SluttyChai

What do YOU think? (Vote 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the comments) I know what I like, but NONE of that matters if no one else does… Today we’re throwing out the book and doing things our own way. I have 3 unique can concepts (plus 1 additional color-way) And we want your feedback! Our incredible friends over at Mertz Design Studio have gone above and beyond providing us with 6 V1 brand worlds for SluttyChai (we were only promised 2, but the team got excited and went all out) We’ve gone ahead and narrowed it down to the top 3 can design concepts and want YOUR feedback. Take a peek and comment your favorite design below! (1, 2, 3, or 4) Stoked to hear your thoughts! #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #BuildingInPublic #SluttyChai

Week #8 building in public. We found our formulator! This is another case of LinkedIn dramatically accelerating our launch timeline. While also introducing me to some AMAZING humans. A few weeks ago I connected with Isabel Washington, the founder of another bev startup Laurel's Coffee. After I shot out the connection request, she messaged me immediately. Apparently SluttyChai was already on her radar. Initially I thought this could be an issue since we’re in the same vertical. AND some founders tend to put up walls to safeguard key info for launching. But with Isabel it was the exact opposite. She immediately met me with a response of: “how can I help?” From there I reached out again a week later about her experience with the formulation process. Without hesitation she immediately introduced me to her formulator, Mark. Just a quick phone call later and we’ve found the perfect team to bring our liquid to life. That means within 8 weeks we’ve gone from a simple trademark and a dream… To securing both our formulation/branding partners and setting a target launch date of Q1 2025. That’s just insane to me. Without this platform and the amazing people on it, this would easily take 6-12 months to set in motion. But by opening up and being vulnerable sharing this journey publicly, SluttyChai was set on a completely different trajectory. So THANK YOU to everyone who’s been supportive along the way! I still have a ton of work to do between now and Q1… But couldn’t be happier with how things are unfolding. ______________________________________ Stay tuned for weekly updates as?SluttyChai evolves from a startup into a CPG community powerhouse. #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #BuildingInPublic #SluttyChai

Week #5 building SluttyChai in public. ???Locking In THE Branding Partnership ?? This week was a major weight off my shoulders. After a handful of meetings, we’ve found the perfect fit to take on our initial brand build for SluttyChai. Another example of the power of LinkedIn. While we can’t share every detail of the partnership quite yet… I can say this! This is what I’d like to call “perfect synergy”. Here’s some back story… I’ve been following this design studio for a while now. Every time they crank out a re-brand or new product launch I’m blown away to say the least. They specialize in CPG branding so I’ve always been drawn to the way they push boundaries in such a saturated space. Fast forward to about a month ago… After I posted for the first time about SluttyChai I got hit with a connection request from the owner of that very company. I was surprised at how quick I got on their radar. This is a studio that pumps out some pretty large scale celebrity backed CPG brands… So I was OBVIOUSLY keen to have a conversation. That 1 conversation turned into 2… 3… 4… And that leads us to where we are now! Just a few short meetings later. We’re reviewing SOWs and locking in a partnership that will kick off in only a few short months. This is SYNERGY. We’re both locked into the same mission. We both have a love for disruptive branding. AND we aren’t being shaken dry with ridiculously high fees. I’ve said it before, and I’m not too shy to say it again… There’s always a cheaper solution than locking in a $30k+ brand build while bootstrapping your business. Find people and businesses who you look up to, and are aligned with your company’s vision. Start a conversation. And work up from there! You’d be surprised at the kind of deals you can strike if you stay humble and connect with the PEOPLE behind the brand. Because at the end of the day, relationships are EVERYTHING in this business. _________________________________________ Stay tuned for weekly updates as???SluttyChai?? evolves from a "startup" into a CPG community powerhouse. #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #BuildingInPublic #SluttyChai

Week #2 building SluttyChai in public. ? Our Branding Journey Begins ? With any new company, your visual identity is one of the first ways you can connect with your audience. The difference between an overnight success story and a 10+ year build can sometimes just come down to your branding or packaging alone. There are plenty of agencies out there who will charge $25k+ to design your initial brand identity. BUT not every entrepreneur has access to that much capital right out the gate. AND there’s only a handful of start-ups who should even think about blowing that much capital before understanding their target audience. That’s why we’re starting small. Leveraging Fiverr and other freelance platforms to start developing our visual identity with minimal overhead costs at the BEGINNING. As we build our community over the next 6-12months and understand what resonates with THEM. By crowdsourcing feedback on everything from our designs, color pallets, and even the way SluttyChai tastes. With the end goal of locking in an established branding partner to bring everything we’ve learned to life. So cheers to starting small! Not every BIG idea has to start with a BIG price tag. _________________________________________ Stay tuned for weekly updates as ??SluttyChai?? evolves from a "startup" into a CPG community powerhouse. #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #BuildingInPublic #SluttyChai

Week #1 building SluttyChai in public. ??Securing The Basics?? Sometimes a name is everything. Securing your brand name across all platforms isn’t always enough though. The right legal protection is critical to make sure your community is still there when you wake up the next morning. No matter who tries to knock off your brand name or product. With the current dupe culture we live in, no one is safe unless you take the proper steps to protect your brand at the very BEGINNING. That’s why I started with the foundational work before SluttyChai graced your news feeds last week. Here’s a list of everything I made sure to lock in before even mentioning this company to my closest family and friends: ? Open LLC Required in order to get an EIN and open a business bank account so you can fund startup operations while protecting your personal assets to the fullest. ? File Trademark Application Required to ensure your brand name doesn’t get compromised before your product goes to market. Filing an “Intent to Use” allows you to maintain active status on your trademark for up to 3 years without requiring the physical sale of the product yet. If you’re not currently selling your product online or in retail you must file an extension every 6 months to maintain live TM status. ? Secure Your Domains Your website domain is your company’s virtual home. So treat it as such and make sure to secure ALL domains relevant to your brand. Here’s a list of all the domains we secured ahead of time for SluttyChai: ?? DrinkSluttyChai.com ?? DrinkSluttyChai.co ?? SluttyChai.com ?? SluttyChai.co ? Secure Your Socials Making sure all of your social handles align closely with your domain name is a core lever for building a credible online presence in 2024. There are so many dropshipping and false marketplaces online today that even something as basic as the handle and domain name can completely throw off a qualified sale. With that in mind, we locked in all of the following social handles: ?? Facebook: SluttyChai ?? Instagram: @DrinkSluttyChai ?? TikTok: @DrinkSluttyChai ?? YouTube: @DrinkSluttyChai ?? X: @DrinkSluttyChai ?? LinkedIn: SluttyChai We all know there’s so much more to starting a company than just this short list. What are some other "critical" steps you take before introducing a new business to the world? _________________________________________ Stay tuned for weekly updates as ??SluttyChai?? evolves from a "startup" into a CPG community powerhouse. #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #BuildingInPublic #SluttyChai

Starting something new is scary. But I'm diving in headfirst. I'm starting a beverage company with zero experience in the industry. And I’ll be building in public for everyone to see. ?? Back Story ?? After years scaling DTC brands of all sizes I noticed so many of them were building their companies backwards. Over-investing in the physical product. Neglecting to invest in the BRAND and e-commerce experience. That’s why I’m building against the traditional beverage industry model. Using my digital marketing experience to build a kick ass brand and user experience FIRST. Alongside internal systems set up for rapid scale. All before dropping $30k+ on formulation right out the gate. This may seem like “building backwards” to some of you in the CPG space. But that’s EXACTLY the point. Breaking the old model. Paving a new path for entrepreneurs to CREATE. Without the need for excess capital. I know the cost of formulation and production are unavoidable in the long-run. And hope sharing my journey will help connect me with some amazing partners to bring this brand to life. Introducing... ?? SluttyChai ?? A Ready-to-Drink (RTD) dirty chai latte brewed with adaptogenic mushrooms. Aimed to enhance your daily routine with the natural cognitive and mood boosting benefits of Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Paired with the delicious taste of your favorite dirty chai latte. We’re not only here to create a beverage company. Our goal is to build a brand that embraces what makes you feel unique. Changing the meaning of the word “Slutty” from one that’s been used to keep people down. To one that embodies what it means to be truly yourself. We aim to create a brand that’s bold, unapologetic, and at the end of the day puts a smile on your face (one way or another). The name will probably piss some people off. But that’s okay. ?? It just adds more fuel to the fire ?? Stay tuned. I’ll be sharing weekly updates so you can follow along as the brand evolves. #SluttyChai #Startup #CPG #BeverageIndustry #DTC #BuildingInPublic