Q&A: Cannabis Drinks and Social Wellness With BRĒZ Founder Aaron Nosbisch

BRĒZ founder Aaron Nosbisch. (Photo: Aaron Nosbisch/BRĒZ)

Aaron Nosbisch is the founder and CEO of BRĒZ, a beverage company focused on cannabis-infused social tonics and functional drinks. The company’s products combine hemp-derived THC, CBD, adaptogens, and Lion’s Mane mushroom in beverages designed as alternatives to traditional alcohol. We spoke with Nosbisch about entrepreneurship, the future of social drinking, regulation and the philosophy behind BRĒZ.

We sat down with Nosbisch for a Q&A to discuss his entrepreneurial background, the rise of cannabis beverages, conscious innovation, regulation and why he believes consumers are increasingly looking for alternatives to alcohol.

Tell us something about you that people don’t know.

Though now I live a very tech-forward existence, I grew up in the Midwest, in Illinois. I spent most of my time growing up doing construction work with my family, and I hated it. I got access to a computer at 11. I started my first company at 13 online and found there was this path where I could build whatever I wanted and escape this Midwest trap through the internet.

So although I’m pretty techie and counterculture today, I actually grew up in a very Midwest Bible Belt, small-town environment.

What were you like as a kid?

I was rebellious, but also loving and sensitive. I was born in 1993 and caught that wave where technology was cresting and cutting through society. When you’re in the Midwest, the future is here but it’s not equally distributed, so I had access earlier than a lot of people and was living in a different frame of mind than the people around me.

That led me to challenge things a lot.

What belief from early life do you still carry today?

A deep respect for other humans and a mode of operation rooted in love and service. I grew up in the church, and there was a focus on treating your neighbor as yourself and service as the highest calling.

Even though my beliefs have changed, that love as my central focus is still how I live today.

When did you first identify your entrepreneurial drive?

My dad was an [Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] agent but also an entrepreneur on the side. He would buy overstock goods and resell them, run different hustles and take me to trade shows. I learned how to sell, talk to people, understand what they want and provide value.

When I was 13, I started a clothing company. I designed shirts, sent them to a printer, set up a MySpace store and promoted through bands. My dad gave me $300 to start, and I paid him back.

What was an early failure that humbled you?

I joined a company around 18 to 20 and helped scale it from about $100,000 to $7 million and then to $15 million. I was promised equity but didn’t secure it properly. At the end, I said I wouldn’t work anymore until I got it, and I was fired.

That was my first real kick in the teeth. I didn’t understand equity, partnerships or agreements. It hurt, but I’m grateful I learned it early because I’ve never put myself in that situation again.

What connects all your entrepreneurial work?

It’s what I call conscious innovation. It’s innovating on the felt experience of being a human. Consciousness is your perception of reality. If you can build things that improve that experience, you can change how people live.

How does that apply to alcohol and your product?

Alcohol is kind of the core drug of humanity, but it’s not a very good drug. It makes you less aware. People use it for relief, connection and reducing anxiety.

The question is what people are actually wanting and whether you can give them that in a better way that’s not harmful. If you do that, you shift the experience of individuals and potentially society.

Are you trying to change people’s consciousness?

It’s less about changing consciousness and more about meeting people where they are and offering a better option. If they try something that works better, they change through that experience.

It’s about giving them something to consider and letting them choose.

What was the moment you decided to start BRĒZ?

I was in Costa Rica on a retreat thinking about what I wanted to do. I realized I wanted to start a beverage company.

On the plane back, I opened the window and felt a breeze on my face while looking at the ocean. I thought it should feel like that — refreshing, calming, uplifting. That’s what we should call it.

Why has BRĒZ grown so quickly?

It’s multiple variables coming together. Experience in online companies, understanding advertising in restricted categories, connections in beverage and timing.

Businesses succeed when they have an advantage in innovation and distribution and hit the right moment.

What makes the beverage industry difficult?

It’s a super cash-intensive game. You’re manufacturing, shipping and dealing with physical products. But it’s also very tangible. You’re making pallets, shipping truck[load]s and producing millions of cans.

What are your thoughts on regulation?

Regulation should exist to empower consumers to have safe access and informed choice. People should know the products are safe and what they’re buying.

It shouldn’t be used to control markets or restrict innovation.

What is your broader mission?

If you improve individual experiences, you shift society. If you want to save the world, you start by saving yourself.

If you resolve what’s happening internally, you can start resolving what’s happening externally.