Ask 10 entrepreneurs why they decided to establish their very own things and you’ll receive 10 different answers. For Andy Roiniotis, this got here to this: “I got tired of building brands of other people,” said the entrepreneurs.
In 2019 Rock vodkaA singular, award -winning spirit made using sugar cane and water from the place of their production in Harvard, Illinois.
During the investor’s meeting at Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Illinois, Roiniotis crossed the paths with the home music legend Rick Nielsen, the principal guitarist and the leader of cheap trick. Nielsen is known for writing hits resembling “I Want You Want Me” and slamming his iconic five-dump guitar, but he is not so well-known that he is also an experienced business investor. “I like things that do not disappoint and I like things in which I do not have to do any work,” he says with laughter.
Roiniotis put Nielsen as a partner in Rock’n Vodka, and Nielsen replied that he would have an interest in two conditions: 1. He needed to be great and 2. He needed to create a job in Illinois. Vodka delivered at each points, and five years later, won many awards, is distributed in 17 states, Canada and Europe 2400 locations including Walmart, Costco and Total Wine, and is offered in iconic places resembling Hard Rock, Rock & Brews and The Now Arena casinos.
The incontrovertible fact that it is made of sugar cane and has a rock star icon because one of its principal owners is not the only unique thing in this brand. Fans of rock’n vodka are not only in a position to absorb it, but they may also Invest in it. Until now, the company has collected $ 2.4 million from over 1,600 investors.
The entrepreneur talked to Roiniotis and Nielsen about the beginnings, growth and future prospects of the brand. You can watch the entire conversation in this film (this is equal to informative and hilarious parts) and read the distinctions below, which have been edited in terms of length and transparency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTSETRSMX4
Entrepreneur: What distinguishes rock’n?
Andy Roiniotis: Well, there are many vodkas, and most are made of corn, potatoes or wheat. There are very few sugar cane vodkas in the world. We are not GMO, 4 times gluten-free and distilled-a resultation is a smooth finish with a nice sweet taste. We were born in Rockford, Illinois, and then we moved production to Harvard, Illinois, where we acquire our water.
Rick, was vodka a big part of your rock’roll life?
Rick Nielsen: I’ll inform you a story. We were an opening act for Queen for two concert events in 1977, before our first record appeared. They heard our things and liked them. So I used to be invited by Roger Taylor, a drummer from Queen, to his house in England. We went to a place called Nikita, which was a frozen vodka. And then … it’s the very last thing I remember. [Laughs]
Have you made a lot of performances in the store-how cheap Fans of Tricks compare with fans of rock’n vodka?
AR: Almost every signing of the bottles we made was a sale. We did the whole lot from Costco and grocery stores to Hard Rock casinos throughout the country. They bought 4,000 bottles at Hard Rock Tampa and 3000 in Hard Rock in Hollywood. Sometimes people appear on vodka, sometimes on Rick Nielsen or each.
RN: I treat everyone equally terribly.[Laughs]And my magazine is equally terrible. I tell people when I sign a bottle: “Don’t worry – I can’t read it either.” And these are our fans and our investors.
Tell us a bit about this unique investor configuration.
AR: We have over 1,600 investors in our company. The minimum investment is currently around USD 320. Everyone can discover about it at Invest.rockvodkas.com. About 650,000 shares remain. Originally we began from 2 million. All this is regulated by the Security and Stock Exchange Commission under the Regulation on Social financing (REG CF). You can invest until around June or when the shares will probably be sold out.
You branch out of vodka. Can you tell us about it?
AR: We made a three way partnership from Kennay Farms Distilling. And not only we will sell their products, their genie and their whiskey, but they have over 3,000 aging barrels. We were also in a position to create our own bourbon. And we allow fans to assist us name it on our website. Currently, Five Bourbon is one of the best selections. This is of course Ode to the legendary guitar of five -person Rick.
RN: Wearing this rattling guitar made it two inches shorter. [Laughs]
Loan: Rock vodka
What is your advice for beginner entrepreneurs?
AR: The creator of the puzzle is my task, right? I have all those puzzles that Rick Nielsen throws me. Celebrities, places, all these connections. We all have such connections that could seem random, but you made them together. If you do not play well and you do not use these puzzle elements, you are never going anywhere.
RN:I counsel, don’t hand over. Don’t hearken to Nysayers because everyone will inform you that it’s a silly idea. I began playing the guitar and never gave up. Now I’m too old and too silly to quit smoking! And write down your ideas. I write the whole lot and keep every scrap metal. I wrote songs in which I didn’t have the right part of the bridge as much as 20 years later. This happened with “Dream Police”. Take care of the whole lot, you’ll be able to divide it later. I had more bad ideas than good, but I had many ideas.