We visited Kat Hantas—a filmmaker with her own production company—to hear about how she started making her own tequila and shook up the spirits industry by launching 21 Seeds, an all-natural, fruit-infused tequila brand run by women (a bold move in a male-dominated industry). Here, she shares her personal journey, what being bold means to her, and of course, how Birdies help her feel bold, bright, and confident.
What’s a bold move you’ve made in your life?
Starting 21 Seeds Tequila! Having taken time off to raise a family for 10 years, most of my friends and family know me as a “mom.” While exciting, going from “mom” to “entrepreneur” is actually not as easy and romantic as it may sound. Yes, it’s all the obvious stuff—like energizing, stimulating, extremely hard work, endless hours, fun—but it’s also extremely disruptive to your existing family routine and friendship circles, and it’s often scary and full of anxiety. It’s by far the boldest thing I have ever done.
What’s one way you plan to make a bold move this year?
2020 is a new decade, and a new decade calls for big moves! We are expanding 21 Seeds to 13 states beyond CA, and we’re going it ALONE. Why so bold? As an entrepreneur, your dream is to create something new and different that is well received and loved by many. Then one day, if you do a good job and have some good luck, a big company comes along and thinks what you’ve created is so valuable that it makes you an offer. When we created 21 Seeds almost 10 months ago, we did not think that day would come so quickly. As it turns out, the big players in the spirits industry think what we’ve created is pretty unique, so they came with offers. But we didn’t take them. Scary, and maybe, some say, stupid. It is definitely a harder path, but we wanted to keep control of our product, our story, and our path forward. It’s certainly not an easy path (as these big companies, predominately run by men, control many things in spirits), but we’re counting on our tribe of female consumers who want a better-for-you option in spirits to find us and enjoy our product! #GIRLSCALLTHESHOTS
Who or what inspires you to be bold?
My children, Elias and Abigail. Going back to work after all these years of being a stay-at-home mom was really scary and extremely disruptive. It weighs heavily on a mom’s heart because you always want to be there for your kids. What continues to give me great strength and inspiration is the profoundly positive effect starting 21 Seeds has had on my kids. They are so excited when they see the brand at a store. They proudly brag about me to anyone who will listen and ask me about it all the time. Best of all, it’s inspired them to start their own ventures. My daughter started “SipIt” with her friends—an all-natural, real fruit-infused water that sold out at her school fair in less than an hour!
What advice would you give future generations of women to live boldly and with purpose?
Stop apologizing for everything. Of course, there is a right time and place, but in general, I find women apologize so much more than men do about everything. It’s hard enough to get through the pile that women do in a day, with their self-esteem intact. Every time you needlessly say “sorry” you are chipping away at your confidence. It’s incredible how clear your choices and your path become when you simply stop saying that word “sorry.” Immediately, the position of power changes, your confidence changes. Next time you go to start your sentence with “I’m sorry,” reframe it without the word “sorry” in it. You’ll be amazed by how boldly you start to live your life and how clear your purpose becomes.
How do Birdies make you feel bright, bold, and confident?
I am 100,000% in love with my Birdies. They get me through my morning routine, and I can leave the house with the confidence that, wherever I am going, they make me look like I have my sh&t together! I am a firm believer that as women, we can have it all, but generally not at the same time. My Birdies are the rare exception, the look of success on the outside with no sacrifice on comfort on the inside—a working mom’s dream!
Kat is part of our new “Bright. Bold. Birdies.” campaign, featuring and celebrating women who embody what it means to be bold inside and out. In this series, they share their stories of success and how Birdies help them soar.
