Hpnotized Mind: Raphael Yakoby

AT 32, Raphael Yakoby is in good spirits, and why shouldn't he be? Seven years ago, Yakoby, a college dropout with no business experience, had an idea: He'd create the first blue liqueur. Ignoring naysayers who told him nobody would drink a blue beverage, he sold his apartment, moved back into his parents' Long Island home and got to work. A year later Hpnotiq, a blend of vodka, cognac and fruit juices, was a nightclub staple, and he went on to sell the brand for a reported $50 million. [READ:Thanks Hip-Hop!!]

He is back at it again with the launch of NUVO, the world's first sparkling vodka liqueur. Targeted to women, NUVO has pledged that a portion of the proceeds of every bottle sold will go towards supporting women's causes.

What gave you the idea for Hpnotiq?

It came from seeing a blue perfume in a beautiful bottle at the counter in Bloomingdale's. I said, "Wouldn't that be great for a liqueur product?" Nuvo was inspired by the fragrance industry, but I wouldn't say any specific fragrance. It was more like, how do I incorporate the beauty of the fragrance industry into a liqueur?

What did your parents think when you moved back home to start your company?

They thought I was crazy. And they weren't the only ones. But listen, you have to do what you have to do. My feeling in life is that I can live with my own mistakes, but I can't live with somebody else's. With Nuvo, I heard the same rhetoric. People would say things like, "It's a very difficult bottle to do. How do you know it's not going to explode?"

Read Full NY Post interview byWENDY STRAKER