Meet Amy Walberg

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Walberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I started PRESS, my thought process was simple: I wanted to give consumers a choice they weren’t getting. Too often, we’re swept into the marketing machines of big-name brands without being offered something different. With PRESS, I saw an opportunity to create a seltzer brand born out of pure passion for the product—a passion that I knew wasn’t being tapped into by the market. PRESS is about filling that gap and offering something unique to consumers who deserve better.

As a female-owned brand, we’re uniquely positioned to understand and serve a significant segment of the market—women. No one understands what women want better than we do, and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of. Take PRESS packaging, for example. It stands out because it was designed with women in mind—beautiful, elegant, and luxurious. Women engage with products on all sensory levels, and we made sure PRESS reflected that. Whether it’s our subtle flavor profiles or our cans that look stunning on a table, we crafted PRESS with care, ensuring every detail resonates with our audience.

But we face challenges. One of the biggest hurdles is convincing wholesalers and retailers to carry PRESS. Our consumers fall in love with the product as soon as they try it, but they often struggle to find it in stores. This is frustrating for them—and for us. As a minority-owned brand, it’s tough to compete with the giants in the industry. Many times, we’re lucky if retailers carry even one of our flavors, let alone our full range. Our fans are eager to try every flavor, but they can’t get their hands on it.

So, we need help in building that visibility. We need distributors and wholesalers to recognize the demand for new, innovative brands like PRESS. We’re here to disrupt the status quo, and with the support of retailers, we can ensure that the consumers who love PRESS can actually find it on shelves.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think the most valuable lesson I have learned is the power of putting the consumer first, even when that means defying industry expectations. This industry’s tradition of churning out “new and shiny” flash products does not fit the PRESS mission. We believe that consumers deserve quality. We made quality our touchstone and committed to creating the Rolex of our category: tall satin cans, luxury packaging, sustainable production, expectation-defying sophisticated flavor pairings. You see our dedication to quality in our ingredients, in the manufacturers and suppliers we use, and in the people and organizations with whom we collaborate. We sidestepped old-school industry billboard and sports marketing to engage in cause-based marketing that supports the values we embrace. That’s why PRESS has partnered with NAWBO, other national women’s organizations, and women business owners. Our marketing message is an extension of our mission, and our mission drives our innovation.

We prioritize the consumer and the quality of our product—and that is very different from the priorities of some of our seltzer competitors. Of course we develop new flavors—but that’s not innovation. That’s simply expanding our brand offerings. Innovation is in our dedication to delighting the consumer first with a truly premium product.

Our brand integrity is what secured our success, and integrity is our focus. In this industry, you are always going to be pushed to cut corners—but we just won’t do it. Fidelity to integrity is not easy—but it’s everything

No one likes mistakes, but they happen and I’ve made my share. When I do, I look for the lesson, because mistakes are a great teaching tool. One decision I made that was a “mistake” in the eyes of this industry has rewarded me ten times over: in my hires, I prioritized passion and dedication over industry experience. Specifically, it was important to me to hire women to support a brand that was designed for women. Many of my early hires didn’t have an impressive beverage industry resume, but their passionate commitment made them incredible brand ambassadors.

One of my first employees was trained in epidemiology—she had zero beverage industry experience. But that didn’t stop her from embracing a consumer-first perspective. She turned her Midwest sales territory into the largest PRESS sales territory in the country. She’s a complete star. Sure, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but that can easily be solved with training. What you can’t train for is passion and drive.

Now, I actively hire as many women as I can. I’m trying to build a larger female sales team. It’s difficult, because most salespeople in my category are men. But the women I have on my team are profoundly dedicated. I don’t care about beverage or alcohol experience. I care about passion, drive, curiosity, and mission. And I give my employees the flexibility I crave myself. I don’t care when they do their work, as long as it’s done well and on time. The “9-to-5” doesn’t matter. I am proud to provide flexibility and opportunity to my employees

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe so much to my circle of professional women friends. With them, I can vent and problem solve and strategize and plan. They support me passionately because they believe in the mission, the brand, and me. That camaraderie and guidance and support is beyond price.

And I’ve had male mentors too. Michael Hennick handled PR for Miller Brewing Company. He is brilliant and kind and very forward thinking. His perspective as an insider was invaluable as I developed my vision for PRESS.

Website: www.enjoyPRESS.com

Instagram: @PRESSseltzer

Linkedin: PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer / xyz Beverage LLC

Facebook: PRESS Premium Alcohol Seltzer

Image Credits
Laura Couture Photography Jena Carlin Food Photographer