In this episode, we're sitting down with Michael and Nash, the founders behind the disruptive energy beverage, Orca. Orca is not just another energy drink. It's an innovative twist on caffeinated beverages with a taste that's as refreshing as water—an energy drink designed with a minimalist appeal to hook the health-conscious and caffeine aficionados alike. With zero sugar, zero calories, and an eye-catching clear can, Orca stands to challenge leaders in the space like Celsius through savvy branding and a commitment to quality ingredients. We'll uncover how these founders leveraged their tech backgrounds to break into the CPG industry without prior experience. They've poured time, personal funds, and relentless creativity into a product that speaks to their target audience while opening up a whole new demographic of potential consumers. From the importance of authentic marketing to the trials of scaling production, Nash and Michael have navigated a sea of industry pitfalls with humor and a firm eye on a long-term vision for their brand. So, stay tuned as we talk to these energetic entrepreneurs about their quest to revolutionize the world of energy drinks, their personal caffeine consumption, the leap from funding with friends and family to online launch success, and their unique approach to customer engagement. We'll also touch on the lighter side of things—their recent personal purchases, hypothetical dinner guests, and companies they'd fancy running for a day. 00:00 Ecom Gold podcast featuring Orca energy drink. 05:14 Orca is an energy drink with 150mg caffeine, no sugar or calories, and five ingredients. It aims to have a light flavor without tasting like candy. 08:10 Creating an energy drink that tastes like water. 11:55 Brands struggle with product, packaging, branding integration. 14:16 Unique product design attracts potential consumers' interest. 16:24 Bulk product import caused critical filtering problem. 22:24 Founders choose cost versus experience when producing. 24:27 Learning manufacturing expertise, gaining trust, attracting attention. 29:13 Emphasize authenticity in marketing for success. 30:15 Social media success drives online product testing. 33:57 Prioritize sustainable growth, avoid over-expansion pitfalls. 37:23 Reinventing energy drink marketing beyond extreme sports. 42:36 Successful social media validates marketing and design. Initial product confidence came from popular demand. 45:29 Overwhelming excitement and anxiety in launching business. 50:46 Not selling despite potential high offers. 52:47 Seeking support for business growth and branding. 55:25 Ecom Gold recommends checking hilarious Instagram videos. Get show alerts and playbooks by signing up on the EcomGold website: www.ecom.gold Claim an extended free trial as a show listener. EcomGold is brought to you by: ‍ Rewind Shopify App. Back up your Shopify store because not doing so is absolute lunacy! As a listener of the show, you can claim a no strings attached free month with this link: https://rewind.com/ecommercegold/ Sendlane. Unified email, SMS, and reviews for eCommerce. Better features. Better support. Better customer experience. Send your customers exactly what they want, when they want it. (Better than Klaviyo in Finn's opinion). https://www.sendlane.com/ Follow Finn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/finn_radford