From $10 in the Bank to a $9M Beverage Brand: Megan Klein’s Unconventional Path with Little Saints

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with Megan Klein, founder of Little Saints, the sugar-free, mushroom-powered non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits brand redefining the way we drink. A former environmental attorney turned two-time brand founder, Megan’s journey is one of radical pivots, personal reinvention, and unshakable self-belief. She shares how she went from shutting down her first startup to investing her last million, selling her own apartment to fund it, and scaling Little Saints to $9.6M in revenue without traditional VC backing.

Megan opens up about her lowest moments, from navigating loneliness during the pandemic, to hitting $10 in her personal bank account, and the turning point that came from trusting her own intuition over outside “expert” advice. She dives into how plant medicine shaped her leadership style, the hard lessons of Shark Tank, and why aligning brand growth with personal growth has been the foundation of her success. This is an unfiltered conversation on grit, discernment, and building a category-defining CPG brand on your own terms.

Chapters:
02:21 – From Lawyer to Rooftop Farming
04:51 – The Fog of Misalignment in Corporate Life
07:41 – Equity-Only Hustle at Farmed Here
08:22 – Building The Fresh Factory from a Failed Startup
11:42 – Fundraising Lessons from the First Business
12:35 – Investing Her Own $1M to Start Little Saints
14:37 – The Solo Founder Reality During the Pandemic
16:42 – Hemp Silk Cocktail Masks: The First Little Saints Product
18:05 – The Dry January Experiment That Sparked the Brand
21:00 – Discovering Ayahuasca and Plant Medicine’s Impact
28:55 – Quitting Alcohol for Good
32:39 – Going All-In with DTC
36:09 – Selling Assets to Save the Business
39:50 – Crisis Summer: Cancellation, Family Emergency, and Cash Shortage
41:06 – Unlearning the Need for Outside Approval
46:57 – Filming Shark Tank and Walking Away from the Deal
51:01 – Scaling from $100K to $9.6M in Three Years
53:17 – Laying the Foundation for $20M+ Growth
56:53 – Using Plant Medicine to Become a Better Leader
59:08 – Radical Feedback from the Team
1:03:26 – Little Saints Dirty Martini Demo
1:07:20 – Building in Miami and Creating the Little Saints House
1:11:32 – In-Person vs. Remote Team Dynamics
1:13:08 – What December 2020 Megan Would Be Most Proud Of
1:16:03 – Message to a 16-Year-Old Megan
1:18:39 – Blending Personal Development with Business Growth
1:21:31 – Choosing Alignment Over Short-Term Gains
1:22:23 – Where to Buy Little Saints

Guest Links:
Website: littlesaints.com
Instagram: @littlesaintsco
LinkedIn: Little Saints

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