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What does it really take to build and scale a Canadian business — especially when you're competing with established brands, navigating retail distribution, and growing without a big investment behind you?

For more than a decade, Kristin Zerbin and Liam Moore have been building Hoochy ’Booch, a Vancouver-based kombucha company that started with home brewing, farmers' markets, and a strong connection to its community.

In this episode of Canada Now, Ashley Smith sits down with the husband-and-wife founders to explore what they've learned about building a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand, surviving setbacks, growing through relationships, and preparing for the next stage of business.

From the early days of bootstrapping to finding the right distribution partner, they share the practical challenges of scaling a physical product business in Canada — including navigating provincial regulations, securing production space, and balancing entrepreneurship with family life.

Plus, an October 2026 update: Seven months after the original recording, Ashley reconnects with Kristin as Hoochy ’Booch prepares to launch in Whole Foods stores in British Columbia. They explore the realities of expanding into larger grocery stores, why growth can create serious cash-flow pressure, and why Kristin is returning to the grassroots community-building that helped launch the company.

In this conversation...

• Building a Canadian business without major outside investment
• How Hoochy ’Booch grew through community and word of mouth
• Surviving COVID and finding the right retail distribution partner
• Competing through product quality rather than chasing trends
• The practical challenges of manufacturing and expanding across Canada
• Building a business with your spouse while raising a family
• Why growth requires more than increasing sales
• The hidden financial pressures of supplying major grocery retailers
• Redefining success and what comes next for the founders

About Hoochy ’Booch:

Website: https://hoochybooch.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/hoochybooch
Where to buy the kombucha: https://hoochybooch.com/pages/locations

Episode Deep Dive & Extra Resources:
https://canadanow.beehiiv.com (subscribe for an update!)

The original conversation was recorded in March 2026, with a follow-up recorded in October 2026.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Surviving vs. Scaling a Business
00:47 Building a Canadian Business: Beyond Startup Hype
03:31 How Hoochy ’Booch Got Started
05:37 Bootstrapping a Business Together
07:28 From Local Cafés to Grocery Stores
08:30 Surviving COVID and Building Through Community
10:34 Scaling Production from the Ground Up
12:39 Craft vs. Hype: Building a Consumer Brand
14:00 The Struggle to Secure Retail Distribution
17:09 What Makes Traditionally Brewed Kombucha Different?
19:11 Community, Marketing and Customer Relationships
23:33 The Challenges of Expanding Across Canada
27:17 Running a Business as a Couple
30:33 Moving Beyond Survival Mode
35:52 Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
38:39 Permits, Red Tape and the Cost of Doing Business
43:21 Growth, Family and the Buy Canadian Movement
48:25 October Update: Seven Months Later
50:37 Whole Foods, Retail Expansion and Cash Flow
53:47 Redefining the Role of Founder

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