From Bartender to Co-Founder: How Helen Diaz Built a National Brand Without Losing Herself
Off Script
Episode Description
What does success really look like when you’re building a company, raising a child, and navigating an industry that wasn’t designed for you?
In this episode of Be Anomalous, Helen Diaz joins me for a powerful conversation about entrepreneurship, hospitality, motherhood, and redefining success on your own terms.
Helen is the co-founder of Chareau, the world’s first aloe plant-based spirit, and has helped grow the brand from a startup sold out of the trunk of a car into a nationally distributed company carried by Whole Foods Market, Total Wine & More, Marriott Hotels, and more.
Before Chareau, Helen spent over two decades in hospitality, co-owned Fifty Fifty Cocktail Co., developed bar programs from the Bay Area to Tokyo, became the first Latina to win Miss Speed Rack California, placed in the Top 8 nationally, and now serves as a judge for the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
But this conversation goes far beyond business.
We talk about:
• Taking risks before you’re ready
• Building a company through uncertainty and the pandemic
• The realities of fundraising and scaling a brand
• Breaking barriers as a Latina woman in hospitality
• Motherhood, ambition, and work-life balance
• Why success means something completely different today than it did 10 years ago.
Helen’s story is a reminder that the biggest opportunities often begin with a leap of faith and that success isn’t about following someone else’s blueprint. It’s about creating your own.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start, too risky to pivot, or too ambitious to chase the life you really want, this episode is for you.
Favorite Quote
"Todo lo que siembre, cosecharás."
(Everything you put out into the world, you will receive.) — Helen's grandmother
Favorite Books
📖 Kitchen Confidential — Anthony Bourdain
📖 The Power of Now — Eckhart Tolle
In This Episode
(00:00) “I Am a Mama First” — Why Helen leads with motherhood
(04:00) Moving to SF at 19 with no plan
(07:00) How she got behind the bar — and why she loved it
(12:00) What hospitality taught her about resilience and emotional regulation
(18:00) Meeting Kurt at 5 am in New Orleans — and saying yes to Chareaux
(23:00) What makes Chareaux different: aloe, 80 calories, and half the sugar
(31:00) Bootstrapping, distributors, and knocking on every door in SF
(38:00) The pandemic wiped out 90% of their business overnight
(42:00) When your investor goes bankrupt — the real lessons in fundraising
(47:00) What motherhood taught her about burnout and leadership
(51:00) Success redefined: presence over performance
(53:00) Being the first Latina in the room — and why she never flinched
(57:00) What’s next: new line extensions and a coffee mountain in El Salvador
Referenced in This Episode
Bourbon & Branch, Beretta, and Lolinda — SF cocktail bars where Helen honed her craft
Total Beverage Solution Chareau’s current portfolio partner
Whole Foods, the 2024 retail milestone that changed its visibility
Eckhart Tolle, spiritual author and one of Helen’s go-to reads.
New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.
Be Bold. Be Real. Be Anomalous.
Follow for more Be Anomalous stories, conversations, and behind-the-scenes.
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | @iamsaimenon