The Story of a Brand Halfday Ice Tea (Part 2) - From Gut Issues to Grocery Shelves
When it comes to building a better-for-you beverage brand, it’s easy to think it’s all about the product. But as Kayvon Jahanbakhsh, co-founder of Halfday Iced Tea, shares in this episode, building a brand people actually love is just as much about emotional connection, persistence, and timing.
This conversation is packed with insights into what it truly takes to break through in a crowded category, especially when you're on a mission to reintroduce Americans to a nostalgic drink with a gut-healthy twist.
Kayvon opens up about how he and his co-founder turned a personal health journey into a nationally recognized brand stocked in over 7,000 stores. We talk about retail wins, scrappy marketing tactics, and why doing the "unscalable things" early on helped them earn shelf space and consumer trust.
Whether you're a fellow founder, a marketer in the trenches, or just someone who loves a good iced tea comeback story—this one’s for you.
Here are some key moments from the episode:
* How a ulcerative colitis diagnosis led Kayvon to reimagine iced tea with prebiotic fiber and better ingredients
* Why consumer education and playful branding were critical to getting people to trust a functional beverage
* The turning point when they went from selling out of a garage to landing national retail distribution
* Why Kayvon believes “velocity is king” when it comes to scaling at retail
* His thoughts on brand-building in an era where transparency and taste both matter more than ever
Join me, Ramon Vela, in listening to the episode and get inspired by how Kayvon and the Halfday team are reviving a beloved drink for a new generation, with purpose, flavor, and hustle at the core.
For more on Halfday Ice Tea visit: https://drinkhalfday.com/
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