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Sports drinks were designed for athletes. But the people reaching for them most often aren't coming off a practice field — they're coming off a twelve-hour workday.
Aysel Agalarova noticed that as a corporate lawyer in New York, constantly reaching for electrolyte powders and sports drinks just to make it through the day. It felt excessive. And wrong.
Flying Ostrich is her answer — a sparkling hydration beverage built for modern professionals, travelers, and anyone juggling a busy schedule who wants real electrolytes without the sports drink experience. We sat down with Aysel to talk about building a formula from scratch, becoming the face of a brand as a naturally camera-shy founder, and what it means to be a BevNET New Beverage Showdown semifinalist.
The Product and Audience: What is Flying Ostrich and who is it for?
Flying Ostrich is a sparkling hydration beverage designed for everyday life. Each can contains 600–700mg of electrolytes from magnesium, potassium, chloride, and trace minerals, plus vitamins C and D, with only 25–30 calories, 5g of sugar, and no caffeine. The target customer is the modern professional, traveler, commuter, or anyone juggling a busy schedule who wants better hydration without drinking a traditional sports beverage or mixing powders into a bottle.
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The Spark: When did you launch, and what made you say "I need to build this"?
I was living the problem myself. As a corporate lawyer in New York, I was constantly reaching for sports drinks and electrolyte powders just to feel better during long workdays. But drinking a sports drink after a day in the office felt excessive. That's when I realized there was a gap: hydration products were being designed for athletes, not for the millions of people dealing with stress, coffee, travel, air conditioning, and long hours at a desk. I also became fascinated by the process of building a product from scratch and discovered how much influence a founder can have over ingredients, sourcing, and quality standards. That commitment to ingredient transparency became a core part of Flying Ostrich.
The Launch: When did you launch and how did you build early buzz?
We launched in January 2026. Early buzz came mostly from friends, social media announcements, and in-person tasting events. Word of mouth turned out to be incredibly powerful. Once people tried the product, they started sharing it with others.
The First 100: How did you find your first customers?
A lot of our first customers came through social media and personal networks. I brought Flying Ostrich to parties, gatherings, and local events, and people would try it, ask questions, and often come back wanting more. We also experimented with small ad campaigns, giveaways, and sampling events, but the biggest driver was simply getting cans into people's hands.
The Advice: What would you tell a first-time founder in their first 90 days?
Show up repeatedly. Attend industry events, join community groups, post consistently, and keep putting yourself in the rooms where your industry gathers. One conversation rarely changes everything. Credibility is built through many small interactions over time.
The Reality Check: What is the hardest part of this journey that people don't see on social media?
The beverage business is a giant coordination exercise. You're managing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, and service providers, and those pieces rarely fit together perfectly on the first try. Personally, the biggest challenge was becoming the face of the brand. I'm naturally camera-shy, but building a consumer brand forces you to step forward and tell the story yourself. In many ways, the business makes you grow alongside it.
The Milestone: What has been your biggest "we made it" moment so far?
Being selected as a semifinalist for the BevNET New Beverage Showdown. For a bootstrapped founder, that was a huge moment because the competition has helped spotlight brands like Poppi and Liquid Death. It felt like validation that Flying Ostrich was resonating beyond our immediate circle of customers.
The AI Trend: How have you used AI to help your business grow?
I mainly use AI as a sounding board. It helps me test ideas, challenge assumptions, and think through different perspectives. But the brand itself — from the formula to the packaging — was built through human research, creativity, and collaboration.
The Horizon: What should we be excited to see from Flying Ostrich in the next six months?
Over the next six months, our focus is simple: get Flying Ostrich into more people's hands. We're expanding sampling, building new retail and corporate partnerships, and continuing to introduce a different approach to hydration — one designed for everyday life rather than sport.
The Recommendations: What are your favorite under-the-radar brands right now?
The Shop: Where can readers find Flying Ostrich?
Available at drinkflyingostrich.com and on Amazon.
The Connection: Where is the best place to follow along?
Follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn at @drinkflyingostrich.
Available at drinkflyingostrich.com and on Amazon.
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