How to Start a Food or Beverage Business with Middle Road Energy Founder Kevin Touch
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FULL VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
INTERVIEW WITH Kevin Touch
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, I like it, man, so let's talk a little bit about kind of getting to middle road. One of the questions I like asking every guest is what was your first action?
kevin:
Yeah, that's a good one. First action literally was designing a log. That was. That was it. That was kind of my first action. I had a fat can like a fat soda can, and eventually the can is now skinny but a fat soda can. I was on my camera and just said Well, that's my designer can and I didn't
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
know how to do that
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
because I knew how to design, but I didn't fat can like a middle road energy, let go and I knew it s going to be middle road energy. I could have done something with my name, But uh, I can't actual know what the trade mark law is, and you can't do something like Minus, touch your golden touch because it's it's very high standards, so I wanted to do something a little bit more simple and I want to do somethin like I said Back to the middle and I said Miller Energy, So the first step literally was to sing the can, and then after that was come up with the formula. I had zero experience. I had zero experience in nutrition labeling, but all I remember is as As a person just using common sense, You don't have to be an expert in everything. I don't have no masters or Ph D. And so you know food science, But the one thing I did, I do have a Ph D, and I understand what tastes good doesn't taste good. so I said something
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
I can't read on
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
a label. and of all the drinks I've had in my life, that doesn't have to be energy drinks. In fact, I think I only had one energy to drink before creating this one of my life. I said I can't read half the ingredients nowadays because half these ingredients or Worsen. it's like What is what is pink salt? I don't. I don't get it. So I wanted to create something really simple. So the customer? when when they read it here she reads. I can read it and I don't have to question what is that. Now? If if they do question it then I'll answer it, but most of the time I just went through something simple and then after that was just caffeine content was real simple on like thirty on the spot, though thirty thirty five tops, because I knew just naturally the formula algorithm of a god. A good drink would automatically be a hunter, Milligrams Caffeine. And here's why, because when you have thirty milligrams, can you're thinking? There's no way how it works the energy well when your brain think about your brain naturally like something doing something that's natural dope, and believing you're releasing natural energy through a good delpamene, that might be automatic, you might get fifty plus of energy right there just through good energy because you're having a good time, Expereyu'refeeling. a clean energy through through energy just shocks. I guess you could say, and when you add thirty milligrams it's like having Eighty milligram is like a red bull of capen, but cleaner for you. and you're getting a good experience because you like something to taste clean with no after taste. No two thirty. No, heard exploding feeling, none of that crash and burn. That was the formula process I went through and I said I want this perfect, and now after that it was just you know, Make sure we put a little bit of orange, black, white cherry and blueberry juice in there, which would cut back on the sweetness to be health conscious. Right? You don't want to put too much sugar. After that really was just about ad o. Your micro dosage of B, twelve zink immune support. and it viens And that's it. That's kind of that was kind of my first actions right, Just the bare growth of it. to make a Lego put on a can, re, design a can with designers, and then make that formula right. And that's it padentetmake
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
that I. P. And once I got that formula good, and I feel like it was sufficient in a plastic bottle. Now I'm goin, Can't plastic Bill tastes completely different than I can, but if I felt it was good and apply, it was pretty good and a plastic bottom like I'll be great a cat, because the can holds more value and you can freeze it right and get in a fridge versus plastic to kind of just has that plastic taste. This has a more clean
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
fall finish And that's really I did to start off with, and after doing some testing we, we just went through approval and two rounds. It only took me two rounds to get the formula and I knew it, because I didn't add anything that was going to be crazy. I didn't And you know, be nine or viminbtwo. None of that, I don't have any of those I isms. none of that. Most of the ingredients have have
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
become from around the world. basically have been world renown in terms of just simple things that have been on here on earth forever. Right with a little bit of modern flare with the design simple. Just a road looks like a tongue. In some cases, three day the math finish
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
made the middle roylenergy pop a little bit. But that's it. That's all I did And that's that's really was my first bar crit. To say what the customers like. I think customers really well like a clean finish formula with no after taste And you know none of these. none of these Ingrientikis can't read, or none of these added preserve it is, or added flavors that just made no sense. And once I got that down at that point, it's just on me right to just you know, start the business. That's just simple stuff, but the bear grass To answer the question without getting too long winded, designed to can formulate the product. It's simple and then we're off for sure.
gboyega_adebayo:
So so my follow up is okay? You've never worked in kind of this food science space. Who d you call to work on the
kevin:
Oh,
gboyega_adebayo:
formula? or was this just you in your in your kitchen, putting stuff together and then calling Like, how did you actually do that part? I'm curious because if I ever thought about creating the food product, I know I would not know what on earth to do.
kevin:
I can't. I can't do all that crazy stuff. I did not do anything in the kitchen. I
gboyega_adebayo:
Uh,
kevin:
had. I had a professional
gboyega_adebayo:
uh,
kevin:
formulation team called Power brands, But actually, I will say, though I did, I did my so, just a little bit. I don't. I didn't put you think. I put a lot of research into the formula. I really didn't put a lot into it. though, Let let them do the work.
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
I really just thought about everything you know. just like I said, Storing every time you taste something your store feed back. your brain remembers that you start getting sense and feelings, And because my my palate, I guess you could say is very. I don't like. I don't like something strong. So example, be like a hard soda or like, not so much alcohol, but like a hard. I don't drink, but a hard soda. Like say, really sugary. You just feel like you're sluggish, so I wanted to say Okay, it's storage. I don't need to do that. Also, it's too like,
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
though it's like. So I wanted to do something in the middle and I gave the team
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
I gave my formulation team. This is it. They pretty much said that this is pretty on par with basically being a clean functional beverage. It's an energy drink, but it's
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
also functional, which means you could if you want, so you can put it. I had a body to put in some juice. You know, it's a good juice mixer, or if you wanted to go crazy and good party mixer, which is
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
nice, but
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
it has versatility. It has. It has the flare in terms of an energy drink, because like I said, you'd be surprised with thirty bilingrams caffeenplus Already good experience with natural energy With a pick me up, you'd be surprised that could last year we had a customer. Had he tried one out for his nine to five, and it lasted to him till about five clock, and in fact, even longer because you'd be surprised just because you're working through natural environment. It your environment to dictate around you with your energy level, are. but because he was working, he had a little pick me up and he had a good experience tasting at that could last year. Nine
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
hours power you through the day. and if he doesn't have, let's say, let's say he doesn't have the best environment. It still can last you solid six hours. Because the experience of the drink, because there's no apfidtaste. Really, there's no crazy carbonation has going to make you gas bloated. It just keeps you going. I mean, you ll find that there's actual. It's actually value in to what. not just what I'm saying, but actually what the product is saying. And when the product really
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
does Off for clean benefits like that, it's not. It's always going to spark to the point where it's like, Oh, I don't know. I don't feel it or I'm not feeling it. This is this, is it? It's that. it's that light refreshing, but not too like. Pick me up. It's all subtle, but it's magic when when you have the subtleness you know you're not getting that crazy sugar alone, And I think that's kind of what we did in formulation. We didn't want to have sugar. To the point were it's too crashy like the sugar gets to to sugar. Its like that sugar re, taste Your mouth, and we also didn't want to be too like. so once we got that though I was, I would say I was kind of confidant. say, Okay, Well, that's I'll take care of itself. You just have to
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
read the label incredates. Obviously, the other thing that's unique about this is there's no limit. Really, if you're ten years old, you can probably have this because there's less calffeen than a cola. coffee, so if kids are having coffee and soda ten, they can have this a hundred percent, In fact, at the ex, but we have kids that are five years old that have no problem drinking it. They already have full energy, so if you give them this,
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
sure, I will
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
boost them, but it's not going to make you go off the rocker. So it's it's great, Ll keep you. I'll still keep your balance and fresh at any age. Really, there's no limit, which is nice. It's a lot of drinks now. S eighteen plus through twenty one plus, or it has too much daily. I think it's for milligrams caffeins. The amount for a daily person
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
can take in caffeine. There's none of that and there's a little green tea caffeine, which is nice. It's very subtle, though everything is Micro dose to where you don't have to feel like you're extreme. It's all micro dosage, and you think about all a little micro dosage. If every little ingredient that you put in, it's going to add up to believe in about the. because, if you put just too much
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
in, crack the barrier of what's high. What's low? It's in the middle, so a little micro dose. Everything will get you that medium level. Everything across the board. That's what you want. You don't want something that just can be too low and just like a hit. Or It's like a quick hit and you just like what happened. You don't want something too high where it just hits you in. It punches you out for a couple hours after getting an hour of burst. So that's what we did. That's how we
gboyega_adebayo:
Right,
kevin:
formulated. That's how we started it. And you know we did not use no kitchen. We well, kind of had had a good, Had a good base for sure, as as they say,
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, that's also man, and I'm curious, based all for one of the things you said that you didn't do too much research
kevin:
Yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
right and I know for for a lot of entrepreneurs, even kind of someone like me. you can quickly tether that line of paralysis by analysis.
kevin:
M.
gboyega_adebayo:
Right? And so I'm curious about how you approach. Hey, I need to go with my intuition on this versus I need to do some heavy research. Talk to a lot of people you know. Spend some time on this before I feel informed enough to kind of move forward. How do you approach that decision making framework
kevin:
Yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
or
kevin:
yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
process
kevin:
that's a good. questi. That's a great question, Everyone everyone has that. of course, there's going to be times where we're all going to strike with, but at the same time it's like the more you analyze things, the more you'll start contradicting your own opinions, and you're your worst on your your worst enemy Sometimes, so I just I knew
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
from young
gboyega_adebayo:
hm,
kevin:
us, Just go into it right even if it. I shouldn't say yea. but, but even at my age you know what, Just go into what's gone worst, it's going to happen. Someone is not going to like it, and just just me going into it. I would say Nine, ninety eight percent prove rating so far on this at the minimum, at least at the ex, I would say overall, it's been about solid out of ten. nine out of ten. like the one out of ten. Maybe just don't like an ingredient or somethin, But that's fine. You realize that if you still have nine out of ten, that's that's all you need. You don't have to get to ten out time. but that's that's the the analysis part Right. If you, if you start analyzing numbers and you start analyzing statistic, should forget that life was built on intuition, right About, Think about the sailors and the antrthols, and all those people way back in the world right back in the Before Christ era. you know, B, C. they didn't have the technology, didn't have the formula process. They didn't have the luxuries. We have more they have. they have to think about this. they had You can't see. they think about the heart in their mind, They just connect those two things they just go for and wrong with. Obviously, you have to be calculated when you start growing a little bit bigger, and you do exercising in a mind World, But back then they just went for and they just use their bare hands
gboyega_adebayo:
Hm,
kevin:
and they just just just dived in. They had no, they had no computer to back them up. They had no one. They just go in there. It's like diving into a pool for the first time, right? You're naturally going to feel
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
uncomfortable environment. Especially from the deep end. You seemed like there's sharks all around you and there's you know dolphins there, too. Maybe they're just intimidated, even ere nice creatures. They might be intimidated because they could swim so fast like I could Echo Location. You're just a regular person right, But guess what you start swimming in that water. you ll naturally adapt. Whereas, if you start guessing and second guessing yourself, you'll put yourself in a position where you're vulnerable and you'll put yourself in a position where you're scared and can't fear enough. The end If you start fearing thing, that's real analysis, peralysissjust. It's fear your fear, your fearing
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
that the analysis will take over the odds, or maybe not in your favor. And you just get back out now. There are certain things where you might have to back out. Say there's times when it's just like you have to really analyze this because it's a big thing. a big deal with people. You have to put trust in people. I understand, if you back out one of those, so you just don't feel you don't feel he vidar there. That's absolutely funny, but in terms of concrete foundations and just getting the brocks of it done est, go in, just gull in, dive in. See what's up
gboyega_adebayo:
M,
kevin:
If the odds don't stand your favorite, like I said At the top, you can always find out the ten per cent. the last ten per cent. You can always just You know, fish your way into it because you showed up nine percent words. If you just show up nine per cent and you just figure okay, let the odds take over. or you know, the the analyzation of whatever X that your material working on take over. It gets become a headach that's created stress. One of the biggest things. I think a lot of people in this space is too stressed out to to worried about tomorrow. If it's not a good day. Listen, if it's not there, Not there today. it still can be there tomorrow. Right And that's it.
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
And if you get, if you take care of it within, I always say you know, I used to say, take care of it now, which is important. You still take care of it now, But now in this in the business world, you have to be. You got to understand people to, uh, I can't just go all my time all the time It people have business eyes. I used to be
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
like that all the time. It's got to be now, but now I give people a week. I get people one week, seven days to just set up with that. Let it marinate The old formula of cooking a good piece of steak, or let it marine season in the fridge, And then it's like Okay, I think we're good. Gave a good solid five. six days. Let's talk then gives you some time. Air out. Any any hash it out? Well, details, analyze a little bit, but don't get anything more than a week Because you start giving more in a week. Then it's like Okay, what happened here? But give them a week. you know. Don't rush into it. Don't feel like you. If you start rushing into it right away, they might think you're desperate. So you got to understand little psychology as well, But if you don't, if you don't Russia, play it back, you play cool. Stay cool. Don't don't crack under the pressure, which is easier said than one. Of course, Sometimes, but if you don't crack and just stay grounded, you be surprised. We can lay at the end of the. the. You can be surprised well at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes at the end of the tunnel might get that handshake of saying Hey, we did it right. you know, Because you gave me a time.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
We did a perfect plan Because you didn't force it in there and start throwing darts, Holpen, and sometimes you just throw one dart. That's all you need Some people. It's the opposite right, sixty five yards to throw and maybe one lance. But sometimes it's for one person. it's just one dart and landed Create. Now we just have to figure out how you can do that again because not everything is going to be like that, but when you do get that one time, it just gives that momentum spark that can create you to better heights and better better opportunities for the road ahead. Whereas, if you just don't feel like you're there and you just start to rush things and you sound desperate, it doesn't work. So you have the You got to understand a little. If psychology to play this game, I guess, and also understand how the world works, too, Because you're not the solar system, you're not the sun. No one is the sun,
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah.
kevin:
no one is the solar system. We're all just little stars, and if we remind ourselves that we're just little stars in this universe, we just nedtoconnect with the little stars, and we can all gather around the sun one day and really respect that the sun is still going to be the sun, even if it's raining. Even if it's cloud. Even the fog is there. The sun's out every day, just clouded by some rain Fog. And that's just like us right. We're just little stars. Even at night the moon is out, but we're just little stars, looking and respecting that and always having that as a mentor, Right, the sun or the moon as a mentor. The little stars next to us left, the right of us could be our friends, are our potential clients, and you need you need to to respect that and respect the two different entities as the Sun and a little client. For sure.
gboyega_adebayo:
So one of the things that packed my mind as we were talking was like the idea of fear and risk taking, because that is the core of antremenorship. So I'm curious. What about Entrepreneur ship? If anything, are you afraid of?
kevin:
Oh man, I don't don't. nothing really, Nothing really really gets to me honestly. nothing really scares me at the end of the H. because, at the end of that,
gboyega_adebayo:
I would have guessed that based on
kevin:
Yeah,
gboyega_adebayo:
what you said,
kevin:
nothing, the only obvious Ers that I have certain fears like just lightening or know nonsense like that, But that's not really entrepreneur ship. That's just whether are things like things I can't control right, Like butter, Nature, you have the respect that
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
that's different. but in terms of everything I can control, there's nothing to fear. I mean, of course you're going to have days. Of course, we may not be there up to your standards, but you realize that that's just part of the process and there's nothing to fear.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
Life. If life was, If you live the life every day in fear, then you wouldn't understand what life is to begin with. That's just I think the problem with nowadays in society is you see what's on social. You see what's on X Z, and you, your brain thinks. Oh, that's that's where I got to be and it just starts creating fearful thoughts and desperation. That's that's in. It can get really rough. the seas become rough. There are days where sometimes I'll just intentionally challenge myself. Obviously, you know what, I'll step up, the intense and they just on. Maybe that's so much business, but maybe just a different area. Maybe it's a workout. Maybe it's just going outside, just little ripples in my. Just challenge my mind. Maybe it's playing a card game on line and I'll put it on the highest difficulty. Just doing something like that challenges me, But it doesn't fear me. And what it does is when when you start Doing those little challenges, you start to become immune to it. It's almost. It's like the immune system, right the mune.
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
It's kind of funny. we're doing this with the immune system. Talk because kind, what's going on right now? But
gboyega_adebayo:
Uh,
kevin:
but the point is
gboyega_adebayo:
huh,
kevin:
like when you're young you were taught. Keep your hands clean. You know all that, of course, do that. but when you're young you also don't realize you don't know. You don't kno. what the fear? when you're a kid, you just go out there and do it. I never lost that. I guess I never lost that that five year old mentality. Just go out there and do it Right. Roll around, roll around and
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
dirt right. Because what's the worst that's goin to ave ye dirty? But that builds character and it builds a muni system and in this case it builds your fear tolerance to be like, Hey, there's nothing to fear Now there are things like I say, I do fear. If it's if it's bad deal. Let's say, let's say a bad deal happens like you get scanned or something. Everyone is going to get scanned once in a world once in a while. Excuse me, it may not so much be a bad scamp, but you just you feel like you got scanned because it's you know, maybe I scanned my end That day. I just didn't feel it. Or maybe someone actually just gave you a bet. You just learn and you just go go back on that horse and say hey, let's get back up. It's just one thing. we'll make it. We'll get it back right. We'll get that back and we'll continue
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
to push. Because feeling way to live, I just can't. I can't see myself saying why I got to fear this and then the next thing you know, the moment you fear it, you just you just screw yourself Because because the moment you fear, it's like, Oh, no, my brain chemistry changes right Because you Brain is an incredible. The thing I don't. I don't have the full study, but when you do certain habits
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
of day, your brain understands and velops a routine, so I let say your you're doing this X Z. You have the same mind, X Z. It's consistency, but if you change it, what d be for the better or the worse, it changes. And sometimes believe it's crazy, But you think you're doing something better. Maybe you're putting more hours in. In the beginning. it might work. The short tourney might get the result On term. It might degrade yourself, even just because it's you think it's better. it's not my. It may not be better. That's why. uh, it's important to stay consistent, but don't be afraid of change. right. so if you think if it's if it's yourself put in change in, that's fine. But if it's like, let's say something changed in an ego system of what you're doing. You don't be afraid of it, but that's where you say Okay. let's ask some questions. right? You start asking questions about just a couple, And once you get one or two questions in, you feel like it's good you keep. after those one or two questions. You feel like that changes and go. You just discard it. Just don't do it. It's simple. Now Don't feel like that change is going to work. Well. discard it, but maybe someone else wants to try it. You pick up the phone and say Hey, how did that go? right? You're a team situation.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
Well, well, okay, then teach me a little bit. just learn. just just observe. Don't say much. just observe. ye do it. if it's good, put in your Put in your play book. Simple as that, it's crazy to think, but there's a lot of great things I can remember. One time of the first time was doing old commentary. I do commentary for my body Does like some racing series. At first, I'm
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
I love racing. It's one of my passions, but ve never done commentary, which like three or four years ago at me, Let me let me just see how I would fit N I just learned I pick up. I pick up on it. I do it and it's some different. I love it because I pick up on
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
It's abstract, but the abstract thing. Sometimes, those abstract kind of those florin concepts where people will run from you, just go to it and you go towards the fire. In this case, going towards the fire and running through it is okay. If you understand that it's okay for you. If it's okay for you, then you do it and that's how you create no fear. But the one thing you do is okay. I'm going towards right there, but you never go through that fire. How will we ever know if there's a real positive Or hypothetical outcome? It's all exactly is a hypothetical outcome. There's no positive or no negative reenforcement. It's just it's hypothetical until you go through it. so once you go to that fire, even for burns you, you still learn something.
gboyega_adebayo:
You
kevin:
no matter
gboyega_adebayo:
learned.
kevin:
what.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah, yeah, I really like. I really like the the mind set of You know you went, or you
kevin:
Yep,
gboyega_adebayo:
learn right. That's really kind of what it's about. So I really, I really do like that mind set. Um, you know, my last question before we jump into some of the quick hitters would be, Were there any surprises or misconceptions that you had as you started Middle Road energy, and now you're kind of Sitting back in your reflecting and saying That's interesting like this is a new thing that I learned that. if you had asked me months ago, I would have not expected this to be the reality.
kevin:
I think the only thing I would say this is tough. I guess the only thing I would say It's a little bit different than well. I first have plan was how long it really takes to get two things labor review and just the thing you can't control. This is a very patient game. I mean,
gboyega_adebayo:
M.
kevin:
it took me a long time, now, ten months, eleven months a year. Basically to some people, it's not for me. It's a long time.
gboyega_adebayo:
Yeah,
kevin:
I didn't realize how long it takes to do federal things. You know, I can't control labor review. I can't control the. I can't control any. that. all I can do is just put in the work the application and you have to let it sit.