Mocktails with Marina

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we sit down with Abbie Romanul, founder of Raising the Bar, the zero-proof cocktail kit subscription that's become a staple for mindful drinkers, sober-curious folks, and wellness-forward hosts across the U.S.

Abbie shares her deeply personal journey—from quietly deciding to stop drinking after one too many mornings filled with shame and exhaustion, to realizing how few options existed for those who still craved the ritual, flavor, and experience of a great cocktail without the alcohol. That moment sparked the idea for Raising the Bar, a brand now known for curating monthly boxes packed with premium non-alcoholic spirits, mixers, bar tools, and mixologist-crafted recipes.

We talk about the realities of building a non-alcoholic business as a mom of three (including while pregnant during a pandemic!), how she balances creativity with logistics, and what it really takes to scale a purpose-driven CPG brand in the functional beverage industry.

Abbie also reflects on the unexpected emotional challenges of sobriety, the deeper meaning of celebration, and how Raising the Bar customers—from liver cancer patients to cocktail enthusiasts—are using her kits to feel included, intentional, and connected.

Whether you're looking for zero-proof drink ideas, exploring non-alcoholic business models, or just want a peek behind the scenes of building a thoughtful, scalable brand—this episode will hit home.

Explore Raising the Bar: www.weareraisingthebar.com Follow @weareraisingthebar on Instagram

Start your own non-alc business: www.marinamars.com/themodernmocktail

In this powerful episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina Castillo sits down with Sarah Kiriliuk, the founder of Some Good Clean Fun and sober lifestyle advocate behind the popular Instagram account @somegoodcleanfun. With her PR and media background and deeply personal journey through perimenopause, motherhood, and midlife transformation, Sarah shares how she went from wine-filled nights to becoming a trusted voice in the non-alcoholic beverage movement.

Together, Marina and Sarah explore the roots of mommy wine culture, the layered experience of midlife women navigating sobriety, and the health and hormonal shifts that make alcohol feel increasingly misaligned. They talk about the psychology of alcohol marketing, the rise of non-alcoholic alternatives, and the way community (and lack thereof) shapes sober curiosity, especially for Gen Xers and Xennials.

Sarah also opens up about how Some Good Clean Fun evolved from DIY shrubs in her kitchen to a growing platform on Substack helping women discover the art of mindful drinking, one mocktail at a time. She shares vulnerable stories about parenting, breaking habits, and what "clean fun" really means when you've stripped away the numbing agents and finally come home to yourself.

If you're a sober-curious woman, non-alc brand founder, or simply someone wondering what's next after ditching booze, this episode offers emotional honesty, industry insight, and an invitation to rewrite the story of what celebration and presence can look like in your 40s and beyond.

👉 Want to connect with Sarah or check out her latest writing? Find her on Substack at somegoodcleanfun.substack.com Follow her on Instagram: @somegoodcleanfun Visit her website: somegoodcleanfun.com

🎧 Tune in now to hear the full conversation and discover why Some Good Clean Fun is more than a brand, it's a movement.

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina Castillo sits down with Lila Volkas (non-alcoholic beverage educator, holistic nutritionist) to explore the powerful intersection of mindful drinking, functional mixology, and plant-based wellness education.

Together, they dive deep into Lila's journey from health challenges to herbal healing, her love for DIY elixirs and alcohol-free mixology, and how she now leads corporate team-building workshops that transform even the most skeptical whiskey drinkers into curious NA converts.

Whether you're a sober-curious consumer, a non-alcoholic bar or bottle shop owner, or a functional beverage entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen. You'll learn how to create inclusive wellness experiences, use everyday kitchen ingredients like apple cider vinegar and citrus peels to elevate your drinks, and shift the narrative around celebration and community without alcohol.

We also discuss the rise of adaptogens, kava, herbalism in modern mixology, and how to empower your audience (or customers) with ingredient education and intentional storytelling. Lila shares her tips on making NA fun, inclusive, and healing, from her early days as a spin instructor and kombucha workshop leader to now leading high-impact beverage education courses all over the country.

🔗 Want to learn more or start creating your own beverage movement? Visit LilaVolkas.com or check the episode description for links.

🎓 For mixologists, facilitators, and brands: Grab our Ultimate Non-Alc Menu Kit to learn how to communicate your NA menus → https://www.marinamars.com/product-page/the-ultimate-non-alc-menu-kit

In this powerful episode of Mocktails with Marina, we explore why visibility in business isn't just about being seen, it's about being regulated. Whether you're building a non-alcoholic brand, launching your first product, or leading a team in the kava and sober-curious space, the ability to show up authentically and consistently is a nervous system skill, not just a strategy.

Marina dives deep into:

• Why true leadership starts with emotional neutrality

• How to train your nervous system to hold greater levels of success, visibility, and team responsibility

• What it really means to be seen in alignment without oversharing

• Why being misunderstood is a gift (and how to turn it into a new SOP)

• How entrepreneurs in the non-alc, wellness, and CPG industries can scale sustainably by becoming the type of leader people trust, not just follow

This is a must-listen for founders ready to grow their business while staying rooted in integrity, especially in the rapidly evolving functional beverage and non-alcoholic lifestyle sectors.

👀 Ready to get visible and operationally sound?

Download the Effortless Operations Starter Guide: your Notion-powered roadmap to systematize growth, scale your impact, and regulate your rise:

www.marinamars.com/product-page/effortless-operations-starter-guide

Is your backend blocking your breakthrough? In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into the chaotic, often-overlooked world of operations and uncover why so many non-alcoholic business owners, kava bar founders, and sober entrepreneurs feel stuck, even when everything looks good on the surface.

If you're juggling endless to-do lists, answering the same team questions over and over, or feeling like growth means more chaos instead of more ease… this one's for you.

We break down:

• The 4 Founder Archetypes that drive your ops behavior

• The real cost of messy systems (burnout, bottlenecks, profit drag)

• The 3 Pillars of Effortless Operations (Visibility, Systems, Culture)

• How to shift from reactive to regenerative workflows

• Practical ways to get your backend organized without hiring a huge team

This episode introduces my new Effortless Operations Starter Guide, a done-for-you Notion toolkit for non-alc bar owners, bottle shops, and functional beverage brands ready to clean up the chaos and scale with clarity.

Whether you're launching your first product or managing a team, this is your roadmap to smoother systems, happier teams, and sustainable growth.

👉 The guide is here: https://www.marinamars.com/product-page/effortless-operations-starter-guide

Struggling to price your drinks? Wondering why your non-alc menu isn't selling? In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we're walking you through the exact system used by top-performing sober bars and beverage entrepreneurs to create intentional, profitable, and scalable drink menus.

Marina shares horror stories from behind the scenes of bad menus, then introduces the Ultimate Non-Alc Menu Creation Guide: a plug-and-play system for bars, bottle shops, kava lounges, and wellness founders.

Learn how to: • Price your drinks using real beverage math • Track ingredient costs with ease • Build drink menus that are balanced and reorderable • Train your team to sell with confidence • Design with herbs, elements, and storytelling

Whether you're launching your first drink lineup or refreshing your seasonal offerings, this guide is your new best friend. Grab the full kit for just $77.

Download the guide here: https://www.marinamars.com/product-page/non-alc-menu-kit

Ready to finally take your non-alcoholic business idea seriously? In this episode, Marina shares the story behind the creation of the Non-Alc Business Jumpstart Kit—a powerful, done-for-you toolkit designed for aspiring founders of non-alcoholic bars, bottle shops, and beverage brands.

If you've been stuck in research mode, overwhelmed by where to begin, or unsure how to price, plan, and launch your concept—this is the resource built for this exact moment. Whether you're creating a sober space, developing a functional beverage line, or stepping into the wellness drink industry, this episode offers clarity, inspiration, and an invitation to act.

You'll learn: — Why most non-alc entrepreneurs stall out before they even begin — What makes this space different from traditional beverage startups — How the Jumpstart Kit helps you skip 100+ hours of guessing — Why $77 might be the smartest investment you'll make this year This is the blueprint you wish you had when you started.

For non-alcoholic beverage startups, kava bar owners, sober entrepreneurs, functional mocktail creators, and future-ready wellness brands—this is your call to action.

Download the Non-Alc Business Jumpstart Kit now: https://www.marinamars.com/product-page/non-alc-business-jumpstart-kit

If you care about the future of kava, you need to hear this. In this powerful episode, I pull back the curtain on our advocacy work with both the Global and Arizona Kava Coalitions; covering everything from health department misunderstandings to national misinformation about kava's safety.

We talk real policy, industry protection, and how owning a kava business is the most effective tool for creating long-term change.

You'll learn:

• How kava bar owners are uniting to prevent what happened to hemp from happening to kava

• Why being a business owner gives you more power in public policy than just being passionate

• What the Kava Coalition is doing globally to protect growers, products, and cultural roots

• And why this is a hill we're willing to die on

Grab your free copy of the Top Tips for Kava Bars guide: https://www.marinamars.com/product-page/toptipsforkavabars

It's a must-have for anyone running, or dreaming of running, a kava bar.

Ready to turn your passion into real impact? Check out Bula Boss, the ultimate program for non-alc founders ready to lead this industry with clarity and strategy: https://www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

Let's raise the bar together!

The non-alcoholic space is booming—but make no mistake, the game is still rigged. In this episode, Marina exposes the power structures keeping non-alc brands stuck on the sidelines and what it really takes to win.

We unpack how the alcohol industry controls distribution, funding, and even social norms—while quietly investing in non-alc products to keep control. You'll learn the psychology behind why drink culture is so hard to break—and how non-alc brands can use that exact psychology to build something magnetic.

Whether you're building a bottle shop, launching a beverage, or just tired of being underestimated, this episode will give you the fire (and strategy) to play bigger.

This is your permission slip to disrupt.

Ready to make waves? Bula Boss is officially open.

🎯 Join the movement: www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

They told you that launching a non-alc business takes millions in funding, insider connections, and a nonstop hustle mindset.

They lied.

In this episode, I'm debunking the 3 most toxic myths keeping passionate founders stuck—and showing you exactly what it really takes to build a successful non-alc brand from the ground up.

You'll learn:

• Why you don't need venture capital to get started (and what to build instead)
• How "not being an expert" can be your superpower
• Why burnout culture is the trap, not the blueprint
• Real-world stories of scrappy, sustainable non-alc brands that blew up by doing things differently

Whether you're dreaming of a bottle shop, a bar, a beverage line—or still figuring it out—this episode is the mindset shift you didn't know you needed.

🎯 Ready to change the rules and finally move forward?

Learn more about the Bula Boss program: www.marinamars.com/bulaboss