Mocktails with Marina

Marina

Welcome to "Mocktails with Marina," a podcast where Marina, a multi-passionate entrepreneur and innovator, shares her journey and insights into the burgeoning world of zero-proof living and mixology. Marina's story, from a service industry professional to a thriving business owner, offers a unique blend of personal experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative mixology. Dive into episodes filled with inspiring tales, practical business management strategies, and innovative ideas in non-alcoholic beverage solutions. Marina's businesses, 'Functional Flow' and 'The Modern Mocktail,' serve as case studies in transforming passion into profitable ventures. Whether discussing the nuances of zero-proof mixology, navigating health codes, maximizing business efficiency, or fostering a positive work culture, this podcast is a treasure trove for aspiring entrepreneurs, event planners, and anyone interested in a sober lifestyle. Marina's eclectic background in theoretical mathematics, r, food and bev service, and nightlife entertainment adds a unique flavor to each episode, blending technical know-how with real-world experience. From her journey to sobriety to her success in increasing revenue and operational efficiency in the kava industry, Marina's insights are invaluable for anyone looking to make thoughtful, intentional choices in both life and business. Tune in to "Mocktails with Marina" for a blend of free content, expert advice, and inspiring stories, all aimed at helping you achieve abundance without alcohol in both your personal and professional life.

  1. 4月17日

    Our birth story & why, as a sober woman, I chose to go unmedicated

    Unmedicated birth. Sober mom. Two miscarriages. 200 days of vomiting. And a business that held through all of it. In this episode, Marina shares the full story from meeting her husband in 2021 and building a life around their future family, to two pregnancy losses, a pregnancy that left her barely functional for months, and the unmedicated birth of their son, Bula Baby, on February 12th, 2026. But this isn't just a birth story. It's about what happens when you reject fear in the birth room and in business and build something on your own terms instead. Marina breaks down why she, as a sober woman, chose to go completely unmedicated through labor and delivery, the connection between sobriety and presence, why she saw labor as teamwork between herself, her husband, and her baby, and what it felt like to be fully in it without interference for every contraction. She also gets honest about the entrepreneurship side of this season: how a business built for "later" became the lifeline that carried their family through the hardest year of their lives before baby ever arrived and what that taught her about building with real intention. In this episode: — Why sobriety and an unmedicated birth are rooted in the same philosophy — Rejecting fear culture around birth and why 98% of people wanted to hand them their fears — The full birth timeline: water breaking at 7am, birthing center arrival, baby by 7pm, home by 11pm — Two pregnancy losses and what they taught Marina about resilience and intentional building — How a virtual business built for lifestyle freedom became the foundation that made this season survivable — Why your podcast might be your most underleveraged business asset and how to fix that Resources mentioned: Profitable Podcasting Without Sales Calls → themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/profitable-podcasting/

    22分
  2. 4月8日

    motherhood & entrepreneurship: you can (and should) have it all

    Nobody tells you that becoming a mom changes your capacity not just your schedule, but your actual bandwidth. And nobody tells you that building a business in the middle of that is still possible. In fact, it might be the thing that finally clarifies what you've been building toward all along. In episode 102 of Mocktails with Marina, host Marina gets honest about what early motherhood actually looks like when you're also an entrepreneur. The fog, the grief of losing your old capacity, the 20-minute windows that somehow have to be enough and why those constraints ended up being the most clarifying thing that ever happened to her business. This episode covers: — Why the "perfect time to launch" is a myth, and what to do instead  — How building in the margins of new motherhood forced Marina to get ruthless about what actually moves the needle — The connection between her bar industry background and building business systems that work without you — Why your podcast is one of the most powerful sales tools you're not fully using — How to build a podcast ecosystem that sells your offers without sales calls, discovery calls, or being available around the clock — 4 practical strategies for sustainable entrepreneurship in a full season of life This one is for the mom entrepreneur who is trying to hold the baby and the business at the same time. It's for the multi-passionate woman who has been told to slow down, simplify, pick one thing and who refuses to. It's for the podcaster who has been pouring herself into her show and wondering why it isn't converting. You don't have to choose between the life you're building and the business you're building. This episode is proof. Marina also shares details on Profitable Podcasting Without Sales Calls: a program designed to help podcasters build an ecosystem that generates income without sales calls, valued at $3,000–$5,000 in strategy alone, available for $397. 🎙️ Listen now and leave a review if this one hit home. 🔗 Profitable Podcasting Without Sales Calls: themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/profitable-podcasting/

    25分
  3. 4月3日

    Multi-passionate entrepreneurship and the evolution of you

    After a few months away (and one very life-changing baby) Marina is back. Episode 101 of Mocktails with Marina is a deeply personal return to the mic, and the topic couldn't feel more fitting: what it actually means to be a multi-passionate entrepreneur, and how to embrace the evolution of who you're becoming without losing who you already are. If you've ever felt like you have too many interests to "pick a lane," been told you're scattered, or wondered how to hold a career, a creative pursuit, and a whole new identity at the same time, this episode was made for you. In this episode, Marina covers: What multi-passionate entrepreneurship really means (and why it's your superpower, not your problem) The concept of cross-pollination; how your different passions actually make each other stronger Matrescence: the identity transformation of becoming a mother, and what it taught Marina about evolving without erasing who you were What the bar and beverage industry taught her about iteration, craft, and building things with intention Identity grief; the quiet mourning that comes with growing into a new version of yourself 4 practical strategies for making a multi-passionate life actually work: seasonal thinking, protecting your transitions, asking for the right support, and giving yourself credit for the imperfect days This episode is honest, warm, and unfiltered, the kind of conversation you'd have with a friend who gets it.

    22分
  4. Dept in a Box Series: Menu & Product Management

    2025/11/26

    Dept in a Box Series: Menu & Product Management

    In today's episode of Mocktails With Marina, we're closing out the Department in a Box™ Series with one of the most important and most overlooked pillars of a profitable non-alcoholic business: Menu & Product Management. Whether you run a kava bar, non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, kombucha taproom, sober lounge, or functional beverage café, your menu is not just a list of drinks. It's a financial engine. A marketing strategy. And the #1 driver of your customer experience and business profitability. Inside this episode, you'll learn: 🔸 Why your menu needs its own "department" Most business owners rely on vibes, taste, and creativity but without a system, you lose money on COGS, vendor errors, ingredient waste, and inconsistent pricing. We break down the difference between a hobby menu and a high-performing menu strategy. 🔸 How to centralize products, ingredients & suppliers You'll hear how to build one Notion-based product catalog that tracks ingredients, vendors, seasonals, costs, margins, substitutions, and pricing decisions so you can update your menu in minutes instead of reinventing the wheel every quarter. 🔸 The secret to profitable seasonal menus No more guessing, running out of ingredients, or launching specials that secretly drain your margins. Learn the workflow real non-alc bars use to cost drinks, approve recipes, and roll out seasonal updates with confidence. 🔸 Pricing strategy you can trust We talk about margin tracking, cost formulas, COGS transparency, and how to make pricing decisions based on actual data not emotion or fear of customer backlash. 🔸 The exact workflow for menu updates From recipe approval to staff training to POS updates, you'll hear the full 360° process that makes menu changes smooth, consistent, and stress-free. This episode is perfect for anyone managing non-alcoholic menus, kava drink menus, botanical beverage offerings, sober bars, NA bottle shops, and wellness cafés who wants to keep their menu fresh, cost-effective, and fully optimized. 🔗 Want the templates, workflows, and full backend system? Grab the Menu & Product Management Box™ (part of the Department in a Box™ Series) to get the exact Notion dashboards, costing calculators, vendor trackers, and seasonal planning systems I build for my private clients: https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-menu-mgmt-box/

    13分
  5. Dept in a Box Series: Event Planning & Management

    2025/11/25

    Dept in a Box Series: Event Planning & Management

    In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into one of the most powerful and misunderstood growth engines in the non-alcoholic industry: Event Planning & Event Management. If you run a non-alc bar, kava bar, bottle shop, sober lounge, or third space, you already know that events drive everything: foot traffic, community-building, customer retention, brand visibility, and revenue spikes. But most business owners treat events like last-minute ideas instead of what they really are: a core department inside your business. In Part 5 of the Department in a Box™ Series, Marina breaks down: why events must function as an internal department, not a chaotic side project the three pillars of an effective event system: Planning, Management, and Debriefing the most common mistakes businesses make when hosting events (and why they keep happening) how to reduce stress, eliminate last-minute scrambling, and turn events into predictable revenue drivers the templates, SOPs, timelines, checklists, and systems behind high-performing event programs how the right structures can help you scale community events, vendor activations, tastings, pop-ups, sober meetups, live music, workshops, menu launches, and more If you want the plug-and-play tools Marina uses with top NA bars and kava bars across the country, grab The Event Planner Box™, which includes ready-to-use event workflows, run-of-show templates, vendor coordination guides, permit checklists, marketing rollout calendars, Notion event databases, and full department SOPs. 🎁 Get instant access to The Event Planner Box™: https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-event-planner-box/ This episode is essential for any founder or operator who wants to host smoother events, drive consistent traffic, and build a real community around their business without burning out.

    12分
  6. Dept in a Box Series: Employee Manuals & SOPs

    2025/11/24

    Dept in a Box Series: Employee Manuals & SOPs

    In today's episode, we're diving into the department most founders avoid until it becomes a problem: Employee Manuals + SOPs, the backbone of consistency, culture, and operational sanity inside any non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, or third place. If you've ever felt like you're repeating yourself every day, constantly correcting the same issues, or carrying the entire business in your head, this episode will be a breath of relief. We break down why your manual isn't just a "rules document," but your team's source of clarity, empowerment, and protection. And we talk about how SOPs go far beyond checklists; they create accountability, reduce training time, and stabilize the customer experience no matter who's on shift. Inside this episode, you'll learn: Why "chill vibes" still require structure What a great employee manual actually includes How SOPs remove friction from your leadership The hidden staff retention benefits of clarity The difference between policies, expectations, and step-by-step procedures The real reason things fall apart when you're not there If you're ready to stop running your business on oral tradition and start building a team that's confident, consistent, and self-sufficient, this is the department that will change everything. Get instant access to The Employee Manual + SOPs Box™ here: (The same templates and frameworks we use with clients to build professional, plug-and-play manuals and procedures.) https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-employee-manual-box/

    15分

番組について

Welcome to "Mocktails with Marina," a podcast where Marina, a multi-passionate entrepreneur and innovator, shares her journey and insights into the burgeoning world of zero-proof living and mixology. Marina's story, from a service industry professional to a thriving business owner, offers a unique blend of personal experience, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative mixology. Dive into episodes filled with inspiring tales, practical business management strategies, and innovative ideas in non-alcoholic beverage solutions. Marina's businesses, 'Functional Flow' and 'The Modern Mocktail,' serve as case studies in transforming passion into profitable ventures. Whether discussing the nuances of zero-proof mixology, navigating health codes, maximizing business efficiency, or fostering a positive work culture, this podcast is a treasure trove for aspiring entrepreneurs, event planners, and anyone interested in a sober lifestyle. Marina's eclectic background in theoretical mathematics, r, food and bev service, and nightlife entertainment adds a unique flavor to each episode, blending technical know-how with real-world experience. From her journey to sobriety to her success in increasing revenue and operational efficiency in the kava industry, Marina's insights are invaluable for anyone looking to make thoughtful, intentional choices in both life and business. Tune in to "Mocktails with Marina" for a blend of free content, expert advice, and inspiring stories, all aimed at helping you achieve abundance without alcohol in both your personal and professional life.