Episode 1- Starting & Growing a CPG Beverage Brand w. Dalton Honoré
We’ve got the founder of Dreamland Koffucha, formerly known as Daydream Koffucha, Dalton Honoré, kicking off season one with a conversation on lessons from entrepreneurship as he takes us through his journey and some sound advice for those just starting out. We talk about the trials and tribulations of starting a CPG beverage brand, including the importance of having a good product, how to know you are ready for distribution, and staying true to your vision.
Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon | Castbox | iHeartRadio
Episode Key Moments:
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Getting back in the game.
The importance of having a good product.
How did you know you had something on your hands?
Transitioning into distribution.
Staying connected to your vision and mission.
The hardest part of finding a co-packer.
Challenges and opportunities for the brand.
Advice for early-stage entrepreneurs.
Where to connect with Dalton online:
Daydream Koffucha website & Instagram
Dalton’s LinkedIn
Plantas Pod Credits
Host: Daniella Allam
Producer: Jacqueline Smith
For any questions or feedback email info@plantasstrategy.com
Episode Transcript:
Daniella Allam: Hey everyone, I am super excited for my guest today. His name is Dalton Honoré. And he is the founder and CEO of Daydream Koffucha, which is a sparkling fermented coffee brand, which is delicious, by the way, based out in New Orleans, Louisiana. Although Dalton is a Louisiana native, he received a degree in Food Science and Engineering from the University of Arkansas. And it was in college that Dalton caught the entrepreneurial bug that would one day lead to the creation of daydream. Over the past seven years, Dalton has worked in many different facets of the beverage industry, including merchandising and distribution, beer brewing, quality assurance, and most recently, also serving as the head of research and development for another beverage brand. So I'm super excited to have you here on the podcast thought, it's such a pleasure.
Dalton: Thank you for having me. Thank you for that awesome intro.
Daniella Allam: Well, thank you for doing amazing things. So Dalton and I met a few years ago at an incubator program out of New Orleans. And since then, we've stayed pretty close and connected. And I loved working with Dalton. And I felt like his experience as a as a founder in the CPG space could be very valuable to all the folks listening. So Dalton, can you tell us a little bit about what made you decide to be an entrepreneur?
Dalton: Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. Um, I think that, you know, personally, my own personal opinion, I think that entrepreneurs are born, you know, and, you know, we kind of grow and I think that an entrepreneur is someone that craves freedom, that crane, you know, problem-solving, and challenges and, and that's really who I am as a person. And so, obviously, there's a lot of different career paths that one can take. But this really hit the mark for what I was looking for, as an individual.
Daniella Allam: Yeah, that's something I resonate with as well. This idea of freedom, right being one of the big things that that we look for in this entrepreneurship journey, but obviously, as you very well know, comes with a lot of highs and lows. So what have been like some of like, the big things you've learned and this crazy journey called entrepreneurship?
Dalton: Oh, god. Yeah. I mean, it is a crazy journey. And, and, you know, I don't want to put anybody off of entrepreneurship. So just take my experience for what it is. But yeah, it's it has been filled with a lot of ups, a lot of downs. You know, most recently, we just secured a new co-packer, which is exciting. Thank you a huge win for us, just in the difficulty of manufacturing this product. So that's happened, we secure distribution with a distribution partner, recently, and so that's been really big. And our velocities in store have been, you know, really impressive. So consumer demand has been pretty high. And so those, those moments make all of the low points worth it, I guess.
Daniella Allam: Yeah, but it's a journey right to get to that. So I mean, we so we met at Propellor, which is a New Orleans-based incubator for social businesses. And what was that experience like for you? And at what what point were you at in the brand when you entered that incubator program?
Dalton: That was an amazing experience. Hands down, I would recommend it to anybody that's thinking about an incubator program. So, when we started with the incubator, we were fairly early in our business. You know, we only had, I want to say, maybe 10 stores that we were in at the time. Those weren't amazing. They were okay. But not, you know, not amazing, nothing to write home about. And so we came in, we got paired up with a mentor who happened to be the lovely Daniella Yes. And essentially just had a network of, of people that could, you know, answer questions when I have them that could point me in the direction of, you know, someone that could help me if I needed, you know, let's say, legal counsel, which I ended up using through the, through the program or, you know, financial assistance or, you know, I guess, questions I had around finances, and so it really, it really gave me, I guess just a network of people Which, in the beginning of any business, it has a tendency to be pretty lonely and you and you kind of go through, you know, not knowing what to do or where to go or how to, and sort of have that network and have people that you can lean on and talk to like it was a, it was definitely a benefit at the at the stage in the business that we were in.
Daniella Allam: Nice. Yeah. So you would definitely recommend it, this program and probably others to entrepreneurs in that similar stage of business, because I think what you said about mentorship is so important, and that just ability to have other people to bounce your ideas off of. It's so it's so big, it's so meaningful, even on my own right in my own business. Like you said, it can be very lonely. And sometimes you can second guess yourself, it can vary, is this the right thing to do? Where should I be focusing on and just having somebody else as a sounding board can be such a helpful thing in the development of the brand. But I feel like we got a little bit ahead of ourselves, because you didn't really tell us that amazing story of how you started Daydream, I would love everyone to hear about how this brand and how this idea came to be because I think Daydream, which is a sparkling fermented coffee brand, is super innovative. And the minute I heard about it, the minute I tried it, I just was like, this is an amazing, amazing idea. So tell folks how you came up with it. And how did the brand start?
Dalton: Yeah, I mean, so, you know, our, my entrepreneurial journey was, has been a very long, winding road. And I wish that I could say that Daydream was my first entrepreneurial baby, but it was not. So you know, interestingly enough, I started a beverage brand in college years, and was ever even born. And that business didn't do incredibly well. But it taught me a lot of lessons. And it it, I guess sort of strengthened my resolve in in, you know, the idea that I wanted to be a beverage entrepreneur. Following, I guess, sort of the loss of, you know, loss, or the, you know, the lessons that I learned from that company, I was sort of in this headspace of, you know, I knew that I wanted to start something else. I knew that I wanted to be in the beverage industry, but I didn't know what it would be. And so I was sitting at home one day, watching TV, just pondering this thought, you know, what am I going to do? How am I going to get back in the game? And I was watching. I don't know if you know, Silicon Valley on HBO. Mm hmm. I was watching that show. And, um, you know, there's a scene in the in one of the episodes where one of the actors basically goes on to describe kombucha. And he describes it as you know, a fermented tea. And if you know what Kombucha is, you know, it's fermented tea. Like, that's not some revolutionary thing that he said. But for whatever reason, it I had this sort of aha moment. I wonder if anybody's ever fermented coffee, right, we fermented tea, but has anybody fermented coffee, I mean, that's the cousin of tea. And so, you know, I'm looking at I'm googling, it's maybe 11 o'clock at night, and like a madman and I got a beer in my hand, just going to work with Google. And sure enough, there was no commercially commercially available, fermented coffee on the market. And so, you know, I went to work out like I told you earlier, I am a food scientist. And so fermentation was something that I had always had an interest in. And I fermented other things like kombucha sauerkraut, things of that nature. And so to to ferment coffee was not a, you know, difficult transition for me. Now, parallel that path, with at the same time, I'm working at a brewery, I'm having to get up at three o'clock in the morning to drive to the brewery. And so at that time, I'm drinking coffee, you know, to wake myself up. Well, I'm someone that, you know, is very caffeine sensitive. I have bad reaction, when I drink coffee, so I get the headaches and the jitters and the anxiety, all of that. And but I'm drinking it everyday, I gotta you know, I gotta get up for work. Well, as I start to as iced coffee, which are the first few batches start to you know, taste good. I start drinking that in place of the coffee. by surprise, I realized that, you know, I'm getting the alertness and focus that I would get from a cup of coffee, but I'm not getting the negative, you know, drawbacks up. And so, in my mind, I'm like, Oh, my goodness. I set out to you know, get back in the industry, and I had this idea for Koffucha and I'm just playing around in the kitchen. But in that process, I realized that I actually solved the problem and as an entrepreneur, or at least any successful entrepreneur will tell you that the way to make it is to go out and solve a problem. And and that's what I did. And that's how that's how Daydream was born.
Daniella Allam: Oh, I love it. Yeah, exactly. Music to my ears, right, you're solving you, it's sort of like this idea, right? Like, I didn't choose the entrepreneurship life, it chose me. And, you know, by really solving a need, so many people kind of have the idea. But, you know, a lot of people have a lot of different ideas. But they might not actually be doing anything for anybody. But I think what's so innovative and clever about Daydream and about the future, is that it actually is addressing a concern that a lot of people have with coffee, right? Whether it is the jitters, whether it's just something that you want more gentler for your tummy, which is my issue with coffee is just that it just like, my body just doesn't like the so much of it. But in a fermented fashion, it feels a lot more gentle. So, you know, I think this is a this is obviously one of the reasons why your brand has been doing so well and growing in velocity, right? Because if you're not actually addressing a need that people have, let me tell you, it was gonna be really hard to make a business out of that.
Dalton: It's important to have skin in the game, you know, like, it's important that that what you're doing, like this solves a problem for me. I am personally motivated besides when I'm personally motivated to want to have a product like this on the market, because I need this product. And so if you go out and you solve a problem, especially if it's a problem that you have, you're going to be that much more motivated to make it happen, because you need it to have.
Daniella Allam: Yeah, exactly. And didn't you? Weren't you also working on something else? So what's the story of I like the farmers market? Right, where I think that talks a little bit about also, catering to consumer needs better. So what were you What were you working with at a farmer’s market? And what does that story?
Dalton: Yeah, so I was working at a farmer’s market this so this was a few years before. Um, I guess Daydream became a real thing, right. And I was selling water kefir. That was the my previous beverage, or kefir. Um, you know, it was okay, it tasted fine. But it, I think I was selling water, kefir and making water kefir, mainly because I wanted to be a beverage entrepreneur, right, and back to solve your own problem. So I wasn't personally motivated to make sure that this was the best tasting. You know, like, to me, I was like, this is fine. It tastes fine enough, like it's not perfect, but you know, I'm selling it for the health benefits. So people will buy it for the health benefits. And I had some some repeat customers. And this is when I first started fermenting the coffee. And, you know, I would, I would drink this at the farmers market as I'm selling the Water Kefir. And, you know, as I'm closing out for the summer, or closing out to, you know, in this water kefir journey, one of my repeat customers asked me what I was drinking. And so I said, Well, I'm drinking, you know, this fermented coffee that I've been, you know, that I'm making? And he said, Oh, can I try so? And so I said, Sure, why not? So I poured a little bit into a cup. And he said, Dalton, this is 10 times better than that you're selling, and keep in mind, I mean, this is a loyal customer, had come to every farmer’s market and bought a bottle at every farmer’s market. And he was like, I would buy this 10 times over this, like, we already buying this. So I remember what happened. And this is what I was selling. And, you know, I have so many little stories of of, you know, people tasting this and being like, oh my gosh, this is just amazing, you know, and for me, like, I love it, but I am also my harshest critic. And so when you get that sort of market validation, like in real-time, nothing beats that, you know, you can you can have all these think pieces and, and you know, contemplate the perfect way to launch a brand. But to actually get it out there, have people taste it and see, I love this is more validation than any amount of studying or thinking will ever give you
Daniella Allam: say that, Dan, and I mean, I think it also highlights the importance of having a good product, right? Because you could have a good idea which is like I want to give people health benefits and something fermented, which was the water kefir, which was fine, but the product wasn't really hitting exactly how it needed to hit. And I think what you've done really well with with Daydreamin Koffucha is that people love it. Like people really really love it. I've experienced that as well seeing people be like wow, like the first step. They're just like, wow, brain firing like mind. alone, how is this possible? And, and that is such a critical experience, right? Because so many people also think, especially starting out in their CPG journeys, like, if I just get x distribution, or if I just go do this, then all of my problems are solved. But actually, that's really when your problems really begin is once you get that distribution, because you got to keep up with the velocity. And the velocity is basically, you know, fancy marketing speak for takeout, how many? How many bottles or how many cans per week are you selling out of that specific store. And so much of that is a function of how good your product is, right? Like, such a big part of that is, you're not gonna have people that are going to come back if your product does not deliver the benefits, the flavor, the everything that they're looking for. And so, you know, I How did you know that you had something on your hands? That was that was a really good business? What were some of those early signs that you started to see?
Dalton: Well, like I mentioned, the farmers market, and that that first, I guess, real market validation, that was the first inklings of of something, you know, the, the realizing that I had solved a problem that was the real, you know, the, the idea that, that I was going out there and doing something that nobody had done, like that showed me that this could exist in the marketplace, it's already very crowded, and already very inundated with health products, and you know, this person or this brand, and this brand and that brand. And so, I think for me, the the, like I said, one, just people liking the taste of it, but to realizing that this was something that solved a problem. And that didn't already exist in the market. That that was the validation, I needed that, that this had legs and that it actually could grow. That being said, you know, all that sounds amazing, but you do have to make sure that on the back end, you know, the numbers make sense, the margins make sense. And so, fortunately, for me, you know, this product, has good margins, and has had good margins since the beginning. And so I can have a great product all day long. But if I if I'm not making any money, then it doesn't mean anything. And so I guess, you know, and I hope that that answered your question, but I think for me, having market validation, that having an innovative product, and solving, and then having a model that is scalable, and won't drive me into the ground, the larger I get, all those things sort of showed me that, hey, this could be a viable, you know, long lasting business.
Daniella Allam: Mm hmm. And so you also talked about which, which I think is something a lot of founders experience, this thing of being your own harshest critic. And I have seen this firsthand. And, you know, I'll turn over the years that I've that I've known you. And I think it was one of the key pieces in our work together that I think you kind of had to work with, as you were starting to grow your brand. And as you were getting ready to get more distribution in particular for your brand. So how did you know you were ready to start getting that distribution and to start growing? And how did you deal with those issues of being like your own worst critic?
Dalton: So, you know, I will say that entrepreneurship is hard for many, many reasons. But one of the largest reasons, I think that it's difficult, is the fact that it forces you not only to grow and evolve the product and the brand, but it also forces you to grow and evolve yourself as a person. And entrepreneur is not growing, entrepreneurs are evolving as a person, and the business will not grow and evolve. Oh,
Daniella Allam: pause for a fact, because that was bad for me take care of that again, right? It's not so correlated, like your growth as a founder and entrepreneur with the growth of your brand. Oh, I love that.
Dalton: And so, you know, when you asked about distribution and how I knew I was ready, or how I knew I needed it. Well, I knew I knew I needed it in the beginning. But my own insecurities and my own fears wouldn't allow me to go sit in front of you know, a distributor and say, Hey, will you take on my product because I was afraid of getting shot down. I was afraid that you know, I or they would take me and I wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand or that life would somehow change because now I have to figure out how to, you know, do all these other things along with having a full time job along with having, you know, pets and trying to have a social Life, like, I was afraid of distribution. It's not that it's not that, you know, a light bulb struck and I was like, Oh, I think I'm ready for district, I always knew I needed distribution. I just was afraid to go after. But and you know, you spoke about this, like you've seen my my self talk and how I treat myself and how much of a perfectionist I can be before I want anybody to see it. And it took it's, it's the work that I, I guess experienced with you that made me realize, Dalton, it's okay to start before you're ready. It's okay to go sit in the meeting. Even though you don't have all your ducks in a row. Like people, they're not going to laugh you out of the room. The worst that will happen as you learn from that experience. Well, for me, I knew I was ready for distribution, when as a person, I was ready to step into the role that I needed to assume to do the things that are necessary to run a business.
Daniella Allam: Oh, yeah. And I think you know, that perfectionism really was was something that came into play a lot, because I remember telling you like, you know, you felt like my numbers, aren't there? My numbers? Aren't there, like my velocity? And I was like, Yes, you do you have these numbers, you know, we would have these conversations where you felt like, the numbers weren't there. But I was like, the numbers are there, you know, what's, what's what's, what's not there? Is that confidence? What's what's really there is that fear, because, you know, I see people building businesses with way worse numbers than you have. Right. And, and getting lots of funding and doing a lot of crazy things. And so it was really like, those blocks, I felt that working through those helped you see like, right, like, I actually we're doing pretty good here. And and even though Yeah, maybe you had things that you had to figure out, like your manufacturing? Like, how do you not spread yourself too thin, right, because you have other priorities in your life. But, but I really sort of enjoyed working on that with you and seeing the results of it. Because now that you've gotten that distribution, right, can you tell us about what that feeling was like and and what that transition has has meant for you and the business?
Dalton: Yeah, um, so it felt great. It was amazing. You know, I walked in to the, to the meeting with the distributors, and they were blown away immediately, they loved the taste, they loved the value proposition, and they were sold immediately. And so that was an amazing feeling. And I and I felt that way, for about 30 minutes. And then the fear hit, and then the anxiety hit, oh, no, how am I going to deliver this much product? How am I going to keep up with the demand? How am I going to still do all the things that I need to do? And so all the fears started to sort of crowd my mind again. But what I will say to any entrepreneurs listening, I will, you know, I would venture to say that probably 10% of the things that you worry about, actually end up coming true, that other 90% that you're worried about, that you're scared about, like, it doesn't happen, right? The crazy talks of oh, this, you know, I'm not going to have this money, or this person is going to do this, or this, they're going to pull it in never ends up happening most times. So you really do have to get out of your own way, you have to feel that fear, but still go go through with it and do it anyway. Right. So I felt that fear of how am I going to do this, and I let that sort of wash over me. And I felt that probably for like a week or two. And then I sat myself down and I said, Dalton, you know, we have a golden opportunity right now to really grow and scale this thing. Like let's look at where we're at, let's look at what needs to happen so that we can execute on on, you know, the things that we execute on. And I won't lie and say it's been easy, you know, doing self manufacturing basically up until this point. But I figured it out. And and you know, I found a co packer and now we're being co packed. And you know, if you told me two years ago that I would have a co packer and a distributor and I'd be you know, in Kane and I'd be in stores all around. I would be like, Okay, that's amazing one but number two, I have no idea how to make that happen.
Daniella Allam: I told you this two years ago, maybe you can do but it took that long right to believe it and to grow into that feeling that that was possible.
Dalton: Yeah. And it Listen, it's working now and like I said, like we've increased the amount of doors that were in our velocities or, or you know, looking really solid right now. And so, you know, just leaping and getting out of your own way like that, for me at least, that had a massive impact on the tree. Make sure you have the business.
Daniella Allam: Wow. And I think it's just such a such a beautiful kind of depiction of what really that entrepreneurship journey is all about. And it's really about like, showing up. Even when you don't feel like it, it's about having to deal with your own shit, crap BS that you're dealing with internally about whether you're good enough whether like, this is a good idea, right, all of this stuff. And then, you know, having these moments that boost you forward and remind you like, this is why I'm doing this right. And, and that's a part of it. And I too, right, when people ask, like, oh, like, I won't be an entrepreneur, would you recommend it? I'm like, yeah, no, no, absolutely not. Don't do it. Be careful what you wish for, because it's not all roses and rainbows. And a lot of people think, well, the freedom and the this and that, and it's so easy to build a business. But it's really not. And it comes so much, so much of building a business, especially when you're starting out, especially when you're like a team of one is dealing with yourself and dealing with your own blocks. And that was that was news to me too, in the entrepreneurship journey, right, like having to deal with yourself.
Dalton: And it's hard because I feel like most entrepreneurs, most people that, you know, go out to be entrepreneurs, you know, we typically are high achievers, you know, we have been our whole lives, we've always been smart, or, you know, we've we've excelled in whatever it is that we put our minds to. And so to come into a situation where we don't have any any, you know, measures of validation, we have no, nobody telling us, you're on the right track, you're doing a good job, no way to compare ourselves, you know, to the next person or the next brand or next company, it's a scary place for people that always excelled and always achieved, like, it's very scary to not know, where you stand at any given moment, and have to trust that the way that you feel internally and what you know, to be true, and what you know, in your gut is is the truth and that you don't need someone to say, oh, that a boy, you know, you know, your performance review or, you know, to be validated because of your salary or whatever, to trust you, you know,
Daniella Allam: to trust yourself. And really also like, you know, a lot of folks and that was something I myself it was it was like, Well, this is different from entrepreneurship. And particularly when I went from a full-time job to like a full-time entrepreneur was this sort of like, wait a minute, like, now I gotta do everything and, and like now there's not the structure, and there's not this manager breathing down my neck to get this done. Like, it needs to come from within, right? Because if it does that, like it's not gonna happen. Nobody else has skin in the game except you. So it's, it's a hard thing to show up every single day as an entrepreneur, but I think like you mentioned, right, like the satisfaction of seeing your brand grow, of seeing your company grow, really can sometimes feel like it makes some of those harder days worth it. And, and that, you know, as long as you stay connected to your vision and your mission, and what the purpose of what you're trying to create, I think that can really help keep keep you steady and keep you grounded in that in that journey. Absolutely. But we talked about also you You briefly mentioned, you know, trying to find a co packer and that's the thing, so many of my clients, I mean, like there is not one single person that I've worked with that does not have questions, comments, concerns and complaints about co-packers. So how did you like how were you able to figure it out that like you needed that? And how did you find the right partner?
Dalton: Um, Google
Daniella Allam: Google's your friend,
Dalton: Google is your friend. So, a part of the issue with Koffucha is that it doesn't exist, and it hasn't been made commercially, anywhere, at least at that scale. And so, going into any type of conversation with the many co packers that I googled and had conversations with, it was a lot of trying to educate around. Well, this is what Koffucha is, this is why you know, your facility like you can you can run this at your facility. I mean, I had copackers come to me and say, I'm afraid to run this because, you know, this is a fermented product. It has yeast and bacteria, good yeast and bacteria in it. And I don't want it to contaminate my lungs and this that in the third. And I'm telling them well, you're already making kombucha like this is like what's the difference here? And I had to push that, you know, you know, I guess sort of push those fears out of their mind of Listen, I know this product isn't new. I know you've never heard of something like this. I know you've never made something like this. But it's okay. And so for me that was the hardest part and finding a copacker that that sort of aligned with me, anybody can get on Google and type in copacker for beer typing co Packer for kombucha. And something will pop up. But to find that partner that is a little more difficult. And so after I found someone that was actually you know, the CO Packer that we are working with is a brewery, a beer brewery, but they the head of this brewery is very familiar with kombucha, love kombucha copacks, kombucha, another kombucha brand. And you know, the conversation around what it is went very seamlessly, like, okay, green flag of these types of products. So I know that when you taste it, like, you're gonna be a discerning palate, as opposed to, you know, someone that wouldn't really care about the taste of this product, or that bag. You know, they they are close to me in distance geographic, geographically speaking. So that's the green flag in terms of just shipping costs and things of that nature. And just, you know, the vibe, you can feel when someone is a good fit for you. And that's finding a co Packer that's finding a partner that's finding a mentor, that's finding a partner in life, you know, you can feel it when you know, you and another person or you and another entity, are aligned, and you know, you're vibrating at a high frequency, right? You know, when I checked all those boxes, I was like, Well, I think that this is a, this is going to be a good partnership.
Daniella Allam: Wow, that's, that's really helpful. Because I think you know, so many people, because especially small brands, right, it's hard to get co packers times, it's hard to get them to pay attention to you, especially if they're like some of those larger co packers. And sometimes this urgency will make folks pick partners that are not aligned with what you're trying to do. And then and then there you go, right, two months down the line, they haven't delivered your product to Monsanto line, there's quality issues with your product, you know, whatever. And I've seen this, I've seen this, like all the time, it happens all the time. And so finding a partner that really understands what you're trying to do, that really connects with what you're trying to do, and that feels like they're going to be aligned in your journey is so critical, especially as you as you scale up right and, and not just co packing across the board, like you said, there needs to be that connection, especially even as you grow and you need to hire people. It's so important to find that that good fit.
Dalton: Yeah. And like I will say that, you know, when we speak about sort of getting out of our own way and growing as a person, I had to be okay, I had to learn throughout this journey to let go a little bit. And know that it's okay to bring other people on and, you know, have my areas of deficiency be filled by someone that is actually good at distributing a product, being good at making a product being good at, you know, marketing a product I had to learn to let go. And I think that, you know, every time that I have let go, the business has jumped forward. That being said, every single person or every single partnership that I've made, has been a very good alignment with who I am as a person, and who my brand, you know, what my brand is and what my brand stands for. And so finding those partners, finding good partners, even if it does take a little longer is so much it's so much more valuable than finding someone that is available, but isn't really a match for you.
Daniella Allam: Yeah, I'm really taking your time with that process. But you said something that also led me up, which is this idea of letting go of control, which is something that a lot of founders, right, the vast majority of founders struggle with. They struggle with delegation, they struggle with, well, like I you know, nobody's gonna do it as perfect as I do it. If I want it done correctly, I have to do it myself. And I remember you telling me about you going and doing all your distribution and your storage checks and we'd be like, This is not sustainable downtime. Like you gotta stop doing that. Right. But it's like, yeah, but I have to like you felt like at that time, like, like it was you or nobody else could do it. Like, like, like you could, right? So what was that change in mindset, other than finding like the right partner of really kind of taking the claws off a little bit and being like, Okay, I'm willing to allow and receive more help, even if it might not be in the perfect, exact way that I would want everything to be done.
Dalton: Yeah, I mean, like, and you mentioned it like it was it was that conversation with you. And I remember I was sitting in my car, I was sitting on my driveway. And we were talking and I was telling you about my distribution and how I was going to every store and you were saying the whole time like this, you can't like this is not it will last like are you gonna do that? 500 stores 1000 doors. And after that call, I came inside and I just sat down, I didn't turn the TV on. I didn't drink anything, eat anything. I just sat there. And I was I was like, You know what, Daniella has a point. Like, how can I be may have been on to something
Daniella Allam: she might have known something? Yeah.
Dalton: Like, there's no way that I can grow this. If every single day, I'm going to store by store by store, there's no way that I can grow this, if every day I'm having to drive, I'm having to deliver orders. There's no way that I can grow this, if everyday, I'm stuck in the kitchen, making the product, right? Like it, you can be anything that you want in this world, but you can't be everything, choose what you're going to be and be the best at that and then outsource for everything else. And then once I started doing that things just flying like back home, the Wright Brothers
Daniella Allam: Exactly. And I think it's you know, everybody who you know, when you start off, of course, you're the founder, you're the CEO, your marketing, your sales, your finance, your HR, your production, your food sciences, your, your r&d or everything, especially if you're a solo founder, right? A lot of companies now it's like, there's a couple of founders that can kind of split these up among them. But even then, it's like you have limited resources, and you have to play all the roles and wear all the hats. But eventually comes a point where that that is not sustainable, right? Like there are no big companies that are run by one person, but you need people that are specialized in these particular functions or partners that are specialized, so that you can focus on the things that really matter and are going to drive the business forward. And you can, you know, keep doing it if your goal is to remain small, and some people want to stay small, right, they will just want to keep doing it themselves. They want to keep going to farmers markets and and keep their business at a at a manageable level for them. But, but if your goal is to grow, if your goal is to make it a sustainable, long term business that's going to nourish you and nourish other people, then you need to be willing to give up some of that could show.
Dalton: Yeah, absolutely.
Daniella Allam: So what would you say is what you are? What are some of like, the things that are on your mind now at this point of the business? So you've secured a distribution, you've, you're you're scaling up your production and you have a co-packer your velocities that are doing swimmingly? Well, so what what are the things on the docket? Now? What are the challenges and opportunities that you see for the band right now?
Dalton: Oh, yeah, so my biggest, I guess what, what occupies my brain space 80% of the time, these days is financing. You know, we're doing really well, we're in the New Orleans area. But, you know, we think that if we go to Texas, if we go to Dallas and Austin, Houston, and expand out that we can see the same success that we're seeing, you know, in New Orleans, but to do that takes money. It takes capital, you know, business, any business, but especially the beverage industry, it is a very capital intensive sort of endeavor. And so, you know, right now, I'm becoming, I guess, educated on financing, what that looks like, and you know, how I can secure financing for my company to move forward? That's really been my, my focus these past few, I guess, weeks and months.
Daniella Allam: That's yeah, and I think that's a common thing that folks in your stage of the business, right, it's like, things are going good. And now next level, like what's the next level, right? Like in the video game? It's like you just asked this level. And now the next level is like we want to grow. You often need some money. And so I think that makes that makes a lot of sense. And I'm sure that that that will will certainly happen. Especially when you have a product that is so well received, right? I mean, I can't stress enough the importance of velocity banking is so many people and founders these days don't even have that story to tell. Right? With the pandemic. So many things got switched, right, a lot of people lost distribution and certain channels, people switched brands, there were so many things that happened to the market. And since you know, during that time, and since then that that to even be able to say that your velocity is growing is already a huge leg up to other folks. So surely you will, you will have that. That next level, I'm excited for what that what that will mean for Daydream. Yeah, me too. Um, anyway, so what would you say, now that we're sort of wrapping up? Do you have one piece of advice you would give to founders and entrepreneurs who are starting off their journey? So maybe they have an idea, or maybe they have one product? Or like a variety of different products? And they're thinking about, what do I need to do? What do I go next? What would you tell them?
Dalton: That's a good question. Well, I would tell them to keep going, I would tell them to just keep going, you know, in the early days, I think that it's really important that you just, you keep me, you know, you get back up, you're getting knocked down, you're gonna get your nose, you're not, you know, you're gonna go to a store, and they're not going to want your product, you're gonna go to a distributor, and they're not gonna want to distribute your product, you're gonna look for a co packer and they're not gonna want to call back, keep going. I think that, you know, at many different stages throughout this business, I could have stopped. When I felt like, there was no hope there was no way that I could make it past this hurdle, that I can make it past this challenge, and that this was the end. And somehow, someway, I made it pass. And, you know, like you said, we're experiencing great velocities, you know, where the prospect for the business is looking really good right now. And I wouldn't have had that, if I stopped, I wouldn't have had that if I let a temporary emotion, you know, guide my permanent action moving forward. So I would say just just keep going, actually, can I can I have to? Yes. Or, um, take care of yourself, I think it's really easy to get lost in the journey. It's really easy to get into this headspace of, you know, once I get over this hill, or once I fall, you know, solve this problem. And everything will be easy, breezy. And that's, that is never the case, you know, you solve a problem. Another one pops up in its place. And so if you don't build time to take care of yourself, to to, you know, take yourself on a date, or, you know, just not work or not respond to emails for a couple of days, whatever it may be for you. Like, if you don't do that, you will experience burnout. Because there is no stop there is no, you know, it's, it's easy after I do X, it's always hard, it's always there's always a problem. So find that
Daniella Allam: never gets easier. That's right. It's so true.
Dalton: You get better at it. But you know, it doesn't get any easier.
Daniella Allam: It doesn't get any easier. And the challenges keep coming, right as an entrepreneur and as a founder, it's like, and I think so much of right, like the American discourse is around like hustle culture and grind hard. 24/7 And like, I'm on my shit all the time. And, and I think that, you know, we're programmed to believe that, like, I have this business, and so I'm not responsible, and then it becomes this thing that is that takes over your entire life. And if you're not careful, then that can lead you to neglecting other parts of your life. And if the whole point of you becoming an entrepreneur was freedom, like what does that really look like for you? Does your freedom really look like doing emails at midnight? Is that really what you want it to manifest into this? By creating this business? Probably not right? Probably what you want it is have the ability to spend more time with your friends and family to be out in nature to to have whatever like a balanced life looks like to you. And you have to be so intentional about it. Like that's been my experience is like, I need to be so intentional. I need to put it in my calendar. I need to put limits on when I take meetings, right? I need to and I need to be able to even kind of follow my own boundaries because very often I'll be like, drink meetings and then I'll be like, well, I'll open it up. Right and and like, it's true to other things that you actually want.
Dalton: Yeah, it's really hard because you almost make yourself feel guilty for taking that time for yourself. You only make yourself feel guilty for not responding to that email immediate You're not responding to that, that text message immediately. It's like no, like, if as an entrepreneur, if you fall, the business falls, so you got to take care of you,
Daniella Allam: you got to take care of you. And because nobody's gonna do it for you, that's the other thing, right? Again, there's no manager breathing down your neck, there's nobody telling you like, take your break, like, take your lunch. There's nobody there to do that, but yourself. And so it's, you know, it's something I've really, really kind of had to learn over time and in the process. But once you're able to create that, that's when that feeling of freedom really starts to take place, I think, and you're able to really sustain it long term, because like you said, like burning the candle at both ends will literally leave you with no candle, like you will just disintegrate into the ether. Because you have nothing left to give. And so something that I also remind myself of, and I remind everybody in my life of is that you're actually more productive, right? So if what you care about is doing things, well doing a lot of things than actually like spreading yourself saying and thinking you can do everything and, and filling your calendar and not sleeping and all these things that are so common, will actually make you less productive, or they'll make you a worse leader, they'll make your worst co like, you'll be more irritable, you'll be less willing to grow. And so having that centeredness and that groundedness actually allows you to perform better, be more productive, and in turn your company will do better to it's like highly tied to your business outcome. It's not we're not just saying this to be like woowoo. And, and I think that, you know, it was something we've talked a lot about, you know, throughout our time together and in the years together, right? Where it's like you have to take care of you. You You have to that's like base level functioning.
Dalton: Any advice? That's the one take care of you.
Daniella Allam: Take care of you. Well, that feels like an amazing way to end the show. Thank you so much, Dalton for coming on. It's always a pleasure to talk with you and hear about your journey. I'm sure it was very informational and helpful to everybody listening.
Dalton: Beautiful. Thank you so much for having me. I had a blast. Yeah, until next time.