At 22, Alex Michaelsen quit his job to chase a startup dream.At 24, he was nearly broke.At 26, his beverage brand, Leisure Hydration, is now stocked in every Whole Foods nationwide.In this episode of Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, Alex shares what it really looked like to build a consumer product in a saturated market — from zero income and credit card debt to standing beside Coke and Pepsi on store shelves.We talk about:💳 Surviving two years with no income and how he made it work🧃 Cracking the code to standing out in the ultra-competitive beverage space🤯 The mental load of entrepreneurship — and what he wishes he’d learned earlierThis episode is full of sharp insights and hard-earned advice. I learned way too much from Alex.🎧 If you’re neck deep in building something, wondering what entrepreneurship actually looks like, or just want some wisdom on your walk to class — this one’s for you.Try a Leisure for free with this link: https://try.gotoaisle.com/leisure-hydration-onefreeFollow the show on Substack at Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, and find me on LinkedIn or Instagram @colehume.Let me know what you think — I’m always trying to make the show better.Time Stamps:00:00 – Intro  02:47 – What it really means to launch in Whole Foods  08:49 – How Leisure stands out in a sea of lookalike drinks  12:40 – The genius strategy of getting stocked in tech fridges  19:24 – Competing with giants without getting crushed  27:20 – Entrepreneurial traits that actually make a difference  34:50 – Alex’s favorite failure and what it taught him  39:18 – What he’d shake into his younger self  42:11 – Personal finance lessons from 2 years with no income  51:17 – Is meaning worth more than money or stability?  59:05 – How to choose the *right* cofounder (and build trust)  1:05:39 – The most undervalued resource no one talks about  1:11:52 – Final thoughts + my takeaways   LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

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