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How Alana Andrews started SWEY, a healthy sports drink company
122 Plays3 years ago
In this episode we will dive deeper into the logistics behind starting a beverage company. We also learn about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and it’s connection to entrepreneurial success.
Alana Andrews & SWEY social media: https://lnkfi.re/alana-andrews
Follow ChangemakerZ at https://go.changemakerz.org/follow
Episode's website: https://podcast.changemakerz.org/alana-andrews
Produced by Vasilis Skarleas
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Transcript
Introduction to Changemakers
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello everyone, I'm Saloni. And I'm Vassilis. We run Changemakers team, a student-run initiative that aims to empower, educate and connect gen players interested in entrepreneurship. We interview teenagers with impactful projects and create resources to help you change the world. If they can't do it, so can you.
00:00:23
Speaker
On this podcast, we discuss logistics of creating different types of projects with Gen Zers who have already done it. We will leave our social media and website information in the description.
Alana Andreas and SWEY
00:00:42
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of Dancers to Rise. Today we have Alana Andreas, the founder of SWEY, an athletic beverage company that sells health-response drinks that are safe for pretty diabetes. On top of that, she's also a public speaker and innovator. Thank you so much for being with us today, Alana. Of course, thank you so much for having me.
00:01:07
Speaker
Thank you very much. So what is SWEY? What sparked its creation and what does it stand for? Right, definitely. Great question. So SWEY stands for strong, wise, energetic youth, and it actually meets our target market. So the whole story of SWEY really connects my own personal journey.
00:01:26
Speaker
When I was eight years old, as you mentioned earlier, I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I'm sure you can imagine an eight-year-old hearing this, you don't know how to respond to this crazy news, but I did know that I wanted to change my lifestyle and on the path towards a healthier lifestyle. So I started playing tennis nonstop. I started going on track nonstop, trying to figure out ways to really build back my health.
00:01:48
Speaker
And then after putting out all this effort on the court and on the track, I'd go to these grocery stores and I would see these really creative labels and bright, fun colors, but they were really hiding the loaves and the mounds of artificial sugars, ingredients, and chemicals in these drinks and these sports drinks. I was expected to drink them, although they would reverse my progress. So this is when I knew that I really saw a problem beyond myself. I knew that I wouldn't be able to not get diabetes if I kept drinking these.
00:02:18
Speaker
Nine years we launched Slay this past spring in 2021 and Slay is now going to become the first natural sports drink made by Gen Z for Gen Z. So wow that's amazing like you do your lifestyle day life and then you created something very important for diabetic persons and what were your first steps in the process of starting it?
From Passion to Business
00:02:42
Speaker
Yes, great question. This really was all grassroots. Of course, once I had the story in the beginning or the passionate connection to Sway when I was eight years old, fast forward about four years, I was accepted into the Young Entrepreneurs Academy in Lauda County.
00:02:57
Speaker
And that's when I really learned how to take this idea and this passion and turn it into a business that could actually create a tangible product. So I learned how to make a business plan, a pitch deck, really what goes into making a product. I had no idea how to take this idea in my head and turn it into a dream in a bottle, but they helped me really work towards that. The first steps really was just finding out what ingredients are important to Gen Z.
00:03:21
Speaker
pre and post workout for a Gen Z athlete. I would order these ingredients off of Amazon, make them in my kitchen, really all grassroots. I used a blender and make a homemade powder. Slave first started out as a powdered drink. Then we continued to evolve it based off of the feedback that we got. And then eventually we got to work with a formulation company in Kentucky, Flavor Man. They're amazing. And they're really able to take this idea and this dream that I had and turn it into a certified formulation so that we can produce.
00:03:52
Speaker
Well, that's awesome how you kind of just started everything in your kitchen and now you have this amazing company that's so inspiring. So you did something called crowdfunding, right? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So can you explain what that is and what tips you have for raising the most money?
00:04:10
Speaker
Definitely, of course. So crowdfunding we did about, that was in 2020, near the end of 2020, we use a platform of Indiegogo. Indiegogo is purpose for companies who are startups. So you have these other platforms like Kickstarter and everything who are mainly towards causes, but Indiegogo is really for startup products and services, which I think was very, very helpful to find them.
00:04:32
Speaker
So crowdfunding is a opportunity where you can raise funds throughout communities. Anyone can donate and invest in your idea, which I think is a really special thing. We did use this product funding, but the main part of our funding was the individual investors. And I would say the biggest tip when you're pitching to investors is just to really
00:04:52
Speaker
help them understand your vision for this company for your company and to really show and share your passion because they're going to be connected to the person behind the business because as a startup you don't have a big track record so you really want to show your vision paint that for them and that's really going to help you raise your funds.
00:05:10
Speaker
Wow, that's excellent advice. So according to your website, you have to like account for things like sugar intake and you also touched on this earlier, but you made things in your kitchen. So
00:05:22
Speaker
Have you always been kind of doing it more homemade or are you working with like a chemist? Right, right.
Challenges and Growth
00:05:29
Speaker
Oh, my gosh. Great question. So this was something that was like really special for Sway. I didn't want it to turn into, of course, every other average portion of the market right now where we just mass produce chemicals and everything for our target market. Gen Z, we're growing up and this is our stage of development. So we have to make sure that we're putting great things into our bodies so that we can continue to perform with greatness.
00:05:51
Speaker
So although we did start out in the kitchen, we kept the same values and morals for what I started making in the kitchen and took it to our formulation lab. So they know our mission, they know our vision, they know our intentions and our purpose first way. And they're just putting it on a larger scale so that we can get to lay out some more people. So we're going to have a little break and we will come back to you shortly. Awesome. So this means that there are any permits or certifications that you need to sell the beverages
00:06:21
Speaker
Right. So this is a very interesting process that I learned. And this is where I think it's really important to work with
00:06:29
Speaker
a team that has experience in this field. So going back to our formulation company, they knew, they know all of the rules for what we needed to have certified that we not know what was, what wasn't so much important to have certified, especially for a sports beverage. So I called the FDA so, so many times because I thought that you had to have them certified sports beverages, but apparently that's not true. You just have to follow their rules. And a formulation company was helping us stay within those guidelines, same with our production companies. So we were able to go throughout the process.
00:06:59
Speaker
Oh, that sounds a very sensitive situation. And what was the process of securing a good manufacturer for your drink and packaging? Oh my goodness, this was definitely a process. We started working on this I think last summer in 2020.
00:07:18
Speaker
And there are so many different manufacturers out there, but there are so many manufacturers that aren't the best. So it's really challenging to kind of read through the good ones. And once you find one, you really have to hold on to them. So really the process was to just use Google as a really great tool. I would call
00:07:36
Speaker
Hence, like probably like dozens of manufacturers a day trying to figure out that they can make it. Some were not reliable, some couldn't do it on time, some didn't really see the vision. So, so, so important that you work that every single supplier or vendor that you have that you work with shares that same idea and mission of what you're going to create.
00:07:55
Speaker
Eventually we're able to find one because you are a startup. Our goal is to make a small batch first and then be able to gain or like to see and analyze the customer attraction and then be able to see how much we should produce for the next round to grow our customer base. So once we're able to find a manufacturer or a co-packer who is able to do a sample run for us, usually a lot of co-packers can do this. They have to make like
00:08:21
Speaker
tens of thousands or 20 thousands of drinks at once for their run, but our manufacturer was able to make a bit over a bit under 4,000 for our first run. So that was really a great partner to have, but now they're able to grow with us as well. So just finding someone that's able to meet your needs in every aspect of your lifestyle as a company, or maybe you have to move on to someone else is super important. Wow, that's insane.
00:08:47
Speaker
They're like so many different processes. So do you handle like every aspect of your business or do you work with a team?
Team and Marketing Strategies
00:08:54
Speaker
Right, great question. So in the beginning about last year, I was really doing every aspect of it. And I have to tell you 100% this is so overwhelming, but I'm so so happy to have been able to work with a team like who's
00:09:10
Speaker
been coming on display throughout the time. He's been able to really take that stress off and build it to the next level. Some of these include our CBO, Mary Beth Fraser, who started working with us last spring. Also, we've been helping. We've been getting some amazing help from industry experts.
00:09:25
Speaker
including CO of super coffee and some other great people and PR and athletics and fulfillment distribution. Really, I think it's so important to have advisors to cover each field that your company is going to touch on or touch within in some way.
00:09:41
Speaker
So we're able to really get that advice. And then now, going back to your question more specifically, we do have a COO who's running the daily operations with us. So that's been a huge, huge help, and he's absolutely amazing. So I do have a team of some Gen Z interns, actually, so I love working with other Gen Zers, and then our C-Slee board and amazing advisors as well.
00:10:04
Speaker
Wow, that's awesome. I love the idea of having like a group of advisors to help you with all the different aspects of the business. That's so helpful. So how do you make sure that your target audience knows about your product?
00:10:20
Speaker
Yes. Oh my gosh. Again, you guys have the best questions. Oh my gosh. I would say that because ours is specifically designed for Gen Z, we had to really find out what they care about, what are their values, where are they, like where are they finding products online. So this is why a lot of our efforts focus mainly on social media platforms because that's because that's where Gen Z is always on or like that's where they get their information from.
00:10:44
Speaker
So going to that, we're working on setting up an Instagram store so that people can just buy on that platform when they're on social media or mainly on Instagram, branching over into TikTok as well. And then also, of course, when you are on these platforms, you have to figure out what your message is going to be. And that goes back to really identifying, clearly identifying and confidently identifying your target market. So Gen Z really cares about inclusivity. So we make this a true value and a true importance
00:11:14
Speaker
and our value system in Sway. So one of my mottos is that a Sway athlete is anyone who puts hard work towards their goal, not so much a traditional athlete. So that goes back to inclusivity and goes back to our messaging, our brand messaging on these social media platforms. So to reach them is just to have the right platform and the right message that can really connect with them, but also as an A-sister company in a comfortable term. Wow, I love that so much.
00:11:40
Speaker
You've also been on many publications such as Fox, Washington and Amsterdam News. What teams do you have for getting a business featured?
00:11:49
Speaker
Yes, thank you. I just am really grateful to have been able to have those opportunities because I know that they can definitely be challenging to secure, but I really do recommend having a team with experience in these, with Nmedia who could help you get there. So for an example, I'm working with a PR company, Vendor Communications, specifically Vicky Vendor from there. And she has been able to really share this way story on mass scales and sending out to these media outlets. So it's really just about first,
00:12:18
Speaker
identifying what's your story, why did you make this in the first place, what's your why, and why should people really read it, what are they going to learn from it, and then making a press release out of it. Find as many media contacts you have, look for other leaders within the media field and seeing if they can help send out your press release, and that's really going to get you the attention that you need, especially as a startup.
00:12:39
Speaker
I see. That's a great way to try to make a business to become more public and for people to reach out to tweet.
Future Vision and Initiatives
00:12:50
Speaker
What does the future look like for you and how about SWEY?
00:12:56
Speaker
Yes, definitely. So sleigh, I really see it becoming not so much, I mean, like, of course, a Gen Z drink, but also growing into becoming a lifestyle drink for any Aedes. We get so many questions all the time. I'm not Gen Z, can I still drink it? Anyone can drink sleigh. It's made for Gen Z because there's no other option for us.
00:13:16
Speaker
But it's healthy for everyone. So we so we really want to get that mess across. That is a lifestyle drink later on once we continue to grow. And then also we do want to build sway into really taking out a lot of sugar and that kids are currently consuming, making sure that kids are getting the right things that they need and they're growing stages and Gen Z as a whole, too, of course. So that's one of our huge, huge goals, getting into these different distribution outlets, stores, gyms, everything so that we can really spread this product and lead to more
00:13:47
Speaker
positively, positivity, health-wise and everything, mindset-wise and everything. And then for me with Sway, I'm definitely going to continue to work on this. It's a huge, huge passion of mine. So I just want to see it grow and help as many people as it can. Wow, that's awesome. I can't wait to see you guys grow. So you've also found another initiative called So Positive. Can you tell us a little more about that? Yes, of course. So Positive.
00:14:13
Speaker
The whole, I guess, mindset in wanting to do so positive came from when I was at a very young age. When I was seven years old, I came out with an iTunes song called It Doesn't Matter about loving yourself and everything. And this is where the whole love for spreading positivity and self-confidence started to stem from.
00:14:32
Speaker
So in fifth grade, we created this YouTube talk show series called Girls Are Positive to Love Yourself and Again Confidence. We had a club about it. And then when I was in freshman year of high school is when the whole idea first five. And so positive really began to form and come to life. So So Positive is an LLC, is our company, but we have different branches under that. And one of our main branches is five, which is an acronym for the So Positive Initiative.
00:15:01
Speaker
We speak to fifth graders and elementary school students about the power of self-confidence, positivity, your dreams, your visions, and we do this through our programs, our books, and our different assemblies. So we've been able to expand to some different high schools and they've been incredible and just being able to really put the importance within these kids on loving themselves and going after whatever they can imagine. We just love doing that.
00:15:26
Speaker
Wow, that's such an incredible project with so many important messages. It seems like you're doing so much outside of running Sway.
Entrepreneurial Advice and Motivation
00:15:34
Speaker
Do you have any time management strategies for running a business with other obligations such as tool and extracurriculars? Right, definitely. I'm still learning about how to do this most effectively because, of course, it can be overwhelming, but I appreciate and am thankful for each thing that I'm doing. I would say,
00:15:54
Speaker
that the number one tip that I can give to anyone is to first clearly identify your priorities. Because especially for me, I want to do everything and like anything and everything at any time. So it's so easy for me to pick up a new activity or initiative because I just love creating. So I'm definitely going to define what's important to you in your life at this moment, how it's going to make you grow and become the best version of yourself.
00:16:19
Speaker
Studying that as a priority, organizing your priorities, and figuring out how much time you need to put towards each of them in order to grow is so, so really important. And then of course,
00:16:31
Speaker
go into and connect extremely with your time management skills and on your ability to not be stressed and to organize your schedule, I would say is a huge importance. And then of course, this is pretty simple, but I mean, having an agenda, a visual way to really see what you have to do, whether it's throughout the day, throughout the week or month, or et cetera, is so, so important and extremely helpful. You clearly live a very healthy and active lifestyle. Do you think that this has impacted your entrepreneurial journey in a positive way?
00:17:01
Speaker
Yes, extremely. I really think that...
00:17:06
Speaker
Whatever you put into your body, whether it's nurturing it through the mind, through food, physically anything is going to impact every single area of your life because the energy that you host within yourself is going to be able to determine how much energy and how much passion you can put towards any venture that you're working on. So I place a huge importance on first nurturing yourself and you're able to give your maximum self to the world and to whatever idea you want to put within the world and whatever impact you want to make.
00:17:35
Speaker
Great question. I really do think that the importance and the knowledge that I've gained from how important it is to take care of ourselves has really helped me in every area of my lifestyle. Oh, that's great. And what advice do you have for other young, inspiring entrepreneurs?
00:17:55
Speaker
Yes, oh my gosh, I have a million pieces of advice, but I would say the number one thing, this is maybe a common one that I just think is so incredibly important, is to always identify your why. There are gonna be so many times, especially for young entrepreneurs, because it's so uncommon that you're going to be feeling, or at a loss, a direction of which step you should take next in order to continue to build. And in order to continue that and to build that fuel to be able to,
00:18:23
Speaker
to be able to go on with your dream, you have to know why you began in the first place and let that fuel you. So knowing your why, loving your why, accepting your why, understanding your why is one of the most important things to be able to continue this drive, to make your impact, and to build whatever you can imagine. So always knowing the purpose of it, your mission, understanding the overall vision, and is it truly what you love to do is one of the greatest tips that I think, one of the most helpful tips that I think I can give anyone and yet much more.
00:18:54
Speaker
So that's all for today. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. We had a great time chatting with Alana. If you like this episode, please go to our website for upcoming ones. Keep changing the world, guys, and see you in the next one.
00:19:16
Speaker
We hope you guys enjoyed our conversation. We had such a great time. Make sure you leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at changemaker.c to keep up with all of our new content. We also have a Facebook page called changemakersc, but you'll need to look down because I honestly don't even know how Facebook works.