Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua & Noelle Locke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joshua & Noelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

We LOVE to make health taste great–and this is at the center of our passion in making kombucha.  Wheatgrass and apple cider vinegar shots may be trending en vogue as superfoods right now, but those can be hard things to wrap our tongues and tummies around for newbs to the health block.  We know that starting and keeping up with a healthy lifestyle is more than just taking in the “good stuff”. . . it’s a wholistic journey designed for the long haul of life.   Many times, people immediately think “ewww” or “it must taste gross” or “do I have to?” when learning something is “healthy” or “good for them.”  We want people to experience the culinary beauty and joy that intersect with making healthy choices, and that includes gut-boosting kombucha!  Our kombucha is hand-crafted with unique flavours that invite you into a lifestyle of slowing down, enjoying the beauty of good things in your life, whilst also boosting your immune system and loving on your body for the amazing temple it is.  We really do love making health taste great!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

We are a husband and wife team who are both U.S. Air Force veterans-turned entrepreneurs. After getting stationed in Alaska and choosing to call it “home,” we launched Aurora Kombucha in 2020 to start bringing our great-tasting komba to the masses. Our business originally started out as a creative kitchen project to quench our own thirst for something both healthy AND delicious.

When mainstream Americans hear of kombucha (“come-boo-cha”), we found that most people either hadn’t heard of it–OR they associated it with a nasty, alien-esque vinegar tincture. We would see kombucha-curious folks be told by health food enthusiasts, ‘This stuff is good for you–you should drink it!’ but we saw that people weren’t convinced.

With a creepily pungent and mysterious reputation, we saw many longing for healthy-living options turn their noses and walk the other direction, misinformed about a fun drink that could easily support their health in a really simple way.

Noelle is a major foodie, tea connoisseur, and the brewmaster behind every single flavour at Aurora Kombucha, and is a passionate advocate about making healthy choices be a POSITIVE, enjoyable experience for all–especially when it comes to food.

We know people may have options at the store when it comes to drinking kombucha, but we want to offer people a culinary experience that invites them to a moment of self-care and holy pause–that also blesses their physical body with health.

After we first encountered kombucha as a healthy drink option in California, (Noelle’s) curiosity and longing for her favorite familiar bubbly got her into brewing her own when we got stationed overseas in Japan in 2015. Soon, the small batches she made out of her little Japanese kitchen turned into experimenting with multiple flavors over the years–and Joshua encouraged her to share their passion for something healthy AND delicious with others.

“When I drink (our) kombucha, it’s a real treat–both for me and my gut. I found that every time we opened one of our bottles at home, I would pour it over some ice in a fancy wine glass, and Joshua and I would sit and catch up on our day,” Noelle said. “It became a healthy way of living that helped us BOTH to slow down, be present with each other, and help our guts all at the same time,” she said.

Joshua remains the business mastermind behind all the sales, logistics, and outreach. Noelle is the passionate brewmaster behind all the creatively yummy kombucha flavors you’ll taste on tap or in bottles. One thing that motivates us is connecting each customer to an amazing culinary experience in each sip–and having it be a really positive experience that moves our fans into a healthier way of life. Providing something healthy and wholesome is so important to us, and we love sharing that with others through our kombucha!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When we started selling kombucha, we were limited to selling under a “cottage food license.” This license was the easiest option for us to start selling our komba immediately to our Alaskan community–but it also meant we were limited to selling it (ourselves) directly to the customer. There was no selling it to any third party with this license–which meant people were not able to go into any store they liked to purchase it off the shelf, nor could they simply order it in a restaurant or any other healthy-lifestyle vendor in town. We were entirely limited to making it, bottling it, and selling it ourselves every free night and weekend we had available. It became exhausting!

By the end of 2021, we could not keep up the pace of making all the kombucha ourselves–especially after working a full-time job during the day, and then spending our nights and weekends selling kombucha. In early 2022, we decided to pivot.

It was a major financial risk for us moving forward, but we were so excited for what it would mean for our kombucha fans! The process has been painstakingly arduous and has gone much slower than expected, but running all the details down and patiently preparing everything has set us up for an exciting launch product launch. We’re expecting bottles to hit stores in Summer of 2023, so stay tuned on our social channels for the latest deets!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

One of the biggest resources that helped us get our business started was reading through Donald Miller’s book, “Building Your Story Brand.” Despite Noelle being a Public Affairs Officer in the Air Force, marketing was never part of her education or experience. This book really opened our eyes and pointed us in the right direction to get us up and running. It’s got some really practical advice to help businesses know where to start in order to set yourself up for success. As we worked through each chapter, we began to figure out what to prioritize in getting our company started. It’s definitely not an end-all-be-all (education is always an on-going journey!), but we’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of starting their own company.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.aurorakombucha.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorakombucha/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuroraKombucha
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
Photos taken by Joshua & Noelle Locke, and Mariah Black (with J & N Locke in the picture)