Peter Aronson. He’s an award-winning journalist who’s has been featured on NPR and Marketplace. He’s also been a vice president in the corporate world. Now, his startup helps Mexico transform that notorious Mexican tap water into perfectly drinkable clean-tasting purified water.
Famous Five:
- Favorite Book? – The Founder’s Dilemma
- What CEO do you follow? – N/A
- Favorite online tool? — HubSpot CRM
- Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— 7
- If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – Peter wished he took business courses and knew about the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology
Time Stamped Show Notes:
- 01:12 – Nathan introduces Peter to the show
- 01:33 – People aren’t supposed to drink the water in Mexico
- 01:41 – Mexico became the No. 1 consumer per capita in the world
- 02:08 – 70% of the consumed bottled water in Mexico is 5-gallon jug
- 02:21 – An average Mexican family is spending more for their water than on their broadband or landline
- 02:48 – Peter’s company is Biluu
- 03:07 – Peter had been curious about the startup and business world
- 03:13 – Peter was the corporate vice president for US-Indian Joint Venture
- 03:30 – While in the Himalayas, Peter would boil his drinking water every day
- 03:35 – Eventually, Peter taught the people how to use a water purifier
- 04:00 – Peter searched how to properly filter water and what should be taken out
- 04:25 – Peter’s wife is Mexican and he returned to Mexico
- 04:36 – Biluu is a for profit business, not a non-profit
- 04:44 – Biluu is currently doing direct sales and YouTube promotions
- 05:00 – The main challenge in Mexico is changing people’s habits
- 05:12 – “We’ve had to establish trust”
- 06:12 – Biluu filtration system cost is $170
- 06:50 – For $170, they can get virtually unlimited purified drinking water for a year
- 06:58 – A cartridge will last for a year
- 07:11 – 1500 people are drinking Biluu’s water
- 07:35 – Some of Biluu’s filtration systems are in restaurants
- 07:53 – Biluu has sold around 100 units
- 08:10 – The previous water filters in Mexico weren’t effective or scientifically proven
- 08:43 – 42% of Biluu’s growth came from referrals
- 08:55 – Biluu isn’t manufacturing by themselves
- 09:28 – Biluu has an exclusive license to the technology
- 09:39 – The deal is by volume commitment
- 09:57 – Biluu needs to maintain a 6-figure sales
- 10:14 – Biluu is totally self-funded
- 10:20 – Team size is 5 and all are based in Mexico City, Mexico
- 10:47 – Biluu is trying to look for brand ambassadors to reach out to people
- 11:06 – Biluu is also doing Facebook paid ads and Google AdWords
- 12:17 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
- It’s not easy to change people’s habits, but you HAVE to try—especially if it’s for the better.
- Learning from a community can be a life changing experience.
- Find a brand ambassador who has a good online reputation and large following.
Resources Mentioned:
- The Top Inbox – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences
- Organifi – The juice was Nathan’s life saver during his trip in Southeast Asia
- Klipfolio – Track your business performance across all departments for FREE
- Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments
- Host Gator– The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible
- Audible– Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books
- Freshbooks – Nathan doesn’t waste time so he uses Freshbooks to send out invoices and collect his money. Get your free month NOW
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives