Inspiring Conversations with Isaac Fernandez of Duša Kombucha

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isaac Fernandez.

Hi Isaac, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The idea of starting Duša Kombucha began from my kitchen from having my mom trying some different store kombucha. My mother hated traditional kombucha and wanted nothing to do with it but I drank kombucha because of the benefits for my stomach and digestion.

Trying to get my mom to enjoy kombucha, I began to brew kombucha from a SCOBY that I received from the mom of my best friend. I spent months testing and testing different brewing methods and ways to make a kombucha that was “non-vinegary” but was still rich in health benefits. After years of testing, I finally made a kombucha that my mom liked and was nothing like the majority of store-bought kombucha! I actually had a lot of family and friends try the kombucha. They said that it was the best kombucha that they’ve ever had and that they wanted to buy some! That’s how it all started. I began to write down all the measurements and flavors that I wanted to produce. I knew that any company that I wanted to make would have to be environmentally conscious so I decided to bottle the kombucha in glass bottle and start a bottle-buy-back program for all our weekly kombucha subscribers. I spent a lot of hours and literal sleepless nights on designing, brewing, and selling my kombucha. I would spend 14 hours between brewing, designing the labels and logo, do the marketing, the relations with our distributors, and product sourcing. I was doing the job of a team of 4+ people while still working a full-time job.

As I began to attend various local markets in the Triangle area I slowly began to get noticed by some shops and our awareness grew.

In the few months that we’ve been fully operational, we’ve seen great growth that has come through hard work. I plan on continuing to move forward and grow the business to be a national brand that can share the health benefits with everyone.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been a very hard road. I’ve had to do various different roles while starting the company and learn a lot about brewing and distribution. Probably the hardest thing at first was taken serious by retailers and small shops. Being seen as a small product doesn’t really promote a retailers to sell your product because they are taking a lot of risk in hopes that they are able to sell it. However, I kept pushing through it and have slowly began to be noticed as a “reputable” brand in the Triangle Area. The second hardest thing to overcome was the sourcing of material and produce. I spent hours and hours, probably a collective amount of 2 months, searching for bottle manufactures, label manufacture, organic fruit sourcing and the brewing equipment because of the overhead cost of the equipment.

As you know, we’re big fans of Duša Kombucha. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our business started from the idea of sharing the health benefits with everyone and getting rid of the traditional kombucha taste that had been made by large kombucha brands. There are a lot of kombucha breweries in the Triangle Area but I’m the only minority-owned kombucha brewery in all the area. This has really pushed me forward to create the best kombucha in all of North Carolina and continue to grow.

What I’m the most proud about my brand is the connection that we have built with our customers through our delivery services. We have a lot of customers reach out to us to sharing their love for our kombucha and a lot of them call us simply to let us know that they ran out of kombucha and had to go buy some from the other brands and that they had to through them away because they did not taste the same. Overall, I’m really proud of the customer’s support and the quality of product that we have developed.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I found that reaching out to people is the best way to network. I remember this quote from the movie “We Bought a Zoo” which says “you only need to be brave for 20 seconds”. Finding a mentor is key in growing in any aspect of your life. I was fortunate enough that I reached out to some people that had started a kombucha brewery in the area and they were able to connect me with people in the area. My advice for networking is to just go out there. It’s the same as trying to find a date, you need to be open to the possibilities and put yourself out there to get where you want to go.

Pricing:

• Free Weekly Delivery: $19.99

Contact Info:

• Email: Dusabooch@gmail.com
• Website: www.livedusa.com
• Instagram: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiUyvGuzs_xAhUgkmoFHbStBW4QFjAAegQIBBAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fdusabooch%2F%3Fhl%3Den&usg=AOvVaw2vvG3PgiCLXPMsU1OHu9ie

Image Credits
All photos are credited to me: Isaac Fernandez