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.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithleahmills
I hope you enjoyed this episode!
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– Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team
Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/
Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/
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Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.