“I gamble every day being an entrepreneur”- David Lekach.
Being an entrepreneur is all about facing failure, gambling one’s luck and risking everything so that your product finds its way to its rightful place. On June 18th we hosted David Lekach as our monthly Brainfood speaker. Lekach is the founder of “Dream Water”, a liquid designed to help people fall asleep, relax and improve their quality of sleep. His journey as an entrepreneur was filled with obstacles that prevented the initial success of his product, but on this brainfood series he elaborated on how determination and luck led him to strive.
Lekach’s entrepreneur background helped him get immersed in the culture of business. During his interview, he credited his family for most of his success. He recalled how his family had influenced him from a young age to work instead of going to summer camps and how they had always supported him. As many entrepreneurs do, he explored several fields before developing his masterpiece. He went to Law School, developed a poker database and worked with his uncle on building infrastructure in Costa Rica. In other words, his excitement to explore gained him connections and experience that would later serve as the pillars of his company.
Dream Water started off when Lekach tried a product created by his Co-Founder, Vincent Porpiglia, that was supposed to help him sleep better. As he tested the substance he couldn’t believe that someone had not invented this product a while ago, and believed that it could really help people who struggle with sleep issues. Without any doubts, he decided to quit his job in New York and risk his steady paycheck to invest his time in the establishment of Dream Water. Many people were doubtful of the product, including companies like Duane Read, and even his own father, but nonetheless Dream Water was launched in 2009. The first three years were an incredible success; The peak of which was reaching a deal with Walmart. However, things took a turn in 2013, when Walmart stopped doing business with him, he started losing customers, and his team, including his co-founder, who had decided to abandon the business. Without feeling sorry for himself, he decided to re-build the brand. As the digital world was gaining popularity, he decided to sell his products on Amazon and build an electronic infrastructure for his company. Dream Water was now available on all digital markets as well as in airports nationwide and became extremely profitable. Dream Water was beneficial for everyone; his customers were sleeping better and getting the relaxation they were seeking, and Lekach’s business was continuing to grow.
Dream Water reached its peak and it had gotten to the hands of stars, such as, Katy Perry and the Philadelphia Eagles. The company branched out from its single product line, creating new products like Dream Water Beauty, Dream Water Sport and even getting into Cannabis Dream Water. Lekach’s luck and hard work had paid off. He decided to sell his company in May 2018 for 34.5 million Canadian dollars and it currently remains in the hands of Harvest One Cannabis.
Lekach’s journey as an entrepreneur will not stop at this point. He looks back at his creation with appreciation, and notes that Dream Water will always be a big part of his life. With his closing remarks he made sure to tell all of the entrepreneurs in the room to enjoy the process of developing a brand, acknowledge their accomplishments and to always keep a solution mindset.
By Allison Girardi
By Alesia Lopez