Friends, Freaks and Lusty Libations

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rawley Gunnels, co-owner of DV8 Distillery, located in Boulder, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

DV8 Distillery is a rice-based craft spirits producer based in Boulder, CO. We focus primarily on our local LGBTQIA community. From drag shows to big gay "Wet and Wild" events with water slides and wet t-shirt contests, it's all about playfulness, expression, and consent at DV8. Our customers are craft connoisseurs, family-oriented community members, and those that dare to deviate from the prescribed social norms of our modern era.

Tell us about yourself

I grew up in a time and place where embracing and expressing my femininity was quite foreign and socially punishable. My strong desire to sing and dance, touch and cry, and let my long golden hair flow in the wind did not come with comfort or grace. Because of this, it became a necessity to seek out safe spaces to express myself. My formative year's outlet for this was spent at Tracks in Denver, dancing and drinking till the wee hours with the humans I felt most akin to. Founding DV8 has allowed me the huge privilege of taking all the artful, joyful, expressive, and communal experiences of my life and funneling that into some incredible events and brand messaging behind our products. It is the culmination of years of friendship with my business partners. It is also a huge motivator to be able to contribute to the expansion and inclusion of queer voices in our community professionally.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

DV8 set out to make the world's best vodka, and I think we've got pretty damn close. That already feels like an amazing accomplishment. But, over time, we realized it was so much more important to us to be a passion-driven, community-supportive ally, both on the ground and in our messaging. There are still so many barriers to growth that exist for small brands, especially in the current, crazy, cluster-fuck-trauma-storm of the past couple of years we've been in. So just being able to find a moment to fill out this interview and sell a product I'm proud of while supporting the hearts and minds of our queer community feels like the biggest accomplishment of this whole project.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The unknowns. The times of loneliness and despair. The consideration of financial ruin. The possibility of never "making" it enough to start a family and retire. When the government literally gets on the mic and says, "close your doors for who knows how long and to what extent we will help...". There's also this real fun thing that happens in a business where it takes on a life of its own, and all of a sudden, I find myself answering to it like it's some big, omnipotently needy beast to whom I would give anything and everything. I have to stop and be like, "Wait, my personal health and relationships are directly correlated to the health of this company. I should probably go to the gym and get some therapy!" Oh, wait, "one" of the hardest things? My bad...

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Make, find, nurture, love on, listen to, play with and build the shit out of some bomb-ass friends. You're gonna need them in every corner, mostly in the ones you didn't expect.
Money is important, but it doesn't need to be the end all be all or some never-ending source of fear and decision making. More important is your drive, your passion, your ingenuity, and your effort. If your shit aligns on a spiritual level, the organic will come. You can grow by making the best decision you have available right in front of you while clearly tracking, evolving, and keeping a pulse on your long-term goals.
Take a damn vacation!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.dv8.fun/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dv8distillery/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dv8distillery/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.