Today we’d like to introduce you to Navarr Grevious. They and their team shared their story with us below:
QuikLiq’s journey began amidst the halls of Clark Atlanta University, where Navarr Grevious and Mikael Pyles forged a bond as fraternity brothers and friends. Their collaborative and entrepreneurial spirits led them both to assume co-leadership roles within their fraternity, as well as various off-campus organizations, realizing that by working together they could affect meaningful change.
After graduating college and venturing into the corporate world, Navarr and Mikael quickly learned the limitations of climbing the corporate ladder. If they ever wanted to achieve financial freedom, and more importantly, make an indelible impact on their community, they would need to chart their own course and create their own legacy… enter QuikLiq. Recognizing a pressing societal need for a safer alternative to drunk driving and the pervasive trend of intoxicated “beer runs” among young adults, the idea for QuikLiq struck them both like lightning.
Taking a leap of faith, Navarr and Mikael left their corporate jobs, betting on themselves and their vision for QuikLiq. However, it wasn’t until they joined forces with Aaron Carter (“AC”), another Clark Atlanta University alum with extensive experience in the alcohol industry, that QuikLiq’s potential truly materialized. AC’s industry acumen and innovative perspective on the future of the 3-tier system filled the missing piece needed for QuikLiq to thrive.
Through relentless dedication and perseverance, the founders transformed QuikLiq from a visionary idea into a formidable business disrupting the industry. They weathered countless challenges, sacrificing and enduring failures along the way. Yet, their unwavering belief in their mission drove them forward, even when faced with numerous rejections and setbacks. In the early days, Navarr, Mikael, and Aaron wore multiple hats, handling every aspect of the business themselves. Their grit and determination laid the foundation for QuikLiq’s success.
Today, QuikLiq stands as a testament to the founders’ resilience and commitment to growth. Embracing a mindset of continuous learning and innovation, they actively seek opportunities to propel QuikLiq to the forefront of its sector. From participating in accelerators to raising funding rounds to assembling a team of lauded advisors, Navarr, Mikael, and Aaron remain steadfast in their pursuit of making QuikLiq the premier destination for alcohol delivery, ensuring that their vision continues to thrive and evolve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building QuikLiq has been anything but smooth. Entrepreneurship tends to be a lonely and arduous path marked by countless personal, professional, and financial sacrifices. We have certainly received more “no’s” than “yes’s”, and had to endure more than our fair share of rejection because when you are creating something innovative and disruptive in a centuries-old industry, it can be an uphill battle.
We have had to deal with industry red tape, racial discrimination, IP theft, vendor deception, predatory tech companies, lack of access to capital, and COVID-19. Nevertheless, despite constant adversity and unforeseen setbacks, we refuse to let the hardships define our journey. One of the things that keeps us going day-to-day is our conviction in QuikLiq’s undeniable vision.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
QuikLiq is a third-party digital marketplace and SaaS platform that provides tech-challenged liquor stores with modern e-commerce and business management solutions to help them thrive in today’s ever-evolving retail landscape. As the first Black-owned marketplace for alcohol, QuikLiq strives to increase the visibility and accessibility of minority-owned brands and businesses.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The Covid-19 pandemic taught us so many invaluable lessons about QuikLiq, but also about ourselves. In early 2020, QuikLiq had just started operating and beginning to get traction with liquor stores when COVID-19 hit and threatened to shut us down. Due to early mandated curfews and safety concerns, we didn’t know how we could realistically operate. Nevertheless, having bootstrapped QuikLiq and spending our life savings to get it going, failure was not an option.
We decided to pivot and change our whole business model to adhere to pandemic protocols. We changed our operating times, and driver training program, implemented contactless delivery, etc. Ultimately, we not only survived the pandemic, but we ended up thriving as a result of it.
We learned one of the most important lessons that we still keep top-of-mind today, which is that in business, things change quickly and one must pivot and adapt quickly, as well. The business that can anticipate obstacles and adjust, is the business that will stand the test of time; that business is QuikLiq.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.QuikLiq.com
- Instagram: @QuikLiq
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetQuikLiq
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quikliq/
- Twitter: @QuikLiq_
- Youtube: @quikliqalcoholdelivery6327
