In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews Tawni Schall, founder and CEO of Kokua (formerly Coco) Bottles, a social‑enterprise insulated water bottle brand that donates 10% of sales to water charities. Tawni shares her personal journey from a financially‑strapped, learning‑disabled childhood to building a purpose‑driven company, emphasizing that anyone can start regardless of background. She explains that in social entrepreneurship the "why" is more important than the product, urging founders to articulate and protect their purpose. Her core business advice is to "open your mouth"—network aggressively and speak about your mission. For her younger self she advises ignoring others' opinions and persisting. She links happiness to mindset, describing it as a positive, forward‑thinking outlook. Tawni recommends Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge, highlighting the power of small, consistent actions. Her favorite quote is, "She believed she could, and so she did." She directs listeners to her brand’s website (mykokua.com) and Instagram (@mykokua). The episode also includes a sponsorship plug for Authors Unite.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite makes the process of becoming a published bestselling author as simple as sipping your morning cup of coffee. You can learn more about Authors Unite at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode. Alright everyone, welcome back to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner, and today our guest is Tawny Shaw. She's the founder of Coco Bottles, the new brand of insulated bottles that is working working to bring an end to the global water crisis. So welcome to the show, Tawny.
Thank you so much, Tyler. I'm so glad to be here.
Of course. We'll dive right into the first question. The first question that I have for you is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Yeah, sure thing. I don't have one particular story, but rather kind of my life story as a whole. I'm someone who wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth. On the contrary, I Honestly, I grew up pretty poor and my family struggled financially pretty substantially. On top of that, I had lots of learning difficulties and was actually assigned to work with a special ed counselor back in middle school. On top of that, I failed nearly every class by 9th grade and worked, you know, for years after that in just in food service. Now looking at all of that, those were not the makings for someone that would turn out to to be anybody regardless of my disadvantages on multiple levels. I learned to push past the anxieties I dealt with and learning challenges that I had, and I was able to push past those stigmas and opinions of others that basically told me I would never succeed. Here I am today, 25 years old, and I'm now the founder and CEO of an incredible brand that is out there trying to change lives throughout the world And I'm not stopping there. And the underlying message in all of that is it's never too early and it's never too late to get started. And no matter who you are or where you're from, you know, you have the option to go after your dreams.
And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Yeah, so I'm in the realm of social entrepreneurship since my water bottle company is giving 10% to water charities that we work with. With that being said, in the world of social entrepreneurship, beyond having a phenomenal product, it really boils down to your why. Just like Simon Sinek's Start with Why, it is so critical to know that people aren't buying what you're selling. They're essentially buying why you're selling it. Now my business advice would be this. Know what your why is, make it known, and just don't let go of that why.
And what's your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily like industry-specific.
Yeah, I would say this one goes across the board. It is open your mouth, open your mouth, open your mouth. I'm naturally a somewhat introverted person, so I'm not known to just open up and talk to everyone about everything. However, I found time and time again with my startup that, you know, every time you open your mouth, something great comes from that. Incredible networking opportunities, incredible other opportunities are going to come your way if you open your mouth, talk to people, let them know what you're all about.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Yeah, I would say don't listen to other people's opinions. You've got greatness within you. Go for your goals and don't ever, ever give up.
And in your opinion, what's the key to happiness?
In my opinion, the key to happiness is— it boils down to changing your mindset. Mindset is everything. Just by changing your mindset to have a positive and forward-thinking one, you learn to make your life happy. You know, we all hear the saying happiness isn't a destination, but it's a journey. And that is so very true.
And what's the best book you've read? And what was the number one thing you learned from it?
I would say my favorite book would be The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. That book basically talks about the compound effect and how even the smallest things done continuously It's compounded by time, and it ends up being something huge. Now, this can apply to anything in our life, whether it be health, habits, fitness, or finances, or even personal growth. You do the small things continuously, and you'll end up achieving something great.
What's your favorite quote and why?
Short and sweet, it would be, "She believed she could, and so she did." I love that.
I think that's been on the show before. Thank you so much for coming on, Tony. Last question I have. Absolutely. From you is, where's the best place for people to find you online?
Sure, our website is simple, it's mykokua.com, that's K-O-K-U-A, and on the good old Instagram, just @mykokua.
Perfect, thanks again for coming on, Toni, we really appreciate it.
Absolutely, thank you so much for having me, Tyler Wagner Wagner.
Thanks for listening to the Business Blast Podcast, and don't forget, if you're interested in a simplified way of becoming a published best-selling author, make sure to check out authorsunite.com. We'll catch you on the next episode.
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