NexxtLevel Brands Podcast

Encore Presentation: Corwin Heatwole is the Founder and CEO of Farmer Focus, the number one exclusively organic chicken farm in the United States. As a sixth-generation family farmer, Corwin grew up working on his family's farm. He founded Farmer Focus almost 8 years ago with a dream of creating a financially viable farming business he could pass down to his own children.  Today, Farmer Focus has...

Encore from April 2022 -The biggest trends we’re seeing in the natural products industry (as evidenced at the recent ExpoWest 2022 in Anaheim this past March) are plant-based, regenerative, and upcycling/reducing food waste.  Cool Beans’ whole food, plant-based, minimally processed frozen wraps are right on target.  In this episode, I’m speaking with Tyler Mayoras, founder, and CEO of Cool Beans. ...

Encore Presentation from August 2020: Jeanne David is the Founder and CEO of Outer Aisle, a brand that has been going beyond the grain to help more people kiss processed carbs goodbye with gluten-free, grain-free, nutritionally dense, and delicious cauliflower sandwich thins and pizza crusts. With estimates now showing that 75% of Americans will be diabetic or pre-diabetic within the next five yea...

Encore originally aired, in May 2020.  Kara Romanik is the Founder of Mamie's Pies . Mamie's is Kara's passion which has now turned into a large-scale operation. She graduated from Bentley University with a degree in Economics and Finance which has helped her in the food business. Kara has appeared on QVC 46 times and their cherry on top flavor was named as one of Oprah's favorites. It is with the...

Best of NexxtLevel Brands Podcast:  Aired December 2021:  Sam Madani is the Co-founder and CEO of BOMANI Cold Buzz, an alcohol-infused cold brew coffee brand. He was born and raised in California to Iranian immigrants, and a great deal of his personal motivation comes from witnessing the challenges his parents had to successfully overcome.  After graduating from the University of Southern Californ...

Jordan Bass is the Co-founder and CEO of HOP WTR, a non-alcoholic and healthy alternative to beer. Jordan spent several years at The Wonderful Company, where he ultimately became the Head of eCommerce. While there, he rapidly scaled the business to make it one of the leaders in the CPG industry. He has also held roles in corporate strategy and worked in venture capital. Jordan lives in Los Angeles...

Encore Presentation from September 2021 - Luke Schneider is the Founder and CEO of Fire Dept. Coffee. Inspired by the vital role coffee plays in helping firefighters stay alert and energized through long shifts, Luke founded Fire Dept. coffee with the goal of serving firefighters everywhere with great tasting coffee. He is a full-time firefighter, paramedic, and US Navy veteran.  Jason Patton is t...

Alexander Corsini is the Founder and CEO of Alex's Awesome Sourdough. After discovering sourdough's unique health benefits following an autoimmune diagnosis in 2016, he set out to build a brand celebrating all things sourdough fermentation. In 2017, he launched the natural foods brand with a focus on the nourishing qualities of sourdough, bringing thoughtfully sourced organic food back to the fami...

Today I’m welcoming back Hector Saldivar, founder of Tia Lupita Foods. I last spoke to Hector in November of 2020, and I’m excited to find out how he and his company have progressed since then. Tia Lupita Foods are inspired by Mexican recipes from Hector Saldivar's Mom and her family kitchen. Their flavorful sauces and snacks use healthy, sustainable ingredients, and Tia Lupita was the first compa...

Today I’m welcoming back Kellie Lee, Creator and CEO at Rowdy Prebiotic Foods Company, for an update on her entrepreneurial journey.  Kellie developed Rowdy bars when she was creating convenient, real foods to take on hikes with her husband.  What makes Rowdy products special is YaconRoot - the unique prebiotic, naturally sweet ingredient that has become the foundation of all Rowdy offerings.  Row...

Junea Rocha is the Co-founder and CMO of Brazi Bites, a better-for-you, Latin-inspired food brand. With a deep love for her Brazilian homeland and an entrepreneurial spirit, Junea and her husband, Co-founder Cameron MacMullin, decided to bring pão de queijo to the US market. After appearing on ABC's Shark Tank and making the Inc. 5000 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America twice,...

Are you an eCommerce business in need of extra cash for inventory or marketing? My guest today is Jay Puentes, Sales & Business Development Leader at Wayflyer. Wayfler provides flexible funding and actionable insights to the world's fastest-growing eCommerce businesses. They help businesses worldwide reach their growth potential by providing financing & analytics solutions to improve cash...

Encore Presentation August 2020.  Isabella "Bella" Hughes is the President and Co-Founder of Shaka Tea, with a career spanning the arts, culture, agriculture, and entrepreneurship. Shaka Tea is an award-winning movement brand sharing herbal teas brewed with māmaki, an ancient super leaf found only in the Hawaiian Islands that supports sustainable agriculture. The brand is now available across the...

Louis Armstrong is the Founder and CEO of Killer Creamery, a tasty and ketogenic friendly line of ice cream. Killer Creamery was born after members of the keto community asked him to develop a delectable dessert that wouldn’t sacrifice their keto diet. Louis has a storied career in the food industry, with experience in development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. Louis has a degree in food s...

Today’s guest is Mac Anderson, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer at Cleveland Kitchen. Mac and his siblings were raised in a culture of natural foods - their mom is a trained Chef who started a natural food co-op in Ohio way before such things were widespread. Join us as we discuss the origin story and rocket to success of this family business, how they gained retail placement, their acqui...

Today’s guest is Seth Goldman, Co-Founder and Chief Change Agent of Eat the Change®. Seth is also the Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, Honest Tea, and Chair of the board of Beyond Meat. Seth has been widely recognized for his “serial” entrepreneurial success and impact, including Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in Greater Washington, the Washington DC Business Hall of Fame, Beverage Industr...

Encore Presentation:  Daniel (Dan) Doll is the CEO of Bushwick Kitchen and the President and COO of Soapbox. He has extensive experience in sales, design, technology, and operations. He is also an American University alumni with a degree in Business Administration and Communications, Law, Economics and Government. After graduating, Dan worked for IBM Global Business Services as well as LivingSocia...

Encore from February 4, 2021: Mat Franken is the Founder and CEO of Aunt Fannie's, a line of healthy cleaning household products. Like many in the health and natural space, Mat did not set out to become an entrepreneur: his company is the direct result of a family medical challenge. Wanting to share what he discovered, he launched the first Aunt Fannie's product in 2015. And so began the company’s...

Encore From 06/10/2021, Suzie Yorke is the Founder and CEO of Love Good Fats, a company that produces high-fat, low-carb, and low-sugar products with a mission to bring healthy fats back. A mom, 11-time Ironman competitor, and yoga enthusiast, Suzie spent years adhering to a low-fat diet only to hit a wall in her mid-40s. After reading Nina Teicholz's best-seller, The Big Fat Surprise, she immedia...

Encore from August 8, 2021 - Katie McCarron is the Founder of Portland Pet Food Company (PPFC), a global manufacturer of human-grade dog meals and treats based in Portland, Oregon. Katie launched PPFC in 2014 after finding success formulating meals at home for her aging poodle, Rosie. Today, using the same recipes she developed for Rosie, PPFC provides dogs across the USA, Canada, and Japan with p...

We are taking August off and running The Best of Shows all month.  From June of 2021 Kelsey Moreira is the Founder, CEO, and Fearless Leader of Doughp, an edible, bakeable, and mission-driven cookie dough business that ships products to thousands of households every week. After getting sober in 2015 and rekindling her culinary passions, she left her decade-long career in tech to start Doughp — wit...

Have you ever wondered exactly what’s in that “imitation crab” meat that is available in every grocery store? This same ‘imitation crab’ is also in every California sushi roll, seafood salad, and many other prepared seafood dishes. It’s “surimi.” Surimi is real fish, made from wild-caught Alaskan pollock/whiting. It first appeared in the U.S. in the early 80s, when it was brought over from Japan a...

If you think today’s episode is going to be filled with boring legalese, think again. Not only are many entrepreneurs reticent to involve a legal expert, but they tend to think of them merely as risk-mitigators.  But stop to consider – your business could attract bigger initial financing, celebrity partners and endorsements, and maybe even a higher exit sale/acquisition price if you have a CPG leg...

Encore Presentation from May 2021 - Jennifer Lukas-Bourgeois and Bram Bourgeois are the Co-founders of Lekkco Belgian Dark Chocolate Spread, a brand of all-natural, gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, dark chocolate spread that’s derived from a 50-year old Belgian recipe. Bram was born and raised in Belgium and at the age of 28, migrated to the United States where he was fueled by a profound curiosity t...

Encore from April of 2021 : Renee Dunn is the Founder and CEO of Amazi Foods, a mindful food company that makes unique and very tasty fruit snacks. While attending Wesleyan University, Renee had the opportunity to study in Uganda. She was struck by the local entrepreneurial sector and their delicious tropical fruits, so she opted to later return and conduct her thesis research on the state of entr...