An Interview with Trey Lockerbie, Founder & CEO of Better Booch

What was the driving force behind starting Better Booch?

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 24, having no gene or history in the family. This came as quite a surprise and my entire family proceeded to reevaluate our environment, diet, and lifestyle.

My wife and I were touring musicians at the time and decided that we would prefer a healthier lifestyle, with more control over how (and where!) we spend our time. The search for a healthier diet led me to Kombucha.

After being underwhelmed with the commercial offerings at the time, we proceeded to brew at home. When we discovered that our Kombucha was superlative, we wanted to share it with as many people as possible.

Better Booch was born!

What have you found to be most rewarding in launching a brand?

I have learned that you should begin with the end in mind.

Knowing whether or not you want to eventually sell your company, for example, helps make determinations about raising capital a lot easier.

Biggest pain points have typically come from scaling production or being underfunded. We bootstrapped for over 7 years and I’m so proud of what we have built. Having a great team, who believe in the product and mission, is the most rewarding part.

What are the software tools you can’t live without?

Google Sheets has been pivotal for us.

We’ve built a completely customized ERP system on it. The fact that its free, can be accessed from anywhere, and that the sheets can connect to each other, is what makes it so great for a startup.

We’re now outgrowing it and moving to an established ERP software, but it has gotten us through the last 8 years.

What macro trend is Better Booch riding?

Better Booch is benefiting from the trend to lower sugar beverages that provide extra functionality.

Everyone is looking for the most value for their buck, so having a beverage that gives you health benefits, as well as great drinking experience, is a secular trend in our mind.

What companies in the F&B ecosystem do you look up to?

The brands we look up to the most would be Firestone Walker, simply for their quality of product. Similarly, we love Stumptown and Golden Road Brewing.

I think all of these brands bring a fun, playful element to their marketing and we aspire to do the same.