Dear Friends & Entertainers,
As promised, we're launching a Meet the Team Series on our blog. We're believers in people being the first and most important ingredient in a successful business and feel pretty lucky to be building Swig + Swallow with this team.
Check out what we're up to, what's pushing us along, and where we started.
First one up is our founder and CEO, April Wachtel.
Ladies & Gents, April Wachtel at 4 years old.
Name: April
Position @ Swig + Swallow: Founder/CEO
What are you working on right now at Swig + Swallow?
A million things as always! As a team, we're working on everything from improving current systems to planning for growth 6, 12 and 18 months out. Most days I'll work on initiatives in 5-7 different areas, ensuring we're driving sales, creating partnerships, optimizing operations, creating content, and so much more. We are currently on-boarding several large clients, so our challenges and opportunities are changing dramatically
Name something that recently inspired or excited you
As boring as this may seem, we just started using Asana for organization, and I'm really excited at how much more efficiently things are working. It's a reminder that while big food businesses may have a huge advantage with cash flow, established brands, and distribution, small businesses like ours can be incredibly nimble, giving us a real chance at disrupting within our category.
How did you get started with Swig + Swallow?
The original idea arose as a result of my work as a spirits brand ambassador, throwing large parties and having nowhere to source fresh ingredients, and my work as a cocktail instructor, where students regularly added too much alcohol to their drinks, then wondered why they tasted bad. I thought there had to be a better way, and a couple of years later, here we are:)
What's the most interesting thing to you about this work?
Problem-solving is really fun, especially when you know your solution is the best option available, it's just a matter of creating a product, getting people excited about it, and making sure you can deliver on your promises. The whole thing is fun. Stressful at times, but lots of fun.
What are you looking forward to this summer?
Fishing, picnics, beaches, cycling, and just generally being outdoors. Substituting a bike ride to a car or subway ride to work can change your whole day!