New Book Reveals How Bai Founder Ben Weiss Rose from the Basement to a $1.7 Billion Beverage Brand

 

Basementality Gives Inside Look at Pioneering Brand’s Fight Against Big Sugar; Wins Praise from Justin Timberlake, Zac Brown and Katie Couric

 

HAMILTON, N.J. (September 8, 2020) — Beverage industry entrepreneur Ben Weiss’s new book, Basementality, offers the first inside look at how he drove Bai’s fight against Big Sugar and elevated the brand from his basement to a $1.7 billion brand. Weiss’s story is instructive for those following their own entrepreneurial path, particularly amid today’s economic uncertainties. As superstar entertainer and entrepreneur Justin Timberlake says, “This intimate, honest story will inspire anyone who wants to chase their own dreams.”

 

Basementality, which has received rave reviews from other influential celebrities, explores how Weiss’s entrepreneurial journey set the stage for his greatest success. During the Great Recession in 2009, Weiss launched Bai Antioxidant Beverages from the basement of his New Jersey home, disrupting the marketplace with a revolutionary blend of five calories, no artificial sweeteners and unprecedented taste. Bai quickly became the industry’s fastest-growing brand by challenging the goliaths of the soda business, leading to its $1.7 billion acquisition by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in 2017.

 

Bai has been recognized for its growth and innovation by major media and industry organizations, but until now, the full story of this meteoric rise has never been told. Basementality is a story of old-fashioned door-to-door hustle, naive belief and the powerful mindset of a classic American entrepreneur. The book reveals details of how Weiss launched and expanded his “bevolution,” his decision to put Bai up for sale and his painful exit from his beloved brand.

 

Basementality refers to a mindset that “blends foresight, scrappiness, flexibility and passion, empowering you to turn vision into reality and achieve success.” The book includes a series of lessons, which Weiss calls his “Basementalities,” reflecting his fight to rise up from his basement.

 

“Basementality is not your average ‘how-to’ business book — I think of it as a love story,” Weiss said. “I’m sharing my journey with an iconic brand that I built alongside extraordinary people who embraced my vision of taking on Big Sugar. After riding the roller coaster of entrepreneurship for two decades, I appreciate how rare and challenging that experience was.”

 

Major celebrities are lauding the book’s message, including:

 

• Grammy-winning musician and entrepreneur Zac Brown, who writes in the book’s foreword: “I learned quickly that there’s more to Ben’s (and Bai’s) story than the quality of the drink. It’s about being passionate and rebellious and relentless.”

 

• Journalist Katie Couric, who says, “Basementality reveals Ben’s vision, heart and his tenacious fight against Big Sugar, while giving us insight into a classic American success story.”

 

• Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, who calls Basementality “a must-read not only for entrepreneurs but for anyone who seeks lessons in leadership.”

 

After leaving Bai, Weiss is continuing his bevolution with Crook & Marker, the world’s first fully USDA Organic alcoholic beverage portfolio. Crook & Marker launched nationally in early 2019 and is now a leading brand in the “better for you” alcoholic beverage category, achieving triple-digit sales growth in its second year while rapidly expanding its roster of major retail partners.

 

Basementality is now available for purchase on Amazon in hardcover ($28.99), audiobook (under $25) and eBook ($21.99) formats.