Mocktails with Marina

In this powerful episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina sits down with Becky Moreno, founder of Unity SoBar and Unity Recovery Solutions, to explore the deeper meaning behind the growing non-alcoholic movement. Becky shares her raw and inspiring recovery journey—from navigating life as an alcoholic to becoming a bold leader in the sober entrepreneur space.

Listeners will hear how Becky transformed her lived experience into a mission-driven business, creating alcohol-free environments that prioritize wellness, community, and connection. This episode dives into the heart of why sober spaces matter, how to make room for the sober curious and the newly sober, and what it truly means to build a business rooted in healing.

Whether you're exploring an alcohol-free lifestyle, working in the non-alc industry, or looking for fresh inspiration on turning your story into purpose, this episode delivers real talk, hope, and practical insights.

Don't miss Becky's take on redefining nightlife, entrepreneurship in recovery, and why sober spaces are essential for the future of wellness culture.

Connect with Unity SoBar and Unity Recovery Solutions http://www.saltyfrog.com/

Connect on instagram: @mrsbeckymoreno @unitysobar

Looking for help with your operation? Send me an email: [email protected]

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we explore a powerful and often overlooked business skill: setting boundaries as a business owner while maintaining professionalism, leadership, and client trust. If you're an entrepreneur in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, a CPG founder, or a wellness-based business leader, chances are you've experienced clients, collaborators, or leads pushing past agreed-upon limits—whether that's asking for free advice, assuming access to services you don't offer, or expecting deeper involvement than what was originally scoped.

Marina shares real-world examples from her recent consulting experiences and reveals how she navigates these common challenges with grace, strategy, and clear communication. Learn how to reframe uncomfortable situations, protect your energy, and create firm but friendly boundaries that support long-term business growth.

She dives into topics like:

• How to handle misaligned requests without damaging relationships

• Why boundaries are a form of brand clarity and leadership positioning

• Ways to redirect overreaching inquiries into paid offers or partnerships

• How to stay aligned with your core mission and avoid "mission drift"

• Scripts and practical tools to protect your time and energy as a founder

This episode is essential for anyone building a non-alc brand, launching a product-based business, or running a service-based business in the wellness, beverage, or lifestyle industries.

Need help designing better systems, communicating boundaries, or creating offers that align with your mission? Reach out to Marina at www.marinamars.com/contact for business strategy and consulting tailored to the non-alcoholic, wellness, and emerging CPG industries.

Are you stepping into a mentorship role, teaching others, or seeking guidance for your own business journey? In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we explore what it really means to be a mentor, teacher, or guide especially in the non-alcoholic beverage industry, entrepreneurial space, and personal development world.

Many people believe that simply knowing something qualifies them to teach it, but the reality is much different. The best mentors never stop being students themselves. A great teacher remembers what it's like to struggle with new concepts and knows how to break down complex ideas so that anyone, from a five-year-old to a seasoned entrepreneur, can understand them. Good mentors set clear boundaries, uphold integrity, and never take advantage of those seeking their wisdom. However, mentorship is an exchange, and students must reciprocate that value in money, labor, or another meaningful way. Once you've learned what you came for, the right thing to do is to say thank you and move on.

Guides and mentors are not meant to have all the answers. Their role is to share what they've experienced and offer insight into what has worked for others in similar situations. But no matter how much information you gather, success ultimately depends on your ability to take action. Even bad mentors, teachers, and guides can offer valuable lessons, though these experiences may come with frustration and disappointment. Growth often comes from difficult situations, and while the messenger may be flawed, the lesson itself can still be useful.

If you are serious about growth, whether in business or personal development, you do not have to do it alone. The most successful entrepreneurs lean into their communities, partnerships, and mentors instead of trying to build everything in isolation. Businesses that last beyond five years are the ones that embrace collaboration and surround themselves with people who truly understand their vision. A few aligned individuals can be far more powerful than a hundred disconnected team members.

If you are looking for guidance, I am currently accepting one more retainer client for this season. My one-on-one mentorship is designed to provide strategic support for non-alcoholic and kava business owners who want to optimize and scale.

For those who prefer a group setting, there is still room in the Discovery Phase Launchpad, a program designed for new entrepreneurs seeking clarity on their niche, target market, and business model.

www.marinamars.com/discoveryphaselaunchpad

Additionally, Bula Boss remains open for kava and non-alcoholic business owners looking for a structured path to a sustainable and profitable business.

www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

If any of this resonates with you, send me an email at [email protected]. I'd love to hear about your goals and see how we can work together to bring them to life. If you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend, leave a review, and let's continue building a future where mentorship and collaboration lead to success.

In this high-impact, no-fluff episode, I'm breaking down how to shift timelines and step into the reality you actually want - fast. Your current life is a loop of past thoughts and actions, but you don't have to stay stuck in it. The secret? Identity shifting.

Here's what we cover in just 2 minutes: ✅ Decide who you are right now. Not someday. Today. ✅ Act outside your current reality. Do something your future self would do. ✅ Override the doubt. Your brain will resist change, but keep moving.

If you're ready to break out of the old patterns and start living the life that's waiting for you, this episode is your wake-up call.

🚀 Take action now, and tell me what shifts for you!

🔗 Listen now & tag me with your breakthroughs!

Learn more about me and what I do: https://www.marinamars.com/themodernmocktail

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, I share how our first year in business was more than just a career shift—it was a healing process. If you have ever felt burned out, stuck in the 9-5 grind, or unsure how to build a business that truly supports you, this episode is filled with real-world lessons, faith-driven perseverance, and insights from the growing non-alcoholic beverage industry.

Burnout is more than exhaustion; it is often a sign that something fundamental needs to change. For us, that realization came when we walked away from traditional employment. Our last jobs were not the problem, but they were the final wake-up call that made us redefine our careers. Starting our business was not just about making money—it was about figuring out what kind of work actually energized us, setting boundaries, and identifying where we had allowed others to dictate our careers. Through trial and error, we learned how to structure a business that aligned with our values and long-term vision.

This episode explores how the non-alcoholic industry is transforming nightlife and hospitality, why alcohol-free third spaces are on the rise, and how entrepreneurs in this space can create sustainable businesses. We also discuss the realities of business ownership versus traditional employment, including the true cost of working for someone else and why, in emerging markets like non-alcoholic bars and bottle shops, entrepreneurship often offers greater stability than relying on a paycheck.

We built this business from the ground up without bank loans, without savings, and without a safety net. What we did have was faith, a clear vision, and the discipline to listen to our clients' needs and build long-term relationships that provided stability. Every challenge reinforced the importance of creating value-driven businesses that support both financial growth and personal well-being. We also had to restructure our entire lives—cutting expenses, redefining our daily routines, and leaning into faith as we navigated uncertainty.

For anyone interested in launching or growing a business in the non-alcoholic industry, this episode covers key strategies for building a sustainable operation. Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to break into the alcohol-free movement, a hospitality professional considering the shift toward sober nightlife, or a business owner who wants to set better boundaries and charge what you are worth, this conversation provides valuable insights.

Visit www.marinamars.com/discoveryphaselaunchpad to learn more.

The non-alcoholic space is growing rapidly, and there has never been a better time to redefine what success looks like in this industry. This episode is about more than escaping burnout—it is about creating a business that allows you to thrive. Listen in as we share the lessons, challenges, and strategies that helped us transition from burnout to building a business that fuels us.

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, I sit down with Weston Porter, Head of Sales at Leilo, a leading brand in the functional beverage and non-alcoholic drink space. Weston shares his journey from being Leilo's fourth employee to spearheading the sales team, revealing valuable insights into the rapid growth of the non-alcoholic industry since 2021.

https://leilo.com/

We explore how Leilo's kava-based drinks are redefining relaxation for the health-conscious consumer, the common misconceptions about kava, and how education plays a key role in consumer adoption. Weston dives into regional sales trends, effective expansion strategies, and how Leilo differentiates itself from other functional beverages. Plus, we get a sneak peek at upcoming product innovations and his vision for the next five years of the brand.

Whether you're curious about non-alcoholic alternatives, looking to understand consumer trends in functional drinks, or interested in kava's growing popularity, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

Tune in to discover how Leilo is changing the way we think about relaxation and the future of the non-alc industry!

Check out this blog I wrote for Leilo: https://www.leilowholesale.com/blogs/kava-industry/how-kava-bars-shaped-the-non-alc-movement

Are you building a non-alcoholic third space like a kava bar, sober lounge, or functional beverage café? To succeed in this fast-growing industry, you need more than great drinks! You need a strong brand, smart marketing, and an effective sales strategy.

In this episode, we cover: -How to brand your business so it stands out in the competitive functional beverage market -The best marketing strategies to attract loyal customers without relying on expensive ads -Sales techniques that feel natural, not pushy, so you can confidently grow your revenue -How to avoid jackassery in the industry because good people serve good kava, and bad kava isn't a thing. It's bad people damaging the product during manufacturing and serving.

With the non-alc industry booming and more consumers looking for kava, kratom, adaptogens, and nootropics, this episode is packed with insights to help you build, market, and scale your business the right way.

Your one stop shop: https://www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

Did you know that most business owners waste 10+ hours per week just trying to manage their operations? That's over 40 hours a month, an entire week of lost time! But what if you could get a year's worth of progress in just ONE week?

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of our first-ever 1:1 Tech & Operations Bootcamp, where I worked with a client to completely overhaul their business in just five days. And the results? INSANE.

What You'll Learn: ✔️ The biggest operational mistakes that keep business owners stuck ✔️ How we streamlined an entire business in just one week, step by step ✔️ The impact of immersive, focused business building ✔️ Who this bootcamp is perfect for (and how it can change YOUR business)

If you're struggling with disorganization, scattered systems, and tech overwhelm, this episode is for you.

Our client literally told us, "I would've quit my business if it wasn't for you." That's how powerful this transformation was.

Listen now to find out how this immersive bootcamp can set your business up for long-term success.

Want to join the next bootcamp? Email [email protected] if you have questions!

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we tackle one of the biggest struggles for business owners: hiring and keeping great employees.

If you've ever felt stuck in a cycle of hiring, training, losing employees, and starting all over again, this episode is for you.

We'll discuss why hiring feels so hard, the hidden costs of getting it wrong, and how you can finally build a team that not only sticks around but actually helps your business grow.

This isn't about luck it's about having the right systems in place.

What You'll Learn: • Why so many businesses struggle with hiring and retention. • The financial and emotional costs of bad hires. • The three key shifts you need to make to hire and keep the right people. • How a strong onboarding process changes everything. • The exact steps to creating a team that supports your vision.

Why You Need to Listen: Hiring isn't just about filling a role! It's about creating a foundation for your business to thrive. If you're tired of dealing with high turnover, unmotivated employees, or feeling like no one truly cares about your business, this episode will give you the roadmap to change that.

Next Steps: Ready to take control of your hiring process? Check out The New (NA) Hire Accelerator (a part of the Bula Boss Business Ecosystem).

Learn more and sign up at https://www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

Tune in now and start building the team your business deserves!

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into the concept of and "Elegant Excellence" as the foundation for creating an effortless operation in your business. If you've ever felt stuck in the chaos of daily tasks, this episode will help you rethink how you work, so your business can run smoothly even without you.

We explore why true change starts with you and how small, intentional shifts in your mindset and habits can lead to massive transformation. You'll learn:

• Why reevaluating your goals and beliefs is essential for growth.
• How courage and clarity help you eliminate what no longer serves you.
• The science of habits (cue, routine, reward) and how to build ones that support an effortless operation.
• The power of anchoring phrases and finding your "three words" to guide how you show up every day.

If you're ready to stop putting out fires and start building a business that truly works for you, check out my Effortless Operations program. Learn how to streamline your workflows, create systems that stick, and optimize your business for sustainable growth.

Learn more and join the program at www.marinamars.com/bulaboss

Let's build a business that feels as good as it looks. ✨