In this episode of Beyond the Shelf, our host Laura Foti sits down with Trey Lockerbie, the CEO and Co-founder of Better Booch. Better Booch is a rapidly growing functional beverage brand that has gained recognition for its commitment to gut health and its delicious products. In this interview, Trey shares the story behind Better Booch's success and discusses the evolving landscape of the kombucha industry.

Below are some highlights from the conversation - you can listen to the full audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. Make sure to subscribe to our channel to get the latest episodes as soon as they are released.

The Multi-Faceted Founders of Better Booch

Trey Lockerbie is an award-winning songwriter who toured with Lady A, Lenka and Hanson. He also co-hosted We Study Billionaires, the number one investing podcast in the world with 100 million downloads. Following his music career, Trey co-founded Better Booch with his wife Ashley, transforming them into industry-leading champions of gut health as a cornerstone of mental health.

The Origins of Better Booch

Inspired by his sister's battle with breast cancer and her positive experience with kombucha during her treatment, Trey and Ashley decided to explore the world of brewing their own kombucha at home. They quickly discovered that commercially available kombucha brands often contained excessive amounts of sugar and lacked the smoothness they desired in their own brews. They set out to be the local alternative around LA at farmer's markets and sold out. The snowball just grew and grew from there. Now they're a national brand and we're even acquiring other brands and are developing new brand.

Kombucha as a Thriving Category

Kombucha has experienced significant growth in recent years, transitioning from a niche product to a more mainstream beverage. Trey attributes this shift to several factors. First, there was a widespread movement away from sugary sodas as consumers became more health-conscious. Kombucha provided an appealing alternative with its probiotic benefits.
‍
Trey and Ashley are trying to provide solutions that get people not only feeling better in that one instance, but feeling better for days afterwards.

Embracing Sober Curiosity

The growing Sober Curious Movement has also played a role in the success of Better Booch and other non-alcoholic beverage brands. As more individuals seek alternatives to alcohol, they are turning to products like Better Booch's sparkling non-alcoholic wine brand, Native. These offerings provide an enjoyable and satisfying experience without the negative effects associated with alcohol.

The Importance of Branding

As a sleek, clean label kombucha, Better Booch packaging stands out from the new agey approach competitors. Better Booch is trying to promote health rather than enlightenment, making their brand approachable and versatile for any occasion.

Listen to the whole episode here and you can connect with Trey on LinkedIn here.

To listen to more episodes of Beyond the Shelf, click here.