Determined to become his own boss, Yasar Chaudhary stepped into the business world following his entrepreneurial drive. At the early age of 12, he was intrigued by his father’s businesses. Yasar began to learn every aspect of the company to get into the workforce as soon as possible. After he graduated, he decided to start working as he knew that he could make the most of his career without a degree.
Today, Yasar is the visionary Co-founder and President of LA Vodka alongside two other Co-founders, Jeff Prescott and Kyle Blevins. The company was crafted by the most experienced and knowledgeable master distillers in California. Over the years, Yasar innovated various strategies to gain a competitive edge over the competition matching the core competencies of the opportunities.
Insights Success came across Yasar in our endeavor to find “The 10 Most Influential Entrepreneurs to Follow in 2022.” We talked with him to understand how his business acumen and determined efforts have made him a prominent entrepreneur.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as an entrepreneur until your current position at the LA Vodka. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?
I knew I wanted to always be my own boss. One of the biggest challenges I had to face was my age. I often was not taken seriously due to that. I had to learn to have an answer for any concern or pushback from the other party. This challenge also made me the businessman I am today. I learned to present and uphold myself in a certain manner. Fast forward a few years, and I have launched over a dozen successful companies. One of my best years in business had to be in 2021, which included hitting the INC 5000 list along with being listed as Forbes Next 1000. LA Vodka was always a concept my partners and I wanted to do one day. In my opinion, now is the best time for us to shift our focus and make LA Vodka a household name.
Tell us something more about LA Vodka and its mission and vision.
Our vision with LA Vodka was to create a vodka that was unique and different from the rest. What better place than Los Angeles, the city where people go to pursue their dreams. We want to encourage people to carve their own paths, to go against the grain. The development process of LA Vodka reflected just that. We source the finest ingredients to create an ultra-premium vodka with an extremely smooth taste.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the industry through your expertise in the market?
Over the years, I gained a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in startups across many different sectors. One of the many things I enjoy about business is that I’ve found most of the business principles I have learned and lived by; I am able to take with me in this venture with LA Vodka. Namely, a direct-to-consumer/ e-commerce launch. We have recognized an opportunity in the market that we plan on tapping into.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization.
At LA Vodka, we believe in growth. We want our whole team to grow with the company. We know how important it is to have a positive work culture because it can translate into other aspects of our lives. At La Vodka, we are willing to not only teach and train our team but learn from them as well. We are lucky enough to have many talented team members in our company who trust and support each other but also challenge us in a constructive way that ultimately promotes growth within the company.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? Efficiency is what we strongly believe in. Technology is growing and changing at a rapid pace. We know if we leverage the tools available, we can focus on the more important issues, like quality and our customer satisfaction. We wanted to invest a lot of time and money into a focused e-commerce brand. Without a doubt, technology plays a huge role in our success.
If given a chance, what change would you like to bring to the industry?
One of many things that drove us to bring this product to market was being different. Through the development process of LA Vodka, we wanted to capture the uniqueness of our ingredients and brand. Having a Vodka with a name that resonated with everyone is disruptive itself. Not only that, the lifestyle that this brand represents as well. One change we plan on bringing to this industry is to redefine what “premium” actually means.
What, according to you, could be the next big change in the industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change?
One main change in the alcohol industry we are preparing for is having our direct-to-consumer footprint down. Covid 19 has made ordering alcohol online mainstream. We believe the 3-tier system in this industry is due for a change. Regulations will loosen up, and direct-to-consumer concepts will quickly tap into the on-premises sales category. Drizzly and Reserve Bar are perfect examples that there is success to be had in real-time delivery and local shipping, changing the game for how to purchase alcohol in the new age.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for the company?
We believe that LA Vodka is a world recognizable name. Our future plans consist of being a household name not only nationwide but worldwide. Right now, we face different challenges every day. We are excited to see the progress we make in the coming years.
