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Founder Cason Crane Explorer Cold Brew“I was instilled with a very strong sense of adventure from an early age,” he says. entrepreneurWhile his parents instilled that passion in him, Crane credits his late mother, Isabella de la Houssay, as a “pioneer,” for inspiring him to travel to more than 100 countries and compete on a reality TV show. Race to Survive in Alaskabecame the first openly LGBTQ+ person to climb the highest summits on every continent, and launched a Brooklyn-based coffee brand, all before turning 30.
Image courtesy of Explorer Cold Brew, courtesy of Cason Crane.
After climbing Kilimanjaro with his mother, Crane set out to summit the Seven Summits, carrying the Pride flag and summiting the highest peaks on each continent at ages 19 and 20. “My mother was the original explorer,” Crane says of her mother. “She was the mentor for Explorer Cold Brew, so she was the inspiration for the adventures we’ve taken on.”
The idea for Explorer Cold Brew, which offers beverages with caffeine content ranging from 99% to 300 milligrams per serving, came to Klein during the pandemic. Klein was introduced to cold brew by her husband and became a big fan, enjoying it through the afternoon but keeping them both up at night. He had a “light bulb moment” when her husband suggested switching to decaffeinated coffee and his therapist encouraged Klein to find a hobby that would allow him to utilize his business acumen.
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A quick search on Amazon revealed that there were plenty of cold brew coffee options on the market, but none that were decaffeinated. At the time, Crain was working as a consultant for Bain, so he immediately went into research mode, wanting to know what percentage of coffee drinkers drank decaffeinated coffee. Of these, 10%and that U.S. consumers will spend $110 billion on coffee in 2022. National Coffee Association This means that a large portion of buyers was being ignored.
But Crane didn’t just want to bring a caffeine-free cold brew to market; he wanted to create a “caffeine-conscious” cold brew company that let consumers choose their own adventure. And he did: In 2021, Explorer Cold Brew launched with a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model, first on its own website and then on Amazon, taking advantage of the low barrier to entry.
Images/Photos: Explorer Cold Brew
“It’s become clear that the ground beneath our feet is shaky when it comes to e-commerce.”
But the e-commerce landscape was already beginning to change, Crane recalls. “It was very clear to me that the ground was shifting with e-commerce,” he explains. “And this business model that had grown so rapidly over the last five or so years could be heading in a negative direction.”
Crane said, Think outside the box It’s an important lesson, he says, not just for climbing but for business: Explorer Cold Brew knew it needed to diversify its customer base, and it was willing to make some sacrifices to do so. So when a casting agent reached out to him via Instagram direct message asking him to appear on a reality show on USA Network, he was stoked. Race to Survive in AlaskaHe reluctantly accepted an idea he would have rejected under other circumstances.
The show required teams of two, with his sister, Bella, as his partner. “To be clear, my sister works in finance, and I run a coffee company,” Crane says. “At the time, [I’d climbed Everest] That was 10 years ago. And when you climb Everest, you don’t build a fire or hunt for food. So, yes, I’ve done a lot of outdoor stuff and I’m a very accomplished climber, but that doesn’t make me a survivalist. I want to be clear about that because sometimes people forget that distinction.”
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“Thankfully, I watched some YouTube videos on how to start a fire.”
Hesitantly, they submitted their application, and six months later, he and his sister were invited to Washington state for final evaluation. “Thank goodness I’d watched a couple of videos on YouTube on how to make fire,” says Crane. “We practiced on the balcony of our Brooklyn apartment and nearly burned the building down, but luckily we were OK. We tried practicing in the bathtub and stained it.” They gave it their all, and two months later they received a contract and a ticket to Alaska, departing in 48 hours.
Crane didn’t go into much detail about the experience, but based on his knowledge of other adventure shows, SurvivorCrain estimated they’d only be there for a week or two, but the sibling duo raced to survive for two months, during which time Crain, though he continued to represent the company by wearing a branded hat, had no contact with the Explorer Cold Brew team.
“I was literally racing to survive in the Alaskan wilderness,” Crane recalled. “It was like half an adventure race. The Amazing RaceWilderness, Map and Compass, and a Half Naked and scary“
After two months in the wilderness, Crane and her sister ultimately placed third in the competition.
Images/Photos: Explorer Cold Brew
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“[It’s so important to] Find people who will support you and work with you.”
Entrepreneurship, like mountain climbing, is not a solo sport, Crane said. During his time away from the business, his team stepped up and kept the business going, eventually allowing the brand to expand into grocery distribution. [an effective team] “It’s literally a matter of life and death,” Crane said. “In business, it may not be a matter of life and death, per se, but it’s a matter of life and death for the business.” [It’s so important to] Find people who will support and work with you“
Experiences Race to Survive in Alaska Crain says it was “a lot more real and dangerous than I expected,” and unfortunately, when the show aired a year later and was watched by 600,000 viewers every Monday night, it had had very little impact on Explorer Cold Brew’s brand awareness. Crain’s personal Instagram following is also barely changing. “It was really disheartening at first,” he admits. “Because it was one of the most miserable things I’ve ever done, certainly outside of starting my own business. [it was] It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, way harder than Everest.”
But things turned around. A month after the show aired, Crane was at a food trade show where several buyers approached him. A race to survive in Alaska. Coincidentally, the demographic that watched the show wasn’t particularly active on Instagram. The TV appearance helped the brand increase its DTC and social media awareness, but it ultimately led to a distribution deal. Explorer Cold Brew is now sold in over 1,000 stores, has generated over $5 million in sales, and is experiencing annual growth of 81%.
“If something doesn’t work the way you expect it to, it doesn’t mean it was wrong,” Crane says. [the grocery distribution didn’t work out]I wanted to think of being on this show as a failure, but I don’t think that’s a healthy way to think about it. I think this is a reminder that you have to try things. If everything you aim for is certain, you’re not aiming for enough“
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“A lot of times it’s a reflection of what else they’re doing.”
Crane’s journey as a climber and entrepreneur has taught him: Never give up on someoneCrane says harassment can come from anyone, including strangers he meets on the trail or customers. He gives one relevant anecdote as an example: When he was 19 and climbing Denali carrying a Pride flag, he was harassed by a group of veterans for being gay. Later, when he was approached by another group of veterans on a different climb, Crane feared he would receive a similar response. But the second group of veterans was very supportive, Crane says, taking a photo of the flag and sending it back to LGBTQ+ veterans and military people.
“Often it’s a reflection of what else they have going on, or pre-existing biases or histories they have,” Crain adds. “And [it’s important] Accept it for the sake of your own mental health, and also try to never give up on anyone.”
On the business side, Crain works with customers regularly, and when he encounters angry buyers, he’s discovered a tactic that has a 100% success rate for defusing the situation: making the other person feel heard. “It’s never too late for anybody,” Crain explains. “People just care. They want to love you. Obviously, every situation is different, but instead of giving up on them, instead of ignoring them, actually reach out to them, understand what’s bothering them, and take steps to solve it. People want to be heard. They want to have a good experience.”
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“And then there are the things I do so that I can look forward to getting out of bed every morning.”
Just as Crane wasn’t afraid to use what makes him special while climbing the Seven Summits, he does the same in business and encourages entrepreneurs to take a similar approach. Embrace what makes your brand stand outCrain points out that this month is Pride Month, and Explorer Cold Brew is a proudly LGBTQ-run business. The company is certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) and partners exclusively with queer organizations and artists, including singer-songwriter and actor Troye Sivan, comedian Matt Rogers, and gender-inclusive cycling team Bad Pony Racing. Over the years, Crain’s has raised more than $200,000 for the LGBTQ community. The Trevor Projecta leading nonprofit suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
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While Crain acknowledges that not all customers will support the company because of its affiliation with Explorer Cold Brew, he is committed to running a business that reflects his values. “It’s definitely what supports me every day,” Crain says. “As a business owner, there are things you do to make your business financially successful and there are things you do to get excited about getting out of bed every morning. I think it’s important as a business owner to do both.”