This episode is brought to you by Yotpo.

 

"Everybody's kombucha is a little bit different," says Jeff Weaber, Founder and CEO of Aqua ViTea, but essentially the product is made from just four ingredients - water, a yeast/bacteria culture, tea, and sugar.

 

Though it might sound similar to manufacturing a beer or wine, it's the microorganisms in kombucha that make everyone's version taste different, Jeff says.

 

"We've been honing our process for quite a while, and we're going to have a much softer flavor because of the process we've developed," he says.

 

Part of the challenge at Aqua ViTea is removing the alcohol. Jeff says that the final product is under the non-alcoholic limit of 0.5 percent. That being said, the liquid also has plenty of health benefits.

 

"The gut microbiome is just one aspect of kombucha, but it's teeming with probiotics," Jeff says. "There are different organic amino acids that all help contribute one puzzle piece or more to how your body's functioning. So all these stresses that your body is constantly being bombarded with need support, and kombucha just so happens to have so many different microorganisms that it's supporting you on many different levels."

 

Jeff has words of wisdom for other entrepreneurs, starting with this: "You've got to stick to your guns and focus on the passion that lit the fire, to begin with," he says.

 

"If you get to a place where you start chasing innovation in other directions to try to stay current with the market, you're now following trends instead of setting them," he says. "As soon as you change direction and start following someone else's passion, you will get washed up."

 

It's the passion that gets you through the hard times, he says.

 

"One of the hardest things you're constantly facing is ... you want to bring people to your vision," he says. "It is very, very challenging. So you got to take a step back and realize and have some patience. We like to say that bad habits are hard to break, but good habits are easy to make for us. And that's what we are trying to do here."

 

In Part 2, Jeff talks about:

 

* How kombucha is made.
* The challenge of removing the alcohol.
* The health benefits of kombucha.
* Advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
* The current reach of Aqua ViTea and its future expansion plans.
* A rundown of Aqua ViTea's flavors.
* The importance of having an open mind about kombucha.

 

Join Ramon Vela and Jeff Weaber as they break down the inside story on The Story of a Brand.

 

For more on Aqua ViTea, visit: https://aquavitea.com/ 

 

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This podcast is supported by Yotpo, the leading eCommerce marketing platform for brands looking to drive customer loyalty.

 

As I’m sure many of you know, customer retention is the new acquisition. With Yotpo, brands can provide value through a strategic loyalty program — and ensure shoppers come back time and again.

 

Want to know more? Visit https://yotpo.com/storyofabrand 

 

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