We were lucky to catch up with Carmaleita Willis Lyght recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carmaleita Lyght, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Wow, this is most definitely a loaded question!

I am the owner and lead bartender of Lyght House Cocktails, mobile bartending services and I absolutely LOVE my job! Bartending and putting a smile on a person’s face is one of my greatest joys. Through the years, I have created a ton of signature specialties, both in cocktail and mocktail form for guests. After being told several times over I should bottle and package them up, I decided to do just that. And from that, Inspiring Spirits was born. I would collaborate with my clients to create a vision of something that would create a taste sensation, that would leave mouths salivating and thirsting for more. Once I decided to create more of these on my own, I often times thought about the void in the market for amazing, flavorful drinks beverages. To me, it wasn’t enough to just have a drink. I really wanted to connect with fruits, herbs and spices. So I set out on a mission to do just that. And so the journey began.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that, can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Hello! My name is Carmaleita Willis Lyght, and I am the founder of Inspiring Spirits. A premium beverage mixers company, established in 2018. While crafting libations has been a passion of mine for many years, the true joy comes from the stories and sensory experiences my clients have taken with me when they take that very first sip! I say “with me,” because there have been times where I have been able to personally witness the “first sip” via my bartending company, Lyght House Cocktails, and being onsite to deliver that beverage.

As the owner and lead bartender of Lyght House Cocktails, I love bartending and making people happy (responsibly of course). The trade of bartending is a skill my father, affectionately known as Joe Willis, taught me years ago. My experiences with people have taught me many things, one being to dream and hold fast to your belief and will to get things done; for if one loses that, they will in turn lose the will to succeed.

It is my absolute pleasure to pass the joy of creating flavorful fun on to others! My hope is that other “inspiration makers” will be inspired not only to craft a signature specialty that satisfies, but also that he or she will be inspired to let their own passion and creativity soar to higher heights unknown. Enjoy the journey, share the process, and inspire on…CHEERS!

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit in 2020, my primary source of income, Lyght House Cocktails, took a major hit. Events that were lined up for the year had to either be moved or cancelled. Even though Inspiring Spirits had gone through all of the proper channels to be formally and legally recognized as a business, I was not currently selling product through the business; it was only being used as an upsale for Lyght House Cocktails events. I had however, been working diligently on establishing my logo, branding and packaging materials. So, when Covid hit, it was the perfect opportunity to move forward with a seasonal box service, that would allow me to ship product directly to consumers. The seasonal packages are outfitted with three 5 ounce mixers, garnish, a digital recipe card and the occasional gift. At the onset of Coivd, many people were not coming in contact with others outside of their immediate household. This became the perfect solution to share my love for creating with the public, without having to do so face to face.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The initial capital needed to fund Inspiring Spirits, came by way of Lyght House Cocktails. When I started Inspiring Spirits, I had been earmarking funds so that I’d have the seed money to get IS off the ground.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inspiringspirits.co
• Instagram: @inspiringspiritsco
• Facebook: facebook.com/inspiringspiritsco
• Linkedin: Carmaleita Lyght
• Youtube: Inspiring Spirits

Image Credits
LaJoy Photography Bites and Bevs