Today we’d like to introduce you to Salim Mekhmoukh.
Hi Salim, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been an entrepreneur but creating an energy drink wasn’t on my radar until a trip to my birth country Algeria in 2019. While there I discovered this great-tasting product and thought I could market it in Atlanta, but hit a brick wall so I decided to create an even better energy drink. This is all before the pandemic, which changed everything. With my distribution company on hold, I had a lot of time on my hands. That’s how MADO-Energy came to be. I teamed up with longtime family friend Hicham Azhari, co-founder of F&H Food Trading Group (Little Alley Steak, Salt Factory Pub) and toyed with ingredients until we came up what I think is the most powerful antioxidant energy drink on the plant. The key ingredient is astaxanthin, which has a deep red pigment. It has anti-inflammatory properties. NASA has even been testing it in space to see if can be used during extended missions to help alleviate inflammation. This stuff improves your exercise performance, increases stamina, improves endurance, is linked to healthier skin and better heart health. We think it’s a game-changer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I mentioned, creating a new product during a pandemic was not ideal but we did it. We had a tough time trying to trademark the original name of our energy drink. We wanted to call it Motto, like, “What’s your motto?” When that didn’t happen, we came up with MADO. My motto is to work hard so you can play hard.
We’ve been impressed with MADO-Energy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I believe you can do anything you put your mind to. 2019-2020 were not easy for all of us but I have a strong team and we all work hard. We also believe in our product. Health and wellness is important. MADO is also loaded with vitamins like C, B3, B6 and B12 plus electrolytes. We spent a lot of time working on our label. We’ve tweaked it several times and are happy with the final result. And did I mention it tastes really good? MADO comes in five flavors like orange cream and coconut lime. Our job now is getting the word out.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Be patient. When faced with adversity, it’s important to sit back and breathe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mado-energy.com
- Instagram: @madoenergyofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkmado/
- Twitter: @MADOEnergy
Image Credits
Tara Gulledge
