Experience the fast-growing zero-proof movement and what it takes to be an early market trendsetter in the ready-to-drink sector. Join us as we sit down with Pauline Idogho, the visionary Founder and CEO behind Mocktail Club, as she shares her journey from former Global Development Strategist at the World Bank to a beverages innovator, redefining celebration, connection, and community in the competitive beverage market. Discover the behind-the-scenes creation of Mocktail Club and how Pauline developed her sophisticated non-alcoholic drink brand, infusing global travel and cultural shifts into each unique flavor. She discusses purpose, pleasure, pivots, and her collaboration with Pharrell Williams and Black Ambition, revealing why pleasure, presence, and purpose are the new power trio and how to navigate the entrepreneurial path with courage and intentionality.
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Pauline Idogho, Founder Of Mocktail Club: Execution Is Everything: Growing Mocktail Club Into A Zero-Proof Powerhouse
What’s it like to be a trendsetter and early to market in a sector that grows beyond just a trend, but into a full-blown movement? We’re going to find out when I sit down on this episode of Women Advancing with a visionary founder and CEO behind the Mocktail Club, Pauline Idogho. Pauline and her team are busy redefining what it means to celebrate, connect, and build community in the fast-growing, zero-proof movement, and growing with tremendous power in the very competitive ready-to-drink market.
We talk about purpose, pivots, pleasure, and so much more. A former global development strategist turned beverage innovator. That’s a thing, and you can do it too. Pauline is mixing up more than botanicals and bubbles. She’s stirring in by tapping into her global travels, cultural shifts, wellness awareness, and bold leadership into every can of mocktails. We talk about how she went from being an executive at the World Bank to world-class mocktails, how she ended up working with Pharrell Williams and the folks over at Black Ambition, and the real story behind her zero-proof pivot. She’ll share exactly why pleasure, presence, and purpose are the new power trio. Sit back and drink it in.
Women Advancing Crew, we’re so fortunate because we’ve got the CEO and founder of one of the leading brands in the Hot Zero Proof movement. That would be the founder of Mocktail Club, Pauline Idogho. Pauline, welcome.
Thank you so much for having me. I’m really excited.
Unlocking The Mocktail Club: The Zero-Proof Journey Begins
Me too. I have had the pleasure of witnessing Pauline hitch and watch her story, and the product literally get en fuego or get on fire. I want you to share a little bit about that because one of the biggest things to me about Mocktail Club is it’s more vibe than a product. What was the spark that led you to create this sophisticated non-alcoholic drink brand, and the story behind that?
The story was a need for me. At the time, I was in finance for a while. When I was eight months pregnant, and celebrating with colleagues and realizing that there were men with their bottles of wine and their good food. People who weren’t drinking had to be at the kiddie table. You’re getting your grapefruit juice. You’re getting your soda water to adults who were willing to pay, who wanted to be part of the social experience, who wanted to have something more sophisticated in their hands.
There were no options at the time. That day, as serendipity would have it, a venture capitalist in Washington, DC, who does defense, was somehow sitting next to me and said, “You should do this.” I was like, “Yeah, how hard is maternity leave? It’s easy stuff, four months to start incubating an idea.” I bought a domain name that day, and that’s how everything started.
Was there a moment when you all of a sudden went, “This is a thing. There’s a following. This is a company. It’s not just a pie in the sky, but more than a hobby. It’s legit.”
Yeah. There are more times when I’m like, “This is a thing.” In the beginning, I was going to the farmers’ market because I was like, “Is this a thing? Who’s going to buy this? Is it another pregnant woman? Are there five of them?” What surprised me was seeing healthy, young people stop in and saying they were cutting down on alcohol, they weren’t drinking. That surprised me. I realized that it was much bigger than I expected it to be. Each week, I would see these different types of consumers looking for non-alcoholic alternatives. The market was there. I realized then how diverse and interesting the market was.
Crafting Global Flavors: A Sensory Mocktail Experience
Especially the tack that you take. For those of you who are not familiar with Mocktail Club, Pauline, you’ve done such a great job meshing your past global experience. As a result, she has created seriously yummy flavors. Talk a little about that and maybe share some of the different flavor concoctions that you’ve come up with, so they can get thirsty, run out, and buy them.
Going back to that farmer’s market experience, where initially, I tried to make a Sangria or something that existed, and it was okay, but it never rose to the alcohol anagram version. I was like, “Let me lean into different places I’ve been and create something from scratch.” One of the first skews was Havana Twist. It was like, “What would I do if I were on a beach in Havana? What would I drink? What would the flavor profile be?” It’s cucumber, mint, and lime. We put cardamom and cloves, which give it that herbal notes.
When I tried that, because people had no idea what Havana Twist was, it worked. I kept leaning into each one. Manhattan Berry is Carrie Bradshaw. It was like, “If I were in a movie and they were holding their little Cosmo glass, what would they be drinking in there?” That’s where Manhattan Berry came from. Capri is the same thing, Italy, a beautiful island. What would you drink? A little bitterness, a little Aperol spritz-like.
Bombay Fire, when I was in India, when I worked at the private arm of the World Bank. I wanted something a little spicy, a little heat, a little vibrant. That’s where it came. Our latest, which is where my baby moon was, is a Bolly Breeze. That’s a delicious one that’s doing super well in stores. That’s coconut, lychee, and lemongrass. It’s doing phenomenal. Each one has been a destination. That goes back to the experience. It’s bringing these tastes, these sights, these sounds into the drinks.
It’s more of a full-body experience. I go back to that bar, and that’s what I wanted. I was wine drinking. I’m still a wine drinker. Having those notes, the citrus, the apricot, all the different things come out of the flavor profile, I wanted that. I wanted it to be a multi-sensory experience, from the smell to the taste to the layers. I didn’t feel like it was a supply chain thing. People were essentially getting water and putting flavor in water.
That doesn’t have those multi-layers, that sensory aspect to it. I think I’m also a big foodie. That comes with that experience. You look at a menu and you go to a nice restaurant, and it’s layered and there’s a lot of intention on each ingredient. What they want you to feel, the pairing, all of that is well thought through. Those are the types of experiences that I am bringing into the non-alcohol world, so it’s exciting.
Beyond The Drink: What Zero-Proof Consumers Truly Desire
What do you think people are craving beyond the drink through this shift to zero proof?
I would say experience. It’s the same with any beverage. I would say it’s experience, inclusion, and occasion as well. I want to believe I keep dreaming of this world that’s already happening, which is liquid-driven. I see it, even at events where there are non-alcohol options and there are alcohol options in the same event, and people get to choose. Sometimes it’s funny when people gravitate towards the non-alcoholic options versus the alcoholic ones.
They have choices. No one is forcing them to go this way, but they choose. I think liquid is the star, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s alcohol or non-alcoholic, or they complement each other. After your third glass of wine at your corporate event, you might want to drink something else, but still be part of the occasion, still be present, still have that complexity that I’m describing, and feel that you are still part of the fabric of everything that’s going on.
Our success and wins are shared—it’s not about me anymore. Share on XI think that’s where the world is going. I think that’s where it’s going to be. There are all these Gen Z stats, and they’re not drinking. I think there are a lot of Millennials who are also participating in this category. What’s also interesting is how people are still drinking and drinking non-alcoholic drinks. I don’t know if the stats change, but it’s over 90% the people buying non-alcoholic drinks who are drinking alcohol, full-strength drinks at the same time. It’s this fluid type of market. I feel it’s like an empowerment in a sense.
You choose your rules. Tuesday and Wednesday, I cut down on alcohol. Thursday to Sunday, I drink alcohol, or it’s just on the weekends. People are writing their own rules. At an event, I alternate because I know where my limit is and I don’t want to surpass it, but I want to be there until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. See it more like you can drink more because you’re alternating and can do more because you’re healthier, or you’re focused on your health and wellness. I see it as more complementary to people’s lifestyles, and those lifestyles alternate. This is where having great options and choices comes into play. That’s where we slip in.
Navigating A New Market: Staying Confident In Zero-Proof
That is beautiful because Mocktail Club was early in the market, in the category, before it was incredibly trendy. How did you stay confident and say, “I’m not giving up” in your vision before the rest of the market caught up? What were those early-day investor conversations?
Maybe none. I think there’s always this great line between health and wellness, and the whole non-alcoholic movement. There was a parallel between that. I knew who the early adopters were. That’s that Whole Foods buyer, the Whole Foods, the store, that person who cares about great ingredients, what they put into their body, loves the whole travel destination.
We also use apple cider vinegar. Most of them have about a tablespoonful of vinegar. You’re drinking vinegar without knowing. That’s for sugar, like monitoring sugars, helping cut digestion, and all that good stuff. I’ve worked at the private arm of the World Bank, worked in renewable energy. We give back 1% to clean water access globally. Water For People is the organization we work with, and I sit on the board. I care about all the ingredients and the supply chain.
The point is that all those things matter to our consumers. I knew that consumer existed. Even though it was early, it was not trending in any way, shape, or form. I knew all those things that we were doing, like what we stood for, what the product quality was, the ingredients we were putting in there, were trendy. That conscious consumer existed back then. It exists today. That was a path. We went through that natural path with those consumers, and there was a market for that.
It’s much more organic. I can imagine that would be one of the more frustrating pieces when you’re trying to educate investors and others who may not be as on the category or even be in the field as you had been and have firsthand experience, “No, this is a thing. You’ve got to trust me.” One of the things that impressed me was the different actions you took. Tell everybody a little bit about when you went to the Olympics.
I was invited. I was very excited to accept the invitation to Paris from Pharrell Williams. There was a competition by Black Ambition, which was started by Pharrell Williams, to support Black and Brown founders. I think the first one was 2021. I was one of the recipients of Black Ambition. It was great. I got an invite from Black Ambition and Pharrell Williams. I got to share the stage panel with Pharrell, which is such a highlight.
It was great to meet other entrepreneurs there to speak about Mocktail Club on a global stage. It was an amazing experience. Pharrell is with Louis Vuitton in Paris, too. Beyond even going there, Black Ambition, it was great to see the brand there as well. It was a wonderful experience, and how much creativity can take someone to so many different facets, from music to design, to business, to so many different things. He is super impressive, and it was a great experience.
Different outlets. It’s so funny.
Different outlets, exactly.
Different expressions of it. Different activations, if you will.
I think you could hear the production also happening at the same time. You’re creating music, creating garments, all happening in this amazing mind. Powerful.
I had forgotten that you and I shared the whole Black Ambition thing. When I was the Chief Growth Officer at GoodLight Capital, a now-shuttered venture capital firm that supported Black and Brown and female founders, we worked with Black Ambition. I’m so impressed with everything that they do. You’re right, Pharrell is amazing. When you’re running your business, there are going to be times when you feel like quitting. Are there moments when you feel like quitting?
Absolutely.
What brings you back to not doing it? What do you turn to? Probably liquid courage, but what do you turn to? You spike that Mocktail Club, but what do you turn to get yourself revitalized?
I was laughing because I don’t know if liquid courage can help, and maybe it does.
I don’t think it does.
For many founders, I would assume that’s just depression. “I should stay.” I would say community, and there are different layers. My husband is so impactful here. He always tells me how far I’ve come and how amazing I am, and how much I have achieved. He reminds me of obstacles and things that I’ve gone through to be here and continue to be here. It’s whatever bump it is. It’s another one to drag and sleigh. That’s helpful.
I think my husband and then you look to the future. To some level, the kids which is the reason I started this in the first place. Before they understood how to read, they knew what Brandon was, and they could recognize Mocktail Club anywhere in a store. Watching growth happen in their eyes, I’m fascinated by who they will become as adults. I think this process is enriching for whatever they want to do and be in life. I think by seeing, it’s great.
Lastly, I would say my team, which I love so dearly. It’s not about whether there’s a payroll and I pay people. That’s always a fun one. I don’t think that’s it. Being a founder, and I don’t have co-founders, it can be lonely. When you start to cultivate a great team, it becomes their family in a sense. They take on a very important part, not only in just keeping the cogs and the wheels turning, but our success and our wins are shared. It’s not about me anymore. It starts off about me, and then it becomes a team success. Each win is a celebration amongst other people.
It’s so great to build and have those other people. I want more successes with them, more successes with the team, and all these people who are core to be part of the core. These are all the fun things. The last part is trying to build something phenomenal. I think you got one life, maybe come back as a cockroach, who knows? If you’re a cockroach, you cannot be with the Mocktail Club. I don’t know. With this one life, I feel like this is it. I get to choose. I get to make pathways, whether they work out or they don’t. I get to choose destiny, and there is nothing more fun than doing that.
I completely agree. I’m also thinking that with regard to your children, extraordinary role model. Planting the seed that, “Sure, you can go work for another company. You can be a teacher. You can be whatever, but you have a choice, and you can do your own thing. You can do your own thing at any age.” Sometimes it’s easier at other times, but it’s becoming so much more accessible to people, I think.
I agree.
The Entrepreneurial Edge: Finding Courage In Creation
With all that, was there one moment in particular when you found yourself up against the wall and it required real courage? One, what was that moment? Two, what did it teach you about yourself?
The first one was when I decided to produce thousands of bottles with all the labels, because I figured that’s how you sell it, and I had no idea how I would sell it. It was my first production run. I’m like, “Yey.” In the garage, I’m sitting on thousands of bottles. I’m like, “This is awesome. What do I do now? Where is the roadmap? How does this move from the garage to wherever?” I remember a funny story. I talked to this guy, my co-packers. The producers had given me this information for this distributor, who does gas stations and some other things.
He told me to talk to him, “Maybe they can help you.” I was like, “Cool.” I went there and I was like, “You want to try my stuff?” They’re like, “This is horrible. You’re never going to sell.” I was like, “Not my market, next.” What was funnier was that they were like, “This Honest Tea guy came here, too. We told him no.” I remember hearing that, and I was like, “I’ll be okay.” If you turn down Seth Goldman and Honest Tea, maybe I’m on to something. I was like, “I’m in good company, so I’m going to keep down the path.”
I think that probably is courage because I have still no idea how this is going to work out, but I’m willing to take a bet on the company, take a bet on myself, and take a bet irrespective of a no, which will happen continuously. It continues to happen. You keep chugging along. That’s one of the many nos and all sorts that have happened, and you keep making it happen. It’s a fortitude of spirit that you need for entrepreneurship. That was the beginning of many of those that you need to keep going through things.
From Idea To Impact: Launching Your Bulldog Business
What advice would you give to a woman with a bold idea? To your point, she has no clue where to start.
I test the market. I know it sounds very boring, but just do it. You’re awesome. I feel like, “What is your point of view?” You’ve got to ask yourself a few questions. What are you bringing to the world that’s going to change the world? Why is it going to change the world? Instead of feeling daunted, “Yes, it’s going to be revolutionary. How do I even do this?” Start with the little steps that you need to do. If it’s going to change the world, how do I make it? You go through the process of, “This is how I would make it.”
Is there someone willing to part with actual real money to buy this? If the answer is yes, then keep going. Each time, if you do it in these small bits that you can chew on and you can execute on, then you can get there. If you’re like, “It’s going to revolutionize the world and it could be global,” you don’t even know where to start, but just start small and keep building incrementally on that success. They love it, or the feedback like mine was, “They don’t want stuff that doesn’t taste like the actual alcohol or the real thing. They want something new and great.” That’s when you start to pivot and you create.
By having those little steps, you can get there versus trying to solve everything all at once. LinkedIn is a beautiful thing, and people are nice, and other women are very nice. My advisor is still my advisor, whom I met through LinkedIn, because I sent her a cold call about what I was doing. She happened to have had a lot of beverage experience in the past and gave me the time, and is still around, still my advisor.
You’d be surprised how many people are willing to do that for someone who is passionate and excited to build something phenomenal. Get those people around you, and it helps you navigate mistakes quickly, or even know what you don’t know, “How could I even do this?” By talking to these people, you start getting the steps of, “This is how you can build.”
You’d be surprised how many people want to help someone passionate about building something phenomenal. Share on XThat can help you uncover blind spots. I also think that by reaching out to those folks, it takes tremendous courage. Not everybody has it, but they want to be a little part of a movement, a great idea, knowing that they played a role. You’re giving them that opportunity to help move something forward that they may not be in a position, or desire to even do it, I would think. The little steps piece is fantastic because, so often, especially in this world of instant access, instant result, unicorn, I got to be a unicorn, that’s not a strategy.
Lessons Learned: Wisdom For Your Younger Entrepreneurial Self
That’s like saying, “I’m going to write something, it’s going to go viral.” Again, not a strategy. By doing it little by little, it does give you the ability to instantly pivot, make a shift, get smarter, all of a sudden, discover what you didn’t know, “Oops,” and redirect and course correct. Lastly, my friend, knowing what now, what advice would you give your younger self?
I love this question. I would tell myself how amazingly strong and confident I am. I think that’s something I feel like I’ve grown into a lot. I tell myself to already start feeling like, “You got this, you’re so powerful,” on day one, instead of growing into it. There’s something when you believe in yourself. You have inner confidence, and it comes out. You know yourself, and you know what you’re capable of. It becomes obvious. You exude it externally, and you just have to believe it inside, and it comes out on the outside. I would get that glow a lot earlier on.
When you believe in yourself, confidence comes out naturally. Share on XIt’s amazing what it attracts.
It attracts everything. You don’t even know, because when you’re trying to attract and you’re not even confident, it’s harder.
You feel like a poser.
Exactly. Once you’ve got it, it’s this gravitational pull towards you.
It’s magnetic. I totally agree. You are all of that and so much more. Pauline, thank you so much. Many pearls and words of wisdom. I appreciate your complete honesty. To your point, it would be so easy to say, “Go.” I had another person say, “It is hard.” Just know it’s going to be hard.
That’s another good one.
It’s true. It’s not easy. The fact is, you can do it. Everybody can do it.
Bringing Your Vision To Life: Why Execution Is Key
You just have your little bits, so you’re not overwhelmed, and keep at it. I think that the most interesting thing that I’ve found is that execution is the most important thing. I think it’s so underrated. That’s why I talk about these little steps, because it’s all part of the execution game. I remember when I graduated from business school, and I would come up with an idea for a new business. I’m like, “I don’t want to tell anyone, here’s what I’m working on.” I’d whisper it, thinking someone would steal my idea.
Execution is the most important thing—and it’s underrated. Share on XNow I know for a fact, there are multiple people at the same time, maybe even on the same day and hour, thinking of the same thing. There’s another woman who’s in the non-alcoholic world who was pregnant. There are probably more than two of us. There are probably like ten people, and they all launched for the same reason. We’re telling the same story about how we executed 100% differently. That will happen every single time, a car, whatever. Yours is going to fly. Someone else’s is going to fly. How is it going to fly? What is the experience for the consumer? That’s what matters.
It’s that nuance. You also used another word that I think is so important, intentionality. In order to be intentional, that takes precision and time, specificity. It doesn’t all just have to get done fast. Power of the pause, I think.
Absolutely. That’s why incremental success, validation of your success matter. That’s the advice, instead of just leaning into it and running, which is great. Be the first one because someone is going to come and grab you. Again, execution. No matter what, that competitor is still coming. Guess what? The last guy sometimes wins because they learn from all your bad mistakes, and they create something so much better because they’ve learned from you and everybody else who’s done it one way and got consumer feedback to iterate. Being the first doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the winner.
Driving Success: The Power Of Intentionality And Purpose
It’s all about execution and the consumer. That’s why I’m always talking about testing and all that stuff. Let the market tell you it is needed. Who needs your product, who needs your solution, and the intentionality of why you exist. What is your ethos? That also drives your success because you can pull from that. “I need to be here because we need X.” That also helps you in those days when you want to quit because there’s an intentionality about what you’re setting up, who you are, and what you’re doing and what you’re doing to change the world. When you have that vision like that, you will continue to build because you know it needs to come into existence.
Being first doesn’t guarantee winning—it’s about execution and the consumer. Share on XAlso, listen to when the customer is talking. Don’t just say, “Yeah. 100%.” That’s hard. That’s discipline. It sounds like such a basic duh.
It’s a great one.
Barely done, but the other piece, too, is it’s that nuance. When you are so clear on all of these things, it gives you permission to say no. When you’re tempted to scatter shot to make sure you’re covering all your bases, when you’re so clear on what your purpose is, what your customer experience is, all of that, you can say, “It’s so tempting to go down that route, but no. That’s not us. That’s not mine. That’s the other woman who executed differently.” Pauline, where can people get the drink? Where can we all get Mocktail Club?
You can purchase us at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Target, Giant, on Amazon, on our website, and at several other retailers as well. We will be launching in Sprouts nationally. The Virginia, Maryland, and DC area will be launching in Total Wine. Lots of fun launches, lots of fun retailers. Moms is another great one. Doochies, and a lot of retailers near you, hopefully. Check our website. We would love you to be part of our club.
I support this fabulous founder. Pauline, thank you so much. I appreciate you making the time and being so generous with your wisdom.
I love this. I love you. This was wonderful. Thanks for inviting me.
Thank you. This seems appropriate. Yes, I admit it’s corny, and my daughters are going to roll their eyes when they hear this. Cheers to you and the future.
I was going to say the same thing.
Big love.
Cheers.
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Episode Recap: Key Takeaways For Aspiring Entrepreneurs
What a terrific conversation and the thing that I love about Mocktail Club’s CEO and founder, Pauline Idogho, is that she is so good at being honest and open. She pulls no punches and tells you the truth, and in so doing, it enables you to take a step in her shoes and get a sense of what it’s like to start your company. I’m appreciative of her. I’ve got to tell you, the product is really good, so do go check it out. It’s good on its own.
As a mixer, it’s probably extraordinarily amazing. I thought she gave many useful tips. To me, the three greatest, or maybe it’s four, KB takeaways are that you have to count on it can be lonely when you’re running your own company, and you don’t always know what you don’t know. It’s imperative to surround yourself with a good community. You have to make sure that the community extends to the family as well, in the home, and also to your team to help you stay honest, grounded, and humble, so that you don’t fall in love with the idea and you listen to what they’re saying because then that’s going to help you grow the brand.
Second and most important, it’s all in the execution. Otherwise, you can do a lot of talking, you can do a lot of shiny branding. If it doesn’t get done and it isn’t done intelligently, execution in and of itself is such a differentiator. The key to that is little steps. In this era of everyone has got to be a unicorn, I’m leaping tall buildings in a single bound, it’s baby steps, baby steps.
One, they help you get smarter quicker. Two, if you’re making a mistake, it’ll be a tiny little fail, instead of a huge plummet. It enables you to become much more nimble when you pay attention and when you listen. Finally, you’ve got one life. As Pauline said, she chose destiny. You can do it too. With that, I look forward to hearing what your favorite flavor of the Mocktail Club is. Looking forward to hearing more, talking more, and learning more together on the next episode of Women Advancing.
Important Links
- Pauline Idogho on LinkedIn
- Pauline Idogho on Instagram
- Mocktail Club
- Black Ambition
- Pharrell Williams
About Pauline Idogho
Pauline Idogho is the Founder/CEO of Mocktail Club, a line of premium crafted ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cocktails inspired by her quest to find sophisticated and better-for-you alternatives to alcohol. Prior to founding the company, Pauline had a 15-year career in investment banking, international development and clean energy finance.
Companies she has worked for include the International Finance Corporation (the private arm of the World Bank). She has lived, worked and traveled around Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which helped to inspire the rich and sophisticated flavor profiles of the Mocktail Club line. One percent of Mocktail Club’s sales go to support clean water access globally through the organization Water for People. Pauline is a board member for Water for People.
Pauline is also the Treasurer and head of the Finance Committee of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA). Pauline is originally from Nigeria and moved to the UK when she was younger. She holds a Bachelors in Economics from Howard University and MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She became a 2022 Tory Burch Fellow.
She is also a Black Ambition Prize Winner, an organization started by the Celebrity Pharrell Williams. Pauline has been interviewed on Fox 5, NPR, Amazon Prime, and most recently, she spoke at SXSW 2024 on “Why Not Drinking is the Hottest Trend in Drinking”.