Just Call Me Shirley

When best friends and sorority sisters Sydney Attis and Mikayla Garcia graduated from Arizona State University, they didn't just leave with degrees, they left with a creative partnership that would eventually disrupt the beverage industry. After cutting their teeth running a social media marketing agency, the duo realized they wanted to apply their storytelling expertise to a tangible product of their own. The result? Just Call Me Shirley, a ready-to-drink canned cocktail that gives the nostalgic Shirley Temple a premium, spirited twist. Since launching in early 2025, Sydney and Mikayla have proven that being "disruptors" is in their DNA. From winning The UPS Store® Small Biz Challenge grand prize out of 6,700 applicants to raising over $115K through crowdfunding, these powerhouse entrepreneurs are making massive waves in a male-dominated industry. In this episode, we discuss how they leveraged their marketing backgrounds to build a nationwide community of "Shirley lovers" and what it takes to scale a female-led brand across state lines. Inside the Episode: How Sydney and Mikayla's experience running a marketing agency gave them the "unfair advantage" needed to launch a consumer brand from scratch. The inspiration behind taking a childhood classic and elevating it into a premium, ready-to-drink cocktail for the modern consumer. Why Sydney and Mikayla view "Just Call Me Shirley" as more than just a drink, but a lifestyle brand built on friendship and creativity. Shop here! This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.