The "Lazy" Days of Summer

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!

This is really happening! They want ten cases by the end of the week - what are you doing tomorrow????

The Making of a Liquor Chick

This is the first in a series of blog entries about navigating my way

through the new, exciting (and hopefully successful) business healthy light cocktails:
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I suppose I always knew the corporate 9-to-5 world was not for me. Yet, I did it - quite successfully even, for the better part of two decades. And even though I steered myself toward the most interesting and creative roles (marketing and communications) within those very conservative and not-quite-"me"-companies, I never really had that passion. You know, the one that says "I will sacrifice my own time, fun time and family time to make this work." Nah, it was always "just a job." I tried a few different ones. Increased responsibilities, accumulated longer titles, more money. Nope. Still just a job.

And then I attached my passion to my newly born son, and then his brother, then sister at the time; so it never really registered with me that perhaps those jobs were not meant to be. True, I figured I would go back full-time once the "kids were older." After all, could in good consience, not use my M.B.A.? Be, quote, just a Mom? But even when I was "just a Mom" I still consulted, contracted, worked on a project-by-project basis, so that I could still remain connected to the firms, titles and roles that I assumed I would go back to in some context, at some point.

And those jobs were just that -- jobs. More specifically, they were baseball camp payments, or dance class tuitions, or when times got tighter, grocery bills or night out money. Each one served its purpose -- not my purpose. But that's OK. I'd find one.

Oh, and I also bartended on and off during those years. No real purpose there either, but I'll admit, more passion... And that made me think. Marketing, bartending, people. Maybe I could pursue a career that combined everything I liked - and not just one that came together out of necessity or expected career-paths.

So here we are today. That was a 200-mile-an-hour explanation of how I came to this milepost in the road of my career, life and passion. Liquor Chick was born. And then LiteHouse Margarita Mix was born out of Liquor Chick. Who, people may wonder, is Liquor Chick? Fun to say, that's for sure. When I meet people and see them react to the name, it's interesting to them. It's not financial writing-interesting or law firm business development-interesting (two previous "jobs" I'd held). No, it's truly INTERESTING-INTERESTING. Or maybe that's just my opinion. And that's how I know I found something purposeful.

Now my interests include bottle suppliers, fruit wholesalers, and lots of lots of research. I don't claim to be an expert on the business side of this interest quite yet. But, the concrete side on the other hand -- on the actual creating of a consumer product that will eventually have a life of its own while still being a part of me -- that gives me interest to develop the expertise.

"You may as well use what you know." "Do what you like." We've all heard credos like these. They all make sense now. Now that I've had the other experiences to compare to. I get it. And it's what's going to make this newborn brand take hold. The passion and desire to conduct hours and hours of research, networking, phone calls and more research -- the exact same types of things I've done in careers past and felt indifferent about each and every minute of it.

So hopefully a year from now I will look back on this first official blog entry, chronicling my forray into the fabulous world of beverage distribution, with satisfaction that I've come a long way - longer than 15+ years in the Corporate Communications industry ever took me. And maybe it's because my family and I just watched Justin Bieber's feel-good movie "Never Say Never", reinforcing the undeterred following of one's dreams, that I am so full of hopefulness and optimism. So we'll see...

Next up: I have this great idea. Now what?

Even the great wardrobe didn't hold my interest in the corporate world...

Margarita Takes It All

The winner of the Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini competition is the Margarita.

Sorry Chocolate Martini, it was a close one - but in the end, the more experienced, more stable Margarita won out.

There's always next year.  And luckily, I know just how to make a low calorie, all natural margarita. I will be making one (or several) tonight to celebrate.

 

And Then There Were Two..

When last we met, I was talking about creating an NCAA-inspired drinks bracket, and match-by-match, I would whittle them down to the Championship Cocktail Tip-off. Well tonight, April 4, 2011 is the big night. In about twenty minutes, to be exact.

 

I have done some comprehensive research over the past two weeks, asking friends, coworkers and strangers alike what their favorite cocktails are. I knew that I could recreate any of their drink seeds with a lower calorie, lighter version, so I didn't ask them to stick to healthy recipes -- that would be my job after the Championship teams, I mean drinks, were determined.

 

The Sweet Sixteen included some off-the-beaten-path yet much beloved concoctions like The Sidecar (basically a margarita, but with brandy instead of tequila) and Mai Tai (it's barely spring in New England - not quite Mai Tai weather, but this definitely got plenty of votes - probably based on alcohol strength alone).  They didn't make it to the Elite Eight though.

 

Those lucky drinks were: The Margarita, The Cosmopolitan, The Manhattan, Strawberry Daiquiri, Madras, Chocolate Martini, Gin & Tonic, and The Old Fashioned.

 

A few drinks, votes and hangovers later, we came up with our Final Four: Margarita, Cosmopolitan, Gin & Tonic, and Chocolate Martini.

 

And tonight, the final match-up is: Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini.  Who will win??? Two different types of sweet drinks pitted against each other.  Each has their frenzied following.  And each can be made healthier in the Liquor Chick lab than they would be anywhere else you might order one. 

 

The pros: Margarita is great for summer afternoons on the deck, and serves as a kind of thirst quencher.  It can be made many different ways (with or without triple sec; some have orange juice; salt or not; shaken or blended)

 

Chocolate Martini is definitely a sipping kind of cocktail.  It is generally an after-dinner cocktail.  It can be creamy or clear, depending on the preferred ingredients.  It is more of a winter drink, which people order as a way to warm up.

 

Two very different drinks.  Two very different teams about to tip-off. Who will win? And how close will it be? Start pouring, watch the four quarters, and check back for the results.  Oh, and please vote for your team below, by leaving a comment.

 

Margarita vs. Chocolate Martini. Please stand for the National (drinking) Anthem...

 

 

Chocolate Martini....

 

(photo courtesy of Getty images)

 

VS.

 

 

Is that an "M" for "Margarita"?

 

(photo courtesy of Sportscape TV)