Ryan Alford [00:00:15] Hey, guys, this is Ryan Alford, host of the Radical Company Podcast. But these are the founders of Kanga. I've been calling local celebrities. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:00:40] Now lovin them, I wouldn't go that far. And Teddy Jar's 

Ryan Alford [00:00:44] so hey, guess what is going on. It's like craziness. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:00:48] Canga craziness can be crazy. Crazy going crazy. 

Ryan Alford [00:00:52] We have what it says. It's the Kanga squad or whatever. It's a crazy Kanga. 

Ryan Alford [00:01:00] I don't know. And got these guys founded. Canga case made. This is cooler. You keep your beer cold for seven hours after pulling it from the case. Kit, correct me if I'm wrong. Designer cases. Put your beer in it. It's cool. It goes to the school and it looks and it keeps your beer in the cooler, right. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:01:22] Absolutely. So essentially it's a cruzi for the entire. So it's like a cold case of beer soda. Twelve or twenty four packs from the fridge in the store. It's already cold, right? You don't have to make it cold. Just keep it cold for the whole time. You actually enjoy it. So just take it from the fridge, slide your product into a case, make it stay cold for seven hours. No ice, no fuss. Nothing can be done. 

Ryan Alford [00:01:45] I love it. So we run an agency. We work with companies all the time, products. We do a ton of e-commerce. I really was kind of like meeting you guys when I was at Clemson, kind of learning you guys are the entrepreneurial spirit here, right at Clemson, my alma mater, like go tigers. Tigers like I don't know, man. It's really cool. I got it here. Let's tell everybody I'm listening to some of the back story with Kanga, where the name came from, where the concept and idea come from. You kind of walk yourself into it. It's a need. I've thought of this need before, but no one's ever kind of brought to life like you guys. So let's talk a little bit about that story. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:02:26] So we actually as my junior year, I was in entrepreneurship class. We had a class project. We had to create a solution to a problem we face now. Just turned twenty one, two months earlier. So I was fresh on this zero. 

Ryan Alford [00:02:38] How to have your first beer? 

Kanga Kasemate [00:02:39] My first year. And then I realized, wait a minute, 

Ryan Alford [00:02:42] because no we don't really close. We can never drink under age 

Ryan Alford [00:02:49] We always follow the rules like good southern boys.

Kanga Kasemate [00:02:52] but I’ve been realizing I was at a tailgate and clubs and we all have 300 super expensive six inches, but we are using it to give it over three weeks. We keep it cool for three hours. We just take care of the case and drink. It has got warm. Then I realized we got the case from the fridge. It was cold and we let it get warm. Why not just instead of worrying about ice and a big bulky cooler, why not just keep it cold for the whole time? You're going to enjoy it. And that's where the original idea came from. Her is presented to the class and that's great feedback. But then obviously grew out of the class project phase and then realized how much we had to learn, how much to say on the project to see now. But who's laughing now? I didn't do all the assignments or that I was trying to predict 

Ryan Alford [00:03:45] exactly with my two point one GPA. I will never apologize for 

Kanga Kasemate [00:03:51] I has to sit 

Ryan Alford [00:03:53] where I had to go.

Ryan Alford [00:03:56] And if you're listening and there is a fist bump that not a room. And Mom and dad, I love school and all my teachers. I appreciate you. But ultimately, success is not there to be is and passion 

Ryan Alford [00:04:10] and also that exact and also community. That's right. I'm big on that. I, I always say people are a house club, something. It's amazing. And I think there's something to be said for how strong the clubs network is. I don't. I don't necessarily know if class wise it's any different from any other university, but I know it is community wise and network wise clubs. That's that's in my mind what makes clubs. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:04:34] And that's probably one of the biggest benefits you can get from the university if you're going to go into business. 

Ryan Alford [00:04:40] Which is why don't I stop? I get real close. I just said this when I came to talk to the class. I get this close to saying school's not worth it anymore, but I stop short because of the community and the network and the people you meet. And I still have that. People need that. Those people skills that are there's not really the walk of life like, yeah, you can do it. But like those people skills you learn I think are hard to duplicate. So you go watch YouTube videos and all this stuff and learn everything but the people skills over four to five or six. Depending on your course was a five year plan, but, yeah, those people skills are invaluable. So we had a need. We came up with a product. How are things going? So we did Shark Tank. It's like, I don't know, you guys have been out on the circuit and doing stuff like jumping in the shark tank. And there was so much more before that, but,

Ryan Alford [00:05:35] Times before where it's I mean, it was really humbling. I think the biggest thing was it was overnight, just within 24 hours. We are on the show with Marcu. The whole world knows about it now or whoever. How many people viewed it? The next day we walk into school and people are like, Kanga, like, that's sick. We're like two years before that. We're like the geeks carrying this thing around and we're trying to tell people this is the future. Even on that tailgates, we're like we're at tailgates, tailgating, like where there's a trough and no one's carrying around a case. But we're purposely going out of our way to go get a case of beer and carry around like we're telling you guys. Like this is like this is the man. I was like, yeah, yeah, right. The night after the show, I get lonely. And she says, well, I was just instant just I guess she's like credibility. It was just Brand was immediately credible that as of that night. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:06:33] Cool. And that goes any, any company to like. Nobody's going to believe in your vision more than you do. That's right. I mean, I think you're crazy, but I'm told it's cute. Like, excuse me. I mean, it's kind of funny. What I had in mind was where we're at today. And what I have in mind today is where we're going tomorrow. But nobody believed in it like I did. I think if there's any option, there was listening. That's how it gets, you have to believe in it, which I had done. And once you start getting traction, then all of a sudden everything changes and people say, wow, that's so cool. Where  were you six months ago? 

Ryan Alford [00:07:05] One thing like you wish you knew two years ago that you don't want to be 

Kanga Kasemate [00:07:09] Your class project partners aren't your best business partners. You had to go through some turmoil there at the beginning to get quality guys like Teddy on the team. Yeah. So that was I would 

Ryan Alford [00:07:22] I would say like really like if there's something that you're doing in your free time that you really, really, really love and you can't just can't stop doing it. It's probably something you should be going after. And who knows what those options open up for me personally. Like, I loved videography and I started my back in high school with a GoPro. And when I got to Clemson, I just like that's how I get into fraternity parties. Like, I didn't join a fraternity, but I would go up to my buddies. They had all come from your party and they let me go. And then I made a lot of friends and stuff like that, ran into these guys and ultimately ended up doing all of our branding and like video content for Tenga. And if you were to ask me if you were, say, do you want to be a videographer, I'd say no, because back then I was like, oh, I'm going to have to film weddings and stuff. But like, that's not really what it is. And it all came about just. Honestly, I like to jump off cliffs, and that's how they found me. I just go pribumi jumping off cliffs and I just following my way, I guess. Just find what you really love to do. Like if you really go, your hardest will get up. Change will come anyway. 

Ryan Alford [00:08:34] It was interesting that you may have always been this way, but to that point of like following your passion, you can make money doing anything. Think about it now, EA Sports with video games, think about baseball cards, shoes. The shoe trade is ridiculous now. So if you're into shoes, you start trading shoes and all the things that you can do. Now, if you've got a phone and a passion, you make money doing just about anything. So I think we're in my days growing up just a few years ago, it didn't seem like that was a possibility. Like I played Super Mario Brothers all day. It was never going to net anything of gain or you didn't think about that in your career. 

Ryan Alford [00:09:19] And then it started to be those opportunities. But there wasn't like a complete opportunity that I think there is now. But now I think it's a good lesson to learn. So you go to L.A. said, listen, let's talk about starting. I think that's got to be super fascinating. People listening like that experience. Was it just a casting call? And you guys went out there about that process? 

Kanga Kasemate [00:09:44] It was actually everything lined up so crazy. It was the day that our Kickstarter campaign closed is when we got there. Yeah. Riesman went out there because I went to a class for months, the eclipse and connecting people. We were there to listen to Kim Nelson, who was about our daisy cakes, went on in season two. And she was talking to us and she shared her experience. I came up after class and I kind of told her about what we were doing with Kenya and asked her about short. And she just looked at me and said, You've got to go. You've got to go for it. I'm thinking, what are you talking about? We're having lunch, it takes our time and we have product. We don't have anything. We just had an idea and a ragtag team of college kids, a product that's too much. And so it's kind of like, OK, maybe it's too soon. But then she told us that two weeks later there's an opportunity to open casting call and then we have finals next week. We did the only one that was going to be in Atlanta or even the Southeast was in two weeks after I met her and told to go for us. OK, something's going on here. Something's lined up for us. Maybe we're meant to do this even if it does feel like it's too soon. While the process is a little longer than you would think and we actually end up filming in September, we're fortunate to have that opportunity one more time. But the craziest thing is, we actually filmed the week after we got our first Missouri. Oh, we cut it so close or real sort of it set up there or just an idea, say, hey, this could be cold. We had a product that 

Ryan Alford [00:11:10] I think I think were a lot of people don't always like the process we went through to even get on the show the first place, like through Cam and daisy cakes and stuff like that. When we rolled up to Atlanta, we drove through the night, got there at four a.m. We're the seventh person line yo like this with all the social media and marketing and stuff like that. We tapped into our KANGA following, which is about a thousand at the time. We said, Hey guys, we're trying out for Shark Tank. We found the head of Carson's Instagram. We said, go tag us on her Instagram. She had over five hundred comments on our Instagram and she rolled out the next morning. It was like, you guys, you guys need to, like, stop. Yeah, she said, I know. I know about the Kanger guys or whatever. And right away, everyone within the Shark Tank group had already been talking about us before we even got in there. And when we went in there, they're like, oh, you guys are the guys that blew up Mehndi. That's hilarious. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:12:10] Like there's a pro tip right there using networks. Right. Stand out to get attention to do something different. But then it goes on you out. People don't think about it. We are. Yeah, it's a good idea. It's very simple. 

Ryan Alford [00:12:24] And we have an awesome credit for that idea. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:12:26] I didn't know we didn't know it was going to she hated us or what is our biggest message. It was first and don't it just doesn't 

Ryan Alford [00:12:32] otherwise mix them with their 

Kanga Kasemate [00:12:35] attention that we have a great relationship, 

Ryan Alford [00:12:37] whether it is. But yeah, we still have a relationship with her. And to this day, she still tells us, that was one of the best guerilla marketing methods that's been used to get on the show. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:12:47] I think we're one of her favorites of all time. 

Ryan Alford [00:12:50] And so Mark Cuban, one hundred thousand dollar offer. No, you can't talk every contractual term. I know it's a TV show and all that. There's a lot that goes into it. But I just did it. I guess what was your confidence level going in like that, you get an offer that you would consider? 

Kanga Kasemate [00:13:11] We were pretty confident. Yeah, but it's a good idea, you guys. Do you have a good idea? And we were overprepared. We have watched every single episode I even get to and watch how they react to the different situations. Like Mark, you say one wrong thing. Everything is going perfectly. One little thing slips up. You can flip on It’s Wonderful, pretty consistent and all he cares about someone. You can say whatever you want to, as long as your numbers are good. Just kind of getting that profile of getting wind that he wants to trademarks. Yeah, I had an answer for every single possible question. And honestly, the weirdest feeling even there was we had so much more to sell us up to get the same. So that offers 

Ryan Alford [00:13:47] I'd say like we got through 20 percent of what we were prepared 

Ryan Alford [00:13:51] That's pretty good, though. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:13:54] Yeah. So we were ready. We were for an offer. We didn't know it was going to happen. In fact, it was one of those things where I'm not sure, but they showed it was like, what, we're not ready. We just have a conversation. 

Ryan Alford [00:14:05] When we rolled in there, we all started like a team prayer, which is pretty powerful, honestly, right before we rolled it. And we all looked up at each other. And right after that kind of had that moment where I think it was like all of us were like, hey, we're not even supposed to have no business being here. So what do we have to lose? Yeah, what do we have to lose? Like we this we got here, we got this far like and weird. We got this far by being authentic and being ourselves. So why would we change anything? We're going in there and we're looking at five of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. But we're going to straight up have a conversation with them. And that's what we did. It didn't feel like we were ever pitching the whole time. It felt like we were talking just spot on because.

Kanga Kasemate [00:14:49] Yeah, and we had views of the two of them. 

Ryan Alford [00:14:52] And just like, where's the pizza like. So we can just start 

Kanga Kasemate [00:14:56] With a funny story though, was when Teddy was the kangaroo and Teddy let us know after we filmed that he actually hadn't watched a single episode of Shark Things also that I was prepared that he was on that, but an offer. So that other experience, he was not supposed to have a speaking role because he had no research. 

Ryan Alford [00:15:17] I had a couple of lines like, oh, it's a case of beer soda then my good friend, Styrofoam cooler. Those are my two men. Nothing happens right before we get on the show. The producer comes and goes, “hey, I just want to let you guys know that I want you guys talking one third, one third”. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:15:39] But I didn't tell you how excited I was, like, oh, my goodness. 

Ryan Alford [00:15:42] I'm I knew myself well enough to know that if I 

Ryan Alford [00:15:45] I have been around 10 just long enough to know that, I bet I wouldn't 

Kanga Kasemate [00:15:48] I have been too worried. That is why 

Ryan Alford [00:15:52] I'm better off. If I had watched it, I would have analyzed things and tried to think of what I was going to say. And if I learned that from actually my public speaking teacher, you said you do better if you just get up there and you have a bullet point of what you want to talk about. And that's what I did. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:16:07] And if they ever cut a lot of it out. I mean, what you saw in the actual hearing was not everything, but was actually the one that had the conversation right before Mark made the offer. So credit Teddy to get another line for it. 

Ryan Alford [00:16:19] So what's next for you guys? I mean, sales are good. Let's do a couple of plugs. Roll fast, but I can't get Buykanga.com? But what's the future hold?

Kanga Kasemate [00:16:40] Right now as we speak this week, we're getting our first warehouse and office. I'm getting out of my parents basement. We're going to stop operating. So it's so it's kind of like this is the first step to being a real company. Yeah. So we're starting to take on full time employee roles in a real office warehouse. And so I think our capacity and our opportunity to be that much bigger, we're all actually there together, all then one team, one dream. But I think the vision for our mission is to bring fun and convenience to beverage cooling solutions that the case makes the first product we do that through. Yeah, we have a lot higher aspirations than a one trick pony. We want to be a real sustainable brand, a company that brings to market something that's not currently there. 

Ryan Alford [00:17:21] Thank you anyway. Where can we find you Instagram, Facebook, all those channels. 

Ryan Alford [00:17:28] So Instagram, Facebook, if you look at Kanga Kasemate. But as of right now our search has been pretty good with Kanga. We will make sure it will show up. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:17:43] It's in the top six on sale right now. So we are actually participating. So when came out that man we're never going to rank first before you get 

Ryan Alford [00:17:53] There are articles and the PR buzz transferal. Yeah, well, super proud of you guys, man. I mean, and I'm here to be a resource. And so just being a tiger, but also just kind of that entrepreneurial spirit or the guys were doing couldn't be more excited for where you guys are headed. 

Kanga Kasemate [00:18:16] We are just super grateful to connect because you're somebody that we can live up to, those younger entrepreneurs kind of see we've been able to do and build in the fact you're going to sit down with us on this podcast or just give us some advice.

Ryan Alford [00:18:26]  I think we need to plug Nigel for the connection. 

Ryan Alford [00:18:29] Robertson is a good friend and mentor. I do. Collaborating on several things. So it was happy to be doing that class, I think once a semester now. It's awesome. I look forward to staying in touch and anyone listening could check out. I came to learn more about Kanga, their story. Radical's will be working with them in a little mentorship capacity, so we'll keep the updates flowing on all our channels and just really happy for these guys and everything going on. Thank you so much for listening. On today's episode of the Radical Company podcast, you can always learn more radical underscore results on Instagram or Radical dot company. We're out.