Sharelle Klaus, Founder of DRY Soda Co.
Name: Sharelle Klaus
Founder: DRY Soda Co.
Who is Sharelle Klaus?
While the zero-proof beverage boom has just recently taken off, I’ve been spearheading this revolution for the past 18+ years. Dating back to my four pregnancies, I was inspired to start DRY Soda Co. when I’d stopped drinking alcohol altogether and was disappointed in the lack of non-alcoholic beverages. In addition to minimal zero-proof options other than soda, I was tired of feeling left out in social situations. It soon became clear to me that there needed to be a change in the way people think about drinking. Thus, through grit, near failures, passion and dedication, DRY Soda Co. was born in 2005 out of my hometown of Seattle and has since grown into a nationally beloved brand.
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
DRY Soda Co.’s lineup of sophisticated, non-alcoholic beverages have an elevated flavor profile, designed to be paired with food or enjoyed on their own. On a mission to cultivate social drinking for all, DRY’s chic, zero-proof beverages foster inclusion in social gatherings regardless of one's participation in drinking culture. In recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in people putting a great emphasis on bettering both their physical and mental health, and at DRY, we believe these individuals deserve elevated, yet affordable beverage options that mirror this emphasis on wellness.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
Throughout my career, I’ve made it my mission to pave the way for women to feel empowered in their choices. After having my fourth baby in seven years, like many mothers, I stopped drinking alcohol altogether and found that the non-alcoholic options were frankly underwhelming. Feeling left out in these social settings, it became abundantly clear that there needed to be a change in the way people view drinking, which would in turn impact the experience of women in the same position as I.
When creating DRY, our goal was to create sophisticated, health-forward non-alcoholic beverages people could feel confident sipping on. I thought, if we can normalize zero-proof drinking, then women can take a crucial step in putting their health and needs first while feeling confident in social settings and celebrations. Offering women, the resources to put their mental and physical health first is of the utmost importance in what being a FoundHer means to me, and through DRY I hope I’ve played a part in paving the way for women to feel empowered to do so.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
When I started DRY Soda Co. 18 years ago, I was one of three women founders in the NA beverage space. It thrills me today to see women innovating and creating incredible brands in this space, so any opportunity to empower and support these women, I am there! In the past, I’ve served as the president of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, driving strategic development programs, events, and fundraising for the organization’s 250+ Seattle-area members. As one of the founders of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA), we advocate and support emerging leaders in the zero-proof beverage space working to create a world in which everyone has access to adult non-alcoholic beverages.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
Throughout my career, I’ve always been determined to run DRY my way. For me, that means managing my team, conducting meetings, and managing operations from remote national parks and international destinations! While remote work has been normalized post-pandemic, it’s not something many CEOs are embracing for their own roles. After decades of working from corporate offices and conference tables, I began feeling creatively stunted and needed a change of scenery. For nearly the last year, I’ve run DRY out of my van in the desert of California, the beaches of Texas, and in the depths of Mississippi. DRY’s even gone international this year—because Zoom meetings are just better when you’re traveling throughout Morocco. I’m currently building a home in Costa Rica, so I’ve been running DRY in the jungle and will continue to do so more permanently in the near future.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today? Please share the story behind it.
About six months after I had launched DRY, I was approached by a family investor. We had spent months negotiating and had come to a deal, so I went ahead with my plan to hire a PR Strategist, Sales Director, and CMO. Unfortunately, just hours before signing the investment paperwork and receiving the funds, I received a call from the investor letting me know they were having second thoughts about the valuation – they wanted to lower it.
I felt so conflicted knowing I had three people on my team to pay, and I needed the money to get the ground running otherwise DRY might fail. Later that evening, I was reading Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Schultz, and I had a revelation. The next day, I decided the walk away from the investment – I had doubts, and I needed to trust my gut. To this day, it is still one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made, but I am confident it was the right one. My incredible team of three at the time chose to start working for DRY the following week, with the faith that I would secure financing. Just a month later, we had secured $1.5M in our Series A – double what our original investment would have been.
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