June 9, 2025 • 22 mins
Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 261
In this high-energy episode of Cut the Tie, Thomas sits down with Chris Wolstenholme, an Aussie entrepreneur based in Atlanta who went from managing restaurants to founding the world’s first vodka protein water brand: Mate!. Chris shares the real story behind launching a beverage startup without outside funding, the gross moment that finally pushed him to quit his job, and how cutting the tie to comfort opened the door to purpose, grit, and global ambition.
About Chris Wolstenholme:
Chris is the founder of Mate Beverage, a unique alcohol startup combining vodka with protein. After 20+ years in the restaurant and hospitality industry across multiple countries, Chris made the leap into entrepreneurship with no investors—just a vision, a supportive spouse, and a mop in hand. His brand “Mate” is a bold attempt to redefine “drinking smart,” and he’s doing it one pitch, one bar, and one bottle at a time.
In this episode, Thomas and Chris discuss:
- Cutting the Tie to Comfort
From restaurant GM to startup founder, Chris had to walk away from a stable paycheck and step into financial uncertainty to chase a bigger dream. - The Bathroom Epiphany
It took cleaning vomit off a restaurant bathroom floor—for minimum wage—for Chris to finally realize it was time to bet on himself. - Why Mate is Different
No bubbles. No bloat. No empty calories. Chris breaks down the unique niche Mate fills in a crowded beverage market—and why he’s the only vodka with protein on the shelf. - Start With One Thing a Day
From napkin sketches to LLC formation, Chris shares how just doing one thing every day kept his momentum (and sanity) as a solo founder. - An Outsider’s View of America
As a non-American building a business in the U.S., Chris offers a thoughtful and powerful reminder about unity, identity, and opportunity.
Key Takeaways:
- Comfort is the Enemy of Growth
If you’re too comfortable, you’re probably not building something bold enough. - Take Action Immediately
Big dreams start with small, fast moves. Start the LLC. Sketch the label. Take the shot. - Sacrifice is Just Reallocation
You don’t need to suffer—you just need to shift your priorities for the mission. - Gratitude is a Growth Strategy
Gratefulness fuels perseverance. Appreciate the support, the freedom, and the opportunity. - Just Don’t Quit
It’s hard. It’s messy. But if you keep showing up, momentum will find you.
Connect with Chris Wolstenholme:
🔗 Mate Beverage on Instagram
🔗 Chris on Instagram
🔍 Website
Connect with Thomas Helfrich:
🐦 Twitter
📘 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🌐 Website
📧 Email: t@instantlyrelevant.com
🚀 InstantlyRelevant.com
Serious about LinkedIn Lead Generation? Stop Guessing what to do on LinkedIn and ignite revenue from relevance with Instantly Relevant Lead System
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Cut the Tie podcast.
I'm your host, Thomas Helfrich.
I'm on a mission to help youcut the tie to whatever it is
holding you back from thesuccess of which I hope you
define for yourself.
And if you haven't start withthat, you got to define your own
success.
Today we're joined by Mr Chris.
Chris, I would try to pronounceyour last name.
It's like Wollstoneholm, Did Iget it right?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's pretty good.
Yeah, I mean okay.
No, I'll give in on that one.
No arguments on that one.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Chris, just take a moment.
By the way, thanks for joiningme.
I'm here, You're in Atlanta.
Here you can hear his accent.
It's very.
It sounds like Alabama, maybeBirmingham.
Chris, why don't you introduceyourself and what it is you do?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Absolutely so.
My name is Chris, obviouslyoriginally from Australia not
quite the right A, you know, notwith Alabama, but definitely
Australian and I started abusiness here in Atlanta,
georgia, called MAPE, and it'sthe world's first vodka protein
water.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
This thing.
So, as a former drinker, vodkawas my choice.
You couldn't go wrong and youcouldn't get enough of it.
I'll tell you that right now.
But if I had protein in with it, I'd be like honey.
I'm so healthy.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
See, you're going to be a fitness influencer.
You just didn't know it.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Hey, listen, when I work out first, I like to drive
here.
Okay, that's the best.
Don't do that, people.
I'm not getting that.
Don't do that, okay, so makesure.
I think it's a very competitivekind of space and we're going
to get into your story a littlebit.
But why should people pick?
It's your first one, but whyshould someone pick vodka with
protein in it?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
so I just sort of discovered that people were
tired of the bubbles, right,they were tired of the heartburn
, the bloat, that sort of thing.
But at the same time there'sthat classic saying drinking is
empty calories.
Well, what if it didn't have tobe right?
So there was the proteinelement.
But the big third componentthat really sort of made me want
(01:45):
to stand out is I self-financed?
Right, this is my business.
I don't have banks, I don'thave backers, I don't have
anything along those lines.
So how do I stand out on ashelf, like you said, in a very
competitive space?
There's the protein.
I'm the only one with proteinon the shelf, with alcohol.
That makes me stand out.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I mean, I like the idea of mate.
If you drink enough of it, youknow what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Everyone's going to be your mate by the time you've
had a couple.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I mean the mate of your choice.
I mean because if you have toomany to pass out, you might get
a mate of a sex you don't want.
I mean, you don't know whatcould happen at that point.
Anything's up for grabs there,melbourne, you're safe.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
The major cities.
You're safe Just way away fromthe big bugs and the kangaroos
and everything else that wantsto.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
By the way, I don't think people realize this.
Their balls are amazing.
If you have not checked outkangaroo balls, you go to the
zoo, you're like I just can'tget my eyes off their balls,
like they're, like, they're huge.
Yeah, not part of your brand.
Kangaroo Balls is not the nameof his brand.
It's made.
Oh, we'll take a moment here.
So, first and foremost, beforewe get in your story, I do want
(02:58):
you to define what does successmean to you?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So I thought about this long and hard.
What does success mean to you?
So I thought about this longand hard.
I mean, I've been working witha career for 20 plus years.
Right, I was in hospitality, Iwas in restaurants, did it all
over the world and successchanged from year to year
depending on how old I was, whatseason I was in that sort of
thing.
Now it's very much, especiallywith this.
(03:23):
Mate has the opportunity to besomething that is served all
over the US, could be bought byCoca-Cola one day.
You never know.
These exits are available toyou.
The success to me is I want tobe able to retire my mother.
Hey, here's a million dollarcheck.
Just quit working and do youBuy my sister a house.
(03:44):
Check, just quit working and doyou Buy my sister a house.
Be able to have a certain levelof freedom where you're not
worried about bills.
Your friend needs some help.
Great, let's help him.
I think everybody's verycentrally focused on what's in
it for me my success.
I will feel successful when I'mable to help others without
having to really think long andhard whether or not I can afford
(04:07):
to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Right, that would be.
I mean, listen, anyone'ssuccess can be where they do
change over time, and I love theidea of that's more altruistic
in nature.
I think that's a pretty, prettybeautiful place to be in your
own journey.
What's been kind of the biggestmetaphor tie you've got to cut
to help try to achieve thatsuccess you defined?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Comfort.
I mean I was very, very good inrestaurants, right, I was very
well paid, I was a great GM, Imade my bonuses all the time.
There is a big level of comfortand stability in those things.
But unfortunately restaurantsyou very much hit a cap so you
can't really grow any furtherfinancially because there's so
(04:47):
many other costs related to arestaurant.
If I want to be able to helpothers without thinking about it
, I need to create somethingbigger than just a single
building in which I serve people.
So the the biggest one it'sthat comfort word.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, I think it's a great one, because when you make
a transition to chase success,specifically as an entrepreneur,
you sometimes forget you'regoing to have to probably take a
pay cut, take a lifestylechange.
Not everybody, but I'd say 99%of people, have to go through
burning, through savings, justchanges of style of life because
(05:24):
things have changed, andcomfort is a great way to
describe it.
It doesn't mean you're nothappy, you give up or you start
retooling or you stop going outas much because you're just
trying to shave off money,because you're trying to make a
future bet to achieve thatsuccess, and that's an important
one.
Do you remember the momentthough I always ask that kind of
question the aha moment of whenyou knew you were going to make
(05:46):
that pivot, to become your ownkind of journey, and then you're
like but I'm going to have tocut this tie.
Do you remember the moment?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, I think the whole cluster of COVID really
helped that cabalist.
We popped out the other side.
I can really tell you the exactmoment and it's it's kind of a
little bit gross, so I'll trynot to be.
Oh, it's fine, it grows, it'sgood.
It grows, it's good.
All right, I'll tell you thewhole thing.
So we've reopened therestaurant.
After COVID, everybody's gotmasks on, you know.
(06:15):
People are just starting tocome out again.
But because of the problemsfinancially, I'd been put on 750
an hour, right.
So I'm just working likeeveryone else.
I'm a GM but I'm being paidhourly but I've got all these
responsibilities.
So a couple comes in, we seatthem down.
Guy's like I just need to go tothe bathroom quickly.
Yep, no worries.
So he disappears, comes backabout five minutes later, grabs
(06:40):
his girlfriend or wife, whoevershe was, and they run straight
out the door.
I'm like that's a bit mean.
Oh boy, did I blow upInteresting?
I'm at the front desk.
These two ladies come up andthey go.
Are you the manager?
I said I am.
They're like you might want togo check one of your bathrooms.
It's like oh no.
So I go down there and he haspretty much vomited all over the
(07:03):
entire and I'm mopping andcleaning right, because I have
my team upstairs working and I'msitting there going.
I'm getting paid $7.50 an hour.
I've had this idea to dosomething for a while now.
I haven't taken the jump.
I've got the money in the bank.
(07:23):
I know I have the money in thebank.
I have a supportive spouse andinstead I'm mopping up vomit.
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Did you quit that day ?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
or did.
Was it just mentally?
No, so I I never do stuff likethat.
I think that's a horrible thingto do.
I gave them four weeks noticeand said I'm out.
So you know, I I did all theright things.
I got him through covid, I wasgreat to my staff.
I I did everything I wassupposed to do.
But yeah, no, that was.
If you need a catalyst moment,that would be definitely the
(07:56):
moment.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, not paid enough to clean up stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You're like, if I'm going to do this, I might as
well, just cheat, I may as wellbe uncomfortable in my own
business.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, and that's good too, because you picked
something up.
What I like is you're youpicked an ancillary business
where you have people to go toand say, hey, can I try this
here?
Can I do this?
It's not like you're now goingin a yoga studio and you're here
to learn yoga, which isn't abad thing.
I'm just saying it's not likecompletely on the other side of
the world, of something new.
It gives you at least an easiertransition and who knows what
(08:36):
will go from there.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
So you said one of the reasons things you had to do
is start cutting comfort.
So you go through the how,because it's one thing to
declare it, it's one thing toknow it, it's another thing to
do it.
So this is going to soundreally sort of nonchalant
perhaps, but just get started,like it's.
It's when we think aboutsomething for five minutes you
talk yourself out of it.
It's it just you need to.
When you've made that decision,you need to just go.
You need to get started.
So for me it was.
(08:58):
I came up with the idea overpizza and beers with my wife, so
we knew what I was going to do.
I put in my resignation.
That very day I started thedesign of what I wanted the cans
to look like.
I started the design of what Iwanted, just with a printout and
highlighters and a Sharpie.
But just get started right.
Build the LLC, do the things.
(09:20):
If you do one thing to moveyour business forward every
single day, that motivationstays there for the discipline
to come behind it.
I know it sounds really cliche,but it's just start.
Just start and get movingforward.
Plan B is I go back torestaurants.
I can always go back to doingwhat I was doing.
(09:41):
It was a great salary, it'svery easy, I have plenty of
contacts.
So why don't we make plan Awhat I can do and just keep
moving forward?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
You're spot on and you know it's the atomic habits.
1% math.
You're 37, what is it 0.8 timesbetter at the end of the year
if you've just done 1% betterevery day?
And that literally it could be.
And for those who kind of havethe ADHD or get overwhelmed just
pick one thing to work on.
That's pretty important.
It might be forming your LLC.
It overwhelmed just pick onething to work on, that's pretty
(10:13):
important.
It might be forming your LLC.
It might be like what is mymission statement?
Who's my real customer?
Just go work on one thing untilyou get it done.
You got to get your EIN.
There's a couple steps ahead ofthat, but you'll be triggered
into it.
To be fair, by the way, you cando all that in a day.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
If you've got ADHDhd and we only get one thing done
every day, get one thing doneyou.
You probably do that an hour,just to be clear.
That's all online anyway, butthat would be a win.
What's been the impact on yourlife or others since making the
move?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
it is a bit of a roller coaster.
I mean, I don't think I quiterealized how much I missed or
how much I loved in a restaurant, how much I miss now leading a
team, right, really being thehead and helping people and sort
of moving everything forward.
Right now, the team's stilljust myself.
We're starting to bring peopleon, we're having those
(11:03):
conversations.
When we're talking aboutcomfort yeah, I mean, there's
things that kind of have to goright.
I can't do multiple vacations ayear and I have to scale back
on maybe some of the supplementsthat I use and I, instead of
dining out at the local Mexicanplace every Friday, well, maybe
(11:24):
that's once a month now, right.
So you have to be very honestwith yourself in the mirror and
you have to reallocate where youput things right.
The, the kids, schooling andcollege needs are going to come
for, for, you know, first, andthe mexican restaurant's
probably going to come 20th,right.
So you, you, you just need toreallocate and make sure that
(11:48):
you know what you're doing.
My father-in-law lives in Iowa.
He's got a rule If we come tohim, we don't pay, okay, well,
that's going to be our vacation.
We're going to go to the lakewith him.
We're going to hang out withhim as our vacation, instead of
going to Florida for springbreak, where we pay thousands of
dollars for everything.
So it's not necessarilyremoving all of the comfort,
(12:11):
it's just a reallocation ofwhere that goes.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
You said some important ones.
I tell people this all the time.
I don't think education at thecollege level is worth the
investment.
So do it for free.
Because go for free, financewhat you can that you can pay
off in a year living at home.
Otherwise the math doesn't workto be fair.
And it gives you freedom to go,be your own boss, to make less
(12:37):
and enjoy what you do.
And we're parents who aren'tgoing to pay for our kids'
school.
We're like you will pay for ityourself, you'll earn it or
you'll go to community and workyour way through it, because
it's just the investment's notthere.
It's not worth it.
The other thing I I'll tell youfrom florida, so I'm in atlanta
(12:58):
as well, as you know.
Sure, we we love going there,doing that, but we started doing
a camping and I we are notcampers, but you can rent a
really nice spot, fun, for like150 bucks for the week and and
it's and it's like you just takea bike down the beach.
It's really chill, there'sgreat bathrooms and like showers
.
I'm like I actually enjoy itmore than the $3,000 a week
hotel, because I don't, I canjust kind of be in fire at night
.
It's so much love it and it'slike way cheaper.
(13:20):
Anyway, throw that out there topeople Sometimes.
Just change your expectationcomfort of yeah, we're not going
to be in an air conditionedplace, but you'll find, just go
in the fall or spring, it's alittle cheaper, it's no money,
it costs almost nothing to bethere for the week and you get a
sense.
You've got to meet your Love it.
Anyway, my point is reframe itand listen, I do not like
(13:43):
camping.
I actually really enjoy goingthere.
I sleep well, it's night, youlike it, you know it's, it's
just fun.
If it rains, you leave.
You don't lose it's any money.
Or you go indoors somewhere forthe day.
What?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
are you most grateful for?
I guess there's probablyseveral things.
Um, I am grateful for the factthat I get to do this right.
I I have, I'm in a country thatis allows me to be able to
create something like this right, the, the, the frameworks in
place.
You know, I'm grateful for mywife's um, unwavering belief,
(14:23):
right, and she's an overthinker,so she's very openly said I've
overthought this entire thingand I still think it's going to
be okay.
Um, so, and then, obviously, I'mreally grateful for the fact
that I was able to be inhospitality in America and apply
, like you said, knowing otherpeople in the industry already
(14:45):
that across.
So it's, it's sort of all thetwo prongs of you know.
I'm grateful for the support.
I'm grateful for theopportunity.
You know we said a little bitearlier, there's 330 million
people in America to sell to.
There's 25 million in Australiawith the same size landmass.
(15:07):
So I'm grateful for the factthat I've got a green card, I
can be here and I've got theopportunity to possibly make
something that exits it let'scall it 50 million and that
would solve basically everyproblem anyone would ever have.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
It would create a whole new set.
Do you take private orcommercial?
It's not quite enough.
What's your biggest lesson to alistener?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Just don't quit.
Don't quit Right, it you'regoing to have, it's going to go
up and down, it's going to suck,it's going to it's.
It's not going to be prettyevery single day, but those days
where somebody calls you,finally, finally, and they go
(15:54):
hey, we, we know your drink,We've got a bar.
We'd love to you to come in andshow us about it Instead of me
going to them.
Will you buy?
You know other people buying,coming on and saying you've got
something good here.
You actually have something.
We want to be a part of this.
Can we chat further?
So just don't quit.
Don't quit and see what happenson the other side.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
That's right, that's great.
You know some rapid firequestions here for you.
Who gives you inspiration?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
My mother.
She was in sales Single mom foryears, always kept, kept me fed
, kept me clothed, all the goodthings right.
So yeah, I mean my mother?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
solid answer.
Really honestly you're like, oh, I bet my kids might got the
grid one.
I mean like who?
All I love that answer.
What's kind of the bestbusiness advice you've ever
received?
Speaker 2 (16:50):
So there's a couple.
Firstly, service beatseverything.
No matter what it is that youdo, whether it's sales, whether
it's whatever, if you makethings really easy for people,
they're going to rebuy.
And then I would say you know,do that.
Like I said earlier, do onething, one thing every day that
(17:11):
gets the business forward.
You know, that was I didn'tcome up with that, I was given
it, and no matter what happensit could be nine o'clock at
night, I can feel like nothing'shappened I can still get one
thing done for the business toto move the needle forward.
So service over everything.
And uh, and then, yeah, makesure you do one thing every day.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
That's solid advice.
That's move forward adviceright there.
Do you have a favorite book?
Sure, do yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So I've given this book to everyone.
The book's title is it Takeswhat it Takes.
The guy who wrote it was TrevorMullad, big NFL guy who helped
NFL teams sort of bring theirthing together.
The whole crux of the book youdon't it's about.
You know, yay, thick, this isthe crux of the book.
It takes what it takes, right?
So if you want it to besuccessful, you're going to have
(17:58):
to put the effort in, no matterwhat.
Whether you are going for a run, for a marathon, training for a
high rocks, building a business, it all takes what it takes.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I like that.
You get it done.
It's exactly right, because ifyou don't think in that
mentality, you're going to makean excuse, you'll play victim to
entitlement and now thatstuff's going to work pressure,
you know.
Just get it done.
If you had to start over todayand you could go back to any
point in your life, when wouldyou go back to and what would
(18:30):
you do differently?
Speaker 2 (18:32):
So I would probably say I really like 25.
25 is a good year.
I'd just gotten back fromLondon the first time, so I had
a lot of experience under mybelt.
What would I do differently?
I'd changed the people who Iwas hanging out with and dating
(18:53):
right, I'd be very, I'd be farmore clear-cut, uh, in regards
to that, and I'd probably buybitcoin.
Can I say that I'd probably, ifI, if I could go back to 25,
I'd buy bitcoin I mean, yeah,you just go, I'm to dump my
whole savings into that.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I'm going to go read that at some point in the future
.
You know I like that and inEurope normally people, there's
a few ways you can ask that andI love the fact that you're like
I think I just changed who wasaround me.
I think anybody who thinksabout that like you still look
at that.
Now, in real time of going, I'mgoing to be very conscious of
who I surround myself with, andthat's usually what happens in
my question.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
If there was a question I should have asked you
today, though, and I didn't.
What was that question and howdo you answer it?
So I love this one, because Ithought long and hard about this
one.
What should Americans know froma non-American living in
America?
Okay, go for that, I got that,you got that.
And the answer is this becauseI've said this to other people
(19:55):
when I've done tables, tastings,whatever If Americans realized
that when you travel, you'rejust an American, you'd all get
along really well.
You're not Southern American,you're not southern american,
you're not northern american,you're not white american, asian
american, african american.
You're not gay american,straight american, whatever.
(20:17):
You're just american.
And that's what americansforget with the rest of the
world, because when you wouldsit down at my table when I was
a waiter way back, when theperson handing me the ticket
saying you've got a table overthere and they're American, they
wouldn't say, oh, that's anAfrican-American family.
(20:38):
They just go, you've gotAmericans and I go, I'm going to
get tipped.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
That's not actually true from all demographics in
the United States, just to bevery clear.
There's.
That's not actually true fromall demographics in the united
states, just to be very clear.
There's emigrated europeanamericans.
No tip, okay, my wife's fromsurvive?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
yeah, absolutely.
But if you all just realizedyou're just americans, I reckon
america would all get alongbetter with each other well, you
know that's not polarizing.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
God, stop unpolarizing us, sir.
Thank you, by the way, forcoming out today.
Who should get a hold of you?
How do they do it?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So there's a couple of different options.
You can follow the businessthat's Make Beverage.
Obviously, we post there themost Make Vodka Protein Water.
If you Google Vodka ProteinWater, I'm the only one It'll
show you everything pretty muchimmediately on the first page.
You don't need to go searchingthrough Google.
And if you want me personally,chris underscore Wolston home,
just be aware there is anotherChris Wolston home in the world
(21:37):
and he's the base player forMuse, so make sure you follow
the right account.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I mean you can follow both, Just don't go down the
rabbit hole.
The other guy just like oh, Ilike both of that.
And then you're like, let meget the real one, exactly right.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
You coming on, this is great.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Yeah, thank you, it was an absolute pleasure.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Anyone who made it this point you rock.
I appreciate you listening andwatching.
If this was your first timehere, I hope it is the first of
many.
On Cut the Tie.
Welcome to the Cut the Tie podcast.
I'm your host, Thomas Helfrich.
I'm on a mission to help youcut the tie to whatever it is
holding you back from thesuccess of which I hope you
define for yourself.
And if you haven't start withthat, you got to define your own
success.
Today we're joined by Mr Chris.
Chris, I would try to pronounceyour last name.
It's like Wollstoneholm, Did Iget it right?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's pretty good.
Yeah, I mean okay.
No, I'll give in on that one.
No arguments on that one.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Chris, just take a moment.
By the way, thanks for joiningme.
I'm here, You're in Atlanta.
Here you can hear his accent.
It's very.
It sounds like Alabama, maybeBirmingham.
Chris, why don't you introduceyourself and what it is you do?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Absolutely so.
My name is Chris, obviouslyoriginally from Australia not
quite the right A, you know, notwith Alabama, but definitely
Australian and I started abusiness here in Atlanta,
georgia, called MAPE, and it'sthe world's first vodka protein
water.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
This thing.
So, as a former drinker, vodkawas my choice.
You couldn't go wrong and youcouldn't get enough of it.
I'll tell you that right now.
But if I had protein in with it, I'd be like honey.
I'm so healthy.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
See, you're going to be a fitness influencer.
You just didn't know it.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Hey, listen, when I work out first, I like to drive
here.
Okay, that's the best.
Don't do that, people.
I'm not getting that.
Don't do that, okay, so makesure.
I think it's a very competitivekind of space and we're going
to get into your story a littlebit.
But why should people pick?
It's your first one, but whyshould someone pick vodka with
protein in it?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
so I just sort of discovered that people were
tired of the bubbles, right,they were tired of the heartburn
, the bloat, that sort of thing.
But at the same time there'sthat classic saying drinking is
empty calories.
Well, what if it didn't have tobe right?
So there was the proteinelement.
But the big third componentthat really sort of made me want
(01:45):
to stand out is I self-financed?
Right, this is my business.
I don't have banks, I don'thave backers, I don't have
anything along those lines.
So how do I stand out on ashelf, like you said, in a very
competitive space?
There's the protein.
I'm the only one with proteinon the shelf, with alcohol.
That makes me stand out.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
I mean, I like the idea of mate.
If you drink enough of it, youknow what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Everyone's going to be your mate by the time you've
had a couple.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I mean the mate of your choice.
I mean because if you have toomany to pass out, you might get
a mate of a sex you don't want.
I mean, you don't know whatcould happen at that point.
Anything's up for grabs there,melbourne, you're safe.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
The major cities.
You're safe Just way away fromthe big bugs and the kangaroos
and everything else that wantsto.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
By the way, I don't think people realize this.
Their balls are amazing.
If you have not checked outkangaroo balls, you go to the
zoo, you're like I just can'tget my eyes off their balls,
like they're, like, they're huge.
Yeah, not part of your brand.
Kangaroo Balls is not the nameof his brand.
It's made.
Oh, we'll take a moment here.
So, first and foremost, beforewe get in your story, I do want
(02:58):
you to define what does successmean to you?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So I thought about this long and hard.
What does success mean to you?
So I thought about this longand hard.
I mean, I've been working witha career for 20 plus years.
Right, I was in hospitality, Iwas in restaurants, did it all
over the world and successchanged from year to year
depending on how old I was, whatseason I was in that sort of
thing.
Now it's very much, especiallywith this.
(03:23):
Mate has the opportunity to besomething that is served all
over the US, could be bought byCoca-Cola one day.
You never know.
These exits are available toyou.
The success to me is I want tobe able to retire my mother.
Hey, here's a million dollarcheck.
Just quit working and do youBuy my sister a house.
(03:44):
Check, just quit working and doyou Buy my sister a house.
Be able to have a certain levelof freedom where you're not
worried about bills.
Your friend needs some help.
Great, let's help him.
I think everybody's verycentrally focused on what's in
it for me my success.
I will feel successful when I'mable to help others without
having to really think long andhard whether or not I can afford
(04:07):
to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Right, that would be.
I mean, listen, anyone'ssuccess can be where they do
change over time, and I love theidea of that's more altruistic
in nature.
I think that's a pretty, prettybeautiful place to be in your
own journey.
What's been kind of the biggestmetaphor tie you've got to cut
to help try to achieve thatsuccess you defined?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Comfort.
I mean I was very, very good inrestaurants, right, I was very
well paid, I was a great GM, Imade my bonuses all the time.
There is a big level of comfortand stability in those things.
But unfortunately restaurantsyou very much hit a cap so you
can't really grow any furtherfinancially because there's so
(04:47):
many other costs related to arestaurant.
If I want to be able to helpothers without thinking about it
, I need to create somethingbigger than just a single
building in which I serve people.
So the the biggest one it'sthat comfort word.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well, I think it's a great one, because when you make
a transition to chase success,specifically as an entrepreneur,
you sometimes forget you'regoing to have to probably take a
pay cut, take a lifestylechange.
Not everybody, but I'd say 99%of people, have to go through
burning, through savings, justchanges of style of life because
(05:24):
things have changed, andcomfort is a great way to
describe it.
It doesn't mean you're nothappy, you give up or you start
retooling or you stop going outas much because you're just
trying to shave off money,because you're trying to make a
future bet to achieve thatsuccess, and that's an important
one.
Do you remember the momentthough I always ask that kind of
question the aha moment of whenyou knew you were going to make
(05:46):
that pivot, to become your ownkind of journey, and then you're
like but I'm going to have tocut this tie.
Do you remember the moment?
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, I think the whole cluster of COVID really
helped that cabalist.
We popped out the other side.
I can really tell you the exactmoment and it's it's kind of a
little bit gross, so I'll trynot to be.
Oh, it's fine, it grows, it'sgood.
It grows, it's good.
All right, I'll tell you thewhole thing.
So we've reopened therestaurant.
After COVID, everybody's gotmasks on, you know.
(06:15):
People are just starting tocome out again.
But because of the problemsfinancially, I'd been put on 750
an hour, right.
So I'm just working likeeveryone else.
I'm a GM but I'm being paidhourly but I've got all these
responsibilities.
So a couple comes in, we seatthem down.
Guy's like I just need to go tothe bathroom quickly.
Yep, no worries.
So he disappears, comes backabout five minutes later, grabs
(06:40):
his girlfriend or wife, whoevershe was, and they run straight
out the door.
I'm like that's a bit mean.
Oh boy, did I blow upInteresting?
I'm at the front desk.
These two ladies come up andthey go.
Are you the manager?
I said I am.
They're like you might want togo check one of your bathrooms.
It's like oh no.
So I go down there and he haspretty much vomited all over the
(07:03):
entire and I'm mopping andcleaning right, because I have
my team upstairs working and I'msitting there going.
I'm getting paid $7.50 an hour.
I've had this idea to dosomething for a while now.
I haven't taken the jump.
I've got the money in the bank.
(07:23):
I know I have the money in thebank.
I have a supportive spouse andinstead I'm mopping up vomit.
I'm done.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Did you quit that day ?
Speaker 2 (07:35):
or did.
Was it just mentally?
No, so I I never do stuff likethat.
I think that's a horrible thingto do.
I gave them four weeks noticeand said I'm out.
So you know, I I did all theright things.
I got him through covid, I wasgreat to my staff.
I I did everything I wassupposed to do.
But yeah, no, that was.
If you need a catalyst moment,that would be definitely the
(07:56):
moment.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Yeah, not paid enough to clean up stuff.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
You're like, if I'm going to do this, I might as
well, just cheat, I may as wellbe uncomfortable in my own
business.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Well, and that's good too, because you picked
something up.
What I like is you're youpicked an ancillary business
where you have people to go toand say, hey, can I try this
here?
Can I do this?
It's not like you're now goingin a yoga studio and you're here
to learn yoga, which isn't abad thing.
I'm just saying it's not likecompletely on the other side of
the world, of something new.
It gives you at least an easiertransition and who knows what
(08:36):
will go from there.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
So you said one of the reasons things you had to do
is start cutting comfort.
So you go through the how,because it's one thing to
declare it, it's one thing toknow it, it's another thing to
do it.
So this is going to soundreally sort of nonchalant
perhaps, but just get started,like it's.
It's when we think aboutsomething for five minutes you
talk yourself out of it.
It's it just you need to.
When you've made that decision,you need to just go.
You need to get started.
So for me it was.
(08:58):
I came up with the idea overpizza and beers with my wife, so
we knew what I was going to do.
I put in my resignation.
That very day I started thedesign of what I wanted the cans
to look like.
I started the design of what Iwanted, just with a printout and
highlighters and a Sharpie.
But just get started right.
Build the LLC, do the things.
(09:20):
If you do one thing to moveyour business forward every
single day, that motivationstays there for the discipline
to come behind it.
I know it sounds really cliche,but it's just start.
Just start and get movingforward.
Plan B is I go back torestaurants.
I can always go back to doingwhat I was doing.
(09:41):
It was a great salary, it'svery easy, I have plenty of
contacts.
So why don't we make plan Awhat I can do and just keep
moving forward?
Speaker 1 (09:52):
You're spot on and you know it's the atomic habits.
1% math.
You're 37, what is it 0.8 timesbetter at the end of the year
if you've just done 1% betterevery day?
And that literally it could be.
And for those who kind of havethe ADHD or get overwhelmed just
pick one thing to work on.
That's pretty important.
It might be forming your LLC.
It overwhelmed just pick onething to work on, that's pretty
(10:13):
important.
It might be forming your LLC.
It might be like what is mymission statement?
Who's my real customer?
Just go work on one thing untilyou get it done.
You got to get your EIN.
There's a couple steps ahead ofthat, but you'll be triggered
into it.
To be fair, by the way, you cando all that in a day.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
All right.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
If you've got ADHDhd and we only get one thing done
every day, get one thing doneyou.
You probably do that an hour,just to be clear.
That's all online anyway, butthat would be a win.
What's been the impact on yourlife or others since making the
move?
Speaker 2 (10:43):
it is a bit of a roller coaster.
I mean, I don't think I quiterealized how much I missed or
how much I loved in a restaurant, how much I miss now leading a
team, right, really being thehead and helping people and sort
of moving everything forward.
Right now, the team's stilljust myself.
We're starting to bring peopleon, we're having those
(11:03):
conversations.
When we're talking aboutcomfort yeah, I mean, there's
things that kind of have to goright.
I can't do multiple vacations ayear and I have to scale back
on maybe some of the supplementsthat I use and I, instead of
dining out at the local Mexicanplace every Friday, well, maybe
(11:24):
that's once a month now, right.
So you have to be very honestwith yourself in the mirror and
you have to reallocate where youput things right.
The, the kids, schooling andcollege needs are going to come
for, for, you know, first, andthe mexican restaurant's
probably going to come 20th,right.
So you, you, you just need toreallocate and make sure that
(11:48):
you know what you're doing.
My father-in-law lives in Iowa.
He's got a rule If we come tohim, we don't pay, okay, well,
that's going to be our vacation.
We're going to go to the lakewith him.
We're going to hang out withhim as our vacation, instead of
going to Florida for springbreak, where we pay thousands of
dollars for everything.
So it's not necessarilyremoving all of the comfort,
(12:11):
it's just a reallocation ofwhere that goes.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
You said some important ones.
I tell people this all the time.
I don't think education at thecollege level is worth the
investment.
So do it for free.
Because go for free, financewhat you can that you can pay
off in a year living at home.
Otherwise the math doesn't workto be fair.
And it gives you freedom to go,be your own boss, to make less
(12:37):
and enjoy what you do.
And we're parents who aren'tgoing to pay for our kids'
school.
We're like you will pay for ityourself, you'll earn it or
you'll go to community and workyour way through it, because
it's just the investment's notthere.
It's not worth it.
The other thing I I'll tell youfrom florida, so I'm in atlanta
(12:58):
as well, as you know.
Sure, we we love going there,doing that, but we started doing
a camping and I we are notcampers, but you can rent a
really nice spot, fun, for like150 bucks for the week and and
it's and it's like you just takea bike down the beach.
It's really chill, there'sgreat bathrooms and like showers
.
I'm like I actually enjoy itmore than the $3,000 a week
hotel, because I don't, I canjust kind of be in fire at night
.
It's so much love it and it'slike way cheaper.
(13:20):
Anyway, throw that out there topeople Sometimes.
Just change your expectationcomfort of yeah, we're not going
to be in an air conditionedplace, but you'll find, just go
in the fall or spring, it's alittle cheaper, it's no money,
it costs almost nothing to bethere for the week and you get a
sense.
You've got to meet your Love it.
Anyway, my point is reframe itand listen, I do not like
(13:43):
camping.
I actually really enjoy goingthere.
I sleep well, it's night, youlike it, you know it's, it's
just fun.
If it rains, you leave.
You don't lose it's any money.
Or you go indoors somewhere forthe day.
What?
Speaker 2 (13:54):
are you most grateful for?
I guess there's probablyseveral things.
Um, I am grateful for the factthat I get to do this right.
I I have, I'm in a country thatis allows me to be able to
create something like this right, the, the, the frameworks in
place.
You know, I'm grateful for mywife's um, unwavering belief,
(14:23):
right, and she's an overthinker,so she's very openly said I've
overthought this entire thingand I still think it's going to
be okay.
Um, so, and then, obviously, I'mreally grateful for the fact
that I was able to be inhospitality in America and apply
, like you said, knowing otherpeople in the industry already
(14:45):
that across.
So it's, it's sort of all thetwo prongs of you know.
I'm grateful for the support.
I'm grateful for theopportunity.
You know we said a little bitearlier, there's 330 million
people in America to sell to.
There's 25 million in Australiawith the same size landmass.
(15:07):
So I'm grateful for the factthat I've got a green card, I
can be here and I've got theopportunity to possibly make
something that exits it let'scall it 50 million and that
would solve basically everyproblem anyone would ever have.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
It would create a whole new set.
Do you take private orcommercial?
It's not quite enough.
What's your biggest lesson to alistener?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Just don't quit.
Don't quit Right, it you'regoing to have, it's going to go
up and down, it's going to suck,it's going to it's.
It's not going to be prettyevery single day, but those days
where somebody calls you,finally, finally, and they go
(15:54):
hey, we, we know your drink,We've got a bar.
We'd love to you to come in andshow us about it Instead of me
going to them.
Will you buy?
You know other people buying,coming on and saying you've got
something good here.
You actually have something.
We want to be a part of this.
Can we chat further?
So just don't quit.
Don't quit and see what happenson the other side.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
That's right, that's great.
You know some rapid firequestions here for you.
Who gives you inspiration?
Speaker 2 (16:25):
My mother.
She was in sales Single mom foryears, always kept, kept me fed
, kept me clothed, all the goodthings right.
So yeah, I mean my mother?
Speaker 1 (16:38):
solid answer.
Really honestly you're like, oh, I bet my kids might got the
grid one.
I mean like who?
All I love that answer.
What's kind of the bestbusiness advice you've ever
received?
Speaker 2 (16:50):
So there's a couple.
Firstly, service beatseverything.
No matter what it is that youdo, whether it's sales, whether
it's whatever, if you makethings really easy for people,
they're going to rebuy.
And then I would say you know,do that.
Like I said earlier, do onething, one thing every day that
(17:11):
gets the business forward.
You know, that was I didn'tcome up with that, I was given
it, and no matter what happensit could be nine o'clock at
night, I can feel like nothing'shappened I can still get one
thing done for the business toto move the needle forward.
So service over everything.
And uh, and then, yeah, makesure you do one thing every day.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
That's solid advice.
That's move forward adviceright there.
Do you have a favorite book?
Sure, do yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
So I've given this book to everyone.
The book's title is it Takeswhat it Takes.
The guy who wrote it was TrevorMullad, big NFL guy who helped
NFL teams sort of bring theirthing together.
The whole crux of the book youdon't it's about.
You know, yay, thick, this isthe crux of the book.
It takes what it takes, right?
So if you want it to besuccessful, you're going to have
(17:58):
to put the effort in, no matterwhat.
Whether you are going for a run, for a marathon, training for a
high rocks, building a business, it all takes what it takes.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
I like that.
You get it done.
It's exactly right, because ifyou don't think in that
mentality, you're going to makean excuse, you'll play victim to
entitlement and now thatstuff's going to work pressure,
you know.
Just get it done.
If you had to start over todayand you could go back to any
point in your life, when wouldyou go back to and what would
(18:30):
you do differently?
Speaker 2 (18:32):
So I would probably say I really like 25.
25 is a good year.
I'd just gotten back fromLondon the first time, so I had
a lot of experience under mybelt.
What would I do differently?
I'd changed the people who Iwas hanging out with and dating
(18:53):
right, I'd be very, I'd be farmore clear-cut, uh, in regards
to that, and I'd probably buybitcoin.
Can I say that I'd probably, ifI, if I could go back to 25,
I'd buy bitcoin I mean, yeah,you just go, I'm to dump my
whole savings into that.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
I'm going to go read that at some point in the future
.
You know I like that and inEurope normally people, there's
a few ways you can ask that andI love the fact that you're like
I think I just changed who wasaround me.
I think anybody who thinksabout that like you still look
at that.
Now, in real time of going, I'mgoing to be very conscious of
who I surround myself with, andthat's usually what happens in
my question.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
If there was a question I should have asked you
today, though, and I didn't.
What was that question and howdo you answer it?
So I love this one, because Ithought long and hard about this
one.
What should Americans know froma non-American living in
America?
Okay, go for that, I got that,you got that.
And the answer is this becauseI've said this to other people
(19:55):
when I've done tables, tastings,whatever If Americans realized
that when you travel, you'rejust an American, you'd all get
along really well.
You're not Southern American,you're not southern american,
you're not northern american,you're not white american, asian
american, african american.
You're not gay american,straight american, whatever.
(20:17):
You're just american.
And that's what americansforget with the rest of the
world, because when you wouldsit down at my table when I was
a waiter way back, when theperson handing me the ticket
saying you've got a table overthere and they're American, they
wouldn't say, oh, that's anAfrican-American family.
(20:38):
They just go, you've gotAmericans and I go, I'm going to
get tipped.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
That's not actually true from all demographics in
the United States, just to bevery clear.
There's.
That's not actually true fromall demographics in the united
states, just to be very clear.
There's emigrated europeanamericans.
No tip, okay, my wife's fromsurvive?
Speaker 2 (20:54):
yeah, absolutely.
But if you all just realizedyou're just americans, I reckon
america would all get alongbetter with each other well, you
know that's not polarizing.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
God, stop unpolarizing us, sir.
Thank you, by the way, forcoming out today.
Who should get a hold of you?
How do they do it?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
So there's a couple of different options.
You can follow the businessthat's Make Beverage.
Obviously, we post there themost Make Vodka Protein Water.
If you Google Vodka ProteinWater, I'm the only one It'll
show you everything pretty muchimmediately on the first page.
You don't need to go searchingthrough Google.
And if you want me personally,chris underscore Wolston home,
just be aware there is anotherChris Wolston home in the world
(21:37):
and he's the base player forMuse, so make sure you follow
the right account.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
I mean you can follow both, Just don't go down the
rabbit hole.
The other guy just like oh, Ilike both of that.
And then you're like, let meget the real one, exactly right.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
You coming on, this is great.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Yeah, thank you, it was an absolute pleasure.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Anyone who made it this point you rock.
I appreciate you listening andwatching.
If this was your first timehere, I hope it is the first of
many.
On Cut the Tie.
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