Jo-Anne Reynolds, Founder of Sexy AF, Striving to Make the World’s Best Tasting Alcohol-Free Spirits

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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: Welcome to Canada's podcast, the number one podcast for entrepreneurs by
[00:06] SPEAKER_01: entrepreneurs. Hello and welcome to Calgary's podcast on Canada's podcast network
[00:12] SPEAKER_01: on your host Mario Toneguzi and joining me today is Joanne Reynolds who is CEO and
[00:18] SPEAKER_01: founder of Sexy AF Spirits in Calgary. Thanks for joining us today Joanne.
[00:24] SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for helping me today Mario. I really appreciate it. Okay let's
[00:28] SPEAKER_01: start with just a question on what is Sexy AF Spirits? Well that's a great
[00:34] SPEAKER_00: question to start off with Sexy AF Spirits or 100% alcohol-free premium spirits
[00:40] SPEAKER_01: created right here in Calgary. And how did you start with this idea? Maybe you
[00:46] SPEAKER_01: can go back a little bit in the history about this. Absolutely so the idea
[00:52] SPEAKER_00: stemmed from a girl's trip that I took to California. A lot of them are more
[00:56] SPEAKER_00: men and don't drink for various reasons whether it's health. My one girlfriend
[01:01] SPEAKER_00: was trying to get pregnant and every single time we went out I was the only one
[01:06] SPEAKER_00: ordering fancy cocktails and having a glass of wine etc and they were ordering
[01:11] SPEAKER_00: tea, coffee, water, pop. And I came back to Calgary and I said to my husband I
[01:17] SPEAKER_00: said I want to create a brand a line of products that are so inclusive to people's
[01:22] SPEAKER_00: choices when they want something to drink but not alcohol. And my husband said
[01:28] SPEAKER_00: that's a really good idea. You should think about that more and I did about 18
[01:33] SPEAKER_00: months of research and development and realized that this whole sober curious
[01:37] SPEAKER_00: movement and I started as a little sideline business. March of 2020 I decided
[01:45] SPEAKER_00: okay I'm going to launch this product Sexy AF Spirits and that same week
[01:49] SPEAKER_00: COVID hit. So I thought you know what I'm just going to run with it put my head
[01:54] SPEAKER_00: down and you know in hindsight people started drinking a lot at the beginning
[01:59] SPEAKER_00: of the pandemic and then they realized oh my goodness I still have to homeschool
[02:03] SPEAKER_00: my kids I still have to do my day job and zoom every day and we've seen this
[02:08] SPEAKER_00: whole big traction of people choosing alcohol free options. So into Sexy AF
[02:13] SPEAKER_00: Spirits into the world we're running 2021 with make it a year to remember and to
[02:19] SPEAKER_00: rethink your drink with our products. Where do you sell the products? So currently
[02:25] SPEAKER_00: they're sold directly on our website at sexcafspirits.com as well as Spid.ca
[02:31] SPEAKER_00: and Calgary and Edmonton in addition to Croftwood Wine and Spirits the
[02:35] SPEAKER_00: Elterdore location and we're going to be running into sobies and say if we
[02:40] SPEAKER_00: look at stores hopefully in the upcoming months. Okay super then did you ever
[02:45] SPEAKER_01: dream that you know when that idea came into your head that you would be here
[02:50] SPEAKER_01: talking to me today about how far the company has grown in the short period
[02:56] SPEAKER_00: time. You know Mario I really didn't I thought it was a great idea I've always
[03:01] SPEAKER_00: had lots of great ideas being you know somewhat partial semi entrepreneurial
[03:07] SPEAKER_00: spirits in my own rights and I really didn't think it would take on as quickly
[03:12] SPEAKER_00: as it has been and game traction as what it has been I know the UK is about
[03:17] SPEAKER_00: six years ahead of us now and North America we're up and coming in this new
[03:22] SPEAKER_00: industry it's a new sector with a new product it's really really exciting but
[03:27] SPEAKER_00: I never in my wildest dreams thought that I'd be seeing 60 AF Spirits and
[03:31] SPEAKER_00: saying 60 AF Spirits at Lard to people like yourselves and to my friends and
[03:36] SPEAKER_00: family. So what's your favorite spirit? My favorite is the Virgin and I'm
[03:44] SPEAKER_00: a little bit biased because pink is my favorite color and I love Juniper and
[03:48] SPEAKER_00: it's just a really large drink that I can mix up so easily so Virgin's mind
[03:53] SPEAKER_00: personal favorite but if you take a look at it every single one of our products
[03:58] SPEAKER_01: is just amazing. You know when you look at the trends out there for consumers
[04:06] SPEAKER_01: can you talk a little bit about what you're seeing and what consumers want in
[04:11] SPEAKER_01: this area and why why are a lot you know turning to alcohol free products. You know
[04:18] SPEAKER_00: Mario I think for consumer trends people they're not necessarily giving up
[04:23] SPEAKER_00: alcohol altogether what we say is that a lot of them are super curious so that's
[04:28] SPEAKER_00: taking the what the next step into that sober world that's sober lifestyle and
[04:32] SPEAKER_00: what we're finding and what differentiates 60 AF Spirits from all the other brands
[04:38] SPEAKER_00: is that they're not looking for something super sugary they're not looking for
[04:42] SPEAKER_00: you know full of calories they're looking for something that they can still
[04:46] SPEAKER_00: feel their bodies with that taste good and that has this adult like feeling to
[04:51] SPEAKER_00: when you create a cocktail so put aside all that consumer trends I feel like
[04:57] SPEAKER_00: it's getting picked up a lot more with regards to celebrities going down the
[05:02] SPEAKER_00: sober curious part as well so you know you'll see a celebrity saying you know
[05:07] SPEAKER_00: I'm too weak sober I'm three weeks sober that gives the average Joe I think hope
[05:13] SPEAKER_00: or inspiration and then they seek out alcohol free non-alcohol free products as
[05:19] SPEAKER_00: well so it used to be a bit of a you know it's okay to get up smoking it's okay to
[05:25] SPEAKER_00: quit every other vases that you have but to say if you if you're choosing not to
[05:30] SPEAKER_00: drink or not consume as much alcohol it doesn't mean that you're completely
[05:33] SPEAKER_00: alcohol free alcohol free can be having a bridge drink in between a glass of
[05:38] SPEAKER_00: wine or in between other alcohol drinks so it really is a very vast paying
[05:43] SPEAKER_00: field when it comes to this new industry I think it is filled a lot by the
[05:48] SPEAKER_00: pandemic the celebrities going the sober roots whether it's six months over or
[05:53] SPEAKER_00: two weeks again our social media you know you're looking for that that
[05:58] SPEAKER_00: hope and that inspiration or as well as the choice so and to answer your other
[06:03] SPEAKER_00: part of the question you know it's very easy all of a sudden you're going to
[06:07] SPEAKER_00: see an explosion of alcohol free non-alcohol free drinks be very careful because
[06:12] SPEAKER_00: a lot of them still contain alcohol if they say non-alcoholic it's still
[06:16] SPEAKER_00: still they distill down the alcohol to 0.5% whereas alcohol where a sexy
[06:22] SPEAKER_00: spirits were 100% alcohol free our process is completely different
[06:26] SPEAKER_00: because it's your kosher vegan you know every single other advantage all our
[06:31] SPEAKER_00: products are nutritional nutritionally beneficial and just be curious of that
[06:36] SPEAKER_00: because you'll see you know it's in can it looks great but the sugar content
[06:40] SPEAKER_00: isn't going to turn you off the calories you think oh it's alcohol free it's
[06:44] SPEAKER_00: sugar free no look at the sugar content look at the calories because
[06:48] SPEAKER_00: careful you might just be might might not be good for you at the long run so I
[06:52] SPEAKER_00: just you know very consumers on that um are you in bars um great questions so
[07:00] SPEAKER_00: we launched and then bars and restaurants closed and saying that we are in the
[07:04] SPEAKER_00: Nash hearing Calgary okay and we're hoping yeah and we're hoping to be in a few
[07:09] SPEAKER_00: more restaurants up and coming um a hotel chain has just looked into us and
[07:14] SPEAKER_00: the great eagle resultant casino took our product in and we're going to be doing a lot of work with them
[07:19] SPEAKER_00: but you know it's kind of a play by play every day with what's opening and what's closed with
[07:24] SPEAKER_01: regards to restrictions in our city okay super now the name let's talk about the name how do the
[07:31] SPEAKER_00: you come up with the name Mario this is the best this is what I love to talk about this is the best
[07:37] SPEAKER_00: moment to shine for our brand because in doing my research I thought I could either be sex
[07:43] SPEAKER_00: C-A-F or I could be boring AF and I was trying to think about as a consumer what could what
[07:49] SPEAKER_00: would make it's rememberable and relatable and I thought I don't want to be boring AF I want to
[07:54] SPEAKER_00: be sexy AF and then I thought ah the all the AF stands for alcohol free whereas people with other
[08:02] SPEAKER_01: minds would think otherwise they would think sexy as fuck uh and I see the uh the the why it looks
[08:10] SPEAKER_00: like a martini glass right it does yes so we won a couple of awards with through culinary magazines um
[08:17] SPEAKER_00: uh our virgin and our triple sexy I believe won a couple of awards last year and yeah the why is
[08:23] SPEAKER_00: our martini glass we have a lot of fun play on names with with a maro and triple sexy and of course
[08:30] SPEAKER_00: our virgin so absolutely it's a fun flirty gray bold brand and we did that to to make it rememberable
[08:39] SPEAKER_01: do you see the brand uh now I get oh uh I know your your bases here in Alberta uh but do you see the
[08:46] SPEAKER_01: brand expanding out uh in other parts of the country absolutely we get a lot of requests from
[08:53] SPEAKER_00: Ontario right now and we are working with the distribution channel in Vancouver as well as Toronto
[09:00] SPEAKER_00: so we've got a lot in the works uh not only in Canada but in the US as well so it's going to be a
[09:06] SPEAKER_01: really exciting year for us okay super thank um let's chat a little bit about being an entrepreneur
[09:13] SPEAKER_01: Joanne uh what is it uh that you like about being an entrepreneur mario what I really love about
[09:20] SPEAKER_00: being an entrepreneur is being having the flexibility and freedom in my own mind uh I love to create
[09:27] SPEAKER_00: I love to come up with ideas I'm a huge problem solver in my in my corporate life I've been a bit of
[09:33] SPEAKER_00: 50-50 a corporate in the corporate world and as an entrepreneur I've always felt I've been in a
[09:39] SPEAKER_00: service position to solve problems how can I help you how can I be of assistance and I think being an
[09:45] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneur person foremost is coming up with a solution to a problem so for me I feel like it's
[09:54] SPEAKER_00: just absolutely the way forward for me to find my happy medium being an entrepreneur that yes it's
[10:01] SPEAKER_00: still a lot when you starting a business it's a lot of leg work it's a lot of blood sweat and tears
[10:06] SPEAKER_00: but at the end of the day it's having that creativity and that freedom and for me personally as a
[10:11] SPEAKER_00: mom with two kids I wanted to try to find that balance as well I didn't want a 95 I wanted to be able
[10:17] SPEAKER_00: to if I'm working late at night I can still take my kids you know school run in the morning I can still
[10:22] SPEAKER_00: be at home to make dinner and for me I feel that's really really important to me specifically that
[10:29] SPEAKER_00: helps me as an entrepreneur as a married woman as you know an older woman in starting a new
[10:36] SPEAKER_00: business you know with two young kids, young family I really feel like this is where I'm
[10:42] SPEAKER_00: meant to be now and saying that I've had different ventures throughout the years I have some great
[10:48] SPEAKER_00: stories I have some why would you do that Joe's stories I could I could write a book but in saying
[10:54] SPEAKER_00: that I absolutely love being an entrepreneur and I love being around people who think outside the box
[10:59] SPEAKER_00: so don't ever tell me this is how we've always done things that's not going to make me happy
[11:03] SPEAKER_00: what makes me happy is like how can we do this all it's and change and make it better evolve
[11:09] SPEAKER_00: evolve flexibility be fluid in your ideas and your suggestions tell me when you look in starting
[11:17] SPEAKER_01: the business itself what are some of the best pieces of advice you got about being an entrepreneur
[11:25] SPEAKER_00: one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten is if you feel tired if you feel exhausted if you
[11:32] SPEAKER_00: feel drained and run down it doesn't mean you need to quit and I've often thought oh I can't do
[11:38] SPEAKER_00: this anymore I'm just there there's like nothing left in me take a break it's very cool to be
[11:44] SPEAKER_00: use all the keywords when you're an entrepreneur saying you know I grind all day grind twenty for a
[11:48] SPEAKER_00: seven that's not good for your mental health that's not good for anything if you're tired and exhausted
[11:53] SPEAKER_00: it doesn't mean you have to give up and quit it means take a break take a rest take five minutes to
[11:58] SPEAKER_00: yourself and then pick up where you left off nothing a lot of the time entrepreneurs they keep
[12:03] SPEAKER_00: petting but walls they keep petting walls and and keep getting you know being told no where it's
[12:09] SPEAKER_00: just take a step back breathe take some time for yourself and continue on because that passion is
[12:15] SPEAKER_00: there and I know conversing with you back and forth just by email at the bottom of your email says
[12:20] SPEAKER_00: carpadium yes sees the day if you have all these ideas try them out put them down on paper if they
[12:26] SPEAKER_00: fail well you know try the next one or you know just do something with that idea it'll manifest
[12:33] SPEAKER_00: and then put it into paper put it into action rock down everything make it make it your reality
[12:40] SPEAKER_01: yeah I know one of the the biggest issues and challenges for entrepreneurs is just time obviously
[12:48] SPEAKER_01: right and you know you're running a business and as you said you you know you have a couple of
[12:54] SPEAKER_01: children you're married you got this business how do you draw the balance between all that
[13:01] SPEAKER_00: it's very hard to start with at first you think you can do it all I'm going to weigh every single hat
[13:06] SPEAKER_00: I'm going to be sales department I'm going to be the production department I'm going to do everything
[13:11] SPEAKER_00: and then at some points there's a lot switch that went off and me and said I can't do this anymore
[13:17] SPEAKER_00: by myself I need help whether it's I need help at home on the home front whether I need support
[13:23] SPEAKER_00: from my friends and family which is very important and imperative to once success I feel it's to
[13:29] SPEAKER_00: hire people that are experts or have knowledge in in parts of your business that you don't
[13:36] SPEAKER_00: have time to learn it would take me 10 years to learn how to video edit and you know put a big
[13:42] SPEAKER_00: production on whereas if I hire someone you know that really helps me to focus on moving my business
[13:49] SPEAKER_01: forward yeah exactly you have one thing I neglected to ask you initially about the businesses so
[13:55] SPEAKER_00: where is all the stuff made it's made right here in Calgary we source our botanicals and
[14:01] SPEAKER_00: ingredients from all over the world whether it's from California Morocco you name it but our
[14:08] SPEAKER_01: facilities based right here in Calgary okay you have a facility it's not right out of your kitchen
[14:12] SPEAKER_00: then no no no no no I only do baking in my kitchen which my family is still a little bit not too
[14:19] SPEAKER_01: sure about so okay then anything else do you want me to like to add or will you do that I would
[14:26] SPEAKER_00: just like to thank everyone that's already supporting 60 AF spirits continue to share with your
[14:31] SPEAKER_00: family and your friends and follow us along on social media all our social media names are at
[14:38] SPEAKER_00: 60 AF spirits reach our test with any questions or concerns DM us we're around to answer any questions
[14:44] SPEAKER_00: that you guys have and yeah just keep supporting local and thank you everyone for allowing us to
[14:50] SPEAKER_00: bring sexy AF spirits to you okay super thanks for joining us today thank you so much Mario okay that
[14:57] SPEAKER_01: was Joanne Reynolds who is CEO and founder of sexy AF spirits based in Calgary this has been Calgary's
[15:05] SPEAKER_01: podcast on Canada's podcast network I'm your host Mario Tonigüsey thanks for joining us today