We were lucky to catch up with KC Hensley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, KC thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

So early in our business we had literally met and knew where every bottle of our product was. We were only in operation for a couple weeks and had lined up a couple SMALL restaurants, bars and breweries that would carry our michelada mix and had done a couple farmers markets and sold maybe a total of 100 bottles if not far less. We were starting to line up accounts and were speaking with customer service with a company out of Wisconsin. For context we live in Austin. When she asked us the name of our business I typed out Momo’s Michelada Mix and the customer service rep responded with “OMG I love your mix! My husband and I bought a bottle.” to which I said you’re probably mistaking us for someone else. and then she said “No, I am looking at the bottle right now. Momo’s Michelada Mix made in Austin Tx.” Imagine my shock and still in disbelief. I responded asking how the she tried it and she lives in Wisconsin. She said that “she had been visiting Austin and had gone into a ramen restaurant and thought why is a ramen place selling a michelada so it must be interesting and ordered it.” She and her husband loved it to much that they begged the ramen restaurant to sell them a bottle so that they could drink them at home in Wisconsin. I was obviously dumbfounded. To imagine being in business for only a couple weeks, not selling online, only a couple on-premise accounts in a sea of amazing Austin restaurants and bars, and this chance encounter with a customer service rep in Wisconsin knew and owned my product was astounding. We will never forget that encounter.
It goes to show that every effort that you put into your business could have a ripple effect that you have no control over.

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 back background and context?

I am KC Hensley from Pocatello, ID originally now residing in Austin, TX for the last 11 years. I am a Navy Veteran and entrepreneur. I am now in the CPG industry as the owner of Momo’s Michelada Mix, but how I got into this industry was by way of bartending, and a trip to Nicaragua that inspired me to create a new version of a classic cocktail that has not been widely adopted by Americans and the few that know what it is, make it in a less than fantastic way. My adventures coupled with my bartending prowess led me to create this consumer product and follow it through to see where it would go.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My co-founder and business partner and partner in life and mother of my soon to be baby is Marisa aka “Momo” She and I met when I was bartending at a bar in Austin on East 6th st. called Violet Crown Social Club. She was a beautiful energy with interest in me, but figured I wasn’t good for her as she stereotyped me as “he’s probably a player” in her words. I had asked her to come back and see me during one of my slower shifts so that we could talk a little more and she agreed that she would. That day she kept me waiting and waiting. Every time the door opened I got a little excited thinking it was her like a puppy dog waiting for their best friend to come home. She never came that day. About 2 weeks later she walked in and there I was ready to confront her why she stood me up that day. She said she figured I wasn’t actually caring if she came back and was just being nice to each other for the sake of it. I told her I had really wanted to see her again and I wouldn’t let her leave without being able to reach out again in the future. We exchanged numbers and it’s been the two of us vs the world ever since.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

We are listed on our own site as well as Amazon. Amazon is obviously an amazing platform, but I strongly recommend you speak to a mentor or friend that is familiar with Amazon. A local friend showed us the ropes with Amazon and the best way I would like to describe working with Amazon that she told me that resonated and rings true is to think of Amazon as a huge brick and mortar store. You will have to factor in the cost as if you are using a distributor and the store also needs to get their cut. Your margins aren’t going to be what they are on your own site, but they are the market that everyone is using and they will bring you new customers. Also there is a program called Vine where you send your product for free to “Viners” and they will leave you an honest review. If your product is going to outshine the competition and get those 5 star reviews, I strongly encourage you to use that to get started. Lastly another misconception I had about fulfilled by Amazon is that you had to ship them pallets worth of products, but you can ship very small amounts to get started.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.momosmicheladamix.com
• Instagram: @momosmichelada
• Facebook: @momosmichelada
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kchensley/
• Twitter: @momosmichelada
• Other: Amazon https://a.co/d/674UBTu