1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Wake that answer up in the morning. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 2: Breakfast Club Morning. 3 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 3: Everybody is DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the guy. We 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,479 Speaker 3: are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in 5 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 3: the building. We got the brother Russell Fletcher. Welcome, Brother, Welcome. 6 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 4: I appreciate you guys actually invite me to the show 7 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 4: and giving me the opportunity to come in. 8 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 1: It's a pleasure this morning. 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 3: Founder of Mishka Premium Vodka. 10 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 2: Yes, I just found a master. 11 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 4: Yeah, I am the Master's Stiller, Master Stiller of Mishka 12 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 4: Premium Vodka. The company's name is This Life Forever. Something 13 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 4: that I've held on to for a very long time. 14 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 4: It's been kind of kind of my thing as far 15 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 4: as just the way of life and also just being 16 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 4: able to make sure that I could just promote. 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Good values, community based. We are alcohol driven, but we 18 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: make award. 19 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 4: Winning spirits and we try to figure out the best 20 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 4: ways to be able to give back to the community 21 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 4: and work in the community. 22 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 3: Now you're distill a reason in Pennsylvania, Allentown. That was 23 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 3: the day this weekend. Yeah, yeah, got like what fifteen 24 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 3: fourteen inches of snow. 25 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 1: DJ yep, it was it was pretty nastics to the brothers. 26 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 3: So let me ask you how you got How did 27 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:12,199 Speaker 3: you get into liqum? Most people start off ether buying 28 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 3: or selling marketing, but you actually learned how to make it. 29 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 4: So I started off in amateur wine making, and I 30 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 4: learned how to make. 31 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: While I was in Stat nine. 32 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 4: Living in Stat nine, I learned how to make wine 33 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 4: in the garage from. 34 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 2: Italians moonshine call it you was making that. 35 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: It definitely wasn't legal at the time. 36 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 4: But at the end of the day, I did, you know, 37 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 4: kind of homing on my craft. I was finishing up 38 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 4: my nursing degree and I just want to switch. And 39 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 4: I say, hey, you know what, like I want to 40 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 4: make a little. 41 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: Bit more of an impact. 42 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 4: And the only way to make impact is what financially 43 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 4: impact things in order to be able to change things. 44 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 4: So with alcohol being a multi you know, trillion dollar market, 45 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 4: it's it was kind of the obvious. Seven years in 46 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 4: wine making amateur, won some awards, got my license, so 47 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 4: it wasn't actually illegal anymore. Right, I was no longer 48 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 4: selling selling product my sparkling one out of the back 49 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 4: of my Mercedes, and my mom helped me actually just 50 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 4: legitimize everything and get my license together. 51 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: How difficult was it to get your license? 52 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Very difficult. 53 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 4: Again, you know, my mom just having just a bunch 54 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 4: of like city work experience, and she was diligent on 55 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 4: the paperwork. I was diligent on the marketing, and then 56 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 4: you know, obviously now I learned all the paperwork and 57 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 4: then so but difficult process. 58 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:38,960 Speaker 1: They ask a lot. 59 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 4: You know, your partner is either the state and the 60 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 4: federal government, but always the federal government first. And you 61 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 4: guys kind of know how the federal government is. You know, 62 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 4: it could be a difficult process. And we didn't use 63 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 4: any lawyers, so we didn't use a lawyer to be 64 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 4: able to put the paperwork through for us. Normally you're gonna, 65 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 4: you know, pay a lawyer roughly about fifty to one 66 00:02:58,320 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 4: hundred thousand dollars just to be able to put a 67 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 4: paperwork through in order to be able to manufacture alcohol, 68 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 4: because there's a difference obviously and making a brand, owning 69 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 4: a brand and then actually manufacturing the alcohol and being 70 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 4: able to make sure that you have all the regulatory 71 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 4: things that are in place. 72 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 2: So when you used to make your own wine, you 73 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: had your grapes and what was in the tub with. 74 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: Right in the barrels, plastic barrels. 75 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 4: From went from crushing the grapes, then realizing that I 76 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 4: could actually buy the juice already crushed, and then we 77 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 4: started to scale. We were doing everything from NFL events, 78 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 4: a bunch of different events. But you know, it's an industry, 79 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 4: and it's not a lot of us in the industry. 80 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 4: So the larger that I got, you know, the way 81 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 4: my supplies were squeezing my you know, my margins just 82 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 4: a little bit. Because in Pennsylvania, you don't you know, 83 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 4: you normally don't have a vineyard. It's a cold state, 84 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 4: so you know, you would either get your grapes or 85 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 4: you get your juice from somewhere else, and then you 86 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 4: fermert the wine and then you would actually bring it 87 00:03:56,120 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 4: to bottle and from my bottling side of it to 88 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 4: my grapes. And then suddenly started to squeeze me out, 89 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 4: and uh, my finishing up my last year, just before 90 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 4: I went to my nursing, like my nurse, my nursing 91 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 4: like pre clinicals and my clinicals. 92 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: I decided that I had enough, and I thought that 93 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: I had. 94 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 4: A good foothold just within the wine industry and I 95 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 4: kind of had a little bit of brand awareness and 96 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 4: had some you know, industry experience, knowing that you know 97 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 4: behind music, fashion, but also at the same time. 98 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: Alcohol, that's what's gonna drive the party at the end 99 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: of the day. 100 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 4: So I wanted to make sure that I kind of 101 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 4: got into that and me surviving and having a license 102 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,239 Speaker 4: in UH in the state in the Commonwealth UH based 103 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 4: on wine. They weren't even doing dual distillery license. So 104 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 4: I had one of the first three dual distillery license 105 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 4: dual winery and distillery license in the Commonwealth UH. And 106 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 4: then I started doing vodka. I met my wife, my 107 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 4: now wife. I was Ukrainian and I learned how to 108 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 4: make up. I learn how to make. 109 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: Vodka in the garage from Ukrainians. 110 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 4: So battalions with the wine, Ukrainians with the with the vodka, 111 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 4: and I'm here. 112 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 5: Well, congrats on They said, you're the most awarded black 113 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 5: owned spirits brand in the country. 114 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:08,679 Speaker 1: That is a fact. 115 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: Break that down what those awards look like. 116 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 4: So so the oldest Wana spirits competition in the world 117 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 4: is the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. We're the only 118 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 4: black owned spirit with a double goal double gold this 119 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 4: one gold, this one, multiple silvers with these, so you know, 120 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 4: and we just just continue to get better. 121 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: So you know, you take. 122 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 4: A brand like something that's more famous, you know, like 123 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 4: an uncle Nearest, Our uncle nearest. 124 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: They've won multiple awards. 125 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 4: They are one of the top, you know, awarded Whiskies. 126 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: But at the same time, we've been getting. 127 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 4: Awards since twenty sixteen when I first actually dropped Mesha Honey. 128 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 3: The awards in the liquor business mean anything. And the 129 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 3: reason I asked that is, you know, I had all 130 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 3: the time that this one gets an award, this one 131 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 3: gets an award, But it always seems like regardless of 132 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 3: the awards, it's brand recognition is what people buy, right, 133 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 3: especially when you're dealing with, you know, people in the industry, 134 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 3: they just want what's the dopest thing, which is sad 135 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 3: sometimes because they could be drinking shit. But the ones 136 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 3: with the awards, nobody's necessarily nobody knows cater. 137 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 4: Right until you get a platform like this, which again, 138 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 4: you know, I'm thankful in a way because it kind 139 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 4: of sheds light because I chose not to go with 140 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 4: celebrity endorsements. 141 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: We are just a real story. This is my life. 142 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: I've been in this business for fifteen years. 143 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 4: We might not make you know what someone else makes, 144 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 4: but it's similar to remaining independent. I own my manufacturing, 145 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 4: I own ninety four percent of the company something like that. 146 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 4: And from an award standpoint of it, So the San 147 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 4: Francisco World Spirits competition is a blind tasting, so you're 148 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 4: not buying that. So getting a double goal is like 149 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 4: getting a Grammy in the industry as far as for us. 150 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 4: So when someone says that, whether it be Somalier or 151 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 4: whether it be somebody at the top of the food chain, 152 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 4: who's a major buyer, they want to know. And then 153 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 4: the first thing they ask is can I see that 154 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 4: print it? And obviously we have those things printed. So 155 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 4: it works for who we're feeding, which is the buyer, 156 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 4: but you know, it works a little bit different obviously 157 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 4: when it comes down to the recognition amongst the quote 158 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 4: unquote common. 159 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 5: People, why not do any celebrity in dodorship because we've 160 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 5: seen so many other people do it, you know, of course, 161 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 5: so Rock with Diddy or Casta Migos with George Clooney, Like, 162 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 5: why did you say, you know what? 163 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 4: I don't want to go that route because you know, 164 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 4: when you take when you take both of those situations right, 165 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 4: one it worked very very well. Billions were made, right, 166 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 4: that's well cast some ego's on that side. But also 167 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 4: as far as with I mean pufflicly, you know, I 168 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 4: mean he took it to billions of dollars. But also 169 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 4: at the same time, look at the parallels of what, 170 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 4: you know, what the situation ended up. 171 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: One thing could be a car crash. 172 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 4: The other thing could be you know, it could be 173 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 4: success and get out of the game. 174 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: Uh So for us, it's. 175 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 4: It's kind of like a blended of a Tito's route. 176 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 4: You got to think about it, right, Tito's owns, you know, 177 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 4: I mean, he owns. 178 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: The Voka market. 179 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 4: Right, twenty five years that they've been in business, it's 180 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 4: Tito's period. 181 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 2: I feel like they came out of nowhere too. 182 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 4: But they didn't though they but they did right in 183 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 4: general public. But in the industry we knew exactly what 184 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 4: it was. So I started to kind of just track 185 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 4: what we were doing and kind of just keep those 186 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 4: parallels there because at the end of the day, this 187 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 4: is generational wealth. I'm not looking for a quick sell 188 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 4: in the company. What I actually did was I end 189 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 4: up taking the company public on start Engine just to 190 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 4: be able to give it to people that were like 191 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 4: me who don't understand the industry. I mean, Tito's did 192 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 4: one point four billion dollars from twenty two to twenty three. 193 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: They paid roughly about four hundred and sixty. 194 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 4: Eight million dollars in operational fees and operational. 195 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 2: Costs with no celebrity endorsements, nothing. 196 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 4: Just quality of product and going to a domestic aspect 197 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 4: of it. Now, one thing that does set you know, 198 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 4: companies apart, is what. 199 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: What are your what's your relationship value? 200 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 2: Right? 201 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 4: So our relationship value is based on people who can 202 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 4: connect us with, you know, folks like you guys, but 203 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 4: also at the same time who can place us with 204 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 4: corporations uh, such as the Arramarks, such as the Marriotte, 205 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 4: such as the Hilton. 206 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 2: Uh. 207 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 4: These are corporate placements that we have. Will be in 208 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 4: Disney properties, come in may. 209 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: You very much. I appreciate it. 210 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 2: Now. 211 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 3: Even though that you get in these properties, and you 212 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 3: get in these restaurants, and you get into these establishments, 213 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 3: it's also people have to actually want the product or 214 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 3: not only that the businesses have to push the product. Now, 215 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 3: how do you fight through that? 216 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 4: So that goes back to the quality of the product 217 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 4: and the reason why I made the product. Used to 218 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:46,880 Speaker 4: be a big fan of graand Maier, right, so loved 219 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 4: the Grand Mane for a good portion of my life, 220 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 4: and I wanted to be able to create something that 221 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 4: kind of kind of top Grand Magne, Right, So I 222 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 4: started working on a honey vodka. Now, when you take 223 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 4: the base of our products, the products are all natural, 224 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,200 Speaker 4: the products are gluten free, there's no added sugars, there's 225 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 4: no added coloring into it. It's a quality product, and 226 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 4: it's a flavor product that ends off at eighty proof. Right, 227 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 4: normal flavor products they normally finish up roughly about seventy proof. 228 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 4: So what we've done is we've made almost a cocktail 229 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:21,559 Speaker 4: in the bottle. So instead of doing five parts in 230 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 4: the cocktail, which is what dehydrates you, gives you that 231 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 4: sugar rush gives you that that taste in the back 232 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 4: of your mouth in the morning, gives you the headache, 233 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 4: we've kind of taken that. 234 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 2: Go ahead. 235 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: Man, I'm just like. 236 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 2: You're looking at your eyes and was like that taste 237 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 2: in the of your mouth and the. 238 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 6: Meaning that again, So what we what we did was 239 00:10:56,559 --> 00:10:59,719 Speaker 6: we completed it by making sure that you can only 240 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 6: add you do only need two parts as. 241 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 2: Far as in the contail. 242 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 4: So that's advantageous to a lot of these restaurants, these 243 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 4: corporate partners, because now they're saving on the cocktail juice, right, 244 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 4: they're saving on that mixture, the simple syrup. Uh. We 245 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 4: just try to just kind of just dumb it down, 246 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 4: but also be able to make it, you know, to 247 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 4: where there's value in it. 248 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 5: Also, well, what is it about the honey flavor? I 249 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:23,560 Speaker 5: you've heard about the honey fleet? Was that the one 250 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 5: in the middle, the honey flavor? What about this one 251 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 5: that makes it stand up? 252 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: There's no honey flavored. 253 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 4: Vodka on the market that has the test of time. 254 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: But that right there is the product that I created. 255 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 2: First. 256 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 4: I didn't want to just go all the way on 257 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,200 Speaker 4: the Tito's model, so I went with something that was 258 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 4: exclusive to me first and UH and that's that's been 259 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 4: the hit, that's our flagship. UH. 260 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: And then we bought out. 261 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 4: Then we then then I went to the to the unflavored, 262 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,319 Speaker 4: which is also gluten free and kosher UH. And then 263 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 4: I went to UH to cranberry and now in the 264 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 4: spring of the summer. We'll be really he's seeing Mango 265 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:01,640 Speaker 4: and Passion. 266 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 2: And yeah, you hooked up with the NBA too, right 267 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 2: in the seventy. 268 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 4: Six Yes, seventy six is. I've done multiple spots with 269 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 4: the seventy six is. It looks like via Ara Mark 270 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 4: will be programming in Wells Fargust Center coming for the 271 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:19,199 Speaker 4: next season. That'll be coming, which would be pretty cool. Again, relationships, 272 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 4: you know, doing good in the community. We do a 273 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,600 Speaker 4: bunch of just a bunch of stuff. As you mentioned 274 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 4: you were in Allentown. You know, I sit on every 275 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 4: single board, diversity board. I just try to just do 276 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 4: the best thing that I could possibly do it from 277 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 4: the community standpoint. 278 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,319 Speaker 3: Ever, now, is it profitable? 279 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, Like I said, you know, it's just like 280 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:45,719 Speaker 4: owning your masters and being an independent you know, so 281 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 4: instead of my margins getting chopped out, our own distribution 282 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 4: and as a company, we owned distribution not only in Pennsylvania, 283 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 4: but we also own distribution in New Jersey. 284 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 3: So question, so, why was it so difficult for Diddy? 285 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 3: Didn't when he had his own tequil it and it 286 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 3: seems like he couldn't get distribution, He couldn't do it himself. 287 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 3: He was We've seen videos of him going liquor store 288 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 3: to liquor store, and it seemed like stores really didn't 289 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 3: want the product, right, because it was no distribution connected 290 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:16,319 Speaker 3: to it. Why is it so difficult for people to 291 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 3: get their foot in the door, especially with him, because 292 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:19,839 Speaker 3: you figured, like with him, it wouldn't be a problem 293 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 3: because he's Diddy. And this was before the as you said, 294 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:23,319 Speaker 3: car crash. 295 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 4: Right, So we're legitimately less than one percent of the market, right, 296 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 4: just being minorities, right, We're legitimately less than one percent 297 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 4: in the market. So again, it's the difference between what 298 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 4: baggage you're carrying, right, versus Okay, here's the story of quality, right, 299 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 4: here's what our lineage is, Here's who our star face is, 300 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 4: and that's got to be the way people get connected. 301 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 4: I'm not saying you know obviously you know that that 302 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 4: people didn't want to be connected to Diddy, But there's 303 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 4: the Diddy angle and then there's the product. 304 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: It's you and you got to be able to have 305 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: that separate. 306 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 4: I always believe that if you're gonna take the product 307 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 4: just because of the fact that I've got a celebrity, 308 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:09,680 Speaker 4: how many times, are. 309 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: You gonna buy that after the fact, you know, proposed quality. 310 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 1: It's always about the the you know, the value proposition. 311 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 5: Got you and you're uh, you're you're connected with like 312 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 5: music Fest. 313 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 4: Two music Fest, so we we are now so music 314 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 4: Fest is uh, we need you to come out there 315 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 4: and should come into Allantown. So we connected with music 316 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 4: Fest roughly about about two three years ago. Became a 317 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 4: small sponsor, blew it out of the water. The next 318 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 4: year we removed another vodka sponsor that was there, got 319 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 4: them out of there. 320 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: Then it was us and Jack Dan's for the main stage, 321 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 1: and then this. 322 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 4: Year will will be with the with the partner the 323 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 4: I don't think that we can say exclusive legally, but 324 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 4: we are the partner that's programming all of the vodka 325 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 4: for North and South Side. Music Fest does one point 326 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 4: three million people a year, which is which is an 327 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 4: excellent opportunity obviously to get liquids and lips. 328 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 2: How did that help the brand? 329 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: Was that your question? 330 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:10,600 Speaker 5: No, that was just crazy, A great way to get 331 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:11,680 Speaker 5: liquid to lips. 332 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 1: We trademarked that. 333 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 4: The reason right, but we trademarked that because that's been 334 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 4: our model. We want to be able to get liquid 335 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 4: to lips in order to be able for people we 336 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 4: feel like we can win after hands. 337 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: Down all the way around by doing that. 338 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 2: How did that help the brand? Is it just eyeballs? 339 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 4: So not only that, but we have tasting opportunities, which 340 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 4: is great, which allows people, you know, music Fest draws 341 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 4: people from the twenty thirty countries, you know, and naturally 342 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 4: and being able to get those sampling opportunities, being able 343 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 4: to get people to actually, you know, not only just 344 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 4: the brand side of it, but also at the same 345 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 4: time understand exactly who we are, be able to get 346 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 4: a little bit of a little knowledge that actually pushes 347 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 4: it forward, but also again you know, appropriate really getting 348 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 4: liquid to lips. 349 00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:05,239 Speaker 5: You know what's interesting, I feel like there's so many 350 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 5: people getting it right, so many black people getting it 351 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:09,640 Speaker 5: right in the in. 352 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 2: The spirit business. But it's usually the people who aren't 353 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 2: relying on celebrity. It's think about up nerds when I 354 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 2: look at what y'all doing, you know what I mean? 355 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: But y'all, it's real work. And that's where you that 356 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: question that you asked, why is this so hard? 357 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 2: Right? 358 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: Because on the back end with a minority, right, with. 359 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 4: The super minority so the people who are the majority, 360 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 4: they're controlling this, and they've been controlling this for a 361 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 4: very long time. 362 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,479 Speaker 1: So if someone's gonna let you in. 363 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 4: To their exclusive club, they kind of want to know 364 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 4: that you're going to do the work that's going to 365 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 4: back that up. So to your point, you know, saying 366 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 4: that the people who are finding success are the people 367 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 4: who are actually not taking a celebrity route black people 368 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 4: who are finding success. 369 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: That's the primary difference. 370 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 4: The primary difference is we're getting in front of these 371 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 4: distributors and saying, hey, look, you know, I want you 372 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 4: to take my product, and here's my capacity. It was 373 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,919 Speaker 4: difficult for anybody to even give me a meeting, you know, 374 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 4: I would say before the pandemic, Before the pandemic, we 375 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 4: were trying to get into different places. We were obviously 376 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 4: owning our distribution in the state of Pennsylvania, but at 377 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 4: the same time, nobody wanted to hear us. You know, 378 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 4: right after the pandemic we won our first double goal. 379 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 4: You know, during the pandemic or right before the pandemic, 380 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 4: we won our first goal. Then we became the largest 381 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 4: craft distillery to produce hand sanitizer. I mean, we made 382 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 4: you know, We made a bunk of money just doing that. 383 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 4: I dumped all the money back into the company, but 384 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 4: we fed everything from frontline workers with meals. We we 385 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 4: donated tons of hand sanitizer to our local hospitals. We 386 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 4: sold a bunch of hand sanitizers to FedEx ups, the 387 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 4: post office, Comcast, and like again, that started getting us 388 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 4: media attention. With that media attention, you know, I took 389 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 4: it and we ran with it, and you know, and 390 00:17:58,200 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 4: now we're here at this point. 391 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 5: So and I feel like it's something like the products 392 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 5: to sell itself, right, Like I think, you know, with Sarak, 393 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 5: it was something that people liked. 394 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,479 Speaker 2: The culture gravitator towards it. 395 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:12,959 Speaker 5: True, they didn't necessarily gravitate towards their leon, right Castle Migos. 396 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 5: People likeds like like you can just a lot of 397 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 5: these things you can just see organically. 398 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 2: Like I didn't know who was behind Tetos. I'm just like, it's. 399 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 5: Teetos everywhere everywhere, so clearly people just like it. Right, 400 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 5: So it's like it no't matter what celebrity you are. 401 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 5: If people don't like it, they don't like it. 402 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,120 Speaker 3: So I think it also in marketing too, because even 403 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 3: with vodka, if you have to go to a bar 404 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 3: or a club or even in the lobby, a lot 405 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 3: of people just say, let me get a Voka cranberry, 406 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:35,159 Speaker 3: let me get a Voka sprite, or let me get 407 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 3: a vodka thing. 408 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 2: So it also plays in. 409 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 3: Your relationship with a lot of these businesses and restaurants 410 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 3: because you want to make sure when they're asking for 411 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 3: a vodka cranberry that that yours is there, Yours is 412 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 3: the one, that's the one. 413 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 4: But hence you notice how you went to that most 414 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,679 Speaker 4: poor cocktail in the world, vodka cranberry. So when you 415 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 4: take a vodka Amishka vodka cranberry, now you just added 416 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 4: sold on to. 417 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 3: You gotta mix it, you gotta shake it. 418 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: No, it's just no, it's it's clean, it's clear. 419 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, we appreciate it. 420 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 5: And you got a partnership with Lee High Valley Children's Hospital. 421 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 2: Yes, how the hell did that work? So we're not 422 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 2: giving the. 423 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 4: Okay, but what we are but we are basically trading 424 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 4: the sales for cocktails and it's going back into our 425 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 4: local children's hospital. 426 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:18,959 Speaker 1: So that's a blessing. 427 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 5: Yeah, well man, how do how do we support Michiga? 428 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: I mean, look, we've got multiple ways. 429 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 4: Our website is Mishka Premium Vodka dot com. 430 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:31,920 Speaker 1: We're still again. 431 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 4: Like I said, we we kind of gave public offering 432 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 4: just to be able to get folks like us involved. 433 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 4: But also at the same time at drink Mishka is 434 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 4: our handles across social media, so all those things are 435 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 4: good ways to be able to kind of plug in 436 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:47,400 Speaker 4: and play for us. 437 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,360 Speaker 3: All right, well, we appreciate you for joining us. Russell Fletcher, 438 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 3: founder of Michka Premium Vodka, Thank you, brother. 439 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 5: Thank you. 440 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 1: I appreciate you. 441 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 2: Guys. It's the breakfast clog, good morning wake that as 442 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 2: up in the morning breakfast club