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

Hi Sam, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Like many of our friends, we were coming home Fridays after work and enjoying our drinks with some caffeine before a night out. Existing options totally missed the mark: we were limited to synthetic lab-made energy drinks mixed with vodka or ridiculously inconvenient espresso martinis that were often filled with sugar to mask the flavor of subpar coffee. We decided we were going to make a Skinny Espresso Martini – something that was delicious and convenient with a clean nutrition label. Our vision back in 2018 proved to be exactly what customers were looking for, evidenced by the massive espresso martini wave.

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?
We’re obsessed with product quality. BOMANI uses only 100% ethically sourced Arabica bean coffee. We use premium, naturally gluten-free alcohol that allows the coffee flavor to play center stage. To maintain a sessionable flavor, we formulated BOMANI to offer a manageable 5.7% ABV level. Of course, the path to put together the supply chain to create this first-of-its kind product was peppered with hurdles big and small. With that said, I’m proud to say our team never took shortcuts to circumvent the proper production process – these shortcuts included either pumping up ABV to an overwhelming level or adding an artificial acidifier, which we’ve seen many hard coffee brands attempt, only to ultimately fail due to a lackluster final product.

All of our successes go back to our team’s focus on people. We insist on only working with exceptionally competent, passionate, and trustworthy people. From formulating to manufacturing to marketing to retail, we’ve surrounded ourselves with people who are excited to problem solve; people who are passionate about our mission to electrify life’s celebrated moments.

If people remember one thing about our brand, it’s that BOMANI makes life’s celebrated moments more fun, whether that’s seeing your favorite artist in concert, hitting brunch with your friends, or having a good old pregame on a Friday after work. The name “BOMANI” itself comes from a Farsi word that means “to have purpose” – we chose this name because we believe you deserve to be able to work towards your purpose without sacrificing your social life or your physical health.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love having friends visit. Thankfully, we work with a number of bars & restaurants that are some of LA’s most fun places to eat and go out. For fans of LA history, Formosa Café in WeHo is a Chinese-inspired restaurant that’s been open for decades, and its walls have many signed photos of Hollywood royalty to prove that. While you’re in the area, check out Mama Shelter and Skybar for some beautiful views and immaculate vibes. If you want to see the beach while you visit, make sure to hit The Waterfront in Venice. And if you love music, Winston House is always a good time – especially on Thursdays!

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 could spend all day just focusing on this section. I’m grateful to say that we have phenomenal advisors and investors who have helped us build BOMANI and have continued to invest as we scale. But to answer this question, I would love to dedicate this shoutout to our founding investor & chairperson, Shirin Behzadi. Shirin fled her home country of Iran at 16 years old, put herself through college in the US by working in a gas station, and became an entrepreneur who grew her business to nearly $1 billion in sales. I’m especially thankful to say that in addition to being a thoughtful, inspiring, and strategically brilliant part of BOMANI, she’s also my mom!

Website: www.drinkbomani.com

Instagram: @drinkbomani

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-madani-58b054a1/

Image Credits
sam klegerman kenny libbon

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