Starting Small

In this episode I am joined by Dragons' Den judge Maria Hatzistefanis, CEO and Founder of Rodial, a high-end skincare and beauty brand. Launched in 1999, Rodial quickly gained attention for its science-driven approach to luxury beauty, focusing on targeted skincare solutions such as anti-aging, firming, and brightening. Maria’s vision was to create products that blend innovation with visible resul...

In this episode I am joined by Rachel Sanders, CEO and Founder of Rootine, science-backed, personalized health solutions like fast-acting adaptogen drink mixes and smart multivitamins, designed to improve sleep, stress, focus, and overall wellness. Make sure to check out Rootine at: https://rootine.co   Sign up for Starting Small University to join our interviews LIVE and ask questions: https://st...

In this episode I am joined by Kevin McCarthy, CEO of UNREAL Snacks, making addicting chocolate snacks without the unnecessary sugar. Over the last 10 years, UNREAL has grown into a national brand available in over 35k locations, including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Sprouts, Kroger, Publix (and too many regional markets to name), as well as online at Thrive Market, Amazon and www.unrealsnacks.com...

In this episode I am joined by Jason Karp, Founder and CEO of HumanCo, a next-generation family of trusted brands that make your favorite foods better. Jason’s health and wellness journey began in his early twenties after being diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases and an incurable, degenerative eye disease that threatened to leave him blind by the age of 30. Against all odds, and through a f...

In this episode I am joined by Anshul Rathi, Founder and CEO of Certify, a healthcare provider management company that takes an API-first approach to fixing a broken system -- essentially Certify reduces the time it takes for health systems and health plans to onboard doctors, nurses, etc. from months to minutes. Make sure to check out Certify at: https://www.certifyos.com   Sign up for Starting S...

In this episode I am joined by Alex Douzet, co-founder and CEO of Pumpkin®, the highest-rated pet insurance provider on Google as of January 2024, and one of the fastest growing pet insurance and wellness brands in the U.S. Alex is a serial entrepreneur and three time founder with a 20-year career of disrupting industries, scaling businesses, and building ‘people-first’ companies where employees g...

In this episode I am joined by Simon Sacal, CEO of Solely, a vertically integrated clean fruit snack company that diverts over 1.6 million pounds of fruit waste a month. Solely is the fastest-growing natural fruit snack brand in the U.S., with consumers purchasing nearly $100 million worth of products in the last five years. Simon transformed Solely from a small operation in Mexico to a thriving b...

In this episode I am joined by Rob Schutz , Co-Founder of Ro and Snagged.com. Rob started TWO +$1B companies and now spends his time hunting premium domains. Rob is also the co-founder of Ro(man), the DTC health company last valued at $7B, and employee #7 + former VP of Growth at Bark(box), where he helped grow the company from $0 to a $100M in run rate. Rob started Snagged to help entrepreneurs,...

In this episode I am joined by Roy Nesi, Founder of ROAR Organic, delivering Complete Hydration products with replenishing electrolytes packed into every bottle. Roly Nesi founded ROAR Organic in 2014. His goal was to create a great-tasting sports beverage that was also a lifestyle brand for active people. After an exhausting year distributing bottles from the back of a van, Roly pivoted from a sp...

In this episode I am joined by Dr. Dionne Baker, Founder of DeeBee's Organics, all-natural SuperFruit Freezie Pops & fruit-filled treats. With a Ph. D. in maternal-fetal toxicology, her research focused on the effects of chemical exposure during pregnancy on fetal development. When her youngest child struggled to find snacks he could enjoy like other kids, Dionne was inspired to create fun, jo...

In this episode I am joined by Kathryn Bricken, Founder of Doughlicious, award-winning gluten-free, dairy-free, & vegan, ready to bake cookie dough & gelato bites. From an early age, Kathryn Bricken had a passion for baking and understood how food had a way of bringing people together and making memories. Kathryn moved to London with her family and started baking American-style cookies for...

In this episode I am joined by Kim Le, Co-Founder of Prime Roots, taking on the plant-based meat industry, one deli counter at a time. Prime Roots has spent the last seven years mastering the craft of growing Koji and slicing it to sandwich-ready perfection without the cholesterol, nitrates, antibiotics, hormones, and preservatives. The brand has created koji-ham, koji-turkey and koji-pepperoni to...

Founded only 8 years ago, HexClad is now one of the fastest growing cookware brands in the world, growing more than 100% YOY nearly every year since its inception in 2017, and is backed by partner Gordon Ramsay. The HexClad Culinary Council includes notable chefs across the globe like Nancy Silverton, Dominique Crenn, Paul Ainsworth and Natsuko Shoji, and devoted celeb fans include Oprah, Halle Be...

In this episode I am joined by Ashley Gould, Founder of Âme Atendre™. Âme Atendre™, translating to “tend to the soul” in French, captures their mission: to cultivate meaningful connection through thoughtfully designed tableware. They believe in the power of open and curious conversations, especially across differences, to deepen our human bonds and well-being. Their collections elevate everyday ga...

In this episode I am joined by Tom Spier, Founder of BFG Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage consumer products including the likes of OLIPOP, Mid-Day Squares, Athletic Greens, Vacation, and more. As of spring 2024, they just announced the activation of their third fund with commitments already approaching 70% of the $125 million target fund size. Make sure to check out BFG...

In this episode I am joined by Quaid Walker, Founder of Bezel, a marketplace for authenticated luxury watches with +$400M in listings from Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Cartier, and more. Along with that, they've raised $10M from John Legend, Steve Aoki, Kevin Hart, J Balvin, Michael Ovitz and BoxGroup. With Bezel, you can easily browse for watches on the Bezel app, chat with their watch...

In this episode I am joined by Craig Dubitsky, Co-Founder & CEO of Happy Coffee, alongside actor Robert Downey Jr. Slow roasted coffee creates complex notes, char-free and smooth taste, all while sourcing from thoughtful growers across 8 countries. Trust me, if you haven't tried Happy Coffee yet, I'm sure you've tried one of his other brands. He is the man behind consumer brands such as Method...

In this episode I am joined by Will Nitze, Founder & CEO of IQBAR, the leading brain and body nutrition company most known for their low-sugar, high-protein bars with brain-boosting ingredients. What started in his Boston apartment kitchen in 2017 can now be found in more than 10,000 stores and more than 14,000 5-star online reviews. Make sure to check out IQBAR at: https://www.eatiqbar.com  ...

In this episode I am joined by Jen Zest of GOODLES. GOODLES quickly took over the mac and cheese category with its bold packaging and “adult” flavors. The brand is only 2 years old and has already sold over 9 billion noodles. A box of GOODLES is sold every 2 seconds Make sure to check out GOODLES at: https://www.goodles.com/   Visit Starting Small Media: https://startingsmallmedia.org/ Subscribe t...

In this episode I am joined by Vidyuth Srinivasan of Entrupy, scalable AI-powered solutions for product verification—anytime, anywhere. At the palm of your hand in seconds, Entrupy protects businesses, buyers and sellers from inadvertently transacting in counterfeit and fraudulent items. Make sure to check out Entrupy at: https://www.entrupy.com   Register FREE for Starting Small Summit: https://i...

In this episode I am joined by Melissa and Lee of Frame Fitness, the first at-home, digitally-connected pilates reformer. The husband-and-wife team behind the at-home, digitally-connected Pilates reformer combines Melissa’s success and knowledge in the Pilates space and Lee’s entrepreneurial spirit. The at-home fitness space was already growing rapidly and with the quick acceleration of the need f...

In this episode I am joined by Rosa Li of Wildwonder, the world’s first prebiotic + probiotic sparkling drink. As a child, Rosa Li was inspired by her grandma's herbal tonics to make a delicious Wildwonder beverage that combines heritage-inspired herbal knowledge with gut-healing elements. After appearing on ABC's Shark Tank, Wildwonder can be found in numerous retailers, nation wide and online at...

In this episode I am joined by Jash Mehta of Pop & Bottle, serving up pure, organic almond and oat lattes using simple ingredients. Jash and her co-founder, Blair, launched Pop & Bottle with the goal to create delicious RTD lattes with clean, functional ingredients and without dairy or refined sugars. Make sure to check out Pop & Bottle at: https://www.popandbottle.com/   Register FREE...

In this episode I am joined by Austin Maxwell of Kanga Coolers, the worlds first iceless cooler for your case, keeping beverages cold for up to 7 hours. The co-founders all had expensive coolers that could keep their drinks cold for 3 weeks, but never used them to keep their drinks cold for 3 hours! They were too bulky to carry, and getting ice each time was a hassle. So, they would just grab a co...

In this episode I am joined by Caroline Buck of Petaluma. As one of the only certified B Corp businesses in any pet category, Petaluma is challenging the status quo by offering science-backed dog nutrition with less harm to the environment and zero reliance on factory-farmed animal protein. Make sure to check out Petaluma at: https://www.feedpetaluma.com/   Visit Starting Small Media: https://star...