The Irresistible Factor

Geoff Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao, has a unique business concept that pushes boundaries. In 2017, Wow Bao’s parent company, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, had an idea: They wanted to create a product that could help restaurants and catering businesses that were really struggling. Geoff shared that the company considered catering companies that do one big order a week, then sit dorm...

Kombucha has become one of the superstars of the health and wellness movement. George Thomas Dave, Founder and CEO of GT’s Living Foods, one of the few global kombucha giants, has worked hard to maintain quality and values since creating the category in the ’90s. On The Irresistible Factor, GT shares his personal story of how kombucha changed his life, and how he found himself managing a multibill...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** Gem Misa believes in her product wholeheartedly. She’s the Founder and CEO of FullGreen, a plant-based company that makes nutritious, shelf-stable products without preservatives. Notably, they create some of the best cauliflower rice — and have many more innovative pro...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** When building a brand, it’s crucial to differentiate it, recognize its growth potential and discover its vitality, advises Mark Timbie, former President of McCormick & Co North America and Chief Administrative Officer. (He now serves as Operating Partner at Centre...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** Rick Gillis, President of The Tinley Beverage Company, knows what it takes to develop a highly innovative brand. Under Rick’s leadership, Tinley’s is creating Cannabis-Infused Classic Tonics & Mixers. He tells host Kristi Bridges how the company uses nano-technolog...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** “Putting your name on the bottle shows that you are a family, and that you are not just thought up in some corporate boardroom by some executives,” said Zach Brinley, Owner of Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum. In 2002, Zach left his job on Wall Street to join the family busi...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** How does a company grow from creating home-brewed ginger beer in a SoCal garage to a nationally recognized brand? Norm Snyder, CEO of Reed’s Ginger Beer, has the answer. Alongside host Kristi Bridges, Norm shares his story of serving Reed’s Ginger Beer since 2019, alon...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** Duck Donuts is the fastest-growing donut shop in the United States. Incredibly, even during the pandemic, the company doubled its workforce! This growth is possible in large part because of Betsy Hamm, Duck Donuts’ CEO. Host Kristi Bridges and Betsy discuss how she wor...

The Irresistible Factor is dropping seven special bonus episodes this week! Listen to them all wherever you get your podcasts. *** Susan Griffin-Black wanted to work for a brand that honors her values. And so, she created one. (Well, two!) Susan, EO and Everyone Co-Founder and CEO, and host Kristi Bridges explore how the brands began, along with their growth trajectories. Importantly, consumer con...

Can jerky be disruptive? Absolutely. Joe Oblas, co-founder and CEO of Stryve, decided to disrupt the beef snacks category with a brand that doesn’t believe in compromises. Stryve’s “jerky without the junky” product is nutritious and delicious. That’s because they use biltong, an air-dried meat snack with 50% more protein than jerky — and no sugar, nitrates, preservatives, or chemicals. “Typically,...

Founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel created a product that met a consumer need, and has a super compelling mission to make the world a healthier place. It’s true that his brand, Lemon Perfect, is “literally on fire.” So much so that they just announced $31 million Series A with investments from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and leading consumer products funds. Yanni’s story and his passion are just the kind o...

Bob Burke takes businesses’ ideas, and makes them real. On The Irresistible Factor, Bob and host Kristi Bridges talk about how he is able to bring natural, organic and specialty products to market as a consultant with Natural Products Consulting. Bob is a real expert with serious experience, and his value to his clients is clear. (His roster of work includes Annie’s, Dr. Bronner’s, Mason Dixie Bis...

When Andrew Pudalov founded Rush Bowls in 2004, he was ahead of the health food curve. In the early 2000s, after a long career in banking, Andrew decided it was time to do something different. He left New York City, quit his job, and moved his family to Boulder, Colorado, where he bought a house and started a new business. On The Irresistible Factor, the Rush Bowls CEO tells host Kristi Bridges hi...

In 1993, Greg Hoyt graduated from college, and landed his first job with Caribou Coffee. He discovered two things: He fell in love with the coffee industry, and he learned that he wanted to become an entrepreneur. Now, Greg is an investor who helps entrepreneurs. He’s also the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Gather Venture Group, a Minneapolis-based investment fund focused on emerging food and...

What if your beverages worked harder for you than water? That’s exactly what Nuun Hydration delivers. On The Irresistible Factor, Kevin Rutherford tells host Kristi Bridges how he became Nuun’s CEO, combining his passions for health, wellness, fitness, and natural products. With a deep background in marketing — and experience at SC Johnson and Miller Brewing Company, along with “the OG” natural pr...

Two years ago, Jessica Kates co-founded Rellevant, an early-stage growth equity firm, unique because of the way they conduct business — they provide strategic advice, rooted in real business experience. That work experience comes through Jessica’s long line of diverse and exciting job opportunities — from investment banker to hedge fund manager, from CFO of an online consumer products retailer to...

For Adam Grossman, founder and CEO of Papa & Barkley, relieving pain is personal. When Adam’s dad was struggling with chronic, debilitating back pain in 2015, Adam wanted to understand how to relieve it. Many traditional pharmaceutical products weren’t working, and out of desperation, Adam sent his dad to the hospital, where his condition worsened. And so, Adam found another way, utilizing the...

Ayeshah Abuelhiga took a big risk: She left corporate America, and started a company making something that really mattered to her — high-quality comfort food. On this week's episode of The Irresistible Factor, Mason Dixie Founder and CEO, Ayeshah, tells host Kristi Bridges how she pushes boundaries in everything she does. What amazed Kristi most about Ayeshah is that she’s self-made, self-tau...

Jake Kneller wanted to bring a truly healthy product to the frozen aisle. And so, he co-founded Sweet Nothings, a brand of convenient, ready-to-eat, spoonable smoothies made with organic fruits, nuts and seeds, where he’s now CEO.On this week's episode of The Irresistible Factor, host Kristi Bridges talks with Jake about all the frozen food space has going for it. Together, they dive into why...

Brands need funding. And capital investors need brands with good ideas. On this week's episode of The Irresistible Factor, Kristi Bridges speaks with Christopher Jane, CEO and co-founder of Proper Good, and Al Sambar, General Partner at XRC Labs, a venture capital firm and accelerator that invested in Proper Good. You'll hear what investors like Al look for in a startup, and the importan...

CJ Rapp, founder of Karma Water, is on a mission to shake up the beverage industry, transforming water to wellness. In Kristi Bridges' conversation with CJ, he talks about his long career in the beverage industry and experience with his first brand of energy drinks, Jolt. They discuss the story of Jolt and why CJ decided to make a pivot into the health and wellness space with Karma. They also...

Nick Saltarelli always wanted to build a legacy as an entrepreneur. From the age of 14, he was mentored by and worked for several high-growth companies in Canada, with the goal of one day becoming one. Going into his thirties, he decided that he wanted to compete at the highest level of entrepreneurship and put his love for chocolate to the test; and that’s how Mid-Day Squares, the first functiona...

Waterloo is pure flavor artistry in purified sparkling water with amazing bold flavors! They're uniquely refreshing waters that awaken the senses. Listen in to hear how they built this irresistible brand.

Q Mixers asks the question, why don't our mixers measure up to the spirits we see on the shelf? That's why they made mixers with real ingredients that are less sweet and perfectly carbonated.

Verde Farms is a pioneer and leading U.S. provider of 100% grass-fed, 100% pasture-raised, organic beef for retail, club, and food service. Listen in to see how CEO Dana Ehrlich has helped evolve this category and bring their consumers products they can trust and feel good about buying.