We had the good fortune of connecting with Nisse Noble and Kelly Moffitt, and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nisse and Kelly, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
We think about work life balance as an entrepreneur in a lot of different ways. It’s not about having “balance” each day, week or even month. It’s about recognizing the phase of life and business you’re in and making sure you’re taking care of yourself while reaching your goals.
We’re still a start-up, so at this phase – when we’re working on Clever Fox, we’re working as hard as possible to make it successful. When we’re not, we’re thinking about what we need to do next to take it to the next level.
We think it’s important for us to have a healthy balance between working and taking care of ourselves. It’s not just about making sure that you’re getting enough rest and exercise—it’s also about making time for yourself to do things that bring joy into your life.
We started our Clever Fox rum because we wanted to build something meaningful together. We were both so passionate about this idea that we decided to put all of our energy into it instead of working at separate jobs like normal people would do!
The biggest change in our work/life balance over time has been how efficient we are with the hours we spend on the business, and our ability to say no to things that don’t serve our immediate goals. The more time goes by, the more we realize how important it is for us as to be present with our lives while we’re still young—and this means spending less time saying yes to every little opportunity, and more time focused on our goals, and enjoying life.
What should our readers know about your business?
We are so excited to tell you about our company – Clever Fox Rum, a local craft rum company based in Oceanside, California.
Clever Fox is the only craft distiller in California that focuses exclusively on rum—and we are woman and minority-veteran owned! We make all-natural and clean rum that’s free of additives, sweeteners, or other weird stuff. Our rum has only three all-American ingredients: heirloom Louisiana sugar cane syrup, filtered water, and San Francisco yeast. It’s delicious and smooth, making it an easy addition to any cocktail you can think of.
We’re also proud to be sustainable in our packaging and practices. Our bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass, and you’ll also notice that we don’t bother with labels, because paper waste seemed foolish to us, too. Instead, we worked hard to develop a design that can be screen-printed and reused hundreds of times.
The best part about our story isn’t just what we’ve done so far—it’s what’s still ahead of us. We recently won a silver medal AND a design award from San Diego International Spirits Competition. We’ve been featured and beloved by world-renowned celebrity mixologist Rob Floyd (Bar Rescue, People Magazine, Princess Cruises), as well as “The Rum Champion” (#1 social media influencer for rum). Every day is a new adventure!
You can find Clever Fox rum at all the San Diego County Total Wine locations, All the Baron’s Market locations, and more! Visit our website at cleverfoxrum.com to order online or to find additional retail and cocktail locations.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you’re visiting San Diego and want to have the time of your life, here are some of our favorite spots: Eat: There are so many amazing restaurants in San Diego that it would be impossible to name just one favorite spot. If we had to pick just one though, it might have to be Et Voila in North Park. They have an amazing selection of traditional French fare like Boeuf Bourguignon or Coq au Vin, and be sure to try the unique cocktails made with house-made syrups and bitters. (you can’t go wrong!)
Drink: if you’re a cat lover, and you love cocktails, then there’s only one place to be: Whiskers and Wine. This full service cat cocktail cafe has adoptable cats and delicious food (including cat-related dishes like the “CharCATerie board” and “Italian Cat Grass Salad”), as well as a full bar featuring Clever Fox rum (try the “Meow-jito”!)
Visit: One of our favorite places to visit is Balboa Park. There are so many delightful museums! You can walk around and explore anything from science to art to history. It’s such an amazing place because you can spend hours there without getting bored. Plus there’s always something new happening—like concerts or festivals—so there’s always something going on if you want it!
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?
Sean Hallman of Shadow Ridge Spirits. He has been with us since the beginning, and we couldn’t have done this without him. He has been there to teach us everything we needed to know about distilling and the alcohol industry—and he’s such a nice person to boot! Kevin Shin of Switchboard Restaurant, Fin Hotel, North County Roastery and KNVS. He was the first person to put Clever Fox on the menu! He took a chance on us when nobody else would, and we are eternally grateful.
Carla and Linda from Carla & Linda’s Oceanside Food Tours: We don’t even know where to start with how much we appreciate everything that you do for Clever Fox Rum! From helping spread the word about our rum every time you’re at a bar or restaurant… To just being generally amazing people who are always willing to help out in any way possible… You two are the best!
We also have to say thanks to anyone who has ever asked for Clever Fox rum at a bar or restaurant—you guys are our heroes! It helps us so much, and we love you all!
Website: https://cleverfoxrum.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleverfoxrum/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleverfoxrum/
Twitter: @cleverfoxrum
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleverFoxRum/
Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cleverfoxrum
Image Credits
Emmy Hagen | @emmyhagen Karl Steuck | @spiritandspoon