“It’s Do or Die” Mainelove CEO on Building a Canned Water Brand in Chaotic Times. Plus, Maine Fun Facts!

March 16, 2026 · 54 min · Season 4

About this episode

Jen Millard discusses her journey in building Mainelove, a canned water brand, and the challenges faced in a competitive market.

You probably don't know this, but ... Maine is home to some of the cleanest water in the country. So when accomplished businesswoman Jen Millard - who spent 30+ years building big CPG brands all over the country - returned to her home state of Maine a few years ago, she knew she wanted to capitalize on the opportunity. Her idea? Canned water sourced straight from Sebago Lake, one of the cleanest lakes the United States has to offer. Now, nearly two years after forming the business, Millard says Mainelove is at a "do-or-die" moment. From The Canopy Hotel in Portland, Millard and host Troy Farkas discuss the unexpected origin story of Mainelove , the complex (yet also simple) process of getting the water from Sebago Lake into a can you can drink, the importance of keeping all the revenue from this business in Maine, their recent expansion into N.H. and Mass., as well as their hopes to expand to Fla. later this year. Plus, why now is the time to go all in and think even bigger. To get your hands on cans of Mainelove water, you can find it at Lil's, Henry's Bagels, 3S Artspace, The Community Oven, Golden Harvest, and more. You can also order cases of water directly from…

People in this episode

Host: Troy Farkas

Guest: Jen Millard

Topics covered

canned water
entrepreneurship
Maine business
sustainable products
expansion strategy

Keywords

canned water
Mainelove
Maine
Sebago Lake
entrepreneurship
business expansion
sustainable products

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mainelove, The Canopy Hotel, Lil's, Henry's Bagels, 3S Artspace, The Community Oven, Golden Harvest

Places: Maine, Sebago Lake, N.H., Mass., Fla.