Meet Blake Berman | Entrepreneur & Engineer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Blake Berman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Blake, how do you think about risk?
The way I think about risk is that it is an inevitable chance that arises when faced with an opportunity to achieve a reward. There is rarely a reward that comes without any risk at all. With this, I understand that there is no hope in waiting around for a risk-less opportunity to present itself and that I must accept some level of risks in order to achieve greatness in my life. A famous quote from Peter Thiel models this understanding perfectly: “In a world that’s changing so quickly, the biggest risk you can take is not taking any risk.” However, I feel that it is still very important to measure the risks involved in an opportunity. Before I decide to take any action, I make sure that the reward out-weighs the risk and that if I am to fail, I can fully accept the negative consequences.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MIXR is the first beverage specifically crafted to be enjoyed as a better-for-you mixer and chaser. MIXR contains zero sugar, zero calories, added electrolytes + an irresistibly bold, electric flavor. Our mission is to challenge what a mixer and chaser should be + shake up the future of drinking.

The idea for MIXR was birthed in 2018 through a joint-realization between two cousins, Blake & Jake Berman. They were pre-gaming a party one fall semester night. Per usual, there were a lot of people at the pre-game chasing the typical Tito’s or 1800 with sodas or sugary juices. Being that both Blake & Jake strive to live healthy lives, workout on the daily (Jake is also a professional CrossFit Athlete), and never drink soda or any sugary beverages, they chose to not condone in such irresponsible forms of chasing and decided to take shots straight with no chaser.

This sparked the question: “Are there any kind of beverages out there that have as much bold flavor as soda or juice, tastes just as good or better when mixed with alcohol, but doesn’t have any sugar, calories, or artificial ingredients!?” In that moment, they proceeded to scour the internet looking for such a product. After coming up dry in their initial efforts to find the perfect mixer/chaser, they then realized that there was hole in the mixer/chaser industry that needed to be filled. The next morning, they began working on formulating the perfect mixer and chaser. They started by simply combining only the best traits of each of the most popular mixers and chasers in the market at the time. They took the bold flavor qualities of soda, the all-natural sugar-free/zero-calories qualities of La-Croix, and the electrolyte hydration qualities of Gatorade to create what is now known as MIXR.

It has been an up-hill battle throughout the launch of MIXR. We had zero experience in the beverage space, which definitely slowed down the process to get product produced and on shelves. Ultimately, we used this inexperience to our advantage. We took an outsider approach to this space which helped us think outside the box in terms of branding and marketing. We feel that our unique product and brand really helps set us apart from the other thousands of beverage products on the shelf.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a list I have compiled of things I would do with a friend If I only had one week to show them around San Diego for the first time: – Soak up some sun on the beaches in Pacific Beach.
– Day drink at El Prez in Pacific Beach.
– Go to Sushi Kuchi in Pacific Beach for $1 Sake Bombs and cheap sushi.
– Workout at Fit in Mission Beach.
– Brunch at Morning Glory in Little Italy.
– Watch the sunset & eat burritos at Kate Session Park.
– Walk across the border into TJ to hit the water park and eat authentic tacos.
– Go sailing in Mission Bay.
– Eat a steak dinner at Born & Raised in Little Italy.
– Eat a sushi dinner at Lumi in Gaslamp.
– Bar hop in Gaslamp.
– Brewery hop throughout San Diego.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my father, Stephen Berman. He is where I get my entrepreneurial spirit from. Without his influence on my life, I would have not had the courage to launch MIXR Beverages. Also, there has never been a question that I have asked him that he has not be able to answer. He’s the most quick-witted and street-smart person I know.

I would also like to shoutout my mother, Sheila Berman. She keeps me grounded through her kindness and selflessness. She is so loving and everyone who meets her immediately becomes a friend. This is a trait I strive to maintain in my daily life. She has also always been there for me whenever I have career/life problems.

I must also shoutout my girlfriend, Lexi Ortiz. Without her and her endless support, I would have given up on launching MIXR at any one of the many hurdles we have faced so far. Her determination and work ethic in her own life motivates me to keep striving toward success. She puts 110 percent effort into everything she sets her mind to. With this influence, if I am rarely satisfied with anything short of perfection in everything I work on.

Lastly, I need to shoutout my Co-Founder. Jake Berman, my cousin, has been with me on this venture since even before its start. His anchored confidence in this brand and vision really helps fade any doubt I run into. With him working beside me, I truly feel that nothing can stop us from achieving greatness.

Website: https://www.mixrbeverages.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mixrbeverages/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mixrbeverages