In the Sauce

Amy Zitelman is the co-founder and CEO of Soom Foods , the tahini brand known by every restaurant chef – and now more and more consumers- across the US. On this episode of ITS, Amy and Ali talk about building what you know with what you have, which means taking a real inventory of your resources, skill-sets, and tolerance, then keeping disciplined to scaling that before launching into other catego...

Ashley Rouse is the founder of Trade Street Jam Co ., the cheffy, small batch jams made without pectin, thickeners or extra sugar. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Ashley talk about the journey, the wins, and the lessons along the path to scale. In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-s...

Greg Wank is a partner at and the leader of Anchin 's Food and Beverage and Branded CPG Practices. On this episode of ITS, Greg and Ali talk margins, working capital, cash, and taxes. As Greg says, it's not just that the game has changed in 2023, it's that playing field is completely different. In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P...

Erica Rankin is the founder and Chief Everything Officer at Bro Dough ; a functional cookie dough available in Canada soon to launch a new line in the USA. On this episode of ITS, Erica tells Ali how she built her massive (60k+) Linkedin community and TikTok following (200k+) and how vulnerability and honesty have helped her grow and pivot her business. In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast . See...

Christina Dorr Drake is the CEO and co-founder of Willa's , the only oat milk that uses whole, organic oats. On this episode of ITS, Christina and Ali talk about the alt-milk landscape, the resurgence of real sustainability, and how Christina managed launching mid pandemic and mid cancer diagnosis. In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ...

Michelle Cordeiro Grant is the founder and CEO of Gorgie , the first clean energy drink built by women, for everyone. Prior to building Gorgie, Michelle founded Lively , a "leisurée" brand that she grew from concept to an $105M acquisition three years later. On this episode of ITS, Michelle talks about the mental muscle of entrepreneurship, why she thinks of Red Bull as the Victoria's Secret of th...

Kari Pedriana is Co-Founder and CEO of Green Spoon Sales, the national natural food and beverage sales broker, specializing in emerging CPG brands, including Primal Kitchen, Lesser Evil, Quinn Snacks, Smart Sweets, Chomps and Midday Squares. On this episode of ITS, Kari breaks down the broker role, how to best think of relationships with distributors, selling trade shows vs. marketing trade shows,...

Monica Watrous is the managing editor of Food Business News , which covers the latest trends, innovations and developments in the food and beverage industry. On this episode of ITS, Monica and Ali talk Expo West: Trends, highlights and lowlights. They also talk about trade industry press and what shifts Monica is seeing in the natural food industry. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported n...

Grace Clarke is a marketing all-star who helps companies translate their visions and values into high-growth marketing programs. On this episode of ITS, Grace and Ali talk about Grace's road (Allure, Town and Country, Madewell, Derris, Graza, Jones Road, Curology...), how she helps emerging brands ask themselves, "Why, Why, and then Why again," and what every brand should be doing early on to set...

Mike Salguero is the founder and CEO of ButcherBox , the incredible subscription service that delivers a variety of 100% grass-fed meat, wild-caught seafood, free-range poultry, and more, straight to your home. On this episode of ITS, Mike shares the story of how BB went from a 15k kickstarter to a $600m business, all without outside funding. On top of that, they've been profitable since day one....

Justin Gill is the Founder of Bachan’s , The Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce. On this episode of ITS, Justin and Ali talk Costco, building a team, and the simple principles that have lead Bachan's to grow into over 14,000 retail doors in 3 years. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member ! In The Sauce is Powered by Simplec...

Greg Lorenzo is Head of Marketing at Stockeld Dreamery , and prior to that, led marketing at Super Coffee . On this episode of ITS, Greg shares lessons from over 15 years of experience strengthening brands through experiential marketing, behavior analysis, and insights. His secret weapon is gathering lots of data and creating action plans for the team. Lots of books and studies in this episode! He...

Val Geisler is the Customer Advocacy Lead at Klaviyo , an email and sms marketing automation platform. On this episode of ITS, Ali interviews Val and Haven's Kitchen Senior Brand Manager, Maddie Kennedy all about email marketing. They discuss everything from "Why email?," To opt-ins, segmentation, flows, and what metrics really show brand love and community. Heritage Radio Network is a listener su...

Ross Mackay is the CEO and founder of Daring , the leading plant-based chicken brand, on a mission to remove chicken from the global food system. On this episode of ITS, Ross and Ali talk about plant-based meat, highlighting its opportunities & the challenges. They also chat prioritization, leadership, and what it means to be a true partner. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonpr...

Amber Bylund is the VP of Sales Strategy at Siddhi Capital Holdings ("Siddhi"). With 15 years of experience working in the CPG industry, first at General Mills and Danone, then at A Dozen Cousins, Amber is now a member of Siddhi's diligence and strategy team. On this episode of ITS, Amber breaks down sales channels as well as her best practices for building out a sales function at an early stage C...

Rachel Krupa is Founder of Krupa Consulting & The Goods Mart , a convenience store for a new generation. On this episode of ITS, Rachel and Ali talk about the different ways brands can use PR - from SEO strategy to thought leadership. They discuss driving momentum during moments of growth and moments of building, and how Rachel built the Goods Mart as a place to launch products into retail.   ...

Ari Raz is the CEO of The Coconut Cult , the small-batch, coconut-based yogurt company. On this episode of ITS, Ari and Ali talk about the virtuous cycle of limited time DTC flavors and their impact on retail sales, how brands should think about 2023, and what it was like to go from Founder working with a CEO to a CEO working with Founders. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit...

Elly Truesdell is the Founder of New Fare Partners , Co-Founder of Made By Nacho , and the former Global Director of Local Brands & Product Innovation at Whole Foods Market. On this episode of ITS, Elly and Ali talk about consumer evolution, how food tech impacted the natural foods industry, and why some VC's take calls with companies they're likely not planning on funding. Heritage Radio Netw...

Anouck Gotlib is the CEO of Belgian Boys , the company bringing tasty European staples into households across America. On this episode of ITS, Anouck and Ali discuss Jim Collins' framework of "What can we be best at?", and Anouck's path from bootstrapping the company, to 8 digits in revenue, to bringing on Equilibra as an equity partner last year. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported non...

Eric Skae is the CEO of Carbone Fine Food with 30 years of CPG experience in strategy, sales, branding, marketing, finance, and distribution. On this episode of ITS, Eric breaks down the elements of what makes a best in class brand, why WIIFM is his guiding principle, and how he frames his category stories with data. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support...

Jessica Young is the founder and CEO of Bubble , an e-commerce marketplace known as the "Etsy of Health Food." On this episode of ITS, Jess and Ali talk about the challenges early stage brands face when it comes to distribution, how Bubble can help solve some of those issues, and how brands can leverage some trends Jess is seeing in the changing consumer landscape. Heritage Radio Network is a list...

Jason Bidart is VP of Food Merchandising at Thrive Market and has been working in the supermarket industry for two decades. On this episode of ITS, Jason and Ali talk about the current grocery landscape, how brands can position themselves for greatness, what makes Thrive a different type of retailer, and what they're looking for in brand partners. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported non...

Daina Trout and Vanessa Dew are the co-founders of Health-Ade , and are currently serving as Chief Mission Officer and CEO respectively. On this episode of ITS, they share the secrets of their success: Not only building a category-defining, massive brand, but doing it together as co-founders and friends. Part business advice, part founder support, this episode is filled with some of the best wisdo...

Seth Goldman is the Co-Founder of Eat the Change , Co-Founder of PLNT Burger , Chair of the Board of Beyond Meat , and the Co-Founder of Honest Tea . On this episode of ITS, Seth shares the lessons he's learned growing teams, building brands, and rethinking industry standards.    Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member ! I...

Chris Tiffin is the Founder and CEO of Aisle , a cash-back rewards platform that works entirely through text. On this episode, Courtnie, Ali, and Tiffin talk about the marketing challenge of retail: Who is buying your product in store? What else are they buying? How do you incentivize repeat purchase when it's all opaque? Aisle is one of the tools brands are using as part of the solution. Heritage...