Sippin & Vibin'

Sippin & Vibin'

On this episode of Sippin and Selling, Joey Chanel welcomes fellow podcaster Caz from the Can I Vibe With Y’all Podcast for a fun, honest, and insightful conversation about podcasting, entrepreneurship, branding, music, and the work it takes to build a loyal audience. Caz shares his journey from working at Total Wine and exploring different career paths to creating a successful podcast platform that has connected with listeners across the country. Joey opens up about growing up in a third-generation liquor family, building her own beverage brands, and creating Sippin and Selling as a platform to spotlight entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry professionals. In this episode, they discuss: * The reality of starting and growing a podcast * Why consistency matters more than going viral * Building a brand and authentic audience * Content creation and social media strategy * The wine and spirits industry * Entrepreneurship and personal growth * Music, reggaeton, and podcast culture * Behind-the-scenes challenges of podcast production * Creating meaningful conversations that resonate Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, podcaster, or simply someone chasing a dream, this episode delivers valuable lessons, relatable stories, and plenty of laughs along the way. Tune in and discover why authenticity, consistency, and community are the keys to long-term success.

From family legacy to Chinola CEO

On this episode of Sippin' and Selling, Joey Chanel sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and Chinola CEO/Co-Founder Andrew Merinoff for an inside look at the realities of building brands in the beverage industry. Andrew shares the incredible story behind Chinola Fresh Fruit Liqueurs, from the original passion fruit recipe in a Poland Spring bottle to the launch of Mango and Pineapple, the challenges of product development, and the lessons learned from scaling a fast-growing brand. The conversation dives into family legacy, growing up in one of America's largest wine and spirits distribution families, launching ventures through Dispact Ventures, investing in brands like Long Drink, building Great Jones Distilling Co. in New York City, and what it really takes to create a brand with staying power. Topics include: * The origin story of Chinola * Building a fresh fruit liqueur category * Lessons from product failures and retail challenges * The future of the spirits industry * Celebrity-backed brands that actually work * Venture investing and entrepreneurship * Family business and generational success * Hospitality, relationships, and brand building * Exclusive details on Chinola's upcoming Guava release Whether you're a founder, beverage professional, entrepreneur, or simply a fan of great stories, this episode is packed with valuable insights and behind-the-scenes industry knowledge. #SippinAndSelling #JoeyChanel #AndrewMarinoff #Chinola #SpiritsIndustry #Entrepreneurship #BrandBuilding #Hospitality #LongDrink #GreatJonesDistilling #BusinessPodcast #StartupStories #FreshFruitLiqueur #WineAndSpirits #FounderJourney

From BodyAmor to Throne: Building a Beverage Empire

On this episode of Sippin and Selling, Joey Chanel sits down with Michael Fedele, founder of Throne Sport Coffee and one of the key executives behind the incredible growth of BodyArmor from a startup sports drink to a billion-dollar brand acquired by Coca-Cola. Michael shares his journey through Coca-Cola, Vitaminwater, and BodyArmor before launching Throne Sport Coffee—a functional coffee brand designed for athletes, entrepreneurs, and active lifestyles. He explains how conversations with professional athletes revealed a major gap in the ready-to-drink coffee category and how that insight became the foundation for Throne. The discussion covers entrepreneurship, innovation, beverage industry trends, retail expansion, and the partnerships helping fuel the brand's rapid growth. In this episode: • How BodyArmor grew from $1 million to over $1 billion in sales • Why Michael left BodyArmor to start Throne Sport Coffee • The future of functional coffee and ready-to-drink beverages • Patrick Mahomes' role as lead investor and partner • Anthony Rizzo's involvement in the brand • Landing major retailers like Whole Foods, Kroger, CVS, Casey's, QuickTrip, and Hy-Vee • Lessons in entrepreneurship, leadership, and scaling a business • Why consumer feedback is critical when building a brand Michael also shares his thoughts on where the beverage industry is headed, how to build the right team, and what entrepreneurs should know before launching their next big idea. If you're interested in entrepreneurship, beverage brands, sports marketing, coffee, retail growth, or building a successful business from the ground up, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Follow Throne Sport Coffee: Instagram: @sportcoffee Follow Sippin and Selling for more conversations with entrepreneurs, founders, innovators, and industry leaders.

What liquor stores really look for in a Brand

What does it take to build a liquor business that lasts for generations? In this special multi-generational episode of Sippin and Selling, Joey Chanel sits down with BevMax founders Martin and Mike Berkoff alongside industry veteran Joe Ballin for an honest conversation about the evolution of the alcohol business, family legacy, entrepreneurship, BevStack, THC beverages, non-alcoholic trends, and the future of retail liquor. From growing BevMax into a massive Connecticut retail chain to adapting through changing consumer habits, online alcohol sales, RTDs, cannabis beverages, and the rise of non-alc products, this episode dives deep into what it really takes to survive and thrive in the beverage industry. The conversation also explores: * The history of BevMax and BevStack * How liquor retail has changed since the 1960s * Why relationships still matter in business * The explosion of THC and non-alcoholic drinks * How brands get into major retail chains * COVID’s impact on alcohol sales * Family business lessons across generations * Entrepreneurship, risk-taking, and innovation * Behind-the-scenes stories from the liquor industry If you’re interested in spirits, wine, retail, entrepreneurship, family businesses, beverage trends, or alcohol distribution, this episode is packed with insights and stories from industry veterans who’ve seen it all. Subscribe for more conversations with founders, entrepreneurs, beverage executives, and industry leaders. #SippinAndSelling #BevMax #LiquorIndustry #Entrepreneurship #AlcoholBusiness #THCBeverages #NonAlcoholicDrinks #WineBusiness #RetailBusiness #FamilyBusiness #Whiskey #RTD #BeverageIndustry #Podcast #JoeyChanel

Sippin' Without the Spirits | How Megan Klein Built Little Saints

What happens when a former environmental lawyer decides to reinvent the non-alcoholic beverage space? In this episode of Sippin’ and Selling, Joey Chanel sits down with Megan Klein, founder and CEO of Little Saints, one of the fastest-growing functional non-alcoholic cocktail brands in the country. Megan shares her incredible journey from law school and environmental activism to building a breakout beverage company featured on Shark Tank. They dive into the rise of non-alcoholic cocktails, functional mushrooms, Dry January, wellness trends, retail expansion, and what it really takes to launch a disruptive brand in the beverage industry. Megan also opens up about turning down Shark Tank offers, building a direct-to-consumer powerhouse, landing major retail accounts like Sprouts and Whole Foods, and why the future of drinking is all about inclusion and balance. From Lion’s Mane and Reishi mushrooms to Mocktails, low ABV cocktails, entrepreneurship, branding, distribution, and the evolution of nightlife culture — this episode covers it all. Whether you’re sober curious, a beverage entrepreneur, or just love hearing founder stories, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. #SippinAndSelling #JoeyChanel #LittleSaints #NonAlcoholicCocktails #Mocktails #FunctionalMushrooms #SharkTank #Entrepreneurship #WellnessDrinks #DryJanuary