511: Monica Cornitcher’s Journey From Personal Loss to Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Success

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I sat down with Monica Cornitcher, CEO and co-founder of Medasi Cocktails, a premium non-alcoholic beverage brand redefining what it means to drink without alcohol. What started as a simple desire for a real cocktail experience without the after-effects turned into a six-figure investment and a fast-growing brand that’s now catching the attention of major retailers.Monica shares how she and her co-founder Inga Dyer went from Zoom conversations during the pandemic to building a fully developed beverage company. Instead of rushing the process, they leaned into research, worked with a food scientist, and built a five-year strategy before launching. Their focus was clear: create authentic, full-flavor cocktails that people actually recognize and crave.In this episode, Monica opens up about the real cost of building a physical product, navigating grief after losing her co-founder, and the strategy behind growing through direct-to-consumer before entering retail. This is a powerful conversation about resilience, intentional growth, and building a brand rooted in purpose and community.Main TakeawaysWhy taking time to validate your idea and build a strategy can save you costly mistakesHow to approach launching a physical product without cutting corners on qualityThe importance of direct-to-consumer growth before entering retailHow resilience, grief, and purpose shaped the future of Medasi CocktailsHighlights Include00:00 – Introduction to Medasi Cocktails03:00 – Monica’s first business and corporate background06:00 – The idea sparked during COVID and building with intention08:00 – Why they worked with a food scientist instead of DIY10:00 – Creating a 5-year business strategy before launch13:00 – Identifying their target consumer and product positioning21:00 – Funding the business with $100K+ of personal investment26:00 – Attending Expo West and attracting investors29:00 – Navigating grief after losing her co-founder30:00 – Growth on Amazon and direct-to-consumer success33:00 – Why retail is expensive and how to prepare f