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Episode 196: Kat Hantas – Tequila Tastemaker, Co-Founder of 21Seeds

Kat Hantas, the Co-Founder and CEO of 21Seeds, joins the show to share her journey from turning her homemade concoctions into the fast-growing brand of flavor-infused tequila that got acquired by Diageo. Hear how to take positive and negative feedback into account, find a production partner, win your first big customer, the coolest tequila adventures in Mexico, and what Kat learned working with comedians. This episode covers everything from agave to vampires. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Why was Kat told to stop drinking wine
• How does the production side work
• Chillbumps
• How much tequila does 1 agave plant produce
• 21Seeds of Kevin Bacon
• That gas station ramen!
• Why has 21Seeds taken off so much
• What’s Kat’s favorite food to pair with 21Seeds drinking

Connect with Kat on Instagram @21Seeds and 21Seeds.com.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro & Tequila
  • [0:28] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:45] Connect with Kat on Instagram @21Seeds and 21Seeds.com
  • [2:15] Didn’t see that coming did you
  • [2:47] Why was Kat told to stop drinking wine
  • [3:32] Broadway Musical
  • [3:48] How did we get here so quick
  • [4:19] Blanco Tequila
  • [5:44] #Winning
  • [5:50] Seed + Soda
  • [6:21] What was the name for that homemade tequila Kat made
  • [6:52] When did she decide to turn her tequila into a company
  • [9:36] And the rest is history

• The 21Seeds Story
  • [9:57] What was the big first hurdle Kat and team tackled when launching
  • [10:15] Knew it!
  • [10:38] Diageo
  • [12:35] What’s something a naysayer said that was helpful
  • [12:47] 20Seeds, Count Chocula, The Kool-Aid Man (Oh yeah!)
  • [14:06] BevMo!
  • [14:33] Transylvania
  • [14:40] Stop it, Max
  • [15:06] How did Kat and team find a tequila distillery partner
  • [15:13] Jalisco, Mexico, Champagne, Cognac
  • [16:07] Chill Filtration (Chill Fill)
  • [16:25] Knew it
  • [18:59] How does the production side work
  • [19:08] Magical
  • [19:15] Tequila, Mexico
  • [19:32] Disneyland
  • [19:41] Napa
  • [19:53] Agave
  • [20:32 Maybe, maybe
  • [20:38] Chillbumps
  • [21:15] How much tequila does 1 agave plant produce
  • [21:36] Narcos: Mexico
  • [22:22] CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods)
  • [22:27] Customers vs. Consumers
  • [22:43] How did 21Seeds win their first big customers
  • [23:25] Sure!
  • [24:04] Mailing List
  • [25:21] Hoboken, NJ
  • [25:34] Those are some drunk worms
  • [26:22] Pinterest
  • [27:02] By the book!
  • [27:15] Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
  • [27:59] Ketel Botanicals
  • [28:40] Valencia Orange, Cucumber Jalapeno, Grapefruit Hibiscus
  • [29:02] PO (Purchase Order)
  • [29:34] That gas station ramen!
  • [31:10] Feedback
  • [31:39] Wowwwwww
  • [32:16] Shoutout the Seed Squad!
  • [33:02] Why has 21Seeds taken off so much
  • [34:10] Pain Point
  • [34:47] Shoutout Foodie Frank!
  • [34:56] BANANAS
  • [35:08] Liquid Diet
  • [37:22] Ready-to-Drink (RTD)
  • [39:09] George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds
  • [39:22] Clooney strikes again
  • [39:49] When did the opportunity with Diageo present itself
  • [40:23] Reach
  • [41:17] Community
  • [41:41] Email List
  • [44:21] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [45:20] What does the name “21Seeds” mean
  • [46:11] TikTok
  • [46:48] What’s something surprising about working with comedians
  • [48:06] Milos, Greece
  • [48:26] Spilia, Mykonos, Greece
  • [49:03] Our Greek Trip & Our Greek Trip & Our Greek Trip & Paris
  • [49:31] How do you pronounce it
  • [49:45] Shoutout Alex & Ali
  • [49:54] What’s Kat’s favorite food to pair with 21Seeds drinking
  • [50:17] Jose Cuervo Gardens in Tequila
  • [50:37] Kardashians
  • [51:37] Connect with Kat on Instagram @21Seeds and 21Seeds.com
  • [53:00] What are Kat’s Final Thoughts
  • [53:49] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling super nice
  • [54:10] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [54:12] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
  • [54:15] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Kat Hantas on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And gift them some 21Seeds if they’re the legal drinking age. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!