Creative. Pᴀssionate. Iconic. These are just a few words that describe Katy Perry. When you hear her name you probably think of songs like “California Girls” and “Teenage Dream.” The Santa Barbara native has collaborated with major artists like Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and Juicy J. But her talent extends far beyond the recording studio. A few years ago she co-founded De Soi, a line of curated aperitifs. Perry was inspired to help found De Soi because she was pregnant and wanted to drink something refreshing that didn’t contain alcohol.

“I was pregnant and I was looking for alternatives. I remember I was on a long flight. I wanted to have a glᴀss of champagne. I couldn’t have it because I was pregnant. They gave me a non-alcoholic champagne that was so spot on,” she said. “That was what sparked my interest. I co-founded it [De Soi] with Morgan McLachlan. She’s our head taster. She’s our alchemist. She’s the one that figures out all the adaptogens. We get the recipe right with her,” Perry said.

Now that it’s Dry January it may be a good time to reconsider your relationship with alcohol. Head to a local grocery store and you’ll come across some non-alcoholic beer, wine, and aperitifs. You’ll find De Soi in stores like Target, Whole Foods, and Sprouts, which is a testament to the brand’s success. Grammy-nominated artist and De Soi co-founder Katy Perry spoke with me about three things she believes make a business successful.

It isn’t a good idea to start a business solely for profit. Founders should be pᴀssionate about selling products, forming partnerships, and everything that comes with building a business. If you look at revered innovators like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk they all have one thing in common. They are deeply pᴀssionate about the products they make and sell.

“I like to be synonymous with things that are uplifting. I’m happy that my musical messages have those feelings in it. I created it [De Soi] to bring balance into my own life, to be able to have rituals that were supporting my lifestyle,” Perry told me. “My personal pᴀssion fuels the branding. I got into it authentically because it was a need for me.”

It’s important to create a business that fulfills a need for the consumer. There are dozens if not hundreds of alcohol-free brands now. Think back to 2020 and non-alcoholic drinks were just starting to take off. Perry created a product that there was a need for, which is a great way to make a business successful.

Making unique products and working with partners on selling those products is a huge part of running a business. Working well with others can help your business and its reputation. You may be more likely to form partnerships if you and your brand are well-liked. In the case of De Soi, the company is big on strategic collaboration.

“We are in a lot of different retailers. Target created a non-alcoholic section. We got to be one of one of their choices, which has been fantastic. We’ve been really grateful for that. I’m glad that they have carved out that space for their customer,” Perry said. She credits the brand’s success partially due to her interest in innovation.

“I like to know about new innovations. I was very interested in alternative meats. I invested in Impossible Foods when it first came out before Beyond was even on the scene. I love innovative technology that is helpful for the future of our world.”

This is one of the most important parts of having a successful business. From Instagram ads to billboards to the brand’s logo, your products should stand out. Many alcohol-free brands have cans and bottles with unique colors and eye catching patterns. Without a creative touch branding and promotion can easily be ignored. Perry said creativity in promoting De Soi products comes naturally to her as an artist.

“Artists are creatives by nature and it’s a continuous drip drop of the faucet. It never really goes off and you can learn how to channel it into different things. Music will always be my root system, my trunk of the whole thing, but I have a lot of different branches,” she said. Perry co-founded De Soi to provide a healthier, hangover-free alternative to alcohol.

“Preserving your health and taking care of your body can help you in all of your ambitions. To have options that create the same sort of experiences is wonderful to have at your fingertips. We’re more aware and more educated on what we put into our body. I think we’re using that knowledge for good,’’ Perry told me. “There’s a lot of education now about what we put into our bodies. There’s more awareness. There’s a lot of ambition. People want to do a lot with their lives. And if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything,” she said.