Turning Lemons into Lemonade (Shakeups) – Dan Fahrner

This is an episode about how to ditch your marketing job to start a liquor company (no experience needed). 

When life gives Dan Farhrner lemons, we have an idea what he does, but we wanted to find out firsthand, so we had him on the show. It was just a few years ago when he, his wife, and a close friend started High and Mighty Distillery, which is now focused on his brand of canned craft cocktails called Shake Up. 

We spend the entire session drinking responsibly while discussing how a small startup can compete with major brands in a cost-intensive industry. We talk about what makes a business more successful, if your options are money, branding, hard work, and luck. You may be surprised by the answer.

We also dug into much more, like how to navigate business relationships that become personal, including when it feels like you’re being stabbed in the back (or at least having a dinner canceled for “a better offer”), and whether a classic beverage company chasing the cannabis cocktail trend is just like Subway adding guac.

We also talked about local and national politics and the impact on business, and what we think about the MyPillow guy running for Governor. It was a full-flavored conversation.

About The Guest:

• Dan Fahrner is a founder at Shake Up over at https://drinkshakeup.com/, where Shake Up brand cocktails have infiltrated the ready-to-drink cocktail market. 

About The Hosts:

• Daniel Herndon is a brand strategist at HRNDN Brand Agency and author of The Lorem Ipsum.
• Michael Salemi owns Colored Threads, a company that produces branded apparel and swag.
• Aaron Douglas is an AI readiness consultant and owner of AIRAA.