Raised in the Netherlands – the birthplace of gin – it’s only natural that twin sisters Joyce and Raissa De Haas have a natural affinity for superlative drinks and excellent blendings. However, their love affair for gin exacerbated their frustration at the bland and uninspiring choice of mixers and sodas, leading to the creation of Double Dutch Drinks.
Now the proud owners of over 15 awards and claiming a spot in Forbes 30 under 30, the ‘Tonic Twins’ have leveraged their ‘twin-thing connection’ on a path that’s seen them secure an investment with Heineken – a fellow family business!
This fun episode focuses on a youthful family business and offers a glimpse into one of the closest family relationships that exist. Hear how Joyce and Raissa use each other’s skills to their advantage and manage their incredibly close relationship within a professional setting.
Bottoms up!
This episode covers:
- The strengths and flaws of working with twins
- Mitigating the 2 vs 1 feeling in business disagreements
- Joyce and Raissa’s parents’ support in early stages
- Securing investment from fellow family business, Heineken
Episode Highlights
“We always have been super close. For example, we did our dissertation together and we did lots of schoolwork together. So I do think there was always a plan to do something together.” – 3:17
“Our parents have said you really first need to get some work experience with another company. But they’re also super supportive now. Since we were younger, we always said that we would be doing our own thing and start our own company, but we just didn’t know when in life.” – 7:25
“I think on the one hand, it might be a little bit of a waste of time to always do big meetings together. But on the other hand, it’s also such a strength and power having us both together.” – 15:11
“I think if we are not agreeing with somebody internal or external, in any business, it quickly becomes the feeling of two against one. That is probably hard for people outside the two of us, because you’ll always have a front against you.” – 18:22
“We’ve really had the time to see how we can connect with our consumers directly, through the retailers, through online groceries. And I think the fact that we didn’t lose any revenues and that we still get showcased is kind of satisfying.” – 24:26
“We always said Heineken would be the best family to have on board because it’s so relevant from a cultural perspective. They’re family owned, Dutch, the second biggest beer brand in the world, and one of the biggest drinks brands in the world. So the fact we have them on board has being really amazing” – 27:49
“You can’t take everything on the long term, but you also can’t only act in the short term. So there is a good balance where we are quite complimentary on that side.” – 35:07
“We have equal shares in the business and equal responsibilities. You want to give each other as much as possible. There’s never jealousy, there’s never some kind of tension on one person getting more shares or a higher salary.” – 43:18