Starting a beverage brand might be one of the hardest things you can do in CPG. The margins are thin, the logistics are brutal, and most investors will tell you not to even try.

But Harvard Business School grad Vanessa Royle and her co-founder did it anyway. They built Tilden, a ready-to-drink, premium non-alcoholic cocktail from the ground up. It all started with kitchen experiments, then they raised their first friends-and-family round with intention, and structured their seed raise to last.

From the start, they made one simple but rare choice: to build for profitability, not hype, to grow slowly, stay intentional, and do things on their own terms.

But that gets hard once the feedback starts rolling in. Every investor has a different take on pricing, strategy, and what success should look like. Somewhere in all those opinions, even the most confident founder can start second-guessing themselves.

Vanessa eventually learned that sometimes, you really do know your business better than any investor. Feedback can be helpful, but it doesn't mean you have to change direction every time someone tells you to.

So what did she figure out along the way? And what should CPG founders really look for in an investor?

In this episode, Vanessa shares how she tuned out the noise, made the right calls for her company, her unexpected mini Shark Tank moment, and what's next for Tilden as the brand keeps growing.

Topics Covered;

• Why most investors discourage founders from entering the beverage industry

• How to structure a friends-and-family round that sets you up for long-term success

• The simple way Tilden kept their cap table clean while bringing dozens of early believers on board

• What founders get wrong about feedback, and how to know when to trust your instincts instead

• Why chasing growth too fast can backfire (and how profitability became Tilden's secret advantage)

• How to prepare for a seed raise when investors keep moving the goalposts

• What it really takes to stand out in a crowded non-alcoholic category

Guest Bio

Vanessa Royle is a Harvard Business School grad and co-founder of Tilden, a ready-to-drink, premium non-alcoholic cocktail that redefines how we celebrate without alcohol. After quitting drinking in 2020, Vanessa was frustrated by the lack of sophisticated non-alcoholic options. So she set out to create her own premium ready-to-drink cocktail that's low sugar. She has broken through the initial push and is currently selling in hundreds of stores. To learn more, visit https://drinktilden.com/, follow @drinktilden on Instagram. If you want to learn more about investing, send an email to [email protected].

About Your Host

Jayla Siciliano, Shark Tank entrepreneur turned real estate investor, excels in building brands, teams, and products. CEO of a bi-coastal luxury short-term rental company, she also hosts the Seed Money Podcast, where she's on a mission to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality!

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The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.