Seltzer and Spritz: Voices of Leadership | Leadership Stories | Women Leadership | Female Founders
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Join us for leadership stories from female founders, trailblazers in women leadership and entrepreneurs sharing their success stories.
What does it take to build a beverage company from scratch? Not just any beverage company—but one that is unapologetically female-founded, obsessively focused on ingredients, and determined to carve out space in an industry long dominated by men in boardrooms and barrooms alike?
Melissa is already a leader and teacher in the drinks space. But like so many entrepreneurs, she saw a gap—between what was on the shelf and what she wanted to drink. Clean, flavourful, high-quality hard seltzers and spritzes without the synthetic aftertaste, the hidden chemicals, or spoonfuls of sugar.
So, she created DAME—a Canadian-born beverage brand that’s as much about taste as it is about purpose. She calls it her baby business. But that baby? It’s growing up fast. Today, you can find DAME in the LCBO, sitting on shelves beside legacy brands, standing tall in its bright, elegant cans.
But this isn’t just a story about what’s in the can.
It’s about leadership, and what it takes to found something from nothing. It’s about setbacks, long nights, and moments of doubt. And it’s about mentorship—because while Melissa is crafting crisp Italian spritz cocktails, she’s also helping to build bursaries and educational programs for women looking to break into the beverage industry.
This is a conversation about grit. About vision. And about why, sometimes, the best way to shake up an industry… is to simply pour something better.
Melissa Pulvermacher is the Portfolio Director at Cru Wine Merchants and the Founder of DAME Beverage.
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Melissa
Because I like to liken myself to a mad scientist, if you will. A little bit of juice here. I want less sweet. Maybe I wanna mess around with maple syrup or honey because I don't wanna use just pure sugar. So I get to create, I hope, forever because I hope that I'm constantly thinking, what can I bring you next? Creating is fun. I have a lot to say about it because it's the best part. Amy
Welcome to Voices of Leadership, my podcast that tells the stories of women who are redefining success and thriving on the edge of change. What does it take to build a beverage company from scratch? And not just any beverage company, but one that is unapologetically female founded, obsessively focused on ingredients, and determined to carve out space in an industry long dominated by men in boardrooms and barrooms alike. Melissa is already a leader and teacher in the drink space. But like so many entrepreneurs, she saw a gap between what was on the shelf and what she wanted to drink. Clean, flavorful, high quality, hard seltzers and spritzers without any synthetic aftertaste, hidden chemicals or spoonfuls of sugar. So she created DANE, a Canadian born beverage brand that's as much about taste as it is about purpose. She calls it her baby business. But that baby, it's growing up fast. Today, you can find DAME in the LCBO, sitting on the shelves beside legacy brands and standing tall in its bright, elegant cans. But this isn't just a story about what's in the can. It's about leadership and what it takes to found something from nothing. It's about setbacks, long nights, and moments of doubt. And it's about mentorship. Because while Melissa is crafting crisp Italian spritz cocktails, she's also helping to build bursaries and educational programs for women looking to break into the beverage industry. This is a conversation about grit and vision and about why sometimes the best way to shake up an industry is to simply pour something better. Hi, Melissa. Welcome to the podcast. It's so great to see you again. Melissa
Hi, Amy. Thanks for having me. Amy
So we just had a lovely dinner last week with a bunch of fabulous women leaders in the Waterloo area, and, it it was a fun dinner. I love getting together with other female, leaders and founders. Melissa
It was pretty cool because, actually, the coordinate coordinator made sure that there were businesswomen of all walks of life. So women have who have sold their businesses, who are building baby businesses like mine, and women who are, like, full blown CEOs of companies they've created for themselves. So that diverse set of people in one room, I I don't know, but I got a lot out of it. Just community and connecting, but also hearing everyone's story. They're all coming from a different place in business. Right? So some were very inspirational. Some were were very reassuring for some of the challenges we've I'm facing. And everyone was inspiring. That's the truth. Amy
Yes. I I did. I always love hearing people's stories, and I was very appreciative of being called an experienced entrepreneur other than other things. Of course. So that was nice as well. And, everybody has a story, and they do come from different places. But, really, at the end of the day, I found we all had very similar challenges and similar paths to success in the way that we did things. So that was kind of interesting too. Melissa
Yeah. It was great. There was a lot to connect over, which is cool because you kinda think, wow. You've already built and sold a business and started the second one, and here I am, you know, just building the first brick by brick. But there was so much to to connect on and so much that we had in common, actually Amy
Yes. Melissa
Which feels great because, truly, like, without this kind of community and b to b community, entrepreneur to entrepreneur community, you can't do it alone. So it's very meaningful. Amy
No. No. That's a very big theme on the podcast. Many of the women I talk to say you can't do it alone, and it's so very, very true. So interestingly enough, you are the second female founder of a spirits Melissa
I love it. Amy
That I've talked to. I do too. And but I I just think that when you talk about spirits and the alcohol industry and all of the things involved, it can't be an easy thing to start. So what inspired you to create, produce, and sell your own line of hard seltzers and cocktails? Melissa
It's a great question, and thank you for acknowledging the barriers because the barrier to enter enter this space, especially in Ontario, Canada. Right? Like, you have to look at your market and your jurisdiction. And we are governed by the monopoly, the AGCO or the LCBO, if you will. They have control of the Ontario market. So anything we do, we work collaboratively with them, so to speak, but they really are the overlord. And so Mhmm. It's not an easy step in because you have to understand the bureaucracy, the licensing, and, obviously, you're also entering a space, where social responsibility is uber important. So you can't even dip a toe until you really have everything, all of your t's crossed, your i's dotted in terms of licensing and compliance. And, actually, that's a good thing because what you don't want is somebody creating spirits in their basement unsafe. So obviously, the governing board does help protect consumers. So there's a lot you have to do before you're even allowed to experiment with a product. So that is challenge number one. So it has been challenging building the business, but, one of the, I'd say, positives that I had on my side from the beginning is just my experience in the industry. So I work in wine and spirits. I have well, I started bartending, for example, as soon as I was legally allowed to bartend at eighteen. And I was in restaurants ever since then when I was studying wine. My career since then has been focused in on importing fine wines, some spirits. And then when I teach, I teach at the University of Guelph, and it's focused primarily wine and then subcategory spirits. So I did take a lot of experience with LCBO, AGCO, governance, compliance, and I think that set me up for success, thankfully. Because, honestly, without that, I think it just becomes this daunting this daunting category where you may think it's kind of interesting or cool to get involved in, but you see all of the licensing you have to start with and most people go, never mind. You know? Amy
I'd be like, I'm out. Melissa
Yeah. Exactly. So I was I was happy enough to understand it enough to say, okay. I actually think I could create. So when I dove into the creation of it all, it was, not until, like, twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three. And challenges, yes. It's not impossible. That's not to scare other future creators away either. It's just know your jurisdiction and know your market, and then certainly know other markets if your intention is to sell outside of your own jurisdiction. Amy
Wow. It's it's there's a lot of business and regulation knowledge required before you even get to create. So you talked a little bit little bit about the creating side. How does that work? Are you just in the kitchen, or are you in a lab? And are you like, I'm gonna put these things together because I think it's gonna work. Like, how does that work? How does your process work? Melissa
I really like that question because I like to liken myself to a mad scientist, if you will. Some of it is not so glamorous. It's quite literally in your kitchen. You are measuring things out. You've got soda water. You just you you would buy a a spirit from the LCBO or from a store. You say you wanna you wanna play around with vodka or neutral spirit. You would use that as a base. And then it is fun. It's kind of like cocktail creation in your we've all probably done it, but maybe not for Christmas. Yes. Yes. Yes. A little bit of juice here. I want less sweet. Maybe I wanna mess around with maple syrup or honey because I don't wanna use just pure sugar. So that's the creation side. There were two important steps for me though. There was the creating with partners that really knew what they were doing. I started first in sort of the beer world even though these were hard seltzers, and they were huge mentors of mine. Like, people who just helped me understand how to create suggestions in terms of, like, how are we gonna filter this out, stuff that was way out of my comfort zone, especially really coming from the wine and wine making side, messing around with spirits, tanks, fermentation. I got a lot of guidance from people who do this on a regular basis. From there, creation was in my kitchen, and then we moved it to a professional lab in Guelph, the the University of Guelph, because I teach there. I had a couple of relationships and connections. They have an awesome food lab called GFIC. They do a little bit of recipe and development for you if that's what you're interested in, both food and beverage. So I took it from my kitchen to working with real food scientists, who could make suggestions and say, we love your idea, but did you think about shelf stability here? But the important stuff that would get you to the next level before you would man manufacture something. So there were multiple tiers and levels of of creation, and some of it, I felt in total control. Some of it, I just really looked to those that I could tell knew what they were doing and helped guide me. And, we're still doing it. Like, we're we have our recipes, and I'm constantly thinking, like, what's the next recipe? I'm working right now on a recipe that's nonalcoholic because that's a really important segment of, the business. Nonalcoholic is probably the number one question I get weekly from customers. We love your product. Can we have a version that is nonalcoholic? So I get to create, I hope, forever because I hope that I'm constantly thinking, what can I bring you next? How can I develop something new or tweak or perfect? Because even in the lab process, I was probably the most annoying customer because I was the one who was saying too much salt, and they said, Melissa, it's like zero point zero zero zero one percent salt. They said, but what if it was zero point zero zero zero zero one percent? And they came back and I said it's perfect. See, texture, and they they said your palette is insane. And I don't know if that's true or not, but I knew that I was not willing to put something in a can on the shelf if I didn't consider it perfect. And none of them are perfect. Nothing is perfect. I do believe, like, you have to continue to develop perfect. It's a very nuanced process, but I I would certainly drink them myself. And if I couldn't say that, I wouldn't sell them to you. Creating is fun. I have a lot to say about it because it's the best part. Amy
Being a mad scientist does sound fun. Melissa
Yeah. Makes it sound cooler anyway. Amy
It sure does. That's amazing. To think about it that you can just a little bit here and a little bit there and change the the context of a drink completely. It's and Totally. You get to do it, and you get to think I'm gonna try this. And the nonalcoholic is is such a huge market. You're not wrong, and and then you get to just create some more. And so it's very interesting. I mean, it's it's fascinating. So now you've you've created and I know you're still doing all of these things, but you've produced, and now you're starting to sort of get into the LCBO and some other, quote, unquote, LCBOs across Canada. But, really, at the end of the day, sort of alcohol beverage space is dominated by well established brands. So how do you carve out a unique space for Dain then? Melissa
You know, it's it's a good question because the truth is our space is dominated and has been dominated by big corp, big biz. They're they obviously have the budget to constantly offer new products, which is great. So they almost, like, don't go out of style. They just take up or eat up more market share, if you will. Early on when I was doing this, you know, one of my goals was just to connect with as many people in this space as possible. Anybody who would take a coffee from me or a video chat, that's mostly what I was doing in the beginning. Like, please, can I just pick your brain? And and, you know, some pretty amazing people said yes. And, some of the or I'm not gonna name anyone, but some of the early advice I call it advice, but you tell me. So, we were on we're in a conversation and, you know, they said, okay. I have a question for you because, obviously, you have a lot of passion. You have a palate. You understand the business, but, RTD or ready to drink, which is my category of canned packaged convenience alcohol, it's competitive. It's arguably the most competitive category. And if you look at trends, it is also one of the category that categories, one of the only categories as we've seen a big decline in consumption of alcohol in almost all categories. This category has been increasing. I think that has a lot to do with convenience. I think it has a lot to do with selection, diversity of selection, and I think that has a lot to do with the fact that you'll often find low ABV or low alcohol. A lot of us are drinking, but drinking smarter, more consciously, and less at that. So this person had said, okay. Are you independently wealthy? I said no. And he said, do you have a lot of experience in the RTD space, even selling it for another company? I said no, because I've sold wine for the bulk of my career. Right? Like, I've taught spirits. I've taught trends and marketing and whatnot in terms of this kind of packaged good. But it's it's not my area of expertise. It's a it's a it's a piece of the market I was entering sort of blindfolded. And, his advice at the end of it, he said, then don't do it. Get out of here. I felt it came from a bit of jaded experience because it can be a really tough business. You know? And I didn't feel he was trying to say, you don't belong here. I felt he was saying, it sounds fun, but it's it's not. You know? And I did actually take that advice. I onboarded out it as understand more about the space, more about your competition. Understand that, yes, it's fun and maybe you can make a beautiful label and you're probably creating, hopefully, something different, something that answers a question or a demand or a need in the space that hasn't been answered yet. But do it by also being very conscious of the fact that you have a lot of competition and it's a hard space to exist in. You know? Don't don't just go in with rose colored glasses, if you will. So the space is still dominated mostly mostly by big business. There was an opportunity for us recently. Obviously, this is this is something that a lot of businesses are navigating today, but the conversation of tariffs, the conversation of import export, how we're impacted by our neighbors primarily. And the LCBO obviously made a big sort of political statement by pulling all of the American products from their shelves. There's still a lot of American product in stores because the truth is a lot of that product is made in Canada. So these American businesses have, like, their Canadian sectors, and that'll always be the case. But, suddenly, there was more opportunity for us small domestic Canadian makers. And that's an opportunity that I clung to right away. I was ready. I had all the product. Okay. We have restaurants and bottle shops and bars saying I'm gonna buy a minimum of eighty percent Canadian product. And it's too bad that it took this situation for our own Canadians to look in that direction and say, there's plenty here. There's plenty here that's being made right here, my neighbors. You know? But I'm really happy with that shift, not only because it impacts my business really well, but we're just buying more local or we're thinking more local. Right? And, that benefits me, of course, because I'm making products that I believe stand up on the shelf against big biz, the my competition that make great beverages, but I feel like we're great too. And now there's more space for me, it feels. There's more space for my counterparts, fellow makers of craft, spirits, beer, wine, whatever it might be coming from Ontario and Canada at large. Amy
That was such a great story. There was a couple of really interesting things when you talk to someone in the industry, when you're talking about that conversation and about how his responses get out, and your response is, okay. That gives me information, but it also then gives me information on how I can succeed. I'm not leaving. I'm gonna stay and succeed. So I really loved that you did that. I think that's fantastic. And with all the uncertainty in the world and all the uncertainty here in Canada, to see a women owned, locally owned business find an opportunity and all of that is very positive. So it's always nice to hear those kinds of things. So let's talk a little bit more about Dame and the product itself because we've been talking about all kind of a little bit around it. So I kinda was you spoke about it at dinner, and I've read a little bit about it and sort of you are committed to creating high quality flavorful beverages made from all natural ingredients without the usual additives and preservatives. So So tell us a little bit about that and why you decided to do that, and then what really DAME is and what your products are. Melissa
Alright. So I'm gonna talk about DAME as the recipes are today because we obviously had a starting point of a lot of experiment. But when we reformulated last year, we did it with such intention, and it was at that point where I really had to carve out what is most important to me about these beverages. Because when you're scaling up and you're making a product on a much larger scale, there's some decisions you have to make. And, obviously, there are certain ingredients that are more expensive, and there are better ways to preserve your product that that that dangerous word of preservatives. But there are natural preservatives, and there are preservatives that aren't so great for you. So I had to set out what my ethos was. Like, what was important to me in these beverages? One, I said it earlier, I have to like them. I would have to drink them myself because I don't wanna have to sell something to someone that I wouldn't myself enjoy. It's way easier if you love it to convince someone that it's great. Second was I was only gonna use plant based, so they are vegan. Not certified vegan. Certifications will probably come later in the business, but, nonetheless, we only use ingredients that are plant based and a hundred percent natural. So there are plenty of opportunities to use flavor extracts, for example, that are curated in a lab. And a lot of the beverages or canned cocktails or hard seltzers that are my competition, they do use these for two reasons. One, if you curate a flavor or an ingredient in a lab, it's far more easy to control. Okay? And that's actually important in the world of consistency in food and beverage. Sometimes we're using ingredients because consumers want the product to look and taste the exact same every time. But I I didn't want to just say we're organic. We're using this. We're clean if it wasn't true. And so plant based ingredients means all natural means even if the not so natural ingredients taste a little better, they're brighter, they're clearer, they're more consistent, I'm choosing not to use them. And there have been a couple of times, especially in production as we've scaled up where I've come up with scenarios where I thought it'd be so much easier. You know? Amy
Yep. Melissa
But we haven't wavered. Also, when we say low and no sugar, what that really means is just being conscious of how much sugar we're pouring into these things. And so because that's a value of mine, I've I've now learned that it's a huge value of most of my customers as well, and it's been massively appreciated. So our hard seltzers remain a hundred percent zero grams per liter of sugar, whereas our cocktails or our Italian spritzers, the donnas, they're low sugar. And what that means is any sugar that is in the, recipe is coming from a clean ingredient, likely a fruit source, so natural sugars, and they're balanced out with bitters, with the alcohol, with acidity, and it exists there to to create the perfect, most harmonious, and balanced drinking experience, but without having to pour tons and tons of sugar in. Our Donna lemon, we use organic cane sugar, the tiniest amount. I think for one can, both of them are seven grams per liter, or per half liter, three fifty five milliliters. And then our Donna blood orange, the only sugar source is blood orange juice concentrate. And here's another thing that's important about this. It is still not required by law that you have to have a nutrition's facts table and NFT on your drinking products, your beverage. So you'll walk into the LCBO and some companies choose to disclose. You can turn and you see an NFT, okay, calories, sugar, etcetera. Most do not because there's something they don't want you to know. Right? So in some ways, people believe I've done myself a disservice by always including this NFT because I'm disclosing the sugar amount. I'm disclosing the calorie account. Some companies will just say, hey. We're only a hundred cows, but you don't know any like, how did they get there? Right? What are the exact ingredients? And because that is still not completely required, I see a lot of my competitors just opt not to. Transparency is best, I believe, and there will be a day where it is regulated and and we have to include all of this information. I hope that's sooner than later. And I'm not only ready, but I'm really proud Amy
of what's in the product. Melissa
You know, I get the question, how did you make this smell so much like cherry and vanilla? Use real ingredients. Amy
I used cherry and vanilla. Melissa
It is I used real cherry and vanilla. And where I become a mad scientist is where you can taste seventeen different styles of black cherry. That's where it comes down to the person building the drinks and, hopefully, selecting what you like to smell and taste too. Right? But if you use natural, gosh. Like, I'm being basically applauded for something that the fruit is doing. You know? Amy
Well, the sugar the sugar's a really good point because lots of people have to watch their sugar, want to. I think that it's a big it's a big thing, because it's in everything, and we can't quite figure out how much is in everything. And if you're trying to select a a drink that you wanna see the sugar so that you have that knowledge, you might pass over something that's not actually telling you. So I think of it as a positive. Melissa
Because the other the other evil of sugar, remember, it is the primary culprit of the hangover. Amy
Ah, okay. Let's get into that a little bit. I think maybe everyone's gonna be like, give me no sugar right now. So I have heard that because wine is high in sugar. Is that correct? Melissa
This is when I when I talk to my students at the University of Guelph, it's like the number one fun fact because so many say, I can't drink certain wines or wine because I of sulfites, or I can't drink wine because a a wine hangover is way worse than a vodka hangover. You can actually just scratch all of that. It's sugar. And, again, because in this category, companies are not mandated to tell us how much sugar is in it. I will say the LCBO does a pretty good job of if you walk in, they usually say zero grams sugar or this is dry or this is five grams of sugar. I think they always disclose residual sugar. So use that as your guide if you're finding that the hangover is what's really getting you. And and, for me anyway, as I get older, I cannot drink the super sugary cocktails. And I I'd love to have one. I'll have one pina colada, but if I have four, game over. I can't say my drinks are good for you because they have alcohol in them. Okay? So alcohol, of but there are better for you options of alcohol. Of course, alcohol isn't good for you, and, of course, it does dehydrate you. But the way we've built our drinks is there's a high content of distilled clean water. And then in the lemon, for example, I use sea salt, which acts as an electrolyte. So all that is doing is countering, the bad stuff. And so you're gonna feel a heck of a lot better after several donnas than you will after, a really sweet hard lemonade or something like that from from the LCDO. And the reason is the less sugar you consume, the more you'll be able to hydrate, hopefully drinking water in between your beverage choice. But you can make better choices, if you're choosing to drink. The Donnas and the seltzers are also five percent alcohol. Certainly, there are options out there that are, like, ten percent or if you're really into the hard spirits, then that is going to actually contribute to your hangover as well because it's going to expedite your dehydration, especially. But just focus on those sugars and hydrating in between and making good clean choices, and you're definitely gonna feel better. Amy
Well, we're all looking for that. Less of a hanger is always better. Melissa
I am. I am. Amy
I think that that's great. That's probably the best advice you're gonna give us today. Melissa
Perfect. We can wrap it up. Amy
We can go home now. No. I don't want to. I really wanna talk a little bit about leadership now because, I mean, it's amazing. You you've been a leader in previous positions in your career, and now you're a female founder in the drinks industry. So what has that transition been like? Melissa
It's so to be completely candid, Dame is not my my full time gig yet. So it's a business that I'm building, but I still hold a job that that means a lot to me. It is it is a leadership role in the wine space, so I still work as portfolio director for Cru Wine Merchants. And I've been so lucky that Cru has been, incredibly supportive of the the Dane journey. In fact, the Dane beverages are now integrated into our portfolio at Cru. Amy
Oh, congratulations. Melissa
Thanks. Yeah. And it's been it's been awesome. It's like my two worlds that I love have collided. You know? And that means a very comprehensive, wonderful sales team across Ontario are now selling my products amongst a beautiful portfolio of wine. But the transition, you know, I I feel it pretty regularly because leadership roles. One, at the University of Guelph, you're a leader inherently when you're the teacher or you're the sessional or you're the person at the front of the room with a hundred students looking back at you even if they're essentially your peers. When I started teaching, I was only a few years, if that, older than some of the students in the class. Right? So one, you're battling imposter syndrome there. But two, you really have to define what your leadership style is and what you're going to choose and how it's going to feel authentic to you. Then I have my position with crew where I lead a small team. It's a small to medium agency. But, you know, you find yourself in the room, contributing to major decisions in the business. Finally, you find yourself in a chair where you're able to have your voice heard, and you realize you have an obligation to speak on behalf of the team that you're leading as well. And so in terms of, like, leadership transition and styles, I really feel I'm still navigating what that looks like for me. But what has felt the best to me and the most authentic is this idea of, like, transformative leadership, which is where it's far less about the iron fist and way more about collaboration with good people. But the reality is if your goal is to uplift the people you work with to really hone in on their strengths, then most times people are gonna feel pretty good about where they're at, not always, but they're gonna feel pretty good where they're at, and you'll find that you need to lead or manage a lot less. But I have the best team in the world, I'm biased, on both sides, on the Dame side and at Crew. And I I'd like to think that's because they're really great people with strengths beyond my own that we've really honed in on. And then suddenly, you've got this team that kind of works for themselves, and then you get together and you collaborate. And, of course, if there's a concern, you're there, and they can report to you. But it's way less about that and way more about how can you inspire them, how can you motivate them, how can you make sure they're not dragging their feet into the office, that they're excited about their work. A lot of that has to do with, like, authenticity. Don't fake it. There's a lot that we have to fake, you know, the fake it till you make it. But with people, I think authenticity goes a really, really long way. Amy
Wow. Well, I commend you for leading in so many places. That that sometimes can be a challenge. So being able to make the the shifts on probably an hourly basis as depending on which part of your leadership you are working on. So good for you. That's gotta be challenging. Melissa
And I'd say I haven't perfected it, but I look to for example, like the dinner we had last week, I listened to the stories. These are all women in leadership roles, whether it's for a small business of their own with one employee or companies with a thousand. And I'm constantly trying to listen and learn about what is effective, you know, what is meaningful. And I have to say, categorically, what I come across is that women are really strong leaders, and that's not to say men are not, but there are strengths that we have as women that have long been considered weaknesses, like leading with empathy. Gosh. Lead with empathy and your people feel cared for and they show up ready to work and build your business for you. Right? Is that that obvious? Because it hasn't been so long. Weird. It just works. Wow. You care about people and they care about your business. So it's I'm always looking again for mentors in the leadership space being so young and having found myself in a couple of different leadership style chairs. I feel like there's so much to learn, and the mentors that I've had and the people that I've looked up to, I try to look at their style of leadership and say, okay. What is it about them that feels so inspirational or feels effective even if it's just effective? So I've I consider myself a forever student. And so my my leadership world, I'd say, is young but growing. Amy
Well, good for you. And so on the topic of mentorship, so who have been some of your mentors at on your Dame journey specifically, and how have they shaped the way you lead today? Melissa
I like this question because I think mentorship is super dynamic. I don't maybe this is controversial, but I really feel you could have a mentor who is also an employee of yours. I feel like you could have a mentor who is a colleague or someone you've had a short conversation with, or you can have mentors who have really shaped your entire career. I have all of the above. And within Dame, you know, a part of the company from the get go was, in tandem building these mentorship and education and bursary programs for women in hospitality. So I'm really passionate about this idea of connectivity and mentorship. So for me personally, I've had colleagues. I've had women who work in food and bed that I just look at even from afar, and I consider them mentors of sorts. I have people who work for me that have such strengths in areas that I don't have that I'm constantly trying to learn from them and grow, and I consider them mentors, specifically, like, social media and technology, for example. And then in terms of, like, one foundational mentor, you know, I'll say his name probably forever, but he was my first wine teacher at the University of Guelph. His name is Bruce McAdams, and anybody in food and bev in Canada, they know they know his name. He worked in Oliver and Bonacini. He worked in restaurants forever, both on ownership and leadership roles, and now he's a professor. And he taught me wine. He is the one who nominated me or had others nominate me for top thirty under thirty a while ago. He he's constantly putting my name forward for opportunities and for jobs. Like, even, my boss today, the company I work for in the wine space, the intro introduction was from Bruce. So I look at his style of mentorship because here's the thing. He'll he'll be the first person to say, by the way, you did this yourself. But sometimes there's that opening of the door for somebody, putting their name forward, making them believe that they can do it. You know? His mentor style is something I've emulated. So I'm constantly thinking, okay. Is there anything I can nominate my people for? You know? Is there something I can do to really lift them up? Is there an opportunity I can do a recommendation letter? Whatever it is, I'm trying to consciously always think of how can I open doors for people because I've had the doors quite literally, like, knocked down for me? And if I hadn't, maybe I wouldn't be where I am today. What we do at Dame is the same concept. Like, how are how do we connect the women who are sitting in leadership roles, and how do we connect them to the people who are trying to carve out careers in food and bev? Because if they're not talking, there's this huge gap. So, later this year, actually, we're launching a program called the Dame dialogue, and I already have I'm so proud of the list. I already have a list of I say our dames are women who work in the space, who find themselves in leadership roles or ownership roles, and they're gonna be connected kinda like speed dating to, I say young women, but actually any woman who's looking to start their career or grow their career in food and bev. I I'd like to think that we're going to foster relationships that open doors, that push women up faster. Because the whole goal is to see more women in leadership roles in this industry, especially in hospitality. More women at the top, more directors, more sitting more decision makers. So we wanna be a really tiny part of that because, obviously, there's a lot of work to do. But that's why mentorship is so important to me. That's why I look at my mentors, and I'm, like, forever indebted to them. That's why I'm constantly figuring out, like, how can I be a mentor? Anybody. You know? I I have yet to say and I mean this, no, to somebody who's reached out and said, can I have a coffee or a Zoom? Because I'm I'm still reaching out. And some people say no, and, some say yes, and it's meaningful. Amy
Well, good for you. I think it's amazing when you talk about how when you were a mentee, your experience was so positive and what set what that has generated for you then and all the things you're doing because you had a very good mentor, and now you're trying to replicate that for so many more people. So it it's amazing what one good relationship, how far that can go. Melissa
And I'm not alone. You know? I about Bruce, I'd like to think he's just been my mentor, and that's his position in the world. But I've already met twenty, thirty other, young hospitality folk who say Bruce is their mentor too. So that's really he's obviously doing something very meaningful for a lot of people, and I think we all have to say yes. You know, like, I it's hard because we're busy. But if you do find yourself in a place of leadership, the best thing we can do is offer our time, our advice, and that can be a forty five minute coffee. It doesn't have to be a huge commitment. Right? Amy
No. It's fantastic. It's really it's amazing to hear what you're doing, especially for your industry. I think that that's good. You have to start within your industry and help lift people up in the space that you're familiar with. Melissa
Yeah. That's right. The a a space you feel you can impact the most. Right? Amy
That's right. Yeah. Well, I I, again, I thank you for doing all of that. I think it's very important work, and, and keep it up because I think it's great. I can't wait to see what that that yields for you, at the end of the year. Melissa
You know what's funny is it's always an afterthought, except when I built Dame Beverage, it was a founding ethos. And now it's a drag along that I'll never abandon because it's so important. It's my inspiration. It's my motivation. The minute I get to talk about it, I'm like, how cool is it that I get to build a business that is in acceleration mode, moving quickly. We're selling a ton. We're peep it's our products are resonating with people. It's a real not yet, but it's gonna be a real sustainable business. You know? And at the same time, we're doing some cool things in the background that feel good, that do do really positive things for our industry. It's it's not about marketing. I know it sounds almost kitschy, but it's not. I did we are not doing these things to say, hey. Look. And we're doing some pretty great things. We're doing pretty great things because the people, in the company alongside what I'm doing here care about it, and it's meaningful for us. And so we're always gonna do it. And I hope those programs are so big that, some people know the programs more than they even know our products. Right? That'd be kinda cool. So we have dreams. Amy
I love that. Yeah. That's a that's a great dream. I think that's fantastic. I mean, I I think you have some you have some very interesting core values, and it's very cool to see them grow with your company. So not all companies can do that. So that's really neat to see. So I have two questions. So I wanna know what's next for Dame. But before that, I want you to tell everyone where they can find Dame because I think everyone probably wants to go get a drink after this conversation. Melissa
Okay. If you're in Ontario, Donna Blood Orange, which is an Italian spritz, she's definitely the most popular, really fresh. Aperol spritz Italian spritz vibes is what we've created with far less sugar, way cleaner. So that's in the LCBO, which is big for us. We we just got a placement as of March, so you'll find it all spring, all summer, but we make other products. Obviously, we've got Donna lemon. We have Dane black cherry vanilla, which just sold out. Although it's coming back, I promise, just in three weeks, it's coming back. It's a good problem. Those are all direct on our website. But if you don't like to buy alcohol in certain quantities and online, you can reach out to us anytime because there are a ton of bottle shops, restaurants, and partners who are carrying our products. And if you say, hey, I live in this neighborhood of Toronto. I can point you in the direction of your closest store to go and sample our products. If you are outside of Ontario, we do ship nationally. But, again, I know alcohol across borders and shipping, people are a bit wary of that. So in Alberta, we do have an import partner, David Partridge, Partridge wine imports. I think we're one of the only, like, canned RTD style products in his portfolio much like crew. But he is actually our products are now available in multiple locations across Alberta and direct with them as well. So, again, if you reached out, we'd connect you and find you your closest store. And we are so close to cracking BC. That is a big challenge if not this year, early next. Again, it has it has nothing to do with the people wanting the product in BC. We're very lucky that we have demand. I get messages every day. Like, I'm in BC. Why is this not here? It has everything to do with the fact that even though we're all Canadian, our products are still across provincial borders. It's still an import. So it's just a challenge for us to navigate because, technically, it's easier for European wines and products to end up in DC than it is for fellow Canadian products. So that is something we're navigating. And definitely follow our website and our Instagram because we're launching some new fun flavors. So the non elk is something that we're hoping to to launch in the next month or two. There's a legacy flavor called coconut lime, which is like a pina colada, but literally no sugar, really fresh, and we're launching it by June first. So I'm excited. We've got a lot coming. I'm trying to make sure you are well stocked for the summer. Amy
That helps me a lot. That's fantastic. Yes. So then what's next for Dame in general? Melissa
So it's really about because this year has been so fast paced, I call it our our year of acceleration. What that means for us is that we're just growing very quickly, trying to keep up to production to really stabilize simple things in any business like cash flow and inventory levels and ingredients and vendor relationships. So what's next for us is I really I just wanna find a little stability in our offerings, in our production. We've been running at full speed, which is a privilege, by the way, to be running to catch up to demand. That's the dream of any any business owner. Right? Anyone who makes products, the fact that they're wanted and selling so quickly, that's you know, how could you carve out a more perfect scenario? So what's next is we are going to be launching these new flavors, but we're also going to be making sure our product is available to you, opening up new markets and channels because, you know, we still have the problem with people saying I can't get it. BC being one example, but Canada is a big country. Right? Our sites are focused on Canada. Hopefully, most stores stabilize inventory and then just start creating again. I already have some fun ideas that I've had to say, Melissa. You need to make enough Donna blood orange before you can start experimenting in the lab again. So and in the meantime, you've got a a cool summer launch coming up for sure with coconut and a non elk seltzer. I'll I'll spoil here for the first time. I haven't even put it on Instagram that the non elk seltzer is tangerine vanilla. So the inspiration was creamsicle, no sugar. Amy
Yummy. Melissa
Delicious. So good. So just just focusing on really rolling out what we have next, stabilizing where we're at, making sure we have enough production, and just working on getting it in your hands. Amy
Wow. Well, congratulations on everything you've done. It sounds so exciting. I mean, I've heard bits and pieces along the way, but it seems like you've gone quite gone up quite quickly in the last sort of six to eight months, and that's great to see. And I I love seeing Canadian owned, women owned companies grow the way you have, so I think that's great. Melissa
Yeah. We gotta keep it going, though. Even if those American products come back to the shelves, don't don't forget your Canadian makers. Amy
That's right. So I I just have one final question for you because you mentioned a little bit about, you know, that earlier conversation that you had where they said get out, and then you talk about the mentorship that you've had over the years and the things that you're you're trying to grow. So for women entrepreneurs in the alcohol drinks business or otherwise, if they have an idea but they aren't sure they should take that leap, what advice would you share from your own experience? Melissa
The number one piece of advice I can give is don't wait until everything feels perfect or it all aligns because spoiler alert, it won't. You're gonna have to take risk. You're gonna have to take a leap of faith, but do it when you feel you've thought of or conceptualized something that feels authentic to you. I guess that's a theme of of our podcast today, this idea of authenticity. But if you have to concoct something that doesn't feel quite right, if you're creating something that you wouldn't you wouldn't consume yourself, or if you have to be someone that you aren't, that's going to grow stale really fast. Things really fall into place when it's authentic to you and when you're speaking to it, especially if you're the face of this company you're going to build or this product you're going to invent. If it doesn't answer a need for yourself or you don't feel fiercely passionate about it, you know, most of those businesses, we don't see them three, five, ten years down the line. Right? Because this is a slow build. You know, I've been building this. I say it's a baby company conceptually since twenty twenty one, product in market since twenty twenty three, scale up twenty twenty four, real business twenty twenty five, and I already feel like I've been doing this for a lifetime, but I feel motivated to keep doing it. But if you don't feel that way, it's going to grow stale. So, honestly, lean into community, lean into your mentors, give advice, take advice, listen, start somewhere that feels kind of cool, exciting, and authentic to you. Then comes all of the research and and is there a need for this, and do I have competition or has somebody already done this? But let yourself be creative. Somebody already done this? But let yourself be creative, and then you have to be willing to take the leap of faith. But you don't have to do it alone. You know, Amy, you've already said today, like, an ongoing theme of your podcast is you can't do it alone. It's entrepreneurship is not a solo sport. It's a collective effort. And even if sometimes you feel you're on your own island running your business, which is how I feel a lot, without the community and without a collective, it's probably not going to work. So lean into that. Let let people around you give you feedback. Listen to your clients. Listen to your consumers. You know, it'd be so silly of me not to consider a nonalcoholic when every week my consumers are saying, can I have a nonalcoholic version? Imagine I said, no. Our products are not nonalcoholic. But really lean into that. Take a leap of faith, and always, always do it really authentically. Amy
Well, thank you for sharing that. That's such great advice. Whether you're starting the business, in the middle of the business, selling the business True. Melissa
I mean True. Amy
But but really it is because being authentic and having that passion and motivation does see you through those ups and downs, and you need that in order to make it work. Otherwise, why are you doing it, really? Melissa
And the hard days are gonna be a lot harder. That's right. I'm waiting for a day where I'm not navigating a challenge. But thank god I'm excited about this, and I love the business and I love the products because there are days where in the morning, I'll say I'm not even making that phone call until my second coffee because I cannot right now. So imagine you didn't love what you were doing. Those days would be very daunting. So you have to love it. You have to lead with authenticity and and really, really focus on building out a collective. Amy
Well, thanks for being on the show. This was so fantastic. I I learned I've been wanting to learn so much about Dame. I mean, I knew a little bit, but I love a little peek behind the curtain, and I love the mad scientist information. And I it was just great, and I'm excited to, to crack them open this summer and, and enjoy. I hope everyone else will. So thanks so much for coming on the show. Melissa
Thanks for having me, Amy. Really appreciate it. You made it very comfortable. Amy
Well, you're welcome back anytime because I feel that the growth with Dame is gonna be, varied and long lasting. So congratulations. Melissa
Thank you. Thank you so much. Amy
Voices of Leadership is part of the Bespoke Productions Hub network of independent podcasters. If you are interested in partnering with us as a sponsor or if you have a podcast of your own, please visit bespoke productions hub dot com for more information. This episode is hosted, produced, and edited by me, Amy Schluter. 
