Can you tell everyone, who is Navarr Grevious and Mikáel Pyles?
Mikael: If I were to describe myself succinctly, I would say that I am a hard-working, ambitious, family-oriented, God-fearing man. I love life and strive every single day to live life to the fullest! I’ve been blessed tremendously with great people who keep me humble and motivated to succeed. My family is my greatest inspiration, and they are the fundamental reason I work so hard to be successful. In fact, my desire to create QuikLiq mostly stems from my goal to create a long-standing legacy for my family. Every day I work towards that goal and won’t stop until I’ve established a legacy of wealth and ownership that I can pass down to my future children as well as my community.
Navarr: I believe one word that describes me is a loyalist. Since growing up in Houston, I realized one of the most important characteristics is being a “man of your word.” My relationships and friendships have shaped me into the man I am today. Starting QuikLiq in 2011 has been a long journey, but with the support system of my family and friends trusting and believing in us, we are determined to establish generational wealth for all of us.
Tell us about the QuikLiq Mobile Delivery App and what led you both to want to create it?
Mikael: The QuikLiq App is available on iOS and Android devices. It is a unique, innovative mobile app that we spent almost 2 years building and perfecting. We officially launched the App in February 2022, and we are so proud of it! Customers can easily download the App, create a unique user profile, scroll through hundreds of wines, beer, and spirits, and get their order delivered to them at home, work, on vacation, or at their social gatherings. We designed the App to be cool and user-friendly, and we believe we achieved this. Once an order is placed, our delivery process is automated so that the store receives the order, and one of our drivers delivers it to the customer within 45min. The other cool thing about our App is that we can deliver later than our competitors; in some areas, we will deliver to customers until 3am!
Navarr: The idea for QuikLiq was truly a gift from God. Both Mikael and I had a desire to start a business that could create generational wealth for us and our families. After individually contemplating different ideas, we both had a “light-bulb moment”. One day, back in 2011, we each had an idea that we couldn’t wait to share with each other. We got on the phone to say our ideas and much to our surprise, we both (separately) came up with the same exact idea—an Alcohol Delivery Service!
Knowing each other from college and being a fraternity, is this what you both major in?
Navarr: We both had two different majors. I have a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Clark Atlanta University. I also spent time studying abroad in China—receiving a 4.0 GPA during my matriculation at the University of International Business and Economics (Beijing). Mikael graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Supply Chain Management. However, we merged both of our degrees and life paths, and brought our skills together to create QuikLiq.
How long did it take for you two to develop the QuikLiq Mobile Delivery App?
Mikael: We spent about a year working with our tech team and constantly iterating to create the QuikLiq App; however, the research and diligence that went into the app took many years. We know that to set ourselves apart from the competition, our app needs to be innovative and easy-to-use. So, we spent a lot of time researching other apps, speaking with people about their likes/dislikes, and brainstorming creative ways to distinguish our product. Ultimately, the app we created is extremely sophisticated, and we’re very proud of it.
Where can the QuikLiq Mobile Delivery App be used?
Navarr: The QuikLiq app currently operates in the Miami Beach area. We are also in the process of launching our service in West Florida, and will be operating in Atlanta, GA next quarter.
What does it mean to you both that you’ve created something that has made history as the Nation’s first black-owned alcohol delivery company?
Mikael: It’s a great honor to create a stamp in history with QuikLiq. Being an African American entrepreneur in tech is so rewarding, because I know that my journey is so much bigger than myself. The African American community is grossly underrepresented in tech and entrepreneurship in general, so I am uber-motivated to succeed to be an example to my community and the younger generation that we canaccomplish anything. It’s cool that QuikLiq is the first Black-owned businessof its kind, but what we are building is so much more than that. QuikLiq is a vehicle to further our legacy; it is our contribution to Black history. The more successful QuikLiq becomes, the more we will be able to give back byestablishing scholarships for HBCUs, internship programs, and moreopportunities for underrepresented minorities to thrive in business.
What advice can you provide to those that are interested in creating beneficial mobile apps?
Navarr: The biggest advice I can give anyone looking to create an app is to be very selective and intentional with who you select to help you. Mobile apps (and businesses) are only as good as the team/creators behind them. It takes a lot of work and stress to produce a great app; so it is important that you are working with a team that is loyal, competent and committed. Additionally, I would recommend that people really do their homework. There are a lot of app developers and services out there that are frankly subpar or scams; make sure to be uber-diligent, so you can avoid wasting time (and money) creating something that you won’t be happy with at the end of the day.
What would you like our views to gain from this interview?
Mikael: I hope that your viewers resonate with our story and support or company. We work really hard to create a company that is not only inspiring to others but makes people’s lives easier. I want people to know that anyone can achieve their dreams if they commit and just take it one day at a time. Along our journey to create QuikLiq, some people thought we were crazy or in over our heads—some people even tried to steal our idea and hard work. Nevertheless, we remained convicted in what we were building, and we are finally starting to reap the fruits of our labor. If we can do it, anyone can do it, and I hope that message connects with your audience.
How can people connect with you?
We can be found on Instagram @Quikliq or they can visit our website www.quikliq.com
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