The Trailblazers Experience Podcast

EP58 :Paula Co-Founder of Marty's Drinks Juice From Digital Media to Thriving Drink's Entrepreneur

• Ntola • Season 4 • Episode 58

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EP58 Our next guest is Paula Raubenheimer , Co-Founder of @Drinksmartys Spiced Tomatoes Juice 
 What happens when you leave the corporate grind behind to chase a passion for food? Join us as Paula, the spirited co-founder of Marty's Drinks Juice, recounts her remarkable career shift from digital media and marketing in South Africa to launching a successful food and beverage brand amidst a global pandemic. Paula's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, strategic partnerships, and the joy of hands-on entrepreneurship. Her story is not only inspiring but also packed with actionable insights for anyone considering a similar leap.
Dive into the nuts and bolts of Marty's, a nostalgic yet health-conscious non-alcoholic cocktail with a savoury, umami twist. Paula opens up about the meticulous product development process that ensures Marty's stands out in a crowded market with its clean ingredients and low sugar content. From navigating the timing of market entry to overcoming the hurdles of retail acceptance, learn how Paula and her brother transformed a family-inspired idea into a beloved brand.
 This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone eager to blend business success with personal fulfilment.

Chapters
00:15 Introduction and Background
04:53 The Journey of Marty's Juice
09:15 Obstacles and How They Were Tackled
12:08 Key Retail Partnerships
14:18 The Unique Qualities of Marty's Juice
18:38 Product Development and Testing
21:10 Bootstrapping and Funding the Business
26:44 The Power of Networking and Collaboration
30:08 Key Partnerships and Collaborations
32:53 Building a Strong Team
40:43 Finding Balance: Self-Care and Personal Life
51:27 Active Thinking and Reflection
55:52 The versatility of Tomato Juice
57:50 Collaboration and Support Among Female-Led Businesses
58:48 Trailblazer Takeaway Tips
01:01:40 Seeking Advice and Support Outside of Your Business
01:03:31 Outro
Watch online on Youtube : https://youtu.be/wMHIQPG--Rg
Find us 
Shop @checkers_sa amazon.co.uk 
Instagram @drinkmartys 
Linkedin : Paula  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paularaubenheimer/ 
Trade Fairs  https://www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/

Listen : to the audio version Apple Spotify .Amazon Music Google Podcasts
Watch and subscribe to my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@Thetrailblazersexperience
Follow Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thetrailblazersexperience/

The Trailblazers Experience :

So welcome to another episode of the Trailblazers Experience podcast, the podcast where we have candid conversations with women sharing their career journeys across various industries and sectors. Career journeys across various industries and sectors. My next guest is Paula, co-founder of Marty's Drinks Juice and Marty's Distribution is the company behind Marty's Spiced Tomato Juice, or tomato, the ultimate tomato cocktail. If you aren't a fan of tomato juice, it's because you haven't tasted Marty's Spiced Tomato Juice yet, and I haven't actually tasted it, paula. So this is on me Make sure that I get that juice and do what I need to do. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you, and we've just found out that we actually live in the same town, isn't it?

Paula Raubenheimer:

Yeah, I mean we said one of the chances we have very close to dinner. Literally, literally, I'm coming back to go for Marty's.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Exactly exactly no excuses. So, paula, for the audience, I'm always intrigued about, first of all, people who start businesses and people who've had an interesting journey that's led them to this point. So could you share with us your journey that led to you co-founding Marty's Spice Tomato Juice, and give us a bit of a yeah the context behind this journey, which I'm sure has been interesting because you're originally from South Africa, aren't you? Yes, I'm South Africa.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So it is an interesting journey. I actually come from a digital media and marketing background, but my heart has always been in food. If you've known me, if you've known my family, we have a very strong foodie culture. We've made food from scratch, We've grown food. We've partaken in food tourism. You've gone on a holiday with us. We are all trying everything that is local or native to the place we're going to. It's just I always say, if you come on holiday with me and my family, the first conversation we'll have is about every meal we're having for the day and the day. We can try to make sure that those meals are delicious and cooked and beautiful.

The Trailblazers Experience :

So that's my kind of holiday.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I started my career in sort of a technology-based startup it was. I became a part owner of that business and it was wonderful to be part of something that I owned. It was just, you know, there was a hands-on list. There was a real list. It was partly mine. And then throughout my late 20s and 30s, I had much more senior roles in bigger corporates. I had partnerships with people at Google and LinkedIn and Facebook and BBC. I worked with Cunningham Technologies. It was a really exciting, interesting place to be, but a lot of these were big corporates and towards the end of my 30s I decided to get out of that rat race and I went into consulting. I sort of consulted two technology businesses who were growing their own businesses and doing their own things, and it got me excited about the fact that you know getting your hands dirty being part of something that's yours. It's just a different mindset when you're doing a running business, and so I think it made me realize that something was on the cards for me to do that was mine. I just didn't know what it was yet. I realized that something was on the cards for me to do that was mine. I just didn't know what it was yet, and so I then had a son in my sort of late 30s and in my late 30s, early 40s.

Paula Raubenheimer:

We moved to the UK relatively recently and I was between consulting discussions and consulting jobs and my brother had also just incorporated the time to ASL. He had a very foodie background. He'd written some food cookbooks and then he'd run for many years his own ekachi sourced deli and butchery. He'd sold that out and he and his wife had moved to Asaf because she built a job there. We're discussing our next job. So we never really considered working together because we had such different paths.

Paula Raubenheimer:

But we realized this might be the time, and so my brother had. While he'd been doing this sort of a day, he'd been a little bit involved. He'd came around with some recipes, he'd sort of tested out some product with tomato juices and sort of tomato cocktails and he also had sort of looked at some sort of branding and swiped into the stockers and he said, well, there's nothing there. And I said, well, should we try? Should we just try? Like? I know you really well, we've known each other pretty much all our lives so let's try it. And we did. And Marty's Spiced Tomato Juices and Marty's Virgin Benigno were born, and that's the beginning.

The Trailblazers Experience :

And how long has Marty's juice been on the market for then?

Paula Raubenheimer:

So it's been on the market. It was tested around four or five years ago a little bit and then COVID hit and then things sort of four or five years ago a little bit and then COVID hit and then things sort of died In South Africa. It's been around for about three years now. I've talked to the market and the UK have been around for a year.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's amazing. I mean, even you just telling your story about starting your career, then going into corporate. Do you think, while you're working in corporate there, what did you like about working there? And B, what was the reason to say, actually I really don't want to do this anymore and move into? You know, the consulting and smaller businesses might be the direction for you.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Well, I mean starting my business. I started in a small business and it was so interesting because we were fearless. We did everything, we could do everything. But I always wanted to know on the other side, in big corporates, what resources did they have that I didn't have? What knowledge, what pools of wisdom came from these big corporates that made themselves successful? So I realized that my next move needed to be into those so I could have that experience and sort of tick that box and I got there. I was astounded that there were no pools of wisdom. Mostly big corporates and they have great infrastructure, don't get me wrong but they also do things fast enough for me.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I remember having a discussion with my boss one day going this is so frustrating, I keep on trying to do things. He said, don't worry, they'll help you. Go have a drink, don't come into work any tomorrow. Just, I was like that's not how I work. I mean I'm excited, I'm pumped, I I'm you know, I'm I mean, inspired. I want to make things work.

Paula Raubenheimer:

And so I spent some time in corporate just trying to work out how to get things done and spent most of my time just fighting that fight and eventually realized that actually there's no point in fighting those things if you, if you do one in conference, that's right. It just wasn't for me, and so I walked out of that saying no, I, you know, I and in fact every, every such time I've worked with a company or or sort of contributed any kind of way to work with someone, my first answer was please, I need to get my hands dirty. I don't care. I know I've been in senior positions before, but if I don't feel like I'm part of something doing something working, I just don't feel like I'm concentrating. And so, yeah, as I say, big corporates have never been for me and I suppose they're a nice way to make either salary and be very comfortable, but that just doesn't inspire me enough.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Well, I think if you're interested in understanding or being parts of every part of the business, so end to end, then you will struggle because in a corporate structure, you have your role, you're playing one part in it and, like you said, you know you're waiting for sign off, you're waiting for somebody else to approve the next step and it might not happen and you're literally just it's different, different, isn't it? But you've sort of had that entrepreneurial background.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So when you walked in there you were like, okay, to your point of the pearls of wisdom, you'd already probably had all those pearls through your journey as an entrepreneur as well well, I think one word realizes one learns a lot, and I think I think the key to learning a lot is not about if you have all the answers constantly asking people for advice questions. I mean, my co-founder, my brother, always says you always do eight time on calls and I was like I know I want people, a to not think that I know everything because I bet I can't. And, b the more stupid questions I ask, the more they often just tell you things that they may not, they shouldn shouldn't tell you. Does that make sense? Yes, yeah, yeah, they give you kind of a bit of real insight. So I feel like that's really really important.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It's so important to realize that you are probably better than you think, probably more than you think, but you also ask those questions, constantly ask. I've been lucky enough throughout this journey to be able to seek out and get advice across two different countries, people with a lot of experience, and I've really enjoyed understanding. I've also enjoyed questioning after actually, what they're talking about is probably the most efficient way to do things, because I think that's important too, but learning from people who've been in industries for 30, 40 years and really getting to grips with what they do is so important, and people are also learning, like you, just getting as many insights as you can, constantly asking questions. They constantly know that you know little, but you can always learn more.

The Trailblazers Experience :

It's really important, exactly because you never stop learning. Now, starting a new brand has its own set of challenges being a co-founder, working with family. Can you talk about some of the obstacles that you've faced and how you've tackled them?

Paula Raubenheimer:

sure I do say so. Yes, starting a new business is so hard, so rewarding. I mean, the highs can be so high, and also you're really excited about small things. Someone accepted my negative request the other day and they were really important and I thought my husband who was like, wow, that's an achievement.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Yes, yeah but you know, as I say, these are all key things. I think what I realized is that, um, you know you don't want them, not to say that they always are, but it's a key one of its that are great, obviously, health, and once you start growing, you start growing at an increasing rate. So one mustn't feel the spotlight that you're not getting there, because growth is a linear thing. You get growth and you're getting growth and that growth is going to lead to more growth. So I think the key milestone that we had, and I think the key thing that gave us the confidence to realize that we had something that was really good, was, just over a year ago we were accepted by the largest rich chain in South Africa to join the SME program and it was probably the best way for us to get into retail. We had no retail experience and many people, as I asked to explain retail, had so many answers. I had gone into hard work so I realized that there was a lot of confusion and a lot of different ways that retail functioned, and so we applied and we got a lot of sort of you know maybes and some rejections and eventually we actually got into the SME program. It was a really gentle and wonderful way to be handheld into retail, to understand more work to be taken through the processes, and that success led to more successes. So in South Africa there's sort of four major retailers and it got us into another sort of four or five major retailers. We're now in the three of the top ones. In the fourth one, rinaldi, in September.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So that success got us into other programs which got us other recognition. And it's quite interesting because we had situations where there were buyers that we'd spoken to, because you know, that's what we do, you constantly tell the buyer and really it just laughed on our faces and said it took you a week because no one goes to Montague. It's not going to go to Montague. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but normally that's not. You know, that's it. My, I turned around um, kind of you know, having forgotten that after that conversation completely and was like, oh, we're so excited to have you, you know, you're so innovative, so realized I think also we realized that a lot of no's are just yeses in disguise or and so. So, as I think our biggest milestone there was an recognition of getting a big return on board, just getting a big partner to to acknowledge us and take us on and take us seriously, and that has really led to big masters.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Yeah, did you want to talk about. So who are the retailers, would you say? They're similar.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Sorry, no. Shoprite Chickens is the biggest retailer in the whole of Africa and they're incredible. Actually they're doing some amazing things. Shoprite Chickens has got two different brands Chickens. Actually, they're doing something amazing. Shoprite Chinkers has got two different brands. Chinkers is kind of its more hired market and ShopRite is kind of sort of more mass market. Chinkers has done an incredible thing. It almost has created a retail department store field with each store. They are beautiful, the stores are amazing. You walk in and you'll have a sushi bar that is sponsored by a very well-known local sushi brand and you have smoothie bars. You have cheese counters that are incredible. It is an incredibly rich shopping experience and they've done it by partnering and fostering local um brands in the south african um economy, which is an incredible way to kind of, you know, embrace and uplift what we know is beautiful product ideas and how it's accessible to everybody. So they have done that and they've accepted us into that fold and we are now, you know, in almost 50 of these stores and we'll keep growing, which is really exciting.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's amazing. I mean a lot of what you've said in your story. It's about timing as well. You know, when you were speaking to all those buyers, they probably weren't ready for your product, your category, and we're going to talk about your product and what makes it so special as well, because I think for a very long time and you see it here in the FMCG that anything that's niche or special has a story behind it or vegan or vegetarian, or catering to a market that maybe was forgotten or wasn't really at the cusp. There is now an appetite for that in the market as as well fascinating.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Yeah, I mean, I say we. I think we're trying to be trendy with our brand. We just wanted to create something that was actually kind of nostalgic, but it was healthy and good for you, and it took all the boxes that we believe were the right things and the way that we ate and we drank and and home to our people would see the same thing which we should, today, have started doing, which we're really excited about for the audience who then might be, you know, walking into shop right or checkers.

The Trailblazers Experience :

You know we have people listening to the podcast globally and we can talk about who some of the retailers are here, because I've seen it in the local coffee shop as well, what is special about Marty's and why do you think it's necessary in this current market and environment?

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I think our biggest part of Marty's is, if you're looking at it in a mindful drinking space or interested in drinking space, it's different because it's umami and savory. Now, that isn't a normal flavor profile that people associate with drinking. I mean, generally everything's a bit sweet, that's the truth.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Like sweet is our original flavor profile in any shape or form, and this isn't that. It's savory, it's umami, it's distinctly those things. I've tasted a lot of tomato cocktails, a lot of virgin jellies, a lot of jellies in my lifetime and they also often urge you to walk to the sweet side. We are not that. The other thing I think that puts people off tomato juice is often they say it's perfect and it is. I mean it's a thicker consistency than maybe apple juice. But we've made martinis but they seem to be lighter so it's still refreshing. It doesn't feel, as we say, bloopers for soup, not for tomato juice. So martinis won't have that. It won't be thick, thick, thick. And I think often when we create, when people do tomato juices, they're often made as mixes, which makes sense because you're going to add vodka or gin or whatever you're going to add to them and that waters it down. But mine is a ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktail. We wanted to have that consistency out front. You don't want to have to think you have to add booze to it to make it better. That wasn't the purpose of it. And then in the ingredients, this is incredibly clean and we did that on purpose, because that's the way I eat. I eat. That's what my mother eats. It's the way we believe things should be done, certainly in South Africa. If you look at the back of any tomato juices they're full of things I've never heard of. It's supposed to be a healthy drink, but if you take it out it isn't, because it's just full of rubbish. It's crazy. So tomato juice should be a very natural thing, and so Marty's is. We don't add any extra sugar. We add a little bit of apple juice just to level off the flavor profile. So we have sweet and savory at a touch. We have apple cider vinegar in it with the madam that's very important. So that's full of gut-loving properties that apple cider vinegar does have. Also, we did it for the flavor profile because apple cider vinegar isn't as harsh as something like a malt vinegar. It has a nice kind of like sort of leveling off of the palate. And then we've got our own unique flavor sort of spice profile and traditionally, um, you'd add worcester sauce. To add tomato is a tomato cocktail. Worcester sauce has, um, anchovies in it. That's the standard, and obviously anchovies aren't vegan. So to make sure that we have that same fame profile, we have gone through countless spice. I mean, the kind of spice mix in this thing is very crazy. Anybody who's got an incredible pantry might have all the spices, so we're not putting crazy things in it. But it's a lot of very sort of key spices and I need to make our um sort of our own Worcester sauce, which vegan. We have just added a vegan Worcester sauce. We created our own favorite profile. So Matis is all those things. We are vegan.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I've got a friend who's actually diabetic. Many of the tomato juices. He's actually in the UK, south African, based in the UK. Most of the tomato juices that are on the market at the moment have more sugar than he can have, whereas Matis doesn't. Matis has enough, has the, has the, has the suiting up in that way he is as a diabetic, he can drink Marty's, which is really exciting. We don't go with, say, diabetic-friendly because you know I think everybody's got their own levels of sugar that they have to deal with, but he is able to drink Marty's, which is really exciting to me. Okay, so yeah, marty's is a distinctively savory umami and vegan and gluten-free and that makes Marty special.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean hearing this you must have in order to get product market fit or market product fit. Both are important. Have must have gone through so many products and tasting, because it's also about texture and the consistency. That is just amazing and it just shows a testament. To get the right product you have to go through all these. I mean your taste.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Your taste buds must be so alive and well I have to create this we, so we, we actually did all of the products developed ourselves which is interesting, because I think a lot of people work with product developers. Because this was a 3D thing and because we wanted to make sure that you could make it with things that you knew we really did have to start in the kitchen, so we've actually had. Unfortunately, we didn't get really high-res pictures. We got pictures of the different variations standing on our kitchen, sort of with the salt bath, one to bath, of the different variations standing on our kitchen and sort of witness, all, that's one, that's 24. I'd be like, but so we didn't.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Actually, funny enough, we started this whole process in a garage, pressing tomatoes, because we wanted to know how to do this, and so we started by pressing tomatoes. We used different kinds of presses federal presses. You don't get tomato pressing equipment that doesn't exist, so we kind of like we use a matching mix at one point, then we use spackings, then we use the apple press. What we realized, though, is the problem with pressing fresh apples immediately as a starting point is they oxidize quickly, so we have to kind of work with those. There was a lot of productivity on the trip there. To get to Milwaukee has been quite a journey, and also one has to choose a product that is factory ready, because what's you could do in your kitchen you can't always do in a factory it's just scale it up, isn't it?

The Trailblazers Experience :

yeah, so there was.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It's been quite a few iterations, but what's been true to mind is, the whole way around, we wanted something that was light and refreshing, that wasn't, that didn't put people off, and we wanted something that had a beautiful savory kick, because that is unique to what we've always created. My brother and my brother used the name marty's comes from my brother, my brother's martin robin hammer, and it's an ode to his obsession as a child to create a ultimate tomato cocktail and signify the beginning of our family holiday. Um, I remember a like a seven-year-old martin, a seven-year-old Martin, a 10-year-old Martin, making different versions of tomato cocktails. He was in love with tomato cocktails and it was like our family drink for holidays, and so that is what Marty's is. It's an ode to my brother and his quest for the perfect holiday cocktail.

The Trailblazers Experience :

So a lot of things are just coming out for me in terms of key messages. Especially for entrepreneurs is hey, you have to find something that you're passionate about that is so important, and there'll be so many iterations before you get to that right product. You have to believe in that product enough to be able to sell it. And then the last one is are you bootstrapped? So how did you even fund? Fund this business, like you probably only started making money. What in year two, year three? Is it self-funded?

Paula Raubenheimer:

talk to me about that so me absolutely self-funded. So in south africa, um, we, we invested. We invested the exact same amount as africa, as we've done in the uk, um, it goes further in South Africa, the money, as you can imagine. So, yes, 500% bootstrapped. We invested some money and we've reinvested, I have to say, with Italy, because we've been increasing our production at quite an increasing rate.

Paula Raubenheimer:

All the money we're making has to go back into production. So, as I say, it's been I was just assuming it is turning a profit better At the moment moment all of those profits are going straight back into making more stock so that we can obviously grow, as we're growing as fast as we are in the UK. And we did invest the same amount of money as we have, um, it's been applied and for a bit, to start up loan, just against a little bit of cash injection. So we got that money to then obviously use for more production and for marketing, because that's been quite that's where you already goes. It will either go to product production or it will buy it to whatever small bit of marketing you can do in who. You need to use that money wisely and we we are doing the best we can I mean that's, that's just brilliant.

The Trailblazers Experience :

But yeah, it's. It's good to have those conversations because funding isn't easy to come by. I've had so many conversations with women who said when they started out they couldn't even get any funding. So it was one of those things saying let's bootstrap, let's make sure we have a great product and tapping into, like you said, those programs that you got accepted into in South Africa that helped with the distribution, getting in front of the right customers, to be able then to fund the production and growing the businesses. It's tough, but if you have a great product, I think the passion and the hard work behind it is really key as well.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So you say that it was an interesting conversation, because my brother and I talk about this all the time. If we had money. If we had money. But we actually said something interesting the other day. We were like, do you know differently if we actually had any more?

Paula Raubenheimer:

money and the answer is no. I mean, I get. The interesting thing is about when you're spending your own money. You don't spend it badly, you know what I mean. Like you can't afford to spend it badly, and so, um, while one you may make a mistake or two, you're just very aware of the fact that you have to. Every cent cent has to count. Either you have to have an incredible learning from it or it has to. Whatever cent you spend, you need to make at least 10 or 5 or 20 more cents. You know what I mean, or that's just how it works. So it's an interesting, I think.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Being a booster I found out certainly not being it's not been a bad thing, you know. I think it makes you smarter, it makes you wiser. I've watched big corporates how much money was just wasted and lost and how you know. Generally the attitude was well, it's not my money. Well, I mean, that's ridiculous. You know, whether it's your money or not, you're responsible for it and if you don't have a lot of it, you will stay in absolutely the best way you can, without a doubt.

The Trailblazers Experience :

And that has been a very good part of building Marti's and also the things that you mentioned about learning the different production processes. If you hadn't gone into the kitchen and learned it from the ground up, I think now, when you go into a factory or a large production unit, you can have those conversations because you've actually done it yourself.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Absolutely so. I mean, that was the interesting thing. We looked at Marty's and how it was going to become a scalable business quite early on and, um, we he said, we're not, we're not building a factory. Um, we made that decision at the very beginning. A lot of the um other small brands after that you have chosen a different path, but our decision was was.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It was made for us because of the following reasons one, we didn't have the money to build a factory and we weren't going to get that money very easily, so that wasn't even on the cards. The other was we shouldn't have those expertise and if we built a factory, we'd have to either bring those in or develop those expertise, and there's only so many sets of expertise that two people can have. Then the other thing is that drinks isn't a low volume game. You need big quantities to actually make this business make sense. And if you're building your own factory, you're probably building it for capability at a next point and maybe you have to reinvest for a new capability and just keep on doing it. It was just going to chop so much capital it didn't make any sense.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So the last really important thing was and we realized that when we were on these, these programs, was a lot of the guys who were self-manufacturing.

Paula Raubenheimer:

They were certain to standard the creditations that they needed to have to be able to actually supply bigger, bigger stockists that were going to take years for them to get to. We, on the other hand, had hand-picked who we were going to work with, knew what their creditors were, knew that they had those capabilities, and so we were ready to go from the beginning. And so, knowing that we have scale and knowing that scaling was part of it and getting into all of those retailers was vital, there was no question I was never going to build a factory that had their creditors in the time I needed to be able to scale. So a bigger part of what we spent our time doing was testing facilities, working with different people, seeing what the effort was, learning what processes they had to offer, what processes worked best for us, and then using that to know exactly what we needed out of the manufacturing facility. So, yeah, as I say, it's been a learning curve as well.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Talk to me about networking and how that's influenced marty's growth in south africa and uk as as well, because you you've said it yourself you didn't have all the knowledge, and I'm sure your brother didn't either. How has networking and getting out there and speaking to people made a difference to the business?

Paula Raubenheimer:

um, so, without a doubt, it's been vital. I mean, I think, firstly, working with any of the industries that needed assistance, that has been going to be important. The first thing I did was I reached out to anybody I knew who knew anything about anything and said give me some of your time or do you know someone who can help me with this? And I don't. I've done that and I've been lucky enough to do that both across south africa and the uk and just obviously very rich, because I need to have two different sets of experiences, two different types of people who are doing different things. So we've certainly done that in the industry and we've made a decision, um, primarily on, if we don't know how to do something and someone else is the expert at it, they can do for us. Why try and do that yourself? No egos. Exactly I said why? So we weren't trying to build logistics companies. We didn't try and build merchandising businesses. Those were expertise other people had and we've been smart about testing obviously different, different methods and different people. Um, as we've gone, so that you know when you go to negotiations, after you've got about two or three majoritizers that are working in different regions, and you go to and it's like, well, this is how you do it. And I was like, well, you can go with three other people and that's not how they do it. And then I post you do know something. It's like, yes, it's about learning and having an effort with people that you rely on and support, and then, in terms of obviously having other founders that are going through similar kind of experiences and other drugs companies, that has been incredibly important.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I have. I've actively searched out and found other drugs companies, either in the same category and similar categories. I haven't been afraid to speak to other competitors. If they're willing to talk to me, I'm willing to talk to again, sharing any knowledge, sharing any experiences. We've partnered, both in the UK and in South Africa, with amazing other female-led brands who are doing similar things, and we've helped each other. We've shared the cost of merchandising, we've shared the cost of tastings, we've shared the cost of any kind of exhibition stands. It's just networking is the key. I think we're not all in a vacuum. We're all trying to do exactly the same thing and I don't think it's about comparing yourself to other guys. They're going to do things a different way, they're going to get really in some way and they're going to get somewhere else. But it's just about our future. Always You've been very open to that and I think it's vital.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Yeah, I always you'd be very open to that and I think it's it's vital. Yeah, I think the the notion that some people have saying if you share details or information about your business, that will give the competitor the upside, but if you are very true and what your product is or your service or what you're offering, that doesn't really matter. You both win actually at the end of it as well absolutely.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I mean we only see benefits. I am, you know I. I'm often very open. I will share any contacts, any wins. I will happily share with other people and they will do the same. I think it's a bit on the direct. I don't think it's the same in every single industry, but certainly in the food and beverage industry you are very willing to share and I think it's really, really important that we help each other, because this is a hard part of life and there's no reason why you shouldn't be doing it on your own or being it. You shouldn't be trying to do it. Someone else has made a mistake and you can learn from that mistake. Goodness do it. If someone can learn from my mistakes how to, then they can't get into further. Yet I'll be the same and we will all get there.

The Trailblazers Experience :

For we will all get there for sure.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Talk to me about some of the key partnerships or collaborations that have been instrumental in in your success. Um. So so, certainly in south africa, we, um we immediately started working with some really really good logistics companies, um, which has been really really helpful to us. Um, we've got a key logistics company who actually, um, that has fit, does things for us that it doesn't actually do for other businesses. We were looking at processes, and I think part of building marches from a non-retail background is my insight has always been try something, test it, question it. Is that the best way to do something? And so we started working with the logistics company and working with us. And then man and we said, well, we need this and this and this, and can you do that? And he sort of went back and thought about it, sat in a room, came back and said, yeah, we should do that. And I was like, well, that's brilliant, cool, let's just do that together. So we're very lucky, our sort of we go very nice. People just say it's great people, they do, they do. They do things that, as I said, don't do for other people. But we've got a really nice agreement and they've now taken on a lot of what we work with Other key partners certainly out and out.

Paula Raubenheimer:

The greatest relationship is your manufacturing relationship. And to get the right relationship With Monty's, as I said, we tested a whole bunch of different facilities to see who had the right footprint for us. So we had him be with one partner and he actually started our journey with one facility that we knew would outgrow. But he was amazing. So we started with Prasoda and Prasoda has been incredibly good at developing new products, helping us, helping us in our new processes. The most amazing Navarone man runs that business. He'll just kill the guy with anything. Just pick me and eat it. You try and argue things.

Paula Raubenheimer:

We have since then moved to a bigger facility. We always knew we were going to do that and we were testing out different operations. We handpicked them because they're actually a communities organization. The whole organization has transformed the Swap Lunch, which is the area in which they actually manufacture. They provide 2,000 jobs to an otherwise very, very poor community. They themselves, directly for the manufacturing part, the marketing part, are a 65% female, which is unheard of in the manufacturing facility or manufacturing industry, and their focus is heavily on previously diverse and disadvantaged people. So they have done an incredible job and so we work with them specifically because we love their ethos and they also can do what we need them to do. So our infracturing partnership has been very important and very strong and it's taught us a lot in South Africa.

Paula Raubenheimer:

In the UK we are in early stages still, so we've tested out a few facilities, depending on what they do. And we've tested out a few facilities, depending on what they do. We've tested out two. We've got another two more that we're discussing to test out to see and we can see sort of what the strengths and weaknesses are and what the growth potential of those are. So certainly, as I say, my most important partnership has been manufacturing. If you can't get that right, you will go nowhere. You know the product is everything, but along the way there certainly are many, many people like logistics companies, merchandising, sales teams. We've got some really, really lovely sales teams on the ground. I'm not even in South Africa and I'm running an entire business thing in the UK and I can do that because on the ground we have people managing regions incredibly efficiently and successfully, and that is a testament to the fact that if you create a partnership with people who are good at what they do, you can do anything. You don't have to be there every second of the day.

The Trailblazers Experience :

And setting the right foundations, isn't it as well? I think is key. You're working with people who are questioning the status quo, saying we can do that, we'll try it out, and talking about community and women. I love hearing such stories about how women are being empowered in their villages and their communities to do something different and not be, I guess, forced to say you have to go to the city to work or you have to work in a specific sector. How has being a female founder in the beverage industry changed your I guess your views in terms of what women empowerment means to you?

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I mean, I worked in tech before, certainly also not for anything other than the number of sort of board meetings or meetings I'd be to. Where I was the only woman was harvested. It was not uncommon to me, so I haven't found I don't find that really daunting, and certainly going into manufacturing at the same thing. I've been offered the only word on the board, but that's fine. What I I think women in apartments to me is just about supporting women. That's all it is Just. When I say supporting, I mean find men and work with them. They're as good as men. They are there. They're drinking. Often they drink is more interesting to me. So it's they might not be as many women, their businesses that they are there and they are doing it. So work with them and and and and empower them by just doing what you would do in any business.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I mean, it's been an interesting question because I I was actually beginning myself the other day and looking at all the people that I've actually sort of gravitated towards in terms of advice and some helping each other and, funny enough, there often be women-led businesses and I don't know if that's because I obviously am looking for kind of children's friends in the women-led space or if women, I think, often are quite good at sharing. You know, if you can pose the question that let's collaborate to a room full of people and often women are better at collaboration or just better at taking what's at war. So both in the uk and in south africa and I have hand filed or sold out female big businesses that are in the drink space, that are either our direct competitors or are akin to us or in the same sort of space, and we're helping each other. In the uk we actually created a little of space and we're helping each other. In the UK we actually created a little group called we're kind of testing the name, we've called it ourselves Flating Forward Female Founders. We had a little group, a WhatsApp group, and we're talking about how we help each other, ie launch together, do collaborations, all share the costs of exhibition stands. We have a standard group where we kind of like all just helping each other.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I've joined a lot of female networking groups in the UK. There are less of those in South Africa, to be fair. I think that's quite a big. There's a lot of networking groups here. I've just told my own networking groups in South Africa and we are constantly checking in with each other, helping each other and, as I say, I think if I can find female-led businesses that are doing incredible things that I would not be a sacrifice to work with them, then I think it would be. All female empowerment needs is just to work with female Female-led businesses, because if you're doing great things, just find them, because they're there they might just be.

The Trailblazers Experience :

you know mother shawty's love and now becauseari's love, and now physically they've probably got less fun than to be able to market their wins, as much you know. Yeah, there's something to be said about finding your tribe, isn't it, and going out there and seeking what you're looking for, but you come across as someone who's a go-getter, you know, very entrepreneurial, and I will not take no, like you said, for an ounce, and if something doesn't exist, well then let's create it. Do you think that comes through in your responsibilities as your shiny title, chief Digital and Growth Office? Does that shine through, then, when you reflect now on your experience?

Paula Raubenheimer:

Well, I mean my barbell, were talking about titles at one stage and I was like, can you say I make a coffee, because I do that too. I mean titles are all so silly, um, but you suddenly do something impressive. I mean, the truth is we're all doing something and we're all doing everything all the time. So I mean, certainly you know it's a tabloid one one thing, but I think, um, in my my role as, as as a person who's going to grow this business, that's what I've been doing, focusing on the business end and the growth end of this business.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I have absolutely focused my attention on building relationships, collaborations, and when I started with Martin, the very, very first few months, we did everything together. I mean it was a very inefficient way of working, but it was necessary for us to work out what we did better, what we did worse. I mean it was a very inefficient way of working, but it was necessary for us to work out that, what we did better, what we did worse. I mean, in your term, we have actually worked together and it was important to also understand all the processes and understand all the problems and be part of everything. We then quickly standard those and said, okay, you're same philosophy as we were building the business. To then say, well, as a business, we're better at this, but we're not very good at that. It's fine, we can outsource those functionalities.

Paula Raubenheimer:

My role now to grow this business has been just about finding key partnerships and people who can make us do things better so we can grow more efficiently. That's what I do. A lot of it is about managing partnerships. I do a huge part of those managing. Managing, fighting and creating commercial relationships that are going to make this business just bigger and and grow there's something to be said about when you're working together.

The Trailblazers Experience :

building a business is really that self-awareness of understanding what your strengths and your weaknesses are and quickly ironing them out and saying, right, okay, let's divide and conquer, you're going to be responsible for that, I'm going to be responsible for this. And then seeking out the expertise that you don't have, because, do you think? A lot of founders fail. So we'll talk about lessons learned in terms of being a founder and growing a business, because they think they can do everything and actually they can't.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I think, failure. I think it might so happen for two reasons, I think. One is, I think founders um, I just don't realize that we're all in narrow funds and we're not in strengths. I think that's really important, like this is.

Paula Raubenheimer:

This is a long haul and yeah, and to keep on looking what other people are doing, but I didn't do it as quickly like there's something wrong with me. No, you didn't, that's okay, it's a good chance. I I know this is a bit of a long story, but why? Um, my son, um, um, had a? Um, my, my, a nanny at the time in south africa was very equal to because my son wasn't sitting quite yet and I remember saying to her it's not the sitting that's important, it's the getting to the sitting, like he'll sit.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I've never seen a five-year-old kid who can't sit, like he will sit. But the process of getting to the city is so important. The learning is so important, and I think what's really important is often not about the achievements they will come but it's about all the learnings that you do to get there. You will get better and better at getting things faster and faster, but you've got to go through the learnings, and so I think we've got to see this as a bit of a marathon. We've got to see this taking breaks. We've got to see this as getting used to health through all the processes. I think that's it.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I think people try and grow too fast, too quickly. Getting funding, I think, is amazing, but there's always pressure on you to have certain kinds of growth expectations. We have our own growth expectations. We can grow as fast as our money will allow us, and actually that's really good, because we are not going to open our son and deliver. We will do exactly what we say we're going to do. We can only do it as fast as we can and and we will build a good, steady foundation because of that, I think, and a good steady foundation of learnings for the owners who are asked to actually go on to the next step, because if you're trying to do something that a million pound turnover business is doing, but you've only ever run a business that's turning over 5,000 pounds the week before, you don't know how to do that. And so, as I say that's.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I think one thing that's really important to founders is, I think we fail because our expectations are too high, we're comparing ourselves to other people and we're trying to run too fast and in that you try to do too many things that you can't do. You try to manufacture and market and then distribute and all those kind of things, and you cannot do any of those things well if you do all of them. You do a few of them while, and and you can certainly learn how things work, but but, as I say, I think we try to do things too fast. I think we're in a world of things that we have to do things incredibly fast and I I don't think that they, they do. If you read any of the really great success stories of really, really big businesses, they make a huge amount of mistakes first and they do and they learn and they, they grow, and you already get to see that when you're doing the great stuff, but it's so much behind the feats that one has to go through myself.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Yeah, and it's also about sustainable growth, isn't it? And just focusing on the incremental gains and those small wins, those small wins actually lead to the big ones. So nailing your product that it actually tastes good, that's already the biggest step, because everyone wants great product and then everything else will follow. So I think it's really great even to share for the audience, because there might be someone out there who's trying to start their business and they're, like you said, looking as to how others have accelerated but not understanding that it's part of the journey as well accelerated, but not understanding that it's part of the journey as well.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I asked it the I, I. It's very important to me that we are on this journey, that we are learning the whole time, and I think the biggest, the biggest lesson I have learned is it's around learning that you are going to make mistakes almost wanting to make mistakes, because that's how you learn and then the biggest and most effective thing you can do is how we deal with those mistakes. So when I come from a technology background, in there you know the honest decision is the mistakes. Everything has to be a good feedback. So you do something, you test it, you evaluate, you adjust and you just keep going. So that's what you did wrong. The first time you see a mistake, it doesn't even matter, yeah it doesn't matter, no, it's.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It's why you have to do that, because if you didn't, you didn't write the first time. There's a good chance you didn't do it the best way, you just did it a way that kind of worked. So if you take that same sort of philosophy into any business, so you're going to do something, test it, have a feedback loop. If it works, if it's not working, readjust, and you're constantly doing that. You don't have enough money to make the mistakes, so it's not making sure that you really get the cost of making the mistakes small, learning from it and adjusting. I mean, we've also had major manufacturing issues. We've had exploding tomato juice which, in all fairness, at one stage I called tomato juice your game. I don't think that's going to take off Because Jumana Juice it's a shelf-stable product, so it needs to be authorized a little bit and if it doesn't, after an initial work, all of a sudden it just gets yeasty, like a good champagne mold does, and if you open it it will explode, and it has.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I've got Jumana Juice on my ceiling in my kitchen and that's perfect and I can't get off and that happened and we had product that went off like that and we immediately said what do we do? How do we fix it? We just demolished the problem, got back as much as we could, explain to you all the problem and then regroup that future. You've got to. You've got to know your derivative mistakes. You've got to quickly react to them, be honest about it and and and re-evaluate and start again like it's's just, you know, just have that mentality. It's based on what's going to happen. How quickly and well you react to them is the only thing you can manage.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's brilliant. Let's talk about self-care and balance in life, because I mean, girl, you were running a business in South Africa and here, and is your brother still in Amsterdam? Is he there? You know, it's like there's a lot going on. How do you find balance in your professional and personal life and what are the things that have steered your approach to self-care, and what does that even mean to you?

Paula Raubenheimer:

yeah. So I mean, I know I was gonna say I know what I'm supposed to say to this and I probably do what I'm supposed to say about 50 percent of the time. Um, so I'm like 50% of where I should be, but at least 100, some Does that help? So the default with running a business or being an entrepreneur is you are either thinking about the work you should be doing or you're doing the work. That's the default. I know that.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I think, to be honest, the answer is about trying to allow yourself, to give yourself permission or speak to the people you're working with and give each other permission to enjoy an hour's walk on a hot day or to just do something that is not working. And, funny enough, I find that I solve way more problems in my subconscious when I'm walking or reading, reading the garden or showering, than I do necessarily by just sitting and I'm trying to solve a problem. So if you're creating productive time, you've got to give yourself that brave hour of switch off. I also have a young son. I have to spend time with him, so I have made a conscious decision that weekends and after school times are his times, and so I try as much as possible not to eat into that. That being said, every now and then I'll be doing a tasting or something on a weekend, but I cannot spend three days at a festival. These are special moments that my son and I will lose and I will not look back and go oh, that festival was out of my life. I'll go. I missed my son doing something amazing. So I think it's about picking a copy at the time.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So important food, health and exercise. It's vital to my family's way of being so many times after that, making sure you're constantly doing a active baby and, incredibly, it's a philosophy we've always had in the south. We cook from scratch was nice, or cook from scratch was nice For me, nice Going forward, we eat as butter. It's like a lot of different things that are pre-made a few days before but maybe shouldn't be eating good food.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I think that up to you if you can allow yourself a few non-adversables and allow you to spend your time with your family and there are a few things around health and well-being that you can put into your lifestyle that works, and then giving yourself permission, as a founder, and the other people in your team, to say it's a really beautiful Thursday, when I'm done, I'm done, I'm going and you're like that's great, just do it. We post to you or we chat about something on Friday evening because we need to get it done by Saturday. So you know, take the time that you can, because you know it's the only way to stay sane. I think we said it's a marathon, not a sprint, just you've got to keep going.

The Trailblazers Experience :

It's true, isn't it? Those non-negotiables for yourself and your life. It's so hard because I think even I'm just thinking growing up or in the professional life it was we've always been told you have to keep going, you have to give 120%. Well, what does that even mean? But those non-negotiables we see that a lot, whether you're watching podcasts or documentaries, where you see founders who they are high performing founders now are the ones who are investing time in their family or their sports or their health, and that is what is the catalyst to accelerate and to be the best that they can be, whereas before it was. You know how many trips have you taken, how many meetings, how many golf tournaments?

Paula Raubenheimer:

I'm stereotyping now but you know what I?

Paula Raubenheimer:

mean, I think it's been a shift definitely I mean it's about our goals and, as I mean, I think it's been a shift. Definitely I mean it's about our goals. And I say I it's so interesting because I remember this was a very quick piece of advice I had really on my career. Someone said don't always answer or do something immediately. Your first impression might not be your best. Give it, you know if your first reaction is often not right. Give it a few hours, let it percolate, think, think about something and what you'll do will be better. It will just be better.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Don't answer immediately and I've taken that sort of philosophy to heart. When you say don't do, don't act. You know some things are are instantaneously. You need to get something done Absolutely.

Paula Raubenheimer:

But when you have to sort of make a strategic decision or you even have to, you know, respond in a strategic way. None of it is, no one's dying. We are not working in like emergency services. That time, generally an hour or two, is fine. Take the time and give it some thought and do that same thing with everything you're doing. Just breathe a little, because the chances are what you, what you do, two hours later will kind of like it's just going to be a better strategic response. So it's going to be a better decision. Just give it a little bit of time. And and if you could take that philosophy throughout my career, especially in tech um, I try to find people at the top of the games that I wanted to be at and emulate one day, and it was an interesting point I try to find a lot of women.

Paula Raubenheimer:

There weren't a lot of women to emulate, so I gave that and I think there's just five people that I find very inspiring. And I think the people I found most inspiring and the people who just seem to have it together were calm, voice inspiring and the people who just seem to have it together. We're calm. They were, yeah, they knew who they were and they knew who they weren't. They weren't afraid to say I'm terrible at something and I've really is like they weren't afraid to say I hire people who are better than me because it makes me better.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Those were the people we wanted to be and then when you spoke to them about how they thought about things, it was never knee-jerk. They never, ever, ever had knee-jerk reactions to anything. They somehow had it all together. I think they only had it together because they'd taken the time to sound, you know smart, you know it takes you a little bit of time to do those things. So if you detect this from us, it means you know you know it. Just it takes you no more time to do those things. So so, if you can take those philosophies, you know you know very high people. When you're all of you, they make you look better and take some deep breaths. You know you can only do better. And those, those are the, those are the really, really and they just they seem to have have kind of got this bit of wisdom. I don't think it is wisdom, I think it's just, it's just calm, because you have the answer in you. You just gotta find it there's something to be said.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Like you said, to take a step back, not not only active listening, but active thinking. My previous boss was was good at that. She said take a step back, you don't have to respond right away. You know reflect and then you can respond, whereas I was like tick list, checklist. You know need to get this out the way, boom, boom, boom. But I think there's something to be said. I think, as well as you mature as a leader as well, to take a step is refreshing as well. Yeah.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I mean, I think that's what I saw in these people, that they had sort of maturity and wisdom. And it's interesting because I think, as I've aged and my brother actually said it to me he said, the person I knew as a teenager, this is not that person. And I said well, no, I mean, I'm 20 years into my career there's a calmness and a sureness that you start having because you're like you'll solve it. I don't know how let's take it out tomorrow. You can't trust, I don't know how to work it out. We can do it and you know.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Like that, I think that's the answer. There aren't standard answers. You will work it out, it'll come to you, or you'll ask someone who will give you some advice, who will? But see, there's that I've got to do it. And and and I say I every now and then I find myself slipping into comparing, either comparing how another man is doing, or comparing how someone is being received, or how many likes they're getting on something or whatever it is. And I'm like you know it's, it's easy. You fall down to the bristow and I think the quicker you can pull yourself. I can go don every day. None of that is important. Like don't fuck yourself. You are your own thing and and you know people will love what you do in the time that you do it.

The Trailblazers Experience :

It's okay I love that. So what's next, then, for marty's? Obviously you know I was reading on linkedin about the accreditation from the Vegetarian Society. You know you are being acknowledged in the space that you wanted to be in in that market. What's next for Marti's?

Paula Raubenheimer:

Yeah. So I think part of talking about acknowledgement. So we have quite a few awards. I think awards are more just for us to twofold, one for us to understand if the market actually would be nice, right, and if there's sort of like adjustments we need to make, because I think all patterns are different and not every market is the same. So the awards obviously are giving us sort of like sort of additional tactics to say yes, okay, the people feel alive then.

The Trailblazers Experience :

The validation, isn't it yeah?

Paula Raubenheimer:

Validation and I think also the other part of it is it's it's a median validation for someone on shelf to see, oh, someone else said it was good, it's got to be good. That does help to accelerate that um problem that the waitress is in it, because you might have to try it right the moment. It's like a you know, an award. They kind of okay, it's good. So that's that a big part of why we piece of atrium awards. We've got a new flavor variant that's um coming. It's an interesting one, um, and I think every time I said I'm not, I can't sit on baby eight, that's because it's not on the shotgun and it's trying to enlighten. What an award. So I think I'm not really allowed to talk about it. Watch this face. Yeah, we have one, not in the bottle. I like to know mindful. And then I think, yeah, I'm there behind mindful drinking.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Um, I believe I do do not drink. I do drink alcohol. I just drink less alcohol these days and I think I drink less alcohol since I've had a son After pregnancy, breastfeeding and things like that. You just drink less alcohol. So you need to be on your game or doing your kid to awake. It's just in the morning and you can't be gone with it. You're bodily functional. So I think the mindful drinking space if you wanted to make something that was non-alcoholic and that didn't make you feel that way obviously out in any way by having that. But I don't think mindful drinking is about not embracing the fact that you want to drink. Of course they do so a number of people we've tried to ask and to. But you can add vodka to it, right? And I was like well, you can do anything you want you can do whatever you want.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Yeah, of course I mean add whatever you want to it. You know, the next slide you can see, obviously is Western Lugabee. I'm currently formulating slightly alcoholic options, but I feel like I say slightly mindful drinking options. So a fantastic body beer is very alcohol. Well, I think it should be, and so I think there are versions of all mindful tomato based drinks that we can bring out that talk there. It's actually more than just vodka. You can add many.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Tomato juice is incredibly versatile. You get Daddy Mary's, you get Baked Slappers with Chilin whiskey, bloody pirates with rum, bloody marias with tequila, like your name. Your name appears and then put it in a tomato juice and do it in a name. So there are many other options out there. So we're looking at, obviously, the fact that there are so many variations and possibly bringing out some mindful drinking spaces, but then also it's really important that we keep um saying profiles interesting and exciting. Obviously people always ask is it all going to be tomorrow juice? Well, I'm not saying forever, but for now, tomorrow's are quite complicated, they're quite specific, they're quite savory, so it's quite a complicated thing to solve. So while we are solving that and we haven't publicly solved it across all the different variations. We'll stick to that, but there are other options on the line to talking about what is delicious. Alternative and good people, you know, not necessarily a sweet drink to drink will be what we'll look at so diversification and expansion of the.

The Trailblazers Experience :

The range feels like um, it's there and where can people in the uk find your product? So if I'm looking for them, it's a very good question.

Paula Raubenheimer:

So I mean, obviously distribution is more of the toughest thing and we've been around for a pretty long time, so in the UK you can find yourself in a lot of the local independent stores, of course yes, the joys of living in the countryside, isn't it, of course?

Paula Raubenheimer:

and in the countryside because I focused initially on close by In London. We're lucky enough to be sort of a few of the really nice kind of high-end interesting food retailers, so like the Harvest, the N63. We've actually focused our attention predominantly on Hapney for now as a starting point. So in Hapney and Surround, a lot of the bodegas and really nice local corner retailers that have beautiful, interesting products are stalkinging us in sort of the happy and surrounds area and we are slowly building that out. So but if all else fails, you can find us on Amazon or you can buy directly from our website. So we are available in both of those. Funny enough, someone did see us on Amazon and I was like I'm going to check. We were on Amazon before we were launched anywhere else.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Of course, that would be where the customers and where you can get it quickly to the consumer as well.

Paula Raubenheimer:

On Amazon. You can get us on our website and we always work on that. If you taste us and you can't find us at your local shop, we will be there. We are still virtually expanding. Our focus is quite heavily on that foodie and educated foodie space, because I think that's where we're receiving a lot of traction and people kind of are keen to race new things, and so we're with Cambridge company on their shelves every now and then. I take my husband into one of two cases that we get stuck to in London and his first answer is this year foodie things are so amazing and it's incredible, producer, is that you can't find up high street stores that are in the shop. So we're very lucky to be part of those kind of stores.

The Trailblazers Experience :

That's brilliant, paula. We always end the podcast with the Trailblazer Takeaway Tips, where we ask the guests to share the pieces of advice you wish you would have known in your early 20s or 30s, or the wisdom that you want to impart with the audience about your career journey just things to help them along the way and I think my biggest advice is always find to find someone else who isn't in your business or in your direct company like, who isn't dealing with your day-to-day.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It is in a similar stage or dealing with a similar problem, it doesn't matter what it is. Just find a few parforants and be their biggest cheerleader and they will be your biggest cheerleader. Have someone that you can touch base with once a month, or maybe two weeks, once every six months, whatever works for the two of you in your relationship and say how you doing, what's going on and hear what they're experiencing and your relationship. Obviously you can have friends they have. These are. These are specific people that you have sought out because they are, they are, they're having careers. That's the different pieces to yours.

Paula Raubenheimer:

I have found having one or two of those in my life has been invaluable because they'll come from a different perspective. Their job is to tell you how the work you're doing, which is quite nice, and in this case you can't be your mom. I'm sure your mom is doing that too and that's great, but she's coming from a very personal base. You want somebody to talk to you at a business base. I've lived my whole life for that's already been being taught. But the angels are hard because obviously they've got that. You know they don't have a lot of time on their hands. As a avoid the potential for people there.

Paula Raubenheimer:

Find someone new who you can talk to freely, who is in a similar kind of space to us, and share and share, ask them and give them any of your contacts and have them do the same for you. Have those people outside of your business that you talk to so that you can just share your questions and it can expand into your personal life and how that's affecting the business. And have people in your life that you talk to about those things, because I've learned so much from other people in different industries who are going through similar things. They're like how can we do that the same? And because I come from a a tech background, often the people that probably are in tech and so they'd be doing something weird and I'd be like what that's that's so interesting, how can I use that or can I help you? Or?

Paula Raubenheimer:

I know john, he does this thing how it's been a bit of ego, so that would be. My suggestion is try and find a few people that can be those people for you. They don't have to be mentors. They can just be your peers and and and and have a sense every now and then that you, you talk to each other and you cheer each other on, because it's nothing, nothing like hearing someone else oh my gosh, that is so amazing from someone you respect and that knows them about you, versus the same. My mom is really good at cheerleading, but she doesn't always know what she's chilling about. She's so impressive I was like what sort of that's?

The Trailblazers Experience :

not gonna happen, and this is why you've got your phone as well, isn't it? Because your phone you can reach out, contact people. Social media is great for that. Linkedin's, whatever slack channels you know, knock your boots out.

Paula Raubenheimer:

There is a way for you to reach out to someone absolutely and I say I think what positive just needs to make sure that you've got a few emails that you reach out to, that you can chat to um, and I said you'll be able to share things like how you're feeling about things or you know, because whether you might not be in the same industry, you're probably feeling the same way or approaching things, what's impacting you in a similar way, and there's nothing, nothing at a different perspective, to just make you, you know, fear to be renewed or understood, something better, which is really happy amazing.

The Trailblazers Experience :

I mean, paula, this has been refreshing to have this conversation and we were brought together by a lovely lady who I also had on the podcast and connected me, just talked about the by women built community, which I think I need to join as well now, and it's just been amazing, I think, like you said, finding your tribe, finding people who are on similar journeys, who want to share their stories. That's the reason why I do the podcast. So thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to be part of it. Yeah, such a pleasure.

Paula Raubenheimer:

It's lovely and I'm coming. I'm chewing around for some tomato juice. Well, definitely.

The Trailblazers Experience :

Well, not barbecue, so you know me and food, so we could also do that too. Thank you so much. No worries, so for the audience, this has been the Trailblazers Experience podcast. Tell another woman about the podcast. You know where to find us Follow, share, like, subscribe. All those good things Until next time, bye.