Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Dziuban.
Michelle, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I went to school in Chicago, where I studied marketing and advertising. I was at my first company for 4.5 years. It was a corporate America-type job, climbing the ladder in the tech world of Chicago. I was happy doing what I was doing, but it did not align with my values (clean eating, natural food, etc.) I also knew since I was about 15 that I belonged in Colorado, but I never knew how to make the jump. After a few years of asking my company if I could relocate and that never happening, I decided to take the plunge on my own and headed to Boulder. I started working at Skratch Labs. A better-for-you Gatorade; all of their products (hydration mixes, bars, chews) were made with real fruit, clean ingredients, and none of that junk.
Since I moved to Colorado, I was a huge fan and consumer of Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha. When the opportunity presented itself, I knew I had to take the job and help market and work for a company that I love and one that aligned with my core values. Rowdy’s mission is to get as much plant medicine to as many people as possible, which was something I could get behind. One of Rowdy’s core values is caring for the environment, which is something that I am also personally passionate about as well. It only made sense.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Define “smooth road”, ha. That all depends. However, I’m not the type of person that likes to take the smooth road – both literally and figuratively speaking (mountain gal at heart). Going from corporate America to a brand on the rise is a big shift. Things run differently; you wear multiple hats and work your ass off, but it’s different than climbing the ladder in a skyscraper in the Windy City. Here, it’s different. You do it because you love the product and you believe in the product and you want as many people as possible to try the best tasting kombucha out there. If it were a smooth road, that would mean we’re not taking risks, not taking chances, not innovating. Rowdy Mermaid likes to keep things, well, rowdy in the best way possible. We do things differently.
We were the first kombucha brand of our size to 100% ditch glass bottles for aluminum cans because they’re better for the environment. That was a scary thing to do, but we knew it was right. We test every single batch of kombucha that goes out the door in our in-house lab. We have a patent-pending process for how we control our alcohol and sugar. Every single one of us is a forager and OBSESSED with what we do. So no, it’s not a smooth road. But maybe calling it “the right road” is a better way to look at it.
Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Rowdy Mermaid Kombucha is a low-sugar, low-acid, approachable kombucha that is safe enough for a three-year-old to drink, but palatable enough for an adult to enjoy. Beyond the natural benefits that come with consuming kombucha – beneficial acids, B-vitamins, probiotics – we brew functional flavors using only what nature created — plants, fruits, roots, mushrooms and botanicals, to create function-forward blends. We are known for turning kombucha skeptics or kombucha haters into kombucha lovers because our kombucha isn’t too sweet or too sour (acidic). We are also known for our safe and trustworthy product.
I am most proud of the fact that – despite other kombucha companies trying to raise the alcohol limit for a beverage to be considered non-alcoholic from 0.5% ABV to 1% ABV – we stick to what we know. And that is a kombucha (of our creation) that is safe and under spec (in both sugar and alcohol) for kids, pregnant women, recovering alcoholics, etc. to enjoy. I am also proud of the fact that we won’t do something because other kombucha brands are. In fact, we like to do the opposite. You could call us the dark horse of the kombucha world.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5311 Western Avenue #110
Boulder, CO 80301 - Website: www.rowdymermaid.com
- Phone: 303.396.0498
- Email: info@rowdymermaid.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowdymermaidkombucha/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rowdymermaidkombucha/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rowdymermaid
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