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After 6+ years in the world of finance Carmen Sandor took the leap of faith to try something completely new – launching her own business. In addition to becoming an entrepreneur, Carmen launched her business in an industry that was completely new to her as she created Green Owl Vodka. Her new vodka is infused with green tea extract from Japan, and lightly sweetened it for a long and smooth flavor.
We caught up with Carmen as part of our Look Back At 2021 series to learn more about how her year has been.
What was your big WIN in 2021? (professionally)
Without a doubt, securing placement at the LCBO during a global pandemic and expanding distribution throughout Ontario at warp speed. Unless you’ve gone through the process to get your product on shelf, you can’t know how involved it is and all the factors considered.
Once applying, there is a rigorous selection process the LCBO goes through. Everything from marketing strategy, to taste tests, to quality assurance is done to select their products. They receive hundreds if not thousands of products so as you can imagine, it takes time for them to select who they want to have in store.
As the largest single purchaser of alcohol in the world, the LCBO receives thousands of applications to be included in their product assortment. It is a highly competitive process and challenging to break through while competing against products from around the world. Selection is based on many factors such as innovation, consumer trends, quality, taste and marketing strategy.
My pitch was simple – we created the first and only green tea flavoured vodka in Canada. Aside from the unique flavour, it is also exceptionally smooth. We are Canada’s first sipping vodka. You can drink it with just ice or soda. We are also one of the only female led spirit brands in Canada. In a predominantly male dominated industry, our leadership and company values are different and something we really pride ourselves on.
What was your big WIN in 2021? (personally)
Learning to believe in myself and the brand’s potential by seeing the overwhelming response to Green Owl Vodka.
What is the biggest challenge you overcame building your brand in 2021? How did you accomplish this?
As a woman in the spirits space at times, it can be a challenge to be taken seriously. While finance (the industry I started in) is certainly a male dominated field, being a sole proprietor and woman in this space has challenges never mind learning the ins and outs of a new category. Navigating the landscape has been a learning experience and taken time. I’ve succeeded with focus and tenacity.
What actions did you do differently in 2021?
I was finally able to invest in the team I need to take the brand to the next level. Over 80 per cent of my leadership team is female which is something I’m especially proud of. We are all powerhouses with a shared vision and values.
As you look towards 2022, what keeps you up at night? What excites you about this opportunity (to further grow your brand)?
Though I now have a team, it’s still lean which means everything keeps me up at night. My goal is to establish Green Owl Vodka as the smoothest shot on the market because it is. We are doing so much already but the opportunities are endless, I’m always ideating and my ambition is limitless. I’m excited to get more Canadians trying the only green tea flavoured vodka in the market. What’s more, the ingredients are clean — locally sourced neutral grain and cane sugar, imported green tea extract from Japan and water!
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