Light Up People From The Inside: Frank Golbeck - No.115

Frank Golbeck, founder of Golden Coast Mead, talks with artist-host Taylor Gallegos about mead as “sunlight you can drink,” surfing, magic, regeneration, and the long game of building a creative, values-driven business.Links - goldencoastmead.com - Join the email list!!! @GoldenCoastMead  -The Regenerative Mead PodcastEPISODE OVERVIEWFrank shares how his mission is to “light people up from the inside” with mead, creating experiences where people feel beauty, connection, and awe—whether at farmers markets, art tents, or through a bottle on a store shelf. He and Taylor explore how to translate that in-person magic into branding, storytelling, and education so customers feel the depth of the product even when Frank isn’t there pouring.WHAT MEAD IS (AND WHY IT’S MAGIC)Frank describes mead as the alcohol you get when you ferment honey with water and yeast—a drink humans have enjoyed for tens of thousands of years, from African hunter-gatherers and the Mayans to Celtic druids, Shakespeare, and Beowulf. He frames mead as “a million flower visits in a bottle,” an ecosystem in a glass that can be playful, medicinal, and even used as a tool for spiritual or shamanic-style journeys when approached with intention.ORIGIN STORY AND BUILDING GOLDEN COAST MEADFrank’s first memory of mead is watching his grandfather transform a grumpy customer into a laughing storyteller with two tiny tasters, which he interpreted as a real-life potion. Years later, his grandfather’s last bottle inspired a golden, “California sunset” evening with his partner (now wife), which led him to decide to share that feeling with the world and eventually turn it into a business after time in the Navy.He walks through:* Collecting honeys around the world while deployed and realizing each honey reflects a distinct ecosystem.* Starting tiny with 5-gallon home batches before contracting with a local winery to make their first 1,000-bottle commercial run.* Spending years dialing in pricing, cash flow, and business model while often only paying themselves minimum wage.