uh, Uh, knowing what you're good at and what you want to be spending your time doing and surrounding yourself with people who sort of compliment that.
And I, we've got an amazing team and mm-hmm. , you know, Kim is one of my best friends too, which is an interesting path to go down, starting a business with one of your best friends. But it's been incredible. There's a tremendous amount of. Um, you know, she's an award-winning creative director who has done some incredible things and, um, you know, I, I think the people that we've started it with are, are very important.
something that you guys seem to have completely mastered is the branding of Darling. Like, I, I didn't, I, I actually didn't know the story of Brightside and how that tied in, but when I look at the can and the design aesthetic, that is a word that I would. Say, like, I'd be like, It's just bright and it makes me feel cheery and positive.
How much of the brand actually came from that word? Uh, like did that kind of direct how you brought the can to life and just like the general aesthetic of what you built overall?
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think the first thing I'll say is that, um, you know, with Station I was, I was the brand guy, like I was the marketing person.
And with Darling, I've actually taken a step aside simply because of the. Qualifications of, of Kim and, and our designer Anna. Like they've done some incredible work and, you know, I've been involved in the process, of course, and it's been a team effort, but, uh, I, I put a lot of trust in them, in, in getting us to where we are and, and look at the results.
You know, I think that, um, we, we, I, we probably talked about this on our previous, on our previous, um, chat, but I, I think that brand has. Mean more than the product. And I think there are way too many brands who don't understand that, you know? Yeah. What it is, and, and when I look at your product, I should be able to feel something, I should be able to understand what you're trying to emote and, and you just described it like what you just described is exactly what we're trying to do with darling.
And like I said before, it's built on the platform of optimism and celebration and, you know, celebration is, is synonymous with mimosas. Sure. Um, and that's, you know, weddings and holidays and brunch in the park with friends. Those are all celebratory moments. And optimism is just something that I think everybody needs right now.
Like, there's just so much that's happened in the past two and a half years, and I think that that's what we're trying to, to really convey. So, uh, the brand and, and you know, when I, when you think about the competitive nature of the lc, b o. And this category, you need a good brand to stand out on shelf, like, you know, we went with bright and bold colors.
Yes. Because it fits what we're trying to convey and, and the name and the story and all of that. But also because it's, it's something that will stand out on shelf and that's, that's how you're gonna try to compete with some of the big, the big.
And aside from being on shelf at the L cbo, are you currently doing any online marketing, like your digital shelf?
Is there a presence there? What's working outside of just being in. Brick and mortar stores. Yeah,
it's, it's interesting because, uh, there are a lot of regulations, and this was a big learning for me. Um, moving into alcohol. There's a ton of regulations, uh, that are slowly getting better. You know, the lc, b o uh, is, is really the place where you have to start, and we're very fortunate to have the opportunity to be there.
Um, we actually aren't able to sell direct to consumer online because we don't manufacture the product ourself. And so there's some regulations around that that we're trying to work through. Uh, I'm also hopefully working towards getting our product into sort of like grocery, because as you know, that's evolving and I think that's a great opportunity for us and something I know very well from my previous role.
Um, you know, we. We are constantly building the brand online. You know, that's a big part of what we do. I think that, um, you know, the big thing about Darling, and this is sort of off, off topic to what you, what you've asked, but it's important, is that we firmly believe that like, The demographic that we're going after is very underrepresented and oftentimes spoken to in a very sort of like archaic way.
Like mm-hmm. . There's no question that our demographic is heavily female. And that's why my partner Kim, who's also a new mom, is like, she knows how to speak to that demographic. And it's about sort of just like talking to them, not with them, not at them. And I think there's a lot of brands. Have identified females as their target, and they do it in such a, like, old school, cheesy way.
Uh, and that's not what we're trying to do at Darling. We're trying to build a brand that speaks to our core demo as, uh, as just like a, like a friend, somebody who understands and is going through the same stuff. You know what I mean? And that's also why I don't handle that part of the business. Cause I, I have no right in doing that.
I love it. And it sounds like you kind of identified a weak spot in the market. Like most brands are not in conversation with women and you're like, we can do this differently, right? Mm-hmm. , um, instead of just doing it the way it's always been done, it's like, no, what is our brand voice and how can we carry that through so that it actually sets us apart from every other brand who might have a similar product or a similar.
Message to share.
Yeah, absolutely. And you know, I think that, you know, with, with Kim and Anna and myself, um, we also brought on two other individuals over the past year and a half. Um, another, which is females. So three outta five of us are females. So we're 60% female owned right now and mm-hmm. . And it's really important to us and, and certainly to me, like I.
Uh, I think females are definitely underrepresented and undersupported as, uh, as founders. And, you know, there's all sorts of statistics around, um, how much funding with startups goes towards, uh, you know, male founders versus female founders. And, and, and it's also a part of the DNA of our business, you know, uh, and again, it goes back to like surrounding yourself with the right people.
I would never be able to do this on
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On any online order and have everything shipped straight to your doorstep. So again, head to healthy planet canada.com and use the code Visionary 2022 at checkout to save 10% on any online order over $50. Yeah, and I know, uh, a big piece of our last conversation was always making sure that you do surround yourself with awesome people and to really know what you are good at and to bring in people who maybe feel.
Those gaps. And I love that that is still kind of probably a core belief of you personally, but also of your team as you build out darling, it's like, no, like there are people who are better at branding than I or better at, you know, insert job title here than I, and you're looking to kind of bring in the best talent and people who can fill those
voids.
No question. It's, it's, it's a core belief that I learned and has just become sort of like one of the most valuable lessons I've learned as an. .
So in addition to spending time as the co-founder of Darling, you're also doing consulting and advising for various beverage and CPG brands. So what prompted you to want to dive into the world of consulting and tell us a little bit about that journey.
Yeah, of course. I mean, what, what started that was, uh, I mean, when I was starting. In my entrepreneurial journey, a lot of people gave me a lot of time and, uh, you know, there's a lot of lessons that were shared with me early on that um, maybe I was told and didn't have to go through. And, you know, I firmly believe in, in giving back and I have a lot of lessons to share, uh, that will hopefully, you know, help people all along their journey.
It's not apples to apples. It's also very important to me when I'm consulting or advising to say like, you know, my experience is this. It may not be the same for you. And have empathy towards the situation that that person's in and their business and the product, and there's so many variables. Yeah. Um, But it's really the love for helping people and also just the community in the natural, sort of like health and wellness, food and beverage world, which you, I know, you know quite well.
Um, the community's incredible and I've met some of the best people, um, in, in that world. And you. During the pandemic, the sort of like, you know, the C HFA had trade shows were missing and I recently went to one and it was amazing to reconnect with so many awesome people. And so it's also that love for the space and the innovation and the, the new brands and, and sort of like pushing boundaries when it comes to products.
Uh, that's the stuff that really, uh, pushed me into trying to. Trying to share some of my experience to help other founders. Mm-hmm. ,
did you ever doubt in the fact that people would want to hire you, like experience any imposter syndrome, or did you always feel confident that like you've been through a lot, you know, in bringing what you have to life and all the lessons, experiences that you've alluded to, that you do have enough to share?
Where did you find yourself when you started to come out as an advisor? As a consultant?
Yeah. I mean, I. There's no question there's a tremendous amount of imposter syndrome. Like I'm a, I'm a pretty straightforward guy and like Yeah. You know, I, I, I experience a lot of that. I really do. And, uh, it's, it's constantly getting better in that, uh, you know, I will leave a conversation with somebody, whether it's as a consultant, advisor or just a friend.
Um, and, and I will oftentimes think to myself, You've shared a lot because you've been through a lot and, and it's a good reminder to do that, but yeah. Um, and, and the truth is that I have been through a lot, um, and, and I, I want to be able to share that. So, you know, perception is a very interesting thing.
I actually posted something on LinkedIn a little while ago around perception and, you know, whether it's looking at a business or looking at an individual, whether it has to do with. Their professional journey or their personal journey. You know, mental health plays a factor in this. I think that it's important to look at somebody and also, and, and realize that maybe they don't have their shit together, or maybe that business doesn't have their shit together.
Like maybe it's one of, looks like one of the most successful businesses, but on the back end they're struggling with all sorts of stuff and it's just a reality and that's okay. Like I think that's the important. . That's just the way it is, and that's also why it's important to surround yourself with great people because they're the ones who are gonna help you get through those things.
So,
So true. And it's interesting too because I mean, we can scroll LinkedIn or be on Instagram and, and see all the highlight reel and what's going well, but I feel like there's also, uh, this reminder that we all need that two states can kind of coexist at once. Like you can be having a ton of success in business, but also it's like a complete disaster on the back end.
Or in my own experience, I felt like. Last year I had the best year of my life, but I also had the worst year of my life. And it's hard to explain that to people who maybe haven't felt that dichotomy of like, things can be going really well, but they can also be really, really hard. Or I can appear to be very happy at the trade show, but I can also be dealing with my own crap on the back end.
And one thing does. You know, necessarily have to be mutually exclusive from the other. And it's a conversation that is not had a lot. And also I think as just human beings who we make quick judgements. We see something happening in someone's life, or we identify a business that's doing well and we assume that is somehow a blanket statement to the rest of their life or to the rest of their business.
But it's. No, no, no, no, no. Like that is a small snippet and there can also be something else happening that is actually like really, really hard or that is not perfect and shiny and successful. So it's tough if you like, haven't really sat down and thought how these states coexist. But it's true. Like there could be a business that we seemingly think is doing really well, but that is duct taped together and that's okay.
It doesn't mean that like, You know that it's a, a complete write off. So I don't know how you feel about.
No, I, I, Everything you said is exactly, uh, the way I think and, and things that I've thought about a lot. You know, I, I think that there, Midday squares is such an easy example to use for, for a great reason.
Like they show the back end of all the crap that happens behind the scenes, and I think that's really important. Um, and, and I love those guys. Like, it's, it's an amazing team and they're doing some really great stuff, but like, I think it's important to know that yes, they can coexist. They're, it's not one or the.
And oftentimes one leads to the other, right? Like, if you think about it, you have to go through the tough stuff to get to the good stuff. And oftentimes as you're growing a business or growing as an individual with more good stuff, because you're evolving mm-hmm. will come opportunity for more bad stuff.
And that's the sort of like up and down rollercoaster that is business and life and all of these things. So I, I, I definitely, definitely agree with, with that. And it's something that I'm just always, always thinking.
Yeah, I'm sure in your consulting and in your advising, and even with Darling, like you've had moments where you just feel like things aren't going that well or you're working with a client where they're like, We don't know we're hitting a wall here.
How do you stay the course when things aren't necessarily panning out the way you thought they would? Or if you're working with a client that's like, I just wanna throw in the towel, or I'm having a bad day. Like, how do you move through a tough season, a tough day, a tough week, and know that there probably is going to be something.
Down the line or down the road.
Mm-hmm. , I think when it comes to, you know, the consulting side, I think, uh, the relationships that I like to build are very open and honest and sort of like empathetic. And so I always approach any relationship like that. And so if I'm having a bad day or can't do something for somebody in time, like I, I'm the first to admit that, uh, when it comes to business, you know, there's, there's been moments, um, there, there are two things that occur.
During my days at Station, that felt like the end of the world, like two very specific memories that I have. One was like a production issue that was a disaster. One was like a misprint on a label. Like there's, there's some very big things, and those two circumstances were very important lessons for me in how to handle.
When things like that happen. And, uh, there's a scenario early on with Darling where something happened and, uh, I remember sort of like having this visceral reaction, like physical reaction to it, like almost an anxiety attack about how am I gonna deal with this? And then took some time to, to sit down and think about my previous experience.
And it allowed me to handle it differently and know. These things happen and that there's ways to fix it and that it's, you know, that cyclical rollercoaster that comes up and down. And, and I've been able to share that with a few, um, uh, people that I'm advising and, and working with as well. You know, I had one of them call me last week with like a challenge that reminded me of that circumstance that I, that I previously mentioned and mm-hmm.
and was able to sort of like, help her work through it and, I, I think that's just like all it is, is it's not going to always be great. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. and that's okay. . It's about how you deal with the, the challenges that come up and, um, and, and that's really all that it is.
Mm-hmm. And it's tough too sometimes as a consultant because like it's you that is often needed.
You know, the face of your brand as the person who's doing a lot of the thinking and advising. So when you are having a tough day or a personal challenge to be able to say like you do, Hey, I, I just can't show up today. Or to have that transparent conversation of, you know what, I just, we need to recalibrate and maybe chat tomorrow instead.
It's tough because it's hard to sometimes admit like, I'm not feeling a hundred percent or 110. So I can't be there today or mm-hmm. , we just need to put this on pause. What do you do to recalibrate yourself if you find yourself going towards a dip or maybe waking up in a dip? Um, how do you nurture that and honor that and hopefully come out the other side stronger?
Yeah, I mean, easier said than done. And even as you're like saying that, I'm like thinking to myself, I've been, I've been burning out a little bit. Maybe I need that time right now. Like, Oh
yeah. So it's little mental
reminder. . It's a good reminder. I mean, for, for me, for me, like friends and family are very important to that, uh, spending time with them in like a, um, A very present manner, as best as possible, you know?
Um, exercise for me is a very important thing. I've actually sort of like, this sounds ridiculous to say, but like during the pandemic I did a lot of walking and I've started to appreciate walking a little bit. Like I was a pretty heavy sort of like CrossFit guy for a while and my, it took a little bit of a toll on my body.
And, uh, you know, I've, I've started to learn the best ways as I get older. The best way is to manage exercise for me. And you know, walking has been a part of it and I'll throw on a podcast, whatever that is, and that might be something that's sort of like educational, but it might be something, uh, about, you know, sports cuz I'm a big sports guy.
So it's like, those are the types of things that allow me to really like, manage those moments and the days that, and, and the time that I need to, to refresh. I. .
Mm-hmm. . Yes. Oh man. I feel like every year that I get older, walking becomes way more enjoyable. . Mm-hmm. . Absolutely. I'm actually trying to train myself now.
Walk without a podcast, Kelsey. Like, just go and listen to the sounds of nature and get your next best idea, or like, tune in to. That next aha moment that might be, um, you know, that jumps out at you when you're just walking in peace . Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Oh, I love that. Um, so curious, like right now, what does a week in the life of Mitch look like?
So I know you've got your hands in darling Mimosa, you've got your other projects. Like, what does a weekend life look like? What are you up? .
Yeah. I mean, uh, today looks different than it did last week or the week before, of course. Um, you know, I'm, I'm juggling a lot of things right now and, uh, admittedly, uh, for a very long time I.
Um, how do I put this? For a very long time, I was, the story I was telling myself was that I, I lack focus because I'm doing a lot of things. Yeah. And that I, and that I need focus. Um, I'm a really good multitasker. Yeah. And I can do a lot of things at once. And the story I was telling myself, Because I can do that.
I'm not focused, but actually something that I've spoken with my therapist about is actually multitasking. Takes a lot of focus and so it's like just retelling myself that story of like, that's just something I'm really good at. And that's okay. Um, and so, you know, my days jump from Darling to other brands that I'm working with.
You know, I try to block my schedules accordingly. I try to leave, you know, Fridays open just in case something comes up or have lunch with somebody or, you know, I'm obviously trying to get out in the world more now as opposed to video chats. Yes. I actually had a meeting this morning with a gentleman who I had just assumed we were gonna meet on video, and he was like, Can you come to my office?
And I was like, Yes. Oh God. And it's, and it wasn't close, but I was happy to get in the car and drive and, and, and, and be there and, and, You know, I think the meeting was way more productive than it would've been over, over video. And, um, yeah. So I mean, my weeks always look different. Um, I, I try to schedule time for myself when I can.
You know, I'm usually up early in the morning. I don't try to jump into work right away. Uh, there are days where I. Have to, of course. Um, sometimes I'll try to exercise in the morning, even if it's just a quick walk. Um, I got into a pretty good habit of doing that a while ago in the evenings. I'm working sometimes, but again, try to protect my time when and where I can.
Um, and, and same thing with weekends. So it's, it's constantly evolving and I'm sort of embracing that of, of that sort of fluidity of my schedule. Cause I'm a, I thrive a little bit more in structure. And so I'm, I'm trying to sort of just accept the balance of structure and like flow a little bit.
Okay.
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Yeah, and I love that reframe of. Uh, what you were talking about, like, just because you're a multitasker, it doesn't mean you're not focused because I think so often that is the story that a lot of entrepreneurs actually tell themselves because the reason why they keep starting these ideas is because they've got a lot going on and they like to have 10 tabs open at once, and they like to flip-flop from this project to the next to the next.
For me, that's why I love the consulting industry is because it allows me to work with multiple clients, multiple projects, to have a few things on the go. I never get bored. I never feel like I have to stay dialed in to one project because, hey, if my creativity shifts or if I get an idea, I can go to the next thing and pour into that and then go back to what I was working on and for.
For so long, I told myself this story that I just like had the a d d brain and that, you know, like I, I could never dedicate myself or um, just like time block in a way, but I realized that's just not honoring my biology and the way that I like to work and reframing that to actually say this is maybe my superpower is that I can change from a creative task.
Uh, like a strategic task to back to, you know, doing whatever else I need to do. Um, and I think it's an important reminder for anyone listening who is starting a business or who is working in a business that you can tap into, um, some of the things that you may have seen as like, Uh, a weakness and actually, uh, ask yourself, how can I reframe this?
And maybe it can become my strength. Because my guess is that, um, there are a lot of things that we tell ourselves are bad qualities, uh, to run a business that actually could be shifted into, no, actually this is gonna help me in so many ways to stand out from other consultants because, you know, it allows me.
You know, be more passionate when I am in
my work. Mm-hmm. . Yeah, no question. I think that it's really important cuz we're, we're sort of like taught this, um, and I see it all the time on, on Instagram and TikTok and like these sort of like, uh, productivity hacks and like, you know, organizing your life this way and this way and, and those things are amazing.
Mm-hmm. . Um, but it doesn't work for everybody and that's okay. Yeah. And everybody has their own way of working. Um, . And so I think it's important to just embrace the way that works for you, evolve, of course. And you can get better at everything always. But yeah, it's, it's a really, really important lesson for me that I've tried to embrace as best as possible and not feel guilty about it.
Well, and it goes back to the concept of like there is no one size fits all formula. And when you try to copy someone's formula from TikTok and then it doesn't work for you, you think, Oh, well I'm the problem. It's like, No, you're not the problem. It's just that that was not the method that fits with who you are as a human.
And that's why I think you alluded to it, the fact or when we began this podcast. You are happy to share your experience, but you're not saying like this is exactly what's going to work when you launch your canned alcohol beverage brand, right? It's like I can share my experience, but you have to kind of take what resonates and we need to test and iterate and then find the method that's going to work for this brand or you know, whoever you're working with.
Totally. I, I recently, I, I'm reminded of this, I recently saw like a mock video on TikTok of like, um, it was mocking this sort of like idea of, uh, you know, the hundred most successful entrepreneurs and what their morning routine looks like and what they get done before everybody else is even awake. Yeah.
And, and again, I, if, if, if that sort of lifestyle works for you and you're efficient in doing it, I am all for it. And I've tried. 5:30 AM wake up and write and meditate and do all these things before I even start my day. And sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But this video that I saw was, uh, it was just like all of these things that this person was doing before everybody else was awake, and it was like the most ob obscure thing that you could even consider anybody doing.
And it was just another good reminder of like, Yeah, also don't take it so seriously sometimes.
Exactly. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. 1000%. Mm-hmm. . So, I'm curious because now that you are consulting various brands, you're probably starting to see some through lines or trends or just the fact that you have a lot of connections in the natural health industry in the CPG industry.
Do you feel like there are any common threads between brands that make it and brands that don't? And if so, like what could you boil down? Like maybe one or two? Um, Trends, common themes that you see that make a brand stand out, that make a brand successful.
Yeah, I mean like I am obviously a very big proponent of, um, spending a lot of time, even though we only launched ours in six weeks.
It's evolved a lot, but, uh, spending a lot of time in thinking about what your brand stands for. I think that that is something that, uh, not everybody does enough of, and I previously mentioned it and, and, and that is something that will allow a brand to evolve, um, quicker. No matter if you have a good or bad product, like the amount of of products that launch that are great, but, but fail simply because of execution.
Like there, there's so many of them. And so I think that that sort of like brand strategy foundation stuff is so, so, so important. Like one of the exercises I do. Uh, with some of my clients is, is like, uh, if you were a celebrity, who would you be and why? Like, who would the brand be and why? And it's just a fun exercise, but it actually really allows you to understand sort of like the values and how you want your brand to show up in the world.
Yeah. Um, and, and it's those types of things that will allow for like a really solid foundation and, and also give you, Uh, what I would call like a North star in terms of making decisions, right? Like if, if your brand stands for X and you want to innovate into X category, but it doesn't align with that, it's a, it's a clear no.
Or if mm-hmm. , somebody comes to you with a partnership opportunity, but it doesn't align with what your brand stands for, then it's a clear No. Yeah. It, it, it's, it's, it's really important work. And then like, just another thing that comes to mind for me is, is this sort of like idea of nostalgia. I. I'm a big believer in nostalgia as, as a foundation or as a tool.
Um, whether it be in product or brand, you know, a lot of, right now on the design side, I see like a lot of like sixties, seventies, sort of like retro, um, inspired stuff happening, which is awesome. Mm-hmm. , um, You know, I'm, this is super ran. I'm a big Toronto Blue Jay fan. We don't have to talk about what recently happened, but, uh, you know, uh, a few years ago they sort of went back and brought back some of the, like, nostalgia of their earlier team, like the baby blue uniforms and stuff.
Yeah. And it's, and it's brought a lot of people back into baseball, whether you actually like baseball or not. Um, and then in the food and beverage world, Some of the biggest companies right now are taking nostalgic products and making. Newer. Better, Better for you And putting a good brand behind it. Like, you know, Smart Sweetss is a great example.
Um, Halo Top Ice Cream did it, you know, even Midday Squares is doing it with sort of like, you know, for lack of better term cuz their product is more than that. But it's like, it's a brownie, it's a really good brownie that's better for you. And so I think nostalgia is something that stands out and has proven to work.
I'm not saying it's the end all be all. It's clearly working in some cases.
Yeah. It's like one arm of your marketing strategy that you can leverage or see if it fits within. And it's so funny that you bring this up cuz I've actually never really thought about this concept as it relates to marketing before, but in the marketing course that I teach at, uh, a local college, we talk so much about.
Current events and making your marketing relevant to the day and age that we live in. And like if the Blue Jays are winning, then you know, maybe you can capitalize on that or. You know, there is, uh, Christmas coming up, whatever, but we don't actually talk so much about nostalgia and playing on that. Like we're always thinking, what's happening now?
What's relevant in this moment? Not so much. What does your dream client feel nostalgic around? Like, is it a certain era? Is it a certain, you know, chapter of their life, and how can you actually build that into the marketing in addition? To keeping it relevant and making sure you are taking advantage of current themes and current happenings in the world.
So I think it's a really interesting concept. Yeah, and I
think I, I think an important piece to that though is knowing your consumer, right? Yes. Like, who are you, who are you talking to and what do they care about? So, Right, right. This is where the Blue Jays comes back to me. They did a great job at, at understanding that, um, you know, let's call it five years.
Uh, people who experienced their success in the early nineties are now at the age where they're in their early, mid, late thirties, maybe early forties, where they're the ones who they're trying to get to go to the games to spend the money and, and are actually sort of like buying merchandise and maybe even having kids to bring them into it now.
And so that's why it worked. And I think that, and, and so I think it's important whether you're talking about current events or historical event, , you need to make sure that your customer cares. And, and I think a lot of brands, uh, force themselves to talk about things when their customer actually doesn't care about it.
Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. So true. And before I let you go, I know you are, you know, a, a very skilled marketer. Where are you seeing, uh, the attention going right now, Whether that's online marketing, offline marketing, certain platforms, Like if you were to give advice to someone who's feeling a little bit lost in terms of how to get their brand out there, what do you see as kind of the, the way they should be spending their time and.
Uh, that's a really tough one, just because again, there's so many variables of product, place, people, all of those things. But, you know, I think it's very clear to me that it's, it's so easy to get lost online right now. Like it's, unless you are spending a ton of money on, uh, good creative, good content, uh, and or actual ad spend, like standing out online is very difficult.
You know, TikTok is obviously a platform where it's, it. Both easy and hard at the same time to stand out. Like there's more of an opportunity to do so, but you need to sort of be lucky a little bit. Yeah. Um, and then, you know what I believe, and I, my experience is rooted in experiential marketing, like that's what I was doing before station.
And so I believe in the power of sort of like, for lack of better term, with beverage liquid ellipse or like getting your product in front of people. I think that there's a desire because of what's gone on the past two and a half years for that to come back. Yeah. And so I think that in the next, hopefully if things continue to progress in the right direction, then the world becomes at least, you know, the new normal.
Um, I think that, you know, in person events, uh, samplings, any way to be face to face with a consumer for a brand, I think is gonna become even more important. Yeah. As much as we're progressing digitally, we're also regressing a little bit in that, like I, I mentioned it before about just going to my meeting today, face to face, like how do you take that idea and, and apply it to a brand and how they're marketing to their, to their core demographic?
Like getting face to face with people I think is gonna become even more important. The challenge then becomes, that's a very expensive thing. . So depending on, on, on what category you play in your budget, your, your geographical reach, all of those things. Important factors to play to take into account.
Definitely something to consider. It's like, you know, we had our years of like, everybody just go online and pump your money into ads. But now it's like, wait, wait, wait. There might be a happy medium here where you definitely want the in person, the experiential, but also piggybacking or you know, just also showing up in the online channels.
So Of course, yeah. Binding that balance for, um, for you so, Amazing. So how can we stay connected with you, Mitch? What are the best ways for us to get in contact, to grab Darling Mimosas, uh, to work with you as an advisor? As a consultant? Uh, yeah. How do we connect?
Yeah. I mean, for me personally, I've found myself quite active on LinkedIn lately, and I'm really enjoying it because it's, um, I don't know.
I've just started to understand the algorithm algorithm a little bit and I've also started to, uh, I've met some incredible people and been connected to some incredible people. Amazing. So, you know, LinkedIn is a good one. Um, uh, and then with Darling, uh, we are available at, uh, a few hundred l CBOs across the province.
And that number fluctuates. We're doing our best to keep it consistent. Um, Uh, our traditional orange flavored mimosa will be available. Uh, we had a seasonal grapefruit skew, which is harder to find, but there are some great places to still get it within the city. Outside of the L cbo, uh, we've got some fun stuff that we're planning for next summer at the L CBO that I can't share yet, but some really cool innovation.
Um, and so, you know, you, I don't know if you know this, but you can actually go online to the lc v's website and look up a brand and it'll actually tell. Which store closest to you has how many units? Yes. So Handy. Yeah. It's, it's actually, and it's, um, extremely up to date. Like I'm very impressed with it.
So that's always an easy way to see if your local LVI has it. Um mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah. .
Yeah. And I must say like Darling Mosa is like the perfect cocktail to have at baby showers, at bachelorette parties. Uh, wedding showers, like, there's just so many occasions where you don't wanna like mix up a big batch of sangria necessarily.
Cause you don't know how many people will be drinking. You want cans on hand so that you can just crack them open, keep them on ice, on a ice, like ice bucket, I don't know. And aesthetically they look beautiful too. So perfect for Instagram and wherever. Sharing your photos. So anyways, we'll include lots of photos in the show notes and encourage everyone to connect with you and to say hello on LinkedIn.
And also to go follow you guys on Instagram, uh, Facebook and, uh, amazing at the lc, b o if they can find you. So thank you so much for sharing your time with us, for coming back, uh, on season 10. We really appreciate it and wish you all of the best on your journey. Thank. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Visionary Life.
I love bringing you these conversations on a weekly basis, so it would mean so much to me if you could help me out by rating and reviewing the show in your iTunes app. You can also support the show by taking a quick screenshot of the episode and sharing it on your Instagram stories. Tagging me at Kelsey Ryle.
I'll catch you in the next episode. PS whenever you're ready. There's a couple of ways that I can support you. So first thing, if you're ready to make your first or next $50,000 in business, explore how the Visionary Method business coaching experience can accelerate your growth. There'll be a link in the show notes.
Also, if you're feeling lost, confused, or overwhelmed when it comes to starting an online business, reach out and book a free revision call with me. I'll offer you customized recommendations on how to get unstuck so you can live a life filled with joy, happiness, and fulfillment. Okay.
Tune into the episode.
Tune into this episode with Mitchell Stern, Co Founder of Darling Mimosa.
If you’re searching for an Online Business & Marketing Coach for your Business, rest assured that you’re in the right place.
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Mentioned in our Episode:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlingmimosa/
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Experiential Marketing
Imposter Syndrome
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