Rachel C (00:00:06):
my name is rachel welcome to sober banter i have erica you are co-founder of namari
Rachel C (00:00:12):
and i'm already excited it is a revolutionary it is a non-alcoholic digestive and
Rachel C (00:00:21):
it speaks to the rebels the creatives and the complex individuals who are
Rachel C (00:00:27):
redefining life without booze you've been sober since
Rachel C (00:00:32):
January 4th, 2021.
Rachel C (00:00:34):
We are 2021 class of 2021.
Rachel C (00:00:37):
And you bring in this vibrant energy with Namaari that you have co-founded and
Rachel C (00:00:43):
welcome to Sober Banter.
Eryka V (00:00:45):
Thank you.
Eryka V (00:00:46):
Super grateful to be here and have the opportunity to share space and connect with
Eryka V (00:00:51):
you and also connect with folks that bless your podcast with time.
Eryka V (00:00:57):
And so I'm grateful to be here and share space.
Rachel C (00:00:59):
same very great but i've met probably i think that's the most serendipitous part of
Rachel C (00:01:04):
this podcast is i never thought that we would have guests like i think if i can go
Rachel C (00:01:08):
back to our first recordings i'm like yeah like anyone will want to banter with us
Rachel C (00:01:12):
and we have just met the coolest people and i think the one thing i really love is
Rachel C (00:01:17):
no one has the same way of getting sober there are so many different ways how did
Rachel C (00:01:22):
you go about getting sober four days after new year's in 2021
Eryka V (00:01:26):
i believe i was exactly where i was supposed to be and that's usually when divine
Eryka V (00:01:31):
timing happens and things bless us and so dry january was something that i have
Eryka V (00:01:37):
practiced for tons of years probably over like 10 15 years and dry january evolved
Eryka V (00:01:44):
I think about eight years or so ago,
Eryka V (00:01:47):
I started also,
Eryka V (00:01:49):
regardless of not drinking,
Eryka V (00:01:51):
I also chose to take away a certain consumption of type of food.
Eryka V (00:01:56):
So let's say you could say like no sugar as well, or no animal products or whatnot.
Eryka V (00:02:02):
And so that would be in addition to, and then another habit would be no consumption of caffeine.
Eryka V (00:02:09):
And so dry January had evolved into that.
Eryka V (00:02:12):
And so when it came down to pick that dry January, I did the combination of vegan.
Eryka V (00:02:19):
So no animal products at all, no alcohol and no caffeine.
Eryka V (00:02:25):
And when dry January was over, I felt the lightest internally that I ever have in my life.
Eryka V (00:02:32):
And I felt some of the cleanest energy.
Eryka V (00:02:35):
that I've ever felt transmit through me.
Eryka V (00:02:37):
And I felt in a way,
Eryka V (00:02:39):
very grateful to be able to feel what I was feeling and didn't want to question it.
Eryka V (00:02:46):
And I just kept believing in it.
Rachel C (00:02:48):
dry january did you end up drinking on the first couple days and you say the fourth
Rachel C (00:02:52):
or is the fourth like your intention day where it like really was meant where you
Eryka V (00:02:57):
meant i always start on the monday of the january so i would do the whole 31 days i
Eryka V (00:03:02):
still went into february but i always started on that monday because i love a good
Eryka V (00:03:06):
kiki and party and there's no way in hell i was going to start my new years early
Eryka V (00:03:12):
and just be on like the first like the first led to the second it would always be
Eryka V (00:03:16):
that monday
Eryka V (00:03:17):
when i would ground down 10 toes down no more liquor so did you know in that
Rachel C (00:03:22):
january 21 that it was gonna end up being this long absolutely nope no and every
Rachel C (00:03:27):
year before yeah i could never make it i could never make it through a dry january
Rachel C (00:03:31):
i tried there was i white knuckled a whole 30 and i drank like at midnight on the
Rachel C (00:03:40):
31st day and it was sad and it was like right before we got sober i just remember
Rachel C (00:03:44):
being so i wasn't excited for food i felt great too
Rachel C (00:03:47):
And then I was like, how can I come ruin this as soon as I can?
Eryka V (00:03:50):
No, I don't.
Eryka V (00:03:52):
I have always believed that if I want to do something, I can do it.
Eryka V (00:03:57):
And so I had never wanted to stop drinking.
Eryka V (00:03:59):
That's just, dry January is part of like a ritual practice I did just to recheck in.
Eryka V (00:04:06):
It had nothing to do specifically with,
Eryka V (00:04:08):
with liquor even or alcohol or whatever we want to label it was more just checking
Eryka V (00:04:13):
in on my consumption and always making sure nothing has power over me because if
Eryka V (00:04:17):
something has that much power over me then there was going to need to be a check-in
Eryka V (00:04:22):
even with like caffeine things like that and so I had no intention it was another
Eryka V (00:04:27):
dry January but the high that I felt
Eryka V (00:04:30):
was the best high that I had ever felt.
Eryka V (00:04:33):
And I had clarity and just awareness in that moment to know like,
Eryka V (00:04:38):
nah,
Eryka V (00:04:38):
I'm not gonna have a drink.
Eryka V (00:04:40):
I'm not gonna go back to the same eating habits either.
Eryka V (00:04:43):
Like I, from that day on, I also have never had animal products again.
Rachel C (00:04:48):
wow that's amazing i've i've gone vegan a few times so you just like ripped off
Eryka V (00:04:54):
band-aids yeah i i just did it and i feel that the things i was the the items that
Eryka V (00:04:59):
i was consuming whether it be like the books i was reading the water
Eryka V (00:05:05):
The new type of food that I was consuming,
Eryka V (00:05:08):
I believe that the energy in it just was very different than whatever I was
Eryka V (00:05:13):
consuming prior.
Eryka V (00:05:13):
I think that energy has a lot to do with what we consume too,
Eryka V (00:05:17):
like how it was made,
Eryka V (00:05:18):
why it was made,
Eryka V (00:05:19):
what's its purpose and its impact upon us beyond just the physical aspect.
Eryka V (00:05:25):
And so just that high was so great.
Eryka V (00:05:28):
And I've never looked back because the high is phenomenal.
Eryka V (00:05:32):
the lightness more than just like physical weight.
Eryka V (00:05:36):
It's this internal weight.
Eryka V (00:05:37):
It's also this lightness to be able to grieve and feel sadness when the world is in
Eryka V (00:05:42):
the places it is,
Eryka V (00:05:44):
or I am impacted by certain things.
Eryka V (00:05:47):
There's lightness around how I encounter sadness versus the heaviness that I used
Eryka V (00:05:52):
to feel with the habits of consumption I had.
Rachel C (00:05:55):
Well, now I'm also curious, what kind of drinker were you?
Eryka V (00:05:59):
I mean, I was
Rachel C (00:06:00):
Were you binge or were you just all the time, 24 seven?
Rachel C (00:06:04):
Sounds like you're pretty in tune with yourself.
Eryka V (00:06:06):
I was a drinker that it was a part of my identity.
Eryka V (00:06:09):
And I think when things are part of my identity, that's like an ego.
Eryka V (00:06:13):
The more we attach ourselves to things of our ego,
Eryka V (00:06:16):
you know,
Eryka V (00:06:16):
it's like we're further from our true selves or further from our spirituality and
Eryka V (00:06:21):
whatever God you may believe in.
Eryka V (00:06:23):
Ego to me stands for edging God out.
Eryka V (00:06:25):
And so the more you over identify with that,
Eryka V (00:06:28):
that happens and i was just like a obnoxious drinker just like obnoxious thinking
Eryka V (00:06:33):
it was classy and cute drinking all the best drinks there was a night of 1942
Eryka V (00:06:39):
whether it was a night of bottle service whether it was a night of six bottles of
Eryka V (00:06:43):
natural wine whatever it was it was obnoxious
Eryka V (00:06:47):
it was cute while it was there and it lasted but i just that's you know that's what
Eryka V (00:06:52):
it was i just over identified with that part of me i mean when people have
Eryka V (00:06:58):
nicknames for you that involve your habits i think that is because i am over
Rachel C (00:07:03):
identifying with that habit wow that's a really good insight which i'm so glad that
Rachel C (00:07:09):
my habit now is like people associate me with being sober because i never thought
Rachel C (00:07:13):
i'd get sober
Rachel C (00:07:14):
And I think it's so cool that being in line with yourself, being able to check in.
Rachel C (00:07:19):
I don't even think I could do that till year one.
Rachel C (00:07:21):
I was just detoxing, I guess, from the booze.
Rachel C (00:07:25):
Like I was so scared to go inward.
Rachel C (00:07:27):
Meditation was scary.
Rachel C (00:07:29):
God, I love meditation.
Rachel C (00:07:30):
Now I could meditate.
Rachel C (00:07:31):
Oh my, I just love it.
Rachel C (00:07:33):
And Eckhart Tolle,
Rachel C (00:07:34):
I've like,
Rachel C (00:07:34):
you're reminding me so much of his book of like,
Rachel C (00:07:37):
we're experiencing these things and how we're feeling the light.
Rachel C (00:07:40):
And there had to have come a moment where you're like, maybe I do like the drink.
Rachel C (00:07:45):
And I don't like the alcohol.
Rachel C (00:07:46):
So is that, how did you start your non-alcoholic digestive?
Rachel C (00:07:51):
I was like, it's not a wine.
Rachel C (00:07:53):
I want to order some already.
Rachel C (00:07:54):
So I plan to, I was really tried to see if I could get it today.
Eryka V (00:07:57):
We've got to get you some.
Rachel C (00:07:59):
I looked, I looked at the stores.
Rachel C (00:08:00):
I was like, I wonder if, and I felt so weird going on to an alcohol site.
Rachel C (00:08:04):
And there is a,
Rachel C (00:08:06):
There are like three non-alcoholic stores in Dallas and they're all closed Sunday and Monday.
Rachel C (00:08:11):
And I was like, old habits die hard, y'all.
Rachel C (00:08:17):
We're still like, yep, F Monday.
Eryka V (00:08:19):
Yeah, that's interesting.
Eryka V (00:08:21):
The way...
Eryka V (00:08:22):
Namari came about is just a part in the bigger journey.
Eryka V (00:08:26):
Just like the way I stopped drinking is just part of a bigger journey.
Eryka V (00:08:30):
Like sometimes people see milestones in your life and even ourselves,
Eryka V (00:08:34):
we tend to focus or isolate an incident versus open it up because when we isolate
Eryka V (00:08:41):
it,
Eryka V (00:08:41):
we really minimize the journey.
Eryka V (00:08:42):
And so not drinking was part of a journey that had started probably like 10 years
Eryka V (00:08:47):
ago when certain people
Eryka V (00:08:49):
consumptions of drugs or other things were happening and my body was physically
Eryka V (00:08:53):
feeling things and I have health problems that I need to find solutions for.
Eryka V (00:08:58):
And, you know, we're never aware of our health until we have a health problem.
Eryka V (00:09:02):
We're never aware of heartbreak until our heart breaks.
Eryka V (00:09:05):
And so the journey
Eryka V (00:09:08):
what led me there and and the way namari happened is you know i hadn't been
Eryka V (00:09:13):
drinking i think for a few years already yeah because this is 2021 and we're in
Eryka V (00:09:18):
2025 so it had been already like maybe two years and a half three years i've tasted
Eryka V (00:09:22):
like everything that exists that is non-alcoholic and again i believe things have
Eryka V (00:09:28):
energy so i'm a person that's like who's the founders who's the investors i come
Eryka V (00:09:32):
from the fintech world i come
Eryka V (00:09:34):
from the coffee world.
Eryka V (00:09:36):
And I'm very familiar with great products,
Eryka V (00:09:38):
but people behind great products that don't align with my morals or the way I would
Eryka V (00:09:44):
like to impact the world.
Eryka V (00:09:45):
And so I'm very cognizant of what I consume from that point too.
Eryka V (00:09:48):
So I always look into products,
Eryka V (00:09:51):
who's an investor,
Eryka V (00:09:52):
who owns it,
Eryka V (00:09:53):
what's it made from,
Eryka V (00:09:54):
what are these ingredients?
Eryka V (00:09:55):
Because look, if I'm not gonna do all that, then I might as well be binge drinking.
Eryka V (00:10:00):
I might as well be consuming things that poison me.
Eryka V (00:10:03):
because there are still things that are not alcohol that are not great for my
Eryka V (00:10:09):
system or my energy or how I move in this world.
Eryka V (00:10:11):
And so there's a lot of things I had tasted.
Eryka V (00:10:13):
I really wasn't keen to many of the items.
Eryka V (00:10:17):
They were
Eryka V (00:10:18):
you know,
Eryka V (00:10:18):
at times over formulated,
Eryka V (00:10:19):
had a lot of things that I didn't know what they were that I needed to Google,
Eryka V (00:10:23):
had things for color,
Eryka V (00:10:25):
just a lot of stuff.
Eryka V (00:10:26):
And so there were things I loved.
Eryka V (00:10:28):
I was an early, early athletic adopter too.
Eryka V (00:10:32):
I loved athletic.
Eryka V (00:10:33):
beer and it was great and so there was there's good stuff that was impacting the
Eryka V (00:10:37):
world but there was this very slim to none and I'll never forget I was at this
Eryka V (00:10:41):
beautiful restaurant in Ojai and I saw this beautiful beverage on the menu and they
Eryka V (00:10:49):
made it in-house and I tasted it and I was like what is this what
Eryka V (00:10:53):
What is this?
Eryka V (00:10:54):
What's in it?
Eryka V (00:10:55):
Who makes it?
Eryka V (00:10:56):
All the questions flew out.
Eryka V (00:10:58):
It was very magical.
Eryka V (00:10:59):
When you taste great things and they come from a great place,
Eryka V (00:11:03):
you can taste the energy and love that people put into things.
Eryka V (00:11:08):
Go to find out it was Brittany, which is our founder.
Eryka V (00:11:12):
She was making this in-house.
Eryka V (00:11:13):
She was doing great things.
Eryka V (00:11:15):
The rest is pretty history after that.
Eryka V (00:11:17):
It was a beautiful product that she was making because she missed not having a good
Eryka V (00:11:25):
Amaro,
Eryka V (00:11:25):
which I agree with.
Eryka V (00:11:28):
And as a drinker,
Eryka V (00:11:29):
again,
Eryka V (00:11:30):
that I said I'd like to keep it classy and cute when I was drinking,
Eryka V (00:11:33):
you wouldn't catch me drinking things.
Eryka V (00:11:35):
Even if I did want to drink,
Eryka V (00:11:37):
You weren't going to catch me drinking something that to me was not going to be
Eryka V (00:11:41):
with the vibe or,
Eryka V (00:11:42):
you know,
Eryka V (00:11:43):
cute or out there.
Eryka V (00:11:45):
I needed to drink something that vibed with my aesthetics.
Eryka V (00:11:49):
And so when I drank this, I could taste quality.
Eryka V (00:11:52):
I could taste the love.
Eryka V (00:11:53):
I could also taste the knowledge.
Eryka V (00:11:55):
Like I was like, damn, whoever is making this knows what the hell they're doing.
Eryka V (00:11:58):
They're not just someone that wanted to make some N.A.
Eryka V (00:12:00):
beverage.
Eryka V (00:12:01):
There's someone that like knows Amaro.
Eryka V (00:12:03):
And yeah, she's incredible.
Eryka V (00:12:05):
She's a genius.
Eryka V (00:12:06):
I call her an alchemist.
Eryka V (00:12:07):
I don't think I've met many people in the NA industry that have her type of
Eryka V (00:12:12):
background and take the time in a product to make it from farm to bottle.
Rachel C (00:12:19):
That's amazing.
Rachel C (00:12:20):
You can tell when you drink something and it like hits you.
Rachel C (00:12:23):
Maybe even like the kids' lemonade stands too.
Rachel C (00:12:25):
You see they're so cute and you're like,
Rachel C (00:12:26):
the lemonade is,
Rachel C (00:12:27):
it's made with heart and love and they're so good.
Eryka V (00:12:30):
I love that you say that.
Eryka V (00:12:31):
That's actually a very good analogy.
Eryka V (00:12:32):
There are kids,
Eryka V (00:12:33):
I live right here on the beach and during the summer,
Eryka V (00:12:36):
there's some kids that sell it and they fresh squeeze the lemon made right there.
Eryka V (00:12:40):
They make it, they're showing you, they like love what they're making.
Eryka V (00:12:44):
They're even sipping their own cup, their salad.
Eryka V (00:12:46):
It's like
Eryka V (00:12:47):
the whole experience and the proudness and like everything i definitely think you
Eryka V (00:12:52):
can taste it i come from the coffee world there is nothing more precious than a
Eryka V (00:12:56):
single origin coffee that you can just taste the love that the farmers have put
Eryka V (00:13:00):
into those beans and i think that remembering where things come from our land and
Eryka V (00:13:06):
how people go about getting those items from our land
Eryka V (00:13:10):
And giving gratitude for the things we get from our land and how it got into our
Eryka V (00:13:15):
plates or our bottle is very essential.
Eryka V (00:13:18):
And I think we often skip over that part of the cycle and we just like go straight
Eryka V (00:13:24):
into consumption and giving things to like the person we bought it from.
Rachel C (00:13:29):
A hundred percent.
Rachel C (00:13:30):
Yeah.
Rachel C (00:13:30):
And it sucks because like those lemonade stands are adorable.
Rachel C (00:13:34):
But if you were to look at profit margins,
Rachel C (00:13:36):
man,
Rachel C (00:13:37):
it's tough because corporate will take it over and be like,
Rachel C (00:13:39):
I'm going to buy out that lemonade stand.
Rachel C (00:13:41):
And it's like, so you just took all the love away.
Rachel C (00:13:44):
Like that's, that wasn't.
Rachel C (00:13:45):
Oh yeah.
Eryka V (00:13:46):
You brought up that word.
Rachel C (00:13:47):
It wasn't.
Rachel C (00:13:48):
corporate capitalism yes you took it away and it's it's hard to not and i i
Rachel C (00:13:55):
actually i've lately been considering i'm like yeah we are we're a small podcast
Rachel C (00:14:00):
i'm in my dining room like this is not some studio and when i was reading about
Rachel C (00:14:06):
your you just have a very authentic raw vibe and i think i got away from that on
Rachel C (00:14:11):
the podcast a little bit because someone made a comment about my interviewing oh
Rachel C (00:14:17):
and since then i've been so focused on the interview the point of the podcast is to
Rachel C (00:14:21):
be raw is to be honest absolutely and did you welcome i was like if someone were a
Rachel C (00:14:26):
feedback i'm like wondering did you ask for feedback no well one of them was
Rachel C (00:14:31):
someone really nice just saying the talking over not pausing not slowing down i was
Rachel C (00:14:35):
just excited to be honest i'm like someone wants to talk to me i didn't even care
Eryka V (00:14:40):
yeah and i want to say like it's not about perfection it's about progress and
Eryka V (00:14:44):
process and also like be yourself don't subscribe to what people see that is their
Eryka V (00:14:49):
perception and maybe they prefer spaces where they're very rigid and dialogue and
Eryka V (00:14:56):
things like that but it is okay to banter yeah and that's where i was just thinking
Rachel C (00:15:00):
today i'm like you know honestly if
Rachel C (00:15:02):
It was like, how are you doing today?
Rachel C (00:15:04):
I was going to be like, yeah, I'm having a case of the effing Mondays.
Rachel C (00:15:06):
Nothing seems to have gone right today other than right now.
Rachel C (00:15:09):
And I said, you know what?
Rachel C (00:15:11):
I know the minute I connect with another person who is not drinking that used to
Rachel C (00:15:15):
drink the way I drink,
Rachel C (00:15:16):
it's going to get better because that's the secret.
Rachel C (00:15:18):
But I will not pick up the phone and reach out and be like,
Rachel C (00:15:21):
hey,
Rachel C (00:15:21):
I'm having a case of the Mondays.
Rachel C (00:15:24):
Instead,
Rachel C (00:15:24):
I'm like,
Rachel C (00:15:24):
well,
Rachel C (00:15:24):
thank God I had a podcast interview because otherwise it would have been my husband
Rachel C (00:15:28):
until I got home.
Rachel C (00:15:29):
And I don't know why we do that.
Rachel C (00:15:31):
I don't know if you do that.
Eryka V (00:15:32):
Definitely not.
Eryka V (00:15:33):
I used to.
Eryka V (00:15:34):
I used to definitely self-isolate.
Eryka V (00:15:36):
I mean,
Eryka V (00:15:37):
isolating,
Eryka V (00:15:38):
I am naturally a self-preservation type of person,
Eryka V (00:15:41):
meaning that's the energy I really tap into,
Eryka V (00:15:45):
but I can over-index in there.
Eryka V (00:15:47):
And that's where I'm here in my home,
Eryka V (00:15:50):
content journaling about my grief or content journaling about a struggle.
Eryka V (00:15:55):
And those things work.
Eryka V (00:15:56):
They do.
Eryka V (00:15:57):
But
Eryka V (00:15:59):
we have community all around and it is up to us to tap into it and me working
Eryka V (00:16:04):
through my shame shame is what keeps me from connecting with people shame is what
Eryka V (00:16:09):
keeps me in isolation shame is the ego telling me like i'm not you know shouldn't
Eryka V (00:16:15):
share my problems like i should uphold perfectionism and no that's that's a lie
Eryka V (00:16:21):
like it is okay to call my friend and be like
Eryka V (00:16:24):
You were dismissive last week with like me and that hurt my feelings.
Eryka V (00:16:29):
And I just needed to share that with you.
Eryka V (00:16:32):
And also like sharing that I have boundaries or sharing that the latest policy that
Eryka V (00:16:38):
is attacking an intersection of mine is really heavy.
Eryka V (00:16:41):
And I can tap into community and say those things.
Eryka V (00:16:44):
And community is my chosen family.
Eryka V (00:16:46):
And it's a beautiful thing to have chosen family and create those safe spaces and trust.
Eryka V (00:16:52):
those people and not let the shame get in the way or past experiences where my
Eryka V (00:16:57):
trust has been broken and and label all people like that yeah 100 i think i
Rachel C (00:17:04):
definitely relate a lot to the past experience part two although the more time i
Rachel C (00:17:10):
get sober
Rachel C (00:17:12):
I don't know that my memories are as accurate as I might have felt them to be.
Rachel C (00:17:17):
Cause a lot of times, well, I was drinking.
Rachel C (00:17:19):
How do you find your spaces?
Rachel C (00:17:20):
Like this sound I, I want to move right now.
Rachel C (00:17:24):
Like I'm like the base sounds awesome because in Texas does I have,
Rachel C (00:17:28):
there's so much,
Rachel C (00:17:28):
there's great people here.
Rachel C (00:17:30):
Sounds like you have a very.
Rachel C (00:17:32):
great, strong community around you.
Rachel C (00:17:34):
How'd you find it?
Eryka V (00:17:35):
I mean,
Eryka V (00:17:35):
I think the more we ground into ourselves and we know ourselves and we can look in
Eryka V (00:17:40):
the mirror or we can look into our heart or we can look into our soul and face the
Eryka V (00:17:44):
ugly,
Eryka V (00:17:45):
the beautiful, the cringy, like every part of ourselves and accept.
Eryka V (00:17:49):
The more we accept ourselves, we can find spaces that accept us.
Eryka V (00:17:54):
The more like I hide parts of myself,
Eryka V (00:17:56):
I will find not so genuine connections because I'm not showing up as myself.
Eryka V (00:18:01):
And so for me, the Bay Area is a safe space on a lot of levels.
Eryka V (00:18:06):
It has its own issues, of course.
Eryka V (00:18:09):
like every place.
Eryka V (00:18:09):
But again, it's never going to be about perfection.
Eryka V (00:18:12):
If that was the goal,
Eryka V (00:18:13):
then I'd have to want to be powerful and greedy and not care about anyone else
Eryka V (00:18:18):
because that's the only way perfection can be upheld.
Eryka V (00:18:21):
But for me, it was the Bay Area is safe on a lot of my identity.
Eryka V (00:18:26):
I don't
Eryka V (00:18:28):
for the most part,
Eryka V (00:18:29):
have to worry who's going to be looking or am I different in this way or am I not
Eryka V (00:18:34):
fitting this sort of neighborhood or this or that.
Eryka V (00:18:37):
There's going to be those things.
Eryka V (00:18:38):
That already gives me a sense of belonging.
Eryka V (00:18:42):
The other part is being able to have friends that just care about who I am, not
Eryka V (00:18:51):
what career I have,
Eryka V (00:18:52):
not what I own,
Eryka V (00:18:54):
not all these materialistic things,
Eryka V (00:18:57):
but they care about what,
Eryka V (00:18:59):
what I'm doing,
Eryka V (00:18:59):
like in life,
Eryka V (00:19:00):
like how I feel,
Eryka V (00:19:02):
where,
Eryka V (00:19:02):
how did my day go?
Eryka V (00:19:04):
What did you do today that made you feel joy?
Eryka V (00:19:06):
What gave you peace?
Eryka V (00:19:07):
I have people like that around me and I've found them on dance floors.
Eryka V (00:19:12):
I've found them in nights I blacked out and we have just stuck together and have
Eryka V (00:19:18):
came out on the other side of things,
Eryka V (00:19:19):
but there were deeper things that connected us than drinks.
Eryka V (00:19:22):
And some of them don't drink anymore.
Eryka V (00:19:25):
And I have a couple of close friends that sipped
Eryka V (00:19:30):
what they want to sip.
Eryka V (00:19:31):
And that's okay too.
Eryka V (00:19:32):
Like not everyone has to mirror me.
Eryka V (00:19:34):
It's not about finding many me's everywhere too,
Eryka V (00:19:37):
because then we forget to diversify our way of thinking or approaching things.
Eryka V (00:19:43):
And so that's really important to me.
Rachel C (00:19:45):
That's beautiful.
Rachel C (00:19:46):
It's a really good way to like ask yourself, what do you align with this?
Rachel C (00:19:51):
I think I said that on the podcast at one point that when asked in early Friday,
Rachel C (00:19:56):
what's my favorite type of food?
Rachel C (00:19:57):
I don't think I knew because I never cared about the food.
Rachel C (00:20:00):
I just, wherever the drinks were.
Rachel C (00:20:02):
And it really,
Rachel C (00:20:02):
the first time we went to a nice dinner and also got the bill and I was like,
Rachel C (00:20:08):
are you sure this is right?
Rachel C (00:20:09):
Like, yeah.
Rachel C (00:20:11):
oh where's the 150 worth of alcohol like that's crazy and the food tastes so good
Rachel C (00:20:18):
and i was just why have i been just diluting this it made me question a lot of the
Rachel C (00:20:23):
relationships i lost a lot of people when i got sober because a lot of my friends
Rachel C (00:20:29):
well i shouldn't say lost but it became very aware of who was their
Rachel C (00:20:35):
just another person to drink with when i got sober and it's a hard lesson yeah did
Eryka V (00:20:41):
you experience that at all i experienced my own shame the stories i made up in my
Eryka V (00:20:47):
head fear of rejection is a huge thing for me and i believe that fear stands for
Eryka V (00:20:53):
false evidence appearing real and i have to remind myself of that and so these
Eryka V (00:20:57):
stories when i first stopped drinking you know i had a very very lovely social life
Eryka V (00:21:03):
and
Eryka V (00:21:04):
thank the damn community.
Eryka V (00:21:05):
I still do just in different places,
Eryka V (00:21:07):
but I had a very great social life in the nightclubs and great music places and
Eryka V (00:21:13):
nice restaurants,
Eryka V (00:21:13):
which I still do them just differently.
Eryka V (00:21:16):
And so I think I had this like huge fear of rejection that I'd go hang out with my
Eryka V (00:21:23):
friend and they were going to be like,
Eryka V (00:21:25):
just stare at me like some weird,
Eryka V (00:21:27):
like what's,
Eryka V (00:21:28):
what's happening.
Eryka V (00:21:29):
Or do you want, you know, our usual
Eryka V (00:21:33):
Oh my gosh, Erica brought this amazing bottle over of wine.
Eryka V (00:21:37):
We're going to crack it open.
Eryka V (00:21:38):
What am I going to take now?
Eryka V (00:21:39):
Like this amazing bottle of mineral water, which I mean is, is good too.
Eryka V (00:21:43):
And I love doing that too.
Eryka V (00:21:44):
It was more of that.
Eryka V (00:21:45):
And I think the more I leaned into the discomfort and for me discomfort,
Eryka V (00:21:50):
you know,
Eryka V (00:21:50):
I've always been uncomfortable since I left my house and
Eryka V (00:21:53):
As a child to kindergarten, I realized it's how different I was in a lot of ways.
Eryka V (00:21:58):
And so I've always been uncomfortable.
Eryka V (00:22:00):
So I'm kind of like used to being uncomfortable.
Eryka V (00:22:02):
I'm usually the one in the lonely and the only in a lot of corporate spaces.
Eryka V (00:22:06):
There's a lot of things, but I've learned that being uncomfortable and feeling safe is okay.
Eryka V (00:22:11):
Now being uncomfortable and not feeling safe, that's a whole nother topic for another day.
Eryka V (00:22:15):
But learning that that discomfort was going to help me grow.
Eryka V (00:22:18):
Like I was safe.
Eryka V (00:22:20):
What's the worst that can happen?
Eryka V (00:22:21):
It is awkward.
Eryka V (00:22:22):
Me and my friend don't vibe.
Eryka V (00:22:23):
Maybe that's not going to be a friend no more.
Eryka V (00:22:25):
And that didn't happen as much from them.
Eryka V (00:22:29):
I noticed it was more me.
Eryka V (00:22:30):
It was more me being anxious.
Eryka V (00:22:31):
What am I supposed to do?
Eryka V (00:22:32):
Where's the drink I grab?
Eryka V (00:22:33):
What are we talking about?
Eryka V (00:22:35):
Do I laugh now?
Eryka V (00:22:36):
Do I not?
Eryka V (00:22:37):
Like all this imposter syndrome, all this shame, all this fear.
Eryka V (00:22:41):
Imagine of like letting go of
Eryka V (00:22:44):
something shitty.
Eryka V (00:22:45):
Anyway, in my opinion.
Eryka V (00:22:46):
I relate to it a lot.
Eryka V (00:22:47):
And so I didn't hang out.
Eryka V (00:22:48):
And then I was like, you know, my partner, bless her.
Eryka V (00:22:51):
She's amazing.
Eryka V (00:22:52):
She has a very good, impactful social life, meaning she's always in community things.
Eryka V (00:22:56):
That's her work.
Eryka V (00:22:58):
She's a nonprofit.
Eryka V (00:22:59):
She's very involved in making this world a better place.
Eryka V (00:23:01):
She would encourage me, like, why don't you call so-and-so and go walk the beach?
Eryka V (00:23:05):
Why don't you go, like, tap in?
Eryka V (00:23:06):
Because I would tell her, you have such a great community.
Eryka V (00:23:08):
And she's like, and so do you.
Eryka V (00:23:10):
You should tap in.
Eryka V (00:23:11):
And I would be like, and so I did.
Eryka V (00:23:13):
And you know what?
Eryka V (00:23:14):
I'm so glad I have.
Eryka V (00:23:15):
That's not to say there's also people that I was like,
Eryka V (00:23:17):
ooh,
Eryka V (00:23:18):
Lord,
Eryka V (00:23:18):
honey,
Eryka V (00:23:18):
the champagne was making you interesting.
Eryka V (00:23:20):
There are people like that, and that's great.
Eryka V (00:23:22):
We've moved on.
Eryka V (00:23:23):
But there are people where I'm like, oh my gosh, you were great with the drinks.
Eryka V (00:23:27):
You're great without the drinks.
Eryka V (00:23:29):
I love you.
Eryka V (00:23:30):
Like, I'm so glad you're in my life.
Eryka V (00:23:32):
And I have friends that have told me, I'm so honored that they've told me, you know what?
Eryka V (00:23:37):
Your journey helped me.
Eryka V (00:23:38):
Like, I don't drink anymore because of you because watching you and like, you're just,
Eryka V (00:23:42):
And I'm like, whoa, I'm so honored.
Eryka V (00:23:44):
So I tapped in.
Eryka V (00:23:46):
That's the energy.
Eryka V (00:23:47):
I had that huge fear though.
Eryka V (00:23:48):
I would never front.
Eryka V (00:23:50):
It wasn't them doing that to me.
Eryka V (00:23:52):
It wasn't anyone.
Eryka V (00:23:53):
It was just me and myself telling that story.
Eryka V (00:23:55):
Like, who am I?
Eryka V (00:23:56):
And that's because that ego thing was gone.
Eryka V (00:23:58):
You know, I wasn't attaching to this cool drunk person.
Eryka V (00:24:01):
Like that was gone.
Rachel C (00:24:03):
I think probably a lot of people relate with that.
Rachel C (00:24:05):
I think I'm seeing the shift of society in the drinking and like the club vibe and the bougie.
Rachel C (00:24:12):
And I feel like I'm seeing it drop a little bit.
Rachel C (00:24:14):
There was a point before I got sober, I wanted a Louis so badly.
Rachel C (00:24:18):
and i i did and i would joke i would why i'd rather have now i try the minimal keys
Rachel C (00:24:26):
and there's a magnet that sticks to my phone of my driver you know and but i was
Rachel C (00:24:30):
asking myself who am i trying to show like it is a bag it's they're beautiful now i
Rachel C (00:24:37):
just see it as i think i see marketing maybe a little more versus like true brand
Rachel C (00:24:41):
versus
Rachel C (00:24:43):
being sold, if you will.
Eryka V (00:24:44):
Absolutely.
Eryka V (00:24:45):
The normalization of so many things is exactly why we're so disconnected as a
Eryka V (00:24:50):
society,
Eryka V (00:24:51):
exactly why usually folks don't feel like they have a community,
Eryka V (00:24:56):
why there are so many things to consume.
Eryka V (00:25:01):
We're just so disconnected from nature,
Eryka V (00:25:03):
from Mother Earth,
Eryka V (00:25:04):
from our people,
Eryka V (00:25:05):
from each other,
Eryka V (00:25:06):
from love.
Eryka V (00:25:09):
Like we're so disconnected from love,
Eryka V (00:25:11):
just that ourselves and grieving the loss of who we are as society.
Eryka V (00:25:16):
It's because the normalization of like, hey, you know what?
Eryka V (00:25:19):
You're feeling like crap.
Eryka V (00:25:20):
You had a long day.
Eryka V (00:25:22):
It's not even just happy hour.
Eryka V (00:25:24):
That's like one of the things folks have normalized.
Eryka V (00:25:26):
Had a long day, go online shopping.
Eryka V (00:25:29):
Had a long day, have this greasy food.
Eryka V (00:25:32):
Had a long day, you know what?
Eryka V (00:25:34):
Binge on this, you know,
Rachel C (00:25:37):
I deserve it.
Eryka V (00:25:38):
Everything versus had a long day.
Eryka V (00:25:41):
Maybe you should just rest.
Eryka V (00:25:43):
What about that?
Eryka V (00:25:44):
Letting time pass.
Eryka V (00:25:45):
Just rest.
Eryka V (00:25:45):
Take a damn nap.
Eryka V (00:25:47):
Imagine that.
Eryka V (00:25:47):
No one ever tells anyone, you should just rest.
Eryka V (00:25:50):
Take a nap.
Eryka V (00:25:51):
Sleep.
Eryka V (00:25:52):
Relax.
Eryka V (00:25:54):
Or I'm not feeling well.
Eryka V (00:25:57):
I feel like I need some energy versus have a coffee or have the Celsius or Monster.
Eryka V (00:26:02):
Work out.
Eryka V (00:26:03):
Have a walk.
Eryka V (00:26:04):
The normalization of things, we're up against all odds.
Eryka V (00:26:08):
And all of us,
Eryka V (00:26:08):
what we don't realize is that it's all of us,
Eryka V (00:26:11):
but some of us think due to our proximity to power or our proximity to funds or our
Eryka V (00:26:16):
proximity to this or that,
Eryka V (00:26:18):
that we're exempt,
Eryka V (00:26:18):
but we're not.
Rachel C (00:26:19):
yeah it's hard to avoid at some point and i have a five-year-old right now i feel
Rachel C (00:26:26):
like i've grown up in sobriety with him because we've tried to start teaching him
Rachel C (00:26:31):
yeah hey when you're angry like cool you feel your anger i know for me growing up
Rachel C (00:26:36):
it was go go away go to your room don't be angry in the public area like you go do
Rachel C (00:26:42):
you go isolate that you come back out here when you're in a good mood so true
Rachel C (00:26:46):
I would never,
Rachel C (00:26:47):
I try to tell my son like,
Rachel C (00:26:48):
Hey,
Rachel C (00:26:48):
listen,
Rachel C (00:26:49):
I'm going to sit here with you and you can be all mad.
Rachel C (00:26:51):
Now,
Rachel C (00:26:52):
if you don't know if he hits or tries to hit me or something like that,
Rachel C (00:26:55):
I'm like that now you're not safe.
Rachel C (00:26:56):
You can be all angry, but are you hungry?
Rachel C (00:26:58):
Do you need a nap?
Rachel C (00:27:00):
Do you need to drink a water?
Rachel C (00:27:01):
Can you go outside?
Rachel C (00:27:03):
But I connect it because that's what I do.
Rachel C (00:27:05):
And I feel I'm like, it's 20 years of training of go away.
Rachel C (00:27:10):
Don't,
Rachel C (00:27:10):
if you don't,
Rachel C (00:27:11):
if you're not in your best mood or you're not have something nice to say,
Rachel C (00:27:14):
don't come to the table.
Rachel C (00:27:16):
That's not how we're raising our son.
Rachel C (00:27:18):
And it's cool because you see the authentic when he really enjoys something or when
Rachel C (00:27:24):
it's,
Rachel C (00:27:24):
eh,
Rachel C (00:27:24):
that's okay.
Rachel C (00:27:25):
But he knows how to sit in his feelings.
Rachel C (00:27:27):
And that's something I hope the next generation does have.
Rachel C (00:27:30):
Cause I'm learning.
Rachel C (00:27:32):
with him right now it's beautiful i tell him i'm like i snap dude your your nana is
Rachel C (00:27:39):
not the same way she was today so like if we're being real i'm like nana would have
Rachel C (00:27:47):
spanked you and put you in a corner so
Rachel C (00:27:51):
but yeah it's just very very different so what do you see happening or have you
Rachel C (00:27:56):
seen over the last three years i've seen i feel like a shift you were two three
Rachel C (00:28:01):
years sober when you started
Rachel C (00:28:03):
Namaari.
Rachel C (00:28:04):
Yes.
Rachel C (00:28:04):
Yeah.
Rachel C (00:28:05):
I feel like that's like our, that's the, where you start to feel like, okay, I can not drink.
Rachel C (00:28:11):
And like,
Rachel C (00:28:12):
I think you do learn that,
Rachel C (00:28:13):
uh,
Rachel C (00:28:14):
the fear of,
Rachel C (00:28:15):
and now I'm like,
Rachel C (00:28:16):
if someone asks me what I'm like,
Rachel C (00:28:17):
you don't worry about what I'm drinking.
Rachel C (00:28:19):
Like, how about you worry about yourself?
Rachel C (00:28:20):
Like, I don't care.
Rachel C (00:28:21):
Like, I'm, I,
Rachel C (00:28:23):
I do remember getting chastised and it was so bad that we got sober the week of
Rachel C (00:28:29):
Thanksgiving and everyone thought I was pregnant.
Rachel C (00:28:32):
They were like, the only way Rachel wouldn't drink is if she was pregnant.
Rachel C (00:28:35):
And I'm like, no.
Rachel C (00:28:37):
And I don't even know if people have to deal with that still.
Rachel C (00:28:39):
People do.
Rachel C (00:28:40):
where's that that same like thought like is the only reason for me not to drink is
Rachel C (00:28:46):
that i'd be pregnant like i can't just not drink to but that's the kind i was an
Rachel C (00:28:51):
alcoholic i mean no i think you couldn't see racial without
Eryka V (00:28:55):
A drink.
Eryka V (00:28:56):
Yeah, like that's who you were.
Eryka V (00:28:58):
But I think that society,
Eryka V (00:28:59):
like,
Eryka V (00:28:59):
I mean,
Eryka V (00:29:01):
when people say they've stopped drinking,
Eryka V (00:29:02):
it's always like,
Eryka V (00:29:03):
what happened?
Eryka V (00:29:04):
I'm like, I didn't kill anybody.
Eryka V (00:29:05):
There wasn't a DU.
Eryka V (00:29:06):
Like,
Eryka V (00:29:06):
I always have,
Eryka V (00:29:07):
I tell people like,
Eryka V (00:29:09):
I should be asking you what happened that you haven't stopped.
Eryka V (00:29:12):
Like, you know, it's again, normalization, the response from people that like love us too.
Eryka V (00:29:20):
They're doing their best.
Eryka V (00:29:21):
But that is what society has normalized.
Eryka V (00:29:24):
Their response to,
Eryka V (00:29:25):
I've said I'm not drinking and oh my gosh,
Eryka V (00:29:30):
my family,
Eryka V (00:29:31):
my dearest little family.
Eryka V (00:29:33):
Like, why?
Eryka V (00:29:34):
Like you would have thought I said like,
Eryka V (00:29:37):
I'm getting rid of,
Eryka V (00:29:38):
you know,
Eryka V (00:29:39):
like,
Eryka V (00:29:40):
like doing something drastic instead of like,
Eryka V (00:29:43):
congratulations.
Eryka V (00:29:45):
And you know what?
Eryka V (00:29:46):
I like,
Eryka V (00:29:47):
People can tell me things that they do.
Eryka V (00:29:50):
I don't like question the why.
Eryka V (00:29:52):
It's like we have a craving to understand, to then make it okay.
Eryka V (00:29:59):
And that is a problem with society too.
Eryka V (00:30:01):
You do not have to understand everything for it to be okay in your eyes.
Eryka V (00:30:06):
If it is good for that person and that is what serves them and they feel great, then hey,
Eryka V (00:30:11):
Congratulations.
Rachel C (00:30:13):
I'm like, kudos to them.
Rachel C (00:30:14):
Yeah.
Rachel C (00:30:15):
I don't need to be like, how, why did you stop?
Rachel C (00:30:17):
Who, what happened?
Rachel C (00:30:19):
Well, I mean, we get that a lot.
Rachel C (00:30:21):
So Colin and I, we have the same sobriety date.
Rachel C (00:30:23):
Oh,
Rachel C (00:30:24):
we're both so that people always what happened what did who went to jail who got
Rachel C (00:30:29):
i'm like no well i mean you have a husband and wife getting sober things are like p
Rachel C (00:30:34):
thing and no cops are cops are not that day cops are not called and i got loud when
Rachel C (00:30:38):
i was drunk and i like to throw things oh i love that too i mean that's just but i
Eryka V (00:30:43):
found out that's not just alcohol that's deeper alcohol brought it out man i i
Rachel C (00:30:49):
don't know i don't think i've got i
Rachel C (00:30:52):
to be rowdy well nothing like i'm trying to think the last thing i threw and i
Rachel C (00:30:57):
can't tell you so that's a good it's a good sign that is good good yeah no i can't
Rachel C (00:31:03):
remember but i still i get bursts of anger i think though with meditation i try to
Rachel C (00:31:09):
now say okay this is how anger i'm experiencing anger
Rachel C (00:31:14):
versus like it has to be my whole identity i can experience something without being
Rachel C (00:31:20):
it so how do you feel in the alcohol free community i saw that you guys what have
Eryka V (00:31:24):
like three or four stores now we're multiple states we self-distribute we're we're
Eryka V (00:31:29):
not in some what is it some penthouse boardroom or some corporate place it's it's
Eryka V (00:31:36):
us it's we're small business we are
Eryka V (00:31:41):
doing the thing ourselves.
Eryka V (00:31:43):
And in the NA space, we share it with all our friends.
Eryka V (00:31:46):
We share it with the places we enjoy, the restaurants.
Eryka V (00:31:49):
I, for example, love Californios.
Eryka V (00:31:52):
It is the only Mexican Michelin rated restaurant, unfortunately.
Eryka V (00:31:56):
I go to places that, again, it's a whole experience.
Eryka V (00:32:00):
It's not just what they're serving, but it's how, what they are doing in this world.
Eryka V (00:32:04):
And usually we align.
Eryka V (00:32:05):
And so I take it to places I frequent and I am grateful enough that those places
Eryka V (00:32:10):
then want to serve it.
Eryka V (00:32:12):
They do that.
Eryka V (00:32:13):
And so we're in bars, we're in clubs.
Eryka V (00:32:16):
We're in music venues.
Eryka V (00:32:18):
That's super cool because we both love music.
Eryka V (00:32:22):
We adore music.
Eryka V (00:32:23):
Music is something that has held us both in all spaces and places of our lives.
Eryka V (00:32:28):
We're in a Michelin rated restaurant.
Eryka V (00:32:31):
I say that because we are
Eryka V (00:32:34):
everywhere and anywhere that connects with what we're trying to do.
Eryka V (00:32:39):
And Nomari isn't just a non-alcoholic Amaro that was made because there was a trend
Eryka V (00:32:45):
happening and some investors gathered and decided to formulate something.
Eryka V (00:32:50):
It happened because there was this person with an amazing culinary background that missed having
Eryka V (00:32:58):
a decent damn drink that was NA.
Eryka V (00:33:02):
And so she created it.
Eryka V (00:33:04):
And then there was this other person that missed having something classy to drink
Eryka V (00:33:10):
in really great,
Eryka V (00:33:11):
vibrant spaces that could connect everyone.
Eryka V (00:33:14):
That's the beauty of some
Eryka V (00:33:16):
drinks, whether they have alcohol or not, like coffee.
Eryka V (00:33:19):
It's a ritual.
Eryka V (00:33:20):
You sip it with other people.
Eryka V (00:33:21):
You gather a nice pot of tea.
Eryka V (00:33:23):
You gather.
Eryka V (00:33:24):
Whether I drink champagne or not, I'm not going to dismiss what happens around champagne.
Eryka V (00:33:31):
Experiences matter.
Eryka V (00:33:32):
And so the other part of Namaari is the experience.
Eryka V (00:33:35):
Whether your friend drinks liquor, alcohol, or someone doesn't, Namaari can be enjoyed by both.
Eryka V (00:33:42):
It doesn't take out
Eryka V (00:33:45):
That, you know, if you're having Mezcal, you can mix it with Namari.
Eryka V (00:33:48):
Like it goes beautifully well.
Eryka V (00:33:50):
That's actually a drink.
Eryka V (00:33:51):
It's a Mezimeister.
Eryka V (00:33:52):
If you don't, you can have Namari on its own.
Eryka V (00:33:56):
You can sip Namari over sparkling.
Rachel C (00:33:58):
What is your favorite thing to mix it with?
Eryka V (00:34:00):
Ooh, for me, I'm going to have to go because I'm such a sucker.
Eryka V (00:34:03):
Namari is just amazing.
Eryka V (00:34:04):
What I love is that everyone assumes what it should go with.
Eryka V (00:34:08):
And then when I tell them some things, they're like, wait, what?
Eryka V (00:34:11):
You mix it with that?
Eryka V (00:34:12):
Pineapple juice goes amazing with pineapple juice.
Eryka V (00:34:14):
Goes amazing.
Eryka V (00:34:16):
Of course, favorite is always going to be alone, like by itself.
Eryka V (00:34:19):
Sip it over ice.
Eryka V (00:34:21):
Are you freaking kidding me?
Eryka V (00:34:22):
I want to see like anyone sip anything else over ice like that.
Eryka V (00:34:25):
Like it's just beautiful.
Eryka V (00:34:27):
It's like perfect bitter, perfect sweet.
Eryka V (00:34:31):
It tastes majestic.
Eryka V (00:34:32):
But anyway, that's just my, I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that the sage in it.
Eryka V (00:34:37):
And the bottle is beautiful.
Eryka V (00:34:38):
It has white sage in it.
Eryka V (00:34:39):
How many,
Eryka V (00:34:40):
like real white sage picked from a farm,
Eryka V (00:34:42):
like white sage,
Eryka V (00:34:44):
it creates this beautiful foam to it.
Eryka V (00:34:47):
I would say that my favorite though, lime, lime, like just a squeeze.
Eryka V (00:34:52):
I'll squeeze a whole lime with some Namaari, shake it with tons of ice, and I have my own vibe.
Eryka V (00:34:57):
I'm in my own world.
Eryka V (00:34:58):
And whenever I serve that, I know it's good because the first sip, everybody's just quiet.
Eryka V (00:35:03):
They're like, what is this?
Eryka V (00:35:04):
So yeah, Namaari, I went on a tangent because I got lost.
Eryka V (00:35:08):
in how beautiful and how much care there is i think that's like a huge thing too
Eryka V (00:35:13):
that namari it's there's a story in there and it's it's not for everyone like and
Eryka V (00:35:17):
we get that it's not for everyone just like usually amaro is not something
Eryka V (00:35:22):
everybody drinks whether it has alcohol or not and so i think that when namari
Eryka V (00:35:27):
finds finds you and you're someone that loves to drink that you are taken taken
Eryka V (00:35:33):
back you're like whoa
Eryka V (00:35:35):
this it's interesting right now i'm having it in my iced latte it's a little iced
Eryka V (00:35:39):
tomorrow latte i have my namari in there yeah it's it's delish i mean i could have
Rachel C (00:35:45):
it with coffee have it with so many things yeah that's so i'll kind of wrap it up
Rachel C (00:35:50):
but how you pick the fresh ingredients how do you go about choosing vendors and who
Eryka V (00:35:55):
you work with i mean we don't
Eryka V (00:35:58):
change we have the white sage and our lemon verbena and lavender from our same farm
Eryka V (00:36:06):
you know britney thought of these things not just like overnight didn't just pay
Eryka V (00:36:11):
somebody to figure out a great recipe those were things that came from her culinary
Eryka V (00:36:16):
experience she has a great culinary background and again that's that's in its own
Eryka V (00:36:21):
art she honed into her art and she made
Eryka V (00:36:24):
something happen and we haven't changed anything.
Eryka V (00:36:28):
We don't switch vendors.
Eryka V (00:36:29):
We don't say, hey, this place can make it quicker and better and slick this out and this in.
Eryka V (00:36:36):
That's just not where we're at right now.
Eryka V (00:36:38):
When people buy our bottle, they're literally supporting us.
Eryka V (00:36:42):
They're not supporting a big corporation behind another brand.
Eryka V (00:36:46):
They're not supporting some corporation that actually focuses on alcohol and just
Eryka V (00:36:51):
invested in an NA because it's a trend.
Eryka V (00:36:54):
They're investing in two people that want to make this world a better place and
Eryka V (00:36:59):
think that just because you don't drink alcohol does not mean that you don't
Eryka V (00:37:03):
deserve a damn good drink.
Eryka V (00:37:05):
No booze, but it's all bite.
Eryka V (00:37:06):
Like it is a good... No booze, all bite.
Rachel C (00:37:10):
It is...
Eryka V (00:37:11):
It is damn good.
Eryka V (00:37:12):
It is damn good.
Eryka V (00:37:13):
And just because there's no liquor,
Eryka V (00:37:15):
like I'm tired of not having good drinks just because there's not liquor in it.
Eryka V (00:37:20):
I deserve a damn good drink.
Rachel C (00:37:22):
Yes.
Rachel C (00:37:23):
And it doesn't have to be because you had a bad day.
Rachel C (00:37:26):
It can be just because you're in the mood for a really good drink.
Eryka V (00:37:29):
And it should make me feel freaking great.
Eryka V (00:37:31):
And Namari does.
Eryka V (00:37:32):
Like, oh, I just had a great meal.
Eryka V (00:37:33):
Let me have some Namari after.
Eryka V (00:37:35):
I'm feeling light in my feet.
Eryka V (00:37:37):
I'm feeling good in my soul.
Eryka V (00:37:39):
I'm cleansing out any cucaracha energy because I have sage in it.
Eryka V (00:37:42):
Like get all the bad juju away.
Eryka V (00:37:44):
You know, we're doing good things.
Rachel C (00:37:46):
I love it.
Rachel C (00:37:47):
I love it.
Rachel C (00:37:47):
Well, how do people find you?
Rachel C (00:37:49):
Can you order it?
Eryka V (00:37:50):
You can order it online.
Eryka V (00:37:52):
Anywhere?
Eryka V (00:37:52):
Yes.
Eryka V (00:37:52):
You can support, you know, a small business.
Eryka V (00:37:57):
It is BIPOC owned.
Eryka V (00:37:58):
It is woman owned.
Eryka V (00:38:00):
It is LGBTQIA plus owned.
Eryka V (00:38:02):
I don't think you can say that about many NAs out there.
Eryka V (00:38:06):
So you're truly supporting a movement and we're against all odds here.
Eryka V (00:38:11):
You can order it on drinknamari.com.
Eryka V (00:38:14):
You can also find us on IG, drinknamari.
Eryka V (00:38:17):
And yeah, that's, I mean, I hope we can connect.
Eryka V (00:38:21):
I really do.
Eryka V (00:38:22):
I think that we have some beautiful things coming.
Eryka V (00:38:25):
They're all not with the sense of urgency from a corporate perspective, but a sense of impact.
Eryka V (00:38:33):
We want to make good things.
Eryka V (00:38:35):
We want people to feel good when they sip what they're sipping.
Eryka V (00:38:38):
And we want people to feel the love that we put into things and realize that,
Eryka V (00:38:43):
that it's more about what we're making for people and how we make you feel versus
Eryka V (00:38:48):
another skew,
Eryka V (00:38:50):
another this,
Eryka V (00:38:51):
another marketing tactic to just reel you in and fill another investor's dollar.
Eryka V (00:38:56):
100%.
Rachel C (00:38:57):
And I love that.
Rachel C (00:38:59):
How did you come up with the naming?
Rachel C (00:39:01):
So...
Eryka V (00:39:04):
Amari is like Amaro's,
Eryka V (00:39:06):
you know,
Eryka V (00:39:07):
multiple and putting the N in front of it for non-alcoholic Amari.
Rachel C (00:39:12):
Oh, I love that.
Rachel C (00:39:13):
Yes.
Eryka V (00:39:14):
Yes.
Eryka V (00:39:14):
I'm telling you when there's,
Eryka V (00:39:15):
when there's like a lot of love behind things,
Eryka V (00:39:17):
there's some cute inside stories that we always think about.
Eryka V (00:39:21):
Like, how do we get these out to people?
Eryka V (00:39:23):
Again,
Eryka V (00:39:23):
these things aren't created in some penthouse boardroom with some pressure of 30
Eryka V (00:39:27):
day deadline.
Eryka V (00:39:28):
This is really just me and Brittany like connecting and,
Eryka V (00:39:32):
seeing how the world moves and what we want to make for the world and what people
Rachel C (00:39:36):
deserve that's so cool and i i will i i promise i will be ordering it well we've
Rachel C (00:39:43):
had a lot of different directions is this and we have lots of ways to connect is
Rachel C (00:39:47):
there anything else you'd like to promote or say or any message you feel wants to
Eryka V (00:39:53):
get across on sober banter no i think just be kind be
Eryka V (00:39:58):
You know,
Eryka V (00:39:58):
move with love and move with intention and never think that just because we don't
Eryka V (00:40:05):
drink or we are sober,
Eryka V (00:40:06):
that that automatically makes us a good person.
Eryka V (00:40:09):
We still need to tap into love.
Eryka V (00:40:12):
We still need to be kind.
Eryka V (00:40:14):
We still need to care about how we move in this world.
Eryka V (00:40:17):
Just because we stop drinking doesn't mean those things automatically happen through us.
Rachel C (00:40:24):
100%.
Rachel C (00:40:25):
It's all,
Rachel C (00:40:25):
I think my word of the day is definitely like intention and going forth with what I
Rachel C (00:40:31):
intend to do and how I intend to consume it.
Rachel C (00:40:34):
Because I definitely think I have work to do on that.
Rachel C (00:40:37):
And I'm not going to lie.
Rachel C (00:40:39):
I think we all fall into our own little different things,
Rachel C (00:40:42):
but it's the awakening and the awareness that matter,
Rachel C (00:40:44):
right?
Eryka V (00:40:45):
Or we'd all be floating in the sky right now.
Rachel C (00:40:48):
I'm glad I'm exactly where I am and I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Rachel C (00:40:53):
And that's where I learned not to regret my past because without all of those
Rachel C (00:40:59):
dominoes,
Rachel C (00:41:00):
I'm not sitting in this chair right now.
Rachel C (00:41:02):
And I'm also not going to think about where I'm at tomorrow because I'm not there yet.
Rachel C (00:41:05):
so yeah the slow down the intentions the pace i love it all right this has been
Rachel C (00:41:11):
amazing thank you erica so much for coming on i will have all links and bios and
Rachel C (00:41:17):
i'm already excited i have a few people in mind i'm like oh i already have a few
Rachel C (00:41:20):
spots with people in dallas that i would love to oh that's so sweet yeah let me
Eryka V (00:41:26):
know i love you i'm grateful that you
Eryka V (00:41:30):
you know, have that like want to do that.
Eryka V (00:41:33):
And so I'm grateful.
Eryka V (00:41:34):
Thank you.
Rachel C (00:41:35):
It can be real simple.
Eryka V (00:41:37):
Well, I appreciate it.
Rachel C (00:41:38):
Again, thank you so much.
