From Basement Cold Calls to Beverage Bosses: The Tequio Story

"Cold calls are the base of our entire business. The first three months we spent in Flick's basement, cold calling, and it's still the best tool that we have. We still do it every day."

Flick Moradian and Louis Pascal Walsh, Co-Founders of Tequio, a premium canned tequila cocktail brand, share their entrepreneurial journey, highlighting their persistent cold-calling efforts to establish connections, secure partnerships, and obtain valuable insights from industry experts on this episode of Founders In LA.

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of persistence and not taking "no" for an answer, as demonstrated by the founders' relentless cold-calling and in-store pitching efforts.

2. The value of building relationships and making personal connections, even with prominent industry figures or unlikely prospects.

3. The significance of differentiation and focusing on quality ingredients, as exemplified by the decision to use premium tequila in their canned cocktails.

4. The critical role of sales and marketing in the early stages of a startup, even for founders without prior experience in those areas.

5. The importance of expressing gratitude and following up with contacts, as a lack of follow-up can be perceived as disrespectful.

6. The value of leveraging local resources and opportunities, especially in a city like Los Angeles with its diverse network of entrepreneurs and influencers.

7. The significance of perseverance and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of rejections and setbacks, as success often comes after numerous failures or unsuccessful attempts.

Top Quotes:

1. "It's actually similar to cold calling. You need the same persistence. But instead of actually, like, picking up the phone and calling these people, you just have to walk into their store." (Flick Moradian, on getting into retail stores)

2. "Cold calls are the base of our entire business…and it's still the best tool that we have." (Louis Pascal Walsh, on the importance of cold calling)

3. "We literally just bootlegged a couple bottles over the border, brought them back to LA, and did a bunch of, like, at home bench samples." (Louis Pascal Walsh, on early product development)

Chapter 1: The Origins of Tequio

This chapter covers the initial idea of Flick and Louis to create a fermented coconut water beverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, their subsequent pivot to a premium tequila-based canned cocktail, and the challenges they faced in finding a suitable tequila distillery in Mexico.

Chapter 2: Navigating the Tequila Industry in Mexico

This chapter delves into Flick and Louis's journey of cold-calling various tequila distilleries in Mexico, their initial struggles, and the serendipitous encounter with the Benuelos family, who became their partners and provided the high-quality tequila for their canned cocktails.

Chapter 3: The Art of Cold Calling

This chapter focuses on the importance of cold calling in the early stages of their business, the strategies they employed, the lessons learned from persistent follow-ups, and the value of building relationships and connections through these calls.

Chapter 4: Breaking into Retail

This chapter explores Flick and Louis's efforts to secure shelf space in retail stores, their persistent in-store pitching, and the challenges they faced in selling a premium-priced product in a competitive market.

Chapter 5: Future Plans and LA Moment