Cason Crane: Adventurer, Activist & History-Making Entrepreneur.
Scaling Everest and Scaling Business
September 10th, 2024 • 4 min read
At just 20 years old, Cason Crane made history as the first openly LGBTQ+ individual to conquer the Seven Summits, climbing the highest mountain on each continent. But for Cason, the challenge of building a successful business would prove to be just as monumental as any mountain peak he had scaled.
In 2020, Crane founded Explorer Cold Brew, a caffeine-conscious cold brew company, inspired by his love for coffee and the lack of access to quality cold brew during the pandemic. What began as a solution to a personal frustration quickly grew into a business that now spans over 1,000 stores and has generated more than $5 million in sales, with an 81% annual growth rate.
Starting a Brand on a Budget
Despite the impressive growth, Cason shared at Innovation Show NYC that his journey was far from easy. Building Explorer Cold Brew from scratch during a pandemic meant he had to rely on resourcefulness and grit, especially with rising costs in digital marketing.
‘The digital marketing environment has gotten increasingly expensive and competitive…particularly as a small emerging brand - impossibly expensive”.
His entrepreneurial journey took an unexpected turn when he was approached by a casting agent for the survival show Race to Survive: Alaska. Although Crane was initially hesitant, the opportunity to promote his brand in a unique way was too tempting to pass up.
The Gamble of Survival TV
"I starved in the Alaskan wilderness for two months, hoping it would bring attention to my profile," Cason said, reflecting on the tough experience. Despite making it to the finals of the show, the immediate payoff was underwhelming. "I made 50 or 100 followers... It was really disappointing," he admitted. “I got super depressed when I got back because… having been in the Alaskan world for two months, my business was struggling, I hadn't been there, the team did their best to keep it going...”
Yet, the gamble eventually paid off in an unexpected way. At his first grocery trade show following the show’s airing, buyers recognized him from Race to Survive: Alaska.
“About 6 months later there was a silver lining…we entered into the retail channel pivoting from e-commerce into grocery and I show up at my first trade show, my first retailer trade show, and people were recognizing me from the show which had never ever happened before. Turns out…a lot of the retail buyers, the category managers, the people working for the distributors and retailers, they had watched it.”
“I think we think of influencing on social media … but there's also influencing people IRL…like I go straight from here to fly to Washington State to do a bunch of in-person retailer activations that are, honestly for my brand just as impactful, if not more impactful than some of the social media partnerships we have. So there was a silver lining in the end!”
Finding Niche Audiences and Building Partnerships
Crane's approach to marketing is heavily focused on identifying specific, often underserved audiences that resonate with Explorer Cold Brew’s mission.
The key, he says, is also forming partnerships that feel authentic to both the brand and the consumer. He’s also leaned into collaborations with LGBTQ+ artists like Troye Sivan, which has helped boost Explorer Cold Brew’s visibility.
For Cason, attracting sales through influencer and celebrity partnerships is not about driving sales, it’s showing investors and retail buyers that they have the potential to capture the interest and passion of someone with ‘that level of influence’.
The Power of Resilience and Authenticity
His entrepreneurial journey, much like his mountaineering feats, is a story of resilience, perseverance, and staying true to his mission - even when faced with unexpected challenges. From the frozen peaks of Everest to the competitive aisles of grocery stores, Cason’s story is one of relentless determination.
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