Getting Back Up - GRIT Ed. 8 | The Relentless Pursuit - Magazine - Page 21
Getting Back Up
In 2014, Iconic Brewing secured their initial (and only) funding from a small group of angel investors under
the condition of securing a product listing with the biggest buyer of alcohol in the world at the time - the
LCBO. This was their lifeline and their only chance. Without an actual marketing budget, they had to get
creative. After securing the first LCBO order, Daniel and his Co-Founders also managed to land a successful
appearance on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, and that’s when things finally started to look up.
“This is when we learnt a very important lesson: “Don’t believe your press clipping.” Attracting interest from
investors and the media has advantages but can often lead to a false sense of accomplishment. This poses a
real risk, particularly as you are preparing to deliver an unproven product to the market.”
The
motivator
behind
Daniel’s drive was the fear
of failure because where
he’s from, there weren’t
opportunities for young
people to succeed. Daniel
realized from an early
age that he would have
to fight for every chance
to better himself and his
family. At this stage in
his career, he realizes he
has been fortunate to be
able to apply his skills and
talents to achieve what he
wanted. “My fear of failure
has since transcended into
a strong sense of privilege
and gratitude that I use as
fuel to motivate me every
day.”
GETTING
B AC K U P
A G A IN ,
A G A IN , A N D
And
Again
DANIEL BARTEK
COO and Co-Founder Of Ace Beverage Group
Next 36, 2013
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL
JOURNEY IS FULL OF RISKS
AND CHALLENGES, BUT YOU
HAVE TO BE RELENTLESS
AND GIVE IT YOUR BEST
SHOT IN ORDER TO EARN
YOUR RIGHT TO SUCCEED.
As the famous saying goes, “If you risk nothing, you
risk everything.”
Being a relentless pursuer of entrepreneurship seems
to be part of Daniel Bartek’s DNA. His competitive
nature propelled him to leave Europe at the age of 17
to pursue his hockey dream in North America. That
same force set him on the path of creating the next
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MARCH 2022 | NEXTCANADA.COM
big beverage company. In both instances, he knew
the odds were stacked against him all too well, but
he pushed through anyway.
When Daniel and his Co-Founders first ventured
into the consumer packaged goods industry, their
audacious goal was to change the perception of an
entire sub-segment of the beverage alcohol industry.
The ready-to-drink category has been historically
looked over for its sugar-saturated products,
perceived limited scale and overall appeal.
To succeed in this category was no small feat for
a couple of guys with no previous experience in
manufacturing, distribution or operations. Although
their initial product launch ultimately did not succeed,
they were simply too stubborn to give up. Starting
a business at a younger age has its advantages; the
naive ignorance of the challenge ahead, coupled with
unbridled enthusiasm, often serves as an incentive to
drive forward in the face of uncertainty.
Armed only with a stack of business cards, Daniel
spent the first eight months working with various
manufacturers, product experts and industry
veterans, effectively turning him and his Co-Founders
into sponges, soaking up as much knowledge as
possible from anyone willing to offer it freely.
To be able to immigrate to
Canada, “the best country
in the world,” states Daniel,
and to be cheered on and
supported by so many
great people throughout
his life here, has been a
dream come true.
“Every
hardship
of
entrepreneurship
was
worth that, and I cannot
wait to play my part and
be able to support the next
generation of immigrants
and entrepreneurs.”
For entrepreneurs and
operators alike, managing
uncertainty is a daily task.
“When facing the worst,
don’t give up. Just because
your initial concept isn’t as
successful as you hoped, it
doesn’t mean you should
quit and move on to the
next bright idea. Take your
time, be creative and find
a way forward.”
We hear a lot these days
about failing being good
- especially for young
founders. Though failure
“WHEN FACING THE WORST,
DON’T GIVE UP. JUST BECAUSE
YOUR INITIAL CONCEPT ISN’T AS
SUCCESSFUL AS YOU HOPED, IT
DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD QUIT
AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BRIGHT
IDEA. TAKE YOUR TIME, BE CREATIVE
AND FIND A WAY FORWARD.”
Daniels Definition
Entrepreneurship
[än-trə-p(r)ə-nər-ship]
noun
: Drive to improve the world to one’s liking by sheer
power of conviction and perseverance.
is undoubtedly better than not starting at all,
Daniel has learned a lot more from not giving up
and not quitting. Entrepreneurship gave Daniel a
different perspective on life. It gave him the ability
to design his own world and to be in charge of his
own schedule.
As COO and Co-Founder of Ace Beverage Group
(ABG,) the Toronto-based company has served
up many of Canada’s best-selling drinks this past
year, including Cottage Springs vodka seltzers and
Ace Hill brand beers and radlers.
Today, ABG is one of the country’s fastest-growing
beverage makers, with over $100M in retail sales
forecasted in 2022. ABG’s award-winning portfolio
of brands with over 50 unique products offers
a wide variety. From seltzer, beer and cider to
traditional cocktails and wine, ABG offers bestin-class beverages to a wide variety of consumers
across Canada.
GRIT | THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT
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