Ep. 116: Secrets of a Perfect ‘Overnight Success’; Successful Habits of a Kombucha Queen

When it debuted in 2005, Perfect Bar was a tough sell to retailers unfamiliar with the concept of a refrigerated protein bar. But Leigh and Bill Keith, who co-founded the brand along with four other siblings and developed the products based on a family recipe that uses healthier ingredients, slowly achieved traction for Perfect Bar through persistence and a focused business strategy. The brand is now carried at thousands of retail chains across the country and is the leader of the blooming set. We caught up with Leigh and Bill at NOSH Live Summer 2018 and discussed the company’s journey to become, in their words, a 13-year overnight success, and how intense sampling efforts and grassroots metrics were critical to the brand’s development. The British novelist and author William Thackeray is quoted as saying that “Successful people aren’t born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.” But what are those things, those habits? We’ll be asking that very question to many successful entrepreneurs in new and upcoming episodes of the podcast, starting with Daina Trout, who is the co-founder and CEO of leading kombucha brand Health-Ade. In an interview recorded at BevNET Live Summer 2018, Daina discussed specific habits that have helped her achieve repeatable, positive outcomes and avoid routine mistakes. Also in this episode: A review of recent top headlines in the beverage business with BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero. Show notes: 2:45: BTS at BevNET Live/NOSH Live -- The hosts discuss a few behind-the-scenes stories from the NOSH Live sampling experience, beta-testing and brand introductions at BevNET Live (Rise Brewing Co., meet Rise Kombucha!), Mike’s sticker pranks and more. 12:50: Interview: Bill & Leigh Keith, Co-Founders, Perfect Bar -- BevNET CMO Mike Schneider met with Bill and Leigh at NOSH Live Summer 2018 where they spoke about the brand’s origins and founding story, the innovative way that Perfect Bar sourced data in its early days, how changes in grocery and creativity were crucial in its growth and the importance of the family story for branding. 43:00: In the Newsroom -- BevNET assistant editor Marty Caballero joins the podcast to discuss the recent decision by Howard Schultz to step down as chairman of Starbucks, and Miller Coors’ acquisition of San Francisco-based kombucha brand Clearly Kombucha. 46:44: Interview: Daina Trout, Co-Founder/CEO, Health-Ade Kombucha -- Trout explains how a monthly strategy day and one-on-one weekly manager meetings have supported the company’s growth and her development as a leader and why accepting every media opportunity turned out to be a bad habit that she has since changed. Brands in this episode: Hella Cocktail Co., Evy Tea, Rise Brewing Co. Rise Kombucha, Perfect Bar, Starbucks, Clearly Kombucha, Canvas, Health-Ade Kombucha