Brand Start: Recent Episodes
Leonard Grape
Brand Start is a podcast about starting your own brand and growing your business. It is a show that talks about the entrepreneurial journey of different founders and entrepreneurs on how they started their career as business owners, thought of their business ideas, and the challenges, lessons, failures, and successes that they faced in building a brand.
Allison Cayne launched her CPG product in Fresh Direct and sold out in 4 hours. She credits this success to how she has built a customer base that has a deeply rooted relationship with her brand.
It's not only about growing their email list to 70,000 subscribers but creating that genuine relationship with consumers that lasts for a long time. Listen to this episode to learn: 1) How to make your customers feel connected with your brand?
2) How do you achieve a sold-out launch?
3) Why making your audience part of the brand process important?
4) What are the CPG foundations for growth and scale?
5) How do you handle regrets as a CPG founder?
Learn more about Ali and her brand at https://havenskitchen.com/. P.S. If you're struggling to drive product trials and you want to strengthen your product positioning, I may be the guy to help. I'm opening my CPG Brand Consulting program for strat-ups and emerging CPG founders. Get on a 30-minute discovery call to see if we're fit to work together. Sign up here: https://calendly.com/leogrape/cpgbrand.
Being a CPG founder is tough. It takes courage, business acumen, and mental fortitude to succeed. This conversation is both insightful and vulnerable, uncovering not only the business side of CPG but also the realities of being a founder.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Joe Hill, co-founder of One Planet Pizza, who opened up about his ups and downs in building his company alongside his dad.
Listen to this episode to learn: 1) Why is testing and failing a critical part of CPG success?
2) What's the #1 challenge to expect when starting a CPG brand?
3) Why scaling down is a growth strategy?
4) What should be your #1 priority as a CPG founder?
5) What does CPG survival truly mean? Learn more about Joe and his brand at https://oneplanetpizza.com/. If you find this podcast helpful, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating. P.S. If you're struggling to drive product trials and you want to strengthen your product positioning, I may be the guy to help. I'm opening my CPG Brand Consulting program for start-ups and emerging CPG founders. Get on a 30-minute discovery call to see if we're fit to work together. Sign up here: https://calendly.com/leogrape/cpgbrand.
85% of CPGs fail after two years. One of the main reasons is the inability to generate awareness and drive product trials.
In this episode, Leonard talks to Hank Watt, CEO of Nature's Wild Berry, a Shark Tank brand that's been growing in the past 8 years, who shared how they pivoted their marketing game to drive more awareness and reach more customers.Listen to this episode to learn:
1) What's the importance of driving product trials? 2) How to be more effective with your marketing?
3) Why it's important to have a high-margin product?
4) How to get investment from Shark Tank?
5) How to build a brand that people love?
Learn more about Hank and his product at www.natureswildberry.com.
If you find this podcast helpful, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating.
P.S. Get your FREE guide that helps you increase your website conversion rate by downloading your copy of The Complete Playbook to Creating a Killer CPG Website that Converts at www.thevineyardbc.com/freeplaybook.
Driving product trials is a key to success for any CPG company. It's foundational for growth for CPG start-ups, emerging CPGs, and even CPGs that are in growth mode. But how do you get more product trials in such a competitive industry? In this episode, Leonard is joined by Kevin Smith, a CPG founder and fellow Brand Development Expert who's the CEO of SmashBrand, to talk about the importance of branding and product positioning in achieving CPG success. Listen to this episode to learn: 1) What's the #1 factor in driving CPG product trials?
2) Why is brand development at the center of CPG success?
3) How do you find your product differentiation to build a compelling brand?
4) What are the common CPG branding mistakes that you must avoid?
5) How do you create a packaging design that boosts product sales? There are so many more insights that you can learn from this conversationThis is probably the most in-depth brand development episode in the entire podcast so be sure to listen to it until the end. Learn more about Kevin and his company at www.smashbrand.com. P.S. Get your FREE guide that helps you increase your website conversion rate by downloading your copy of The Complete Playbook to Creating a Killer CPG Website that Converts at www.thevineyardbc.com/freeplaybook.
Finding product-market fit in the CPG space is a critical component of success for any CPG brand. It's how you know that you've reached a point where there's promising demand for your product, your marketing is working, and your sales are growing.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by fellow CPG expert, Jordan Buckner, who's a former CPG founder himself, to talk about how CPG founders can be more strategic and efficient in finding product-market fit.
Listen to this episode to learn:1) What are the key steps in finding product market fit?
2) How do you create a product with the customers in mind?
3) What are the 2 ideal audience types for emerging CPG brands?
4) What's the downside of taking investors' money?
5) How do you manage the emotional toll of running a CPG? Jordan also shared an amazing product-market fit tool that you can download here: https://www.foodbevy.com/product-market-fit-calculator/. You can learn more about Jordan and his businesses at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanbuckner/. P.S. Do you have conversion challenges for your CPG website? Then you need our new guide called The Complete Playbook in Creating a Killer CPG Website that Converts to help you increase your website conversion rates. Get your FREE copy at www.thevineyardbc.com/freeplaybook.
BTR Nation started as a DTC better-for-you protein bar brand. When scaling, they expanded into retail and grew their door count and distribution channels by 300% at a rapid phase.
Leonard talked to Ashley Nickelsen, its founder & CEO, who shared her journey from getting the product idea when both her parents were diagnosed with a rare form of cancer to scaling it to a $1,000,000+ brand.Listen to this conversation to learn:1) How do you differentiate your product in a saturated category?
2) What's the key to succeeding in DTC and Amazon?
3) How do you scale your retail door count and distribution channels?
4) What's the number 1 metric when getting on the shelves?
5) Do branding and marketing really yield ROI?
Consider subscribing if you find this podcast helpful. Learn more about Ashley and support her brand at https://www.btrnation.com/.
How can you grow your CPG brand this 2024? What are the 3 major growth pillars to focus on? The CPG landscape isn't looking to bolster anytime soon but that doesn't mean you can't have growth opportunities.
In my very first solo episode, I talk about the 3 pillars that you can revisit, assess, and immediately act on to drive momentum for your CPG company this year. If you need help in growing your CPG brand, don't hesitate to reach out and schedule a free 30-minute discovery call: https://calendly.com/leogrape/discoverycall.
P.S. Our new FREE guide called The Complete Playbook to Creating a Killer CPG Website that Converts to help you increase your website conversion rate is now available for download. Get your FREE copy at www.thevineyardbc.com/freeplaybook.
For this Part 2 of The Best of Brand Start 2023, we're bringing back key moments and insightful discussions with the following better-for-you food and beverage CPG founders:
- Mark Samuel on Surviving as a CPG and Packaging Mistakes to Avoid
- Jake Karls of Mid-day Squares on Using Emotional Marketing for CPG Differentiation
- Taylor Walker of Spritzal on the Power of CPG Rebranding
- David Delcourt of Seed Ranch Co on Success Tenets for CPGs, and
- Aaron Gailmor on Strategic Branding for CPGs
Are you enjoying this podcast? Consider subscribing so you can be updated as we bring you more insightful and amazing episodes this 2024. Want free daily tips on CPG Brand Development? Connect with me on LinkedIn at Leonard Grape! As a holiday request, would you consider leaving us a 5-star rating? And would it be crazy to ask if you can leave a comment? This will help us grow the show and help more founders! Have a great holiday and see you again in 2024!
This 2023, we've featured some of the most inspiring and successful founders in the better-for-you food and beverage CPG space. For the first time ever, we're giving you a year-end treat for a 2-part The Best of Brand Start 2023.
Our team at The Vineyard picked some of the best moments with CPG founders who share their biggest lessons, inspiring stories, and business advice all in 2 episodes. In this 1st part, you'll hear valuable insights from:
- Isabelle Steichen of Lupii on understanding CPG profitability and how you can reach it
- Christina Drake of Willa's Oat Milk on effective CPG marketing strategies and consumer-focused tactics
- Clara Paye of Unite on strategic product Expansion and sales channels
- Ana Fortun of In-Bite on niching as a growth strategy and why industry knowledge is mandatory for success, and
- Arshad Bahl of Amrita Foods on Retail vs DTC Insights for CPG and hard metrics for CPG success.
Who do you want to see next on the podcast? Let us know!
If you want to get more CPG insights, follow me on LinkedIn at Leonard Grape for daily brand development, CPG industry, and entrepreneurial posts. Thanks for joining us this year and see you in 2024!P.S. We're offering a free 45-minute brand call to help you address your main challenges and give you insights on how to leverage brand development to grow your business. Visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk to avail.
No Sh*t, No Fluff Conversation on CPG Success and Challenges with Mark Samuel of IWON Organics.
Listen to this conversation to learn:
1) Why you should think long and hard before starting a CPG brand?
2) What is the single most important thing for any CPG company?
3) What's a fatal CPG packaging mistake to avoid?
4) Why should you treat DTC as an independent business?
5) How do you create a balanced lifestyle as a CPG founder?
Subscribe to this podcast if you want more valuable and insightful CPG conversations.
Learn more about Mark Samuel and support their brand at https://iwonorganics.com/.
If you need help in making your product stand out and build a differentiated brand, feel free to reach us at www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
P.S. It's Leonard here and it's been an amazing ride getting to this 70th episode. I want to thank all of you for your continued support - for every single subscriber and listener, for every wonderful guest, and to our great team at The Vineyard, the brand development firm for better-for-you CPGs for producing this show.
Here's to the next 70 episodes! Cheers!
Anika Sawni is the founder of a non-alcoholic beverage CPG brand called Gruvi. In their quest for growth, they learned to take a multi-demographic approach to appeal to a wider audience. She joined Leonard in this episode to talk about how they are navigating CPG challenges and competing in this promising category.
Listen to learn:
1) How can you innovate in your CPG category?
2) Does having a big WHY help with business growth?
3) How do you build a movement with your product positioning?
4) What is a multi-demographic marketing approach?
5) What are the 3 components of beverage CPG growth?
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more weekly CPG episodes. Learn more about Anika and support their brand at https://www.getgruvi.com/. P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
The vegan and plant-based sectors continue to grow but consumer education remains challenging.
How do you appeal to vegan customers? How do you expand your addressable market?
In this episode, Leonard talks to Radhika Datt, co-founder of One Good, about how they are building a brand that makes delicious plant-based vegan products accessible and affordable in India.
Listen to this conversation to learn:
1) Why must you know your trademark laws when naming your brand?
2) What is an effective consumer marketing strategy for plant-based CPGs?
3) What are the challenges and opportunities in the plant-based industry?
4) Why product expansion is more than just SKU expansion?
5) Why do all CPGs need to be a distribution-heavy company?
Subscribe to this podcast if you find this episode helpful.
Learn more about Radhika and support their brand at https://onegood.in/.
P.S. Are you a better-for-you food and beverage CPG who wants to build a brand that stands out, appeals to customers, and drive product trials? Then we can help you through our brand development expertise. Explore how we can work together by visiting www.thevineyardbc.com.
Having an e-commerce platform for your CPG brand is a powerful way to grow your business. But it's not as simple as having a website storefront.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Anuraj Naithani of Oath Oats who shared how they are constantly optimizing their website to increase their conversion rates.
Listen to this conversation to learn:
1) How can you leverage e-commerce as a growth strategy?
2) What are the two buying stages of online consumers?
3) How can you integrate purpose into your CPG brand?
4) How do you build a content creator-led product?
5) What are some effective tactics to boost your online sales?
Don't forget to subscribe if you find this podcast helpful.
Learn more about Anu and support their brand at https://oathoats.com/.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help in revamping your website to help your DTC sales, contact us at www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Getting into retail is a key growth tactic but scaling your sales velocity on the shelf can be challenging.
Nikki Seaman, founder & CEO of Freestyle Snacks, talked to Leonard about how she employed a retail-focused go-to-market strategy and 8x their sales in a short amount of time. Listen to this conversation to learn: 1) How to transform your product from a commodity to a clamored brand?
2) How do you grow from 0 to 1,600 stores in less than 2 years?
3) What are the upsides and challenges of expanding into retail?
4) How do you execute an effective packaging strategy?
5) What is the effective CPG marketing framework to grow your retail sales by 8x? Like this podcast? Be sure to subscribe and share it with others.
Learn more about Nikki and support her brand at www.freestylesnacking.com.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Not a lot of CPG brands get to a million dollars in revenue. It's even much harder to get to 3x that. But Chelsie Hodge, founder & CEO of Blender Bites, managed to accomplish it and is looking to build a $10M company by 2024. She joined Leonard to talk about how she grew her brand from her home kitchen to the international stage.Listen to this episode to learn: 1) Why is consumer education critical for CPG success?
2) What are the packaging mistakes to avoid?
3) How do you manage a high-risk, high-return situation?
4) How do you expand cross-market internationally?
5) How do you raise money through an IPO?
Did you find this helpful? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast for weekly new episodes. Learn more about Chelsie and support her brand at www.blenderbites.com.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Starting a CPG company requires healthy business assumptions. But how do you validate if your assumptions are right or wrong?
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Mateen Pouyafar, founder and CEO of Seedly Foods.
They talked about:
1) How do you decide on which product to build?
2) Why is founder ego can be a roadblock to growth?
3) How do you test market assumptions?
4) Why does your packaging design need evolution?
5) What is the biggest metric for CPG success?
Learn more about Mateen and his brand at https://www.eatseedly.com/.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Achieving profitability in the CPG industry has so many nuances. It's difficult but achievable and requires several factors that you should understand.
In this episode, Isabelle Steichen, founder & CEO of Lupii, joined Leonard to talk about her journey from being a start-up employee to starting her own CPG company. Listen to this conversation to learn:
1) Why working on your own idea rather than for others can be a strong motivator?
2) What are the core elements of CPG profitability?
3) How to grow as an early-stage CPG brand?
4) How do you handle crises and uncertainties?
5) What are the growth tactics that can help you scale?
Subscribe to this podcast if you find it helpful. Learn more about Isabelle and support her brand at www.getlupii.com.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Driving product trials is critical to boost CPG sales. It's how you generate awareness, get customers to taste your product, and gain consumer feedback. But it can be a tough and costly game.
In this episode, Leonard talks to Mario West, founder & CEO of West Food Brands, to talk about how they are leveraging free samples to acquire customers.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1) What are the inexpensive ways to validate your product?
2) How can you generate 100% ROI with your product sampling?
3) Why competitive scan can be a game-changer for CPG start-ups?
4) How can you market your product differently?
5) What are the pitfalls to avoid to succeed more with Amazon?
Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a rating. Learn more about Mario and his brand and businesses at https://westfoodbrands.net/.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Operating a CPG company has many components and you need to pull the right levers and set the right systems to anticipate and drive growth.
In this special episode, Jessi Freitag, CPG consultant and host of the Start-Up CPG Podcast joined Leonard to tackle all things CPG operations to help founders scale their brands. Listen to this conversation to learn: 1) What are the operational changes that can bring huge impact to a CPG company?
2) What are the systems and tools that can help increase efficiencies?
3) How do you overcome common scaling challenges that CPG founders face?
4) Why is branding important in growing a CPG company?
5) What is the number 1 success quality of a CPG founder?
Subscribe to the podcast if you find this helpful. Learn more about Jessi and how she can help you run your operations at https://jessifreitag.com/. You can also check the Start-Up CPG podcast in all platforms.
P.S. We help better-for-you food and beverage CPG brands stand out, appeal to customers, and drive product trials through brand development. If you need help, visit www.thevineyardbc.com/talk.
Capitalization is a constant concern for every CPG company. Funding challenges come almost on an annual basis.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Aaron Gailmor, founder & CEO of Brass Roots, who shared his experiences in raising funds and managing cash requirements for his better-for-you F&B brand.
Listen to this conversation to learn:
1) What are the underappreciated costs of building a CPG brand?
2) How do you drive product trial and build brand affinity?
3) What mindset shifts are happening on CPG profitability?
4) What is the biggest challenge for early-stage CPG brands?
5) How do you overcome obstacles as a CPG founder?
Be sure to subscribe to show if you find this helpful and help other CPG founders by sharing this podcast. Also, learn more about and support Aaron's company at https://brassrootsfood.com/.
Being an early-stage CPG brand is tough but it can have many advantages if you know how to leverage them.
In this episode, Christina Drake, founder of Willa's Oat Milk, joined Leonard to share her journey in building a better-for-you plant-based milk brand. She talked about the strategies and tactics that she employed to thrive against bigger brands in their category.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1) Why is it important to understand business positioning as a CPG start-up?
2) How do you launch with limited resources and still thrive?
3) What are the important branding principles that can help you succeed?
4) Which growth levers should you focus on as an early-stage brand?
5) How do you validate your business assumptions as a CPG founder?
Subscribe to this podcast if you find this episode helpful. Learn more about and support Christina's company at www.willaskitchen.com.
P.S. Enjoy a 30% discount when you buy their products by using the promo code mentioned at the end of the conversation.
Integrating brand and product development can lead to a differentiated CPG product, especially in highly competitive categories. This was the strategy of Unite, a better-for-you protein bar with flavors that are inspired by global cultures.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by its co-founder and CEO, Clara Paye, who shared how they are able to differentiate their brand and gain market share against bigger protein bar companies.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1) How can you leverage product flavors to be a unique CPG brand?
2) How do you become strategic with SKU expansion?
3) Why is having a bigger brand purpose important for better-for-you products?
4) How do you grow from 0 to 4,000 doors in sales channels?
5) How can you use being a smaller CPG company to your advantage? Subscribe to the podcast if you like this episode.
Learn more about Clara's company at https://unitefood.com/.
Many better-for-you CPG founders consider retail and DTC as main sales platforms but there are several other viable sales channels that brands can take advantage of.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Matt Cotton, CEO of Rooted Food Sales, where they discussed strategies and tactics to grow sales for CPG brands by widening their reach through food service channels.
Listen if you want to learn about:
1) What are the 6 major sales channels in the area of food service that are viable for CPG brands?
2) What are the core strategies in expanding your sales distribution?
3) When and how do you start working with brokerage firms?
4) What is an effective pitch tactic to get your products in stores?
5) What are the advantages of food service sales channels?
Subscribe to the podcast if you find this episode helpful.
Learn more about Matt's company at www.rootedfoodsales.com.
Spritzal Cookie underwent three rebranding processes within 8 years. It's constantly learning about their market, gaining better brand clarity, and using the insights to iterate their product to better appeal to customers.
In this episode, Taylor Walker, COO of Spritzal Cookie Company, came on the show to talk to Leonard on how they transitioned from being a family baking company to a better-for-you CPG cookie product.
Listen to the conversation to learn about:
1) How do you leverage rebranding to support product growth?
2) What are the three focus points in pivoting your brand?
3) How do you transition from your home to commercial kitchen?
4) What drives operational capacity expansion?
5) When should you start building a team? If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and share it with other CPG founders.
Learn more about Taylor's brand atwww.spritzal.com.
Expanding into retail is a major goal for any better-for-you food & beverage CPG brands. But it's cash intensive, requires distribution network, and can be difficult for early-stage CPG companies.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Spencer Lynn, a CPG sales strategist, who shares his retail and sales experiences as the Northeast Regional Manager of KOS, a plant-based protein powder.
Listen to their conversation to learn about:
1) What are the best practices that can help CPG brands get retail distribution?
2) How do you leverage working with retail brokerage firms?
3) What are the key metrics for retail sales velocity?
4) How do you make DTC work with your retail channels?
5) What are the mistakes to avoid in expanding into retail?
Enjoy listening to this episode and be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Learn more about Spencer and connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlynn46/.
Partnering with big time personalities like Magic Johnson, Evander Holyfield, and affiliating your brand with organizations like the LA Lakers requires knowing how to get past the gatekeeper and being persistent.
This is how Cory Lewis, founder and CEO of Warrior Beverages, managed to bring his brand to the radar of big shot influencers despite having no connections and get them to support his better-for-you functional CPG beverage brand.
In this episode, he talked to Leonard about:
1) How he started his business after being laid off from his job
2) How to break down your big audacious goals into daily actionable steps
3) How do you raise and manage your capitalization to boost growth?
4) How do you build top-tier network despite having no connections?
5) What does it take to battle with much bigger CPG corporations?
Enjoy listening to this conversation and be sure to subscribe to the podcast.
Support Cory's brand at www.warriorbeverages.com.
Crowdfunding is an effective way to help you address your challenges in raising investment funds to start and grow your better-for-you F&B CPG brand.
But, it's not enough that you just look for a crowdfunding platform, set up your page, declare your target funding, and expect people to start flocking in.
In this episode, I talked to Rachel Domb, founder & CEO of Rooted Living, who raised $10,000 through crowdfunding during the early stages of her sustainable plant-based snack company.
Listen to this episode if you want to learn:
1) How to navigate the early challenges and nuances of a start-up CPG brand?
2) What are the best practices in launching a successful crowdfunding campaign?
3) How do you build and leverage your CPG network?
4) Why is having a clear brand mission and a personal passion can drive growth?
5) What are the top 3 skills that can build success for a healthy F&B CPG founder?
Be sure to subscribe if you like this episode and support Rachel's brand at www.rootedliving.org.
Understanding how to position your product relative to your core audience can drive results to your healthy food & beverage CPG brand. This was the experience of Sam Moore, founder and CEO of Hazlo, who made a shift with the way they positioned their product from being a drink mixer to an elixir lifestyle beverage brand.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1) How to anchor your growth with product positioning and brand messaging?
2) What's the importance of identifying your core audience and focusing on them?
3) How to start your product with a healthy cost margin?
4) Why producing your own event rather than sponsoring one can yield better results?
5) How to pace your brand growth and what to expect in the first three years?
Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and support Sam's brand at https://drinkhazlo.com/.
Knowing when, how, and where to pivot can be a pathway to profitability for your better-for-you CPG business. And sometimes, it can mean pausing your brand for a while.
This is what Ana Rodriguez, co-founder of InBite shared in her conversation with Leonard as they uncover key insights from her decades of her entrepreneurial experience as a better-for-you food & bev CPG founder.
Listen to this episode to learn -
1) How can you leverage your strength to pivot your business to profitability?
2) How can you use the power of niche to grow as a small brand?
3) What margins should you be targeting to sustain your business?
4) How do you work with a co-packer and co-manufacturer?
5) What are the key trends to watch out for in the healthy food & bev CPG industry?
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and support Ana's brand at https://inbite.us/.
Several factors contribute to the success of a better-for-you CPG food or beverage brands. It can be having a really unique product, a compelling differentiation, a branding and storytelling that rally customers, an effective marketing, an expanded distribution, among others.
While these are important strategic and tactical components, there are three main principles that David Delcourt, co-founder of Seed Ranch Co, attribute their success to in building healthier alternative sauces and snacks.
In this episode, you will learn:
1) How to turn a passion project into a viable business?
2) What are the three tenets of success for their company?
3) Why differentiation is difficult but can be key to growth?
4) How do you leverage channel diversification?
5) What are the mistakes to avoid as a CPG founder?
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss on any new episodes. Also, support David's CPG brand at https://grownasfoods.com/.
Failure can be a stepping stone to lead you to where you're supposed to be and make you even more lethal at what you do. Kyle Peters is the former founder of a healthy food brand called Carter & Oak, which manufactured and sold high-protein, no sugar, frozen desserts.
In this episode, he talks to Leonard about his journey of starting, building, and subsequently closing his brand and the many invaluable learnings both on the business aspects of running a CPG brand as well as his personal and professional growth.
Listen to this episode to learn:
1) How do you assess and decide on closing your CPG business?
2) What are the main factors that can contribute to either success or failure for your healthy f&b brand?
3) What is the hardest part in running a healthy consumer packaged good product?
4) How do you deal with failures and the pressures that come with it?
5) How do you bounce back stronger after falling down in your entrepreneurial career? Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss on any new episodes.
Also, support Kyle's new venture at https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-got-the-goods/.
Marketing is an important aspect of growing your healthy food and beverage business and it's not just about having ads or digital platforms. There has to be a strategy in place that is aligned with your product and your customers.
In this episode, Leonard is joined by Erica Rankin, Founder of BroDough, who talks about her entrepreneurial journey and how she used a human-based marketing approach to generate awareness and interest for her product. Listen to this episode to learn:
1) How to be scrappy and quickly validate initial product-market fit for your healthy food and beverage product?
2) How do you brand your product so customers will pick it up?
3) What is human-based marketing and how can you apply that for your brand?
4) How can you leverage Tiktok to build awareness?
5) How do you balance long-term goals vs short-term gains in your CPG business?
Learn more about BroDough and support them at brodough.ca.
Midday Squares has sold millions of their functional and healthy chocolate bars. The key to their success? Understanding the importance of creating an emotional connection, offering transparency, and building trust among your customers. In this episode, Leonard talks to Jake Karls, co-founder of Midday Squares, who shares their journey from being a homemade product to scaling to a multi-million brand that is driven to disrupt the chocolate industry. Listen to this episode to find answers to questions such as: How do you launch with a bang for your product? How do you leverage entertainment and media to generate awareness? Why is brand strategy important to differentiate your product and connect with your consumers? Learn more about Midday Squares and support them at https://www.middaysquares.com
Prabal Chaudhri found an unmet need in the market for chicken jerky when he saw that all products appeal mostly to men and do not have clean, healthy, and honest ingredients. This is what led him to start Brave Good Kind, a brand that offers healthy chicken jerky, bites, and bars while advocating for positivity.
In this episode, he shares how branding became a core component of everything that they did for their business and how he rolled out a strategic way to secure funding that allowed him to raise $3.5M in investment. Listen to this episode to find answers to questions such as: Why is branding important for healthy food and beverage products? How do you leverage brand strategy for business growth? How can you become retail ready at day 1 of your business? What is a gated approach in raising capital? What's the triad of validating business-market fit?
Be sure to listen to the whole episode and catch the code that Prabal shares if you want to get some free products. If you find this helpful, subscribe and leave us a rating. Learn more about Brave Good Kind and support them at www.chickenbites.com.
Getting your healthy food and beverage CPG product in retail is a goal for every founder. It signifies growth and readiness to scale. But, the question is, what are the steps that you should do to gain retail distribution for your healthy f&b brand? In this special episode, Leonard talks to Caroline Grace, a go-to-retail strategist where they talked about items like: How do you get your product in retail? What are the 4 different approaches to getting into retail? How do you increase your sales on the shelves? What are the costs involved in retail distribution? Listen to this if you are a brand who wants to get your product in retail or grow your sales velocity if you are already on the shelves. Did you find this helpful? Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review and rating. Learn more about Caroline's retail consulting company called Product & Prosper at www.productandprosper.com.
Arshad Bahl started Amrita Health Foods ten years ago and has grown it into a strong and trusted healthy food brand. In this episode, he shares how he found his path to becoming an entrepreneur within the healthy food industry and his journey of growing his business. You should listen to this episode if you want to find answers to questions such as: How do you grow a healthy food brand? How do you phase your growth trajectory as a CPG business? What are the healthy margins that you should be targetting as a CPG company? What are the common mistakes of founders in the healthy food and beverage industry that you should avoid? Did you find this helpful? Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review and rating. Learn more about Amrita Health Foods at www.amritahealthfoods.com.
Hillside Harvest is a natural hot sauce brand that competed in such a highly competitive category. Its founder, Kamaal Jarrett, talked about how he leveraged brand strategy, product positioning, and communicating a culture to establish differentiation for their products. He shared how focusing on local markets and understanding their consumers per locality and taking advantage of a retail-first strategy helped fuel growth for their business. Listen to this episode if you want to get insights on how to grow a healthy sauce and condiment product, tips on getting into retail, using d2c as scale trial, and strategies to thrive in a mature market. Learn more about Hillside Harvest at www.hillsidesauce.com.
Ali Elliott has always been a passionate foodie who also has a strong inclination to entrepreneurship. Her business, The Farmer Foodie, started as a food blog. But when she saw a gap on the availability of delicious, healthy, and long shelf-life cashew parm, she took action to solve this problem and launch her first healthy food and beverage CPG brand called Everything Cheeze. Now, they are gearing up to greater heights as they are set to relaunch their brand and expand their business.
This episode talks about her starting journey, her milestones, learnings, and core insights on what it really takes to start and build a start-up healthy food and beverage product.
Learn more about The Farmer Foodie at www.thefarmerfoodie.com.
Nut Wander had the right idea for a product and its founder, Jared Kligerman, did all things the right way when he was starting. Yet, despite all his efforts and hard work, it proved to be not enough. As they'd say, failure is a great teacher and you can learn so much from somebody's journey of accepting when it is time to call it quits. Listen to this inspiring and open conversation with Jared who shares insights and learning from his attempt to build the brand of Nut Wander. He is now fully focused in running his marketing agency called The Think Tank. Check it out www.tttmrktg.com.
Climate Candy is not your typical candy product. It’s a healthy treat made from fruits and vegetables. Its founder and CEO, Amy Keller, wanted to rescue unharvested ugly produce and upcycle them into a candy product that is not only delicious but also helps address issues of climate change.
Listen to this episode to learn about the importance of doing feasibility study in the healthy food and beverage industry, iterating your hypothesis, knowing your audience, honing your brand positioning and message, and raising capital for growth as a CPG product. Learn more about them at www.climatecandy.com.
Pricklee is a healthy beverage drink made from cactus water. It's a CPG brand started by two friends who hustled to learn the complexities of starting, running, and growing a healthy beverage product. Listen to Kun Yang's story on how they overcame challenges, built a brand that resonated with the market, win an investment from Shark Tank, and hit one million dollar in sales. Learn more about them at www.pricklee.com.
Brand Name is one of the most important facets of any brand and yet it is also one of the most difficult brand assets to pin down. It requires both art and science, a structured process, a myriad of techniques, and a legal support to achieve the best possible name that strategically fits your business.
Rob Myerson, a professional namer for more than 15 years, a brand strategist, and author of the book Brand Naming, joins Leonard to discuss key principles and tactics that make up a great brand name. He shares specialized knowledge, examples, and specific steps that can help you and your team overcome obstacles in naming a business, a product, or a service.
Learn more about Rob at https://robmeyerson.com/ and https://www.domestika.org/en/robmeyerson
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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To build a global brand is a herculean task. While brand development is at the core and an integral part of it, it requires several phases and strategic considerations to move from a local, to national, and then international presence.
Matt Davies, a brand strategy consultant, joins Leonard for an expanded discussion of how you bring your company to a global scale with focus on the management of meaning and the operational intricacies that need to be streamlined. It starts by asking big brand questions –
1) Why do you exist beyond making money?
2) Who do you serve and why should they care?
3) How do you show up to them in a relevant way?
4) What is your offering and proposition?
This episode is jampacked and you should listen to this if you want to learn a detailed, phase by phase, and structured approach on global branding and the various nuances within the brand development process that you need to consider if you are planning to scale your company internationally.
Learn more about Matt at www.mrmattdavies.me.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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Leonard and Anneli dive deep on the complexities of brand strategy and why people buy and patronize products or services that are not necessarily the best in their categories. Have you ever felt deeply connected with a company? If yes, that is a by-product of an effective brand strategy.
Anneli Hanson is a long-time brand strategist, an educreator, a coach at The Futur, and the founder of Happy Islands, which is a branding firm based in Sweden. In this episode, she shares many insights on how companies can leverage brand strategy, the starting point in building brands, achieving clarity of who you are and how to stand out in the sea of same, and reaching greater success for your business through branding.
If you are an entrepreneur, a C-suite or creative professional, a marketing and brand practitioner, you should listen to this if you want to learn strategic and tactical knowledge on branding and the structures that go with it.
Learn more about Anneli at www.instagram.com/theannelihanson.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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Personal Branding is your market persona. It is the effort that you do to build a reputation on how you want others to perceive you. But why does it matter for you to have a personal brand? Shouldn’t you just focus in building a brand for your business?
One key principle is that people buy from people. Whether you are an entrepreneur who is the face of your business or a key representative of your company, leveraging your personal brand can lead you to more opportunities and can make your corporate brand even more effective. The question is – how do you link personal branding with the branding of your business?
Rosie Chong, a personal branding expert, joins Leonard to discuss this in detail starting with what personal branding is, its importance for anyone who want to create better opportunities, some tactical tips, and insights in effectively strategizing for your personal brand.
Rosie is an active LinkedIn influencer who works in a creative agency while helping some clients build their personal brands. Learn more about her at www.linkedin.com/in/rosielchong/.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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Internal Branding is the process of being clear about who you are and defining who you want to be as a brand. Juxtaposed to it is being intentional about building the right culture, which is a way of bringing your internal branding to life.
In this episode, Michael Sonbert, founder of Rebel Culture, talks to Leonard as they both discuss the real impact of not having a firm internal brand and the danger of creating an uninspiring and confusing culture. If you are interested to learn key insights and tactical tips on how you can improve your internal branding and make culture work to your advantage, you wouldn’t want to miss this conversation.
Rebel Culture is a company based in New York that helps business leaders create massive culture change in their organizations. Learn more about them at https://www.rebelculture.com.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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Story is a powerful way to relate to your customers, to convey experiences, to influence them, to build a thriving brand, and even to impact the world.
Helena Merschdorf, co-founder of Tales Consulting, sits down with Leonard to discuss the art of storytelling and how businesses can harp on the power of stories to build their brands. Learn about the importance of crafting your brand story strategically and telling it with the proper approach to maximize effectivity. Trust us when we say, you’re in for a treat in this episode with many relevant insights and tactical tips so get your pen and paper ready to take some notes.
Tales Consulting is a story-driven content marketing firm based in New Zealand that help tech brands attract better leads through brand storytelling. Learn more about them at https://www.tales.co.nz.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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If the brand you are building is no longer relevant or is stuck, rebranding can be a powerful tool to reexamine the path that your business should be taking and revisiting who your brand really is.
Kim Poxon, rebranding specialist and founder of KRNL, joined Leonard to probe deeper the importance of rebranding, how it must be done, and why it is a powerful strategy for businesses who cannot move the needle forward with their brand-building journey.
KRNL is a strategic branding and design agency based in San Francisco helping plant-based and sustainable brands to go from local to regional scope through rebranding. Learn more about them at https://www.krnl.agency or follow Kim on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimpoxon/.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
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Much has been said about branding. But what is it really?
In this pilot episode for Brand Start’s special branding series, Martin Zarian, co-founder and lead strategist of Factory 39, talks to Leonard about what branding is and what it isn’t, its key principles and components, how branding impacts businesses, and why it can be a vehicle to help change the world.
Factory 39 is a branding firm based in Cyprus and London helping companies engineer brands that drive business growth. Learn more about them at https://factory39.io or follow Martin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinzarian/.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard, the brand development company for the healthy food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.thevineyardbc.com.
Follow Leonard Grape on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Rebecca has a very decorated background with a master’s degree from Harvard and working in a multi-national consulting firm for many years. She left her corporate career to build a brand that aims to help migrant workers and unbanked people send money overseas more easily and more affordably.
In this Brand Start episode, she tells her story of finding her north star and starting her company called Tang App, a fintech app which is on a mission to build a brand that solves the problem of global financial exclusion. She shares what it really is like to create a fintech company from scratch, pursue an intimidating global vision for your brand, run a multi-cultural and international team, and scale a business.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ Why You Should Solve a Problem that You Care About
✅ Power of Mindset and Vision to Pursue a Global Mission
✅ Tactical Steps in Building a FinTech App
✅ Effectively Managing a Multi-Cultural and International Team
✅ Best Practices in Growing and Scaling a Business
For more information on Tang App, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/tangapp.ph or visit their website www.tangapp.org
Rocket Fuel, was written by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters the book mentioned by Rebecca in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Sean started his company called SEO Hacker at the age of 22, straight out of college, at a time when SEO was still relatively unheard of. Back in college, he failed 28 units and the academe thought he was largely a failure. That proved to be incorrect as he went on to grow his company to a multi-million venture that has been running now for close to a decade and a half.
In this Brand Start episode, he tells his story of founding and growing SEO Hacker, the failures and successes that he experienced, the importance of courage in business, and tactical insights to leverage SEO for your business.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ Figuring Out the Unknown in Starting a Company
✅ Tips to Leverage SEO for your Brand
✅ Scaling a Company from 1 to 40 Employees
✅ Identifying Priority Lead Drivers in your Sales Funnel
✅ Overcoming Entrepreneurial Challenges and Trials
For more information on SEO Hacker, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/SEOHacker or visit their website www.seo-hacker.com
How To Win Friends and Influence People, was written by Dale Carnegie the book mentioned by Sean Si in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
EveGrocer did not start as sustainable marketplace. Its founder, Dimple Sandoval, just wanted to address the pain point that moms experience in doing their household groceries.
In this Brand Start episode, Dimple talks about her journey in building an online ecommerce brand at the height of the pandemic. She shares how they grew fast during the early days and how the intent to grow as fast as they can proved to be counterproductive for their business.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ How to Address a Pain Point in the Market
✅ Key Aspects of a Successful Online Marketplace
✅ How Brand Partnerships Can Grow Your Ecommerce Platform
✅ Importance of Timing and Pivoting in Growing a Business
✅ How to Validate your Business Idea
For more information on EveGrocer, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/evegrocer or visit their website www.evegrocer.com
The Lean Startup, was written by Eric Reis the book mentioned by Dimple Sandoval in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
It’s not easy to be an entrepreneur and one can imagine how it can be even more challenging to become one in a place that is not your native land and with a language that is totally foreign.
In this Brand Start episode, Jess Reimer, founder of Mindflows talks about her journey of leaving the Philippines to finish her studies in Germany, try her luck and pursue a career there, and eventually becoming an entrepreneur abroad. She shares her motivations, struggles, ambitions, and the key insights that allowed her to transition from being an employee to a thriving company owner in a foreign land.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ Mindset to Overcome Hurdles and Self-Doubt
✅ Importance of Self-Awareness to Navigate the Unknown
✅ Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur Abroad
✅ Digitizing your Company Processes through a Software
✅ Running a Bespoke Software Solution Company
For more information on Mindflows, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/mindflowseu or visit their website www.mindflows.eu
The Culture Map, was written by Erin Meyer the book mentioned by Jess Reimer in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
The cloud technology has been growing consistently all over the world and it’s critical that businesses consider this in their operating structure. But what does it really mean to build a business on a cloud?
In this Brand Start episode, Pat Zulueta, co-founder of Apper.ph talks about key insights on how to transition your business to be compatible with the current digital age and cloud technology. He also shares how they started the company, their early-stage challenges, and the successes that they are seeing on their business model.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ 3 Criteria Before Quitting Your Job to Pursue a Business Idea
✅ Parameters in Launching a Start-Up Company
✅ Importance of Cloud Technology and How You Can Leverage it
✅ Role of Branding in Company Success
✅ Insights for a Company Exit
For more information on Apper.PH, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/apper.ph or visit their website www.apper.ph
Zero to One, was written by Peter Thiel the book mentioned by Pat Zulueta in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
What is branding? How do you build a meaningful brand? What is Public Relations? Why are impactful stories relevant to businesses?
In this Brand Start episode, Leonard and Mavic dive deep on their respective sphere of expertise from what branding really means and how entrepreneurs can build a meaningful brand to the importance of PR and how one can leverage on telling stories that have impact. They also let the audience in on some of their actual projects and processes at The Vineyard Brand Consultancy.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ Basics of Branding
✅ Key Concepts about Meaningful Brands
✅ What is Public Relations
✅ Key Indicators of an Impactful Story
✅ Entrepreneurial Insights and Advice
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Victor dropped out of college after spending just 2 weeks in his senior year. He did that so we can work for free in a start-up tech company. Pretty unusual right? Well maybe but that experience became the prelude for him to start Avion School, a tech education company that teaches people to become a software engineer in just 2 weeks.
In this Brand Start episode, Victor shares the early stages of building his start-up, making it a part of Y Combinator, and now growing the company into bigger heights. He also tells his stories of the early struggles and challenges in getting a start-up company started and what you can do to overcome hurdles.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ What to Prioritize in Starting a Tech Company
✅ Why a Different Perspective on Education can bring success
✅ Thinking Global to Scale a Company
✅ Using Guarantee as a Brand Promise
✅ Role of Branding in Growing a Company
For more information on Avion School, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/avionschool or visit their website www.avionschool.com
The Growth Mindset, was written by Helen Glasgow and Joshua Moore the book mentioned by Victor in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
When Covid-19 hit, Kathy decided it was best for her to quit her job if it meant making sure her father would be safe from the virus. But how do you thrive from uncertainties and how do you reinvent yourself from an employee to entrepreneur?
In this Brand Start episode, she shares her inspiring journey of rebuilding her career. Since quitting her job, Kathy has managed to become a successful accounting freelancer then transitioned to become a business owner, and now as a start-up founder for a company called Beppo Inc that is building an accounting app for freelancers.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ How to Transition from Employee to Freelancer
✅ Replacing your Salary with your Business Income
✅ Day-to-Day Life of a Start-up Co-Founder
✅ Managing Your Company’s Burn-Rate
✅ How to Reverse Engineer your Financial Forecast
For more information on Beppo, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/beppoapp or visit their website https://beppo.com.
Business Made Simple, was written by Donald Miller the book mentioned by Kathy in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Not a lot of people will quit college to become an entrepreneur and start a company because of the risks and uncertainties and parents telling you otherwise. Well, Amanda is not like a lot of people.
She skipped college and started her own company at the age of 19. She founded Backscoop, an online media and newsletter brand that caters to everything about tech start-ups in Southeast Asia.
In this Brand Start episode, she shares why she decided to not pursue college and how she is building her start-up company and the challenges she is facing along the way.
Listen to this episode to learn: ✅ How She Started Backscoop from her bedroom
✅ Key Business Principles for a Successful Start-up
✅ How to Grow Email Subscribers
✅ The Sweet Spot for Engaging Newsletters
✅ Becoming a Solopreneur to Build a Company
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
For more information on Backscoop, follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BackScoop or visit their website https://www.https://www.backscoop.com
The Lean Startup, was written by Eric Ries the book mentioned by Amanda in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
In this season 3 opener, Leonard is joined by his co-founder and COO of The Vineyard Brand Consultancy, Mavic Casas who is coming back as a co-host. In this special episode, they talk about their journey of quitting their respective corporate careers to start their own branding and communications company.
You will hear firsthand stories of the beginnings of their agency, their early struggles and successes, and how they are now positioning The Vineyard for growth.
Listen to this episode to learn:
✅ What it takes to Leave your Corporate Job and Be an Entrepreneur
✅ Keys to Starting a Successful Creative Agency
✅ Early Start-up Mistakes to Avoid
✅ Communication and Branding Tips
✅ Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Finding your niche is important in starting a brand. Understanding how to grow and scale is another milestone that any founders and entrepreneurs need to know.
Miguel Bernas and Gabriel Benito, co-founders of Nexplay Esports, a South-East Asian premier Esports ecosystem company shares their journey in finding a competitive edge in the niched industry of online gaming and esports and how they scaled their company.
In this special episode, they shared how they thought of their business idea, their struggles to get funding, understanding their niched audience, and how they finally found success. Both Miguel and Gabriel also get up-close in sharing their respective personal transition from corporate to entrepreneurship.
Listen to this episode to learn:
-
How to Discover your Niche for your brand
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How to Raise Capital and Find investors
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How to Build an Active Community
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Scaling a company into a regional and international scale
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Why Rejections Lead to Success
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
For more information on Nexplay Esports, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/NexplayEsports or visit their website https://www.nexplay.gg
Killing Marketing, was written by Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose, and The Lean Startup was written by Eric Ries, the books mentioned by Miguel and Gabriel in the episode.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Building your brand with a clear purpose and meaning can help you succeed in your journey as an entrepreneur.
Czar Carbonel, co-founder and CEO of Magwayen Organics, a sustainable personal care company behind the brand – Magwai, shares how they started a company that is anchored on a mission of saving the marine environment and how having a bigger purpose affects their business as a whole.
Listen to this episode to learn:
-
Importance of building a brand or business with a linear purpose
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Best practices in generating awareness of brand
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How brand development helps with finding success for your business
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Tips in transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
For more information on Magwai, follow them on Facebook www.facebook.com/MagwaiPH and on Instagram www.instagram.com/magwaiph or visit their website https://www.magwai.com.ph
Atomic Habits, the book mentioned by Czar in the episode, was written by James Clear
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
It is challenging to start a business especially so in the middle of the pandemic. You need to be innovative and think outside the box.
In this episode, Mark Thompson, a musical artist, producer, and co-founder of Thompson Collective shares his struggles and success in music industry and in building a business in a van.
Listen to this episode to learn:
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Importance of Branding for your business
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Being resourceful to try something not ordinary
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How to overcome the challenges of being an entrepreneur
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How to strive as a music artist
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Thompson Collective Inc., follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PHTCollective and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thompson.collective or visit their website wemu.co/s/thompsoncollective
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Deciding what business to pursue is not easy. It can be tricky even. There may be many ideas but the question usually is, which idea can really work and will be worth your time and energy? Is there really a way to know for sure?
In this episode, Michael Tayag, co-founder, and CEO of Darkside Concepts Inc, a management consulting company that specializes in food and beverage business development, shares his journey behind his company and gives insights in choosing the right business ideas.
Listen to this episode to learn:
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Best practices in selling and marketing a service
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Tactical tips on how to increase the success rate of a business when launching to market
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Process in deciding a business you should pursue
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The advantages and disadvantages of being an entrepreneur
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The common mistakes we need to avoid in starting a business
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Darkside Concepts Inc, follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/darksideconceptsinc and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/darksideconceptsinc.
Starting a Business All-In-One for Dummies, the book mentioned by Michael in the episode, was written by Consumer Dummies
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Do you want to know the secret behind a growing business?
Pot Chavez, Head of Operations of Tinapayan Festival, the pioneer in the use of agricultural crops in their bread products, was founded in 1982. It is a company that offers various sweets, soft baked goods, and pastry delicacies and has been thriving for forty years now.
In this episode, he shares how their family managed to grow their business and overcome competition with continuous growth for over 4 decades.
Listen to this episode to learn:
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Importance of Brand Name to Business Success
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Company Values as Growth Driver
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Importance of Vision for the Community and Company Succession
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How innovation helps businesses to remain relevant in the industry
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The main factors behind the success of a 40-year brand
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Tinapayan Festival, follow them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tinapayanfestivalbakeshopand on Instagram www.instagram.com/tinapayan.festivalor you can visit their website at http://www.tinapayanfestival.com
Labor Code of the Philippines, the book mentioned by Pot in the episode, was written by Arnold F. De Vera
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Do you want to know how to build a brand and maintain your relevance in the industry?
Pete Kawecki is the founder and CEO of Bapple, a company based in Sydney that offers services from UI/UX website design, web development, branding design and more. In this episode, he shares how he managed and built a brand from scratch and the challenges he encountered in maintaining relevance for his company despite the many changes in the digital industry.
Listen to this episode to learn:
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The importance of having a right foundation for the company
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The value of branding in building a successful business
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The impact of building a great team in delivering great work
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How to transition from freelancing to building your own company
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How to handle time and burnouts as an entrepreneur
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Bapple Creative, follow them on Instagram www.instagram.com/bapplecreative or you can visit their website at https://bapple.com.au/
Profit First, the book mentioned by Pete in the episode, was written by Mike Michalowicz.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Are you a mom who is planning to start your own business but with a limited capital? Or are you transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship?
Joy Astilla, founder and CEO of Urban Essentials, started this brand that aims to cater to the needs of all parents especially to the moms by finding a really strong product and understanding that she was more fit to be an entrepreneur than an employee. She shares her inspiring entrepreneurial story and in building a well-loved brand.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- Importance of Finding and Believing in a Good Product
- Overcoming the Struggles of a Start-up business
- The Benefit of having an Effective Brand Name
- Turning a Crisis into an Opportunity
- Balancing time and effort as a mom and entrepreneur
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Urban Essentials, follow them at Facebook, www.facebook.com/urbanessentialsinc and on Instagram www.instagram.com/urbanessentialsphilippines or you can visit their website at www. urbanessentials.com.ph.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
An entrepreneur must be an effective leader and must be able to build a productive team to run a successful venture.
Boris Joaquin, co-founder and CEO of Breakthrough Leadership Management Consultancy, talks about what leadership really means and how you can become an effective leader. He also shares insights and actionable tips in building a productive team as well as his inspiring entrepreneurial story. He has decades of corporate experience and while he considers himself to have started late in the entrepreneurial career, he is enjoying success for his many ventures.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- The three C’s in building a sustainable brand.
- Defining Breakthrough Leadership
- Tips on Becoming an Effective Leader
- Improving productivity and encouraging team results
- Running a Side Hustle before Quitting Corporate
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Breakthrough Leadership Management Consultancy, follow Boris Joaquin at www.facebook.com/BLMCI and on Instagram www.instagram.com/borisjoaquin or visit them at www.breakthroughleadership.asia/
Simple Truths of Leadership, the book mentioned by Boris in the episode, was written by Ken Blanchard & Randy Conley.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Feliz Lucas, a successful entrepreneur, an online personality, and the co-founder of Lucas Studios, shares her challenges of being a Mompreneur and how branding helped them build a thriving creative ambient venue that is perfect for photoshoots, weddings, and other lifestyle events.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- Importance of planning in a business and knowing your numbers
- Understanding how branding helps a business succeed
- How to achieve a high level of brand awareness and success
- Dealing with Competitors as Collaborators
- What it takes to be a successful Mompreneur
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Lucas Studios, follow them at www.facebook.com/lucasstudiosph and on Instagram www.instagram.com/lucasstudios_.
Sobre El Yunque, the book mentioned by Feliz in the episode, was written by Max Lucado.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
How do you position your brand for success? How do you differentiate your business through reinvention?
Marco Katigbak, co-founder of Felipe & Sons, a hybrid barbershop retail concept, shares how they planned for the launch of their business, designed the customer journey, and managed to achieve growth within their first year. He also shares his insights on how branding helped them attract the right customers and how storytelling was a major component of their success.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- Importance of Planning in Launching a Business
- Power of Branding to Attract Customers
- Value of Brand Storytelling to Stand Out
- Meaning of a Great Customer Experience
- Mixing Entrepreneurship with Employment
- What It Takes to Become a Successful Entrepreneur
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
For more information on Felipe and Sons, follow them at www.facebook.com/felipeandsons and on Instagram www.instagram.com/felipeandsons or visit their website www.felipeandsons.com
Show Your Work, the book mentioned by Marco in the episode, was written by Austin Kleon.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Leaving the corporate world to pursue a journey of becoming an entrepreneur is not easy.
How do you prepare for that shift? What does it really take to start a food brand? When and how do you pivot when you encounter difficulties in building your business?
Bong Esguerra, owner of Papi’s Food Concepts, talks about his inspiring journey of shifting from corporate to entrepreneurship, building and growing an F&B brand, and striving to thrive when the pandemic hit.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- How to Shift from Corporate to Entrepreneurship
- How to Start and Differentiate a Food & Beverage Brand
- Importance of Customer Service in Building a Business
- How to Achieve Profitability in your Company amidst the Pandemic
- Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Papi’s Food Concepts, follow them at www.facebook.com/papis.food.concepts and www.instagram.com/papis.food.concepts.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to download a free book on branding and schedule a free brand call to learn how we can help you grow your brand.
How do you know when it’s time to leave the job that you’ve loved for 20 years?
What does it take to introduce something new to a competitive market and build a global brand?
H Marcelle, founder and CEO of H Audio Technologies, shares his journey from being a radio dj to becoming an entrepreneur and owner of an audio brand and a global holdings company. He talks about his inspiring journey of building a business from scratch and making a courageous decision to leave his career behind for a fresh start.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- How to Develop a Product in a Competitive Market
- Why Community Impact Matters for Businesses
- Importance of Customer Service in Building a Brand
- How to Achieve Profitability in your Company
- Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on H Audio Technologies, visit www.h-audio.com and follow them at www.facebook.com/haudiotechnologis and on www.instagram.com/h-audio. Learn more about H Marcelle at www.marcelinoglobal.com.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Failures and mistakes are part of any entrepreneurial journey. Jade encountered many of those at the beginning of her career but she never stopped moving and pushing forward. She finally found success, but not without hurdles, when she started their mushroom farm and mushroom chips business called Woody Bags.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- How to Handle Failures and Setbacks
- Find Opportunities in the midst of Challenges
- Start a Business with Little to No Capital
- Make an Impact to the Community through your Brand
- Pivoting your Business to Achieve Growth
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on Woody Bags Mushroom Farm, visit www.facebook.com/woodybagsmushroomfarm.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Monsi founded philbiznews.com in 2008 when online media and digitalization were not yet as it is now today. Despite the many unknown and many naysayers, he continued to believe in his vision. Even when the odds seemed to be against him, he continued to work and build his brand. Now, The Philippine Business and News is a leader in online business media platform and continues to thrive with the continuous growth of digitalization.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- How to Build an Online Media Brand
- What It Takes to Become a Successful Entrepreneur
- How Values and Trust are the New Brand Currency
- Common Mistakes that Young Entrepreneurs Make
- Media Insights and Inspiring Entrepreneurial Journey
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. For more information on The Philippine Business and News, visit www.thephilbiznews.com or follow them at www.facebook.com/thephilbiznews.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you have any comments or questions or if you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, email us at workwithus@thevineyardbc.com.
You can also visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
If you are running a $6-figure online lingerie brand with a strong community and even celebrity followers, you would be extremely happy, right? Well, not for founder and entrepreneur, Jomie Casas, who after successfully building her first business, decided to sell everything to pursue her dream of traveling the world.
Subsequently, she started and became the CEO of a company called Just-Rent-A-COO, which is also growing successfully fast in providing operational support to company founders and small business owners.
Listen to this episode to learn the mistakes to avoid in building a brand, the importance of knowing your audience, how to leverage brand storytelling to set you apart and attract top-caliber clients like those belonging from Forbes 30 Under 30, and how to become a digital nomad – running a business while visiting different countries at the same time.
Jomie also shares inspiring stories and insights on how she lives the most out of her life, how she handles fears, plus how becoming a first-time mom changes her life as an entrepreneur and everything for the better.
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. (insert link of the podcast review)
Learn more about Jomie Casas by following her on Instagram @jomiecasas and check Just Rent-a-COO at www.justrentacoo.com.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Aira, co-founder of Neon Island Clothing, started an online brand at a time when shopping for fashion apparels on the internet was not a norm yet. Listen to this episode to learn how she has successfully grown the brand by pursuing a passion project, finding a gap in the market, harnessing the power of branding, and influencer marketing, and the consistent grit and grind that it took to stay competitive and relevant.
She also lets us in on her entrepreneurial journey on how from being a nurse and teacher by profession, she managed to increase their initial capital to 5X just after the first year of operations and what it truly means to be a passionate entrepreneur who loves business.
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. (insert link of the podcast review)
Learn more about Aira Medina by following her on Instagram @airamedina and check Neon Island Clothing at www.neonislandclothing.com.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
Patty Tiu is not your typical entrepreneur. She is a DJ who has grown and built her online influence through the power of Instagram gaining more than two hundred thousand followers. When the pandemic hit, she found herself jobless with all the DJ gigs being gone in an instant.
Since then, she has further established her entrepreneurial career by being one of the founding partners of a company called Tap to Connect, which is innovating the way we do business working and also establishing her own brand called Thompson Collective.
Listen to this #BrandStart episode if you want to learn how to:
- Innovate with Exchanging Business Information
- Build a Personal Brand that People will Love
- Harness the Power of Instagram and Create Influence
- Find Opportunities in Difficult Situations
You can find out more about Patty Tiu by following her on Instagram @pattychoo and check out their company at www.taptoconnect.net.
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaigns, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
How do you thrive as an IT Entrepreneur in a world with an ever-changing technology and a saturated industry? In this Brand Start with Justin Walling, Founder & President of Performance IT Services, he shares his journey on finding his passion in the veterinary industry and how his love for pets led him to wanting to help veterinarians, building his niche and how that helped him to thrive as an IT Entrepreneur and grow his business.
He also shares insights on managing business growth, his unique take on scaling a company, and his mistakes and learnings as an entrepreneur. You’ll also learn on why IT systems matter for founders and entrepreneurs plus some key pieces of advice on where to start with your IT requirements as a business owner.
Listen to this episode to learn the ins and outs of being an IT Entrepreneur and the necessary skillsets and mindsets to help you succeed.
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today. (insert link of the podcast review)
Learn more about Performance IT Services at www.performanceit.services.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
How do you build a powerful personal brand and leverage LinkedIn marketing for your business? In this #BrandStart episode, I talk to Virginia Bautista as she shares lots of insights and tips in building a personal brand. She also talks about her inspiring entrepreneurial journey from being an academic professor to becoming the founder of VB Consulting | LinkedIn Marketing & Branding and a personal brand consultant.
You should listen to this episode if you want to:
✅ Learn the Basics of Personal Branding
✅ Understand the Formula in Building your Personal Brand
✅ Know How to Grow your LinkedIn followers from 1,000 to 10,000 to 40,000 and beyond
✅ Learn How to Build a LinkedIn Community
✅ Be Inspired on How to Overcome Challenges and Failures Love this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
Learn more about Virginia Bautista and VB Consulting by following her and her company at www.linkedin.com/virginibautista and www.linkedin.com/vbconsulting.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.
How do you leave a successful corporate career to become an entrepreneur? In this Brand Start with Mavic Casas, she shares her story on how she built a flourishing career as a PR executive working for more than 10 years, with her last stint being an Associate Business Director in Ogilvy Philippines, an enormous PR company, only to leave it all behind to become an entrepreneur.
Listen on how she conquered her fears, made the big leap to pursue her passion, and built her own communications consulting practice to live a life full of excitement and allows her to build her own brand as a PRpreneur. Plus, get insights on how Brand Communications is critical in building a successful business.
Did you like this episode? Subscribe, rate, review, and share this with a friend to help someone today.
Learn more about Mavic and the works that she does at www.instagram.com/mavic.casas.
Brand Start is produced by The Vineyard Brand Consultancy. If you need help and support with branding, communications campaign, and design services, please visit www.thevineyardbc.com to schedule a free brand call and learn about how we can help you grow your brand.