After growing up swimming, jumping out of half-built houses onto dirt piles, ducking from soccer balls and playing backyard spud, Becca Schepps graduated to becoming a Cat 1/2 crit racer and co-owner of the team LA Sweat, a women's cycling team equally dedicated to femininity and badassery.  So, when she was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic she was a bit shocked and started searching for a re-hydrating solution after races that wouldn’t wobble her insulin levels. Cut to finding kombucha, falling in love with it, and using herself as a guinea pig in an experiment that involved 16 bottles and NO post-drink insulin injection.  Just a few short years later, the full-time creative director and ad copywriter are selling her creation, Mortal Kombucha, in stores throughout Boulder, Colorado, and even all the way up in Oregon and Washington.

Can you tell our readers about your background? 

My background is what happens when you’re super curious and a tad bit obsessive. I honed the professional side of myself working as a creative director/copywriter in advertising. Simultaneously, I was always very into competitive sports with a splash of group fitness. I raced road and cyclocross as a Cat 1, and I rowed crew at UW-Madison. Plus, I love any kind of HIIT class where you aren’t supposed to compete, but come on, of course you do. Orangetheory? Shred45? Crossfit? Peloton? Sign me up.  

What inspired you to start your business?
I worked as an advertising Creative Director on a lot of CPG brands. And everyone wants to claim “good-for-you”. I was working for an agency to get the packaging dialed in for a new brand trying to make this claim and we could not get wording past their legal team. I was holding a kombucha in my hand at the time and thought, “this thing is good for me, how does it say it?” And that's when I saw that this drink said in its ingredients that it was made with 100% purified love. I think it had been the countless iterations, plus working late hours, but I immediately launched into how I was going to start a kombucha company with NO LOVE. Then I made Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombucha jokes. And from there - I made a website, mocked up some fake products and started making silly punny posts on social media

Where is your business based?
We are based out of Boulder, Colorado.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I “started” my business before it was a business. It started with a pun and me making a website to house what I believed was a hilarious joke. From there I made funny names for products -- all laddering up to my AGGRESSIVE kombucha company. Once people started buying the kombucha, that's when I realized - uh oh, I guess I should figure out how to make kombucha.  I immediately went to a beer supply store in town and asked them how to make kombucha, and from there just said yes a lot. I fell forward and asked a lot of questions, and always tried to find solutions rather than marinate in problems.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Stores. Doors. And social media partnerships. The most important thing has been making sure we can surround and penetrate an area, and then finding ways to amplify areas that we have a deep saturation in and drive people to the stores. There’s definitely a cart and horse situation for us and oftentimes we’ve done one before the other.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Our biggest challenge is always growth and scaling. We’re always trying to figure out what systems, processes, people and products we need to create, do and hire to get to that next level. The most challenging thing for me as the CEO is existing where we are now as a company - putting in the work in the present and waiting… while also being laser focused on the future and knowing we need to be a rocketship, constantly transforming and adapting to get there. I don’t know if you can solve this. I’m constantly talking to my mentors trying to gather as many experiences and anecdotes as possible. I ask my mentors everything, even dumb stuff.

How do you stay focused?
Squirrel.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
We create beverages that fight death. We have a different tone and look when it comes to the longevity/health and wellness space. It's a bit harder, a bit more fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. We want to make healthy as fun as the unhealthy brands do.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Sales. My sales guy is gonna love this.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Be curious - you never know where you’ll find inspiration or a solution to a problem you don’t know you have yet.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I’m definitely a tiktok fan. I love laughing. My favorite book is called The Art of Looking Sideways.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
LinkedIn. Is that lame? But it’s the easiest way to discover new interesting people who you can help or may help you on your journey. 

Who is your business role model? Why?
Kris Jenner. I think the people who love her will understand and the people who hate her won’t read this. So I’ll leave it at that. 

How do you balance work and life?
All at once. I’m a new mom, and a CEO and can’t keep my hands out of other projects I want to have an opinion on. It’s a lot, but I love working and creating things out of nothing.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?
BravoTV, naps and exercise. Maybe all at once.

What do you have planned for the next six months?
Grow. Grow. Grow. Grow. Grow. 

How can our readers connect with you?
On social media I’m @bescka, or they can hop over to mortalkombucha.com to meet me and the booch.