Unfinished Biz with Robin and Wayne

Stu Landesberg grew up in a home with sustainable products at arm’s reach, which inspired him to develop household products that are good for you, your home, and the planet. Like so many great brands often do, Grove Collaborative saw an opportunity in an emerging market and built their business to meet the moment. Learn more about how Stu kept on track despite the lack of initial interest and wher...

Ariel Kaye loves comfort and quality in a home, which made her the perfect founder for Parachute - an online-only, direct-to-consumer bedding brand that expanded into a thriving brick-and-mortar business. Parachute makes premium quality sheets, towels, robes, rugs, even furniture designed to make every home that much more comfortable. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn all about how Ariel's vision...

NFL veteran Justin Forsett has had a storied football career, but when it came time to hang up his cleats, Justin was already well engulfed in the entrepreneurial game. Hustle Clean's line of products are redefining the self-care movement by focusing on hygiene, wellness and recovery with a variety of face and body wipes for anyone committed to the fitness lifestyle. Join Robin and Wayne as they l...

Bea Dixon, The Honey Pot Co-Founder and CEO, has had an entrepreneurial journey unlike any other. From pharmacy work to running a cleaning business to working with vendors at Whole Foods, Bea learned how to hustle, how to take charge in business, and how to treat her Honey Pot team with care and respect. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn more about the genesis of The Honey Pot brand, Bea's highs...

G.O.A.T. Fuel Founder Jerry Rice and his Co-Founder (and daughter) Jaqui Rice have had quite the entrepreneurial journey. G.O.A.T. Fuel a lifestyle and health-focused energy brand that focuses on a variety of flavors and unique ingredients designed to separate it from its competitors. Jerry Rice also happens to be a National Football League Hall of Famer and 3-time Super Bowl champion who holds th...

Nobody knows fitness quite like [solidcore] Founder Anne Mahlum. [solidcore] describes itself as pilates redefined, with a full-body workout that utilizes slow and controlled movements, now one of the biggest boutique fitness brands in the US. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn how Anne grew to know and love the exercise, what challenges she faced while scaling her business, and where [solidcore]...

Founder & CEO of ethnic e-grocer Weee! Larry Liu believes in bringing fresh groceries to customers across the United States. Weee!’s products include meats, snacks, beverages, health and beauty tools, even household essentials. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn how Weee! was born from demand, how scaling as quickly as Weee! did created new business models, and what Larry hopes for the future of r...

Vintner's Daughter Founder and CEO April Gargiulo honed her entrepreneurial skills running her family's wine business, but it wasn't until she took a leap of faith creating her own skincare line that she truly understood the challenges ahead. April joins Robin and Wayne to share her motivation behind Vintner's Daughter, the parallels of growing grapes and developing face serums, and why her approa...

Saeju Jeong, Noom Co-Founder and CEO, spent his early years immersed in the world of medicine, but his eventual path took a much less traditional turn. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn how Saeju found his calling, why Noom is more than a weight loss app, and where the future of heathcare is headed next.

Nailah Ellis' entrepreneurial journey literally started from scratch - her family's Jamaican sweet tea recipe was passed down for generations before Nailah decided to share it with the world as Ellis Island Tea. But perfecting taste, securing distribution, and scaling for demand is more than just a labor of love, and Nailah was doing it all on her own. Today, the brand now known as Ellis Isle has...

When Bentley Hall joined the Good Eggs team five years ago, he had his work cut out for him. Good Eggs needed an overhaul of not only its grocery delivery business plan but its leadership and company goals, and that forced Bentley to make some tough decisions. Today, Good Eggs is a very different company that's managed to thrive during the pandemic - thanks to some big strategy shifts and a lot of...

Muniq Founder and CEO Marc Washingon is the first to admit that despite his vast experience over the years working with entrepreneurs, becoming one himself hasn't always been easy. Join Robin and Wayne as they uncover how Marc recreated his business expertise into a direct-to-consumer brand that aims to be both delicious and healthy.

When Denise Woodard's daughter was diagnosed with a long list of food allergies, Denise had to start getting creative in the kitchen. But after realizing how much "safe" foods could still be fun and tasty to eat, Denise turned her family's lifestyle into a successful product line called Partake Foods. Join Robin and Wayne as they hear all about Denise's journey, and how much she had to risk early...

When Mark Taira's father began what's now known as the King's Hawaiian empire, it was a very different business...smaller, scrappier, and family run through and through. Today, King's Hawaiian is beloved all over the world and with $500M in annual revenue, the company has made incredible growth strides to keep up with demand. Robin and Wayne chat with CEO Mark Taira and President, Chief Strategy &...

When Maggie Patton and Alex Buckley co-founded Bitsy's after many years in the child education and wellness non-profit sector, they knew their mission to offer nutritious kids' food to all families was solid. But when mother, actor, and activist Gabrielle Union joined the team as co-founder, Bitsy's entered a new era of brand visibility and core team strength. Find out how the three co-founders fo...

As the Unfinished Biz team continues to shelter in place and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect companies of all sizes worldwide, we decided to highlight one of our favorite up-and-comers in the brick and mortar space. Nicci Levy, Alchemy 43 Founder and CEO, started her beauty career at a very young age and hasn't looked back. With years of cosmetics experience under her belt, Nicci sought...

FRAME Co-Founder and Chairman Jens Grede was already an advertising rockstar alongside his business partner Erik Torstensson when he decided he needed a change. Pairing his deep connections within the fashion industry with his own branding savvy, Jens zeroed in on Los Angeles to launch a premium denim line like no other, and FRAME was born. Find out why Jens put lifestyle at the core of the FRAME...

In this special episode of Unfinished Biz, Robin and Wayne are joined by VMG partners Kara Roell and Mike Mauzé for a candid discussion about the potential effects of COVID-19 on business ecosystems worldwide. VMG’s partners have been working closely with their portfolio companies to ensure that team efficacy and morale stays solid in the face of instability. Supply chain and liquidity concerns mu...

Randi Christiansen, Necessaire Co-Founder and CEO, knows what she is doing. After honing her skills at one of the most prestigious beauty and personal care companies in the world, Randi knew what was missing and what she wanted to build. Join Robin and Wayne as they uncover the story behind Necessaire and find out which products Randi believes have yet to disrupt the beauty industry.

When Rachel Drori, Daily Harvest Founder and CEO, found herself in need of better nutrition while juggling work and family, she realized she could solve the problem for others as well..Find out how Rachel’s formative years paved the eventual way to her own nutritional food line, how making smoothies turned into a much bigger business, and why frozen food is better for you than you think.

Dave Heath, Bombas Co-Founder and CEO, stumbled into his successful sock business unexpectedly when he realized how important they were for people experiencing homelessness. Join Robin and Wayne as they learn how Bombas used the 1-to-1 model to not only help people in need, but also to create a business ethos Bombas is proud of today.

Nancy Twine is a founder at heart, but she started down a dramatically different path before finding her passion. After a personal tragedy changed her family forever, Nancy hit the reset button and realized what she was meant to do, even though it was a huge departure from what she had already established as a lucrative finance career on Wall Street. Find out how Nancy is disrupting the haircare i...

Bill Creelman has always loved food and beverages. That's why he founded Spindrift, a hugely successful sparkling water line you now see in most grocery stores, big and small. But getting to this point wasn't easy, and Bill had to tackle a variety of challenges to make his brand the behemoth it is today. Find out how Bill's passion drove him to build Spindrift, how his team has weathered the ebbs...

Stasher Founder and CEO, Kat Nouri, calls herself a rebel, and her unconventional founder journey backs up that claim. From a young age, Kat was taught to value health and wellness, but also to maintain a strong work ethic. When she found herself juggling the entrepreneurial life while also raising a family, she decided to bring her two worlds together... and Stasher was born. The smart alternativ...

Laura Modi, Co-Founder and CEO of Bobbie, spent years in the tech sector building new platforms in high-paced environments. After becoming a mother, Laura's frustration with the lack of clean-ingredient baby formulas inspired her to take action, and Bobbie was born. Find out what Bobbie is doing to make formula healthier than ever, why regulation makes this goal so complex, and how Bobbie plans to...