On this episode of StartupNation Radio, Jeff is joined by guest co-host, Andrew Blake.
Blake is President of Blake’s Family of Companies and the founder of Blake’s Hard Cider, an independent, family-owned Michigan craft cidery located in Armada, Michigan.
When Blake returned to the family business after college, he knew he wanted to create a product that enriched the tradition and authenticity his family business was known for. Blake’s Hard Cider was established in 2013, and in just over six years, has become a number one seller of craft cider in Michigan, as well as a top 10 cidery in the U.S., according to IRI Data.
During the show, Blake shares:
- The evolution of his family business, Blake Farms
- The importance of creating an experience for customers, not just a transaction
- How he came up with the idea for Blake’s Hard Cider and brought it to retail
- How Blake’s Hard Cider has grown since its initial launch
- The importance of gathering feedback when launching a product
- How new entrepreneurs can establish partnerships with distributors
- The power of authenticity
- Learning from failure
- What’s next for Blake’s Hard Cider
Tune in to the full StartupNation Radio show with Andrew Blake
“I would say, anyone wanting to go to retail or to get out in the mass market, I think patience and spending the time and earning the right to go to retail is a big part of it because you only get one shot at this.”
– Andrew Blake
To learn more about Andrew Blake, check out his expert profile on StartupNation, tune in to his weekly podcast, “Everything Borrowed,” and follow his startup journey on Facebook and Instagram.
In addition to weekly StartupNation Radio programming, tune in to News/Talk 760 AM WJR weekday mornings at 7:11 a.m. for the WJR Business Beat. Listeners outside of the Detroit area can listen live HERE.
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