Nicole Slone

I attribute my success to a combination of lived frustration, bold vision, and relentless execution.

Above Board Liqueurs was born out of a very real, very personal problem. Brent and I were tired of walking into beautiful restaurants and being limited to vodka sodas because we care about sugar. There were no premium zero sugar cocktail options. That frustration turned into curiosity, and that curiosity turned into innovation.

Our success comes from solving a problem that millions of health-conscious people quietly live with every day. We didn’t try to slightly improve what was already on the shelf. We created something entirely new. A zero sugar, plant-based, gluten-free liqueur line made with monk fruit and allulose that allows people to enjoy a margarita, a coffee cocktail, or a Smartini without compromising their goals. We’re leading the charge in the Better For You beverage movement because we saw the gap and had the courage to fill it.

I also attribute our success to resilience. I spent decades in the escrow industry before stepping into this world. That background taught me discipline, relationship building, and how to stay steady under pressure. Entrepreneurship is not glamorous. It’s consistency, follow-through, and belief when others don’t yet see the vision.

And finally, our success is rooted in partnership. Brent is a driving force behind the scenes, and our small but mighty team believes deeply in what we are building. We align ourselves with accounts that want to open an untapped revenue stream for premium no/low sugar cocktails and serve their guests better.

At the end of the day, our success comes down to this: we listened to a real consumer need and refused to accept that “that’s just how it is.”

You don’t have to change how you drink..... just what you pour.

The best career advice I’ve ever received was simple:

“Stay in the room.”

Opportunities don’t always show up fully formed. They don’t always come with immediate validation, applause, or certainty. But if you stay in the room, in the meeting, in the conversation, in the industry....you give yourself the chance to learn, to be seen, and to grow into the opportunity.

Coming from a long career in escrow before founding Above Board Liqueurs, I learned that relationships and reputation compound over time. Showing up consistently, doing what you say you’ll do, and not leaving the table too early creates momentum that can’t be rushed.

Entrepreneurship has reinforced that lesson daily. There are moments when things move slower than you want. When a buyer goes quiet. When a deal takes months instead of weeks. The advice to “stay in the room” reminds me that success often belongs to the person who doesn’t quit the conversation.

That, and this: bet on yourself before anyone else does.

I feel the playing field is wide open. The additive-free tequila movement spoke volumes about what people are trying to accomplish when they are indulging, and the awareness around sugar and alcohol is kind of being peeled back. But I have to be honest - it's a beast of an industry. There's a lot of changes going on with the distributor models that are paramount to one's success, and there's kind of an unveiling of their lack of substance and commitment to really producing sales. They're just order takers, and they require a huge markup compared to what you would pay someone to just deliver the product to these establishments. There's a big old-school system that's being upended right now, and I'm learning a lot about that myself. I think that change, although uncomfortable, can be a really great and powerful thing too in terms of how people are doing business in this space. Just know there are so many buckets of the business that need attention - how do you pick one, how do you align yourself with someone who is willing to get invested with you at the stage that you're at, how do you grow brand awareness without bankrupting yourself. I'm just putting one foot in front of the other and trusting the process. Everyone kind of has their hand out wanting to be paid for this elevation that they're gonna bring to your business, and I've been disappointed consistently in what those promises sound like and what they actually accomplish.

The biggest challenge in our field right now is education. Many consumers and operators still assume “better for you” means a vodka soda or skipping cocktails altogether. Helping the market understand that premium zero sugar cocktails can exist...and taste incredible, takes time and hands-on experience.

The biggest opportunity is the massive, underserved demand. Health-conscious adults still want elevated cocktails, and restaurants are leaving revenue on the table by not offering them. Brands that lean into this shift toward wellness without sacrificing experience are positioned to capture an entirely untapped revenue stream.

Integrity is number one for me. The name Above Board isn’t accidental. I believe in doing business transparently, delivering what we promise, and building trust that lasts.

Courage is also essential. Leaving a long career in escrow to build a zero sugar, plant-based liqueur company took conviction. I value the willingness to step into the unknown, challenge the status quo, and create solutions where none exist.

Resilience is another core value. Entrepreneurship tests you constantly. Staying steady, consistent, and focused on the long game matters just as much in business as it does in life.

And finally, alignment. In both my personal and professional life, I care deeply about working with people who share the same standards and vision. Brent and I built Above Board together because we believed people shouldn’t have to sacrifice their goals to enjoy a cocktail. That same belief in balance, discipline, and enjoyment carries into how we live every day.

At the heart of it all: build something meaningful, stand behind it fully, and treat people well along the way.