Ready To Drink Podcast

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Performance coach, Cannabis Beverage Certified co-founder,and Women in Hemp co-leader Leigh Gall joins Ready To Drink Podcast host Nate Fochtman to talk about what actually keeps founders moving in a market this hard to build in. 

Passion. Intention. Conviction. 

Leigh's work sits at the intersection of behavioral science, Traumatic Intelligence, and beverage industry leadership. This clip is the reason people share episodes. 

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The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

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Mike Waskewich spent 23 years in the Army, retired as a Sergeant Major and then built two things the adult beverage industry didn't know it needed: The Bar Book, a Spotify-style flavor matching app for spirits, beer, cocktails, NA and THC beverages and CRAFT, a nonprofit coalition connecting veteran-owned beverage brands with buyers, distributors and content creators across the country.

In this episode of Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate and Mike cover the full adult beverage ecosystem, from why category beats brand every time at point of sale to how CRAFT is building a nationwide event infrastructure that lets small brands compete without corporate budgets. 

They get into the Bar Book's flavor-match algorithm, the direct-to-consumer build-out, and why education drives 90% of sales in this industry. They also go deep on sobriety, on-premise culture, veteran identity in business and the difference between supporting veterans and actually being one.

This one covers a lot of ground: mindful drinking, functional drinks trends, hemp industry advocacy, beverage entrepreneurship and the kind of human connection that no marketing deck can replicate.

The Bar Book: TheBarBook.App (available in all app stores) 

CRAFT: SupportCraft.org 

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mike-waskewich

Hosted by Nate Fochtman, founder of The FreeMind Group | FMGStrategy.com 

Follow Ready To Drink Podcast: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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The drink doesn't make the memory. The moment does.

Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and The Bar Book co-founder Mike Waskewich Jr drops something worth sitting with in our upcoming episode - your favorite beverage isn't about what's in the glass. It's about who's around it.

Full episode dropping soon.

Check out TheBarBook.app & SupportCraft.org (A national 501(c)(3) advancing veteran and first responder employment, entrepreneurship, and long-term brand growth across the adult beverage ecosystem - from production to distribution to on-premise operations.)

Find more founder stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Chris Fontes, founder of High Spirits, breaks down why the hemp beverage space is still a team sport and why operators who treat it like a competition are hurting everyone, including themselves.

Right now the category is still fighting to survive. That changes everything about how you have to show up.

Ready To Drink | B2B media for the adult beverage industry

Check out DrinkHighSpirits.com.

Find more founder stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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The 2008 housing crash didn't end JR Heaps' career - it started one.

JR was doing historic restoration and timber frame design-build work when his boss pulled him aside and basically said: the projects are drying up, you might want to chase that beer thing.

So he did.

He built his own version of the Brutus 10 homebrew system - pumps, temperature controllers, a 10-gallon setup he'd been dialing in for years. Then he went hunting for affordable commercial equipment and found four Grundy tanks from an old pub in Virginia, originally imported from England. Cut two of them apart to build his own mash tun and kettle. Welded the whole thing together himself.

That Frankenstein brewhouse? It's still making beer today - Kyle Neuheimer at Oakbrook Brewing in Reading, PA picked it up and it's still running. That's not just a cool origin story. That's a testament to what happens when a builder puts his hands on a problem.

JR Heaps is the founder of South County Brewery in Pennsylvania.

Ready To Drink | B2B media for the adult beverage industry

Check out SouthCountyBrewing.com

Find more founder stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

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In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Kristin and Eric Rogers, the husband-and-wife founders who built, sold, and recently bought back their cannabis beverage empire, LEVIA. Transitioning from careers as "recovering marketers" for massive blue-chip brands like AT&T and Home Depot, the duo discusses the grit required to move from a kitchen-top concept in 2017 to a facility-based powerhouse.

The conversation dives deep into the "Retail Reality" of the beverage industry, including:

• The Founder's Buyback: The strategic decision to reclaim their brand two weeks ago and return to independent roots.
• Effects-Based Branding: Breaking down the science behind Achieve, Celebrate, and Dream to simplify the consumer experience.
• Parenting & Prohibition: A candid look at normalizing plant medicine at home while maintaining strict 21+ boundaries and label transparency.
• The Regulatory Landscape: Why federal banking, trademark protections, and state-level bills, like the upcoming Pennsylvania Hemp Beverage Bill, are critical for institutional readiness.

Check out LEVIA.Buzz

More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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In this Quick Sips from tomorrow's episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, LEVIA co-founders Eric and Kristin Rogers share the incredible "boomerang" story of their brand.

From spotting a gap in the market for zero-sugar, zero-calorie cannabis seltzers in 2017 to a major acquisition by Ayr Wellness and their recent move to buy the brand back - this is a masterclass in brand building and persistence.

Check out LEVIA.Buzz

More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

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Pete Olander, founder of Happie Beverages, sits down to discuss the massive gap between what the people want and what politicians are doing. With an 84% approval rating for THC beverages among adults, the data is clear - the "cannabis-curious" market is becoming the mainstream market.

Pete breaks down why he’s staying the course despite the political noise and why the future of drinkable hemp is brighter than ever.

Check out Happie Beverages: DrinkHappie.com

More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

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It’s not just about what’s in the glass, it’s about how you feel the next morning.

Dylan & Brandon, Co-founders of Goodmellow sits down with the Ready To Drink Podcast to discuss the evolving culture of hemp beverages. From coffee shops to late-night hangouts, the experience of social drinking is changing. It’s no longer about "large doses" of alcohol; it’s about intentional ingredients that let you stay social without sacrificing your next day.

Connect with Brandon & Dylan at Goodmellow.com

More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate sits down with Jack Peat, the entrepreneurial force behind Abstrax Tech and Abstrax Hops.

Jack shares his journey from selling weed at 15 to running a massive swimming pool automation business (including a wild story about a billionaire at the Ritz Carlton) and finally co-founding one of the most advanced terpene and flavor extraction companies in the world.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• 2D Gas Chromatography: How "flying a helicopter" over chemical peaks helps Abstrax discover hundreds of hidden aroma compounds.
• The Thiol Secret: Why sulfur compounds are the "ethereal" key to that fresh OG Kush scent.
• Brewing Revolution: How Quantum extracts can 5x flavor aroma while increasing beer yield by 30%.
• The Future of Hemp Drinks: Why the "hemp taste" is so hard to mask and how TTB-approved cannabis terpenes are changing the game.
• Navigating 2026: Jack’s take on the current regulatory landscape for hemp-derived beverages.

Connect with Jack & Abstrax Tech at AbstraxTech.com & AbstraxHops.com 

More stories at ReadyToDrinkPodcast.com + YouTube + Spotify + Apple Podcasts

The FreeMind Group
Owner-operator market development and PR, built on the street for the last 18 years.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Presented by The FreeMind Group - FMGStrategy.com