Starting a Mocktail Company from Scratch with Mingle's Laura Taylor

Summary

Podcast Summary: More Life with Carl Radke

Episode: Starting a Mocktail Company from Scratch with Mingle's Laura Taylor
Date: May 26, 2026
Host: Carl Radke
Guest: Laura Taylor, Founder of Mingle Mocktails

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Episode Overview

This episode of More Life with Carl Radke dives into the entrepreneurial and personal journey of Laura Taylor, founder of Mingle Mocktails, a non-alcoholic beverage company. The conversation weaves through Laura's own sobriety journey, her corporate career, launching Mingle, the evolving landscape of non-alcoholic beverages, and building a mission-driven business that aligns with personal values. The episode is candid, inspiring, and packed with practical insights for anyone considering reinvention or pursuing authentic alignment in work and life.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Facing Fear and Growth

• Early Mindset:
  • Laura’s guiding mantra: “If there's something that scares you, you should probably do it.” (02:00)
  • Both she and Carl reflect on personal discomfort as a signpost for growth, especially in business and sobriety.

2. Sobriety Journey & Filling the Gap

• Origin of Mingle:
  • Laura gave up alcohol 10 years ago, finding a lack of suitable non-alc options in social situations.
  • “What did prevent me from giving up alcohol was there was nothing out there to fill the gap.” (04:46)
• Personal Challenges:
  • Withdrawal and the need to fill time previously occupied by drinking.
  • Support from her husband–sold his wine collection to seed-fund Mingle.
    • “The initial start of Mingle was a couple hundred bottles of wine.” (07:44)

3. Entrepreneurial Beginnings

• Spark Moment:
  • Made her own mocktail for a girls’ trip (which later became Mingle’s Cranberry Cosmo), realized its potential and started researching the market. (09:00-10:50)
• Early Landscape:
  • Only a few players like Seedlip existed back in 2017—she saw the rise of the “better for you” movement coming to beverages.

4. Cultural Shift in Drinking

• Wellness Trends:
  • Wellness, plant-based, and alternative beverages signaled a new consumer era. Younger generations drink less, and “self care is a priority” (19:54)
  • “People are coming around to better for you and self care is a priority.” (19:54)

5. Business over Cocktails: Navigating Corporate Culture

• Drinking & Corporate Success:
  • Both Carl and Laura share experiences of work cultures built around drinking.
  • Laura: “There’s nothing wrong with building relationships over dinner...but the best relationships are built on conversations you can remember.” (18:10)

6. Partnering with Bethenny Frankel

• How it Happened:
  • Bethenny Frankel ordered Mingle, then made a TikTok. Laura reached out via her manager.
  • “Shopify is our app for online ordering...I saw this order come through for Bethenny Frankel... A month later she did a TikTok of making her [mocktail].” (14:00-14:42)
  • Their partnership was cemented after quick, direct conversations.

7. Resilience, Rejection, and Staying the Course

• Handling No’s:
  • “So many rejections. I focus on the wins. A big yes was Wegmans.” (22:34)
  • Both host and guest emphasize tenacity and returning to your “why.”

8. Sobriety Language, Community, and Stigma

• Navigating Labels:
  • Both are AA members, but recognize everyone’s path is unique—“For me, I needed the discipline and the support of other people to show me how to get sober and stay sober...so I owe it all to Alcoholics Anonymous.” (24:50)
• Friendships in Sobriety:
  • Sobriety can shift friendships. “I found out who my real friends are...relationships I have now...are so much more grounded on real good shit that I am proud of.” (26:49)
• Handling Social Settings:
  • Both have tips: bring your own drinks, own it, and break stigma by directness—“I’m an alcoholic. And then they’re like, oh, I’m sorry...this is what it looks like.” (29:35-29:51)

9. Maintaining Health and Wellness

• Tools for Wellbeing:
  • Exercise, meditation, staying connected with a partner, attending meetings, and being forgiving with yourself.
  • “What I would share with you is I don't meditate every day...But I know it's there. And when I do it, I feel a lot better.” (33:16)

10. Inspiration and Reinvention

• Advice on Starting Over:
  • “Don’t limit yourself with negative self talk or rules...just take a step back and don’t overthink it. Follow your gut.” (35:28)
• Living with No Regrets:
  • After losing both parents in recent years, Laura is driven by a desire to “live with no regrets” and not sit on the sidelines. (36:41)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Corporate Drinking Culture:
  • “The best relationships are built on conversations you can remember.” — Laura Taylor (18:10)
• On Launching Mingle:
  • “I do say, like, mingle. The initial start of Mingle was a couple hundred bottles of wine.” — Laura Taylor (07:44)
• On Adversity in Sobriety:
  • “When you stop drinking, what is there to talk about? It is really what I've found is the relationships I have now...are so much more grounded on real good shit that I am proud of.” — Laura Taylor (26:49)
• On Entrepreneurship:
  • “So many rejections. I focus on the wins.” — Laura Taylor (22:34)
• On Vulnerability:
  • “For me, I needed the discipline and the support of other people to show me how to get sober and stay sober... I owe it all to Alcoholics Anonymous.” — Laura Taylor (24:50)
• Carl’s Reflection:
  • “When I kind of got sober, got my shit together, and started to really look at what I wanted for my future, and I was like, how do I live really fully authentic, but allow that authenticity to maybe fuel business and just the greater picture of it all.” — Carl Radke (20:59)
• On Living “More Life”:
  • “When that time comes for me, I want to look back and go, I did it. Or I tried it...not just be on the sidelines of life.” — Laura Taylor (36:41)
• Carl on Friendship:
  • “Early on, I lost friends. But to your point, some of those friends, the foundation of it was founded on drinking and spending times at bars...But early on, it was hard.” (27:10)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31-03:39]: Laura & Carl on facing fear and out-of-comfort experiences
• [03:56-06:25]: Laura’s decision to quit drinking and early sobriety challenges
• [07:23-07:44]: Seeding Mingle with her husband’s wine collection
• [09:00-10:50]: The spark for Mingle: girls’ trip and market research
• [11:11-13:04]: Growth of non-alcoholic beverages and celebrity sobriety
• [14:00-15:38]: How Bethenny Frankel discovered and partnered with Mingle
• [17:12-19:16]: Corporate drinking culture and building relationships
• [19:54-21:01]: The cultural shift towards wellness and aligning passion with business
• [22:34-23:00]: Handling rejection and the big “yes” from Wegmans
• [26:49-27:28]: Real friendships post-sobriety and handling loneliness
• [33:16-33:51]: Wellness tools: meditation, exercise, gratitude
• [35:28-36:16]: Advice on reinvention and self-trust
• [36:41-37:21]: Living with no regrets and “doing life” with purpose

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Episode Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, supportive, and brimming with hope and practical wisdom. Both Carl and Laura share openly about struggles and breakthroughs, championing authenticity, self-compassion, and community.

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Practical Takeaways

• Use discomfort as a compass for growth.
• Find or create alternatives that help maintain your wellness and authenticity—don’t wait for the market to catch up.
• Build supportive friendships that align with your values.
• Don’t be afraid to start over or pivot, regardless of age or circumstance.
• Remember your “why” to fuel resilience through setbacks.
• It’s okay to lose friends; better relationships often blossom.
• Routines—imperfect though they are—still yield benefit over time.
• Living “more life” means striving, trying, and refusing to sit on the sidelines.

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A must-listen for anyone contemplating a big life pivot, starting a value-driven business, or seeking hope in the midst of rebuilding.

Transcript

[Laura Taylor]

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[Carl Radke]

Hey, guys, I'm Carl Radke and welcome to More Life with Carl Radke. I am super excited about today's episode. We've got an awesome guest. Her name is Laura Taylor. She is an incredible founder and entrepreneur. She started the Brand Mingle mocktails who's partnered with Bethenny Frankel. They are building something really special and unique. So Laura's coming in today. Hope you guys enjoy this conversation. All right, Laura Taylor, welcome to More Life. Thank you for being here.

[Laura Taylor]

Thanks for having me, Carl.

[Carl Radke]

Appreciate it. It's good to see you here because I've seen you here in this space before, but downstairs rocking it out. We had a crazy party.

[Laura Taylor]

We did.

[Carl Radke]

And activated your amazing brand Mingle. I mean, I've been inspired by your story because I think you started the brand back in 2017.

[Laura Taylor]

That's correct.

[Carl Radke]

And listen, back in 2017, I was still drinking and still partying. So the thought of even an NA drink back then, I would have laughed. I have a saying, More Life, which is something that comes from Summer House on tv. I didn't know if there's a saying that you have that you like to live by.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, I usually end discussions with this and it's if there's something that scares you, you should probably do it. And so I think that's a great way to start off. But before we jump into me, I want to turn it back to you and share with you that I've been inspired by your journey. I watched the soft bar pop ups happening when Mingle was building and and I was like, if only I could do something with softbar and Carl Radke. And so this has been a total full circle moment and I think we've got a Lot of similarities and a lot to talk about.

[Carl Radke]

No, absolutely. We seem to be in the right place.

[Laura Taylor]

Yes.

[Carl Radke]

So, okay, your saying goes. What is it again? If it scares you, you need to do it.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, I like that. And scare like, I mean, if it pushes you out of your comfort zone, obviously good things like starting a business or creating a non elk pop up bar that turns into a destination, I mean, those are scary ass things. I mean, just thinking about it, it makes me nervous. And so I use that as kind of a checkpoint when I do things throughout my work week. Cause I don't know about you, but I do things every day that I'm like, this is uncomfortable, so I should probably do it. And it makes a lot easier.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, I mean, usually on the other side of fear is like a lot of growth and a lot of things that you wouldn't realize is on the other side. I live with a lot of fear in my life.

[Laura Taylor]

Who doesn't?

[Carl Radke]

Totally. But once you can kind of get one step through, like you break a fear down, it helps you break, I think other ones down the line. But yeah, starting a business, raising capital, you know, asking people for money is all these things are.

[Laura Taylor]

I'm neat deep in that right now. And you mentioned raising. And then there's raising kids back then, which I've done too.

[Carl Radke]

And how many kids do you have?

[Laura Taylor]

I have two kids.

[Carl Radke]

Shout out to Laura's kids. I see you got your mingle mood, which I will say I really love your product. I love the functional ingredients and your product. You feel it? Take me back to when you were starting mingle. Like, what was the real impetus for kind of the origin story or what inspired you to build a mocktail brand back in 2017?

[Laura Taylor]

Most people were like, people think it's logical now. So I love a comeback story. I love anybody that like goes through crazy stuff and comes out on the other side. And this is a true pure example of that. So I gave up drinking alcohol 10 years ago. And that's a whole nother podcast. But at the end of the day,

[Carl Radke]

well, we have time.

[Laura Taylor]

Oh boy. Oh, no. But yeah, it was something I had to do. It was right for me and my family. It took a while. It took me about a year to give up alcohol. It was hard.

[Carl Radke]

Was there a moment, if you're willing to or comfortable sharing, that was like kind of the catalyst for, okay, like, I can't continue to drink or do what I'm doing.

[Laura Taylor]

I mean, one of the last things I remember, I was in Seattle. I was working for My last company tableau, which I loved, I was in Seattle. I was like, I'm gonna stop drinking alcohol. And our boss invited us to an Elton John concert. And he's like, we're gonna grab drinks before, and then we'll head to the concert. I'm like, okay, I'm not gonna drink. And then we get to the bar. He's like, laura, here's a white wine. I'm like, ugh. And I took the wine, and I'm like, well, I guess we're not gonna quit yet. And with so much going on in my life, like, I had so many things going on, Family, work, you know, life. I turned to alcohol to chill out, to quiet down, to celebrate. And so there were a lot of examples where I went too hard. But what did prevent me from giving up alcohol was there was nothing out there to fill the gap. So I go to friends, birthday parties or Christmas parties, and I started bringing diet ginger ale. And I'm like, this is so uncool, but at least I have something in my glass. People don't know what it is. They leave me alone. So that's kind of when things started turning around, where I found ways to really put myself first, to take care of myself first in those situations and work on living while not drinking.

[Carl Radke]

Did you notice an immediate change in just how you were feeling when you stopped drinking? How hard was it?

[Laura Taylor]

Initially, it was very hard. I had two kids, and I would say, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. So when you're addicted to alcohol, some people don't think of it as a disease, but it is. So I come home and I wanna reach for those three glasses of wine, and instead, I had to fill the time. So I would do stuff, and I'd have to fill that gap with something to distract very hard. And I just had to be really thoughtful in protecting my sobriety.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, well, I think that's how a lot of people's stories are. I mean, at least for me personally. I mean, I had said out loud in 2019 to a friend, like, I think I need to get some help. It wasn't until 2021 when I really hit my rock bottom and was like, I cannot live like this anymore. So I feel like you're. You know, it's not a linear path.

[Laura Taylor]

No. At least for me, it wasn't either. And so I shared all this with my husband and my very best friend from college. My kids were younger. I think they were like, 13 or 14. So I wasn't. Obviously. That's not appropriate. But my husband was right there every step of the way. And so I know there were some false starts, but I did tell him I had to kind of withdraw from social occasions for like a few months. And he's a social animal. He's an extrovert. So it was hard for him. But one thing that I shared this with friends at dinner last weekend. He's a wine collector. He's a connoisseur. He's a happy, go lucky social drinker. He can do it and stop and whatever.

[Carl Radke]

I'm kind of jealous slightly in my brain of those folks.

[Laura Taylor]

I mean, yes and no, right? Yes and no. But we sold a bunch of his wine to start mingle. So when we did that together, when he was willing to do that, it was kind of like he's betting on me, I'm betting on him. We're doing this. So, you know, I do say, like, mingle. The initial start of Mingle was a couple hundred bottles of wine.

[Carl Radke]

I love that you turned his wine inventory into your seed capital.

[Laura Taylor]

You know, you pull it where you can.

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[Laura Taylor]

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[Carl Radke]

So take me back to what year did you and your husband sit down and say, hey, I'm doing this?

[Laura Taylor]

So what truly sparked Mingle was I shared how I felt kind of left out. Bringing diet ginger ale. Went to a Super bowl party. I drank a 2 liter bottle of seltzer because there was nothing else there. That same hostess, Jen, she knows who she is. She invited all the girlfriends to a weekend in the Poconos and she's like, you'll come up for the weekend? I'm thinking, I know there's gonna be drinking. What am I gonna do, I'm gonna bring my own mocktail. I'm sick of being stuck with seltzer. So for some reason I was compelled to go to Whole Foods, mix up my own mocktail, pack it in a 1 liter bottle and bring it on the trip. And looking back, this is like one of those magical moments of beautifulness. Cause that's not my jam. I wouldn't have made a mocktail but it was such a game changing experience. When those corks started popping, I sat down with my girlfriends in a cozy place like this, have a wine glass with pretty pink bubbly drink which is now the cranberry Cosmo. And I'm like, this is amazing. This is a game changer. And so that moment I walked outside and I'm like, I need to do something about this feeling and share it with others. So that was the spark that kicked it all off. And I came home from that trip and instead of walking in to see my family, I went straight to my laptop in my office and was like, what's going on with mocktails? Hospitality, non alcoholic drinks. And there were signs of life that restaurants, people like California Pizza Kitchen was serving mocktails.

[Carl Radke]

Interesting. Cpk.

[Laura Taylor]

Cpk. I mean I love their barbecue pizza.

[Carl Radke]

They do have a great barbecue chicken,

[Laura Taylor]

I'll give you that. But that's where I saw the opportunity. And I wasn't saying I'm going to start a mocktail company. I was saying I'm going to gather all this data. It ended up being like a 25 page business plan. And over the course of two weeks I started on that process of what now is mingle.

[Carl Radke]

So you weren't drinking at all while starting all of this?

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that. I do say it's a hazard. Now I am happy to be sober, but if I were to go back to drinking, it would sure mess up my company. Yeah, I'm more ways than one.

[Carl Radke]

Totally. I mean I can relate to that.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, right?

[Carl Radke]

I mean back in 2017, 2018, do you remember what the leader in non alk was?

[Laura Taylor]

It was Seedlip. Of course I do. Cause I did all the research. Seedlip came over from UK Diageo, bought a stake in them. Ritual was not started yet. Duels Athletic was shortly after. And Bill Shufelt, you know, got a

[Carl Radke]

shout out to Bill. He's a good friend.

[Laura Taylor]

I spoke with him yesterday.

[Carl Radke]

What do you think accounts for? I mean I think I have my theories and opinions. I'm curious what you think about what has accounted for all this shift in non alcoholic Beverages in kind of what we're doing at soft bar. Curious your take on just why you think there's this massive growth and shift.

[Laura Taylor]

There was a better for you movement rolling into every category. There was kombucha, there was almond milk. Plant based meats were just coming online. And I swear to you, I was like, if this is happening to all those areas, boutique fitness was popping up. I'm like, people are gonna look at alcohol and be like, this needs to change. And I also looked at all the celebrities that were sober to feel kind of cool about what I was doing. Cause I felt alone. I'm like, well, if Bradley Cooper is doing that, I can do this. I tried to attach myself to people where I'm like, they have a great story. They came back and look at them now.

[Carl Radke]

Yep. I follow people personally that I wanted to kind of be like. And a lot of those folks are sober and business owners or, you know, celebrity sports athletes. Is there someone other than Bradley that you really.

[Laura Taylor]

Oh, my gosh, that's a tough question. I do have a wall of people, but really it's a combination of business leaders who are also drinkers and celebrities. And like, I love Pink's attitude of being unapologetic. She drinks, but that's okay, you know. You know, there are sober women out there that I admire, but I think it's a combination of all those folks and Bill, from a business perspective, breaking out and following through on his vision. I needed that to stay committed because there were times where I'm like, am I crazy? So it kept me focused.

[Carl Radke]

I don't think you're crazy.

[Laura Taylor]

Well, you can say that now. At the time, I think people were like, what's a mocktail? Why wouldn't you drink? And I'm talking about people who worked at retailers who were buyers, you know.

[Carl Radke]

Well, I ran into a friend and a colleague of yours recently. We were doing a pop up at Hudson Yards with Outshine, which is a really cool fruit blend brand. And I was there and Bethenny Frankel was there. And I remember seeing her do some videos on TikTok about mingle. Curious about how you encountered her. What's it like? Been working with her on the brand. I know she's a powerhouse. I love Bethany. I mean, it's funny. Her skinny girl brand, Lover boy, We were really inspired by her and what she did, Leveraging reality TV and building a business. So when I first signed up FOR BRAVO Almost 10 years ago, the only person I really knew was Bethany.

[Laura Taylor]

Well, who else do you need to know. I mean when you think about a business perspective, she's the one shining example of how you do it.

[Carl Radke]

Yep.

[Laura Taylor]

You know, we have a lot of parallels because I mentioned thought leaders and Bethenny Frankel. I had a vision board that I created. She was on it three times, love it three times. And it was around skinny girl and her business like attitude of go big or go home. And she was an inspiration to me. So what happened was Shopify is our app for online ordering and I don't look at it daily, but I happened to look at it and I saw this order come through for Bethany Frankel under somebody else's name, but it had her name too. I'm like, is this real? I validated it and I'm like, that's cool. And a month later she did a TikTok of making her.

[Carl Radke]

That's. I think that's what I saw originally. And when I saw that I actually thought it was her brand, you know, so no offense, she's good at that.

[Laura Taylor]

She knows how to sell anything and everything. She makes it her own.

[Carl Radke]

Exactly. So you, so you see this TikTok video, do you DM her or message her or how did the connection happen?

[Laura Taylor]

So I am a freak about LinkedIn and finding out who's who in the zoo and how to get to them. So within a week's time I found out who her business manager was, got on the phone with that individual and within a few weeks time I spoke with Bethany and it was like a couple quick shark tank discussions. What you see with Bethany is what you get. She is who she is. Unapologetic. She's very direct and strong minded. And so we had a spirited conversation. She's like, I was going to start a non elk, it's too late, I'm looking for one. Let's talk. And so six months later we struck, you know, we finalized the partnership.

[Carl Radke]

Amazing. Yeah, she's a powerhouse and you are as well. So I love that you guys are connected.

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[Laura Taylor]

Big hearts, big voice, big laugh.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

A rock star hairstylist who drove a Porsche.

[Carl Radke]

He was like a wizard behind the chair.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

But killers came for Fabio in his own backyard.

[Laura Taylor]

You can't rationalize it. You can't figure it out.

[Carl Radke]

There was rampant speculation about everything, but

[Jonathan Hirsch]

every wild theory was wrong. Because the truth was even more unbelievable.

[Laura Taylor]

What?

[Carl Radke]

Is anyone hearing what I'm hearing?

[Jonathan Hirsch]

And even more heartbreaking, the uncertainty of

[Carl Radke]

not knowing is a form of agony.

[Jonathan Hirsch]

From Sony Music Entertainment and Novel, this is Cut Color Kill. I'm Jonathan Hirsch. Cut Color Kill is available now on the binge. Search for it wherever you get your podcast. To start listening today, subscribers to the binge can listen to all episodes all at once, ad free.

[Carl Radke]

I mean, I love talking about the corporate career. If we can go back to that for a second. Because I worked in corporate sales, and I'm sure you experience a lot of business over cocktails and in the environment I worked in, it was almost incentivized. I worked in medical device sales fueled by alcohol.

[Laura Taylor]

Right.

[Carl Radke]

100%. And I saw the top performing sales reps every year. They were always taking their doctors to dinners, buying big bottles of wine, taking them clients out drinking, and happy hours. It was almost like you felt like that's what you needed to do to achieve your sales goals in your corporate world. I mean, was it a lot of business over cocktails or it was integrated.

[Laura Taylor]

It wasn't like you had to. But it was a work hard, play hard mentality. I worked for Tableau. I worked at IBM. I worked at Accenture. And my vision for success from as long as I can remember, probably in sixth grade, I was like, I want to make my own money. I want to be successful. I want to be able to buy my Jordache jeans, you know, that kind of thing that's, you know, they're going

[Carl Radke]

to say Jordan sneakers. I do know the Jordache team.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, yeah, I know it's a throwback, but that was my mindset. I always knew that I wanted to be a businesswoman. And my vision was corner office, business suit, buy my own car, have my own apartment. And so fast forward to that's what I was achieving. Had a great career, but I found that business dinners were very much part of it. There were receptions, there were happy hours, there were conferences. They're at Vegas, they're in New York, you know, eleven Madison park was a very memorable place where I've drank a little and a lot. It Was exciting, but too much of a good thing is not a good thing. However, with that being said, there's nothing wrong with building relationships over dinner. It's just how do you moderate your drinking? Because the best relationships are built on conversations you can remember 100%.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. I find, I think when you're having like you're sipping on a mingle right now, I've got a functional drink. I feel like the connection is stronger with the beverages we're having right now versus yes, alcohol is gonna fuel some of it. But after a while, you may say something you don't wanna say.

[Laura Taylor]

I don't know about you, but I've definitely done that. So I'm glad those days are behind me.

[Carl Radke]

Oh, I embarrass myself many times. I mean, I actually was fired from two different companies really because of my drinking. It was accounted for my sales performance. But if I'm being completely candid, it was definitely my drinking. And a lot of times I would go out with clients, but then when the clients would leave, I continued the party.

[Laura Taylor]

I can relate to that wholeheartedly.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. Which is, I think in the corporate world I feel like there is a shift happening, but probably from the 2010s to the 2020 corporate sales, corporate America, you know, business over cocktails was. Is kind of how things are done. Do you think there's gonna be a shift away from that?

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, I think there are people who will always drink and that's fine. But because there's this movement for younger people drinking less as they get into the workforce, they're gonna drink less. And I don't know, you've talked to now. I hear it all the time. Like whenever I'm in a conversation, somebody will say, I can't process alcohol the way I used to. So now people are coming around to better for you and self care is a priority. Whereas back then it used to be like anything to exceed your quota, do it, it's fine, we'll expense the dinner. So I think there's this whole movement where, yes, it's becoming far more acceptable to drink less or not at all in business and in life. And that's great for now.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. Well, you said something just a second ago which I think like the alignment in like being passionate and also like what makes you money. And I feel like you're truly aligned in your life, what you do with your lifestyle, but then how you look at business. And I think that's like the dream is starting a company, but it aligns so well with your lifestyle and you almost don't feel like you're working. Right.

[Laura Taylor]

You can say that because you've achieved that as well, right?

[Carl Radke]

I think so. That's what I'm trying to.

[Laura Taylor]

The goal.

[Carl Radke]

When I kind of got sober, got my shit together, and started to really look at what I wanted for my future, and I was like, how do I live? Really fully authentic, but allow that authenticity to maybe fuel business and just the greater picture of it all.

[Laura Taylor]

So I think that you have to put yourself out there and just. I can say that. When I was coming up with the name Mingle, I was afraid to say mocktails. I was afraid to say, I don't drink anymore. It was a huge, like, moment for me to say, I'm effing sober. Like, get over it. And this is your business now, so embrace it. So I don't want to jinx it, but there are times when I'm overwhelmed. Yesterday even, and where. I just have to break it down and think about my why. And my why fuels me to go f, yeah, you wouldn't want to do anything else but this, so shut up, get the work done, and let's go.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, you used to dream for the responsibility of this. Or, you know, for sure. We forget sometimes, you know, you wouldn't trade places, honestly, but.

[Laura Taylor]

But you have to remind yourself. So on a bad day, just remember you have this beautiful space soft bar, where you're like, I'm doing it.

[Carl Radke]

I try to, you know, the why and getting back to, like, the bigger vision and the purpose of all this. Like, it keeps me coming back and it's, you know, at the end of the day, like, I'm really proud to be able to lean in and really go for something I truly believe in. How did you navigate? Because I've been getting a lot of no's. And the response I get from friends or other mentors is, will no's lead you to more? Yes. How did you navigate early?

[Laura Taylor]

The rejection.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, the rejection.

[Laura Taylor]

So many rejections. I focus on the wins. There were a lot of nos, but I focus on the yeses. A big yes was Wegmans.

[Carl Radke]

Unbelievable. I'm a huge Wegmans fan. I went to Syracuse.

[Laura Taylor]

Oh, yes, of course.

[Carl Radke]

And I remember my freshman orientation. Every student and, you know, faculty was like, have you heard of Wegmans? And I'm like, no, what's that? And shout out to upstate New York. Getting a lot of no's, I think takes a toll after a while, but. But you seem to just keep coming back. Keep going back to your why.

[Laura Taylor]

You have to. I mean, we're crazy people. It's a work hard and see the results and keep it up, you know.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. Thank you for all that. Kind of want to go into some more like, of your story a little bit. You know, talk about moments of growth and change. Obviously you've had an amazing career. It seems like, obviously. I'm sure there were some ups and downs, you know, as far as like your sobriety or not drinking. There's different terms that we use. I know we were talking about that before we got started. You know, I'm not trying to label anything, but how do you look at sobriety, recovery or how do you define kind of your relationship with all of that? Because in the world with AA and obviously social media, there's so many people that share their alcohol free lifestyles. I go to aa. That's what worked best for me. I try to approach people's stories with if that's what works for you, amazing. I don't try to project, but there is an element of nuance in the community of sobriety and recovery. And I'm curious how you've looked at that and especially how you've built a beverage brand. I'm sure you get people that email and say, hey, I'm 20 years sober, can I drink this drink?

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah. And I love that. So I'd like to preface my response by saying I only talk about my sobriety in a way when it's amongst people, that it will help. So I'm happy to have this conversation with you and I hope it does help people. But this is a very like I'm opening myself up here and happy to because I wouldn't be here unless I was sober. So I'm a huge fan of the 12 step program of AA. I don't talk about it because I think it could be very polarizing. But I can tell you I wouldn't be sober without it. And I'm so grateful for it every frickin day. So you and I had a great conversation and we agree that for each person they may have their own solution, but for me, I needed the discipline and the support of other people to show me how to get sober and stay sober. And without that I wouldn't be here. So I owe it all to Alcoholics Anonymous. And if people find that crazy and weird, you know, so be it. But I'm proud of my recovery and I've worked hard for it and I'm grateful for that.

[Carl Radke]

And hearing, you know, when you hear other people like yourself share and that experience of going to AA and how you've looked at it, like, I relate to that, and I am inspired by people like that. I've met a lot of folks over the last five years where there is an element of, like, you're not as sober as I am, or it feels competitive in some ways. And I've been trying not to subscribe to that. And I love kind of your approach to that as far as, like, obviously, friends and family, your kids, coworkers. How has that shift? Did you lose friends? Did relationships change once you kind of prioritize your health and wellness and started working steps and going to meetings?

[Laura Taylor]

Definitely. So I remember this one moment, I was sitting on the back patio with my husband. It was like a Sunday morning. He's on his phone. He's like, oh. I said, what? And he's like, group of gals are in New York at a taping of Kelly Ripa's show. Those are like my group of friends, you know? And he's like, oh. And I said, oh, I didn't see it. And I said, I don't want to see it. And that was a moment where I'm like, I have to let go of this notion of who my real friends are. So for me, I found out who my real friends are. And not to say that the people who fell to the wayside are bad people. It's just that I found that a lot of my friendships were built on drinking. So if that's your primary activity and commonality when you stop drinking, what is there to talk about? So it is really what I've found is the relationships I have now, even in our discussions, are so much more grounded on real good shit that I am proud of. The friendships I have today, and they're meaningful to the point that I. You know, they're the best friendships I've ever had.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. So, I mean, losing friends is okay, in essence. I mean, it sounds harder when you say it out loud, but, like, I lost friends. But to your point, some of those friends, the foundation of it was founded on drinking and spending times at bars. And once you stop doing that behavior, there's people that I loved. They were great people, but I'm just not really friends with them anymore. But early on, it was hard, Right.

[Laura Taylor]

I felt like the kid going into the lunchroom and not finding a seat. I'm like, where do I go? So I would say to anybody who's going through that and afraid of losing their friends, just take it day by day. You know, you're gonna Be fine. But it feels like you're that scary kid in high school when you're going through it.

[Carl Radke]

Totally. And I would imagine seeing the post or not seeing the post, but hearing about a group of girlfriends going to see Kelly and whoever's hosting that live.

[Laura Taylor]

I know I'm like, who was it?

[Carl Radke]

And I felt like that at times even. I'll give you an example. Recently, I saw some friends that had gone out for a tailgating thing for a football game, and I wasn't included. Now it was a big drinking environment and all that. I was kind of bummed at first, but then I kind of was like, you know, it's all good. I'm still working on that feeling of being not included. And I think there's an element of when you get sober or stop drinking, you kind of feel on the outside. But now I actually feel like I'm on the inside.

[Laura Taylor]

Well, and then the next morning, right, you feel, like, so much better.

[Carl Radke]

Oh, my God. You said it pretty well. With your Poconos trip that first round, you brought some mocktails. Like, how do you. Let's say you go to a place where you maybe didn't bring your own mocktails. How do you navigate certain social situations? What are your tools? Do you have, like, go to.

[Laura Taylor]

I'm so happy that this is not like, this is something that I find almost effortless because it's been 10 years, so I've been sober 10 years, which is amazing. Thank you. It's like another big milestone. So incredible. But, you know, I do bring cans of mango wherever I can. And if I know they don't have a mocktail menu or a zero proof menu, because I'm like, hey, I gotta put myself first here. If you're not gonna cater to this population, I'll take care of myself. And you have to take that attitude because we deserve that.

[Carl Radke]

I just came up with an idea for you.

[Laura Taylor]

Ooh. What?

[Carl Radke]

You need a cooler that looks like a purse.

[Laura Taylor]

Oh, my. Shh. Let's. I'm gonna take that off.

[Carl Radke]

I mean, I love your yeti, but I feel like, you know, you're so well dressed. You have great style. It'd be cool if you had, like. I love that, like, a fashionable purse that also doubled as a cooler. So everybody.

[Laura Taylor]

I love that. I'm also gonna see this down the road.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, I also do this too. It's called I joke Byona. And I'll bring your own non oak. And I generally, when I'm going to a house party, even in the Hamptons, in The summer. I will pack a cooler to start the summer with energy drinks, non alk canned drinks, even seltzer waters, different flavors.

[Laura Taylor]

You're putting yourself first. And you have to just to know that's how you protect your sobriety.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. And I almost kind of take a lot of pride in kind of byo. I've had people come up to me and like, what are you drinking? And I'll be like, it's a soap of water. They're like, why? And I will look them in the eyes, I'm an alcoholic. And then they're like, oh, I'm sorry.

[Laura Taylor]

And then you go, this is what it looks like. And they're like, oh, this is what it looks like. People.

[Carl Radke]

Do you have any funny things you say to people? Cause I am certainly very social. I meet a lot of folks. For the most part, everybody's very complimentary. But occasionally you'll meet someone who's not aware of what my story is, and they'll say something to me that'll be like, oh, what, you don't drink? And it's. I don't know if you have anything funny or interesting to say back to those people.

[Laura Taylor]

It's been so long. Now people know me as alcohol free. I just want to share a story. At the Poconos, when I launched Mingles, I went to a beer festival with our distributor. And I'm like, okay, we'll see how this goes. And Mango was wildly popular.

[Carl Radke]

You did at the beer festival.

[Laura Taylor]

At the beer. So I was shocked.

[Carl Radke]

I love it.

[Laura Taylor]

And there was a line, a lot of guys, and we kept serving the samples. And then a girlfriend came over and she's like, all these guys think mingle has alcohol in it. And the girlfriends were laughing. Cause the guys were like, this is amazing. And then they came back. They're like, we didn't realize. So to me, I'm like, I'm breaking down the stigma, like, front and center. So that was super fun. Cause I wanted it to look fun. Like whether you're drinking or not, you're having fun. And I'm like, check.

[Carl Radke]

I love hearing that. Cause like, I have this crazy idea of throwing a party and getting a keg of beer and not telling anyone that the keg is actually non alcoholic beer.

[Laura Taylor]

Carl, you've got a lot of ideas.

[Carl Radke]

I think I need to talk. I gotta get them out. That's why we're doing this podcast.

[Laura Taylor]

I love that.

[Carl Radke]

Is there any moments, like you're very confident? It appears to me. And I'm sure you have moments where you're not as confident. Has there been any moments where you really doubted this journey you've been on with mingle or doubted yourself and your abilities?

[Laura Taylor]

It sounds like you were in the car with me this morning when I was driving. I was coming up to speak with you. I'm like, how do I want to talk about my sobriety? So I'm constantly doubting myself. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But what I would say is I have to stay in the moment. And that was the advice I got from my girlfriends and my sister is like, you're fucking killing it. What are you saying? Love it. So I need that once in a while.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, I like staying grounded, staying present. It's easy to future trip or doubt yourself in that way, but I try to just remaining present. You have the goods. You just gotta dial it in. Is there anything you do daily or weekly therapy, working out? Is there things in your kind of Laura Taylor toolbox that you tap into daily, weekly to help the doubt or to help maybe your health and wellness? All of this.

[Laura Taylor]

I have a lot of different things that I pull from. Exercise is a big one that's been taking the backseat. I'm trying to get back into it

[Carl Radke]

and no judgment here, as I just ran a marathon, so.

[Laura Taylor]

I know, I know. No big deal.

[Carl Radke]

There's a gold medal sitting right there just staring at me.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah, no big deal. I mean, I've ran two marathons. You and I talked about them.

[Carl Radke]

I want to high five for that,

[Laura Taylor]

but I drank a lot after each one. You did not. So, you know, it is. It's a mental journey. And, you know, you learn about yourself during those 26 miles. But things that I do do is I try to prioritize my relationship with my husband. You know, at the end of the day, he's my partner in life. I don't want to screw that up. And the other things are really trying to meditate at least three days a week, spend time with my girlfriends, go to meetings. You know, there's about 10 other things, but I'm not perfect. What I would share with you is I don't meditate every day because by the time I wake up, half the time I'm onto the next thing. So I'm not perfect, but I know it's there. And when I do it, I feel a lot better.

[Carl Radke]

And I appreciate you saying that because I think even when you do meditate, there's this, I think, perception that you're sitting cross legged like a Buddha and you're, like, completely Zen. That's not my experience with my meditation, however I turn it on. I'm trying to be seated or stretch or just be grounded, but I'm thinking about other stuff. I'm distracted. My phone's vibrating. But for me, just turning it on for 10 minutes, just having something that grounds you for a moment has been really helpful. But I'm similar to you where some days I miss.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah.

[Carl Radke]

Some days I'm on to the next

[Laura Taylor]

thing, but, you know it's there.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, it's good to know it's there. And I actually have a friend of mine who always reminds me, like, use your app.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, you're right.

[Carl Radke]

Was there anyone that you listened to or, I don't know, heard speak about sobriety? I mean, I know Bradley Cooper sounded like earlier, but I've read some books. Like, there's an example is David Goggins. It's called you'd Can't Hurt me, and it's an audiobook. And David Goggins is a Navy seal. He had addiction and alcoholism, but has turned his life around. And he's like an ultra marathon runner. He's an overall badass. He's crazy, but in the best way. His book was one of the first things that really shook me in a good way. I didn't know if there's any thing for our listeners or watchers.

[Laura Taylor]

It's been a while. When I first got sober or was contemplating sobriety, I read all the books that were out around women who were getting through it, and I needed those books to know that I wasn't alone. But those helped me kind of like the Bradley Cooper reference. Like, okay, I'm not the only one out there feeling this way.

[Carl Radke]

And that's. I think half of the battle is understanding you're not alone.

[Laura Taylor]

Yeah.

[Carl Radke]

And once you kind of get that realization, I mean, I love Bradley Cooper. He's an amazing actor. In hearing stories about him, I'm like, what? It just helps Anthony Hopkins, other athletes, and now even in entrepreneurship. I mean, you've seen recently, I'm sure Charlie Sheen's launching a non alk.

[Laura Taylor]

Oh, yeah.

[Carl Radke]

John Mulaney's got one.

[Laura Taylor]

It's now, like, the thing to do, right? Yes.

[Carl Radke]

I mean, is there any piece of advice that you've ever gotten about reinventing yourself or starting over? And the reason I asked that, and it's a big part of kind of my. My whole ethos is I've really reinvented my life. I've really gotten honest and authentic. I'M curious if there's anybody or any advice you've gotten about starting over. I mean, I'm 40 years old. Part of my body says I'm getting older. I'm not married. But everybody goes, you're young. You're so young. What are you worried about?

[Laura Taylor]

But I'm like, I've got kids that are of legal drinking age. I think about that too. But what I've told myself is, I'm 37. I'm doing it. That's what I tell myself. And then I look at people like Martha Stewart. I mean, she's the queen of reinvention. So I think the advice I would say is, and I have to tell myself this, don't limit yourself with negative self talk or rules that you put on yourself. Like, I do feel like as I was driving up here, I'm like, a lot of this concern and anxiety is me bringing up with myself, like, what am I gonna talk to Carl about? So I was like, well, just have a conversation. So I think that as long as you just take a step back and don't overthink it. Follow your gut. That's another thing. Follow your gut.

[Carl Radke]

I like the following. Your gut. We're feeling pretty good here. Coming up to a wrap up. I've been inspired by you in a lot of different ways, but even more so now because you're honest and you're very vulnerable, and that's a big part of how I look at my life and people that are that honest and vulnerable, and it reels me in. So I'm even more in love with you than I was before. But we talked about the concept of more life and something, like I said, I subscribe to what's giving you more life right now.

[Laura Taylor]

I mean, this is kind of sad than happy, but I lost my mom a couple years ago to cancer, and she was like my rock.

[Carl Radke]

Sorry to hear that.

[Laura Taylor]

Thank you. And then I lost my dad this year, which was not unplanned or it was not planned. Yeah. So what I would say is I want to live with no regrets. Like, when that time comes for me, I want to look back and go, I did it. Or I tried it, you know, I tried, you know, and not just be on the sidelines of life. So more life, I think is great because we're not here to just sit on the sidelines. And if you're going to be sober fricking do it. You know, like, do life.

[Carl Radke]

Love that, do life. More life.

[Laura Taylor]

Do life, do iteration.

[Carl Radke]

No, I love that. I think that's so inspiring. I'm so thankful for you coming in. Congratulations on all your success. It's well deserved. I love hearing people that that have turned their life into a different way and have gone full speed ahead. And you're bringing people along for that ride and even working with your children, working with your husband. I would imagine our listeners and viewers are gonna love seeing what you've shared. Cause it's so cool just to hear someone pivot their life and see an opportunity and go for it.

[Laura Taylor]

Well, back at you, Carl. You're doing it. And thank you for your support. I mean, I feel equally grateful for this opportunity and it's been a pleasure to share this with you.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah. And if I never got sober, I never would have met you. And that's right. The one thing I have to reconcile sometimes at the end of the day is like, I meet people. I recently talked to Jason Waller, who's a big former reality TV guy, and we had an amazing just kind of catch up. I'd never met him before, and I was like, this is the call I'm supposed to be on and this is the conversation I should be having. And if I never turned my life to the other side of this, well, I wouldn't have met the amazing stories and all the different individuals that I've encountered in the last almost five years. It's, like, hard to think about that in a way.

[Laura Taylor]

And the impact you're having just with softbars so people can physically see your vision.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, it's manifesting.

[Laura Taylor]

To bring that to life is insane when you think about it.

[Carl Radke]

I appreciate that. Well, I was inspired by the beverage brands, but what I thought to myself was, how do we create a space where you can come and drink all of these amazing new products and where do these products really come to life? And I believe you needed a spot like what we have here for those brands to really feel their full potential.

[Laura Taylor]

I want to plug soft Bar because it is the most beautiful non elk space I have ever seen. It's not non elk, it's just cool. So thank you for bringing that space to life for everyone to connect. It's gorgeous.

[Carl Radke]

No, thank you. I like to think I built it with my bare hands, but I had a lot of help. Well, Laura, thank you so much for being here.

[Laura Taylor]

Thank you.

[Carl Radke]

I really appreciate you.

[Laura Taylor]

Thank you for having me.

[Carl Radke]

Yeah, of course. Thank you guys for hanging with me on More Life with Carl Radke. Check us out wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube, like subscribe comment, let us know what gave you More life this week. Cheers.

[I]

More Life is produced by Annie Siegel, an executive produced by Adam Reynolds of Denim Pictures. This episode was directed by Annie Siegel, edited by Mikey Ortiz, and recorded at Soft Bar Studios in Brooklyn, New York. More Life is a production of Sony Music Entertainment from Sony. Our executive producers are Chris Skinner and Joanna Clay. Original music by Function Adams, sound mixing by Ian Sorrentino, set design by Michael Ignacio, publicity by Caitlin Healy, additional support from Abby Sharp, and a special thanks to Allyson Shano and Joanna Orland.

[Carl Radke]

New episodes drop every Tuesday. We'll see you next time.