Startup To Scale

It's no secret that consumer behavior is changing. But how are you responding? Join me for a conversation with Sherry Frey, VP of Total Wellness for NielsenIQ, as we break down the generational shift in wellness shopping habits. Listen in to learn how consumer behaviors are changing and discover new opportunities to market to each age group. Want to explore data further? NielsenIQ is offering...

Have you ever purchased a product from QVC or those late-night TV ads? Probably not. But live-stream shopping is getting a facelift with companies like Amazon and Crafted pioneering it's rise in the US.  While current usage has a long way to go, nearly 30% of people in China have purchase products from live-streams, showing the potential in the US. Join me for a conversation with the founders...

Let's talk through the Four Financial Tools You Need as a CPG Brand. Joining me for this conversation is Jim Shehigian with Aion . We can discuss: Banking AR/AP Bookkeeping and Insights Flexible Working Capital 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...

Do you have a clear picture of your business? There's a lot to manage between sales, marketing, operations, and finance. It's easy to get conflicting information about how your business is performing. Join me for a discussion with Rick Wingate, founder of Sherpa ERP on how to create an operating system for your business. SherpaERP helps founders manage their ingredient ordering, manufact...

There are dozens of incubators, accelerators, and programs for emerging CPG brands and it's difficult to know when and if you should apply. I sit down with Michelle Breyer, CMO of SKU to discuss the benefits and differences of programs. We also discuss criteria to evaluate if a program is right for you. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food,...

Have you considered influencer marketing but haven’t figured out how to make it work for your brand? In today’s episode, we break down the six-step process of building an effective influencer marketing program and walk through exactly how to do it. I’m joined by Yash Chavan, founder of Saral, an influencer marketing tool that makes tracking each step much easier.  We discuss: Creator Prospecting ...

Jane McKay and her co-founder Meg Barnhart founded the Zen of Slow Cooking a line of spice blends made for easy slow cooker meals. What started off as a blog quickly turned into a CPG company that grew from selling in Farmer's Markets to Walmart. Now, Jane helps other founders grow along the same journey through her company Astute Ideas. We'll also discuss her current work in the Low/No...

Building a consumer brand in 2022 has fundamentally changed. Brands are looking for more than good taste (although that's still the most important attribute). Consumers are looking for authentic brands that represent their values, and bring some fun and entertainment along the way. Join me for a conversation with David Howitt, Founder of Meriwether Group as we discuss how to build a successfu...

If you've been on Linkedin, I'm sure you've seen Parker Olson's daily posts sharing his journey building Forij. The content is fun, exciting, and raw, as he showcases the highs of landing new accounts, to the lows of having his van break down in the middle of nowhere and having to sleep at a rest stop.  Join me for a fun conversation as we discuss why he decided to publically s...

This is episode 3 in our 3 part Finance Mini-Series for CPG Brands with Alice Zhang, founder of myPocketCFO .  Today we’re discussing working capital and cashflow for CPG brands including: Cash conversion cycle How to track and finance your working capital Cashflow forecasting Cash runway forecasting myPocketCFO helps founders to take care of all the above. E-mail alice@mypocketcfo.com to: Try out...

This is episode 2 in our 3 part Finance Mini-Series for CPG Brands with Alice Zhang, founder of myPocketCFO .  Today we’re discussing common CPG accounting mistakes including: Incorrectly adding inventory as an expense Distributor Chargebacks Amazon sales Shopify Sales myPocketCFO helps founders to take care of all the above. E-mail alice@mypocketcfo.com to: Try out their auto-bookkeeping for an i...

This is the first episode in our 3 part Finance Mini-Series for CPG Brands with Alice Zhang, founder of myPocketCFO.  We're discussing capital raising and financing for CPG brands including: Overall Strategy (Angels, VCs, Equity Crowdfunding, Rewards Crowdfunding, Debt) Pros and cons of each approach (Angels, VCs, Equity Crowdfunding, Rewards Crowdfunding, Debt) Getting your Balance sheet and...

Are you a fan of hummus?  Amy and her sisters started Soom Foods to bring the world's best tahini (a key ingredient in hummus) to you. Join me for a conversation as we discuss what it's like building a family business, how they go their start in foodservice working with top chefs, and navigating changing consumer behaviors during the pandemic. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy ,...

Building a business takes time.  For Jeff Wiguna at Kuju Coffee , it took 6 years to break even.  That was after years of investing in a vertically integrated manufacturing process and building their customer base. Join me for a conversation on how building a financially sustainable company is now giving him more options to grow the business during this next phase. Startup to Scale is a podcast by...

Steve launched Traveler’s Soda in 2017 and ultimately decided to shut down the business 5 years later. Join me as we discuss why he started the company, his journey in building the brand, and his final decision to close it. We discuss the operational hurdles he experienced, along with the mental and emotional feelings that came with the decision. If you're looking to start a beverage business...

What does your company stand for? Many people think that a brand is your logo, font, and colors, but those are just markers. "Brand" is a promise you make and how you go about making that promise real. Join me as I talk with David Lemley, President of Retail Voodoo as we discuss how to build a brand that stands for something, and why that's central to creating customer loyalty. Star...

Are you leveraging smart sampling to gain customer trial? Smart sampling is utilizing a virtual platform to identify target customers and individually send samples to them for feedback. Join me as I talk with Mathieu Gamache, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Zero dB on how he leverages Sampler's   smart sampling program to: Get 1000s of new customer product trial Create a target custome...

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...