Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we dive behind the scenes with founders, creatives, and forward-thinkers to uncover what it really takes to get a product onto store shelves, from branding and packaging to the grit of distribution and everything in between.

Today we’re featuring Jay Williams, founder of Free Bird Water, a brand built around the simple but powerful idea of delivering clean, crisp spring water in tall 19.2 oz aluminum cans, sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains and crafted for everyday Americans who work with their hands, hustle hard, and value authenticity over hype. Under Jay’s leadership, Free Bird has positioned itself as water “for the people”, no gimmicks, no wellness fluff, just real water for real life.

We’ll dig into:

• How Free Bird Water carved out its space in the beverage market, leaning into heritage, honest branding and a “blue-collar meets beverage” vibe.
• The leap from a successful real-estate background to launching a spring-water brand , why Jay swapped boardrooms for bottling lines, and how that transition shaped Free Bird’s identity.
• Key early decisions: choosing spring water from Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, designing tall-boy cans, opting for recyclable aluminum , and how those choices reflect purpose and practicality.
• Scaling and distribution: hitting retail shelves across the Southeast, launching still and sparkling SKUs, and the operational grind behind rapid rollout.
• Brand messaging, community-building, and positioning Free Bird not just as water, but as a lifestyle and a nod to “everyday heroes.”

✨ Learn how Free Bird Water is redefining what bottled water can mean, merging simplicity, purpose, and refreshment into a can that speaks to working people, honest values, and everyday hydration.