Why do most beverage brands fail?

In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Larkai and Monte Burrow, founders of Blackleaf Organic Vodka, to break down what it actually takes to build a brand in one of the most competitive categories in CPG.

This isn’t a highlight reel.

We get into:

•  The biggest mistakes they made early on 
•  Why great products don’t sell themselves 
•  What “entrepreneurship is a contact sport” really means 
•  How they bet on organic before it was trending 
•  The difference between storytelling and building real systems 
•  What they learned going from corporate (Diageo) to startup 

If you’re a founder, operator, or thinking about launching a brand—this episode is a real look at what it takes to survive and scale.

Key Takeaways

•  Most brands fail because they don’t stay close to the customer 
•  Product alone is never enough 
•  Organic isn’t a trend—it’s a long-term belief system 
•  Systems and execution matter just as much as story 

Connect with the Guests

Kevin Larkai
Monte Burrow
Blackleaf Organic Vodka