Mocktails with Marina

In today's episode of Mocktails With Marina, we're closing out the Department in a Box™ Series with one of the most important and most overlooked pillars of a profitable non-alcoholic business: Menu & Product Management.

Whether you run a kava bar, non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, kombucha taproom, sober lounge, or functional beverage café, your menu is not just a...

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into one of the most powerful and misunderstood growth engines in the non-alcoholic industry: Event Planning & Event Management.

If you run a non-alc bar, kava bar, bottle shop, sober lounge, or thi...

In today's episode, we're diving into the department most founders avoid until it becomes a problem: Employee Manuals + SOPs, the backbone of consistency, culture, and operational sanity inside any non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, or third place.

If you've ever felt like you're repeating yourself every day, constantly corre...

In today's episode, we're breaking down one of the most important (and most misunderstood) departments in every non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space: Interviewing, Hiring & Onboarding.

Most owners treat hiring like an emergency. A scramble. A reaction.

But the truth is if you don't bui...

In today's episode, we're diving into the second installment of the Department in a Box Series™ and this time, we're talking about the department that keeps your non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space alive: your Marketing Department.

This episode i...

In today's episode, we kick off a six-part series designed to walk you through the core departments every non-alc bar, bottle shop, or third space needs in order to function smoothly.

This first installment focuses on the importance of Project Management & To-Do's. NOT the mechanics of setting up systems, but the deeper reason ...

If you left the 9-to-5 to feel free but find yourself more stressed than ever on Sunday nights, this episode is for you.

In this week's Mocktails with Marina, we're unpacking the real reason entrepreneurs experience the "Sunday Scaries" (and why it has nothing to do with laziness or discipli...

Everyone wants the secret to success but the truth is, there isn't one.

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we're getting brutally honest about what it actually takes to reach long-term stability and profitability as a non-alcoholic business owner...

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina Castillo breaks down what it really takes to build and maintain a million-dollar-a-year non-alcoholic bar. Spoiler: it's not about your menu but it IS about your people, systems, and culture.

In this episode, Marina breaks down one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic markets in the country: Arizona. With over twenty kava bars, bottle shops, and functional beverage spaces now thriving across the state, Arizona has quietly become a blueprint for how to build nightlife rooted in connection instead of intoxication.

As a non-alcoholic business owner, how much do you really need to be online to succeed? In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, I break down exactly how I built two podcasts that have generated over $100,000 in revenue ALONE without ever having more than 6,000 followers on social media.

I'...

Welcome back to Mocktails with Marina! In this episode, Marina breaks down how non-alcoholic business owners, kava bar operators, and sober entrepreneurs can strategically plan for the holiday season from October through January.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by seasonal chaos, scrambling to launch in two weeks, or strugglin...

🍂 Clear Your Mind. Reclaim Your Energy. Reset Your Business.

This week's episode is an invitation into the 7-Day Fall Reset Challenge: a powerful seasonal reset designed for founders and operators in the non-alcoholic beverage space.

Whether you're ...

The non-alcoholic beverage industry is booming; kava bars, sober curious lounges, functional beverage brands, and alcohol-free bottle shops are popping up everywhere. But with rapid growth comes hidden threats: wolves in sheep's clothing.

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina Castillo exposes

In this behind-the-scenes episode of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina Castillo gets real about what it looks like to navigate pregnancy as a full-time entrepreneur with no day job, no safety net, and no "Plan B."

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, Marina Castillo shares an exciting invitation to Bula Boss Live 2025, a two-day, in-person business bootcamp and Arizona tour designed for non-alcoholic beverage founders, kava bar owners, bottle shop entrepreneurs, and sober community builders. Taking place November 3–4, 2025, Bul...

In today's episode of Mocktails with Marina, we sit down with Vanessa Royle, founder of Tilden, a brand that's changing the non-alcoholic cocktail game with one key philosophy: flavor comes first.

Vanessa shares her deeply personal journey of going alcohol-free during the early days of the pandemic and how that shift revealed a massive gap in the beverage space—...

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we sit down with David Lund, the founder of Drømme, a premium non-alcoholic beverage brand that's reshaping how we relax, connect, and celebrate without alcohol. If you've been curious about functional alcohol alternatives, botanical spirits...

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, I sit down with herbalist, educator, and author Rachelle Robinett to explore the world of modern herbalism and how plants can transform your health, mindset, and daily routines without the overwhelm. Whet...