The Startup CPG Podcast: Recent Episodes
Startup CPG
A podcast from Startup CPG - highlighting stories from founders working towards a better food system and industry insights from experts to give you a better chance at success.
Today we get to learn from an incredible marketing and customer experience expert and leader. Jess Cervellon is the Vice President of Customer Experience at Feastables, a DTC/B2B Customer & Brand Experience Consultant, and Co-host of Oopsie Podcast. If you aren’t familiar with Feastables, it’s the CPG brands of YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as Mr. Beast, who is the most subscribed individual in the world with 176 million subscribers on YouTube at the time of recording. His brand Feastables so far makes chocolate bars, cookies, and gummies (shoutout to Karl Gummies as my personal favorite) which are available online, in Walmart, and a growing list of other retailers. Jess has worked across high-growth DTC, eComm and SaaS companies for the last 12+ years and was the 4th hire at Feastables. We’re really going to dig into all things customer experience in this episode and Jess has lots of practical tips for small brands.
Listen in as Jess shares about:
- Why customer experience or CX is important to start thinking about early at an emerging brand
- How to leverage chat bots on your website and the behind-the-scenes of the Feastables chat bot
- SMS trends and how to interact with your customers through SMS
- The pros and cons of outsourcing customer service and how to leverage technology as your own army of customer success reps and salespeople
- Connecting DTC with retail and how Feastables leveraged their community during the Walmart National launch
- Stories from the field, including Jess’ personal number getting leaked to the Mr Beast audience
- And more!
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Settle. Go to https://www.settle.com/gostartupcpg
Episode Links:
- Jess’ website & LinkedIn
- Feastables’ website & Mr. Beast’s YouTube
- Jess on MentorPass
- Oopsie Podcast hosted by Zoe Kahn & Jess
- Signup for Jess’ newsletter, Sunday Postcards
- 1-800-DTC article about Feastables featuring Jess
- Mentions: Intercom, Kustomer (CRM), Zendesk, Gorgias, Hubspot, Certainly (bot), Sendlane, Klaviyo, Postscript, Attentive, Oat Haus, Mid-Day Squares
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Settle Links:
- Settle website
- Take the Settle Bill Pay for a spin here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Last time we talked about equity crowdfunding on the show, many of you let me know that you wanted more equity crowdfunding content. When I saw that Ghost Town Oats had launched their second Wefunder campaign, I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to talk more about equity crowdfunding and to introduce you to Ghost Town Oats if you aren’t familiar. Ghost Town Oats is the first Black-owned, queer-owned, barista-owned oat milk company. Ghost Town Oats was developed by three baristas, Michelle R. Johnson, Eric Grimm, and Ezra Baker, who were a part of oat milk’s initial rise to fame in some of the first shops to carry it. Having been unpaid ambassadors while also seeing its marketability skew towards the upper economic class of society, it was time to flip the script: make a premium oat milk of their own and create a brand that appealed to a broader audience. They formulated Ghost Town Oats for incredible taste, steaming capability, and versatility, and the reviews are in: it’s a hit! They reached $1 million in revenue 10 months after launch, they’ve already produced over 1 million units of oat milk, and they are already carried in over 500 coffee shops. Our guest today is Ghost Town’s Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder Ezra Baker.
Listen in as Ezra shares about:
- How Ghost Town Oats got started during the pandemic
- Their first Wefunder equity crowdfunding campaign in 2022 where they raised over $210,000 from almost 500 investors in less than a week and NBA all-star Jimmy Butler was a lead investor
- Their second and currently ongoing Wefunder campaign, from what they learned from the first campaign to how it works to set up a campaign
- How they distribute to 500+ coffee shops and what’s next for Ghost Town in the foodservice channel
- First hires for Ghost Town and how they plan ahead for their next hires
- Press opportunities like Good Morning America
- And more
Get your ticket to the Expo East Mic Drop party for a chance to win a spot on the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nafz284
This episode was sponsored by Settle. Go to https://www.settle.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- Ghost Town Oats website
- Current Ghost Town Oats Wefunder campaign
- Order Ghost Town Oats on Dayglow
- No Free Refills Podcast
- Ezra’s LinkedIn
- Mentions: Tetra Pak, Shoreline, Go Get Em Tiger, CBC Specialty Beverage, Stan’s Donuts, Dom's Kitchen & Market, Cafe Grumpy, Saveur, Prosperity Market, Black Market Flea
Mic Drop Party at Expo East Giveaway:
- Enter the giveaway to win a spot on this podcast and The Dish by buying your ticket to the Mic Drop party in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023 here
- Note: Giveaway only available to CPG brands and must be present at party in-person to win. If you already bought a ticket, you’ve automatically been entered!
Settle Links:
- Settle website
- Find out your Settle financing power here
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
I’m so excited to introduce you to today’s guest and for the chance to feature an incredible organization everyone in CPG should know about, Project Potluck. Kathleen Casanova is the Founding Executive Director of Project Potluck, which is the largest professional community inclusively for People of Color (POC) in CPG. People of Color face systemic barriers to accessing social, human, and financial capital. As a result, today’s CPG industry is not representative of the US population or the consumers that support and purchase products, especially natural and organic products. Currently, 40% of the US population are POC but only 16% of leadership teams in CPG Natural Products are POC. Project Potluck is empowering People of Color to build successful companies and careers in the CPG Industry. If you are a Person of Color, this episode will introduce you to Project Potluck as a resource. If you are not, this episode will introduce you to how to support the Project Potluck community and contribute to serving 1,000 People of Color in CPG, creating a more colorful CPG industry, and a more equitable society.
Listen in as Kathleen shares about:
- How Project Potluck got started
- Resources and events available to members
- How people can support Project Potluck
- And more!
Get your ticket to the Expo East Mic Drop party for a chance to win a spot on the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nafz284
This episode was sponsored by Settle. Go to https://www.settle.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- Project Potluck website
- Kathleen’s LinkedIn
Mic Drop Party at Expo East Giveaway:
- Enter the giveaway to win a spot on this podcast and The Dish by buying your ticket to the Mic Drop party in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023 here
- Note: Giveaway only available to CPG brands and must be present at party in-person to win. If you already bought a ticket, you’ve automatically been entered!
Settle Links:
- Settle website
- Find out your Settle financing power here
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today’s guests are active members of the Startup CPG community and were a crowd favorite Backpack Brand at Startup CPG’s Expo West Alley Rally! Hannah and Behzad Varamini are the co-founders of Tend, the first snackable, real food prenatal. They are reinventing multivitamins, replacing synthetic, hard-to-stomach pills and gummies with superior real food supplements for every stage of life - beginning with pregnancy. I loved getting to hear more about their story and am so excited for you to hear about their journey so far.
Listen in as Hannah and Behzad shares about:
- The process of founding Tend and how Hannah’s prenatal pill experience paired with Behzad’s PhD background to create a new product
- How they went from kitchen science project to commercialization and branding
- Their experience with accelerators including SKU and the Target Forward Founders Accelerator
- How they use qualitative and quantitative consumer data
- Their Expo West experiences and tips and what it was like to be a Backpack Brand at the Alley Rally
- The experience of being married and co-founders
- What’s next for Tend
- And more!
Get your ticket to the Expo East Mic Drop party for a chance to win a spot on the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nafz284
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Settle. Go to https://www.settle.com/startupcpg
Episode Links:
- Tend’s website
- Hannah’s LinkedIn
- Behzad’s LinkedIn
Mic Drop Party at Expo East Giveaway:
- Enter the giveaway to win a spot on this podcast and The Dish by buying your ticket to the Mic Drop party in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023 here
- Note: Giveaway only available to CPG brands and must be present at party in-person to win. If you already bought a ticket, you’ve automatically been entered!
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Settle Links:
- Settle website
- Find out your Settle financing power here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
I don’t always love talking about insurance, but I love talking about insurance with today’s guest, Danielle Holyoake, because I always learn so much and end up feeling more empowered with knowledge. Danielle, is the CRO and co-founder of Amelia Risk, a CPG insurance brokerage equipped to handle all lines of commercial insurance, and I actually met Danielle through the Startup CPG Slack back in 2021 when she helped me with an urgent insurance issue. Last year, in 2022, Danielle came on the show for a CPG insurance 101 level episode of Let's Demystify Insurance - How to navigate insurance in CPG, which is linked in the show notes and may be helpful to listen to before or after this episode, as it’s packed with really great information about general liability, product liability, recall, and worker’s comp insurance. Today we continue with our 100 level CPG insurance knowledge by focusing in on two areas of insurance that often get overlooked, but become super important as a CPG company scales: D&O or Directors & Officers insurance and stock throughput insurance, which come into play around conversations about fundraising and inventory respectively.
This episode was sponsored by Amelia Risk.
Listen in as Danielle shares about:
- Why D&O insurance comes up during fundraising and why it’s often a requirement of investors
- When to start thinking about D&O insurance and what it covers
- Why stock throughput insurance is important and surprising areas where your inventory may be unprotected
- How inventory is covered from an insurance perspective during freight transit, at 3PL warehouses, and why you might need insurance to protect it
- Examples of insurance claim and inventory loss scenarios when insurance can and cannot help, including spoilage, and temperature control issues
- How to find the right insurance broker and why choosing a broker before shopping for policies is important
- And more!
Get your ticket to the Expo East Mic Drop party for a chance to win a spot on the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nafz284
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- Amelia Risk website
- Danielle’s LinkedIn
- Danielle’s email: danielle [at] ameliarisk.com
- Link to our other episode with Danielle: Let's Demystify Insurance - How to navigate insurance in CPG
Mic Drop Party at Expo East Giveaway:
- Enter the giveaway to win a spot on this podcast and The Dish by buying your ticket to the Mic Drop party in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023 here
- Note: Giveaway only available to CPG brands and must be present at party in-person to win. If you already bought a ticket, you’ve automatically been entered!
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Graphite Financial Links:
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Making it to the 10 year mark as a food business is no small feat, and our friends at Soom Foods just passed their 10 year anniversary. Today we are joined by Soom’s CEO and co-founder, Amy Zitelman. Amy had just graduated from college when she and her sisters started Soom, and since then, her and her sister Jackie were on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, Soom has been featured by Forbes, Bon Appetit, and The New York Times, and they have grown into the trusted brand for tahini and tahini products. I met Amy at a Mental Health for Founders event that I hosted last year and was so impressed with her calm, steady wisdom, so I was so excited to share her insights with all of you in today’s conversation! Make sure to grab Soom products at your local Whole Foods and Sprouts and I’ve linked a great blog post in the show notes where Amy reflects further on 10 years at Soom.
Listen in today as Amy shares about:
- Starting Soom with her three sisters
- Why Soom focused on the foodservice channel for the first eight years and what it was like to get started and grow the restaurant channel within foodservice
- Launching nationally in Sprouts and Whole Foods in the past two years and how they prepared as a business
- The process of rebranding to prep for retail
- How Amy navigated having 3 children while growing Soom and her tips for growing a family and a startup at the same time
- What it’s look liked to grow Soom from a financial standpoint from a story that almost bankrupted the business to what it was like to raise outside funds for the first time in 2021
- How Soom has used EOS, or the Entrepreneurial Operating System to scale their team and build an accountability chart
- Amy’s tips for staying grounded amidst everything
- And more!
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
Episode Links:
- Soom website & IG @soomfoods
- Amy’s LinkedIn
- 10 Years of Soom blog post
- Entrepreneurial Operating System, Traction book
- Brands mentioned: Pulp & Wire, Zahav Restaurant
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today’s episode is a celebration. A celebration of 100 episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast! Can you believe it? If you’ve been listening since the beginning, that’s amazing! If this is your first episode, that’s also amazing - welcome! I want to give a heartfelt thank you to each of you as listeners and to our incredible sponsors - you all have allowed us to keep the show going!
I thought to commemorate the occasion, I’d share my top 100 moments on the podcast - just kidding, I’ll just share 10-ish things. From most used metaphors to most surprising stories to most actionable tips to fan favorite episodes, we’re going to count backwards to the #1 moment on the podcast so far. I also made a playlist in the shownotes of all the episodes mentioned in this roundup in case you want to check out the full conversations.
I hope you enjoy and would love to hear from you - what’s your favorite episode or moment on the show? Send me a message on LinkedIn or in the Startup CPG slack (or post it to LinkedIn!). Also, just a quick note that it was incredibly difficult to narrow down this list of moments - there are so many incredible guests and episodes not in today’s roundup - I used a mix of download data + your feedback + my own memory to curate this.
Enter the July 2023 podcast review giveaway by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/28zyjr3e
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- Playlist with all episodes mentioned
-
10 - The “Pure Gold Series” with Seth Goldman (4:10):
- From: #51 Pure Gold Series: Ask Seth Goldman Anything! Plus the Announcement of Just Ice Tea
-
9 - Unlikely Meetings (6:29):
-
57 Shark Tank, Sea Moss, and an Ocean of Potential with Alexiou Gibson
-
71 Building Content Creation Muscles - Behind Dream Pops’ Marketing with David Greenfeld (+ Nowhere Bakery)
-
-
8 - Shark Tank Moments (11:43):
-
80 From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez
-
77 Making a deal on Shark Tank with wildwonder's Rosa Li
-
-
7 - Marriage and Dating Fundraising Metaphors (14:41):
-
60 Venture Capital & Private Equity 101 with VMG Partners' Wayne Wu
-
68 How to Raise $10 Million: Fundraising Aura Bora Style with Paul Voge
-
-
6 - Early Episodes (17:33):
- How to Mind your Packaging, Branding, (and the Font) with Designer and Agency Owner Kirk Visola
- Move over coconut water - Pricklee cactus water brings health, happiness, & hydration
-
5 - Best Advice (23:43):
-
83 Trade Spend & Retail Promotions 101 with Jake Huber (+ Niramaya)
-
73 In-Store Demos 101: Building a Successful Demo Program (+ Funky Mello)
-
81 Meet the Press: Behind the scenes on media publishing with Monica Watrous at Food Business News
-
-
4 - Fan Favorites (28:03):
-
70 Angel Investing 101 with Marcia Dawood (+ Uproot Teas)
-
62 Affiliate & Influencer Marketing 101 with Kim Biddle
-
-
3 - Cold Outreach (31:24):
-
59 Welcome to the Oat Haus! Celebrity Collaboration, Sprouts Launch, and Mental Health with Ali Bonar
-
92 Behind the Dream [Pie] Collaboration of Ben & Jerry’s and Partake Foods with Marlo Giudice
-
-
2 - Authenticity behind the scenes (36:15):
-
47 Authenticity 101: Developing a clear & authentic brand identity at SOMOS with Miguel Leal
-
95 GT Dave - Founder & CEO of GT’s Living Foods: 25+ years of building the kombucha industry one batch at a time
-
-
1 - Liquid Death (41:37):
-
76 How Liquid Death is Murdering Lame Marketing with Hamid Saify
-
July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:
- Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
- By completing the form, you’ll be entered to win one of six prize packages, each filled with goodies from past guests: Tsubi Soup, GoNanas, Forij, Amazi, Chia Smash, Eureka Tortilla, and Nowhere Bakery.
- Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
- Thank you for listening to the show and helping new listeners find us!
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (13K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
I’m so excited to bring back a very popular guest from last year, Jenna Cameron, for another foodservice episode! We released episode #74 with Jenna during December of last year as part of the First Hire Series, and our conversation focused on first hires for foodservice sales. Our community seems hungry for foodservice knowledge and so we asked Jenna to come back on the show to walk us through the biggest players in foodservice from distributors, to operators, to buying groups and more. Jenna is currently the sales lead at SIMULATE and has 10+ years of experience in plant-based foodservice sales for growing brands.
Listen in as Jenna shares about:
- Key term definitions to frame the conversation including operators versus buying groups versus redistributors
- Major distributors to know in foodservice, including details on Dot, Sysco, US Foods, and more, plus other regional distributors and how to work with each
- Some of Jenna’s favorite operators from campus stores to Disney to Red Robin and others and specific nuances
- An overview of key buying groups like Compass and Aramark and how to get started with a buying group
- C-store & convenience store channel ideas
- Resources for finding a regional broker for foodservice or an advisor
- And right at the end we cover Groceraunt, which is incidentally my new favorite word
- And more!
Please note that Jenna drops a ton of detailed information in this episode and if you are worried about catching the company names she’s dropping, fret not! I included all the distributors, buying groups, and operators she mentions in the show notes with links.
Enter the July 2023 podcast review giveaway by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/28zyjr3e
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
Episode Links:
- SIMULATE website
- Jenna’s LinkedIn
- Link to our other podcast episode with Jenna: #74 First Hire Series: Foodservice Sales with Jenna Cameron
- Foodservice 101 webinar recording
- Companies mentioned:
- Distributors mentioned: Dot Foods, Sysco, US Foods, BiRite, PFG / Vistar, Gordon Food, Chefs’ Warehouse, Vegan Distribution, Shamrock, Webstaurant, FoodServiceDirect, Sunbelt
- Redistributors mentioned: Alpine, Dot Foods
- Operators mentioned: Follett Bookstores/Campus Stores, Peet’s Coffee, Bareburger, Philz Coffee, Lemonade, Red Robin, Disney, Next Level Burger, Plant Power Fast Food
- C-Store Operators mentioned: Loop Convenience, 7-11, Plaid Pantry
- Buying Groups mentioned: Compass (Chartwells, Foodbuy), Aramark, Sodexo
- College & Universities Trade Show: NACUFS
- Regional brokers: Herspring-Gibbs, Acclaim, Fidler Marketing
- Advisors: Elohi Strategic Advisors (general foodservice strategy), Green Nature Marketing (strategic nationwide coverage), Advanced Natural Group (micromarket/c-store/corporate cafeterias)
- Groceraunt Trade Show: IDDBA
July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:
- Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
- By completing the form, you’ll be entered to win one of six prize packages, each filled with goodies from past guests: Tsubi Soup, GoNanas, Forij, Amazi, Chia Smash, Eureka Tortilla, and Nowhere Bakery.
- Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
- Thank you for listening to the show and helping new listeners find us!
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (13K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
We’re hearing a lot about AI, artificial intelligence these days, especially with the release to the public of Chat GPT, which may of you have been experimenting with. Chat GPT can help with brainstorming, writing, coding, and more - definitely check out the free version if you haven’t yet. When I first saw the demo of Chat GPT that used Instacart’s plug-in in a recent TED talk (which I’ve linked in the show notes) and it generated a shopping list based on a prompt for a dinner party, my first thought was, “How do emerging brands fit into this picture when AI helps us shop?” How can our community stay informed about how AI is involved in shopper choices and take advantage of the opportunities available now and going to be available? Because Instacart is on the forefront of using AI in grocery and because they are the leading grocery technology company in North America, I decided to reach out to them. Lucky for us, Ali Miller, their Vice President of Product Management, Ads, was willing to come on the show! As you’ll hear, I’ve been personally using Instacart since 2018 and love the platform and have dug into their ads platform, 3rd party tools, and their new AI features from the Chat GPT plug-in to the new Ask Instacart. I think this episode is packed with really powerful knowledge from Ali about how Instacart works and opportunities available for emerging brands to tap into this technology. Instacart partners with more than 1,200 national, regional, and local retail banners, which is approximately 80,000 stores in North America through their marketplace and nearly 6,000 brands use Instacart Ads to connect with consumers.
Listen in as Ali shares about:
- How Instacart’s 4-sided marketplace works
- How the platform has evolved in the last couple of years especially with ML, machine learning, and AI, artificial intelligence
- How Instacart is partnering with Chat GPT both as a plug-in and to power “Ask Instacart” and ways consumers are using these features
- Opportunities for emerging brands to keep their data up to date within the Instacart platform and use Instacart Ads to get great digital listings (despite physical shelf placement)
- How Instacart Ads automates and optimizes the process to your goals and how you can use Instacart to support retail launches
- How Instacart’s customer service balances using AI and traditional customer service methods
- What Instacart is working on next, how quickly the platform is evolving, and the excitement on what’s ahead
- And more!
Enter the July 2023 podcast review giveaway by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/28zyjr3e
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
Episode Links:
- Instacart website
- Instacart Product Library tools & all brand tools
- Ali’s LinkedIn
- TED talk about Chat CPT (including the Instacart plugin)
- Ask Instacart release details
- Brands mentioned: Liquid Death, New Seasons Market
July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:
- Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
- By completing the form, you’ll be entered to win one of six prize packages, each filled with goodies from past guests: Tsubi Soup, GoNanas, Forij, Amazi, Chia Smash, Eureka Tortilla, and Nowhere Bakery.
- Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
- Thank you for listening to the show and helping new listeners find us!
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Graphite Financial Links
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
One of the hottest topics in our Slack community is brands looking for the right co-packer, and since this is something that I often help brands navigate outside of my work at Startup CPG, it’s a topic near and dear to my heart and I wanted to bring on one of my favorite co-packers to talk with, Motherlode Co-Packing in Colorado. Our guests today are Kit Maxfield, their Chief Marketing Officer and Partner, and Adam Bender who is their New Product Development Manager. I met Kit and Adam through my work at Boyle Brands and have always been impressed by their organization and willingness to educate, so I’m so excited to share this 101 level conversation where we establish some of the basics of working with a co-packer.
Listen in as Kit and Adam shares about:
- The co-packer business model
- Day-in-the-life of a co-packer that affects communication, timing, and relationships with brands
- How a co-packer scales up a recipe for their facility
- Why co-packer relationships are different than other vendors
- Best practices for outreach to co-packers
- Tips for successfully navigating onboarding with a co-packer
- And more!
Because this topic is near and dear to my heart as an operations person and it’s the area spend the most time freelancing in, I’ve added in some extra context and term explanations throughout the episode and linked a bunch of resources in the show notes that can help you navigate the world of co-packing. Now let’s hear from Kit and Adam!
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
Episode Links:
- Motherlode website
- Kit’s LinkedIn
- Adam’s LinkedIn
- Brands mentioned: Primal Kitchen
- Useful resource articles on co-packing:
- 3 Things To Have Before You Reach out to a Contract Manufacturer
- Turnkey vs. Tolling in a Contract Manufacturing Relationship
- The Thrill of the Search - The Journey of Searching for the Right Contract Manufacturing Partner
- 3 Costly Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Working with Co-packers
- Co-Packing 101
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Strategy Maven Agency Links:
- Strategy Maven website
- Book your free account audit here
Kickfurther Links:
- Kickfurther website
- See how much inventory funding you qualify here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
If you are in the Startup CPG Slack #finance channel, you’ll regularly see tons of questions about projections, cash flow, and unit economics, so I’m so excited today that we are joined by Paul Bianco, CEO and Founder of Graphite Financial. Born out of a VC fund, Graphite provides startup accounting, finance & tax services for high growth brands. For the past few months, Graphite has even been offering 1:1s with our community members for free to get specific advice for their business (keep an eye out in Slack for more opportunities). Today we’ll focus on the topic of unit economics for CPG companies.
Listen in as Paul shares about:
- Tips for calculating gross margin correctly
- Issues with commonly used terms like LTV (Life Time Value) and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and what metrics he recommends instead
- Using cohort analysis in LTV calculations
- How much data is enough data to create a meaningful analysis
- Best practices and tools for projections
- Tips on when and how to find the right finance service for your company
- And more!
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Promomash + Crisp. Go to promomash.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com
Episode Links:
- Graphite Financial website
- Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
- Paul’s LinkedIn
- Brands mentioned: Plated, Brightland, Funky Mello
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Promomash/Crisp Links:
- Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
- Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
- Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
Strategy Maven Agency Links:
- Strategy Maven website
- Book your free account audit here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
I don’t usually like to play favorites, but this week’s episode is a really special interview, especially for me personally. I LOVE kombucha. I mean love kombucha. And as you’ll hear me mention during the interview, once I found Synergy Kombucha by GT’s Living Foods, I was hooked, and dug deep into the story of the brand, how it’s made, and started following founder GT Dave. I’ve listened to many interviews with GT over the years, so the chance to be the interviewer and spend some time with GT, is a personal dream come true. I also really thought that GT could offer a really interesting perspective to our community. He’s had multiple offers to acquire his company over the years and has taken on no outside investment, which is incredible for a nearly billion dollar brand that owns 40% of the kombucha market. For almost 30 years, he’s operated as the 100% owner and as you’ll hear, has no plans for that to change. I think there’s room for so many different operating models and perspectives in this space, and part of the fun of my job is getting to share different perspectives, hoping that you’ll be able to find and take pieces that resonate with you as you build your own adventure.
If you aren’t familiar with GT’s Living Foods, you’ve no doubt seen the ubiquitous tall glass bottles with a white lotus - the Synergy line is oven what people recognize. GT was the first person to bottle kombucha back in 1995 after his parents received a SCOBY from a friend after a trip to the Himalayas - and this was well before you could Google making kombucha! As you’ll hear GT mention, he saw kombucha become part of his parents’ lives, help his mom while recovering from cancer, and he decided to try to sell a few bottles to the local health store as 15 year old who had dropped out of high school. He then got the product into Erewhon and Whole Foods and has grown steadily - while other kombuchas have entered the market and now it’s a whole separate category. GT continues to innovate in the living foods space with ancient mushroom elixirs, non-dairy water kefir, and raw, fermented, non-dairy, coconut yogurt. I’ve linked a few of my favorite other interviews with GT in the show notes in case you want to dig into more of the founder story - today’s conversation we really focus on leadership, culture, hiring, and health and priorities as a founder.
Listen in as GT shares about:
- How fermenting kombucha is similar to farming and how their manufacturing footprint has grown
- GT’s first hires and learnings and why he focuses on culture fit
- What it’s look like to grow a profitable business with no outside investment
- Why he’s taken a long-term view on building GT’s Living Foods
- His advice for starting new categories and educating consumers
- How they manage a massive brand ambassador force
- What health and wellness looks like day to day and his tips for prioritizing and the importance of communicating and setting expectations in relationships as a founder
- How he manages being a public figure and why he’s chosen to be a visible face of the brand
- We have some fun with questions about his love of animals and pets and halloween
- And so much more!
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com
This episode was sponsored by Promomash + Crisp. Go to promomash.com/startupcpg
Episode Links:
- GT’s Living Foods website
- GT’s LinkedIn
- A few of Jessi’s favorite other interview’s with GT:
- Stick with Your Dreams Episode 26 (hosted by David Greenfeld another Startup CPG Podcast guest)
- John & Ken Show Hour 3 (12/28)
- The Gabby Reece Show: ****GT DAVE – MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ENTREPRENEUR WITH A MISSION
- Taste Radio: GT DAVE HAS A REFRESHING TAKE ON HIS ICONIC BRAND
- Visiting the Kombucha Lair
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Strategy Maven Agency Links:
- Strategy Maven website
- Book your free account audit here
Promomash/Crisp Links:
- Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
- Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
- Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
If you are in the CPG industry and active on LinkedIn, chances are you are familiar with the dynamic duo, Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny, co-hosts of the weekly podcast CPG Vibes. They have over 35 years of combined experience in the industry. Alex is the founder of Genius Juice and you also may know him from his other podcast, 15 Minutes of Genius. Wade is currently the VP of Center Store at The Fresh Market and has held buyer roles at a number of retailers including Jimbos, Rouses (rhymes with mouses), and Buehler Food Markets. For this second installment of our Buyer Series, I wanted to explore both the buyer and brand sides of the coin when it comes to best practices for working with retail buyers.
Listen in as Alex and Wade share about:
- Research to do before submitting to a retailer
- Considerations before sending samples
- Follow up etiquette and how to be pleasantly persistent (a phrase we heard just a few weeks ago from Marlo at Partake about their partnership with Ben & Jerry’s)
- Tips for promotion planning
- Considerations for working with regional and national distributors
- And more!
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Promomash + Crisp. Go to promomash.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by IFT. Go to iftevent.org
Episode Links:
- CPG Vibes podcast
- Genius Juice website
- 15 Minutes of Genius Podcast
- Wade’s LinkedIn
- Alex’s LinkedIn
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
Promomash/Crisp Links:
- Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
- Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
- Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
IFT Links:
- Exhibit at IFT FIRST
- Attend IFT FIRST
- IFT website
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Consumers are looking for more and more transparency into the sourcing and production of their products. We’ve had Social Nature on the show to talk about The Modern Wellness Consumer and the data backing their values based shopping, and I wanted to dig into the behind the scenes of a brand building a really transparent supply chain. Renee Dunn, Founder of Amazi, has been in the Startup CPG community from the beginning, and I’ve been following them for a couple of years. Amazi is on a mission to help people snack on purpose with their 100% made in Uganda tropical fruit snacks and are building a more sustainable and equitable supply chain. Earlier this year, the Amazi team posted a reel on Instagram with Joel, their Operations and Co-Production Manager based in Uganda, and I asked Renee if her and Joel would be willing to come on the show and talk about building their transparent supply chain and navigating an operation spanning two continents. Thankfully they both said yes and we had a great conversation that I’m excited to share today.
Listen in as Renee & Joel share about:
- How Renee got started sourcing products from Uganda and when she met Joel to discuss building a facility and scaling
- The process of building out a facility in Uganda
- How Amazi worked with Sprouts to postpone their launch to support getting the facility opened
- What it looks like to work with local farmers and the process of bringing the fruit to the facility
- How the finished product journeys to the US and makes it to store shelves
- Their emerging work in private label and ingredient supplying to create more demand for products from the Uganda facility and farms
- And more!
Also a quick note that Joel’s audio can be a little tougher to hear at times due to the internet connection, but how cool is it that technology allows us to record podcasts with people across the world! I think you are going to find Joel’s perspective combined with Renee’s so helpful, so let’s dive in.
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg.
This episode was sponsored by IFT. Go to iftevent.org.
This episode was sponsored by Promomash + Crisp. Go to promomash.com/startupcpg.
Episode Links:
- Amazi website & IG @amazifoods
- Negonja Organics website
- Renee’s LinkedIn
- Meet Joel in this Instagram Reel
Shopify Links:
- Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month
IFT Links:
- Exhibit at IFT FIRST
- Attend IFT FIRST
- IFT website
Promomash/Crisp Links:
- Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
- Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
- Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today we have a bonus episode that actually pairs with this week’s earlier episode on packaging and design with Kirk and Andy. Kirk and Andy unboxed ASWM Sauce and gave their reviews, and so now, we get to hear from AWSM sauce co-founder and Lord of Sauces Carl Starkey himself. AWSM Sauce won a Shelfie Award last year and was a backpack brand at Expo East. Carl & I recorded this episode at the end of 2022 and have some great laughs - warning though, there are puns ahead.
Listen in as Carl shares about how AWSM Sauce got started, how they are pivoting into foodservice, their experience participating in Techstars, Carl’s legendary 3 day Clubhouse bender, the behind the scenes of developing a powdered sauce, why started a podcast to get into Expo West didn’t work, what’s up next for AWSM Sauce, and more.
Episode Links:* AWSM Sauce website & Amazon store * Carl’s LinkedIn * Pairs with episode #89 Packaging Design & Printing 101 - AWSM Sauce review at minute 44:29 * Ketchup & Hustle Podcast
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com * Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today we’re joined by two of my favorite Startup CPG community experts: Kirk Visola and Andy Kurtts. The world of printed packaging is complex to navigate, and I wondered what was top of mind for Kirk and Andy as they help brands daily with designing and executing branding and packaging at Kirk’s agency Mind the Font and Andy’s agency Buttermilk Creative. Our goal was some 101 level content around designing and printing packaging for your brand.
Listen in as Andy and Kirk share about:* Common misconceptions when working on print projects and how the color you see on a screen translates to printed color * The importance of being a good partner to your packaging vendors and considerations for choosing a printer * Tips for navigating a re-brand * Ideas for saving money while still creating custom packaging * How to transition from packaging primarily for DTC to a successful package for retail shelves * A review of Shelfie winner AWSM’s sauce’s unboxing experience (44:29) and how to maximize your DTC consumer experience with packaging * And more!
And, stay tuned for a bonus episode this week featuring co-founder Carl from AWSM Sauce - not only a Shelfie winner, but also one of the fan favorites from our Backpack Brands event at Expo East last year.
Episode Links:* Mind the Font website * Buttermilk Creative website * Kirk’s LinkedIn & wearables VSLA * Andy’s LinkedIn * Kirk & Kurtts Podcast (a few of Jessi’s favorite episodes below): + #22: You're full of Shippers + #31 Jake, Not from State Farm + #41: It's AI'ght with Evelio Mattos * Corrugated resource: Cory Connors, Sustainable Packaging Podcast * Brands mentioned: granolust, AWSM Sauce, Mid-Day Squares
IFT Links:* Exhibit at IFT FIRST * Attend IFT FIRST * IFT website
Promomash/Crisp Links:* Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here * Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics * Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
Social Nature Links:* Social Nature website * Social Nature team email: marketing@socialnature.com * Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: + Episode #87 How Natural Shoppers are Responding to Inflation with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs * Episodes that mention Social Nature campaigns: + Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15) + Episode #86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello (Social Nature discussed at 37:33)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com * Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today’s episode is really special - Kara Goldin, the founder of Hint, agreed to come on the show to talk about leadership! Kara founded Hint in 2005 and the company is best known for being the first unsweetened flavored water with no preservatives on the market. She scaled Hint to over 30,000 retail locations and over 150 employees, including growing Hint 40% during 2020. Kara has been named one of InStyle’s Badass 50, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Northern California, and in 2021 Hint was named one of Inc.’s Best-Led Companies in America. She’s also been featured on How I Built This (a great interview that I recommend), and her book “Undaunted” has been a WSJ and Amazon best seller. And actually, due to some technical difficulties, my time with Kara was cut a bit short, so I’ve included at the end of the episode a bit of a “book club” where I share some of my favorite pieces from Kara’s book, which I highly recommend.
Listen in as Kara shares about:* Leading during tough times and her mindset * Stories from leading during the pandemic and how Hint grew 40% during 2020 * How Hint expanded business with Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Aldi during the pandemic * The early days of growing Hint and leveling up as a leader and how lack of industry experience can be an advantage * Communicating effectively and with transparency, especially during uncertainty, and how follow up is critical * Managing Employee growth and development as a leader * And more!
Promomash/Crisp Links:* Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here * Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics * Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why
Social Nature Links:* Social Nature website * Social Nature team email: marketing@socialnature.com * Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: + Episode #87 How Natural Shoppers are Responding to Inflation with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs * Episodes that mention Social Nature campaigns: + Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15) + Episode #86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello (Social Nature discussed at 37:33)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com * Episode music by Super Fantastics
At the time of recording, the numbers for the latest food at home index had increased 10.2% over the past 12 months. So what does that mean? How can we plan and adjust for inflationary times as emerging CPG brands? Luckily we have access to awesome natural shopper data experts, and today we get to chat with Jessica Malach, VP of Marketing & Insights, at Social Nature, an all-in-one shopper marketing platform for natural CPG brands to successfully launch products at retail. With over one million users in their community, they have great data on how natural shoppers are currently responding to inflationary times.
Listen in to hear Jessica share about:* What changes consumers are making to their shopping habits in the current economic environment (including behaviors changes related to channels, categories, health goals, & spending) * Differences across generations, including Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Babyboomers * Winning strategies for getting & keeping new consumers in today’s macro-economic conditions * Top tips on successful product launches in today’s retail environment * Ideas for engaging your current consumer base to grow LTV and influence * And more!
Social Nature is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:* Social Nature website * Jessica’s LinkedIn * Brands mentioned: Haven’s Kitchen, Sweet Nothings, Vega, Honest Tea * Social Nature team email: marketing@socialnature.com * Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: + Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs * Episodes that mention Social Nature campaigns: + Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15) + Episode #86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello (Social Nature discussed at 37:33)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com * Episode music by Super Fantastics
Today we have a special episode for you to celebrate the launch of the pet channel in the Startup CPG Slack! The number of pet brands in our community is growing and we wanted to create a space dedicated for pet brands to discuss unique challenges and regulations. We thought who better to join us than one of our early Slack members, Shameless Pets, who I’ve personally been following for quite a few years. James Bello is the co-founder and CEO of Shameless Pets and is a former Target Buyer with lots of wisdom to share that’s relevant to all CPG brands. Shameless Pets makes healthy dog and cat treats and foods that utilized upcycled ingredients in an effort to fight food waste. As of our recording date, they’ve saved about 1.2 million pounds of food from going into landfills.
Listen in as James shares about:* His journey from Target buyer to brand owner * Getting started in upcycled ingredients before the Upcycled Food Association even existed * How pet food regulations differ from human food and the process of setting up their supply chain and manufacturing * Launching in Whole Foods, Central Market, and Target, and how they used seasonal endcaps to manage establishing relationships with big retailers * Navigating when to start taking a pay check as founders * Marketing levels they rely on including in-store promotions and campaigns with Social Nature * The debate on who the original Shameless Pet is * And more!
To get the invite to our new pet Slack channel, go to startupcpg.com, sign up for our emails at the bottom of the page, and then grab the Slack link at the top of any email from Startup CPG. Once inside, head to “All Channels” or “Channel Browser” to find the pet channel. That sounds like a lot of steps, but it takes less than 5 minutes and is free! See you there!
This episode was sponsored by Social Nature. Go to business.socialnature.com
Episode Links:* Shameless Pets website * Jame’s LinkedIn & email james@shamelesspets.com * Brands mentioned: Upcycled Food Association, Social Nature
Social Nature Links:* Social Nature website * Social Nature team email: marketing@socialnature.com * Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: + Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach + Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs * Episode that mentions a Social Nature campaign: + Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today is our seventh episode in the "First Hire" series where we’ve so far covered making first hires in marketing, finance, operations, and retail & foodservice sales, and we’ve talked with one of our community brands, Sweet Nothings, about making their first few hires. Culture comes up some in those conversations, but I wanted to dedicate an entire episode to culture. We’re joined today by expert Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, owner of Merida Consulting, and our former Startup CPG Podcast host, to guide us in this conversation, and I’m so excited to share Jennifer’s wisdom with you and have her on the other side of the mic. When I was the first marketing and operations hire at a CPG startup brand, I had big dreams about building a culture different than those I had experienced in the corporate world. Over the next 2 years and growing to 30 employees, I wish I could have had someone like Jennifer guide that startup from the beginning. Within our community of emerging brands are tomorrow’s next household brand names. Can you imagine if the Frito Lay’s and Coca-Cola’s of the world had these conversations from day one? There’s an incredible opportunity to make change through building not only a mission-driven product, but also through the mission-driven team of humans behind those products.
Listen in as Jennifer shares about:* How to define culture and key terms * Why culture is important and how the conversations around workplace culture have shifted * Biggest mistakes founders make * The process of developing values and how an outside expert can help * How culture expands beyond your team members to your customers and external partners * And more!
And stay tuned at the end for a special mini interview with Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Tiny Sprouts (at 34:30). After recording this interview at the end of last year, I got to meet Tina and Kim in person at Expo West and try the product, which was amazing. And they had their Shelfie Award proudly displayed at their booth.
Episode Links:* Merida Consulting website
* Jennifer’s LinkedIn
* Tiny Sprouts Links
+ Tiny Sprouts website
+ Kim’s LinkedIn
+ Tina’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
We’ve heard on the show before how big of an undertaking fundraising is from both founders and investors, but we haven’t had a chance yet to really dig into the legal side. When Paul from Aura Bora was on the show last year, he shouted out Giannuzzi Lewendon for helping their team during fundraising (episode #68 if you haven’t checked it out yet), so we reached out to Partner Ryan Lewendon, to see if he’d be willing to sit down with us and talk all things fundraising, mergers & acquisitions, and legal help unique to CPG companies.
Listen in today as Ryan shares about:* Where attorneys can help in the fundraising process * Tips for navigating SAFE notes and common pitfalls * Tips for navigating priced rounds * What to understand about exits before you start raising money * Alternatives to exiting via sale of your company * The current fundraising and M&A (mergers & acquisitions) climate and tips for navigating * And more!
If you are new to the fundraising topic, I recommend episode #60 Venture Capital & Private Equity 101 and/or #70 Angel Investing 101 to help define key terms that will be used.
And stay tuned at the end for a special mini interview with Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Balkan Bites (41:16). I can’t say enough about how much I love their incredible pastries and you won’t want to miss the founding story with Ariana.
Episode Links:* Giannuzzi Lewendon website * Ryan’s LinkedIn * Brands mentioned: Propeller, VMG, Aura Bora, Mid-Day Squares, Vitamin Water, Siggi’s * Other fundraising episodes: + #60 Venture Capital & Private Equity 101 + #68 How to Raise $10 Million: Fundraising Aura Bora Style + #70 Angel Investing 101 * Balkan Bites Links: + Balkan Bites website + Ariana’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Trade spend and promotions. You want your product to have a shiny sale tag at the store and help people discover it, but how do we get there? It’s a topic that can get expensive and messy really quick, so I wanted to bring back one of our favorite podcast guests and community sales experts, Jake Huber, for a 101 level episode. Jake is the US Sales Director of St Pierre, Americas #1 brioche brand, and has previously been on the show to talk through brokers and first sales hires. Today we dig into how to set yourself up for success when creating promotional calendars, calculating trade spend, and tracking results - all with the goal of driving velocity.
Listen in as Jake shares about:* How trade spend and promotions are defined, including common types like off-invoice, MCB or manufacturer charge backs, and scan-backs * When trade spend and promotions are planned and how to make sure the promotions you plan actually happen in the store * Tips for navigating free fills and BOGOs and how emerging brands fit in a system built for big CPG * How to navigate distributor promo calendars versus retailer promo calendars * Ways to keep track of promotions you’ve authorized and evaluate results * Tips for utilizing shippers, getting display opportunities, and building rapport at the store-level * And more!
And, stay tuned at the end for a bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Niramaya - Jake and I will share our reviews mid-episode and then at the end of the episode, you can catch a mini-interview with Niramaya’s founder, Mehek Khera, to learn more (at 53:16)!
Episode Links:* Jake's LinkedIn * St Pierre Groupe's website * Link to trade spend planning resources * Link to another episode with Jake: First Hire Series: Sales * Niramaya’s Links + Niramaya website & IG @niramayafoods + Mehek’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
This episode is coming to you a bit later in the week, but I wanted to get you an Expo West audio recap as hot off the press as possible. New Hope just announced that there were 65,000 registered attendees and 3,000 exhibiting companies! If you were at the show and we got to meet, I just want to say thank you! It’s incredible to meet podcast listeners in real life and I appreciate each and every one of you so much - truly! I re-assembled the recap dream team that you all let me know you enjoyed for Expo East. So once again, I asked our resident Startup CPG friend and press expert Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News & Editor of Food Entrepreneur to join us today, along with Patricia Menegoto, Startup CPG’s Head of Community (I bet you know her from Slack) & Jenna Movsowitz, our Startup CPG Spotlight Magazine Editor. Whether you weren’t able to attend Expo and are hoping to learn what is was like or if you attended but want to hear the trends and takeaways, this episode has something for you.
Listen in as we discuss our favorite bites, trends, best swag and booths, the Backpack Brands from the epic Startup CPG Mic Alley Rally Party, and more. Plus, a quick shout out to Sipwell Wine who supplied us with wine to create a Startup CPG Expo West “wine down” - we couldn’t quite get a live show together, but we all enjoyed their canned wine and you can check out a full feature on their brand in the upcoming Startup CPG Spotlight Magazine. Now let’s talk Expo!
Episode Links:* Monica Watrous Linkedin, Food Business News, Food Entrepreneur * Jenna Movsowitz LinkedIn * Patricia Menegoto LinkedIn * Monica’s Expo West Recap in Food Business News * Brands mentioned: Sipwell Wine, Unite, Medase, SOMOS, Dream Pops, Upcycled Food Association, Petit Pot, Atoria’s Family Bakery, Chomps, Brutal Foods, Perk, FreeAF, Climax, JINKA, Conscious Foods, Healthy Hippo, Sweet Haven, Agua Bonita, Meati, Wundereggs, Mixed Up Cocktail Co, Renewal Mill, Bolani, Amazi, Todo Verde, Tea Drops, New York Shuk, Liquid Death, PATH Water, Yumi, 4th & Heart, Belliwelli, Pocket Chocolates, Mezcla, Whipnotic, The Bad Tea Co, Tiny Sprouts, Good Journey, The Cumin Club, Nowhere Bakery, Tend, Funky Mello, Rio Good, Kekoa Foods, Resist Nutrition, SAYSO, Popadelics, Forij * Startup CPG Expo West Sponsors: Nielsen IQ, trax, Crisp, Promomash, 1O8
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today we get to chat with one of the most incredible champions for emerging CPG brands, Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News and Food Entrepreneur. Food Business News is a trade publication covering all aspects of the food and beverage industry, from field to fork. Food Entrepreneur, a sub-brand, focuses on the innovations, trends and personalities in the food and beverage startup ecosystem. You’ve heard Monica on the show a few times during Expo West and East recaps, but this time, I asked Monica if she’d come on the show to share more behind-the-scenes about what her career looks like and how to best work with members of the press.
Listen in as Monica shares about:* How trends and news become publications either digitally or in print * What an editorial calendar is and how some types of content are planned * How Monica stays up-to-date on the latest brands and trends * Best practices for reaching out to the press and what to avoid * Why your brand should release press releases and how other publications use them * Monica’s strategy for tackling a trade show like Expo West * And more!
Plus, mid-ish-episode Monica and I share our reviews of G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer, which won a Shelfie Award last year. Make sure to check out our bonus episode featuring founder Donna to learn more!
And…speaking of Shelfie Awards, let’s talk about how you, dear listener, could be a Shelfie Award winner this year! This will be the 3rd annual Shelfie Awards, and due to popular demand, we’re accepting samples by category. First up is health and beauty brands! So, if you are listening to this in March 2023 and you are a health and beauty brand, here’s what you need to do, head to the link in the show notes and complete the application form (it’ll take less than 10 minutes and it’s free!), ship samples to the two locations indicated and have them arrive before March 31st. And that’s it! And if you are listening to this after March, I’ll link to more info about the Shelfies in the show notes. Sample shipments for other categories will be open in April, May, and June. Stay tuned in the Slack as well!Episode Links:* Food Business News & Food Entrepreneur website * Monica’s LinkedIn * Monica’s Instagram * Brands mentioned: Chubby, tbh, Oat Haus, Mmmly, Dream Pops, Olipop, Forij, Aura Bora * Sign up for the Alley Rally event at Expo West * Link to bonus episode with Donna at G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer * About the Shelfie Awards: + Link to general Shelfie information + Form to complete with addresses for samples
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
I love that I get to bring you more Shark Tank content so soon, and with one of my favorite people. Today’s guest is Sandra Velasquez, the CEO & Founder of Nopalera, and a very early member of the Startup CPG community. Nopalera creates Mexican botanicals for bath & body, and as you’ll hear, have become a staple in my life. Sandra appeared on Shark Tank last month during Season 14, Episode 12, and I’m so glad she agreed to come on the show and share the details with us. You don’t need to pre-watch the episode to enjoy the conversation, but I definitely recommend tuning in to watch Sandra’s incredible pitch and how she gracefully received and ultimately turned down two offers from the Sharks. Nopalera also recently closed a fundraising round of $2.7 million unrelated to Shark Tank!
Listen in as Sandra shares about:* The process of applying to Shark Tank and preparing to air from the opening pitch to outfit vetting * How eerily quiet the time in the Tank is * Sandra’s affirmations and prep going into the Tank * How her team prepped for consumer demand and the real numbers from Amazon and their website after airing (Sandra really gives us the nitty gritty details and I love it!) * The process of raising $2.7 million including valuation work and legal fees to expect * How Sandra developed a fundraising network from scratch * What’s next at Nopalera * And more!
You also may notice our intro music is a little different, I wanted to feature a song from Sandra’s band, Pistolera - this is "Nuevos Ojos", which was featured in Season 4, Episode 12 of the show Breaking Bad.
Episode Links:* Nopalera website & IG/TicTok handle @nopalera.co * Sandra’s LinkedIn * The Nopalera Podcast * Link to Season 14, Episode 12 of Shark Tank * Mitú article: "Why Nopalera CEO Sandra Velasquez Chose To Decline Two ‘Shark Tank’ Deals" * Other Startup CPG Shark Tank episodes: #77 Making a deal on Shark Tank with wildwonder's Rosa Li, #57 Shark Tank, Sea Moss, and an Ocean of Potential with Alexiou Gibson * Brand mentions: Luna Magic, Liquid Death
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today is our sixth episode in the "First Hire" series where we’ve so far covered making first hires in marketing, finance, operations, and retail & foodservice sales. Today I thought it would be helpful to talk more cross-functionally with one of our community member brands about their experience of making first hires, being a first hire, and what they’ve learned in the process, and I immediately thought of Sweet Nothings, who makes ready to eat superfood snacks (that I think are absolutely incredible as you’ll hear). We’ll talk with both Jake Kneller, the CEO and co-founder of Sweet Nothings, and Lucy King, their VP of Marketing. I met Jake and Lucy in 2021 via Slack and have continued to see them post jobs, questions, and responses all in the Startup CPG Slack channel, so it’s great to catch up and hear what they’ve learned about hiring in the past few years.
Listen in as Jake and Lucy share about:* Sweet Nothings’ hiring trajectory so far including their very first hire and how the team has grown to now over 10 people * Lucy’s experience of being the first marketing hire and now making additional marketing hires for her own team * How Jake thinks about leadership and hiring and his helpful goal-setting tips * Both Lucy and Jake’s ideas on setting up a new hire for success from an onboarding and interviewing standpoint * How you can’t always hire the perfect person and the importance of setting realistic expectations * Ways Sweet Nothings’ is intentionally about building an all-remote culture * And more!
Episode Links:* Sweet Nothings website & IG @eatsweetnothings * Jake’s LinkedIn * Lucy’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Earlier this week we had a bonus episode that was a bit shorter, so I thought this was a good chance to re-air one of my favorite episodes from last year with Seth Goldman about prepping for Expo West (which is less than 1 month away!). We have five other great episodes with Seth from last year available as well. Be sure to stop by the Eat the Change booth in the North Hall if you attend Expo West this year, and while you are there, stop by Startup CPG’s booth and come say hi to me and the team in person. Happy Expo prep!
This is the first episode of a very special new podcast series from Startup CPG. Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, will be joining us once a month for the next few months to talk about hot topics in CPG. Today we kick off by talking all things Expo West. With twenty-one Expo West events under his belt, who better to answer our community's Expo West questions! You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how to stand out among thousands of brands, how to craft your ten second pitch, a simple yet game-changing follow up/lead tracking plan, how to maximize Expo West even without a booth, why you should treat everyone like the most important buyer, and more.
Episode Links:* Expo West 2023: Eat the Change Booth N2134, Startup CPG Booth N1210, Startup CPG Alley Rally Event * Link to Seth's blog post: Going to Expo West? How to Make the Most of It * Eat the Change’s website * Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle * How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea * Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society * Other Startup CPG Episodes with Seth: How to Approach Innovation and Research & Development,How to Fight Climate Change as an Emerging Brand,How to Build a Field Marketing Event & Demo Program, Honest Tea's Discontinuation, Ask Seth Anything
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today we have a bonus episode for you to celebrate the launch of the alcohol channel in the Startup CPG Slack! We realize that alcohol brands face many unique challenges and very different regulations, and now that we have over 10,000 community members, we wanted to dedicate a space just for emerging alcohol brands. In the Startup CPG Slack, you can now go to “All Channels” on the sidebar and then join the new channel #alcohol_brands. And what better way to celebrate this channel launch than with an interview with one of our earliest Startup CPG community members, Donna Katz, founder of G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer. G’s won a Shelfie Award last year and was a Shelfie Award finalist the year prior. I personally am obsessed with all the flavors of G’s - from the original to the seasonal Toddy, it’s a revolutionary product that I can’t get enough of.
In this episode, Donna shares about starting G’s, how creating and selling an alcoholic beverage is unique, and exciting retail expansion with independent stores, plus Target and Safeway. Donna and I recorded this episode in December 2022, and you may notice my audio isn’t quite as crisp as normal (this day of recording was the inciting incident for a platform switch up actually). But Donna’s audio is great, and this was one of those conversations that just left me smiling and feeling inspired by Donna’s infectious energy and attitude. Plus, drinking G’s Hard Ginger Beer also left me feeling awesome, so double win. Now let’s hear from Donna!
Episode Links:* G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer website & IG @gsgingerbeer * Donna’s LinkedIn * Find the new #alcohol_brands channel in the Startup CPG Slack by going to “All Channels’ on the side bar (get the invite to the free Slack community at startupcpg.com)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
If you’ve been on LinkedIn in the last year, chances are you’ve seen pictures of a green van making it’s way around the country, spreading the good word about Forij. I was lucky enough to meet up with founder Parker Olson when he came through Portland in the Forij van, and I think it’s the only time I’ve been elated to received food from a stranger out of a van. Forij’s first product line is a functional granola that’s low sugar, crispy, delicious and also packed with the power of mushrooms. Parker’s energy and creativity are unparalleled, and I’m excited today for you to be inspired by his journey so far.
Listen in as Parker shares about:* Stories featuring airplane competitions, swimming and driving to customers, and a night in jail as an alleged pirate. * Exciting new launches in select Kroger banners and Sprouts Farmers Market * How to find another person named Jarred who also wants to live in a green van and drive around the country * International opportunities Parker’s evaluating * Forij’s new digital product suite * And more!
And on the digital product note - Parker’s team gave me access to the digital part of their 30 Day Brain Power Up Program, and it’s been really fun. I’m over two weeks in, and I look forward to each day’s challenge. I’m excited to see what else the Forij team develops in this area!
Episode Links:* Forij website & IG @forij.co * Parker’s LinkedIn * Forij’s 30-Day Brain Power-Up Program * Brands mentioned: Monterey Mushrooms, Ryze Superfood Coffee, Neptune Snacks
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
In case you missed it, long-time Startup CPG community member wildwonder just aired on Shark Tank, and today, Founder Rosa Li joins us to share all the details! You don’t need to pre-watch the episode to enjoy the conversation, but I definitely recommend giving Season 14, Episode 11 a watch to see Rosa make a $500,000 deal with Tony Xu, guest Shark and Founder of Door Dash.
Listen in as Rosa shares about:* The process of applying for Shark Tank * How recording day works * The timing from recording to airing and how she and her team prepped * The details of the deal made on air and the post-show diligence process * How wildwonder sales grew post-airing * Why she was hoping for a deal with Tony Xu and how wildwonder hopes to leverage the DoorDash relationship * And more!
We recorded this conversation less than 1 week after the episode aired on ABC and Hulu, so this is hot of the press!
Episode Links:* wildwonder website & IG/Tiktok handle @drinkwildwonder * Rosa’s LinkedIn * Watch Season 14, Episode 11 on Amazon
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
I figured it was worth putting my soul on the line to bring you some behind the scenes content from one of the hottest brands in CPG. Just a few months ago in October 2022, Liquid Death Mountain Water closed a $70 million Series D round that valued the company at $700 million, their products are in over 60,000 retailers nationwide, they have over 160 employees, and they were only founded in 2018, so things are just getting started. Hamid Saify, Liquid Death’s SVP of Digital Retail, one of the company’s first hires and a long-time Slack community member, joins us today to dig into how he and the team at Liquid Death creates such incredible marketing and branding.
Listen in as Hamid shares about:* Liquid Death’s early days testing paid social ads, video content, copywriting, community-building, and choosing to focus on niches like action sports and heavy metal * Why their marketing is entertainment-led rather than product/feature-led - including some of Hamid’s favorite campaigns like one that included drawing Tony Hawk’s blood!? * How starting with a focus on ecommerce helped their eventual retail expansion * How they’ve used Amazon DSP and why they’ve 10xed their investment in Amazon in the last year and a half * The importance of bridging the physical and digital worlds and their work on Instacart, a new rewards program, and frequent merch drops * The details behind joining their Country Club and how some people want their souls back * How Hamid and team noticed something magical happening in their reviews and used it as a community-building moment * And so much more!
Episode Links:* Liquid Death’s website & IG & TikTok @liquiddeath * Hamid’s LinkedIn * The Liquid Death Country Club * The Time-Waster 5000 * Fastest-Growing Emerging Brands on Instacart 2022 * Companies mentioned: Pear Commerce, Tinuiti, Okendo
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
A few weeks back, we talked about Angel Investing 101 on the show, and equity crowdfunding got a brief shoutout. I was super curious on the topic and thought who better to talk about equity crowdfunding than someone in the process right now! Today we’re joined by Elena Guberman, co-CEO of tbh, a brand focused on reimagining nostalgic snacks. Their first product is a better for you, better for the planet, plant-based version of Nutella - with no palm oil, 50% less sugar, and 3x the protein! tbh was co-founded by someone you may know - Stranger Things actor and entrepreneur, Noah Schnapp.
Listen in as Elena shares about:* The details on their current equity crowdfunding raise on Republic (that as of our recording date has blown past it’s $25,000 goal with over $450,000 raised from over 550 investors) * Why they chose equity crowdfunding * What it’s like getting set up on an equity crowdfunding platform as far as the due diligence process and Elena’s launch prep tips * How they are using the campaign to educate Gen Z consumers about investing and why keeping the minimum investment at $50 was important (as a side note, Elena will mention that over 70% of campaign investors invested less than $250 - so cool!) * The story behind their Nosh award-winning collaboration with Chubby Snacks and why collaborations are part of the thh strategy * What’s it like to have a celebrity co-founder * And more!
And, stay tuned at the end for a bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Popadelics - Elena and I will share our reviews mid-episode and then at the end of the episode (41:55), you can catch a mini-interview (25:53) with Popadelics’ founder, Marilyn, to learn more!
Episode Links:* tbh website & @snacktbh on IG & TikTok * Elena’s LinkedIn * tbh Republic campaign page * Article mentioned by Elena: “How to Rock a Republic Campaign” by Courtney at AKUA * Brands & companies mentioned: Chubby Snacks, Rhythm Superfoods, TERRA, Rodeo CPG * Popadelics Links: + Popadelics website & IG @popadelics + Marilyn’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Happy New Year! We’re coming at you this week from the archives again - host Jessi got COVID and temporarily lost her voice! I’m sharing another of our greatest hits from last year, 2022, in case you missed it. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I hope you enjoy!
We've got a really fun episode today that I think will bring you a lot of joy and inspiration. It's probably no surprise but your Startup CPG team members are big Shark Tank fans. Our Startup CPG founder Daniel was watching Shark Tank a few months ago and he just knew today's guest was someone we all needed to know. From the Season 13 finale, where he landed a $600,000 deal from Mark Cuban and Kevin Hart, today's guest is Alexiou Gibson. You don't need to have seen the Shark Tank episode to enjoy our conversation but I definitely recommend watching it as soon as you can. So a little about Alexiou - he's founder and CEO of The Transformation Factory and creator of their Sea Moss Gel product and he scaled the company to $3.5 million in revenue in just 11 months (watch the Sharks faces when they hear that!). He's an incredible story teller and I hope you'll be smiling and laughing along with us (or even crying a little like me), plus you might need a notebook for all the wisdom he shares. Listen in as Alexiou shares about his career path from NASA to entrepreneurship, his personal health journey and transformation, launching a sea moss product during a pandemic, the best story I've ever heard for finding an online advertising expert, the process of getting on Shark Tank and what it was like to being on the show, making a deal, and the post-show diligence process, what's next at The Transformation Factory, and more.
Episode Links:* The Transformation Factory / Sea Moss Gel website and IG @seamosstransformation * Alexiou's LinkedIn & IG @alexiou2.0 * More info on Season 13, Episode 24 of Shark Tank * Watch the episode on Amazon (should be available again on Hulu or ABC soon)
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today is our fifth episode in the "First Hire" series where we’ve so far covered making first hires in marketing, finance, operations, and retail sales. Now we get to cover foodservice sales! Here to help us learn more about first hires in foodservice sales is Jenna Cameron. Jenna is currently the sales lead at SIMULATE and has years of experience in foodservice sales for growing brands.
Listen in as Jenna answers:* When to hire help in foodservice sales and how full-time employees, consultants, and brokers can all fit into the picture * How foodservice sales differs from retail sales * Key attributes of a successful foodservice sales employee * Why it’s important to focus within the food service channel * How to set up a first hire in food service sales for success * Great shows and resources for your foodservice sales hire * And more!
And, stay tuned at the end for a bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, For Good Granola - Jenna and I will share our reviews mid-episode and then at the end of the episode, you can catch a mini-interview with For Good Granola’s founder, Kiley, to learn more!
Episode Links:* Jenna’s LinkedIn * SIMULATE website * For Good Granola Links: + For Good Granola website & IG @forgoodfoods + Kiley’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
We’re coming at you this week from the archives. Many of you found this pod just this year, so I’m sharing one of our greatest hits from last year, 2021, in case you missed it. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I hope you enjoy!
Kirk Visola is an active member of our Startup CPG community with a heart for sharing his design expertise and helping people navigate the complex world of packaging and branding. He has a no-nonsense approach to life and client work. With over 20 years of design expertise working with some of the largest brands in the world, he now operates his own agency, Mind the Font, making his caliber of work available to brands of all sizes. Listen in as Kirk shares about why he started his own agency, tips for approaching a packaging project, and how to build a great relationship with a designer for long term success.
Episode Links: * Mind the Font website & IG @mindthefont * Kirk's LinkedIn & IG @kirkvisola * The packaging Clubhouse sessions Kirk mentions eventually became a great podcast: Kirk & Kurtts - be sure to listen in! * Kirk mentions Brandon Hernandez as a resource for operations, co-packing, and more at Whole Brain Consulting * Kirk mentions Unsplash as a free photo resource * Get a blast from the past and look up Iomega Zip Drives
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Let’s talk demos! In-store demonstrations are an important tool in a CPG company toolbox, so we brought our favorite team of demo experts to help us navigate this topic: Bridget Aragon & David Heiser - Co-founders of Grassroots Demos. Grassroots Demos help brands boost sales and reach more customers by sampling their items in-stores. Shoppers get to taste items in a safe environment and give feedback, and brands get super valuable insights and support sell-through.
Listen in as David and Bridget share about:
- The critical components to a successful demo
- How to hire and train the right brand ambassadors
- Tips for navigating demo logistics like sample sourcing and supply chain
- What demo performance data to track
- The pros and cons of managing your own brand ambassador team versus using a vendor
- How to hire a demo company vendor
- Best practices for retailer communication about demos
- How to incentivize brand ambassador performance
- How merchandising fits into the picture
- And more!
And stay tuned at the end of the episode (56:12) for a mini interview with Delisa from Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner Funky Mello - my new favorite marshmallow creme with a wonderful story.
Episode Links:* Grassroots Demos website & IG @grassrootsdemos & LinkedIn * Bridget’s LinkedIn * David’s LinkedIn * Co-Branded Demo Opportunity mentioned - information here & form here. * Funky Mello Links: + Funky Mello website & IG @funky_mello + Delisa’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
I once received a check from a distributor for $500, but it listed a ton of invoices. I dug in and that check was for $40,000 worth of product - it was a combination of unauthorized free fills that led to a broker conversation and double charges for a big distributor promotion plan that was expensive before doubling it. But the amount of time it took to track down all the info, dispute, follow up, and receive a check back was astronomical, and that was just one of the many instances to investigate. So how can you protect your margins from invalid deductions and understand what’s going on in your business even with valid deductions? It’s not easy, so today we have Bill Poore, a Senior Client Success Manager at Inmar Intelligence with over a decade in deductions experience. Inmar has a DeductionsLink software platform that helps reduce invalid deductions and simplify workflows - reducing deductions administrative work by up to 80%.
Listen in as Bill covers:* Types of deductions * Common deduction pain points * How technology can be leveraged to sort out all the portals, PDFs, and even stacks of paper and understand what’s going on in your business * How to evaluate when to use a vendor for deduction management * What insights to look for from a deductions management process and how to use that information in your business * What it looks like to dispute deductions - with and without outside help * How to prepare your brand for working with a deductions management vendor * Questions to ask a potential vendor * Expectations for the deductions management process and when to expect returns * And more!
Thank you to our partner Inmar for sponsoring this episode.
Episode Links:* Inmar website * Bill’s LinkedIn
Show Links:* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!) * Follow @startupcpg * Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website * Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Content creation. We all know it’s more important than ever. But how do you actually create great content as a brand and measure success? To help us answer these questions, we have David Greenfeld of Dream Pops joining us today. Dream Pops is re-imagining cult classic desserts with plant based ingredients - my current favorite is the frozen cookie dough bites. At the time of recording, Dream Pops has created thousands of TikTok videos with nearly 200,000 followers and over 5 million likes, an Instagram with nearly 100,000 followers, David has 45,000 Linkedin followers on his own page and a podcast with 70 episodes, and he and his team just started getting into YouTube Shorts, by uploading about 500 videos in the last few months. Listen in as David shares about: - How he got started at Dream Pops and why the branding and name are so intentional - David’s early days of using Instagram, then TikTok, LinkedIn, and other platforms - Why content creation is like building a workout routine - How David grew his LinkedIn presence and the content that he finds resonates the most - The importance of regularly testing and evaluating different platforms and how David thinks about driving store velocity - What it was like to start the Stick with Your Dreams podcast - Why Dream Pops entered the Canadian market - How Dream Pops stays true to their values during tough decisions - And more! And stay tuned at the end of the episode (at minute 45:19) for a mini interview with Saphira from Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner Nowhere Bakery. You won’t want to miss her story about getting a text from Gwyneth Paltrow!
You’ve all let me know that fundraising content is some of your favorite, so I thought I would bring my favorite angel investing expert on the show, Marcia Dawood, for a 101 level episode on angel investing. Marcia currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the Angel Capital Association, the professional society for angel investors in the US and globally. She is an investor in several early stage private companies, and in addition to her own investing, she is a Venture Partner with Mindshift Capital and a part of the investment committee for Next Wave Impact Fund. Marcia and I actually met at an Angel Capital Association event back when I worked in that industry and I’m so grateful we’ve been able to stay in touch and that I get to introduce you all to her today. I asked Marcia to help us understand angel investors and their motivations and I think she really delivered. Listen in as Marcia shares about: - Definitions of an angel investor and angel groups - The prerequisites to being an angel investor and how angel investors make returns and impact - The difference between crowdfunding and fundraising from angel investors - Tips for deciding whether to seek outside investment from angel investors - Inside the angel investor mindset and how to build your outreach and pitches to get the best response - The function of a board of directors and the role of board members - Resources for learning about angel investing and why you need a good startup attorney - How to find and connect with angel investors and keep them up to date, whether they’ve invested already or not - And more! And, stay tuned at the end for the first ever bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Uproot Teas (at minute 52:53). Marcia and I will share our reviews of Uproot mid-episode and then at the end of the episode, you can catch a mini-interview with Uproot Tea’s founder, Cindy, to learn more!
It’s November and we’re entering the biggest online shopping season of the year in the US. How is your ecommerce site functioning? Or are you thinking about launching a new website? Black Friday is in a few weeks, so hopefully you can take away some actionable tips for the upcoming holiday months or this can help you start thinking through your 2023 website planning. Here to help us navigate the topic of building a high-converting ecommerce site today is Kelly Ferris, Director of Sales for Small Business at BigCommerce. BigCommerce is a leading ecommerce software platform that enables companies of all sizes to sell physical and digital goods online. Listen in as Kelly shares about: - The definition of a “high converting” website - How to build trust with consumers - Considerations for collecting reviews - Best practices for structuring your website - Key elements of a great homepage design & product pages - Considerations for choosing an ecommerce platform and the different types of platforms - Advice to when and how to engage agencies - And more! This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
Today’s hot topic is fundraising. And what could be better than talking fundraising with our favorite weird sparkling water brand, Aura Bora. Aura Bora just raised a Series A round, led by Siddhi capital, bringing their lifetime funding as a brand to $10 million, and co-founder Paul Voge is here to share the details with us. Paul and his wife Maddie founded Aura Bora in 2019, and they make sparkling water from herbs, fruits, and flowers for earthly tastes and heavenly feelings. They use unique ingredients like basil, cactus, and lavender for a better-tasting experience, all while donating 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes via 1% For The Planet. Aura Bora is one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the country with their 0 calorie, 0 sugar, non-GMO, plant-based, and craft flavors. Listen in as Paul shares about: - Aura Bora’s different funding stages from friends and family, to seed rounds, to the recent Series A with institutional investors; - How he learned about the world of fundraising and his recommendations for getting started; - The logistics behind tackling fundraising from staying organized, to working as a team, to a favorite question to ask someone who says “No”; - How he says motivated and how they’ve built long term relationships with potential investing partners along the way; - The newly formed Aura Bora board of directors and what that means; - How Aura Bora will use the funds and exciting future growth plans; - And more! This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
What could you learn from one of the largest snack companies in the world? Lonny James Ruben from Bunny James Boxes got to learn just that this year as a member of the 2022 CoLab cohort. Bunny James Boxes make gift boxes for people with specialty diets, allergies, and eating styles. And they provide this niche gifting solution for individuals, businesses, and retailers. They were already on a fast path to growth when Lonny decided to apply for Mondelēz International’s CoLab program. With iconic brands like Oreo, Cadbury, belVita, and Wheat Thins, Mondelēz International holds the #1 global position in biscuits (cookies and crackers) and #2 in chocolate. They’ve also acquired a few fast growing brands you probably recognize like Hu, Perfect Bar, and Tate’s Bake Shop in the last few years. Brands selected for their CoLab cohort get access to a 12 week program, a $20,000 grant, 1:1 mentoring, and so much more, which you’ll hear about in this episode. It’s one things for me to tell you about the program, but it’s another to really dig into an alumnus experience, so that’s what we’re going to do today. Listen in to learn: - Why Lonny founded Bunny James Boxes and pivoted from vending machines; - Why he applied to the CoLab program and why it exceeded all his expectations; - What it was like to be in the program and how he leveraged Mondelēz International’s resources to help grow Bunny James Boxes; - Tips for applying to the next cohort of CoLab; - And more! This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
What's it like to build out a new section at the grocery store? We saw Perfect Bar create a refrigerated bar section, so why not a refrigerated, delicious, easy-squeezy sauce section? That's what Haven's Kitchen is bringing to a store near you - fresh sauces that help home cooks feel like a champion in their kitchen. I became a Haven's Kitchen fan through our Startup CPG partner Social Nature and can attest that it's leveled up my home cooking significantly and even inspired me to cook more and feel more confident prepping food at home that isn't bland (thank you Chimichurri sauce). I'm so excited that today we're joined by the delightful Founder & CEO of Haven's Kitchen Alison Cayne, who you may also know from her podcast, In the Sauce.
Listen in to hear from Ali: - How Haven's Kitchen got started and where they are right now (which includes being in Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Target) - Important lessons from their early days of just a few employees (when they now have over 10 employees) - What it's been like to launch at Target and the difference between a Target and natural channel store launch - How they used Social Nature to drive trial during the pandemic and why they aren't going back to traditional demos - Ali's framework for tough decisions as a founder - And more!
This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
What does it take to build the next household chocolate brand name like Hershey or Cadbury? The team at Mid-Day Squares is on the road to find out, and today we’re joined by Jake Karls, Co-Founder and Rainmaker. If you aren’t familiar with Mid-Day Squares, head to your nearest Target produce section, grab a square of incredible functional chocolate, and give their product a little quick merchandising love in Startup CPG community fashion. My favorite flavor on the market is Peanut Butta, but as you may have heard in our Expo East recap, I got to try the new Cookie Dough flavor and it was my favorite bite of the show, maybe my new favorite MDS in general and, P. S., this new flavor that we talk about in the episode drops December 22nd this year. Mid-Day Squares is on the road to $100 million in revenue and entertains die-hard fans (like myself) with their innovative use of social media as reality television. There are so many incredible interviews with the Mid-Day Squares team, including their own podcast and I’ll link a few favorites in the show notes, so I asked Jake if he’d go in deep for our Startup CPG community about mental health, navigating challenges, and how to celebrate wins and build momentum. And of course, he delivered. Listen in to hear from Jake about: - Their recent national US Target launch - How the Mid-Day Squares team is structured, including working with two other co-founders and co-CEOs - Why Mid-Day Squares is on the “road to $100 million” and to be “world-class” and what those mean - How and why they intentionally work with a business therapist regularly and why founder conflict kills so many brands if left unresolved - How they navigated really tough decisions and situations recently with changing pack sizes and pausing US e-commerce shipments - What it looks like to regularly celebrate wins as a team and keep the momentum rolling - Jake’s daily dance habit and how he now brings it to people around the world - And more! This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
“'Tis the week post-Expo and all through the land… CPGers have full tummies, full hearts, and half-closed eyes.” I stole that line from Jenna on the Startup CPG team’s recap of Expo East that I’ll link in the show notes, but it captures post-Expo feelings really well. Coming at you a day earlier than normal, so you get the tea faster, this was the first Expo where Startup CPG had a booth, and we had so much fun seeing so many of you in person. I asked our resident Startup CPG friend and press expert Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News & Editor of Food Entrepreneur to join us today, along with Patricia Menegoto, Startup CPG’s Head of Community (I bet you know her from Slack) & Jenna Movsowitz, our Startup CPG Spotlight Magazine Editor. Whether you weren’t able to attend Expo and are hoping to learn what is was like or if you attended but want to hear the trends and takeaways, this episode has something for you. Listen in as we discuss our favorite bites, trends, best swag and booths, the Backpack Brands from the epic Startup CPG Mic Drop Party, and more. This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
A couple weeks ago, Startup CPG hosted the 2nd Annual Shelfie Awards, where we recognized 14 brands across 13 categories. We’ll be talking with more of the finalists and winners in the coming months on the show, but I wanted to give you all a chance to briefly meet each of our lovely winners. Today’s episode is a special format with clips submitted by each winning brand. I’ll still be here listening along with you and adding my 2cents. If you haven’t listened to episode #61 yet, Jenna from the Startup CPG team and I discuss how the Shelfie Awards work and trends across submissions, so be sure to give that a listen as well if you like hearing about these up and coming rockstar products. I’m about to hop on a plane to Philadelphia to cover Expo East for you, so I’ll have a roundup for you on that soon. If you are listening to this on the way to Expo East yourself, make sure to stop by Startup CPG’s booth and say hi. I look forward to hearing about you trying our Shelfie winner’s products - tag @startupcpg on Instagram, and there’s links in the show notes to all the winners’ websites.
This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
Influencer and affiliate marketing. Topics with a lot of opinions, a lot of success stories, and unfortunately a lot of wasted time and energy when executed poorly. Thankfully, we've got resident expert Kim Biddle, founder of Clutch Affiliate to walk us through what we need to know. At Clutch Affiliate, Kim focuses on consulting with emerging brands on how to build and scale profitable affiliate programs for their DTC business. I got to meet Kim in real life at Expo West this year and she is an absolute delight and a long-time member and supporter of Startup CPG, so it so exciting to have Kim on the show today. Listen in as Kim shares about how to define influencer and affiliate marketing and key differences between the terms, considerations for launching affiliate and influencers programs, common compensation structures and tool ideas, how to measure success of a program, how to find affiliates and influencers, best practices and common mistakes, and more.
This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com
If you are listening to this episode on release day, you may notice it's not Tuesday! That's because I wanted to bring you the Startup CPG news hot off the press: a recap of the 2022 Shelfie Awards! If you aren't aware, we have our very own annual industry award competition at Startup CPG, and yesterday was the Second Annual Shelfies Awards Ceremony, proudly sponsored by Trax Retail, where we recognized the most promising emerging food & beverage brands. Startup CPG wanted to create opportunities for industry recognition with no entry fee, no essays, and only for emerging brands. We had over 300 brands submit over 600 products! Finalists were chosen in 13 categories, and then last night, we had a live awards show with 200 people across the country, virtual and in-person, where 14 winners were announced (there was one tie!). I thought it'd be fun to get an event debrief and learn more about the awards from Jenna Movsowitz, head of marketing and editor of “The Spotlight” at Startup CPG. We didn't have time to discuss every winner and finalist, even though we love them all so much, so I've linked in the show notes the magazine editions that have links to all the brands you'll be wanting to try and celebrate. Jenna shares trends from all the award submissions and also, how to apply for upcoming other opportunities to be recognized and featured by Startup CPG. So pop the champagne, or maybe kombucha if you are driving, and celebrate with us!
Venture capital - a term we've all heard but maybe don't fully understand (this is a safe space to admit what we don't know and I'll be the first to say that fundraising and private equity are pretty confusing). What we do know is that many of the consumer brands we love that have had successful exits have received funding from VMG Partners - like Perfect Bar, KIND Bar, Pirates Booty, and Justin's to name a few. So we're lucky to have joining us today Wayne Wu, Managing Director at VMG Partners. If you aren't familiar with VMG, they are a private equity firm specializing in building iconic consumer brands. I'm a big fan of Wayne's podcast Unfinished Biz and reached out to ask him if he'd be willing to walk it way back for our Startup CPG community and take us through venture capital and private equity 101, and thankfully, he agreed. I learned a ton from this conversation and I hope you do as well.
Listen in as Wayne shares: - Definitions for private equity and venture capital - How a venture capital fund works (you've all maybe figured out at this point that I'm a nerd but I LOVED this part! You may need to listen to it twice though; it's just packed with info and such an interesting peek behind the curtain that helps us understand investor behavior and motivations) - VMG's framework for evaluating brands, including total addressable market, gross margin, supply chain, founder fit, and velocities and key metrics and definitions for those areas - How VMG sources deals and why you should reach out to VMG or talk to their team at the next trade show no matter your brand's "stage" - What VMG's involvement with a brand looks like post-investment - And more!
Today's guest you may recognize for a number of reasons but specifically from the cover of the Startup CPG Spotlight magazine! Ali Bonar, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chief Vibes Officer of Oat Haus and other members of the Oat Haus team were featured in last winter's magazine edition, so today we get to hear the latest news podcast style! Oat Haus makes the world's first oat-based spread: Granola Butter. Born out of Ali's eating disorder recovery, the mission behind the brand is to bring fun & play to food! Ali and her two other co-founders were on Shark Tank Season 13 in October of 2021, so make sure to check out that episode of the show (and if you love Shark Tank, make sure to listen to our recent interview with Alexiou Gibson (#57) where we do a deep dive on Shark Tank and that experience). It's going to come through in this conversation how much I love the Oat Haus granola butter products, but since we recorded, I did also get my brownie batter pre-release order and it. is. decadent. Somehow it's like eating brownie batter out of the bowl but without the stomachache or the top allergens. It's not going to last long in our "haus."
Listen in to hear from Ali: - More about Oat Haus' founding story - The behind the scenes of their recent flavor hype drop and how they started collaborating with Jameela Jamil - Oat Haus' first marketing and sales hires - How they secured a national Sprouts launch and how they've supported that launch with influencer marketing - The realities of mental health as a founder - Riding the up and downs of publicity like Shark Tank - And more!
Plus, I've loaded up the show notes with links!
Content warning: episode mentions eating disorders and sexual assault.
Today we get to chat about one of my favorite topics - ingredients. While the consumer sees a nice tidy ingredient list on the back of the package, the other side of finding the right ingredients with the right taste at the right price from the right supplier at the right time is no easy task. And we've got just the right expert to talk us through it - Lillian Cartwright the co-founder and CEO of ShelfLife, a B2B marketplace for wholesale ingredients built with emerging brands in mind. Listen in as Lillian shares about how to make the switch from sourcing from Amazon or Sysco to a wholesale supplier, what to prepare before reaching out to a supplier for a quote, logistics to think through when onboarding with a new supplier, how to use contracts to stabilize an ingredient's supply and pricing, tips for negotiating pricing and payment terms, how to streamline your supplier outreach efforts, and more. ShelfLife is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
We've got a really fun episode today that I think will bring you a lot of joy and inspiration. It's probably no surprise but your Startup CPG team members are big Shark Tank fans. Our Startup CPG founder Daniel was watching Shark Tank a few months ago and he just knew today's guest was someone we all needed to know. From the Season 13 finale, where he landed a $600,000 deal from Mark Cuban and Kevin Hart, today's guest is Alexiou Gibson. You don't need to have seen the Shark Tank episode to enjoy our conversation but I definitely recommend watching it as soon as you can. So a little about Alexiou - he's founder and CEO of The Transformation Factory and creator of their Sea Moss Gel product and he scaled the company to $3.5 million in revenue in just 11 months (watch the Sharks faces when they hear that!). He's an incredible story teller and I hope you'll be smiling and laughing along with us (or even crying a little like me), plus you might need a notebook for all the wisdom he shares. Listen in as Alexiou shares about his career path from NASA to entrepreneurship, his personal health journey and transformation, launching a sea moss product during a pandemic, the best story I've ever heard for finding an online advertising expert, the process of getting on Shark Tank and what it was like to being on the show, making a deal, and the post-show diligence process, what's next at The Transformation Factory, and more.
Today is our fourth episode in the "First Hire" series where we talk about making first hires in marketing, finance, sales, and operations. So far we've covered sales, marketing, and operations, so be sure to check out those episodes, and today's subject is hiring for finance. When is it time to hire a full time finance person? How early do you need a bookkeeper? What functions within finance do you need to think about hiring for? Here to help us answer these questions is William Finkelstein, the Senior Vice President of Finance at Yamamotoyama, a three centuries old tea company that also owns Stash Tea. Listen in as William covers the day to day of a first finance hire, considerations for whether to hire a freelancer, full or part-time employee, or accounting firm, how to evaluate potential vendors and employees within finance, key metrics to track, how to prepare for your first finance hire and common pitfalls, and more.
Did you know that for the FDA to consider a product a jam, it needs to be 55% sugar content? When Anna Peck found this out, she thought it was wild and started experimenting in her kitchen. In 2019, Anna teamed up with co-founder Steve Ford to bring Chia Smash to market; a jam with 75% FRUIT content (and that's Upcycled Certified)! Full disclosure, Anna sent me some samples to try and my spouse is obsessed. And me? I've just been eating it the raspberry jam out of the jar with a spoon. Listen in as Anna shares the story behind Chia Smash, her time at Blue Apron, finding a co-founder and commercializing the recipe, launches with Thrive Market, Imperfect Foods, Misfit Markets, Whole Foods, and Sprouts, the rebrand process, beautiful recipe content, and more.
What if you could leverage the resources and experience of one of the largest snack companies in the world to grow your brand? Today we get to hear from two brands who did just that as members the 2022 CoLab cohort by SnackFutures at Mondelēz International. In this episode you'll hear from Brigette Wolf and Jackie Haney from SnackFutures, who are returning guests, and from the co-founders of GoNanas (Annie Slabotsky & Morgan Lerner) & Pan's Mushroom Jerky (Michael Pan & Shannon Lehotsky). It's a lot of voices with a lot of great insights in an episode with the most guests we've ever had on the show at once! Listen in to hear about the experiences of Pan's and GoNanas participating in the program including what they learned, long-term connections they made, and how it's accelerating their growth (including new retail launches, consumer insights, operations mastery), and also hear about the timing of the next cohort, how to apply, and what makes a brand a great fit for the program. SnackFutures is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Have you seen those "how it started; how it's going" posts? Today we basically get to do that as we catch up with one of the brands from Startup CPG's second pitch competition in November of 2020: Tsubi Soup, which since then, has really utilized the Slack community to make many helpful connections. Started by Tsubasa Nishitani, whose nickname is Tsubi, Tsubi Soups are gourmet plant-based instant soups made with premium vegetables and state of the art freeze drying technology. Today we're joined by Tsubi and husband Alex Novak to hear how they bring Japanese miso soups to the US, including the decision to pivot from the Japan market to the US market. Listen in as Tsubi and Alex share about creating the Tsubi Soup product we see today, learning how to export to the US and setting up the myriad of logistics, their other entrepreneurial adventures including saké and property management, a recent rebrand, and more.
Today is our third episode in the "First Hire" series where we talk about making first hires in marketing, finance, sales, and operations. So far we've covered sales and operations, so be sure to check out those episodes, and today's subject is hiring for marketing. When is it time to hire a full-time marketing person? When and how do you hire a marketing agency? What functions should a first marketing hire cover? Here to help us answer these questions is Vanessa Ting, Owner of CPG Growth Partners, where she provides fractional CMO support and general management services. Listen is as Vanessa covers the different considerations and possible paths for a first marketing hire, how to think about hiring for/outsourcing social media and content creation, a framework for building a marketing team, the importance of agency/vendor management skills, how to prepare for your first marketing hire and common pitfalls, and more.
Today is Part 6 our podcast series with Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, who has been joining us once a month to talk hot topics in CPG. This episode's questions came from you because for the first time ever, we had listeners call and write in questions for Seth! Also, last time we talked to Seth, Coca-Cola had just announced their decision to discontinue Honest Tea, and since then, Seth and team at Eat the Change have decided to launch the Just Ice Tea line, so we get the early details straight from the source. In case this is your first episode with Seth, you may know him as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth answers all your tough questions around scaling without compromising values, his most challenging low points, influencer marketing, fundraising, recessions, and more.
Do you really know your consumer? What if you had access to data about one million natural products consumers? Today we get a look at that data with Jessica Malach, VP of Marketing & Insights, at Social Nature, a product discovery and trial platform in the better-for-you space. With over one million users in their community, they've gleaned incredible insights about the "modern wellness consumer." Listen in to hear Jessica share all things about the modern wellness consumer including: how they define health, which certifications and labels resonate most, how they find new products, what drives repurchase, how not to market to them, if and how they use promo codes, and more. Social Nature is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
I'm so excited to share a conversation with you about kombucha and operations - two of my favorite topics! I recently was the moderator for a session that was held at UCLA Anderson by The Food & Agriculture Business Association for a group of MBA candidates where I had a fireside chat with Justin Trout, co-founder and former COO of Health-Ade Kombucha. In this conversation, Justin dives into the nitty gritty, behind-the-scenes stories about growing a kombucha business from a single farmers market to almost 50,000 retail doors during his tenure as COO and you get some snippets from me about growing LivBar. Listen in to learn the stages of Health-Ade's growth, the decision to self-manufacture, the process of transitioning from doing operations work to managing a team of operations personnel, first operations hires, overcoming a year with over 2,000 employees turning over, implementing an ERP system, discerning which experts to listen to, where Justin draws inspiration and why he loves operations, and more.
If you saw Encanto (which even if you haven't, you've probably have heard the song "We don't talk about Bruno"), you may remember the arepitas that can cure anything. Lucky for us, TOAST-IT is bringing delicious arepas to a store near you, and after trying, I think they also might be magical. Behind the magic is the hard work, vision, and story of co-founders and sisters Mafe and Coco, who wanted to bring the arepas from their childhood to the US. Listen in as Coco & Mafe share about pivoting from big corporate careers to entrepreneurship, launching TOAST-IT online, building their brand, getting on shelves at big retailers like Publix, and what's next in bringing their delicious arepas to more consumers.
Today I'm thrilled to share a conversation with Miguel Leal, Co-Founder and CEO of SOMOS, a new brand bringing food from the heart of Mexico to your home. Miguel co-founded SOMOS alongside two former co-workers and KIND Snacks executives, Daniel Lubetzky and Rodrigo Zuloaga. With decades of food industry experience, Miguel most recently spent two years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Cholula following his three years as the CMO at KIND. As you'll hear in the episode, I may have developed a slight obsession for SOMOS products after trying, and once you try the Unusually Think and Crunchy Tortilla Chips, you'll understand. Listen in to this episode to hear Miguel share about the story behind SOMOS, building an authentic and clear brand identity, launching in thousands of retailers including HEB, Kroger, and Sprouts and supporting those launches with a digital strategy, the decision to launch with a large portfolio of SKUs in multiple categories, creating the SOMOS team, and more.
Today is Part 5 our podcast series with Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, who has been joining us once a month to talk hot topics in CPG. At the time of recording, Coca-Cola had just announced their decision to discontinue Honest Tea, so we pivoted this episode to cover Seth's thoughts on the news. As the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, Seth shares his reaction, stories that he's been thinking of, and what's on his mind during a time like this. Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat, so he also shares about his continued commitment to his current work and the entrepreneurs' imperative to keep going.
Welcome to the Startup CPG Podcast! Startup CPG is a community of thousands of founders and emerging brands who make food, beverage, and beauty products, aka, consumer packaged goods. Listen in to our weekly podcast, join our free 7K+ Slack community, and head to startupcpg.com to subscribe to our free newsletter for all the details on upcoming networking events, webinars, magazine releases, blog posts, and more.
Today is our second episode in the "First Hire" series where we talk about making first hires in marketing, finance, sales, and operations A couple weeks ago we covered operations, so be sure to check out that episode, and today's subject is hiring for sales. When is it time to hire a full-time sales person? How do brokers fit into the picture? How do you recruit and hire the right sales person? Here to help us answer these questions is Jake Huber, US Sales Director of St Pierre, Americas #1 brioche brand. Fun fact: Jake was our very first guest on the Startup CPG podcast for our "What the F is a broker episode" (one of our most popular episodes), and we're grateful to have him back! Listen is as Jake covers why founders should do sales as long as possible, the five functions of a broker and why they are NOT a sales hire, setting expectations for your first sales hire, and more.
Episode Links:
Jake's LinkedIn St Pierre Groupe's website
Show Links:
Join the Startup CPG Slack community (7K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Part 4 our podcast series with Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, who has been joining us once a month to talk hot topics in CPG. Just in time for summer, this episode is all about field marketing - interns, in-store demos, events, guerrilla marketing, grassroots marketing, and more. You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how you can build your own field marketing program including hiring, training, and managing team members, how to take field marketing and demos beyond just sampling with merchandising, displays, customer feedback, and market research, why sampling is so important to innovation adoption, and some really great stories from the road, field, and even airplane.
Episode Links:
- Link to Eat the Change's Field Marketing Internship application
- Eat the Change’s website
- Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle
- How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea
- Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (7K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
This is the first episode in our new "First Hire" series where we'll talk about making first hires in marketing, finance, sales, and operations, and today's subject is hiring for operations. When is it time to make the leap to a full-time operations person? When should you use a consulting firm? How do you find the right fit for your company? Here to help us answer these questions is Jamie Valenti-Jordan, CEO of Catapult Commercialization Services. Catapult is a team of experienced food industry professionals focused on helping emerging and growing brands with their technical & operational development and scaling needs. Listen in as Jamie covers the difference between setting up your operations and running your operations, how to find the right operations person, navigating when to implement software solutions, how to manage an operations person or agency as a founder, and more.
Episode Links:
- Jamie's LinkedIn
- Catapult Commercialization Services website
- Jamie's email: jamie@catapultserv.com
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (7K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Most of us know the term SKU for stock keeping unit, but I'm excited to introduce you to a SKU that's actually a program with opportunities for our Startup CPG community members! Today we get the chance to talk with Emily Kealey and Michelle Breyer from SKU, a world-class accelerator driven by a community of the nation’s top CPG leaders, successful founders, and industry experts. SKU's intensive programs offer best-in-class education, hand-picked teams of mentors, and access to retailers and investors, all dedicated to building brands that change lives. Both long-time CPG industry experts, Emily is the Managing Director of SKU, and Michelle is Chief Marketing Officer at SKU. Listen in as Michelle & Emily cover SKUs many programs open to CPG companies nationwide, tips for a successful application, success stories of SKU alumni like Siete, Epic Provisions, and Aura Bora, and details on how to apply for future cohorts and take advantage of SKU's many resources.
SKU is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- SKU website & LinkedIn
- Apply for SKU Dallas here (applications open until May 30, 2022)
- SKU FAQ & contact application contact email: applydfw@sku.is
- Michelle's LinkedIn
- Emily's LinkedIn
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (7K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today is Part 3 our podcast series with Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, who is joining us once a month to talk hot topics in CPG. This episode is all about sustainability, planet-based commitments, and Earth Month. You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how to develop planet-based commitments as a brand, the challenges of recyclable and compostable packaging, how to balance marketing and education about sustainability with a food product, Eat the Change's Earth Month efforts, and more.
Episode Links:
- Link to the incrEDIBLE Planet Challenge
- Link to Seth's blog post: Our Planet-Based Commitments
- Link to a video of Eat the Change's Sea Shanty on Instagram
- Eat the Change’s website
- Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle
- How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea
- Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Based on latest Torrance test data, 85% of today's children are less creative than their 1980s counterparts. CPG industry veterans Erin Fasano and Liz Seelye realized that part of the problem is old thinking when it comes to what kids eat and drink. They started dreaming up drinks and snacks with their kids to bring imagination back to lunchboxes and beyond and together founded Starryside. Their first product is organic, immunity-boosting Star Water in an adventure-ready, kid-sized can. Their big launch is coming up this week during World Creativity & Innovation Week, which runs from April 15th to 21st. Listen in as Liz and Erin share the story behind Starryside, how their background with some of the largest CPG brands informs their work, the process of getting to a minimum viable product including flavor development and finding a manufacturing partner, how they maximized Expo West and the Startup CPG Alley Rally, how their kids inspire them and participate in the growth of Starryside, and more!
Episode Links:
- Starryside website & IG @starryside.co
- Use discount code STARTUPCPG25 for 25% off your order!
- Erin's LinkedIn
- Liz's LinkedIn
- More info about World Creativity and Innovation Week
- BevNet feature of Starryside
- Startup CPG Spotlight feature of Starryside
- Sir Ken Robinson's "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" TED talk
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Rohit Sabnis joins us to give an introduction to Prop 65 regulation, which applies to consumer products sold into California via retailer, Amazon, eCommerce, etc. Ro is a Partner at Keller & Heckman, an internationally renowned law firm with a broad practice in the areas of regulatory law, public policy, and litigation. Listen in as Ro covers the background of Prop 65, hot topic chemicals and how they may appear in your products even if they aren't on the ingredient list, how to assess your own product's risk, steps you can take now to avoid future issues and be prepared for larger retailers, and more.
Keller and Heckman is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Note: This presentation provides general information, not legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice suitable for your specific needs. Unless you have entered into an engagement agreement with a specific law firm, you are not a client of that firm.
Episode Links:
- Keller and Heckman’s website
- Rohit's LinkedIn
- Rohit's email is sabnis@khlaw.com
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today we continue our podcast series with Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, who is joining us once a month to talk hot topics in CPG. This episode is all about innovation. You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers two approaches to innovation in food, how to balance taste & consumer feedback when innovating, tips for research and development on a small budget, and more.
Episode Links:
- Link to Seth's blog posts: Innovator's Agenda & Taste Comes First
- Eat the Change's Cosmic Carrot Chews' launch at Expo West recap
- Eat the Change’s website
- Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle
- How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea
- Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Expo West hadn’t been held since 2019, so there was a lot of anticipation leading up to the 2022 event. With 57,000 attendees, 2,700 exhibitors, and 800 people at the Startup CPG Alley Rally event, I thought we needed multiple perspectives and voices to try to sum up such a massive event. In this episode you’ll hear clips submitted by Startup CPG community member brands and then curated pieces from Food Entrepreneur's "Well-FEd" LinkedIn live Expo West recap session with Daniel Scharff, our Startup CPG Founder and the CEO of Machu Picchu Energy, Jenna Movsowitz, our Startup CPG Spotlight Magazine Editor (which if you haven’t read the latest magazine issue, here's the link), and CPG press expert, Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News & Editor of Food Entrepreneur. Whether you weren’t able to attend Expo and are hoping to learn what is was like or if you attended and want to hear a community perspective, this episode has something for you.
Episode Links:
-
Startup CPG article: "The Best of Expo West" by Jenna Movsowitz and Erin Fasano
-
Startup CPG community member brands who submitted audio clips:
-
Renee Dunn - Founder & CEO at Amazi Foods
- Kim Biddle - Senior Manager, Digital Sales at Sow Good Inc.
- Emily Griffith - Founder & CEO - Lil Bucks Sprouted Buckwheat
- Peyton Spolansky - Manager of Marketing & Special Projects at Mezcla
- Raina Kumra - Founder of SpiceWell
- Veronica Fil - Co-founder of Grounded Foods
- Clara Lahlouh Paye - Founder and CEO at UNiTE Food
-
Olivia Chen - Co-Founder & CMO at Twrl Milk Tea
-
Video recap of the Alley Rally
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Tortillas are often a mere vessel to transport their tasty contents. But what if they could be the star of the meal packed with fresh, bold flavors? Back in 2018, Henri Revel and his wife Belén had a “Eureka moment.” Inspired by Belén’s Latin roots, Henri's passion for better tortilla options, and both of their entrepreneurial spirits, they created Eureka Tortilla, a snackable craft tortilla company. Listen is as Henri shares about honing Eureka's recipes, finding the right co-packer, launching in Nugget and with Hungryroot, printing challenges, and Henri's strategic approach to networking to find great advisors and connections. And, since we recorded this episode, they have launched their online shop!
Episode Links:
- Eureka Tortilla's website & IG @eurekatortillas
- Henri's LinkedIn
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Bonus Episode! At Startup CPG, we recently curated another new & free resource - the first list of freight carriers and brokers just for CPG companies. I (Host Jessi) had the pleasure of helping build this resource, and I thought it'd be fun to bring on one of the many brands who submitted their freight providers to be added to the list to chat about how some of the challenges and tips they've encountered related to freight. We'll start the episode with an interview with Alex Cree, co-founder of Baozza, followed by a few stories and insights from me. Listen in as Alex and I share about the process of finding freight partners, stories of freight gone wrong, and tips for getting your pallets from Point A to B safely and on time in a challenging environment.
Episode Links:
- Read the Startup CPG article by Jessi about freight carriers and brokers and get access to the database here
- Alex's Linkedin
- Baozza’s website
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
This is the first episode of a very special new podcast series from Startup CPG. Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, will be joining us once a month for the next few months to talk about hot topics in CPG. Today we kick off by talking all things Expo West. With twenty-one Expo West events under his belt, who better to answer our community's Expo West questions! You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how to stand out among thousands of brands, how to craft your ten second pitch, a simple yet game-changing follow up/lead tracking plan, how to maximize Expo West even without a booth, why you should treat everyone like the most important buyer, and more.
Episode Links:
- Link to Seth's blog post: Going to Expo West? How to Make the Most of It
- Eat the Change’s website
- Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle
- How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea
- Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Less than a year ago, I (Host Jessi) had an insurance emergency at LivBar. I searched "insurance" in the Startup CPG slack and found Danielle Holyoake's name. I sent her a quick email and we jumped on a call. In record time, she solved a problem that other brokers had told me wasn't possible (full story in the episode!). I was so excited when Amelia Risk became a proud partner of Startup CPG because it meant we could do a podcast episode packed with game-changing knowledge. Danielle, is the COO and co-founder of Amelia Risk, the better-for-you insurance broker. Listen in as Danielle shares the key roles of an insurance broker, the most common types of insurance applicable to CPG and when they become relevant (think product liability, workers comp, D&O, recall, general liability), navigating insurance requirements for retailers, how to find the best policies, how umbrella insurance might not be what you think it is, and more.
Amelia Risk is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- Amelia Risk's website
- Danielle's LinkedIn
- Danielle's email: danielle@ameliarisk.com
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Today we get to talk about one of the newest Startup CPG resources - a list of CPG accelerators and incubators with all the details to help you find the perfect program for your brand. Sarah Nathan, founder of Bloom CPG, a CPG consulting group, helped build this resource and joins us to talk all things accelerators and incubators. Listen is as Sarah shares how to find the right accelerator or incubator for your brand and best practices for completing your application, participating in a program, and building long-term relationships.
This resource is proudly sponsored by Buttermilk Creative, a leading packaging and design studio.
Episode Links:
- Read the Startup CPG article by Sarah about incubators & accelerators and get access to the database here
- Sarah's Linkedin
- Bloom CPG’s website
- Listen to our podcast episode with Mondelēz about their accelerator here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
43 percent of small businesses in the United States don’t track inventory, or do so using a manual system. In CPG, our inventory has the added complexity of lot/batch tracking, expiration dates, recalls, compliance, and certifications. Brands who win have a handle on their inventory, margins, and operations. That's why we had Ken Ojuka join us to talk all things inventory and physical product movement. Ken is the CEO of Fiddle, modern inventory operations software for CPG brands and manufacturers. Listen in as Ken walks through how to think about inventory in CPG, how and when to choose an inventory system, and other best practice tips to manage your inventory like a pro.
Fiddle is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- Fiddle’s website
- Ken's LinkedIn
- Listen to the The Physical Product Movement Podcast
- Request a 30-min Fiddle demo here
- Get free access to "The Ultimate Supplier & Co-Packer List" here
- "The Ultimate Inventory Management Guide For Growing CPG Brands" by Fiddle is available here
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
What are the major watch-outs for a co-man contract? What should be there, and what shouldn't? What's boilerplate, and what might hurt you and the relationship in the long-run? Lauren Handel joins us to cover both the legal and the common-sense side of these agreements. Lauren is the Principal Attorney of Handel Food Law, a law firm dedicated to food, beverage, and farming businesses. Listen in as Lauren walks through the process of forming a great contract with your co-manufacturer from key contract provisions, to common red flags, to planning for amicable endings, and more.
Handel Food Law is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Note: This presentation provides general information, not legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice suitable for your specific needs. Unless you have entered into an engagement agreement with a specific law firm, you are not a client of that firm.
Episode Links:
- Handel Food Law’s website
- Lauren's LinkedIn
- Contact info@handelfoodlaw.com for more information
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
The earliest records of herbal tea date back nearly 5,000 years, yet when Zahira Marmar moved her family to the US from St Martin, she could not find anything like the medicinal bush teas she grew up with to send with her kids to school. On the edge of tea brewing burnout from keeping her family and community stocked with herbal tea, Zahira founded Hrbvor (pronounced her-bi-vore), so that her sparkling herbals teas would be readily available in cans and to be able to more widely spread the message of the benefits of herbs. Listen in as Zahira shares the challenges and surprises of getting her creation to shelf - from the can shortage, to label challenges, to sourcing, to the inspiration behind each brew and more.
Episode Links:
- Hrbvor's website & IG @hrbvor
- Zahira's LinkedIn
Exciting News: The Startup CPG Podcast has been named the #2 CPG-Themed Podcast! Thank you for all of your support!
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
79% of consumers have bought a new product in the last month; how do you make sure your brand is one of the the new products in a consumer's cart? Today we welcome Annalea Krebs, founder and CEO of Social Nature, a product discovery and trial platform in the better-for-you space. Listen in as Annalea covers the landscape of product discovery and trial amidst the pandemic (including demos, subscription boxes, coupons), her recommendations for top consumer insights questions to ask, her tips for building communities (Social Nature's community has nearly 1 million people!), and actionable ideas for how to best create online brand awareness, drive offline purchase, get consumer feedback, and turn consumers into brand advocates.
Social Nature is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- Social Nature’s website
- Annalea’s LinkedIn
- Join the Social Nature community as a consumer here
- As a CPG Brand, learn more about Social Nature’s programs here or contact their team at marketing@socialnature.com
- Link to “The Complete Guide to Online-to-Offline (O2O) Marketing” mentioned by Annalea and Jessi
- Follow the #trynatural movement @socialnature
Special offers from Social Nature for Startup CPG members:
- 20% off new Digital Demo subscription plans
- Complimentary Market Research Add-on for Sampling Projects ($2500 value)
Exciting News: The Startup CPG Podcast has just been named the #2 CPG-Themed Podcast! Thank you for all of your support!
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,900+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Have you heard of Oreos? Ritz? Cadbury? Then you know just a few brands in the portfolio of Mondelēz International, one of the largest snack companies in the world. Today we get the chance to talk with Brigette Wolf and Jackie Haney from SnackFutures, Mondelēz International's innovation and venture hub, about CoLab, SnackFutures’s start-up engagement program designed to support early-stage well-being brands. Brigette is the Global Head of SnackFutures, and Jackie is the Innovation and CoLab Program Manager. Listen in as Brigette & Jackie cover how to prep now for future potential acquisition, tips for forming lasting strategic partnerships, and everything you need to know about how the CoLab program works and how to apply to the 2022 cohort.
SnackFutures is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- SnackFutures website
- If you’re a mission-driven well-being start-up, apply for CoLab here!
- Article on the partnership between Startup CPG & CoLab
- Brigette's LinkedIn
- Jackie's LinkedIn
- Mondelēz International's State of Snacking annual report mentioned by Jessi
Exciting News: The Startup CPG Podcast has just been named the #2 CPG-Themed Podcast! Thank you for all of your support!
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,900+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
With 200 million prime members worldwide and 60% of online purchases starting with an Amazon search, CPG brands can't ignore the opportunities available on Amazon. At Startup CPG, we're committed to helping small brands succeed on all channels, including Amazon and that's why we've partnered with Marketplace Ops. Today we welcome Fernando Campos, co-founder of Marketplace Ops, a leading online marketplaces brand management agency that helps CPG companies accelerate their growth on Amazon and Walmart. Listen in as Fernando covers pre-launch and launch tips, how to handle negative reviews, Amazon's VINE program, data-based strategies for optimizing your main image, a better way to think about ACOS targets, tips for choosing an Amazon vendor, and strategies for Black Friday, Cyber Monday.
Marketplace Ops is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.
Episode Links:
- MarketplaceOps website
- Fernando's LinkedIn
- Browser extensions for estimating market size: Helium, Jungle Scout, & Viral Launch
- Amazon IP Accelerator
- Amazon AI tools: PACVUE, Perpetua
- Tool for polling campaigns: PickFu
- Link to Marketplace Ops Resource page with blog posts and playbooks
- Popular "9 Things CPG Companies Commonly Miss When Selling on Amazon" blog post
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Health. Happiness. Hydration. Did you know the fruit of a cactus could help bring you all three? That’s why Kun Yang and four of his other pharmacist friends decided to found Pricklee, and create the quenchiest prickly pear cactus juice. Listen in to hear how coconut water is moving over for a new plant-based water with half the sugar and calories yet that’s filled with antioxidants. Kun is the CEO of Pricklee and an active member of our Startup CPG community, and he shares about Pricklee’s origin story, running around New York in a cactus suit, Pricklee's recent Today show spotlight, and his tips for other aspiring CPG entrepreneurs.
Episode Links:
- Pricklee's website & IG @drinkpricklee
- Pricklee's recent feature on the Today Show
- Pricklee's recent feature in Entrepreneur
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
We’ve got a bonus episode for you! Expo East 2021 took place Sept 22-25 at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Startup CPG founder, Daniel Scharff hosted a live panel on LinkedIn with Jessica Rubino from the New Hope Network, John Craven from BevNET, and first-time exhibitor Sunanda Patel from TumiBee winner of the Startup CPG and New Hope Network booth giveaway. Listen in for how the first Expo event since 2019 unfolded and what to expect for Expo West 2022.
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
Join us for an episode on all things early stage investing and angel investing in CPG with expert Wade Brooks. Listen in for how to get honest if raising money is right for your CPG business, pitch deck pitfalls, a look inside the investor mind, the key to maintaining great investor relationships for long term success. Wade is a serial entrepreneur, former researcher and professor in entrepreneurship and investing, and current CEO of LivBar.
Episode Links:
- Wade's LinkedIn
- LivBar website & IG @livbars
- Wade recommends the book "The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki for building pitch decks
- The 10 Big Food Companies
- Wade mentions this study on Angel Investor Returns
- Jessi recommends Silicon Valley, specifically Season 2, Episode 1 where the team gets their first investment
- If you enjoy some of the technical aspects of angel investing, Jessi has a quick episode on her own podcast with more information
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Kirk Visola is an active member of our Startup CPG community with a heart for sharing his design expertise and helping people navigate the complex world of packaging and branding. He has a no-nonsense approach to life and client work. With over 20 years of design expertise working with some of the largest brands in the world, he now operates his own agency, Mind the Font, making his caliber of work available to brands of all sizes. Listen in as Kirk shares about why he started his own agency, tips for approaching a packaging project, and how to build a great relationship with a designer for long term success.
Episode Links:
- Mind the Font website & IG @mindthefont
- Kirk's LinkedIn & IG @kirkvisola
- Check out Kirk's weekly Clubhouse session with his mom: Mondays With Marilyn every Monday at 12 noon PST
- Check out Kirk's weekly Startup CPG Clubhouse session on packaging with Andy Kurtts from Buttermilk Creative, "Kirk & Kurtts," every Thursday at 12 noon PST
- Kirk mentions Brandon Hernandez as a resource for operations, co-packing, and more at Whole Brain Consulting
- Kirk mentions Unsplash as a free photo resource
- Get a blast from the past and look up Iomega Zip Drives
Show Links:
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com
It’s been my pleasure to be the host of Season 2, and now it's time to pass the torch for Season 3! This episode is to introduce you to Startup CPG's new podcast host, Jessi Freitag. She’s no stranger to entrepreneurship and and knows what it takes to build a CPG Brand. She’s a curious mind and a podcaster who loves conversations - so - let’s meet Jessi!
@livbars
@irohs.corner
Jessi's LinkedIn profile
Say hi at jessi@startupcpg.com
Nopales, or cactus in English, is one of the oldest plants in Mexico, it's been said that nopales was grown and eaten in Central Mexico before the Spanish even arrived. Today, the vegetable is still widely eaten throughout Mexico and United States. It's being called the "Plant of the Future" due to it's drought-resistant qualities, needing little water to survive, plus it's packed with fiber and antioxidants.
Human rights attorney, Regina Trillo, is doubling down on nopales in a big way! She's combined her passion for health, transparency and love for chips to create Nemi's, a crunchy, nutrient-dense snack, inspired by Mexican flavors. Listen in as Regina shares how she's building a sustainable, better-for-you snack brand.
@Nemi
@MindTheFont
@StartupCPG
Janie's Life-Changing Baked Goods has been transforming lives, including her own. Janie credits baking as giving her hope after she struggled with addiction and homelessness as a young adult.
She's also changing the lives of those around her through service and hiring historically marginalized community members. Listen in as she shares her journey through darkness to the bright lights of the Food Network's Chopped Sweets, QVC, and beyond.
Sparkling craft cocktails from the heart of Los Angeles. Vervet is harnessing the cultural wealth of California and Co-Founder, Tuan Lee, is set on redefining what it means to be an American brand. @DrinkVervet
If your brand is needing clarity on how to show up authentically in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) space, email me. Along side executive producing the Startup CPG podcast I run my own consultancy, Merida Consulting, working at the intersection of DEI + Marketing Communications.
Email me at JBlundell@meridaconsultingllc.com
If your brand is feeling a bit stuck in a rut, not quite connecting with consumers, or if you're struggling to set yourself a part from competitors, it might be time to refresh your Brand Strategy.
In this episode we'll hear from Rebekah Hubbard, Managing Director at Heart Creative, a content & digital marketing agency. Listen in and take notes as Rebekah lays out the framework for refining your brand in 3 simple steps.
Special thanks to our Community Partner Heart Creative, you can find them at HeartCreative.co
Never mix your cocktails from scratch again. Meet Alison Nathenson, co-founder of Steep't cocktails. Alison and her partner Chole are making it easier for you to create restaurant caliber cocktails in your own home for the fraction of the cost. Not staken, not stirred, Steep't. Take a listen.
If you are new around here, we are a community dedicated to helping young CPG brands succeed. We do this a few ways like giving access to phenomenal resources like our guest today, Mary Allen, who has expertise in taking brands global. She not only advise brands in this space, but she's also done it herself! She sells Savvy Green, a line of eco-clean detergent products, internationally.
Listen in, as Mary dives into what type of products should be thinking about expanding internationally and resources to help you on the journey.
Meet Emily, a midwest mom, MBA-student and professional who is leading her family's journey to sustainable foods. Listen as we spotlight an array of consumer profiles, think 1-on-1 qualitative research, digging into the minds of today's consumers. Make sure to reference the other Consumer Profiles in season 2.
What if I told you there is a sweet icing dip made from plant protein powder…and it’s actually tasty?! Well believe me, it’s paradise in a jar. I’m talking to Emily Edwards, founder of Paradise Icing, she’s a former social worker turned food entrepreneur. Her story is one of health struggles, perseverance, and a whole lotta optimism! Listen in as we chat about how she’s building a brand that’s tastefully wholesome.
In a crowded marketplace where anyone can open a Shopify site to sell a product, you have to fight for attention. On today’s episode we will hear from Florian Radke, an expert in building successful direct-to-consumer brands. Listen as he breaks down what is really needed to have a thriving brand on Shopify.
Meet Brianna, a self-described plant-based, pescatarian and an avid label reader. She's new to city life and enjoying the easy access to new cultures, flavors and brands - even during a pandemic. Listen as we spotlight an array of consumer profiles, think 1-on-1 qualitative research, digging into the minds of today's consumers.
Melanie Kahn, founder of Poppilu Lemonade, shares how she’s been able to land on the shelves of top retailers like Walmart & soon to be Target. And how going bold on product innovation is paying off.
Follow Poppilu on Instagram @drinkpoppilu
Meet Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, the new Startup CPG podcast host. Jennifer has an eternal curiosity for brands who are building better-for-you products and think outside the box, literally. She will showcase the diversity of thought behind some of today's youngest brands and highlight resources that help emerging brands level up each day.
Lauren Joyner is the CEO and Founder of LOCA Foods. LOCA's first product is a plant-based nacho sauce for the 21st century, made from potatoes. Lauren has really done her research to understand what it is about food that we enjoy - what purpose does it serve, in what context is it shared, how does it make us feel? This is such an important mindset for disrupting a broken food system. Understanding what doesn't work, how it got that way, and why we cling to it are essential foundations for building a better product. On this episode, Lauren and I talk about how LOCA is reinventing comfort foods in a way that's better for humans, animals and the planet. We discuss important angles for thinking about nutrition, shelf life, and even dive into the history of America's obsession with cheese.
Startup CPG is a community of passionate people who love to build products that make our bodies happy, and our world healthy. In less than a year our community has grown to over 1200 active and engaged memebers. We have bigger and better projects in the pipeline to support small CPG brands - the best is yet to come.
John Schiaroli loves using his years of experience in operations to support young brands as they are being molded. He builds operational frameworks for growth, helping young brands create scalable, precise and effective backbones to make sure the business works. John's experience ranges from years at multinational brands like Coke and Pepsi, to more recently leading supply chain operations for brands like RUNA, WTRMLN WTR, and Milk Bar. On this episode, John walks me through the most important lessons for effective operations strategy, whether you're building a new brand with a few hundred thousand in the bank, or innovating at a large company, you'll find this episode helpful.
For a deeper dive into operations with John, check out his podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIqwVWUoQis.
How do you bring a traditional product to market while maintaining the integrity of family tradition?
Meet Mariam Elghani, founder of Garlic Goodness, Garlic Dips and Snacks. Produced in California with farm-fresh ingredients, Garlic Goodness bring bold yet approachable flavors to homes in California. Garlic Goodness is based off a family recipe that has traveled from the Lavant to Sacramento. One main ingredient has changed - egg whites - to make the dip plant based. Yet, the heart of the dip is still the same. Mariam oversees all the production: "it's the way that we've been making it in the restaurant for the past 12 years." On this episode, Mariam and I talk about what it is like to make essential changes to reach a larger audience while staying true to your roots.
Are you thinking about selling your products online, direct to consumer? Not sure if you should start selling on Amazon, on your own website, or somewhere else? Unclear if e-commerce can be profitable for your business?
E-commerce and growth marketing experts Rachel Barge and Kate Lin discuss strategies for reaching your customers directly on episode 10.
Rachel Barge is the founder of Leap Grow, a premium group of freelance growth marketers and has served as the Head of Growth/Marketing for companies like Hip Camp, Yerdle, and Gig Car Share.
Kate Lin is a marketing strategist at Right Side Up. She advises companies on how to unlock additional revenue, from early stage ventures to Fortune 500 companies.
Improving something should be inherently innovative, but within the food and beverage world, what really fuels the "better for you" space? As a young company, what support exists to help you stick to your vision and values?
In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, we interview Chloe Sorvino, a staff writer at Forbes. Chloe covers all things CPG, from Billionaires to Under 30 entrepreneurs. Under 30 applications just opened, so be sure to listen to the entire episode for tips from Chloe on how to stand out in your application!
What really makes a product stand out to investors and customers? Gregorio Santiago has spent his career getting to know the ins and outs of what makes a great product succeed, and why some of the most innovative products never make it to market. Formerly the head of Acceleration and Discovery at Distill Ventures and a serial entrepreneur himself, Gregorio shares some tactical stories and tips with us.
What is a Co-Man, Co-Manufacturer, or Co-Packer? If you’re a budding CPG business, should you consider partering with one to save overhead? Turns out, they can be super helpful in securing deals within your supply chain, but there’s a few things you should know before approaching a contract manufacturer. In this week’s episode of the Startup CPG podcast, we sit down with Matt Suggs, the founder of Partner Slate. He walks us through everything you need to know about getting your recipe off the ground and into stores.
Today's episode is a conversation with Clara Paye, Founder of UNiTE Food. UNiTE packs globally inspired flavors and wholesome, gluten-free ingredients and superfoods into nourishing, high-protein snacks. Clara is technically a one-woman show but she's clearly building something so much bigger than herself, and on this episode we talk about the inspiration and process of shaking up a pretty basic niche of CPG, bringing diversity and inclusion to the protein bar space.
Partnerships come in many forms and, with a little creativity, can present themselves in pretty unique ways! In this episode, we sit down with Caroline Cotto, the COO of Renewal Mill, to discuss the power of partnerships, keeping an open mind, and building a circular economy for food.
Oatly founder Bjorn Oste is launching a new functional beverage, Good Idea Drinks. Bjorn and I discuss what he learned about building an authentic brand at Oatly, and how that is shaping strategy for Good Idea.
This episode features Zach En'wezoh, the Co-Founder and Head of Product for Bissy Energy. They're creating social equity for small holder farmers in Nigeria through the use of caffeinated Kolanut products. Zach shares their origin story, how they built their supply chain, and how they're building a brand on a foundation of care and transparency within the supply chain.
Everyone is asking... what does a sales broker do, anyway? Are they worth incorporating into your business model, and if so, when? Jake Huber from The Better Food Group breaks it down for us on why you should work with one, and how to have a successful partnership.
A brief introduction to the Startup CPG Podcast, from your host, Amanda Rodriguez, and Daniel Scharff, founder of the Startup CPG Network.