Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nana Meriwether, founder of Navina, located in Potomac, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We make wine for the weeknight when health and productivity are top of mind, including low-alcohol wine made from herbs and botanicals known to Herbalists as functional - an ancient tradition and cousin to kombucha, called Herbal Wine. Our first releases include Hibiscus Wine and Marigold Flower wine, and this winter, and we are set to release Rose Petal Wine and Elderberry Wine.
Tell us about yourself
I am Nana, the founder of Navina - a suite of wines made for the weeknight when health and productivity are especially top of mind. Our first releases include low-alcohol Herbal Wine, wine made from herbs and botanicals known to be functional and an ancient tradition and cousin to kombucha the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Egyptians, and many cultures practiced. I am an Olympic-level 2-time All-American UCLA volleyball player and former Miss USA. I was right-hand to the Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar and worked for one of the co-founders of Ethereum. I started Navina after a wellness journey prompted by a health scare in 2018.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We have been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, Essence, Wine & Spirits magazine, Goop, and Well + Good. Pernod Ricard is the second biggest alcohol spirits portfolio in the world, and we were in an incubator with them. We completed the exclusive Target stores accelerator and just finished Techstars.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the biggest challenges is balance. We were told to lean in in the 2010s, and so the boss babe and girl boss were born. Now into the 2020s, a new form of feminine leadership is being encouraged where balancing work life with personal life while still hitting business numbers and success is being celebrated. Through our brand and business, we want to be the new face of learning.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Seek mentorship, seek programs like accelerators and incubators to guide you, especially at the start, and speak with your customer to understand what problems you are solving.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.drinknavina.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinknavina/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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