When Malcom Crittenden, the founder and owner of Alkaline Lyfe LLC, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2014, he faced a grim prognosis. Diabetes is a chronic disease with serious effects on the body, and he was confronted with a lifetime of being on multiple medications.
Malcolm, however, did not surrender easily, and he decided to do his own research so that he could beat the disease. In addition to learning about the dietary changes he would have to make, Malcom discovered natural alkaline water. “It’s the best form of hydration for your body,” he says. “I decided to drink it, but while I could find it, it was relatively scarce.”
Over the next four years, Malcom added alkaline water to his new diet and ultimately became diabetes-free. Malcom discovered that alkaline water is the best way to hydrate your body. “While I can’t claim that alkaline water alone can cure diabetes, I was able to reverse my type-2 diabetes with diet change along with drinking natural alkaline water.”
Jubilant, he decided to start Alkaline Lyfe Water because he wanted everyone to have access to the benefits of natural spring alkaline water.
Malcom believes in his company in part because the future is health. “Water is already a gigantic industry. Alkaline water is experiencing major growth. Even before the pandemic, the health industry was growing at an alarming rate. Adding the pandemic to that was like throwing gas on a raging fire. Now more than ever, people are willing to spend more money on products that make them feel healthier. People are looking for any edge to protect their body. Some people say alkaline water is a fad, but I say it’s here to stay.”
Limited resources hindered the company’s growth for the first few years. “My only option was to grind up. I grew Alkaline Lyfe customer by customer with my bare hands. I quit my job as a personal banker at Wells Fargo, took out my 401k, which was only about $13,000, and hit the ground running. After three months, I had spent all of my money on bills and company expenses. I had to survive off strictly selling my product. On top of that, I had a newborn baby who was born shortly after I ran through all of my 401k savings. A few grocery stores bought my product in my home state of Alabama. I also started going by gas stations, healthy restaurants, gyms – anywhere that sold water. Before long, I counted up all of the locations that my product was in, and I had over fifty in the Atlanta area alone.”
Malcom’s fortunes changed when he was introduced to one of the most popular rappers in the south, Lil Boosie AKA Boosier BadAzz. “We produced an alkaline test video that went viral. Online orders went through the roof, and we started focused on distributorship to get the product in different areas. That alone finally gave us some cushion to get an office and warehouse, buy a delivery truck, and invest in more inventory. With the product getting more buzz, we closed a large contract that could potentially be worth seven figures. After three years of nonstop grinding, we finally built up some capital, but it was all through sales, no investments.”
Since the company was started in 2017, it has experienced 100% growth in sales each year. “This year we plan to do more than that. This is the year that Alkaline Lyfe will go from a regional to a national brand.”
He has big plans for the company’s future. “I see myself leading Alkaline Lyfe into being more than water. I want it to be a brand that focuses on natural ways to help benefit as many people as possible. Not only do I see Alkaline Lyfe as the number 1 selling alkaline water but also a go-to brand for other natural products.”
What separates Alkaline Lyfe from other alkaline waters is that it is pure natural alkaline water. Most companies use water enhanced with minerals or baking soda to make it alkaline. Alkaline Lyfe doesn’t have any enhancements at all. The company also sells Alkaline Lyfe 102, a sea moss-based gel with other powerful natural herbs.
Malcom is always willing to share advice with other entrepreneurs. “Get better every day. Failing is part of the process, so embrace it. Don’t be stagnant. If you are not aggressive, you won’t last. There’s always a way to adapt to the circumstances and get it done.”
Malcom wants to use his experiences to inspire others. “I shouldn’t be doing this well. Diabetes is a horrible disease that people fight their entire lives, but here I am. I also built my company from scratch. I am tremendously fortunate, and if I can use my story to help other people go after their own dreams and improve their health, I will have really accomplished what I set out to do.”
