‘It is in our DNA to want to make a difference in the world’
LALA Tequila is the very first Dutch tequila brand and also female-founded. In the vast majority of Dutch catering establishments, founders Iris and Ambre have gained a good foothold in the past two years. Now it’s the rest of Europe’s turn! Both ladies are currently rolling out their first sharefunding campaign. In conversation with Elegance, they talk candidly about their careers and the progress of their share-funding campaign.
Study
I: “I studied tax law, but I always had the dream of starting something for myself.”
A: “And I was actually an independent entrepreneur from an early age, haha. But just to have a piece of paper, I also completed a training course as an office manager at Schoevers.”
After college
A: “I wanted adventure, so abroad beckoned. I started working in Aruba as a Program Manager for Yoga Influencer Yoga Girl. I gave (sup) yoga lessons there. I had an incredibly wonderful time there. But after a while I started to get the itch again to move and experience new things. So I packed my bags and headed to New York to work for a non-profit that organized wellness/humanitarian programs. I also taught yoga in New York. That was such a special period in my life! When I came back to the Netherlands, because I felt the need for that again at a certain point, I took care of the management of influencer Jordi van Bussche for a while.”
I: “I started my career at Deloitte, as a tax consultant. I find puzzling really fun! I was allowed to work for Deloitte from New York for a year, where Ambre and I met again.”
First meeting
A: “We both grew up in Leiden, so we already knew each other vaguely. But we really got to know each other in New York. We bumped into each other by chance, started talking and I invited Iris for a yoga session on a roof terrace.”
I: “Yes, very zen. But that meeting also ended in a tequila-soaked brunch, haha. It turned out that we both enjoy conscious living and tequila!”
A: “We decided to combine it. The rest is history!”
Went into the sea together
I: “In 2020 we both returned to the Netherlands and were surprised by the lack of knowledge about tequila in Europe.”
A: “I got the idea for my own tequila brand just before the Covid outbreak and the infamous lockdowns. The idea came to life quite quickly. I had been to Mexico before and knew people in the tequila industry. All that was missing was someone with financial expertise and a shared passion for tequila. Iris was a very logical answer. She quickly came on board and together we launched the first Dutch tequila brand.”
The name
I: “’LA’ is the Spanish term for the feminine; two women means ‘LA’ twice which forms ‘LALA’. We also thought the LA Times logo was awesome. All this together created a good feeling and a ‘yes, this is our name’ conviction!”
Sharefunding campaign
I: “The idea for a sharefunding campaign arose when, after almost a year of searching, we still had not found an investor who was willing to invest €400,000 in our company, an amount we mainly need for new stocks and marketing purposes. We want to become the most loved tequila brand in Europe. Research by TechLeap showed at the beginning of this year that only 0.6% of all funding goes to women. A dramatic figure of course! But unfortunately we can now endorse this figure. During the conversations we had, we more than once got the idea that the rejection had nothing to do with the quality of our strategy or our foundation, but with the fact that we are both female. Most investors are men and often it is not even malicious, but they simply identify more easily with other men. Unfortunately, this means that accumulating capital as a woman is still quite a challenge in 2023. But you only fail when you stop. So we started looking for another solution!”
Platform
I: “We found that in the form of a share-funding campaign on the Broccoli platform. In the first two days we raised 64% of the total goal: €258,000. An amount that we are very happy with! After that first flying start, we now see that the campaign is making steady progress. It is no longer as fast as the first days. But every week we can commit to a number of great new investors. The amounts that people invest range from €1000 to €10,000. Because investors can start investing with just €1,000, we facilitate an accessible entry-level model for people who want to start investing, but don’t really know where to start! But whether you invest large or small; There is a great proposition ready for every investor! This way of raising funding actually feels much better. Now we are building a great investor community with a group of enthusiastic people who completely believe in our company!”
Conscious approach
A: “It is in our DNA to want to make a difference in the world. Of course I come from the yoga angle, but for Iris, ‘wanting to do good’ is just as much in her heart. Even though in the end we just sell tequila, we want to add something with what we do, employment for women for example. That is why we look carefully at the options in the field of sustainability, give as many women in Mexico as possible the opportunity to find work that suits them, and at the same time we honor the Mexican culture. We carefully consider who and what we spend our euros on.”
Mexican tradition is of paramount importance
A: “We are very conscious about how we introduce our product to the European market. What we find especially important is that we Westerners do not take the credit. We want to tell the Mexican story and bring people and cultures closer together with respect and in an organic way. For example, few people know that agaves grow for 7-12 years before they are made into tequila. Growing and processing this is really a profession. Unlike grain used for vodka and gin, agaves automatically have more story. We want to transfer this story and not take it over, because the story belongs to the Mexicans. Mexico is a country full of passion, culture, spirituality and architecture, and we want to convey and share that in everything we do.”
Driving force
I: “We want to create a brand in a male-dominated world that is not just a beverage brand, but also a lifestyle brand. We want tequila to no longer be shot at 3am, but to become a drink that you enjoy in a sophisticated way.”
A: “For this we are inspired by culture, art, travel and mental health.”
I: “Yes, and we operate in a rebellious manner. Because that suits us best.”
Strength vs weakness
I: “Oh dear. Good question! I think our strength lies in our creativity. We are both good at thinking in terms of possibilities and outside the lines. As a result, we create a new voice within the drinks world.”
A: “I think our weakness is our impatience. We have already developed our empire much, much further in our minds. But building a serious business takes time. We have figured out that much now, haha.”
Absolute highlights
I: “In terms of the result of our work: the quotations at Schiphol! And the collaboration with Heineken is also something I am incredibly proud of. Within two years! We don’t think much of that. In terms of feeling, I thought the moment when we walked through the agave fields and visited the distillery in Mexico for the first time was incredibly special.”
A: “Totally agree. In addition, I think it’s great that we can build our company by working together with friends and acquaintances. That really gives me that famous feeling, as if you are being carried. Very nice!”
Big dreams
A: “Dream number 1 is to conquer Europe. We are looking for a partnership with a large distributor who believes in our product and wants to work with us to make LALA tequila the most beloved tequila brand in Europe. If that is successful, Australia is on the agenda.
Advice
A: “If you can imagine it? So do it! Dreams and ideas are arrows that point you in the right direction. the worst that can happen is that you fail, and even then you learn a lot that you can use later. Take risks, share your dreams, because expressing ideas often opens the right doors before you know it.”
I: “Amen!”
Image: LALA Tequila
