{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Profits on Purpose","title":"SE01E37 Scaling a Premium RTD Brand Without Full-Time Employees | The Original Southside | Meredith Mills-Merritt","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/b4125ff1\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3217,"description":"What happens when your gut says yes and every financial data point says run? Meredith Mills-Merritt, Founder and CEO of The Original Southside, found out firsthand when she signed a six-figure Florida Panthers sponsorship just months after brick-and-mortar launch — no CFO, no full-time staff, and a friends-and-family round that had barely closed. In this episode, Meredith walks Nate through the financial tightrope of scaling a premium RTD cocktail brand at speed: how she pitched distributors before she had consumer demand data, why she ignored the advice to go slow, and what it actually costs when you keep the wrong person on payroll three months too long. She also shares her surprisingly rigorous approach to tracking ROI on brand-building spend — and the Hampton polo event that worked brilliantly one summer and completely flopped the next. If you're a founder trying to balance mission, margin, and momentum, this one is for you.Connect with Meredith here: Website: https://www.drinksouthsides.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithleahmillsI hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast teamConnect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletterListen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087#profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/_cxG7RO1ZcnYwGXI1jP4ZK-pmU86wobwOhFfT9k5yjU/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kYTEz/MDg5MzFhZjJlMzkw/MDkxNDRlYzkyNWQx/ZGIzYi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}