Chris Hunter

And so they just voluntarily reformulated and changed the products they were selling. For us, it was the only thing we were selling. And so our take was, hey, we will play by whatever rules you put out there, but you have to make them consistent and fair because if we voluntarily change, all that does is leave the the door open for the next person to come along and do it until they get big. Right.

And so they just voluntarily reformulated and changed the products they were selling. For us, it was the only thing we were selling. And so our take was, hey, we will play by whatever rules you put out there, but you have to make them consistent and fair because if we voluntarily change, all that does is leave the the door open for the next person to come along and do it until they get big. Right.

So in terms of communication, it really tested us. Look, my theory is like high highs and low lows will bond you, right? They're extreme and they're intense and, and it's easy to get along during those times, but it doesn't mean it's easy to communicate during those times. We were running at breakneck pace. We were trying to approach everything in an aligned fashion, but it didn't always happen.

So in terms of communication, it really tested us. Look, my theory is like high highs and low lows will bond you, right? They're extreme and they're intense and, and it's easy to get along during those times, but it doesn't mean it's easy to communicate during those times. We were running at breakneck pace. We were trying to approach everything in an aligned fashion, but it didn't always happen.

And so our communication was, could have been better, but we got through it. Literally some life-changing moments during that time for you, right? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

And so our communication was, could have been better, but we got through it. Literally some life-changing moments during that time for you, right? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

So I go to Chicago and I refuse to get a nine to five type gig. And that was fine in theory until there was one day where I could not pay rent. And my now wife cut me a check to cover rent. And I was like, man, I really got to do something now. You know, necessity or desperation, whatever you want to call it, will make you do some interesting things.

So I go to Chicago and I refuse to get a nine to five type gig. And that was fine in theory until there was one day where I could not pay rent. And my now wife cut me a check to cover rent. And I was like, man, I really got to do something now. You know, necessity or desperation, whatever you want to call it, will make you do some interesting things.

And I had collected a lot of contacts and business cards. One of them was a guy that was involved in a startup vodka company. And long story short, I bugged him. literally email and call every day until he gave me a job. And that's what got me into beverages.

And I had collected a lot of contacts and business cards. One of them was a guy that was involved in a startup vodka company. And long story short, I bugged him. literally email and call every day until he gave me a job. And that's what got me into beverages.

Good to meet you. Good to meet you as well.

Good to meet you. Good to meet you as well.

Yeah, good suspicion that I didn't originally grow up in Miami. I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Historically, if you look back generations of my family, it's probably that there were a lot of Italian and Irish immigrants that were working in the steel mills. Youngstown was once a booming metropolis at a time, top 10 city.

Yeah, good suspicion that I didn't originally grow up in Miami. I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Historically, if you look back generations of my family, it's probably that there were a lot of Italian and Irish immigrants that were working in the steel mills. Youngstown was once a booming metropolis at a time, top 10 city.

Once the steel mills closed and the auto manufacturers started shuttering, the city just got decimated. So I remember growing up, my great-grandmother had these pictures of Youngstown as this hotspot, right? Downtown was thriving. People were all over. And I'm like, where is this place? Because I didn't know any of that.

Once the steel mills closed and the auto manufacturers started shuttering, the city just got decimated. So I remember growing up, my great-grandmother had these pictures of Youngstown as this hotspot, right? Downtown was thriving. People were all over. And I'm like, where is this place? Because I didn't know any of that.

So I don't know that I had a big aspirational kind of career path, except for that. I was like, I want to be rich. And growing up in a lower middle class family, like you recognize the restraints that money can put on a family. And I was fortunate that I got into a couple classes that were, they called them advanced classes. They were really just opportunities to think outside the box.

So I don't know that I had a big aspirational kind of career path, except for that. I was like, I want to be rich. And growing up in a lower middle class family, like you recognize the restraints that money can put on a family. And I was fortunate that I got into a couple classes that were, they called them advanced classes. They were really just opportunities to think outside the box.

I got to do an internship when I was in like fifth grade, like all these unique things. And I feel like it opened my eyes to like what I want to do isn't here or at least isn't present in my life. I don't know what it is. It's going to be something different. That coupled with the fact that I always had this entrepreneurial spirit is kind of like I could figure this out.

I got to do an internship when I was in like fifth grade, like all these unique things. And I feel like it opened my eyes to like what I want to do isn't here or at least isn't present in my life. I don't know what it is. It's going to be something different. That coupled with the fact that I always had this entrepreneurial spirit is kind of like I could figure this out.