Former Lawyer, Full-time Mom, and Inspiro Tequila Founder & CEO Mara Smith

Mara Smith is someone who prepares and puts her all into every job she’s had. Whether it’s as a corporate lawyer or a busy stay-at-home mother of three, Smith always comes prepared for the task at hand. So, when the Chicago native decided she wanted a cleaner option for sipping on her  cocktail of choice, she got to work, did her homework, and learned all she could about tequila. From researching distilleries to studying the production, resourcing expert women in the field, and even down to the bottle design, Smith left no detail unturned. Now, Inspiro Tequila sits proudly on shelves as an inspiration by and for women looking for a cleaner alternative. Call it inspiration in a bottle. Smith proudly spoke to Beyondish about her beginnings, the process and what it was like seeing her bottles for sale for the first time.

You really did your tequila homework, arguably a pleasant task. Tell me about the process.

I founded the company in February of 2020 right before Covid, so I wasn’t able to get to Mexico for a long time. Since I knew I wanted to have a woman bring my vision to life, I started out by finding our master distiller. I read about all the women in tequila and I was able to narrow down the options really quickly. When I learned about Ana Maria Romero Mena, I knew she was the perfect person for the brand. There are surprisingly not that many distilleries producing for all of the tequila brands on the market.

Okay. So how does one move from vision and a blueprint to a salted glass rim and a lime?

I became certified in the production and history of tequila. I had a list of parameters that allowed me to shorten the list of options quickly. I wanted a distillery that had an operations team that I could rely on, that did not produce for more than ten brands, and that would allow me to bring my own master distiller into their distillery.  I went in knowing that we wanted to craft our own tequila and not buy bulk, so that narrowed down our options.

With all this homework, did you have a particular flavor profile in mind?

Once we found a distillery, Ana Maria and I worked on how we were going to craft the taste profiles. I specifically set out to create a tequila that was very approachable and with sweeter tasting notes but that did not use additives to generate the sweetness.  We came up with the idea to rest our blanco in bourbon barrels to add those sweeter notes. It’s a differentiator since very few blanco tequilas go into wood. Then I had this crazy idea to age our reposado in rosé wine barrels – not knowing that rosé wine is a young wine that very rarely is fermented in wood. I scoured the world to find a rosé wine that went into wood.  Again, in the sea of tequilas and so many celebrity ones, I knew the product had to be incredible and differentiated.

So now it tastes good. What goes into making it look good, which I can only imagine is a big part of sales.

The bottle was also meticulously crafted.  My mom and I worked on designs back and forth on a pad of paper and I also worked with a great packaging designer. I knew I wanted a custom bottle that would stand out on the shelves while also being practical. Its design is slender in the middle to be easy to hold and pour. Getting the bottle prototype including the gradient paint on it perfect took quite a bit of time.  I’m so glad we did take the time since everyone loves our bottle and I had the design patented.

So now it’s the zero hour. Can you tell us about that?

We had to run a first run, taste the product, refine the product and perfect the juice. It took considerable time. My first in-person tasting in Mexico was in May of 2021 and we brought our first product to the United States in August of 2021. So it took about 19 months to actually have a product ready to sell.

You worked as a lawyer, then at a Fortune 500 company for many years before you launched Inspiro. What are the biggest lessons you’ve taken from the corporate world to this new venture? 

My legal background definitely helped prepare me for the complicated laws around alcohol. There are federal regulations and every state is governed by their own. My law career also helps me look at things through a high level strategic perspective while also paying attention to all of the details. I’ve found this approach to be very helpful when running a startup. Practicing law and working insane hours also prepared me for the work ethic required as an entrepreneur. I never imagined that I would actually work more now than I did at one of the largest law firms in Chicago.

There are a lot of tequilas out there. How did that factor in to your launch?

My career in corporate strategy provided me with a customer centric approach. What are the trends and what are consumers looking for. I’m constantly obsessed with who the customer is, where she is and how we connect with her.  I don’t think this prepared me for how quickly some trends may change. I did not foresee the shift in drinking habits and the incorporation of many different drink types into an occasion.

So plenty of speed bumps along the way?

My most recent and most difficult job before starting Inspiro Tequila was as a stay-at-home mom. There are many lessons I learned that have been helpful to startup life. First, as a parent no day goes according to plan, so I had to learn flexibility. This is the name of the game with a new venture. You need to be adept at pivoting and coming up with plan B or plan C. I also wear many hats as CEO of my home and CEO of an emerging brand. I was probably not prepared for how quickly I needed to shift from one different function to the next as a startup. On a given day, I go right from sales strategy to a finance call to reviewing our marketing plan.

What do you think is the secret to the best tequila?

This is a difficult one since I always live by the “different strokes for different folks” motto.  Everyone should drink what they like. For me, I only want a tequila that is additive-free since I don’t want artificial sweeteners or coloring or glycerin in my tequila. I also prefer tequilas with sweeter tasting notes and not a lot of bite to them. I don’t like the ones that are alcohol forward. I generally only drink tequila on the rocks or with a little soda, so I want something really easy to drink that doesn’t need to be masked by sugary mixers.

So clean and ultra-premium. What’s the biggest challenge to doing this consistently?

Additive-free tequilas are harder to replicate since they don’t use additives to create consistency. It’s a much more in depth, meticulous process. The small nuances between batches is what makes additive-free tequilas unique and interesting. The agave selected, the climate at the time of year, and so many other factors can make small differences. The most important aspect to our consistency is our legendary master distiller, Ana Maria Romero Mena. She knows how to tweak the process to make sure our taste profiles are the same or better.

Can you tell us what that moment was like when you first saw your Inspiro Tequila bottles on the shelf?

I was overwhelmed with joy. Honestly, that excitement really never goes away. Any time someone sends me a photo of our bottles on the shelf, it makes me so happy.  It’s actually the little moments that bring me so much pride. A few years ago I was with my youngest son at our local grocery store and when he saw the Inspiro Tequila bottle on the shelf, he looked at me and said “Mom, you should be so proud of yourself.  Look what you have accomplished in so little time.” That was the best validation I could have and one of the most memorable moments for me.

And the future of Inspiro five to ten years from now? what does that look like?

 I envision our brand being a well-known, go-to brand for consumers – especially female consumers who want additive-free tequilas. Ideally, we’re the tequila that people want to share with their friends. My vision includes having a really engaged community that we connect with over great drinks and shared moments. The plan would be to build an inch wide and a mile deep in ten to fifteen key states. I also hope that we will have made a significant impact on bringing more female voices to the spirits industry. Our goal will be to help support many more women entrepreneurs in the next five to ten years.

I love that Inspiro is inspired by and for women. For other women entrepreneurs out there, what advice do you have for them? 

First, do the due diligence. Research and learn as much about the industry you’re interested in as possible. There are so many resources out there – from webinars to industry newsletters to podcasts – so dive in and prepare as much as you can. Secondly, entrepreneurship is a lonely journey and building a supportive community is essential. Get involved with organizations that can support you and find other founders to learn from.  I’m a big believer in peer-to-peer mentoring and I learn the most from other founders who are also in the thick of it. Take every introduction since you never know where it will lead. Attend networking events and meetups to forge real connections. Lastly, it’s never too late to get started or to make a pivot. I reentered the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for over 16 years. If I can do it, anyone can.

Lastly, and personally, any advice on how should I enjoy my first Inspiro?

I love our blanco on the rocks with some soda water (no lime). Or our Rosa Reposado on one big cube. And our Special Reserve Añejo neat.