In this episode, I sit down with Sarah, founder of Leonista, to unpack her journey in building one of South Africa's first 100% organic agave spirits. Sarah shares how Leonista began with curiosity and a deep love for tequila.

She followed that passion all the way to Mexico, where she posed as a journalist to gain access to top distilleries and learn the craft firsthand.

Back home, she started experimenting in her garage, learned everything from scratch, and eventually built a brand that now exports to eight countries and supports lion rewilding projects across South Africa.

We talk about:

• The lessons learned from building a spirit brand with zero industry experience
• How she landed on Leonista's brand, name, and lion symbolism
• Navigating South Africa's alcohol distribution landscape from scratch
• The brutal realities of bootstrapping and reinvesting every cent
• Going through full organic certification across production, bottling, and storage
• What exporting to eight countries taught her about brand clarity
• How to design a product that invites ritual, not just consumption

Follow Sarah:

• https://www.instagram.com/barbarella_twinkletoes/

Follow Leonista:

• https://www.instagram.com/leonistaspirit/

Follow me:

• https://www.instagram.com/koabrowne/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/koabrowne/

🎁 Special for disrupt. listeners: Get 10% off your next Leonista order at leonista.co.za using the code "disrupt" at checkout.