Ben Soffer, the Instagram celebrity behind @boywithnojob, discussed the development of his upstart wine-based cocktail brand Spritz Society, how his expertise in influencer marketing helped shape the brand’s vision and business strategy, why authenticity is a common theme in everything he does and how he got up to speed as a first-time beverage entrepreneur.

In this episode, the hosts discussed recent headlines on BevNET and NOSH, including how prebiotic soda brand Poppi leveraged its presence on TikTok in support of a recent $13.5 million round of capital, why MTN DEW’s limited-edition Flamin’ Hot variety works (whether we like it or not) and the potential pitfalls of brand positioned as a better-for-you Hot Pocket.

Vice Ventures founder Catharine Dockery spoke about the massive opportunity for CPG categories, such as cannabis, alcohol and sexual wellness, that have traditionally been shunned by institutional investors, how her firm utilizes non-traditional data to make informed decisions, why she believes a shakeup in beverage alcohol distribution is on its way and why she spends most of her day engaging in new business pitches.

David Klavsons, the CEO of King Juice, the maker of Calypso, spoke about how the company has leveraged its well-recognized lemonade brand, key distribution partnerships and consumer demand for low sugar formulations to achieve rapid and consistent growth in recent years.