In this episode of More Than The Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Anna Zesbaugh who is the powerhouse founder of Hooch Booch and Corpse Reviver; to talk about what it takes to launch and grow a successful beverage brand. From turning a pandemic furlough into a full-fledged alcohol and wellness brand, to landing Corpse Reviver on the shelves of Walmart, Anna shares the gritty truth, business pivots, and branding strategies that helped her disrupt an entire category.

You'll hear how Anna:

• Launched a hard kombucha brand with just nine months of prep

• Created cocktail-inspired wellness drinks that resonate with modern consumers
  

• Navigated regulation chaos and consumer confusion with clear branding
  

• Shut down her first brand by choice to scale what worked
  

• Got into Sprouts, Erewhon and Walmart through cold pitching and smart retail strategy
  

Whether you're in CPG, an aspiring entrepreneur, or just obsessed with cool founders shaking up their industry, this one’s for you.

• Turning a furlough into a functional beverage business
  

• What it really takes to create an alcohol brand
  

• The power of packaging and experiential branding
  

• Why education matters more than marketing
  

• How to know when it’s time to shut down a brand
  

• Getting onto shelves at Sprouts, Walmart, and beyond
  

• Balancing wellness and alcohol in product strategy
  

Anna Zesbaugh Founder of Hooch Booch & Co-Founder of Corpse Reviver Website: drinkhoochbooch.com Instagram: @anna.zezzers | @drinkhoochbooch | @drinkcorpsereviver

Kristin Taylor Founder of Mom Juice | Host of More Than The Hype Instagram: @kristin.taylor Podcast IG: @morethanthehypepodcast

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow founder or beverage nerd. Don’t forget to grab your Corpse Reviver at Sprouts or drinkcorpsereviver.com!

🔥 Topics Covered:👤 Guest:💬 Connect with Host:🔗 Stay in the Loop:

In this powerful episode of More Than the Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Emily Scorgie — PR strategist, content creator, and founder of Babble PR — for an unfiltered conversation on brand building, motherhood, and the real story behind media exposure.

Emily opens up about her journey from nonprofit work to launching her own PR agency while raising two kids under two — and why she walked away from traditional career paths to create something that actually fits her life. From influencer marketing truths to why your founder story matters more than ever, this episode is a masterclass in modern-day brand storytelling.

If you’re a CPG brand, mom entrepreneur, or business owner wondering when (and how) to invest in PR — this is your go-to guide.

🔥 What You'll Learn:

• What makes a brand truly press-worthy in today’s crowded market
  

• Why authentic founder stories drive more media than product launches
  

• The hidden costs of daycare and how it sparked Emily’s leap into entrepreneurship
  

• Real talk on influencer pricing, earned vs. paid media, and sample shipping strategy
  

• How Emily structures PR packages for startups without big agency budgets
  

🧠 Memorable Moments: “PR should be proactive, not reactive. It’s about telling your story daily.” “I quit my dream job at 12 weeks pregnant — because I knew what mattered more.” “If you seem too perfect, you’re not relatable. The ugly stuff is your power.”

👤 Guest Info:

•  Emily Scorgie

•  Founder, Babble PR

•  Website: babblepr.com

•  Instagram: @letsbabble

✨ Stay Connected:

• Follow host Kristin Taylor on Instagram

• Learn more about More Than the Hype

• Sip smart with Mom Juice

What happens when a creative strategist-turned-founder decides she’s done waiting for permission and builds a clean-label wine company from the ground up? You get KT Winery — now stocked in Target, Total Wine, and soon, first-class on international flights.

In this episode, More Than the Hype host Kristin Taylor sits down on the other side of the mic for a special bonus interview with Greta Okomo of Collaborative Change. From quitting corporate to funding a dream with her 401(k), Kristin gets radically honest about ownership, identity, and the cost of building while underestimated.

Who It’s For:

→ Early-stage founders & brand builders

→ CPG operators & DTC dreamers

→ Women raising capital or scaling solo

→ VCs ready to invest in untapped markets

→ Anyone who’s had to fight for their own seat at the table

What We Cover:

🧃 The business of wine: how KT Winery scaled from kitchen table to national retail

💰 Fundraising while underestimated — and knowing when to walk away

🧠 Why therapy is a founder tool, not a luxury

⚡ The myth of going “full time” and what real scaling looks like

💥 How to protect your vision from people who don’t respect it

🔥 Mic Drop Moment:

“They held our wine hostage to ‘teach us a lesson’... I moved every dollar out the next week.”

Links + Resources: → KT Winery — shop wines + sign up for the non-alc drop → Follow Kristin on IG: @kristin.taylor | @ktwinery | @momjuicewine  → Learn more about She’s Got the Juice — September 5-6 in Denver, CO

🎧 Listen Now: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Anywhere you tune in

In this powerful episode of More Than the Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Paige Goss — Founder and CEO of Point Solutions Group — to talk real numbers, raw challenges, and how she built a $10M+ tech and defense contracting business from scratch, without a technical background.

From moving cross-country while her wife was pregnant with twins to breaking into a male-dominated industry, Paige shares her no-BS perspective on what it really takes to scale, hire, and build a company culture that lasts. Plus, she dives deep into what makes a business “sexy”, and how she chooses the female-led startups she invests in.

This episode is packed with value for entrepreneurs, especially women navigating leadership in high-growth industries. If you’ve ever wondered what grit, growth, and building with purpose really look like—this one’s for you.

🔥 What You'll Learn:

• How Paige grew a $10M+ tech company without writing a line of code

• The power of financial fluency for women entrepreneurs

• Why culture is more than ping pong tables and happy hours

• Paige’s investment strategy and why she bets on women

• How to stay sane while building and leading at scale

• “EBITDA is sexy. And profitable businesses should be celebrated.”

• “If you tell me I can’t do it, I’m probably going to do it.”

• “You don’t build culture with a budget — you build it by being real.”
  

Paige Goss

• Founder & CEO,
• Point Solutions Group
• Connect on LinkedIn: Paige Goss

Stay Connected:

• Follow host Kristin Taylor on Instagram

• Learn more about More Than the Hype

• Sip smart with Mom Juice

In this episode of More Than the Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Aasiyah Abdulsalam, founder of The Renatural, to talk about building one of the most innovative beauty-tech brands of our time. From launching with the viral Wig Fix to developing a patent-pending wig made by custom-built machines, Aasiyah breaks down the grit, strategy, and deep customer connection it takes to scale in the beauty space.

Suppose you're a founder, CPG enthusiast, or beauty brand builder. In that case, this episode is packed with real talk on IP protection, scrappy product development, waitlist strategies, and how to turn loyal customers into brand advocates.

What You’ll Learn

• How Aasiyah turned a customer pain point into a viral product

• The power of pre-orders, pitch events, and word-of-mouth growth

• Why patenting isn’t the same as protecting your product — and how to do both

Aasiyah Abdulsalam is the founder of The Renatural, a beauty-tech brand revolutionizing the wig industry. She’s a self-taught product developer, IP strategist, and visionary who’s redefining what beauty innovation looks like through technology, empathy, and customer-first design.

Follow her work:

• Instagram: @therenatural
• LinkedIn: Aasiyah Abdulsalam
• Website: therenatural.com

Subscribe + Share

Loved this episode? Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to More Than the Hype wherever you listen. Share it with a founder friend, beauty brand builder, or anyone dreaming big with limited resources.

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Join our newsletter to get the latest episodes, founder tips, and CPG trends straight to your inbox.

What happens when a luxury event planner who’s managed over $100M in experiences decides to build software? You get Partytrick — the tech platform making brand events smarter, more scalable, and ROI-driven.In this episode, Virginia Frischkorn joins me to talk about reinventing the event space, what most brands get wrong about in-person experiences, and how Partytrick is helping brands, ambassadors, and founders host with ease - and data.Who It’s For:- Founders and brand builders- CPG marketers- Event planners & community leads- VCs investing in consumer infrastructure- Anyone tired of “influencer trip energy” and craving real communityWhat We Cover:- The shift from high-touch events to scalable, tech-powered experiences- How to actually measure event ROI and sponsorship value- Lessons from raising capital and building as a solo founder- Why micro-events over mega-trips- Systems, SOPs, and scaling service with heartMic Drop Moment:"People bounce between 8 and 20 tools to plan one event - that’s just stupid."Links & Resource:Virginia Frischkorn on LinkedInPartytrick - join the waitlistFollow Virginia on IG:

@virginiafrischkorn

@partytrick

🚀 The $100 Investment Revolution: Why Angel Investing Isn’t Just for the 1% Anymore

Start up investing isn’t just for the millionaires in Silicon Valley anymore. As someone who’s raised $1.3M in investment from Angel Investors and Funds - I wanted to peel the layers back on democratizing Startup investingand how it’s changing the game for founders

In this episode of More Than the Hype, I sit down with Jonny Price, President of WeFunder, the leading investment crowdfunding platform AND the crowdfunding my company, Mom Juice has used not once but twice. With a background in nonprofit leadership, strategy, and a lifelong passion for expanding access to capital, Jonny has helped thousands of founders raise millions through community-powered roundsfor just $100.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

• Why $100 investments can be life-changing—for both founders and backers

• The difference between accredited and non-accredited investors (and why it matters)

• How WeFunder is leveling the playing field for women, BIPOC, and underserved founder

• What a “liquidity event” is and how investors might get paid back

• Why raising money on platforms like WeFunder should be a no brainer.

• How founders can turn customers into brand ambassadors and loyal investors

• Jonny’s thoughts on the next big trends in startup capital and community ownership
  

🔥 Resources & Mentions:

• WeFunder – where anyone can invest in startups they love

• Kiva.org – nonprofit microlending platform where Jonny previously worked

• Superhuman – email tool both Jonny and I Jonny swears by for productivity

• Capital Dept – fundraising support agency run by Maria Springer (capitaldept.com)

• The Logan Bartlett Show – podcast recommended by Jonny (featuring Matt Mochary)

• Companies mentioned: Substack, Poppy, LifeLabs, Pirouette, Oakland Roots, Chattanooga FC
  

📚 Books Worth the Hype (and Not):

✅ Zone of Genius concept (from Matt Mochary podcast—Jonny’s best business advice)

❌ White Lotus (Jonny's hot take: "Beautiful, but too slow")

👉 Subscribe & Review: If this episode hit home for you, share it with your people and drop us a review. Your support means the world 💛

📲 Follow Kristin Taylor & More Than the Hype

• Instagram: ⁠@kristin.taylor⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠Kristin Taylor⁠
• Newsletter: ⁠More Than the Hype Newsletter⁠
• Instagram: ⁠@morethanthehypepodcast⁠
• Facebook: ⁠@morethanthehypepodcast⁠
• YouTube: ⁠@MoreThantheHypePodcast⁠

🎙️ Connect with Jonny Price

• 🌐 Website: ⁠wefunder.com⁠
• 📷 Instagram: ⁠@WeFunder⁠
• 📌 LinkedIn: ⁠Jonny Price⁠
• 🐾 Fun Fact: Jonny’s kids (8, 6, and 4) speak with a slightly British twang and do spot-on Harry Potter impressions.

🚀 From Viral Brands to Mental Burnout: What It Really Takes to Build a Business What happens when your product goes viral… and then gets knocked off three weeks later? What’s the real cost of chasing the hype—and what’s waiting on the other side of burnout? 

In this episode of More Than the Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with Janet Gwen, the founder and creative director behind Janet Gwen Designs, a Charlotte-based brand known for aesthetic tech accessories and dreamy home decor made for modern homebodies.

Janet gets real about building a top-rated product empire from her high school bedroom, rebranding through multiple business phases, and ultimately choosing purpose over pressure. Now a performance marketer overseeing 20+ brands, she shares why she walked away from her company at its peak and what she's learned about creating with intention in the age of content chaos.

✨ What You’ll Learn:

• Why going viral isn’t always the dream—and how it can destroy your brand

• The truth about product-based businesses post-COVID (it’s not cute)

• What performance marketing really means—and why creative is king

• How BookTok resurrected Barnes & Noble and created a reading revolution

• Why “just start” is bad advice if you’re in a regulated industry

• The danger of chasing external validation (aka Forbes 30 Under 30 gone very wrong)
  

🔥 Resources & Mentions:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear

• Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

• Financial Feminist by Tori Dunlap

• BookTok trends & Kindle Unlimited

• Midjourney – AI tool for creators

• The downfall of meme coins like $HAWT and what creators need to know
  

📚 Books Worth the Hype (and Not): ✅ Everything is Figureoutable – a mantra AND a method ❌ Some of Joe Dispenza’s work – vibes alone don’t pay the rent

👉 Subscribe & Review: If this episode hit home for you, share it with your people and drop us a review. Your support means the world 💛

📲 Follow Kristin Taylor & More Than the Hype

• Instagram: @kristin.taylor
• LinkedIn: Kristin Taylor
• Newsletter: More Than the Hype Newsletter
• Instagram: @morethanthehypepodcast
• Facebook: @morethanthehypepodcast
• Youtube: @MoreThantheHypePodcast

🎙️ Connect with Janet Gwen

• 🌐 Website: janetgwen.com
• 📷 Instagram: @janet.gwen
• 📌 Pinterest: @janetgwendesigns
• 📺 YouTube: Janet Gwen on YouTube
• 🐾 Fun Fact: She’s a Ravenclaw, and a proud dog mom to Bonnie & Clyde

🚀 Taking Black-Owned Brands to the Next LevelHow does a Black-owned winery land on American Airlines? How do you build the right network to make your biggest business dreams happen? In this episode of More Than the Hype, Kristin Taylor sits down with Kelly Ifill, the founder of Guava, a digital banking platform designed for Black entrepreneurs.Kelly spills all the details on how she helped KT Winery secure its spot on American Airlines, why networking is everything, and how she raised $2.5M in venture funding in an industry that often overlooks Black founders.✨

• What You’ll Learn:How Kelly helped secure the American Airlines deal for KT Winery

• The power of networking and why your connections = your net worth

• What investors really look for when funding Black entrepreneurs

• The reality of pivoting a startup and keeping investors on board

• Kelly’s top business lessons (spoiler: Know your pitch, and move fast!)

🔥 Resources & Mentions:

• Guava – Digital banking for Black entrepreneurs

• KT Winery – Now served on American Airlines!

• Black Ambition – Funding for Black & Latinx entrepreneurs

• Hillman Talk on TikTok – Where business meets culture

Book Recommendation:

• Build (by Tony Fadell)

👉 Subscribe & Review: If this episode inspired you, leave a review and share it with your people!📲

Follow Kristin Taylor & More Than the Hype

Instagram: @MoreThanTheHypePodcast

Facebook: @morethanthehypepodcast

In this episode of More Than The Hype, host Kristin Taylor sits down with her co-founder and fellow powerhouse, Macie Mincey, for their first-ever podcast together. From pumping bags and postpartum pitches at Target HQ to becoming one of fewer than 150 Black women to raise over $1M in venture capital — they break down what it really takes to build a wine company that’s more than just pretty labels and alcohol content.

🍷 Inside the episode:

• The real story behind Mom Juice and how the name chose them

• What it’s like to pitch a major retailer just weeks after giving birth

• Vulnerability, bad credit, and building a sexy, scrappy brand with substance

• Why women and moms are NOT a niche — and the $330B market that's proving it

• How to become an investor in Mom Juice (yes, you can own a piece!)

• What’s next: She's Got the Juice, NA wine drops, rich auntie collabs & more

💸 Want to invest? Join the movement:

⁠wefunder.com/mom.juice ⁠

Minimum investment: $100. Perks included.

Ownership matters.

Meet the Guest: Macie Mincey

Website:⁠ www.momjuicewine.com www.maciemincey.com⁠

Social:⁠ @maciemincey⁠ on all platforms

Bio: Macie Mincey is an entrepreneur, investor, and former finance professional who transitioned from her career at Wells Fargo to the startup world. As the co-founder of Mom Juice and host of the OnlyMoms Podcast, she focuses on empowering women, particularly moms, by blending motherhood and entrepreneurship with a relatable, fun approach. She is also an active member of Golden Seeds, the discerning group of investors funding high-potential, women-led businesses, and a board member of the Keith YMCA in Charlotte, NC. Macie aims to inspire financial empowerment and shares her expertise through consulting and coaching.

📲 Stay connected:

• Visit us:⁠ ⁠⁠ktwinery.com⁠

💌 Join our newsletter: Stay updated on events, wine drops, and exclusive perks. 

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate & review – it helps way more than you know!