Podcast Summary: Earn Your Leisure #347

Episode Title: Cousins Turn Natural Spring Into the First Black-Owned Bottled Water Brand in Walmart
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings
Guests: Brad Simmons and Terence Walker of Live Alkaline Water
Date: October 30, 2025

Overview

In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings sit down with Brad Simmons and Terence Walker, two entrepreneurs who—along with their extended family and community—transformed a generations-old natural spring in North Carolina into Live Alkaline Water, the first Black-owned bottled water brand to be sold in Walmart. The conversation uncovers the hustle and mission-minded approach that took them from grassroots bottling to disrupting an industry dominated by large corporations, and underscores their bigger vision of community, health, and generational wealth.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. The Power and Necessity of Water

• (02:01–08:04) The episode opens with the affirmation of water’s primary importance:
  • “Man can’t survive without water… Your body needs water. The world needs water.” (Host, 02:12)
• Importance of hydration, even in celebratory settings like Invest Fest, where alcohol consumption and high temperatures highlight water’s critical role.

2. Networking Through Value-Add

• (08:05–09:09) Simmons recounts how approaching the EYL team with an offer to provide water—rather than just self-promotion—opened doors:
  • “See where you can add value… Don't necessarily make it about you. The law of reciprocity—you’re going to get your blessings later.” (Host, 08:05)

3. Origins: From Soul Society to Natural Spring

• (11:20–17:47) Deep dive into the backstory:
  • Simmons and Walker began with a nonprofit, Soul Society, committed to youth and community empowerment.
  • Pandemic urgency catalyzed the hunt for land, which led serendipitously to a spring owned by a Black Indigenous family for 400+ years.
• “We weren’t looking for water—we were looking for land. The water appeared, and it was a whole new lane.” (Walker, 16:51)

4. Launching Live Alkaline: The Grassroots Grind

• (17:47–21:42)
  • The initial phase involved learning the business, direct action, and reinvesting all earnings.
  • “I spent some of my last money on gas… I took some of that gas and went to the land to just give my labor... They gave me 20 gallons, and by the time I got home, 20 gallons were sold in like an hour.” (Simmons, 14:09)

5. Understanding and Educating on Water Quality

• (21:50–26:23)
  • Alkaline vs. spring water: “More important than it being alkaline water is the fact that it’s coming from a living source.” (Simmons, 22:08)
  • Natural sources vs. artificially induced alkalinity.
  • Ideal pH (7.5–8.0), water “life,” and the limits of high pH: “Batteries are alkaline… you can shock your body.” (Walker, 24:28)
• Importance of glass bottling and avoiding plastics for purity and taste.

6. Production, Logistics & Barriers in the Water Business

• (28:10–32:39)
  • Major challenges include cost of bottling, distribution logistics, and the dominance of giant corporations.
  • Locally-focused distribution was a strategic pivot: “Rather than spending time and energy going everywhere else, let’s double down right here.” (Simmons, 29:29)
  • Shipping and regional expansion hurdles: “It’s 34 pounds per case… to ship to Cali, that’s $50 in shipping.” (Walker, 31:08)

7. Stewarding Generational Land & Heritage

• (32:40–34:27)
  • The spring sits on land owned by Black Indigenous families for centuries—originally 6,000 acres, now a few hundred after generations of loss and struggle.
  • “It’s been different chunks taken out, but this thousand [acres] has been maintained… as far back as they know, over 400 years.” (Simmons, 32:52)

8. Walmart Entry & Brand Philosophy

• (34:27–35:29)
  • Live Alkaline’s Walmart partnership was designed for validation, but the true mission is direct-to-community impact.
  • “His real goal was to keep it grassroots and deal directly with the people…” (Simmons, 33:38)
• White-label opportunities for others: “We encourage it. We’re not in competition… If you want your own water, come holla at the plug.” (Walker, 40:50)

9. Production Process & Community Opportunity

• (35:30–37:08)
  • From spring to bottle: Involves both large-scale factory production and small-scale, labor-intensive bottling on the land, often with youth and entrepreneurs in training.

10. Equity, Ownership, and Community Reinforcement

• (37:21–38:51)
  • The founders’ personal investment led to equity in the company.
  • “He actually gave us some stake in the company… more motivation to go even that much further.” (Simmons, 37:24)
  • The land is increasingly being used for more than water: “We host festivals and retreats… the water, it bloomed into everything the water helps produce.” (Walker, 37:56)

11. Products, Pricing & Subscription Model

• (38:51–40:26)
  • Glass bottles: $4 each or $40/case; plastic bottles: $3 each or $45/case ($40 on subscription); gallons: $7 each or 4 for $20.
  • Five-gallon container specials (“We Are The Gold"): $20, with local delivery.
  • Subscription ambitions: “$20 monthly for five-gallon… 5,000 monthly subscribers for our million-dollar plan.” (Simmons, 47:07)

12. Social Impact, Education, and Expanding the Vision

• (41:41–49:43)
  • Water “crises” often rooted in resource monopolization, environmental pollution, and systemic neglect.
  • Live Alkaline actively donates water to communities in crisis, supported by customer donations.
  • Education is core: “It’s bigger than water. This is about a lifestyle… what you put in your body, how it's going to affect your body.” (Walker, 47:37)
  • Larger vision includes agriculture, STEAM youth camps, farmers markets, festivals, and community programming: “It’s bigger than water—the water is the seed; the harvest is much more grand.” (Walker, 49:43)

13. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “When you see it, you don’t gotta try to believe it. You know it.” (Walker, 21:42)
• “Sometimes people look at it and say, ‘it’s just water.’ We like, nah, it’s bigger than water. You better put premium water in your body.” (Walker, 47:37)
• “He’s denying multi-million dollar deals to keep and protect this land… We see where the fruit of our labor is going.” (Simmons, 51:14)
• “People are waiting for God to come down with a magical voice… Sometimes, he’s speaking in opportunity.” (Walker, 37:56)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:01–08:04: The importance of water and hydration.
• 08:05–09:09: Networking tip—bring value, don’t just seek help.
• 11:20–17:47: Backstory—how searching for land led to a spring and a new model.
• 21:50–26:23: Alkaline vs. spring water—science and health.
• 28:10–32:39: Barriers in the independent water business.
• 32:40–34:27: The legacy of the land and its generational history.
• 35:30–37:08: The bottling process and youth entrepreneurship.
• 37:21–38:51: Equity, growing community involvement, and broader usage of the land.
• 38:51–40:26: Product pricing and subscription models.
• 41:41–49:43: Addressing water crises, education as empowerment, the “Bigger than Water” mission.
• 47:07 onward: Subscription plan and future vision.

The “Bigger Than Water” Ethos

• Live Alkaline is not simply a water company. It’s a multidimensional community platform providing jobs, education, events, food, youth camps, and a vision of independent, Black-led land stewardship.
• “The water is the seed; the harvest is much more grand than that. You have the food, you have a space where you can come and release, you have the festivals and things—but it all started with the water.” (Walker, 49:43)

Connect and Support

• Website: heavyenergyuniversity.com/live-alkaline
• Instagram: @livealkalineNC
• Farmer’s Markets, events, and bulk order info online.

This episode is an inspiring case study on the intersection of entrepreneurship, community reinvestment, legacy, and health—delivered with candor, humor, and hustle.