Sep 8, 2022
Dariusz Paczuski is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Vodka — California vodka handcrafted from 100% apples and fresh Sierra Nevada mountain water. Dariusz came to the US from Norway on a swimming scholarship to study business and later earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from California State University, Long Beach.
During an involuntary sabbatical and a ‘what if’ moment on a ski trip, Dariusz launched Rocket Vodka from his garage in Silicon Valley. Today, Dariusz works in the tech sector while he runs Rocket Vodka as a thriving side hustle.
The spirits industry has plenty of established brands, making it tough for new brands to make themselves known. Barriers to entry are significant, and new brands will need considerable time and monetary resources to pierce through the market.
What can entrepreneurs and solopreneurs do to stand a chance against the giants if they don’t have much time and money? For Dariusz Paczuski, all it took was a dream to own a vodka business, his expertise in marketing and customer insights, and the free hours after his full-time job.
In this episode of the Legends Behind the Craft podcast, Drew Thomas Hendricks sits down with Dariusz Paczuski, the Founder and CEO of Rocket Vodka. Dariusz talks about how he has been running his spirits brand as a side hustle while working in the tech industry. He also gives a detailed walkthrough of how he grew this business from the ground up while working with limited startup funds on nights and weekends.