Cason Crane, founder Cold brew explorer“He was instilled with a very strong sense of adventure from an early age,” he says Entrepreneur. Both of his parents instilled this passion in him, but Crane credits his late mother, Isabella de la Houssaye, as the “leader” who inspired him to travel to over 100 countries and participate in reality shows Race for survival in Alaskaconquer Seven Summits as the first openly LGBTQ+ person and launch her coffee brand in Brooklyn – all before the age of 30.
Image credit: Courtesy of Explorer Cold Brew. Cason Crane.
Crane set himself the goal of conquering the Seven Summits after climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with his mother, and when he was 19 and 20 years old, he did just that, conquering the tallest mountain on each continent with a Pride flag in hand. “She was the first explorer,” Crane says of her mother. “She was my advisor for Explorer Cold Brew. So she was the inspiration for the adventures we undertook.”
The idea for Explorer Cold Brew, which offers a drink ranging from 99% caffeine free to 300 milligrams per serving, got here to Crane during the pandemic. My husband introduced him to cold brew and became a huge fan, having fun with it into the afternoon, but it kept them each up at night. When Crane’s husband suggested he switch to decaf coffee – and Crane’s therapist really helpful that he find a hobby that might allow him to make use of his business acumen – he had a “moment of epiphany.”
A fast search on Amazon revealed many cold brew options on the market, but none of them were decaf. At the time, Crane was working as a consultant for Bain, so he immediately went into research mode, wanting to seek out out what percentage of coffee drinkers were decaf drinkers. As it seems, There are 10% of them.and American consumers spent $110 billion on coffee in 2022, in line with data National Coffee Association — which meant a huge portion of buyers were ignored.
But Crane didn’t just need to launch a caffeine-free cold drink: he desired to create a “caffeine-conscious” cold drink company that might let consumers select their very own adventure. So that is what he did. In 2021, Explorer Cold Brew launched a direct sales model (DTC) using a low barrier to entry, first on its website and then on Amazon.
Image credit: Courtesy of Explorer Cold Brew
“It has become clear to me that the ground is falling apart when it comes to e-commerce.”
However, Crane mentions that the e-commerce landscape was already changing. “It became clear to me that the ground was starting to shake when it came to e-commerce,” he explains, “and that this business model, which had been growing rapidly over the past five years or so, was potentially headed in the wrong direction.”
Crane knew it was time think outside the box – a lesson that is as necessary in business as in mountaineering, he says. He knew Explorer Cold Brew needed to diversify its customer base, and he was willing to make some personal sacrifices to do so. So when he received a DM on Instagram from a casting agent inviting him to look on a USA Network reality show Race for survival in Alaskahe reluctantly got here up with an idea he would have otherwise rejected.
The show required two-person teams; his sister Bella can be his mate. “Just to be clear, my sister works in finance. I have a coffee company,” Crane says. “Then, [I’d climbed Everest] Ten years ago. Besides, you do not light a fire when you climb Everest. You won’t look for food. So yes, I did things outdoors; I’m a very talented mountaineer, but that does not make me a survivalist. I would like to make clear this because sometimes people forget this distinction.”
“Thank God I watched some YouTube videos on how to start a fire.”
Despite his hesitation, they applied, and six months later he and his sister were invited to Washington state for a final evaluation. “Thank God I watched some YouTube videos on how to start a fire,” Crane says. “I was practicing on the balcony of my apartment in Brooklyn, which I think almost burned the building down, but luckily it didn’t. I tried to exercise in the bathtub and I made the bathtub dirty.” The duo gave it their all, and two months later they received a contract and tickets to fly to Alaska in 48 hours.
Crane didn’t go into much detail about this experience and relied on his knowledge of other adventure shows comparable to Survivor, he thought they might only spend a week or two there at most. But the brother-sister duo raced to survive for two months, during which Crane often represented the company in a hat with the brand’s logo – and had no contact with the Explorer Cold Brew team.
“I was in the Alaskan desert, literally starving and racing to survive,” Crane recalled. “It’s a bit like an adventure race – think about it Amazing racewilderness, map and compass – and then half Naked and scared“
After two months in the desert, Crane and his sister placed third in the competition.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Explorer Cold Brew
“[It’s so important to] find individuals who support you and with whom you’ll be able to work.
Crane says entrepreneurship, like climbing, is not a solo sport, and while he was away from the company, his team stepped up, maintaining operations and ultimately allowing the brand to focus on grocery distribution. “In mountain climbing [an effective team] it literally means life or death,” Crane says. “And in business, maybe it’s not a matter of life or death per se, but it’s the life or death of the enterprise. [It’s so important to] find people who support you and with whom you can work“
Experience further Race for survival in Alaska Crane says it was “much more real and dangerous” than he expected, and unfortunately, when the show aired a year later with 600,000 viewers tuning in each Monday night, Explorer Cold Brew’s impact on brand awareness was almost non-existent. Even Crane’s personal Instagram following has remained relatively unchanged, he says. “It was a huge bummer for me at first,” Crane admits, “because it was one of the most miserable things I’ve ever done. Certainly apart from starting your own company [it was] the hardest thing I’ve ever done, much harder than Everest.
But the tables would be turned. About a month after the program aired, Crane attended a food fair where many shoppers approached him, recognizing him from Race for survival in Alaska. It just so happened that the demographic that watched the show wasn’t that active on Instagram; he thought TV appearances would help increase the brand’s DTC and social footprint, but that ultimately translated to distribution deals. Today, Explorer Cold Brew is available in over 1,000 stores, has generated over $5 million in sales and has an annual growth rate of 81%.
“Even if something doesn’t work the way you expected or predicted, it doesn’t mean it was a mistake,” Crane says. (*5*)
“For the most part, it’s actually a reflection of what else might happen.”
Crane’s journey as a mountaineer and entrepreneur also taught him that attempt to never quit on peoplewhether it’s a stranger you are dating or a client. He cites one relevant anecdote as an example: When he was 19, while climbing Denali with his Pride flag, a group of veterans harassed him for being gay. Later, when one other group of veterans approached him on one other climb, Crane feared they could react similarly. However, this second group of veterans was very supportive, even taking a photo of the flag to send back to LGBTQ+ veterans and armed forces personnel, Crane says.
“Most of the time it’s really a reflection of what else might happen, their prior biases, or the history they’re dealing with,” Crane adds. “AND [it’s important] accept it for your personal mental health, but also attempt to never quit on anyone.”
On the business side, Crane, who still interacts with customers repeatedly, has occasionally encountered indignant buyers and has discovered a tactic to defuse the situation that is 100% effective: make the person feel heard. “No one is too far away,” Crane explains. “They just cared; they wanted to love it. It’s a slightly different context, of course, but not giving up on the person – certainly not ignoring them, actually reaching out to them, trying to understand what their pain is and taking a step towards fixing it. People want to be heard. They want to have a good experience.
“Then there are things you do to enjoy getting out of bed every morning.”
Crane wasn’t afraid to lean into what sets him apart when conquering the Seven Summits, and he does the same in business, encouraging entrepreneurs to take a similar approach – to include what makes your brand stand out. “It’s Pride Month,” notes Crane, and Explorer Cold Brew is a proudly LGBTQ-owned business. The company is certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and works exclusively with queer organizations and artists, including singer, songwriter and actor Troye Sivan, comedian Matt Rogers and the gender-inclusive cycling team Bad Pony Racing. Over the years, Crane has also raised greater than $200,000 for the foundation Trevor’s projectthe leading nonprofit suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
Crane acknowledges that not every customer will support Explorer Cold Brew because of its partnerships, but he is committed to running a business that reflects his values. “It definitely helps keep me going every day,” Crane says. “There are stuff you do as a business owner to make sure your organization’s financial success, and there are also stuff you do to enjoy getting away from bed every morning. I think it is important as a business owner to do each.”