Mara Smith is the Founder and CEO of Inspiro Tequila, an additive-free tequila brand owned, created, and inspired by women. After graduating from Pritzker School of Law at Northwestern University, Mara worked as an attorney for Mayer, Brown, & Platt and later as a corporate attorney for McDonald’s. Mara and the Inspiro Tequila team seek to support and inspire women founders while making women feel seen and relevant in industries where they have long been underrepresented.

Mara joins us today to discuss Inspiro Tequila’s mission to meet the needs of women consumers. She describes how she pivoted from serving as a McDonald’s corporate attorney to following her entrepreneurial spirit. She highlights the importance of knowing your customers and innovating marketing strategies to meet their needs. Mara also outlines the digital strategies Inspiro Tequila used to build brand awareness before launching and shares her advice on taking the risk to reach out and network.

“As a founder, you have to have an understanding of every aspect of the business enough to make decisions, but you don’t have to be the expert in every area.” - Mara Smith

This week’s takeaways from Entreprenista:

• What lit Mara’s entrepreneurial spirit and inspired her to launch Inspiro Tequila
• Creating and innovating customer-centric products
• The first steps Mara took toward turning her idea into a thriving business
• How her legal background helped her build a business
• How long it took Mara to research the liquor industry and its customers
• The most surprising things Mara learned after launching her business
• Mara’s advice on funding your business and alternatives to seeking VC funds or giving away equity
• Her tips on working with agencies or freelancers and delegating parts of the business
• The Inspiro Tequila launch strategy and how learning about their customers helped the company build a brand community
• Why Mara moved away from using Google Drive and the alternative she’s currently using
• Working with influencers and ambassadors and how Inspiro Tequila measures the efficacy of their brand strategy
• Mara’s networking and community-building strategies
• Her thoughts on balancing work and life as an Entreprenista

Resources Mentioned:

• App: Airtable

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Find small agencies and freelancers to help you; being new, I wanted someone who cared about the brand and wanted to see Inspiro Tequila grow.” - Mara Smith
• “Be a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all.” - Mara Smith
• “Supporting other women-owned businesses is essential for any woman in business to be successful.” - Mara Smith

Connect with Mara Smith:

• Inspiro Tequila
• Inspiro Tequila on LinkedIn
• Inspiro Tequila on Instagram
• Inspiro Tequila on Facebook
• Inspiro Tequila on Twitter
• Mara Smith on LinkedIn
• CODEWORD: Entreprenista10

If you’re looking to take your business to the next level:

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Whether you’re looking to scale your existing business and want to make the right connections, or you’re thinking about finally taking the leap to launch your business, we’re here to give you access to a community of women who will celebrate your every step, and with whom you can share the candid reality of building a business from scratch.

Join the Entreprenista League today at entreprenista.com/join. We can’t wait to welcome you, support you, and be part of your business journey!

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