Coworking with Brad Neumann

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Brad Neumann is co-founder and co-CEO of organic beverage brand Saint James Iced Tea.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes about entrepreneurship, it’s like jumping off a cliff and building the plane on the way down. My job essentially works toward getting one person to grab one bottle of Saint James off the shelf instead of the other 300+ options at the store. To do that, I’m working on packaging, distribution, discounts, displays, and so much more—it’s about a lot more than just getting on the shelf. But when you do see us on the shelf, it’s a direct result of us funding, fighting for, and earning that space.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? LinkedIn, like other social platforms, shows the fun stuff and the big wins really well—the Stagecoach sponsorships and national distribution deals. What it doesn’t show is all the behind-the-scenes work. It doesn’t show me taking three flights in 24 hours, or driving three hours to meet with a retailer for just 30 minutes; it doesn’t show the 5 a.m. distributor kickoffs or 6 a.m. ride-withs. Even as CEO, I’m very hands-on and I will never ask my team to do anything I haven’t done or won’t do myself. To this day, you can still find me stocking shelves and coolers, organizing storage, breaking down pallets, and even doing weekend demos at local stores. This business is a full-on grind that never stops, and the job is all encompassing—but I absolutely love it.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Our transition from Tetra into Alumitek re-sealable bottles was my favorite project. It required a full upheaval in packaging, production process, co-packer sourcing and creative, and was a true demonstration of cross-functional efficiency from our team. I broached the idea at a leadership meeting in October 2024 and, somehow, we had a finished product less than six months later. Getting to see the success of the transition from the day the bottles hit shelves to now—whether that’s through buyers, consumers, or velocity—has been incredibly rewarding and fun.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Over the past few years we’ve seen a big shift towards “better for you” products. That preference has basically turned into a demand and I couldn’t be more aligned with that. Consumers and retailers alike want healthier choices while still placing a large emphasis on sustainability and quality. This is exciting for Saint James because we check all of these boxes and this shift is quickly becoming more than a trend; it’s the new normal.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Iced tea over coffee every day…but it’s a triple shot almond milk latte.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? That once you raise money or have funding, you need to spend it. Especially in this business, you need to spend every dollar like it’s your last, regardless of where you are in the funding process. From Day One, I’ve pushed our team to stay scrappy and spend as if the money were coming directly out of their own pocket. Too many brands celebrate a successful raise by upgrading offices, scaling too fast, or hiring unnecessarily. Having money in the bank should give you the option to pour gas on what’s already working—not an excuse to change your plan, shift your strategy, or start throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Growing up in Long Island, New York, my favorite retail product coincidentally was a kiwi strawberry Snapple. I remember going to Bagel Master in Syosset every weekend and getting a bagel or egg sandwich, grabbing a glass bottle of Snapple, and slapping the bottom of the bottle to open it. Ironically, 25 years later, I’m in the iced tea business and going up against that very same product. My favorite product right now has to be our new Juicy Peach tea that we launched in collaboration with Juicy Couture. I worked on that flavor for almost nine months and I think we got it perfect. The fact that it has zero sugar and zero calories is the icing on the cake.