298. Kyle Cooke: Loverboy, SBA Debt & Fighting to Save a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

298. Kyle Cooke: Loverboy, SBA Debt & Fighting to Save a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

From Trading Secrets by Audioboom Studios

May 11, 2026 · 59 min

About this episode

Kyle Cooke discusses the challenges of building and saving his alcohol brand, Loverboy, amidst financial difficulties.

This week, Jason is joined by Kyle Cooke — entrepreneur, reality TV personality, DJ, and founder of Loverboy — for a conversation on what it really takes to build, scale, and fight to save a consumer alcohol brand in real time. Kyle shares the full story behind Loverboy today — from once scaling to 30 employees, 200-plus distribution agreements, and national attention, to now operating with just three full-time employees while navigating cash constraints, distributor challenges, and millions of dollars in debt. He breaks down the unique economics of the alcohol industry — including why brands are legally required to go through distributors, how wholesalers and retailers cut into margins, and why selling alcohol is far more complicated than most consumer products. Kyle also opens up about the financial pressure behind the scenes, including personally guaranteeing a $4.2 million SBA loan, still owing roughly $2.9 million, and needing to generate over $100,000 a month just to cover the loan payment after taxes. Beyond the numbers, Kyle shares the emotional reality of entrepreneurship — putting $500,000 of his own money back into the business, laying off employees, losing his COO…

More episodes of Trading Secrets

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Trading Secrets podcast page.