Why Alcohol Is Dying—and Kava Is Taking Its Place

What do you get when you mix entrepreneurial drive, a flair for branding, and a calm, grounding beverage? You get Kaviva — and the man behind it, Spencer McManes.In this episode, Brent and Tony talk with Spencer about how he went from working in tech and sales to co-founding a kava-based beverage company that’s redefining social rituals and sobriety. They cover the launch of Kaviva, the power of creating chill in a hype-heavy world, and what it really takes to build something that feels aligned with your values.It’s part business story, part spiritual insight, and all good vibes. Expect real talk about addiction, branding, mental health, and what it means to carve out your lane without copying the noise around you.They cover:Leaving the tech world to launch a wellness brandDiscovering kava and its grounding effectsCreating a beverage company that reflects personal valuesHow Kaviva went from idea to productBattling burnout and addictionBuilding a brand that’s culture-firstRedefining how people gather and socializeLessons from failure and early misstepsThe challenges of authentic brandingBeing a founder in the wellness spaceFollow SpencerSpencer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencermcmanesKaviva: https://enjoykaviva.com/Kaviva on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enjoykavivaSub and follow the podcast ● Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twofunguyspodcast⁠● Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/twofunguyspodcast⁠● TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@twofunguyspodcast⁠📢 Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts Chapters:00:00:00 Spencer McManes joins the show00:00:16 Leaving tech for something more meaningful00:00:41 Why Kaviva isn’t just a drink, it’s a vibe00:01:05 Building a beverage brand from scratch00:01:21 Finding grounding in a chaotic world00:01:38 Early failures and real pivots00:01:51 Creating culture, not just product00:02:11 Entrepreneurship without burnout