Tardigrades, not unicorns

Wayne Adams: Transforming a Fifth-Generation Family Business Tardigrades, Not Unicorns — conversations with founders and CEOs navigating the messy middle Guest: Wayne Adams, fifth-generation CEO and co-owner of Adams Group, the company behind the Mariannes brand. Wayne took over leadership from his father Mike in 2023 and has been leading a major business transformation across personnel, systems,...

Guest: Bert Cohen, Managing Director, Clover Vitality Host: Eliot Begoun Bert Cohen has spent 25+ years in the natural products industry — first as a two-time founder (Enjoy Life Foods and True Sweets) and now as a venture capitalist at Clover Vitality, where he's invested in 18 companies. In this conversation, Bert and Eliot dig into what it really takes to build enduring companies in today&#...

Entrepreneurship changes the world because of the millions of consumers it caters to daily. In this episode, ⁠Elliot Begoun⁠ encourages entrepreneurs to be resilient and efficient like tardigrades. Why? Because each entrepreneur has the power to ignite small changes in the masses that will end up changing the world for the better. That is why Elliot shares essential tips on how you can succeed in...

What drives success for brands on the fundraising front? You need to have an attractive valuation, or investors won’t consider investing. Elliot Begoun welcomes a brother from another mother, ⁠Chuck Cotter⁠. Chuck discusses with Elliot how you need to receive feedback on why people may be less interested or provide a lesser valuation. You can’t get bogged down arguing with investors about your pro...

Host Elliott Begound sits down with Nick McCoy (Whipstitch Capital) and Chris Fenster (Propeller Industries) to challenge the CPG industry's obsession with unicorn-style, hyper-funded growth. Drawing on hard data from hundreds of brands, they unpack a different path: capital-efficient, fundamentals-first "tardigrade" companies that build resilience instead of chasing the next round....

In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns , Elliot sits down with Laurel Orley, Chief Crunch Officer and co-founder of Daily Crunch Snacks, to talk about what it really takes to build a durable business — not a unicorn. Laurel shares the origin story of launching a sprouted nut snack company with her aunt Diane during the pandemic, and how a chance question at Expo West ("Where do you see...

Bobo's CEO TJ McIntyre joins the show to unpack how a self-manufactured, Colorado-based baked goods company grew from $7.5M to over $100M in revenue over the past decade — without formulating to macros or chasing fads. TJ shares why Bobo's bets everything on taste over trend-chasing nutrition claims, why radical focus on just two categories (nutrition bars and wholesome snacks) has been th...

In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with longtime friend Matt Weiss, founder and CEO of Rind, the better-for-you snacking brand built on whole-fruit nutrition. Matt shares his journey from 19 years as a Wall Street research analyst to building a CPG company from a nights-and-weekends side project into a vertically integrated manufacturing platform, Keep It Real Foods. Ma...

In this episode, Elliot Bisnow sits down with Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods — a better-for-you Mexican food brand now in 9,000+ U.S. stores. Miguel shares what it really takes to build from zero when you've spent a career scaling established brands like KIND Bars, Kettle Chips, and Cholula. This conversation gets real about the emotional weight of entrepreneurship, the discipl...

Elliot sits down with Jorge Azevedo, CEO of Fermented Food Holdings (FFH), to talk about what it really takes to build a lasting, scalable food business through acquisition, integration, and relentless operational discipline. FFH was built through four acquisitions between 2022–2023, making it the largest producer of sauerkraut and kimchi in North America across retail, food service, club, and ind...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR — a brain and body nutrition platform offering bars, bites, hydration, and mushroom coffee now in over 15,000 retail doors. What starts as an origin story quickly becomes a masterclass in building a resilient, capital-efficient consumer brand through one of the most disruptive decades in recent memory. Topics covered: How...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Sarela Herrada and Matthew Cohen, the husband-and-wife co-founders of SIMPLi— the leading regenerative organic certified pantry staples brand known for their heirloom beans, single-origin grains, and premium olive and avocado oils. What started with a tent pitched on the border of Peru and Bolivia, a view of Lake Titicaca, and a quinoa harvest has grown into...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Dr. Mark Atkinson — medical doctor, integrative medicine expert, and human potential teacher — to explore the idea that your inner game is the glass ceiling to your outer success. Dr. Mark shares how he transitioned from medicine to coaching CEOs and entrepreneurial leaders, and unpacks the five dimensions of scaling a business, with a deep focus on energy ma...

Wayne Wu has spent 18 years at VMG Partners backing some of the most iconic consumer brands in the industry. In this episode, he joins host Elliot to break down what separates the companies that endure from those that don't. They cover the metrics that actually matter (landed gross margin over vanity revenue), why you can't skip the doer phase as a founder, how to know when it's time t...

In this episode, Elliot Begoun sits down with Matthew Parry from the Good Crisp Company to discuss their journey and the critical aspects of scaling a business. Recorded in Boulder, Colorado, they reflect on the milestones achieved over the past decade, emphasizing the importance of maintaining discipline, building a strong team, and focusing on core business fundamentals. Matthew Parry speaks can...

Finding key talent is a struggle for many companies. As drivers of growth, these people can make or break your business, so it helps to learn the ways we find the right ones for us. Here to impart his insights and experience is  Mark Sandler . He is a Managing Partner of  Transcend Search Partners , a search firm that offers a hands-on approach to finding key talent. In this episode, he...

Aligning funding with your business goals isn't just about getting capital – it's about ensuring the fuel matches the journey for sustainable success. In this episode, we have Keith Harrington from Novel Capital to discuss the complex world of business funding. He explores the critical importance of aligning funding structures with business models, challenging the "rocket ship" aspirations versus...

Entrepreneurship is groundless because things are always changing. Finding success means learning to stay afloat with what is happening. Join us in this episode as Merril Gilbert from Trace Trust shares how to thrive in an era where change is the only constant. She discusses the changes in entrepreneurship, from raising capital to fostering resilience in uncertain times. Merril touches on the powe...

To succeed as an entrepreneur, you don't need to chase the illusion of instant success. It is about persistently and resolutely pursuing continuous growth. Today, Simeon Margolis discusses the raw truths, challenges, and triumphs of building a business from the ground up. He debunks myths and misconceptions surrounding startup success, such as “hockey stick growth.” Simeon also showcases the reali...

In the world of Consumer Packaged Goods, the key to success is not in following the crowd, but in daring to ask the right questions and charting your own unique path. In this episode, we have special guest David Mesa , the President of WE GROW CPG, a firm that specializes in helping emerging CPG brands succeed in this highly competitive industry. Today, David doesn’t hold back. He discusses the do...

Should you launch your brand with Costco or not? Bringing us his sales experience with Costco in this episode is Jeremy Smith , the CEO of LaunchPad Group USA , the official home to the entrepreneurs of food brands. Today, Jeremy explores how Costco could build a business owner’s brand or destroy it. He also brings insights into the categories within Costco that are underdeveloped yet are still fu...

Entrepreneurship is the food for growth, and it takes a good meal of business to grow. But what are the key ingredients for a profitable business? In this episode, Sari Kimbell , the Author of Key Ingredients: How to Turn Your Passion Product Into A Profitable Business , reveals the secret behind a profitable business, especially when you’re a startup. As a CEO, you should consider your business a...

Embracing generational differences fuels innovation, harbors success, and creates the ultimate dream team. Join us as our special guest, Erin-Kate Whitcomb , author of “ Good Work: How Gen X and Millennials are the Dream Team for Doing Good When Collaborating Well ,” explores the fascinating interplay between generations in today's workforce and uncovers the untapped potential of generational diff...

How can you be productive in your business? What is the root cause of your problems keeping you from being productive? Today, Arron Mansika , the Founder of Mindful Your Business , explains how awareness and mindfulness push your business toward success. He explains the value of awareness in strategic adaptability. Arron also shares the benefits of investing in time. This conversation provides so...

Success in the food service industry lies in building relationships, serving passion on a plate, and crafting tailored marketing that feeds the appetite of operators and chefs. In this episode, Edward Zimmerman , the founder of The Food Connector , discusses how to thrive in the world of food service, and the secrets to success in an ever-evolving market. Edward delves into why building meaningful...