Ep. 155: How an Artist Became an Entrepreneur and Got Beyoncé on Board

As the saying goes: if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what if life gave you 800 million pounds of ugly, but perfectly edible watermelons? If you’re Jody Levy, you make WTRMLN WTR, a brand of cold-pressed watermelon juice beverages.

A serial entrepreneur and design expert, Levy has overseen the evolution of WTRMLN WTR from a single product to a platform brand whose products are available at over 25,000 locations nationwide. Leading with a mission of sustainability and natural hydration, WTRMLN WTR has attracted funding from prominent investors from within the beverage industry as well as from a number of celebrities, including NBA star Chris Paul and music icon Beyoncé, who praised the company’s desire to “deliver accessible wellness to the world.”

In the following interview, Levy spoke about her background in branding and design and how it fueled the creation of WTRMLN WTR. She also discussed how ignorance can be an asset as a beverage entrepreneur, why it’s important to admit what you’re not good at and what you love to do, and why she describes her career as a “journey of synchronicity.”

Show notes:

2:38: Interview: Jody Levy, Co-Founder, WTRMLN WTR -- In an interview recorded at Natural Products Expo West 2019, Levy spoke about the importance of her family nurturing her artistic spirit and the role it continues to play throughout her life. She also discussed the important mentors and influential artists, including the Eames brothers and Buckminster Fuller, who helped shape her perspective in creating WTRMLN WTR. She also explained why “running a beverage company is like getting hit in the face by a 2x4 every day,” why connecting with investors on a personal level led to deals with Rohan Oza and Beyoncé and what battling Lyme disease taught her about work-life balance.

Brands in this episode: WTRMLN WTR