Today we’d like to introduce you to Rob Manley.
Hi Rob, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started cooking during my time at New College of Florida. I tend to deep dive into subjects, so when I got into cooking I consumed everything that I could get my hands on. From Alton Brown to El Bulli I tried to know as much as I could.
This, naturally, led me to buy The Noma Guide to Fermentation by David Zilber and Rene Redzepi the day it came out. I inhaled the tome in no time and from then on my home counters were filled with crocks and bags of living food. Kombucha, lactic acid ferments, vinegar, and the like were right up my alley because I tend to love sour and funky flavors.
In 2018 my former business partner started Boombacha and I quickly came on for operations because I had a passion and many knew it. By 2020 I became sole owner and operator of the company and have been steadily growing it from there.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has certainly not been easy. 2020 was tough because I had just started to get traction in my first farmer’s market and I wanted to start breaking into new accounts. After the stumble of being too small for business loans to get myself through the pandemic, I kept my day job that helped maintain Boombacha.
Working two jobs is never easy or preferable. To this day I am the sole employee, so all of my growth and failure I can put on my own head. I’ve grown my business close to the point that it can be my sole income, so I am hoping for smoother days ahead and they have been getting better.
As you know, we’re big fans of Boombacha. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I make kombucha for Florida. I wanted to make an accessible kombucha that anyone could drink at the beach. I don’t tout the health benefits as much as others because I want it to be an everyday beverage, not one that you are closing your nose to drink once a day like medicine.
I don’t carbonate it highly so you burp with every slug, I also don’t ferment it to the point that it’s drinking vinegar. (another beverage I love, by the way) Boombacha is clean and accessible. Drink it sitting with your toes in the water or in the backwoods. It’s perfect for a Florida afternoon.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’m not one to just blindly reach out to people in order to try to take advice from them. I love slowly learning about people and finding respect through action. In this way, I like to start to take advice and meetings from people in my life that I have found the utmost respect for in many ways. Talk to the people that have done things you admire.
They may see potential in you as well and want to share what has worked for them. I learned work ethic from my Father and my former Chef. I learned about logistics from my cousin. I have also learned how to talk to people and more than I care to know about business from some of my regular customers at a coffee shop.
I’m currently learning the importance of slowing down from my new daughter. Everyone knows at least one thing better than you. Take time to learn that from them and the way it can help you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.boombacha.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boombachakombucha/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedrinkofjoy
