Niari Keverian is the CEO of Zoo a boston based

 

1. In what ways do you see Niari Keverian as being totally dedicated to the success of ZOOS? What does dedication mean for the entrepreneur?

2. To what extent do you agree that entrepreneurship is “a marathon, not a sprint?” Provide some examples to support your position.

3. How does an entrepreneur have control over his or her own future? How is being an entrepreneur different from working in a “regular” career when it comes to control and decision-making?

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partner long wanted to make a business out of Greek iced tea but had little experience in the food and beverage world; Keverian, however, had the perfect background with high-level corporate experience with Collective Brands, Staples and Welch's. Niari Keverian, CEO, ZOOS Greek Iced Teas When Keverian met her partner, she had just graduated from her MBA a year earlier and was working as a brand manager at Welch's. "I was given advice early on in my career: build an overall business toolkit of knowledge before going out on your own. Learn from the best, then go execute. That's what I did." Prior to Keverian's climbing on board, her partner had created a Facebook page for her dream product. With around 1,000 likes, Keverian pored through fans info and asked pointed questions to learn more about her would-be consumer. Then, she spent an evening with glue sticks and old magazines, piecing together a collage representing that person, "what their day to day life looks like, do they work, are they in school, are they into sugar, are they concerned about health," Keverian recalls. Keverian presented her imaginative "art piece" to a graphic designer, and "on her first try on our logo, she nailed it." In addition to the designer, Keverian had over two-year venture hired consultants in manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and law to help smooth out the edges of their fledgling business. Still, officially, it was just the two of them on the team. Niari Keverian, CEO of Boston-based startup, ZOOS Greek Iced Teas. Keverian believes her customers are mostly young, health-conscious professionals, college students, and older teens. Moms-to-be and new moms are another important segment. As ZOOS teas are caffeine-free and low in sugar, women who are pregnant or nursing can enjoy them. Credit: Photo courtesy of Niari Keverian Niari Keverian is the CEO of ZOOS, a Boston-based company founded in 2014 that sells Greek iced tea. Along with her business partner, Keverian is overseeing a healthy expansion of their low-sugar, low-calorie, all-natural indulgence. Within a year of launch, ZoOS tea was on the shelves in every Massachusetts outlet of the Wegmans grocery store chain (located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States) as well as more than 200 health food stores, spas, fitness studios, and boutique grocers. "Though we are having some great success," Keverian reflected, "we have a very long road ahead of us. We're going to face a lot of challenges that we need to be very careful of. You only get one shot in this industry to get it right. Once you screw it up, it's very hard to get them to look at you again because it's such a saturated market." The breadth of distribution was promising-but Keverian was cautious not to count her chickens before they hatched. "Right now we are in a very sensitive time," she said in 2015. "We have proven that we are on to something, but everything I've learned at school and through my experience says that you can't grow too fast. It's a marathon, not a sprint." Keverian, who describes herself as a "strong-minded personality" who "works best under pressure," reported putting in 15-hour days (weekends too), sacrificing most of her social life in the process. Her advice for her fellow entrepreneurs: "You have to be ready to dedicate your entire life to getting that business off the ground. Always know you have the control of what your future holds. No one is going to dictate that to you; it's in your court." Keverian is Armenian-American, and her partner is Greek-American. Her partner long wanted to make a business out of Greek iced tea but had little experience in the food and beverage world; Keverian, however, had the perfect background with high-level corporate experience with Collective Brands, Staples and Welch's. Niari Keverian, CEO, ZOOS Greek Iced Teas When Keverian met her partner, she had just graduated from her MBA a year earlier and was working as a brand manager at Welch's. "I was given advice early on in my career: build an overall business toolkit of knowledge before going out on your own. Learn from the best, then go execute. That's what I did." Prior to Keverian's climbing on board, her partner had created a Facebook page for her dream product. With around 1,000 likes, Keverian pored through fans info and asked pointed questions to learn more about her would-be consumer. Then, she spent an evening with glue sticks and old magazines, piecing together a collage representing that person, "what their day to day life looks like, do they work, are they in school, are they into sugar, are they concerned about health," Keverian recalls. Keverian presented her imaginative "art piece" to a graphic designer, and "on her first try on our logo, she nailed it." In addition to the designer, Keverian had over two-year venture hired consultants in manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and law to help smooth out the edges of their fledgling business. Still, officially, it was just the two of them on the team. Niari Keverian, CEO of Boston-based startup, ZOOS Greek Iced Teas. Keverian believes her customers are mostly young, health-conscious professionals, college students, and older teens. Moms-to-be and new moms are another important segment. As ZOOS teas are caffeine-free and low in sugar, women who are pregnant or nursing can enjoy them. Credit: Photo courtesy of Niari Keverian Niari Keverian is the CEO of ZOOS, a Boston-based company founded in 2014 that sells Greek iced tea. Along with her business partner, Keverian is overseeing a healthy expansion of their low-sugar, low-calorie, all-natural indulgence. Within a year of launch, ZoOS tea was on the shelves in every Massachusetts outlet of the Wegmans grocery store chain (located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States) as well as more than 200 health food stores, spas, fitness studios, and boutique grocers. "Though we are having some great success," Keverian reflected, "we have a very long road ahead of us. We're going to face a lot of challenges that we need to be very careful of. You only get one shot in this industry to get it right. Once you screw it up, it's very hard to get them to look at you again because it's such a saturated market." The breadth of distribution was promising-but Keverian was cautious not to count her chickens before they hatched. "Right now we are in a very sensitive time," she said in 2015. "We have proven that we are on to something, but everything I've learned at school and through my experience says that you can't grow too fast. It's a marathon, not a sprint." Keverian, who describes herself as a "strong-minded personality" who "works best under pressure," reported putting in 15-hour days (weekends too), sacrificing most of her social life in the process. Her advice for her fellow entrepreneurs: "You have to be ready to dedicate your entire life to getting that business off the ground. Always know you have the control of what your future holds. No one is going to dictate that to you; it's in your court." Keverian is Armenian-American, and her partner is Greek-American. Her

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