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How Sarah's Love For Tequila Inspired Her to Build Her Own Global Alcohol Brand
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In this episode, I sit down with Sarah, founder of Leonista, to unpack her journey in building one of South Africa’s first 100% organic agave spirits. Sarah shares how Leonista began with curiosity and a deep love for tequila.
She followed that passion all the way to Mexico, where she posed as a journalist to gain access to top distilleries and learn the craft firsthand.
Back home, she started experimenting in her garage, learned everything from scratch, and eventually built a brand that now exports to eight countries and supports lion rewilding projects across South Africa.
We talk about:
- The lessons learned from building a spirit brand with zero industry experience
- How she landed on Leonista’s brand, name, and lion symbolism
- Navigating South Africa’s alcohol distribution landscape from scratch
- The brutal realities of bootstrapping and reinvesting every cent
- Going through full organic certification across production, bottling, and storage
- What exporting to eight countries taught her about brand clarity
- How to design a product that invites ritual, not just consumption
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🎁 Special for disrupt. listeners: Get 10% off your next Leonista order at leonista.co.za using the code "disrupt" at checkout.
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