ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Founder Sandro Roco, a Queens-born Filipino American, was walking through a popular Asian supermarket in Manhattan's Koreatown. There, he noticed a huge gap between the modern, clean labels of the new-age "American" brands and the preservative- and sugar-laden labels of the legacy Asian brands. His goal was simple: celebrate high quality Asian flavors that for decades have been masked by added sug...

Their story began on Thanksgiving Day 2016 when a family member asked to what they attribute Brutus' longevity. The answer: "Love and Grandma's Bone Broth." As a pup that led a very active life, he had a number of health issues most senior dogs face. We found that adding Bone Broth to his diet not only provided him with a tastier meal but gave him added nutritional benefits. Not only that, he love...

The Cookie Cups was a genius mistake that started because their creator, Nicole Pomije wanted to make chocolate chip cookies without the right oven pan. She did happen to have a mini cupcake pan and decided to put the cookie dough in that way and see what happens! Out came The Cookie Cups, their version of the cookie, reinvented! The Cookie Cups is a bakery that sells gourmet cookies in the shape...

Light Years Ahead (LYA) is a full-service public relations and marketing firm specializing in lifestyle, beauty, health, wellness, parenting products, industry experts, and services. LYA creates dynamic, sales-driven PR campaigns that produce stellar results in the most cost-effective ways. They have helped large and small businesses launch new products with meaningful brand-building programs that...

LEVIA Seltzers are the #2 cannabis seltzer in the country and #1 selling cannabis beverage in Massachusetts. At LEVIA, they are creating the best tasting social seltzer rooted in simple, all-natural ingredients. After years of research, LEVIA unlocked the secret to crisp and refreshing cannabis-infused drinks. Matt Melander, President and CFO, joins Justin to discuss this high-growth brand.

Abby Kircher started her company when she was 15. As a home-schooled food lover and health enthusiast, she craved delicious and especially sweet, foods that pleased her taste buds and body. She started with nuts, a food processor, and natural sweeteners on a quest to make a better-for-you food brand. Today Abby's Better Nut Butter products are in hundreds of stores and growing rapidly. Abby joins...

Meet Christina Pardy – founder of Sh*t That I Knit! She and her company believe that when you feel good, you always look your best. At Sh*t That I Knit, they strive to create high-quality knitwear and accessories that make you feel good. When you know the materials used to create their products are sustainably sourced, you feel good. When you know their products are handmade by women in Peru who a...

Modpools is the original container pool of North America, with over 775 container pools built and shipped all across Canada and the USA. They use only the highest quality of materials and equipment from North America's top suppliers. Modpools is a trusted brand regularly featured on TV and across social media. Founder and CEO Paul Rathnam joins Justin to discuss this unique high-growth brand!

Making the switch from professional sport into the "real" world is never easy. When you do a sport for so long, it becomes your world, your community, and ultimately a big part of your identity. Finding who you are without it' can be, to say the least, challenging. When Shoshauna and Will Routley started Healthy Hooch Kombucha immediately after retirement, they hit the ground running and their eff...

Splash Beverage Group is constantly innovating, presenting exciting, new, natural and healthy drinks that delight the body and inspire the mind.  Their platform supports founders of beverage brands by helping them grow more rapidly and reach more people to enjoy their wonderful products. They search globally to seek out branded products that deliver natural quality, freshness, health benefits and...

In early 2017, Megan Feeman began making NoBaked Cookie Dough in Nashville, TN. The first scoop shop opened in the Fall of 2017, with more to follow- across 4 different states. Since then, Megan and her husband, Jimmy, along with their team, have been shipping cookie dough all over the United States. NoBaked is cookie dough that you can eat AND bake. It's prepackaged in a jar but tastes like you j...

Kevin Laurence is a professional pianist and vocalist with many years of experience performing for weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, anniversaries, and more. Kevin has also developed a strong presence on social media, including a rapidly growing YouTube channel with over 18,000 subscribers and 4+ million views. His internet popularity even landed him a guest appearance on several TV sh...

Howard Tiersky is CEO and Founder of FROM – the Digital Transformation Agency and also author of Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance . Howard joins Justin to discuss the evolution of technology and how progressive brands are transforming to leverage tech to their advantage.

All wonderful things start out small, the way Monkee's did! Founder Dee Dee Shaw grew tired of having to travel to New York to shop for her favorite designers. So, she decided, why not bring the designers here? In 1995, the original Monkee's store opened in Wilmington, North Carolina. Imagine a store beyond your wildest imagination – an upscale, girlie, always in style boutique where the owner des...

Los Sundays was founded on the principles of Quality, Originality and Style. They absolutely love tequila and demand quality. Los Sundays is sustainably farmed and naturally gluten free, made from a blend of highland and lowland 100% Blue Weber Agave that is traditionally cooked and distilled in the heart of Jalisco, Mexico at one of the most awarded distilleries. With over 10x Internationally rec...

You have a vital mission as a sales professional – to generate revenue for your company and ensure its continued success. In today's selling landscape, buyers are more educated than ever, and you need a way to cut through the noise and navigate new complexities. Insight-Led Selling is an approach that provides practical ways to adopt an executive mindset, build credibility, and communicate with im...

Founded in 2015, Bravus is North America's first brewery dedicated solely to the production of non-alcoholic craft beer. Their unique and proprietary brewing process allows them to create award-winning styles which are indistinguishable from their alcoholic counterparts. Philip Brandes started Bravus with one simple mission: to create a non-alcoholic craft beer anyone could drink. Beer that was br...

CEO and Founder of Kahawa 1893 Margaret Nyamumbo is the first Black woman-owned coffee brand to be sold in Trader Joe's. The Harvard graduate quit her job as a Wall Street investment banker to become a third-generation Kenyan coffee farmer. Margaret saw how Kenyan women provided over 90% of labor in the African coffee industry. Sadly, these women farmers are largely uncompensated for their work an...

Ron Friedman is an award-winning psychologist who has served on the faculty of the University of Rochester, and has consulted for political leaders, nonprofits, and many of the world's most recognized brands. Popular accounts of his research have appeared in major newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Globe and Mail, the Guardian, as well as magazines...

BevCanna owns and operates one of the highest-capacity cannabinoid beverage processing and manufacturing facilities in Canada. BevCanna offers a variety of beverage product formats including PET, aluminum, and glass form factors, available in multiple sizes and custom shapes. BevCanna has a strategic partnership with the #1 U.S. cannabis beverage company, Keef Brands. BevCanna acts as the exclusiv...

Juiced Boxes, founded by recent Columbia grad Dawson Sieradzky, launched the presale for its first product in the last few weeks. The individual pouches of 30-proof punch have "tamper-evident," single-use packaging and for cautious drinkers worried about not wearing a mask, the pouch is mask-friendly. Dawson joins Justin to discuss this new alco-bev concept!

Rob Dyrdek is a former pro-skateboarder, MTV personality and founder of the multi-million dollar venture creation studio, Dyrdek Machine. Rob's work financing, co-founding and marketing some of today's most desired CPG brands has led him to become a master at studying competitor landscapes, filling whitespaces, adapting quickly to consumer needs + emerging technologies, and ultimately utilizing su...

EOS Worldwide, an innovative business model designed to help leaders achieve success, now has tens of thousands of businesses running successfully on the EOS ® principles. Its team of EOS Implementers ® , or business coaches, work to perpetuate entrepreneurial freedom throughout the world, first with the entrepreneur, then the leadership team, then every employee throughout the business – ultimate...

CANN is a social tonic micro-dosed with cannabis that gives you a light and uplifted buzz, but has no hangover, fewer empty calories, all-natural ingredients, and no regrets. The future of social drinking. Co-founder Luke Anderson joins Justin to discuss this game-changing brand.

Jushi Holdings Inc. is a national, multi-state cannabis company developing and operating high-end retail locations, premium brands and state-of-the-art cultivation, processing and manufacturing facilities. Their platform is designed to set the new standard for a sophisticated, modern cannabis experience. Chief Creative Officer and award-winning global media leader Andreas (Dre) Neumann joins Justi...