E66: Creating a Tequila for Women Made by Women - Mara Smith

This week's episode of the Opportunity Knocks podcast calls for a shot of tequila! My guest this week is Mara Smith, the Founder of Inspiro Tequila - an ultra-premium tequila brand created, run, and made by women, for women (but really everyone will enjoy it 😋).

Mara is a former attorney, corporate strategist, and stay-at-home mom. She began her legal career at Mayer, Brown & Platt in Chicago before joining the corporate strategy team at McDonald’s Corporation. After her twins were born prematurely, she decided to leave the corporate world to focus on her family. However, she never stopped thinking about what was next. She always envisioned running her own company and in 2020 set out on her journey to create a tequila brand.
 
Mara started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit her active lifestyle. She searched for a brand that was additive-free with a look, taste, and aroma that appealed to her. That perfect tequila did not exist so she decided to create it. The goal was not just to create a one-of-a-kind tequila, but to bring another female voice to the spirits industry. Women are involved in every part of Inspiro Tequila’s process - from creating the taste profiles to getting bottles on the shelves.

Additionally, Mara’s mission is to inspire and support other women on their entrepreneurial journeys through financial support and mentoring.

During our discussion, we touched on topics like:

🍹 honing skills as a parent that translate into success in the business world
🍹 why she has women running every part of her business
🍹 the difference between an additive-free brand like Inspiro and other tequilas
🍹 the importance of an advisory board that features diverse areas of expertise
🍹 why she hasn't raised outside capital
🍹 and how her mother and grandmother inspired her entrepreneurial journey

What an inspiration. It was a pleasure to chat with someone doing so much for women in a male-dominated industry. You're going to get a lot out of this episode and be itching to try Mara's tequila! I've tried it since our conversation and it is remarkably smooth.

¡Salud! and enjoy your week everyone!