Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food & beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mazen Youness, Founder of VIP Hard Seltzer, located in Orlando, FL, USA.

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

Our core business is alcoholic seltzers. We created a premium hard seltzer that looks and tastes better than everything on the market and has a higher alcohol % and unique ingredients. Our core consumers are people aged 21-45, but our drink is for all ages. Whether golfing, on the boat, or in the club, VIP is a drink for you!

Tell us about yourself

VIP started funnily. It was on a Friday after coming home from the gym at around 9 pm. We only had time to eat after going out for a friend's birthday. Connor had broken his jaw a couple of months back and had to drink every one of his meals for about six weeks. He had bottles of liquid protein he would use, and he had one left. We used it as a mixer in our Vodka on this particular night. Right there, the first VIP was born, but with 40 percent alcohol with 30 grams of liquid protein. Not quite a seltzer, haha. We bought more of the liquid protein and started drinking the mix regularly at pregames.

We started to buy drinks with carbonation and mixed them with Vodka and liquid protein to take with us to our parties. People would ask to try it, and after tasting it, they would ask what it was and were shocked when we told them that there were five shots of Vodka in the drink. We were on to something!

After drinking our homemade VIPs, we realized that if we could make five shots of Vodka taste pretty great, we could make one shot taste a whole lot better. We began making a formula for a 12oz seven percent hard seltzer. The trick was how much of our protein it would take to balance out the taste. We went on to workshop the formula for a year. Now two full years later, we have it. VIP Hard Seltzer 7% and 5g of protein available for purchase in the city where it was born, Orlando, FL, and soon online, shippable to 40 states!

What motivates me every day? My mother is my mother. Not only is she my biggest supporter, but my biggest aspiration. My family did not grow up wealthy by any means, but she worked extremely hard and put us in a better position for her children to win at life and get more out of it. My goal since I was 15 has been to retire my mother before she turns 60, and I plan on accomplishing that!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Simply starting! People need to understand that being an entrepreneur, especially while in school, is extremely difficult. While creating a company is typically very costly, it's incredibly time-consuming, and you must be passionate about your work.

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

Remembering sometimes to take a step back and breathe. It's incredibly stressful sometimes, and tons of issues come about all of the simply unavoidable time. For instance, we missed a significant event due to a supply chain issue for our initial launch, which bummed us out.

In hindsight, everything is a learning experience, and everything happens for a reason. It's essential to draw that line between work and personal life because, often, those lines get crossed. I'm more productive when I give my mind a rest/break and then continue to pick up what I'm working on.

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

  1. Everyone has their timeline. For some people, you might see your idea come to fruition within a few months, and others, in a couple of years. Everyone has their own time, and it's essential to understand that you get 1% better and closer to your goal every day. I've had two failed businesses before one succeeded. My favorite quote is, "Nothing impossible to do that's already been done."
  2. JUST START! I can't emphasize how important this is enough. You'll never accomplish your dreams if you never pursue them. Young or old, it's always possible to follow your dreams. The first step is BEGINNING your journey, which many people need help understanding.
  3. Enjoy every step of the journey. As funny as it sounds, there is not one day that I don't wake up excited to work on my brand. Every day I learn something new, whether from failing or succeeding, but this is all part of the journey. Every day you grow into a better business leader.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.viphardseltzer.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mazenyss/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazenyouness/

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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