Podcast Summary: Beyond Blind Blaming

Episode: Scale Your Brand Fast: How Adam Kroener Disrupted the Beverage Industry
Host: Kevin D. St.Clergy
Guest: Adam Kroener, Co-Founder & CEO of Carbless
Date: August 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kevin D. St.Clergy explores how Adam Kroener scaled Carbless—a ready-to-drink, low-carb, sugar-free cocktail brand—into the fastest-growing food and beverage company in the country. The conversation dives deep into overcoming entrepreneurial hurdles, challenging old mindsets, and identifying the real (often hidden) problems that can hinder business growth. Adam shares the story behind Carbless’ inception, how he avoids the corporate blame game, the importance of execution and team culture, and his perspective on “common sense” in business.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin Story: From Cheese to Cocktails

Timestamps: 02:46–08:10

• Adam's early career was in co-manufacturing, primarily in the cheese industry in Wisconsin.
• The idea for Carbless sparked from personal experience: Adam and his wife adopted a keto lifestyle post-pregnancy, leading him to experiment with low-carb, low-sugar alcoholic drinks.
• Dissatisfaction with existing seltzers (“a ton of carbonation, pretty much no flavor”—06:02) motivated Adam to create his own vodka lemonades and share them with friends and family.
• “People wondered, how could you saddle your finances on your wife and just jump into this business? I enjoy the hunt, the problem solving. Like that's what makes me tick.”—[00:17], [25:18]
• Adam leveraged his knowledge of contract manufacturing to avoid building costly infrastructure, launching with $100k after selling his real estate.

2. Recognizing and Solving the Right Problem

Timestamps: 11:03–14:04

• Adam and Kevin stress the danger of “solving the wrong problem perfectly.”
• Adam’s background in continuous improvement (Six Sigma Black Belt) ingrained the discipline to focus on accurate problem recognition, not just jumping to solutions:
  • “You can solve the problem really well, but if you solve the wrong problem, it still exists. And I'd say 99% of the work done is solving the wrong problem.”—[11:19]
• The duo discusses how social media and echo chambers reinforce faulty assumptions, making it harder for leaders to see alternative perspectives.

3. The Psychological Trap: Blind Blaming and the Blame Loop

Timestamps: 17:24–18:13

• Kevin explains the “blame loop,” where people or organizations get fixated on defending their innocence rather than owning and resolving actual problems:
  • “It's so rare that anybody goes, what do I have in my control? It's always let me figure out a way to shift it to everybody else.”—Adam, [17:58]
• Adam shares a company anecdote involving a $10,000 manufacturing mishap where each party tried to deflect blame rather than objectively solve the issue, highlighting real-world blind blaming.

4. The Myth of “Common Sense” in Business

Timestamps: 19:33–22:30

• Adam challenges the notion of common sense, arguing it’s shaped by unique experiences:
  • “The idea that common sense isn't so common is probably one of the most ignorant statements a person can make.”—Adam, [21:55]
• The conversation covers how what’s “obvious” to one person may not be to another due to radically different backgrounds and life experiences.

5. Handling Skepticism and Maintaining Focus

Timestamps: 23:50–25:53

• Adam admits he likely compartmentalized or tuned out skepticism when launching Carbless.
• He cites the support of his spouse (an accountant) as a key stabilizer: “I'm a kite floating around in the wind, and she is the rock that...lets me float, but there's a stopping point.”—[25:18]
• Adam’s tendency to block out negativity may have protected his vision and drive.

6. Secrets Behind Scaling Carbless Rapidly

Timestamps: 26:07–28:12

Adam’s “Big Three” for Success:

1. Product Differentiation: Carbless offers something genuinely unique in taste and composition versus competitors.
   • “There’s a lot of great products that sit in warehouses, and there’s a lot of shitty products that get executed really well. Our execution is better than almost everyone in our industry.”—[26:19]
2. Superior Execution: Exceptional strategic execution and operations outperform most in the sector.
3. Passionate Team: Employees love the product and brand so much that “it’s offensive to them to have less than amazing.” Adam mentions their ability to “scale our passion,” which he recognizes will be challenging as the company grows.

7. Building and Retaining an Exceptional Team

Timestamps: 28:12–30:29

• Adam uses the “Ideal Team Player” framework (hungry, humble, smart):
  • “Hungry, humble, smart—and hungry is defines me...humble is treating every buyer the same...and smart is EQ, not IQ.”—[28:34]
• Carbless’ culture revolves around treating employees as “contributing adults,” avoiding the over-processing common in corporate America.
• Adam has blended authentic leadership with pragmatic business acumen.

8. Brand Expansion and Distribution Hurdles

Timestamps: 30:37–33:20

• Carbless is available in 14 (soon to be 19) states, expanding methodically.
• Regulatory and logistical hurdles limit online direct-to-consumer sales, especially in strict-alcohol states.
• Adam is experimenting with retail expansion in new territories, including Houston, Texas.

9. Speaking Engagements and Public Persona

Timestamps: 33:04–33:51

• Adam accepts only paid speaking gigs due to time constraints and focus on scaling Carbless.
• He brings Dale Carnegie leadership training experience to the table, tailoring talks for entrepreneurial and general business audiences.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On product and execution:
  “There's a lot of great products that sit in warehouses, and there's a lot of shitty products that get executed really well.”—Adam, [00:00], [26:19]
• On the danger of consensus and echo chambers:
  “How much we create these chambers for ourself based on what we like and interact with is absolutely insane.”—Adam, [12:27]
• On deflecting blame:
  “It’s so rare that anybody goes, what do I have in my control?...Those type of responses are pretty rinse and repeat.”—Adam, [17:58]
• On myth of common sense:
  “By stating common sense, we're assuming they have all the same inputs that we do. And that's next to impossible.”—Adam, [21:58]
• On personal focus:
  “I do compartmentalize. And if I don't like something or even just negative conversation, I think it's so freaking invaluable that a lot of times I just tune out and don't pay attention.”—Adam, [25:18]
• On leadership and growth:
  “Our culture is great because we treat you like a contributing adult.”—Adam, [30:08]
• Host’s encouragement:
  “What got you here isn't going to get you there, but that particular thing...I think that's one of those things that will get you there. I think you're on your way to $100 million, your company, if you keep the standards in place.”—Kevin, [27:31]

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Adam’s Origin Story: 02:46–08:10
• Formulating and Iterating Carbless: 08:10–11:03
• Mindset: Defining the Real Problem: 11:03–14:04
• Blind Blaming Illustrated: 17:24–18:13
• Debate on “Common Sense”: 19:33–22:30
• Handling Skepticism and Negativity: 23:50–25:53
• Three Pillars of Carbless’ Success: 26:07–28:12
• Team & Culture Building: 28:12–30:29
• Distribution Expansion: 30:37–33:20
• Speaking Engagements: 33:04–33:51

Tone & Style

The episode is candid, energetic, and informal—full of personal anecdotes, playful jibes, and direct business wisdom. Both Adam and Kevin take an unfiltered look at business, mindset, and success, inviting listeners to challenge assumptions and their own “blind blaming” tendencies. The conversation is rich with practical insights for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone looking to scale a purposeful brand.