Building a Successful Mother-Daughter Mocktail Brand
Grace and Sosy Hachigian, a dynamic mother-daughter duo, have launched MODA Mocktails, a sparkling beverage brand designed to fill a gap in the market for clean, flavorful, and accessible non-alcoholic cocktails. Their journey started in 2025 when they identified a common frustration: the absence of mocktails that balanced bold flavor with clean ingredients and affordability. This inspired them to create a product that offers a genuine alternative to sugary or muted-flavored options that often resemble sparkling water more than a cocktail.
From Corporate Roots to Entrepreneurial Ventures
When MODA Mocktails was founded, Grace was employed full-time at Nestlé USA as an associate brand manager. Her four years of experience managing well-known brands such as Coffee mate, Nesquik, and Starbucks provided her with a solid foundation in brand building, consumer marketing, and product development. This expertise proved invaluable in transforming MODA from an idea into a tangible product on store shelves.
Grace oversees MODA’s East Coast operations from New York City, while Sosy manages the West Coast from Orange County, California. Together, they bring complementary perspectives and a shared passion to grow MODA nationally.
Investing in Growth and Brand Development
The Hachigians have personally invested approximately $500,000 to bring MODA to life. This capital has been allocated to product development, packaging, marketing, sampling, and distribution efforts. Recognizing that creating a great product is only part of the equation, they have focused equally on brand visibility and accessibility to reach as many consumers as possible.
Early on, they faced challenges such as a frozen shipment caused by a severe storm, which delayed their product’s retail debut. However, their response—expediting replacement shipments and maintaining strong communication with retailers—demonstrated their resourcefulness and commitment to overcoming obstacles.
Leveraging Women-Owned Business Resources
MODA is WBENC-certified as a women-owned business, a designation that has offered both personal significance and practical benefits. Through this certification, the founders have accessed valuable resources such as educational webinars, exclusive networking opportunities, and retail-focused programs. These tools have helped MODA navigate the complexities of scaling a beverage company in a competitive market.
They also learned early that initial branding choices don’t have to be perfect. Their first logo, while serviceable, didn’t fully capture MODA’s fun and approachable personality. Instead of delaying their launch, they chose to adapt and evolve their branding as they grew, illustrating a flexible and growth-oriented mindset.
Achieving Rapid Revenue Growth and Expanding Reach
MODA achieved consistent monthly revenue within six months of launching their retail and distribution footprint. Since then, their momentum has continued to build. The brand has secured shelf space in multiple national retail chains and expanded into non-traditional venues such as airports and hotels.
As of 2026, MODA has reached $500,000 in revenue, with projections estimating $3 million to $5 million by 2027. Their ambitious goal is to have their product available in 4,000 stores across the country by mid-2027, reflecting a strong growth trajectory fueled by ongoing investment in distribution and brand awareness.
Daily Operations and Business Philosophy
Running MODA is a full-time commitment involving a variety of responsibilities, including events, in-store sampling, product sampling, buyer meetings, partner management, and close collaboration with sales teams. Grace notes that no two days are the same, and the fast-paced, evolving nature of the business keeps them engaged and motivated.
For the Hachigians, the most rewarding part of their entrepreneurial journey is building a business together as a family. They cherish the opportunity to connect with new people, share their product, and support communities and causes important to them. Their partnership emphasizes both personal fulfillment and professional success.
Actionable Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Their key advice for those starting out is simple yet powerful: don’t wait for perfection. Launch quickly, learn from real-world feedback, and continuously iterate. Grace stresses the importance of moving fast to get your product or service into the market, listening carefully to consumer responses, and refining your offering to meet evolving demands.
This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features mother and daughter Sosy and Grace Hachigian, the co-founders of MODA Mocktails. Grace, 26, is based in New York City, where she leads MODA’s East Coast business. Sosy, 57, is based in Orange County, California, where she manages the West Coast. Together, they lead MODA nationally, bringing complementary perspectives and experience to building the brand.
What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
Grace: When we started MODA Mocktails, I was working full-time as an associate brand manager at Nestlé USA. I spent four years at Nestlé working on brands including Coffee mate, Nesquik and Starbucks. That experience gave me a strong foundation in brand building, consumer marketing and what it takes to bring a product from an idea to the shelf.
Starting a side hustle in response to a simple frustration
When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
Sosy: MODA was born in 2025 out of a simple frustration: We couldn’t find a mocktail that checked all our boxes. We wanted something with clean ingredients, bold flavor and an accessible price point. Instead, we found products with too much added sugar, muted flavors or drinks that tasted more like sparkling water than a cocktail. Considering I never enjoyed drinking alcohol, I wanted to create something that currently wasn’t being offered.
Key Takeaways
- Grace was working at Nestlé when she and her mother started their MODA side hustle.
- The co-founders have personally invested about $500,000 to bring their brand to life.
- MODA’s projected revenue for 2027 is between $3 million and $5 million.
For more detailed insights into their journey and business strategies, read the full article Here.
