More than two months has passed since my last entry. Was this long dry spell due to the fact that business has been booming and I haven't had time for anything of my own, nevermind writing? I suppose that's true in some way. But I always believe if you have a desire to do something, you will do it - no matter how much time you "don't have."
The real reason could be something as simple as "my husband commandeers the laptop every night". He expects me to jump on it during the day - you know when I am "home with the kids". That's laughable -- because hardly ever are we home. In the months since school got out, I have taken my 3 summer interns on all things Liquor Chick with me. They have been my navigators to new stores (the 9-year old is pretty handy with a map. Which helps because the 38-year old is not); cheerleaders at my farmers' markets (though many times they often sampled more salsa than cheerled for me -- but that's another business venture, yet to be chronicled - maybe in a few paragraphs, or blogs...); and company-keepers at the manufacturing plant (AKA the restaurant kitchen that so generously allows me to concoct LiteHouse mix on premises in order to have health board approval). Not too often do we find ourselves at home.
So while the kids and I have ridden up and down the South Shore selling, and traveled into and out of Boston and Cambridge numerous times sourcing, and stayed with babysitters, camps and playdates during the times I traveled alone -- I did not one time break open the laptop and update my blog accordingly. Shame on me. But at least now there's lots to tell.
Since beginning this journey in May, much has changed. I started selling to stores in July. A friend of mine gave me that boost, talking me up at a local liquor store. So when I approached this "warm call", and they were receptive to buying a couple cases of LiteHouse, I decided to try my hand at the cold calls too. And strangely enough, even though I despised that aspect of every other sales-related position I ever held, I actually now enjoyed the challenge of the completely blank slate.
I started calling up several stores a day, telling them about my new product, and how it fills a gap in the low calorie cocktail market. A fresh, all natural, healthy approach to drinking. It was not the oxymoron that most have always thought it was. Making impressions and affecting perceptions was something I now enjoyed. Almost every store I asked, decided to stock LiteHouse. There are still two hold-outs, that I am not willing to give up on. As of the writing of this blog, LiteHouse Mix is being sold in 11 different towns - mostly in high-end liquor stores. And it was just accepted into Whole Foods in Hingham. I am hopeful that all the regional Whole Foods will soon be stocking it as well.
It seems like all this has happened extremely fast, looking back over the past few months. Yet it seems like I have been perfecting this product forever. I have always tried my hand at making health-conscious alcoholic drinks -- especially those that I could still partake in while on any kind of diet. Most of my diets were usually of the low-carb variety, so that's what I would focus on. And I also was known for bringing whatever pitcher of mixed fun I had made at the moment, to whatever party or outing I was attending. It was a natural leap to take the idea of making drinks, and then move to selling the drinks. The 'Aha moment' actually happened at one of these parties.
I had been taking the Liquor Chick business in the direction of bartending services and mixology classes, when at this one party, I was approached 14 different times by people I had just met that same night, and was asked if I would sell bottles of the drink mix, a fresh zero-carb margarita mix, I had brought that night. After about the 4th requester, I realized I was about to embark upon a new prong in the LC business.
That next day, after the party, I was phoning bottle suppliers, lime wholesalers and ingredient sourcers to see if this "idea" had any legs. (It better, I thought, since I had promised 14 women bottles within 2 weeks!). Looking back, it did - and still does. The potential is limitless. I have expanded recipes to include vodka, rum, wine and champagne cocktails. I have been conducting tastings and events in order to gain exposure and publicity.
I am so incredibly small in comparison to the large liquor brands -- they have million dollar advertising and marketing budgets and I create P.O.S. from my home laser printer (when the husband isn't occupying that either). But I must be doing something right to swing a Whole Foods deal, to attract the attention of a few different liquor distributors and to be contacted by each and every store for re-stocks. So when I get laptop time, kid-free time and lab-time, I create, expand and even blog.
I've got many issues, concerns and decisions to make. The most pressing one is whether or not to keep the mix a fresh, cold and preservative-free one. A less pressing, but equally interesting one is to decide what flavor mixer will be my next concoction. Oh, and where to put the inground pool when I make my first million...
Next up: Networking: Behind every great woman...are more helpful and great women!
