Krista Cloud
Natural State Beverage
My family’s health has always been a top priority for me. We’ve been plant-based for ten years, and I’m always trying to figure out how to feel better in my body. I’ve also always been passionate about sharing that with other people. I was brewing kombucha at home because it was a better option for my kids. My husband, Ty, had stopped drinking alcohol for health reasons, and he wanted to experiment with a new hobby. He had been brewing beer for himself before that, so making soda became his new interest. He wanted something that tasted good and could express artistic flair by creating himself. We took kegs of kombucha out into the woods for a bikepacking event we organized, and everybody was like, “Oh my gosh, this is really good! Where can we buy it? And we had to tell them there was no way they could at that point because we were literally brewing this in our home.
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I've always worked really hard. My dad was in the military; I grew up on a farm, and my parents taught me the value of hard work. I graduated college as an education major and worked many different jobs before we landed here - accounting, IT, running an Airbnb, living on a farm, flipping homes, and so on. We have always been outdoorsy and adventurous people, so I assumed that my passions would eventually lead me to work in the outdoor industry in some capacity. We started exploring bikepacking as a business opportunity but soon realized that we didn't want to give up all our weekends as a family. Also, another competitor who had just moved into the space was a lot better funded than we were, making our success less likely. Something Ty and I have always been good at doing is being able to pivot when a door is shut. We still had this community of bikepackers interested in our kombucha, so we sold the farm, moved into our Airbnb in Downtown Bentonville, and decided to give this a shot.
“I’m stepping out and doing things outside the ‘normal’ role for a mom. My kids see me go to work and do the hard things. They see me doing things that scare me - presentations that I’m nervous about giving or meetings that I feel inadequate being a part of. I love that for my kids because [my son] is encouraged to do challenging things. Not only that, but I’m also breaking down barriers for [my daughter], and she can see that women are completely capable of running a household, being a mom, and running a business.”
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I was a big scaredy cat before I met Ty. When he took me mountain biking for the first time, I crashed, cartwheeled, and cried the whole time, but I did it! Same with climbing, we went out, and he said, “This is going to be great. You’re going to do amazing!” Well, I cried the whole time, I was scared! It was uncomfortable, but I’ve grown to love both of those hobbies so much. He's always pushed and supported me, and it's always led to growth. Looking back, it’s clear that the reward of growth is so great that it's ridiculous not to push through and figure out what might happen if you try. It’s been the same in our business. Whenever I present him with a problem, he'll say, "Of course we can solve it. We have you, and you're brilliant!” We have this unwavering belief in each other that we can figure it out. He's quick to step aside and let me take the spotlight when people ask about the business. We've gotten used to pushing each other past our perceived limits, and that has slowly become our normal. I can confidently say that Ty is the most important part of who I am. With that said, we constantly have to check in with each other because working with my husband is hard. I know I’m hard to work with. We see all the sides of each other - we work together, parent together, and we’re lovers. A lot is going on in our lives that we have to hold in a delicate balance.
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It's been a wide range, to be honest. Some days, I feel empowered and ready to conquer the world; others, I walk into a room, and getting people to take me seriously is a challenge. There have been times when Ty has offered to talk to a potential client or has stepped in to answer questions on equipment recommendations because of that. Our society often emphasizes men as the primary decision-makers, which felt normal growing up. It's a change of pace to be driving significant decisions for our business now. I'm the face of our company, but it would be out of place to think that any part of our operation would exist without Ty. I've indeed come to admire what we've built together with our strengths - mine more in marketing and sales, his in production and operations. Even with that, my team will often look to me for my input in the brewery, and it's very empowering to know that they trust my leadership and expertise. I've also had a lot of support from other women in business, which has been amazing. They're my backbone. Yesterday, I reached out to one of them just to let her know I was thinking of her, and she went on to tell me that one of her employees had treated her unkindly, and she was having a rough time figuring out how to deal with it. I reassured her that we could do hard things, and we talked through it together. On other days, she or another friend has reached out to check in. Having that community of like-minded women in business has made all the difference.
“There's no barrier when you work for yourself. You can work as hard as you want, which can be a strength or weakness. I work hard, and I work a lot. I like the idea of doing something challenging and not having anybody telling me that I’ve reached my peak or this is as far as I can go. I like being able to take that into my own hands. I love that freedom.”
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One of the things that I needed to reconcile with was what I was willing to give up in this season. I decided that I needed to be more flexible with my level of personal fitness. I didn't have the time to maintain that high fitness level and be a good mom, wife, and business owner. I haven't joined a group ride in a long time because I can’t do it all. Hopefully, I'll get back to that. The reality is you have to be willing to sacrifice something to improve in other areas of your life. I’ve realized I can be a good friend to only a few people this season, and that's all I have to give. Recognizing what I have to give up ahead of time has helped me deal with the disappointment that might come from it.
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Sometimes, it can be toxic, and people can be very demeaning. That part can be really challenging. I've had to deal with some things that have broken my heart. I learned the hard way that the experience I've gathered over the past three years running this business is something I have to protect. Sometimes a person might call me to “pick my brain” and I have to be cautious about what I share to stay competitive. I’ve had that trust broken one too many times, unfortunately. There's this balance of being kind and uplifting and supporting other people that I’m learning to be better at. I'm naturally a very giving person who believes everybody has a good heart and that what people say is true. I'm learning that I have to take protecting my business seriously - it's my baby, it's my livelihood.
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For me, it's never been a matter of whether or not I can achieve something. It's a matter of what sacrifices I’m willing to make along the way. Is it sleep? Is it feeling silly about going to people to ask questions? I'm not afraid to enter a situation and ask for help. I don't pretend to know everything. It’s the willingness to learn, the willingness to humble yourself and say, “I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm gonna figure it out and be better.” I go to therapy once a week, which is really great. I’ve also learned that I need to shrink my circle of friends down to people I can count on, even though I’m an extrovert. Who’s going to support me on my really bad days? Who's going to help my family when I'm slammed at work? Those are the people I’m choosing to invest my time in.
