Startup To Scale

Learn how Good Pops drove a 40% increase in sales from rebranding, design effectiveness, the re-naming checklist, and the rise of Adorkable design. I talk with Fred Hart, Creative Director and Partner at Interact Brands, arguably one of the best branding agencies in the CPG world right now, having designed for Koia, Fat Snax, Califlour, and more. This episode is filled with insanely valuable info,...

Almost every product on the market today is leading with a health claim, but what happens when you lead with "Not Healthy, Just Delicious"? Let's find out on today's episode with Sam Tichnor, founder of FFUPs. What are FFUPs? It's a line of crunchy puffed snacks that are designed for the couch potatoes at home. Sam has a rich background working in Brand Innovation at Harry...

This is such a fun episode. I sit down with Ale Rodriguez, Head of Marketing for Bon Bon Bon, a chocolate confection company based in Detroit. During this episode, we discuss building a sustainable E-commerce brand, from packaging to people. We also discuss the tools you need to build a high-functioning e-commerce site. This episode is in partnership with BigCommerce , a leading e-commerce platfor...

Building a business is challenging, accelerate your success with seven mindset shifts.  We’ll be talking about the mental side of being a founder, and how to overcome the common challenges that every founder goes through. Join me as I talk with Sari Kimbell, Business Coach for Food Founders. This webinar is for you if you ever feel stressed, overwhelmed, or just want to set yourself up for success...

The reality is that most CPG brands will fail and go out of business. By learning from the lessons of others, you can have a chance of succeeding. Join me for a conversation with Yuval Selik who previously launched a CPG brand that failed at retail. Yuval now runs Promomash , a platform to help founders manage promotion and demo strategy and execution so they can succeed at retail. Startup to Scal...

Damien learned that building his company in public allows people to become personally invested in him and the brand. He created a TikTok account in December 2021 and his first video went viral, getting him a waitlist of 6,000 people. From that waitlist, Damien sold 1,000 units and he was off to the races. Join me to learn how Damien created the ultimate launch plan for bootstrapped founders. Start...

SOMOS is a new line of authentically made in Mexico meal-kits co-founded by Daniel Lubetzky (founder of KIND), Rodrigo Zuloaga, and Miguel Leal. Join me as I talk with Miguel to learn how they decided to launch the brand, overcame supply-chain obstacles, and are creating a story resonating in households across America. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emer...

After watching many great CPG companies rise and fail, I've become an advocate of founders building a Profit First business model. This means they prioritize finding product-market fit and a model to breakeven to become a sustainable business. Ami Bhansali is one of those founders. She started Chai Diaries after coming to the United States to build her dream business. Ami comes from a family...

Are you interested in selling at Target? I talk with Ryan Rogers, a former Target buyer who spent 18 years working at the company.  Ryan now runs Retail Optics, a consultancy to help CPG brands navigate their sales and growth strategy. We discuss: The size of the grocery business at Target Customer shopping behavior The best way to pitch Target buyers How to succeed on shelf Startup to Scale is a...

How do you go from a cafe pioneering Unicorn Lattes to launching a CPG Beverage? Join me as I talk to Bret Caretsky, founder of Unicorn Beverages and learn about his journey. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a m...

Are you interested in selling your products in Whole Foods Market? Join me for a conversation with Will Betts, VP of Local Merchandising and learn what it takes to be successful selling with Whole Foods. We discuss getting on the shelf, and more importantly, how to sell off the shelf. Whole Foods Market launched a new Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP) and is looking to assemble a cohor...

When Zach founded Wildland Coffee , he already had the experience of launching and closing a previous coffee company.  He made a ton of mistakes the first time around, but learned from them and was able to create an even better business. Join me for a conversation with Zack as we discuss coffee, failed partnerships, building a Profit First business, and more. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodb...

While the food industry is abuzz with talk around functional foods, the consumer market is still at its early stages.  Join me for a conversation with Alexa and Ericka, co-founders of Zippy Pantry, an online marketplace to buy functional products. Learn how their experience in the beauty category prepared them for bringing functionality to the food and bev industry. Startup to Scale is a podcast b...

Raising money from investors has always been difficult for food and beverage founders. The current environment is even more challenging, especially for founders under $1 million. For this conversation, I talk with Michael Movitz and Tom Malengo from Brandjectory about the opportunities and obstacles that emerging brands face. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to conne...

E-commerce is getting increasingly crowded, with thousands of companies vying for attention.  I talk with Kelly Ferris from BigCommerce about the 6 things brands need to do in 2022. Tell Your Brand Story Identify the right channels and use them well Use social proof Consider repeat purchase strategies Delight the customer from purchase to delivery Improve not just your B2C experience, but your B2B...

I talk with David Boyle of Sherpa CPG on some of the intermediate challenges that founders face when working with co-manufacturers. We discuss how to build strong relationships with manufacturers, how to structure contracts, and more. If you want to connect with David, visit SherpaCPG.com If you're looking for a primer, check out Episode 24, Working with Co-manufacturers with Ashley Sutterfie...

So this is a really cool one if you’re looking to raise money. I talk with Ben from SMBX about crowdsourced debt, a new way to raise money through microlending that doesn't require you to give up equity.  We also talk about equity crowdfunding and when to utilize each for your business. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG...

I first met Clark a few months after launching Golden Ratio Coffee and doing $10k in sales at launch.  Now two years later he's built a successful business on it's way to being profitable this year.  Join me for a conversation and learn exactly how Clark launched, and how his business has gotten easier and not harder as he's grown. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an onli...

Building a CPG product is damn hard, and building one across multiple channels takes a ton of time and resources. Join me for a conversation with my friend Steve Gaither, brand strategy and marketing expert who's worked with a hundred companies. We'll discuss how brands can build an omnichannel strategy, new ways of standing out to consumers, and more. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Fo...

Starting a CPG business is full of challenges, and they only keep getting bigger as you grow! Join me as I talk with Sari Kimbell, who runs Food Business Success on what challenges founders encounter on their journey from $0 to $1 million. Food Business Success is an online, self-paced program to help you learn the basics of running a food business combined with one-on-one consulting. Learn More H...

Building an effective marketing strategy is incredibly challenging.  I talk with Arica and Kristen from Hart and Highland about how brands can build an effective strategy using a combination of Paid Social, Organic Social, and Influencer Marketing. My favorite quote from this episode: "You have the let go of the idea that you’re on Instagram to sell your product, you’re there to build your co...

Thrive Market is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce grocery markets for natural products. Join me for a conversation with Jason Bidart, Thrive Market's Senior Director of merchandising for food. We discuss: Thrive’s consumers and what types of products are they looking for. How has Thrive’s business changed this year and what are their plans for next year. What categories are seeing the mo...

Kyle Peters started Six Pack Creamery, a frozen dessert company inspired by his mother's battle with cancer. As a first-time founder, he overcame roadblocks, found success on his journey including launching in GNC stores, and navigated a rebrand to Carter and Oak. Ultimately, he realized the margins just didn't work without sacrificing product quality and decided to shut down the company...

Most brands will end up working with a 3rd party contract manufacturer (co-manufacturer) over their lifetime, but many of these partnerships are tenuous at best. I talk with Ashley on how to prepare for working with a co-manufacturer, and what steps you can take to build a successful partnership. A few tips:  Think of manufactures as an extension of our business and cultivating that relationship w...

What's it like bootstrapping your company and finding success? Join me as I talk with Allision, CEO of Sweet Logic about why she made the decision and the opportunities and challenges that came with it. We also discuss the mental and emotional health challenges of being a food founder and how to develop a process to navigate through it. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online co...