Send us a text UPDATE! Have added a PERFECT example for this episode which happened a week after it launched, while I was doing deliveries in SF. To just listen to that experience, skip ahead to 17min: 16sec. Enjoy! In the alcohol beverage industry, you have big beer. Macro labels that are brands we all know, all got excited about drinking once we hit college. They were small brands once and have built beer empires in this country by flooding the market with easy drinking, standardized products....
Oct 25, 2021•23 min•Ep. 24
Send us a text I’ve talked to suppliers and distributors, and now we’re circling back to talk to another awesome cider entrepreneur in the Bay Area - Jolie Devoto of Golden State Cider. She has been the heart and soul of a couple cider brands in Northern California and is joining me to talk about her journey, the evolution of those brands, and her passion for flavors and the local farm. Golden State Cider Club ! Join today to receive your own packs of farm-focused ciders from California delivere...
Sep 20, 2021•52 min•Ep. 23
Send us a text Putting together a logo for your company is both exciting and super stressful. But it is OH SO important to how you will communicate your brand and your product to the world. It also might be the only thing they remember about your product besides the fact that they liked it. We always had a company name that we loved but the branding was much more of an adventure. I’ve mentioned it before but really want to dive into what that creative journey looked like for us. Special mention ...
Sep 06, 2021•29 min•Ep. 22
Send us a text One important thing that you need when selling cider is a container to put it in. We can all of our ciders as I’ve mentioned many many times. But we also put it in kegs! And one lady has helped us build our fleet and helped us adapt it to fit our needs as we’ve grown. But how do you even get into such a packaging position? Jill from Keg Logistics shares her personal journey and what it’s been like to work on the supply side of this industry. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please ...
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
Send us a text She’s here! We did it! Little one has finally joined the family and we are of course over the moon. And now that we have all survived six weeks, I thought I’d check in, in case you’re wondering how it’s going. I think the statement - when it rains, it pours is the perfect one for how I feel life is going right now... And that’s a wrap! Anyone else survive maternity leave and feel like they got a god rhythm down? Anything you’d suggest in these early days of raising a newborn besid...
Aug 02, 2021•17 min•Ep. 20
Send us a text Wholesale distribution is how many of us in the alcohol industry get our products out on shelves and onto menus at bars. But how does one get into that business? What could that journey look like? Lauren joins me to share her story, talking about the distributor relationship from the other side, and how that sector of the industry has been for the women who work in it. Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/outro music and to Mary Ann King for the amazing pod art that you s...
Jul 05, 2021•51 min•Ep. 19
Send us a text I know lately I’ve been talking a lot about cider and babies. So for this episode I want to switch gears to get back to talking about beer. Beer and awesome women making beer. To help me with that I have a very special guest - Erica of Tumbled Rock Brewery Company - who has brought her awesome ideas and California-raised brewery production experience to this great new brewery in Wisconsin. Special Mentions: Tumbled Rock Brewery & Kitchen Pink Boots Society - We are the female ...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 18
Send us a text Let’s face it, being pregnant is a uniquely female experience. As much as they say it’s a journey for both in the relationship, there’s only one who is lugging around the extra pounds and the little bundle of joy for 40 weeks, trying to keep her body from completely breaking down on her. For this episode I will talk less about the pregnancy pains, and more about the process of preparing for maternity leave as a small business owner - and all the joys, frustrations, and challenges ...
Jun 07, 2021•25 min•Ep. 17
Send us a text In the small business world you have to grow to survive. It’s the grow or die mentality. And it’s rough. Usually you go through the usual networks of sales and distribution, playing every angle to see what works. Sometimes you try new things to bring in additional dollars. And sometimes you have to look at the larger picture, think outside the box, and make big decisions for your company. That is our experience with South City Ciderworks at least and I want to share that journey a...
May 24, 2021•31 min•Ep. 16
Send us a text Besides South City Ciderworks there is but one other cider company in San Mateo County and that is Redwood Coast Cider. They specialize in super dry ciders and experiment with interesting yeast strains and varied fermentation processes. Same county, two very different cider models. I catch up with one of their owners to hear more about their cider vision and how they have survived this difficult year. Redwood Coast Cider It’s this non-sparkling, Old World style that’s difficult to...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 15
Send us a text So here we are, not a month later, not 6 months later, but a whole year later from when the Bay Area went into shelter in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are still standing, still slinging cider, and looking forward to some big things to come in the next few months. Here’s a look at what things are like a year later. How are you fairing during COVID? Still surviving? Have you had any major successes or found a new revenue stream that will work for you even after the...
Apr 26, 2021•35 min•Ep. 14
Send us a text We’ve been talking about South City Ciderworks a lot lately so it’s high time we switch gears and bring in some new voices! Joining me today are the lovely ladies of Santa Cruz Cider Company, Natalie and Nicole. I have so many questions so we will talk about as many things as we can squeeze into an episode - production, taproom, their coastal community, their diverse industry experiences, and I’m sure apples will factor in somewhere. Santa Cruz Cider Website It all started with a ...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 13
Send us a text Hello!! Welcome to Courage and Other C Words! I’m your host, Jenn Root Martell and I have Alex with me again to finish out this second part of the cidery build out conversation! However, getting a space is only half the battle in getting up and running as a business as you can imagine. Though it does feel like a lot of money goes out the door up front, sometimes spending wisely at the beginning will save you a ton of headache later on. Take it from us. So where does one start with...
Apr 05, 2021•55 min•Ep. 12
Send us a text Having a hell of a time finding the perfect home for your business?? You are not alone! It took us almost a year and so many visits just to find a space for the cidery that was acceptable. Not quite the journey we expected but that’s how it rolled out. For this episode I’ll go into more detail of what we were looking for and what we came up with in the end. I’ll even bring Alex in to have him share some of his thoughts on this journey. Are you on a search for a business location a...
Mar 13, 2021•47 min•Ep. 11
Send us a text I am joined once again by my production manager, Alisha Blue. The two of us are both going through a unique experience as we are both expecting little ones this year. Join us as we walk through the three trimesters of pregnancy and how we have kept things going doing production and running a company. This process has forced us to change and adapt and look at the world a little differently. It’s been a lot to take in but it can be done! Are you a working mother or are trying to bal...
Mar 01, 2021•48 min•Ep. 10
Send us a text For this episode I’d like to jump into a production story that has stuck with all of us after almost 6 years in business. That is the story of our first batch ever, where pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, how we dealt with it and the magic that came out of it. It just shows that even on the worst of days, you can always find a way though. Have you started a project or a business and have a funny story of when everything went wrong? Maybe not so funny at the...
Feb 15, 2021•27 min•Ep. 9
Send us a text For this episode, we’re still talking sales but we’re switching it up a bit! To help me with that is Virginia Vaughn who for several years has been a Bay Area sales rep for Original Pattern Brewing Company located on Oakland. I pick her brain about the beer world and how she manages the challenges and celebrates the successes of sales. Follow Virginia to hear more about her life as a beer slinger and all the yummy beers she sells! @thebeervaughn For more about Original Pattern Bre...
Feb 02, 2021•53 min•Ep. 8
Send us a text Sales series continues! This time I dive into showcasing the cider community as a whole. It is one divided by core beliefs in what makes a proper cider. And stemming from this cultural schism, bad behavior by some of those in our community keeps us divided at the state and local level. While most of us are boots on the ground, making relationships, and building the category in a positive way, while also staying friends and colleagues, others are doing the opposite. Do you have any...
Jan 19, 2021•32 min•Ep. 7
Send us a text I continue my journey on the sales beat - sharing lessons learned, successes, and failures, the female experience. You know, all the things! Joining me to add her perspective is Cathy Gabel of Blindwood Cider Company who, along with her husband and sister-in-law have bootstrapped a small hard cider company across the Bay in San Leandro and are making great ciders from locally and regionally sourced apples. Blindwood Website Meet Drew, Cathy, and Erin! Their cidery had its humble b...
Jan 04, 2021•59 min•Ep. 6
Send us a text For this episode I venture back through the years to relive the lessons I have learned slinging cider in the Bay Area and trying to build a cider brand from scratch in a market I knew nothing about. It’s been a rough journey but all the cider you sell along the way and the relationships you build makes all the pain worth it. Most days... Are you still on the sales beat even during these trying times? Have some great stories from your time doing sales? Is there anything you’ve stru...
Dec 21, 2020•31 min•Ep. 5
Send us a text In this slightly longer episode I try my hand at my first interview with our wonderful production manager, Alisha Blue, who joined South City Ciderworks last year. She will share how she got into beer in the first place, help me break down the similarities and differences between beer and cider, and share her experiences being a woman in the brewery. Are you a woman looking to start a beverage company? Maybe want to dabble in different categories? If any of this rings true with yo...
Dec 07, 2020•50 min•Ep. 4
Send us a text For this episode I jump into the details of the market research we had to do before starting the business AND walk through how we answered all of those business plan questions in order to build the foundation for our cider company. So do you have any concerns as you’re building out your business plan? Any crazy business ideas you’d love to get off the ground? Send me your story at jenn@drinksbizwomen.com . I’d love to hear about it! Thank you to Tony Stuck for the awesome intro/ou...
Nov 22, 2020•30 min•Ep. 3
Send us a text Now on to the beginning of our start-up story. I jump into the details of why we wanted to make cider in the first place, why we decided to build it into a business, and why we chose to call our company South City Ciderworks. I go into a little detail about myself and my background and then share our Cider Origin Story that started it all. Sometimes it really does come down to an AH-ha moment to get you started on the journey. Don’t ignore it! So are you a woman looking to start a...
Nov 02, 2020•20 min•Ep. 2
Send us a text What a crazy year it has been! As small business owners, we’re feeling the impacts of this global health crisis on several fronts, BUT we’re hanging in there. Join me as I share how COVID-19 has affected both the alcohol market and our cider company AND how we’re keeping the cider flowing during these trying times. I feel like this will be an incredible outlet for me to share those difficult moments, and also the successes that we have along the way. Maybe I’m looking for solace i...
Oct 20, 2020•25 min•Ep. 1
Send us a text OK! It’s time for some REAL TALK. I’ve been in the alcohol business for more than five years now and there’s something that everyone knows and not many talk about. That there are NOT ENOUGH women owning businesses, running them, or generally working in this industry. And being in this industry is FUCKING HARD. Hi, I’m Jenn. And along with my husband Alex (Hello!) I run a small hard cider company just south of San Francisco. We have an amazing team and throughout our time in busine...
Sep 27, 2020•2 min
