Raw C Founder: From One Container to Cracking America

<p>What happens when you wire $25,000 of your life savings into a 20-foot container of coconut water&hellip; without a business plan?</p> <p>In this episode of Always Business Class, Scott Mendelson, Founder of Raw C, shares the real story behind building one of Australia&rsquo;s recognised coconut water brands from scratch and why he is now taking on the 350 million person US market.</p> <p>We talk about selling one box on day one.<br>Driving nine hours around Sydney trying to convince stores to stock a product nobody understood.<br>Competing in a Coles and Woolworths dominated market.</p> <p>And the compounding power of showing up in person.</p> <p>Scott unpacks why naivety can be a competitive edge, how coconut water penetration jumped from 11 percent to over 26 percent, and why flying 15 hours for a two-hour meeting secured a US national retailer.</p> <p>This is a conversation about long games.<br>About protecting factory relationships in Vietnam.<br>About category growth versus ego.<br>About not dying wondering.</p> <p>If you are building a consumer brand, negotiating with major retailers, or thinking about expanding beyond Australia, this episode will sharpen your thinking.</p> <p><strong>Guest</strong></p> <p>Scott Mendelson<br>Founder, Raw C</p> <p>Raw C:<a href="https://rawc.com.au/"> https://rawc.com.au/<br></a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/raw_c/">https://www.instagram.com/raw_c/</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Sponsors</strong></p> <p>Join Flights Club:<a href="https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/"> https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/</a></p> <p>Accor Plus Explorer Membership:<a href="https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-membership/"> https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-membership/</a></p> <p><strong>Chapters</strong></p> <p>00:00 The $25,000 Container<br>02:52 Why Start FMCG With No Experience<br>05:22 Selling One Box<br>10:24 Coconut Water&rsquo;s Category Growth<br>16:30 The US Retail Breakthrough<br>34:19 Factories, Loyalty and Long-Term Thinking<br>49:59 Taking on America</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>