Natural Distribution Strategies That Actually Work | Ryan Emmons | Waiākea

Co-founded in 2012 by Ryan Emmons, his cousin Alex Preston, a Hawaiian artist and game designer, and friend Matt Meyer, Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages is a premium beverage company from Hilo, Hawai‘i, offering volcanic water, sparkling water, and coffee, crafted with deep respect for the land, its people, and the responsibility that comes with both.

Rooted in sustainability, Waiākea is setting a new standard for CPG, blending exceptional taste with conscious practices. From their certified B Corp status and proprietary 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, OceanPlast®, to their community-driven Kōkua Initiative nonprofit, Waiākea is changing the way we hydrate.

Inspired by the founders' long-standing work with clean water and education non-profits, the concept for Waiākea was to move away from singular profit and towards a triple bottom line model (circular packaging, sustainable sourcing, and commitment to the community).

Their water embodies that mission with an experience that’s natural alkaline pH, 100% BPA & PFA Free, packed with electrolytes & minerals, light, crisp, and refreshingly clean.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• [00:00] Intro
• [01:25] Turning sustainability into an advantage
• [03:28] Starting without industry experience
• [05:49] Sponsor: Electric Eye
• [07:00] Building a business from a class project
• [09:45] Self-distributing to reach early customers
• [11:57] Sponsor: Klaviyo
• [13:56] Building trust through consignment
• [15:12] Scaling distributions with good relationships
• [17:06] Callouts
• [17:16] Adjusting strategy based on performance
• [20:47] Sponsor: Intelligems
• [22:47] Managing supply chains for heavy goods
• [25:01] Balancing risk with growth opportunities

Resources:

• Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube
• Alkaline Hawaiian Volcanic Water waiakea.com/
• Follow Ryan Emmons linkedin.com/in/ryan-emmons-8709871b/
• Book a demo today at intelligems.io/
• Migrate and grow more klaviyo.com/honest
• Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connect

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