Most people don't quit because they fail, but they fail because progress doesn't look the way they expected.

In this milestone Episode 100 of Mocktails with Marina, Marina reflects on what it actually takes to stay in the game (in podcasting, business, and the non-alcoholic industry) when motivation fades and results aren't linear.

This episode blends strategy, personal perspective, and industry call-outs to unpack:

• Why most founders burn out or disappear

• The biggest myths about consistency, visibility, and growth

• What Marina would do differently if she were starting over today

• Why systems matter more than talent or hustle

• How podcasting became her most effective evergreen client acquisition strategy

Whether this is your first episode or you've been listening from the beginning, this conversation is designed to meet you where you are and challenge you to decide what staying power really looks like.

🎧 New listeners: Go explore the first 99 episodes for a deep library of free, real-world insight.
🔥 Longtime listeners: If you're ready to stop circling the same challenges, this may be your moment to take action and step into deeper support.

Marina also shares why she'll be pausing new episodes for a few months in early 2026 and what's coming next after returning with fresh data, case studies, and real-world experience.

www.marinamars.com for more information

In today's episode of Mocktails With Marina, we're closing out the Department in a Box™ Series with one of the most important and most overlooked pillars of a profitable non-alcoholic business: Menu & Product Management.

Whether you run a kava bar, non-alcoholic bar, bottle shop, kombucha taproom, sober lounge, or functional beverage café, your menu is not just a list of drinks. It's a financial engine. A marketing strategy. And the #1 driver of your customer experience and business profitability.

Inside this episode, you'll learn:

Most business owners rely on vibes, taste, and creativity but without a system, you lose money on COGS, vendor errors, ingredient waste, and inconsistent pricing. We break down the difference between a hobby menu and a high-performing menu strategy.

You'll hear how to build one Notion-based product catalog that tracks ingredients, vendors, seasonals, costs, margins, substitutions, and pricing decisions so you can update your menu in minutes instead of reinventing the wheel every quarter.

No more guessing, running out of ingredients, or launching specials that secretly drain your margins. Learn the workflow real non-alc bars use to cost drinks, approve recipes, and roll out seasonal updates with confidence.

We talk about margin tracking, cost formulas, COGS transparency, and how to make pricing decisions based on actual data not emotion or fear of customer backlash.

From recipe approval to staff training to POS updates, you'll hear the full 360° process that makes menu changes smooth, consistent, and stress-free.

This episode is perfect for anyone managing non-alcoholic menus, kava drink menus, botanical beverage offerings, sober bars, NA bottle shops, and wellness cafés who wants to keep their menu fresh, cost-effective, and fully optimized.

Grab the Menu & Product Management Box™ (part of the Department in a Box™ Series) to get the exact Notion dashboards, costing calculators, vendor trackers, and seasonal planning systems I build for my private clients: https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-menu-mgmt-box/

In this episode of Mocktails with Marina, we dive into one of the most powerful and misunderstood growth engines in the non-alcoholic industry: Event Planning & Event Management.

If you run a non-alc bar, kava bar, bottle shop, sober lounge, or third space, you already know that events drive everything: foot traffic, community-building, customer retention, brand visibility, and revenue spikes. But most business owners treat events like last-minute ideas instead of what they really are: a core department inside your business.

In Part 5 of the Department in a Box™ Series, Marina breaks down:

• why events must function as an internal department, not a chaotic side project

• the three pillars of an effective event system: Planning, Management, and Debriefing

• the most common mistakes businesses make when hosting events (and why they keep happening)

• how to reduce stress, eliminate last-minute scrambling, and turn events into predictable revenue drivers

• the templates, SOPs, timelines, checklists, and systems behind high-performing event programs

• how the right structures can help you scale community events, vendor activations, tastings, pop-ups, sober meetups, live music, workshops, menu launches, and more

If you want the plug-and-play tools Marina uses with top NA bars and kava bars across the country, grab The Event Planner Box™, which includes ready-to-use event workflows, run-of-show templates, vendor coordination guides, permit checklists, marketing rollout calendars, Notion event databases, and full department SOPs.

🎁 Get instant access to The Event Planner Box™:
https://themodernmocktail.thrivecart.com/the-event-planner-box/

This episode is essential for any founder or operator who wants to host smoother events, drive consistent traffic, and build a real community around their business without burning out.