Hearts & Carts

The guys sat down with one of Justin's Vega colleagues, Mike Remes. Mike shares the story of broad reaching career in the natural products space, and how he is now helping to lead the charge to build KOS Naturals Mike's LinkedIn KOS Naturals

Today the guys chat with Mitch Cobb, one of the masterminds behind red-hot non-alcoholic beer brand Libra.  Mitch drew inspiration from values-driven companies in his MBA program which ultimately led him to roll the dice on craft brewery Upstreet Brewing. His own health epiphany kicked off a two-year journey to concoct incredible tasting non-alcoholic beer. Mitch gives the inside scoop on the scra...

CPG Veteran (and our first finance expert) joins the show to chat about his journey from large multinationals to starting his own company.  He dives into concepts around uncovering your values, pushing outside of your comfort zone, and learning to appreciate the journey to be successful.  He recommends some fun books along the way which will keep the guys busy over the next few months.   Ron's...

To celebrate 1 year as a podcast (We’re as surprised as you!) we’re joined by our first ever guest Mr. Mark Lee to see what’s going on in his world.  Like usual, Mark mixes in some humour, learnings and advice we can’t wait for you to hear. Mark's LinkedIn Canopy Growth

Even a bee allergy couldn’t keep Aja Horsley away from her love of bees, healthy honey, and the need for sustainability!  Aja chats about quitting her day job and creating the premium brand Drizzle Honey, the importance behind your “why”, and how to scale effectively. Aja's LinkedIn Drizzle Honey

Wandering the halls of CHFA, the guys were sent by multiple people to check out Moonshine Mama’s and their amazing founder Mel.  After trying the original Lemon Turmeric Elixir and meeting Mel, they knew she had to be on the show!  Mel gets into her personal wellness journey and how her battle with cancer drove her to find better nourishment from nature leading her to Moonshine Mama’s. Melinda&#39...

The majority of purchase decisions are made in a store and no one knows this better than Amanda Kenny, Founder & Chief Merchandiser at Hive Naturals.  Amanda works with some of our favourite brands and past guests – Righteous Gelato, Humble Potato Chips, Chiwis, Made with Local, Nuts for Cheese and more to ensure they win at shelf.  We discuss her career journey, the value a merchandising team...

Justin’s old Vega colleague Lisa Schimnowsky joins the show to chat through her experience of growing Vega, moving across North America, and stepping out as an entrepreneur with L8. Lisa talks about the importance of balance, scaling slowly, and the differences between working in the USA & Canada. Lisa's LinkedIn L8

Justin is joined by the amazing Jeff Lahey in this special episode titled: Two Guys and a Bunch of Chips.  As the Co-Founder and COO of Humble Snacks, Jeff is uniquely positioned to know almost everything about snacks.  He dives into his exciting career journey including PepsiCo, Guru, and Skinny Pop and how that helped him create Humble Potato Chips along with past guest Alicia Lahey. Jeff's...

A brand crush for many of our previous guests, the amazing Margaret Coons of Nuts For Cheese joins the show to chat about her journey from Chef to wildly successful CPG entrepreneur.  Margaret dives into her inspiration for the brand,  selling out her first farmers market, expanding into 4,000 stores across North America, and her 3 commitments with the brand.   Margaret's LinkedIn Nuts For Che...

Holistic Nutritionist turned founder, Julia Kirouac of nud fud Inc. joins the show to chat about her journey. Julia shares some of the struggles entrepreneurs face, the CPG landscape, and her mission of disrupting our food system with nutrient-dense, delicious snacks made from real food.   Julia's LinkedIn nud fud

Mario Massellis of Catania Worldwide sits down with the guys to discuss his career in the produce world.  Mario chats about the importance of strong relationships, being curious, the focus on quality, and why he still loves working in the industry.

The man behind the incredible Phoeapolis Organics, bringing ultra-premium organic extra virgin olive oil to every Canadian, Mokhtar Asmi joins the show.  Mokhtar chats about his experience working in tier 1 CPG with Bayer & Lactalis before his jump into entrepreneurship and what he’s learned along the way. Mokhtar's LinkedIn Phoeapolis Organics

The incomparable James Boettcher joins the show to talk about his childhood journey that led him to the un-freakin-believably delicious Righteous Gelato.  James spends time discussing how the challenges and obstacles throughout his journey made Righteous the business it is today and changed his perspective on leadership.   Bonus – Alex has some big news to share in the intro! James' LinkedIn R...

Are you familiar with millets? You should be.  One of our faves from CHFA West: the incredible Sujala Balaji, Founder & CEO of Rainfed Foods joins the show to tell us all about Millets, her exciting career journey, and her approach to sustainability.   Sujala's LinkedIn Rainfed Foods

Sports broadcaster turned produce expert; "Rocket" Ron Lemaire joins the show to chat about his career journey. Ron helps explain some of the difficult sustainability issues we face, changing consumer dynamics and his role as President of the CPMA. Ron's LinkedIn The CPMA The Plastic Pact

Aamir Malkani of Plant Up Inc. joins the guys to chat about everything plant based. Aamir shares some great stories and insights into how entrepreneurs can get started in the space and what makes Plant Up special. Aamir's LinkedIn Plant Up

Justin's favourite operations person Nina Nicholls joins the show with founder and friend Jade Herrmann from Yoggu!  We dive into the creation of the incredible dairy free yogurt company inspired by France and some of the different challenges and shifts along the way with our first ever 2 guest episode. Yoggu! Jade's LinkedIn Nina's LinkedIn

Today the guys connect with Andrew Russell, the Chief Growth Officer at Made with Local where we chat about how he and his wife Sheena are turning their passion for quality, farm-fresh ingredients into a thriving national snack bar brand. We learn how they've grown from a humble farmers' market stand to having bars in stores across Canada through constantly improving recipes and expanding...

Mimmo Franzone of Longo’s joins the guys to discuss the produce world, the importance of execution (with an example from our friends at Mid-Day Squares), how brands can best partner with retailers, and changing consumer trends.  We also spend some time gushing about Justin’s favourite topic – Sneakers. Mimmo's LinkedIn Longos

We are excited to have our first retailer guest!  Zack Jones of Save-On-Foods joins the guys to chat about their history, what differentiates their stores, changing consumer trends, and his successful career in retail. Zack's LinkedIn Save-On-Foods

The guys are joined by Brian Yam - the VP of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Blue Ocean Regulatory and host of the popular podcast Mighty Startup. Brian is an expert in navigating complex regulations and ensuring consumer safety, with a diverse background in lab research and leadership roles at great companies like Natural Factors and Vega. Brian shares what regulatory affairs & qu...

Asha Wheeldon discusses breaking down barriers, handling push back, and changing the narrative around plant-based with her incredible brand Kula Foods.  She gets into detail on the importance of building community, being purpose driven, and understanding everyone’s food journey.    Asha's LinkedIn Kula Foods

Former health tech professional, Sarah Goodman, discusses the inspiration behind Chiwis - the 100% natural upcycled fruit chip brand that has grown from zero to 1,800 doors in 18 months. Sarah dives into expanding into club, channel margin challenges, and the importance of packaging.   Sarah's LinkedIn Chiwis

Come listen to the story of the start-up Steve Wozniak didn’t know he inspired! Our friend and former colleague Ransom Hawley tells us the story of his career journey and the creation of Caddle featuring Dragon’s Den, big CPG, and some amazing consumer insights. Ransom's LinkedIn Caddle