Where does sort of your consumer insights come at odds with, let's say, the production side of the master distiller's expertise? And how do you determine which way to go when you might

disagree? Well, that's a great question.

And actually, I think, you know, listen, initially, We didn't have consumers.

We had me.

And, you know, and then I was able to do taste tests among like my peers.

That's all I could do.

So I think the reason I brought her on is because I thought she would really understand our consumer and especially what I was looking for and bring my vision to life.

This

[laughing]

Ba-based on that and my limited knowledge of the industry, which is true.

Um, so, uh, my, my career had many pivots.

I have, uh, an accounting background, and then, um, I practiced law for many years, um, in a very large Chicago law firm, uh, then worked in corporate strategy at a Fortune five hundred company.

And then when I became, um, pregnant with my oldest, who are great now, but twins, I ended up on emergency bed rest and left my corporate career kind of...

It came to a screeching halt really abruptly because I, um, was on emergency bed rest and had preemie twins and made the decision, uh, to stay home.

Nothing I ever foresaw, but, but lucky I had that option.

Like how, how many samples did you have to taste [laughs] before you at some point in time determined, "Yes, this is the one"?

And Susan was on bed rest for 12 weeks, by the

way.

Yes.

So I was on bed rest for three and a half months.

So very similar.

So that was quite another journey.

But yeah, when I had these preemie twins, I just thought they really needed my attention.

But what do you see next for the category, number one? And then I want to back up with a question is anything that we discussed today that you would like to bring to the audience to convey?

Looking back, what experiences or defining moments most shaped the leader and founder you've become today?

I love that question because I like that you included being a mom in that.

So I feel like I learned things and skills throughout my career and all of those different avenues.

So in law, I feel like I really learned the skill set of both Looking at things at a high level strategic viewpoint and also really meticulous like detail oriented, which I think it kind of requires both as a founders during your own company.

McDonald's working corporate strategy really opened my eyes to like consumer insights and being really customer centric, which is something that was a little bit different for me, especially because I felt like it brought some like marketing elements in that I did not have a background and I have an accounting and legal background.

So that's something kind of new.

So how do we focus really on the customer and their wants and needs and like how do we speak to them and speak to them like really authentically? And then there are a lot of skills I honed as a stay-at-home mom that I think are directly applicable.

And

We're gonna start with Mara, of how you got into the tequila business and leading up to the moment you met Kim, and then we'll have Kim tell her version.

Perfect.

Yes.

I often wonder how I got into this business as well.

I was a lawyer at a large law firm many, many years ago.

I then transitioned to work in corporate strategy, uh, at McDonald's Corporation, and then was a stay-at-home mom for over 16 years.

So three kids later, and I knew I wanted to start my own company, and I decided it was going to be a tequila company, pretty much for two reasons.

It sure makes a difference to have friends you can count on.