Shows
Ready To Drink PodcastShannon Urban-Denise on Sobriety, Anxiety & Building Roam BeveragesIn this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Shannon Urban-Denise, Founder & CEO of ROAM THC Beverages, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about sobriety, anxiety, entrepreneurship, and the future of hemp-derived beverages.Shannon shares her journey from corporate healthcare and “mom wine” culture to rehab, five years of sobriety and eventually discovering hemp-derived THC beverages as a different path forward. What started as personal survival turned into ROAM - a craft-brewed, small-batch THC beverage brand focused on real ingredients, social responsibility, and reasonable regulation.This episode goes beyond product talk. It d...
2026-02-2340 minReady To Drink PodcastHow Goodmellow Is Scaling With Discipline, Distribution, and Real Consumer DemandIn this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Brandon and Dylan, co-founders of Goodmellow, to break down what it actually takes to build a hemp-derived THC beverage company in today’s fragmented regulatory and distribution environment.This is not a conversation about chasing trends. It is a grounded discussion on operational reality, disciplined growth, retailer relationships, and why the next phase of the hemp beverage category will be decided by execution, not excitement.Brandon and Dylan share how they approached formulation, positioning, and route-to-market with a long-term lens, why br...
2026-02-1852 min
The Leaders' Arena PodcastWhy Most Financial Advice is BS: The Marine Corps Approach to Money Behavior with Ted McLyman"We spend our whole lives trying to climb the ladder, only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall."In this episode of The Leaders’ Arena, Nate Fochtman and Clifford Starks sit down with retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and behavioral finance expert Ted McLyman. If you’ve ever felt like traditional financial planning doesn’t "fit" you, there’s a biological reason for that.Ted breaks down why information isn’t knowledge, why your "money temperament" is hardwired, and why most gurus are lying to you about one-size-fits-all success.What we discuss:- T...
2026-02-1757 minReady To Drink PodcastBuilding a Profitable THC Beverage Brand & Why the Industry Must Step Up Now I Chris FontesIn this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Chris Fontes, Founder & CEO of High Spirits, for an unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to build a hemp-derived THC beverage company in today’s uncertain regulatory landscape.Chris shares how High Spirits bootstrapped its way to profitability, why staying lean beats chasing venture capital in this category, and what operators must do right now to protect the future of the industry.This is not a marketing conversation. It is a founder-level discussion about grit, advocacy, distribution realities, and the sh...
2026-02-1640 minReady To Drink PodcastGood Liar NA Beer Founder Jared Langston: Building the Fastest-Velocity 6-Pack in Ohio + Why Flavor WinsIn this episode of Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Jared Langston, founder of Good Liar Non-Alcoholic Beer and parent company DRY Dept, for a no-script, no-agenda conversation about what it really takes to build a brand in the modern beverage market.Jared breaks down how Good Liar went from concept to real traction - launching in January 2024, proving viability in 2025 and becoming one of the highest-velocity NA six-packs in Ohio. We get into why liquid quality is the entire game in non-alcoholic beer...
2026-02-0346 minReady To Drink PodcastGround Game’s Josh Furbish: The Retail Reality Behind THC Drinks, NA Beer, and Brand Sell-ThroughNo script. No prompts. Just a real conversation with Josh Furbish, President and Founder of Ground Game Inc., about what actually moves product in retail and why most brands confuse distribution with success.Josh rebuilt his network after an eight-year digital detox, turned years of bottle shop notes into a playbook, and launched Ground Game in 2025. We get into the unglamorous truth founders need to hear: doors don’t matter if you don’t earn reorders. Shelf space isn’t a win if you can’t drive sell-through. And the frontline staff you ignore i...
2026-01-2759 min
The BrewedAt Podcast#84 - The FreeMind Group / Hemp & Beverage Consultant (Nate Fochtman)Host Richie Tevlin and Co-Host Evan Blum talk with Nate Fochtman, 20-year beverage industry veteran and founder of the FreeMind Group. Nate has spent more than two decades working across production, distribution, and brand development, helping founders and operators grow their businesses. He produces and hosts the Ready To Drink Podcast and The Leaders’ Arena Podcast, and leads a network of content, advocacy, and market-development platforms focused on elevating emerging beverage.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/natefochtman/
@FreeMindNate
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2026-01-211h 02Ready To Drink PodcastFloat House CAN-NA-BREWS: Building a THC Beverage That Isn’t Beer | Regulation, Manufacturing & Category CreationIn this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Gordon Whelpley, Co-Founder of Float House CAN-NA-BREWS, to break down what it actually takes to build a compliant, scalable THC-infused beverage that doesn’t fit neatly into existing categories.CAN-NA-BREWS was designed to drink like beer without being classified as a malt beverage, creating a new lane inside the hemp beverage market that requires precise formulation, intentional process design, and a deep understanding of regulatory structure.This conversation focuses on:ho...
2026-01-0951 minReady To Drink PodcastHow Berg Brewing Was Built Right | Brewery Strategy, Family Business, and Craft Beer RealityOpening a craft brewery in 2025 takes more than good beer - it takes clarity, discipline, and real strategy.In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, Nate Fochtman sits down with Kyle Underkoffler, co-founder of Berg Brewing Company in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to break down what it actually takes to build a brewery from scratch in today’s crowded beer market.This conversation covers:How Berg Brewing transformed a historic building into a working breweryWhy European beer styles, simplicity, and quality still matterThe realities of running a small brewery and wearing every hatBuilding a bu...
2025-12-2927 minThe Leaders' Arena PodcastEntrepreneurship Is Negotiation: Survival Mode, Self-Inventory, and Real LeadershipMost people think entrepreneurship is about strategy, hustle, and execution.It’s not.It’s negotiation.With people.With systems.And most of all, with yourself.In this episode of The Leaders Arena, former UFC & Bellator Fighter Clifford Starks and Nate Fochtman go deep into the realities founders don’t talk about: survival mode, self-inventory, over-ownership, addiction in all its forms, leadership embodiment, and why most people avoid the internal work until life forces them to stop.We talk about why stepping into the arena is always harder than expect...
2025-12-1845 minReady To Drink PodcastBuilding a Brewery on the Gettysburg Battlefield: The 30-Year Story Paul LemleyOn this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast, host Nate Fochtman sits down with Paul Lemley, founder of Battlefield Brew Works in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - one of the most unique brewery and distillery destinations in America.Paul shares how he transformed an abandoned barn on the historic East Cavalry Field into a thriving brewery and distillery nearly 30 years ago, long before the craft beer boom. From battling township regulations and limited utilities in the ‘90s to becoming Pennsylvania’s first dual-license brewery/distillery, Paul’s story is one of grit, innovation, and true American entrepreneurship.Th...
2025-11-0620 minReady To Drink PodcastFrom Garage Brewing to a Pennsylvania Landmark | The Story of South County Brewing with JR HeapsIn this episode of Ready To Drink Podcast, host Nate Fochtman sits down with JR Heaps, founder of South County Brewing, to unpack the 15-year journey from a 300-square-foot homebrew setup in Fawn Grove to a 30,000-square-foot destination brewery in York, Pennsylvania.JR shares how the 2008 housing crash pushed him to chase his brewing dream, the early days of welding tanks and hand-filling bombers, and how South County became a cornerstone of Central PA’s craft scene. From the hazy IPA boom to the rise of small-scale canning, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to su...
2025-10-2425 minThe Leaders' Arena PodcastThe "Self-Made Millionaire" Is a Myth: This Leadership Formula Changes Everything | Timothy MorganWe dive deep with the brilliant Timothy Morgan, founder of Giver Marketing Network, who functions as a Fractional CMO and helps causes and companies amplify their purpose. Timothy and the hosts (Nate Fochtman and Clifford Starks) break down why authenticity and human connection are the only way to win in modern business.We hit on why relying on a perfect script is failing you, how to craft an authentic origin story (Background + Aha Moment), and the two core steps every solopreneur needs to make a massive impact. Nate shares a powerful, emotional story about why the idea...
2025-10-2358 minThe Leaders' Arena PodcastWhy AI Can't Replace Salespeople: The Human-Centric Sales Framework | Daniel JohnsonIs the robot takeover coming for sales? Daniel Johnson, Founder of Sovereign Sales Agency, argues that the order taker is obsolete, but the true problem-solver is irreplaceable. In this powerful episode of The Leader's Arena, Daniel dives deep into why most B2B sales teams are failing and why they need to stop relying on tech stacks to fix fundamental communication issues.Daniel reveals the secret to closing high-stakes deals: it’s not about a fancy pitch; it’s about strategic empathy and mastering the basics. Learn why great salespeople are often former athletes 3, how to use "unco...
2025-10-2352 minReady To Drink PodcastWe Ditched Alcohol for THC: The Wild West of the Hemp Beverage Market | Peri Higgins & Mike Podlogar of More LoveMeet Mike Podlogar and Peri Higgins, Co-Founders of More Love, a hemp-derived THC sparkling beverage based in Hatfield, PA. In this episode of the Ready To Drink Podcast with host Nate Fochtman, Mike and Peri share their journey from successful careers (including investment banking and co-packing) to creating a nationally available alcohol alternative.More Love is designed to be the ultimate social substitute for alcohol, offering great flavors like Sun Berry, Orange Tide, and Pineapple Colada, without the hangover.In this deep-dive, you'll learn:The Power of Federal Legality: How their hemp-derived THC...
2025-10-1609 minReady To Drink Podcast10 YEARS to OPENING: From Server to Community Bar Owner | Corey Wolfe of Woof BarCorey Wolfe's journey is a masterclass in turning long-term vision into reality. In this compelling interview on the Ready To Drink Podcast with host Nate Fochtman, Corey, the founder of Woof Bar in York, PA, dives deep into the decade-long evolution of his dream.Starting with zero connections and a server job, Corey leveraged public art projects (like the incredible, backwards window murals he developed to navigate city regulations), community volunteering, and fierce local networking to build the social equity that made his business possible. He shares the ingenious sourcing of everything from bar stools t...
2025-10-1619 min