Sip of Success: Merrilee Kick’s Recipe for Building a Billion Dollar Beverage Empire

Описание: In this energizing episode of Her Money Moves, Staci LaToison sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur Merrilee Kick, the founder and CEO of BuzzBallz. From her early days as a high school teacher to launching one of the most recognizable brands in ready-to-drink cocktails, Merrilee shares the gutsy journey of turning a business school project into a beverage empire.

Together, Staci and Merrilee talk about business risk, resilience, and raising capital as a woman in a male-dominated industry. You’ll hear candid reflections on overcoming challenges, innovating through adversity, and how BuzzBallz became a household name—all with a Texas-sized dose of humor and heart. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just love a good underdog story, this episode will leave you buzzing with inspiration.

Key Insights & Timestamps
[00:00]: Podcast begins
[04:15]: How BuzzBallz Got Its Start
[08:32]: Funding a Business with a Teacher Salary
[16:10]: Owning Manufacturing & Creating Jobs
[25:46]: Being a Woman in the Industry
[38:02]: Staying Humble While Scaling Big

Guest Spotlight: Merrilee Kick
Merrilee Kick is the powerhouse founder and CEO of BuzzBallz, one of the few woman-owned and operated alcohol manufacturers in the U.S. Her entrepreneurial journey began while working as a high school principal, turning a graduate class project into a multimillion-dollar beverage brand. Known for her bold spirit and relentless work ethic, Merrilee has transformed BuzzBallz into a globally recognized company—all while advocating for women in business, sustainability, and American-made manufacturing. With a focus on innovation, empowerment, and doing things her own way, Merrilee is proof that audacity and grit can create something legendary.

Key Takeaways
●Resourcefulness and Self-Reliance are Foundational: "We grew up having to um make something out of nothing. And I think that was the spark that was embedded in me at a young age". Merilee's early life taught her to be self-sufficient, which was vital in the initial stages of BuzzBallz where she had to handle every aspect of the business herself.

●Necessity Drives Innovation: Facing potential divorce and needing financial independence was a significant motivator for starting her business. "I have to have some financial freedom and financial independence. I have to be able to take care of myself and rely on myself only, you know and I have to provide for my kids and my family”.

●Embrace Vertical Integration for Control: "What that means is making the container, putting the label on the container, doing the batching, filling it, prepping it, you know, boxing it, getting it ready for sale, and then supporting the sales team out in the market, and then advertising it to the consumers". Merilee emphasized the importance of controlling the entire production process to avoid reliance on others' lead times and issues.

●Innovation and Branding are Key to Standing Out: Merilee aimed to create a unique product in a distinctive ball-shaped container. "I just created something that I wanted. a ready to drink cocktail in a ball shape that was safe for the pool. Make consumers buy it by the ball instead of a fourpack or a six-pack”. The name "BuzzBallz" was intentionally catchy and memorable, linked to the product's shape.

●Perseverance Through Obstacles is Essential: "It hasn't been an easy road and you just have to learn how to overcome those obstacles along the way". Merilee faced numerous setbacks, including funding rejections and distributor challenges, but continued to push forward.

●Delegation Comes After Mastery: "What I learned by doing everything myself was that it's difficult, but it's easier for me then later once I know how to do everything in the company to transform that into somebody else's job, you know, and delegate that" . Her initial hands-on experience allowed her to effectively train and delegate tasks as the company grew.

●Strategic Planning for an Exit is Crucial: Merilee and her husband, who became her CFO, set revenue benchmarks and conducted SWOT analyses to prepare the company for a potential sale years in advance. Understanding the process of building a data room and creating a CIM (company information memorandum) were key steps.