In this episode, I sit down with Meredith Mills, founder of The Original Southside.

Meredith has an inspiring story that reflects her passion for cocktails and the art of mixology. Raised in Oklahoma, Meredith grew up enjoying her mother's recipe for the Southside cocktail during the hot summers. After a career in the beauty industry, she decided to turn her family recipe into a commercially viable product during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on high-quality, organic ingredients, non-GMO and organic!

Discover the rich history of the Southside cocktail, the process of creating a clean, organic RTD beverage, and insights into leading with integrity in the alcohol industry.

And learn how mindfulness and education impact and inform not only how we treat our bodies but what happens inside of them!

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:18 The Origin and History of the Southside Cocktail

03:15 Meredith's Inspiration and Journey into Beverage Industry

06:21 Developing the Recipe and Product Focus

11:52 Creating the Can and Production Challenges

15:45 Distilled vs. Compound Gin Explained

19:12 Future Product Ideas and Delivery Formats

19:31 Work-Life Balance and Family Business

21:26 Handling Stress and Self-Care Practices

26:22 The Vice Category and ABV Considerations

37:34 The Clean Alcohol Collective and Industry Transparency

40:31 Drink Smarter Not Harder: Industry Insights

42:50 How to Find and Support Southside

44:01 Closing Remarks and Future Aspirations

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Lauri is an Energetic Wellness Coach, Yoga Instructor, Intuitive, and Healer who alchemizes her experience and expertise to design customized pathways that help people feel more understood, aligned, empowered, and joyful. She offers 1:1, group, and corporate sessions, programs, workshops, and retreats.

Her Website - Custom Designed Wellness: https://www.customdesignedwellness.com/

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