The Naked Collective, Speaks to Us About their Eureka Moment that Led to the Creation of Mude and So.Beer

Tell us a little about your background before setting up The Naked Collective?

 Catherina and Niall have over 50 years experience between them working on top tier fmcg food and drink brands. Niall has held senior roles in Nestle & Molson Coors, and Catherina has held senior roles in Ikea, Lifestyle sports and United Drug.

What do you enjoy about running your own business? 

Everyday is completely different. You are running the gauntlet between growth, fire fighting and innovation. Days can start one way and finish completely different, with any amount of twists in between. Like Irish weather on any day in April. 

Tell us about The Naked Collective and how it came to fruition? 

Cat and Niall we’re looking at a project and over a coffee, chatted about the type of company they’d like to build, culturally and form a legacy perspective. As they talked about their hectic schedule and trying to find healthy choices for their daughters, they had a eureka moment. How could they change the face of soft drinks and beer with a completely different approach to business and drinks. And so TNC was born.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced on your journey so far?  Covid, Brexit, supply chain crisis....and on.  

Its been a journey of world firsts and we'd be happy if we only saw one more world first in our journey.  How has COVID-19 impacted your business and what do you think will be the long-lasting affects for Irish business and consumption trends? We basically lost 2021. It was planned to be a big launch and growth year, but it has taken us till Q4 to really build momentum. The big change is that consumers are putting their health and wellness first whilst also looking for little indulgences.

You have two products Mude and So.Beer which you have distributed to retail outlets nationwide.  As more and more consumers turn to online shopping do you see this as an opportunity for your businesses growth both nationally and internationally?  

We are already in the USA, Canada, Italy and the UK.  Our plan is to continue to invest and grow our brands. Ireland is generally a slower adopter on beverages so we think it’ll take a bit longer to gain scale in Ireland. We have been growing on Amazon and on our own platforms and we see an opportunity, but Cans of liquid are not ideally suited to a direct to consumer model as they’re heavy and bulky. Watch this space though. 

How do you find juggling the work life balance? What advice would you offer to readers thinking about setting up a business? 

There is no work life balance in a start up. It’s either fully integrated into your life or the business will fail. You have to be prepared to make huge sacrifices personally in order to succeed. There will be a time in the future when a balance can be struck, but that's not in the first 5 years.

What are you ambitions for The Naked Collective over the next few years? 

We aim to get the business to over $100m revenue per annum in around 7-8 countries in total. We have some seriously ambitious plans including some real innovation for both categories we play in.

You are a carbon neutral beverage company.  Why is sustainability such an important element of your company?  

The company was born out of a desire to leave a long and lasting positive impact on people, community, environment and planet.  Its in our DNA.  We don't always get it right but we do adapt quickly and we are determined to be different.  

How has the WTCD helped you achieve your exporting ambitions so far?  

The team in WTCD have been very proactive in finding us international opportunities, particularly in the USA.