As the founder of Lemon Perfect, Yanni Hufnagel knows how to build a winning team, whether on the basketball court as a former assistant coach or in the beverage aisle.
In an interview on Forktales, Michael and Yanni talk about the parallels between coaching and entrepreneurship, how an unplanned endorsement from Beyonce gave the brand a boost and a sneak peek at the new Lemon Perfect packaging.
HOW DID YOUR BACKGROUND IN COACHING INFLUENCE YOUR JOURNEY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR?
“There are so many parallels between coaching and entrepreneurship. At the core, you’re telling a story. When you’re recruiting, you’re telling a story. When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re telling a story. And being a great storyteller is probably the most important skill that you can have.”
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN BEYONCÉ POSTED ABOUT LEMON PERFECT?
“I woke up on January 26, 2020 to a hundred texts. People were saying, ‘Did you see it?’ I didn’t know what they were talking about. It was the sixth image in a carousel on Instagram—Beyoncé’s limo, and there was a bottle of Lemon Perfect in the cupholder. That yellow cap is iconic. We all said, ‘Oh my…’ That was a hell of a moment.”
WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH TO COMPANY CULTURE AND BUILDING A TEAM?
“We had an incredible entrepreneurial culture for the first four to five years and then we lost our way. I probably hired the wrong people. Folks from corporate backgrounds. We had growth, but it hurt us. Now, we’ve re-centered on our entrepreneurial roots. This business isn’t nine to five. You need a relentless motor. Our people bleed yellow.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR LEMON PERFECT?
“We’re launching new packaging in March. We’ve got two new flavors: lime and sunshine tea, which is like a half and half. We’re also working on putting Lemon Perfect into aluminum and exploring sparkling. We’ve sold 100 million bottles, but we’re just getting started.”
