My name is Dave, and I’m the CFO of New Leaf. I’m also an avid East Coast surfer. Once a year, my wife and I “minivan” ourselves to my favorite surf spot in New Jersey – Manasquan Inlet, also known simply as ’Squan to us surfers.
’Squan is a surfer’s only beach, and Surfline.com bills it as one of the best-known breaks on the East Coast. When the ’Squan fires off, the waves can get as high as a three-story house. ‘Groms’ (those young surfers who rip in the waves) love the ’Squan and come from all over the country with their families to surf this spot. This year, our family rented a beachfront surf shack next to an extended family with a pack of ‘grom’ surfers, ages 9 through 14.
Last Monday, with the sunny weather and the waves ‘rolling in’ waist-high, I decided to break out my longboard, leave my wife and kids playing on the beach and head out into the 70-degree water. A couple of hours later, I returned to the surf shack feeling good about the session. I stepped onto my porch, broke open a full cooler of New Leaf beverages and picked out my favorite flavor, Sweet Tea.
In mere minutes, I was surrounded by groms returning from their own surf sessions. “What are you drinking?” they asked with thirsty eyes. I tell the groms that I’m drinking New Leaf Tea, and if they wanted one, they would need to ask their parents for permission. They scurried inside their surf shack.
A moment later, the groms came back with blessings from the grown-ups. I gave the oldest (a 14-year old surfer/snowboarder) a couple of Sweet Teas & Ginseng & Honey iced teas and told him to share them with his siblings. He cracked open a bottle of tea, guzzled it down and broke out in smile. Then he shared his bottles with his brother, his cousin and later with the grown-ups. And yes, they all thanked me.
Throughout the week, the groms and grown-ups raved about New Leaf and how great the iced teas taste. Grandfather, aunts, uncles and groms alike flocked to our little porch to ask questions: Do you have any more? Where can I buy this? Does New Leaf come in a 24 oz bottle? Is New Leaf available in Southern New Jersey? Is New Leaf available in Boulder, Colorado?
I told the people about New Leaf’s 13 unique flavors of ice teas and four flavors of lemonades. I explained how New Leaf is made with pure cane sugar instead of the high fructose corn syrup widely used in the North American beverage industry. And I shared with them that I believe New Leaf is better for you than sodas, energy drinks or other iced teas.
Word soon traveled around the ‘’Squan and before I knew it, I had run out of New Leaf. There was nothing left to do but direct the new groms in search of great-tasting beverages to the New Leaf web site and Facebook page.
The upside? New Leaf now has new friends and fans in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire and Colorado.
As for me, I’m back in the office crunching numbers for the company I love. But those groms got me thinking – how can I continue to bring New Leaf and smiles to groms and their families? Here are my mental notes:
Lesson 1 Learned: The surfing lifestyle and New Leaf mix VERY WELL.
Lesson 2 Learned: Next year, bring more cases of New Leaf.
Lesson 3 Learned: To my fellow employees, we’re all New Leaf Defenders of Taste…even when surfing.
Lesson 4 Learned: Time to check in with the snowboarders.
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