Startup To Scale
Episodes
291 episodes
41. From KIND to SOMOS, Launching a Made in Mexico Brand, with Miguel Leal
SOMOS is a new line of authentically made in Mexico meal-kits co-founded by Daniel Lubetzky (founder of KIND), Rodrigo Zuloaga, and Miguel Leal. Join me as I talk with Miguel to learn how they decided to launch the brand, overcame supply-chain ...
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40. Building A Profitable CPG Business with Ami Bhansali, Chai Diaries
After watching many great CPG companies rise and fail, I've become an advocate of founders building a Profit First business model. This means they prioritize finding product-market fit and a model to breakeven to become a sustainable business. ...
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39. How to Succeed at Target with a former Buyer, Ryan Rogers
Are you interested in selling at Target? I talk with Ryan Rogers, a former Target buyer who spent 18 years working at the company. Ryan now runs Retail Optics, a consultancy to help CPG brands navigate their sales and growth strategy....
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38. From Unicorn Lattes to CPG Beverage, with Bret Caretsky
How do you go from a cafe pioneering Unicorn Lattes to launching a CPG Beverage? Join me as I talk to Bret Caretsky, founder of Unicorn Beverages and learn about his journey. Startup to Scale is a podcast by
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37. Succeeding in Whole Foods Market and LEAP Program
Are you interested in selling your products in Whole Foods Market? Join me for a conversation with Will Betts, VP of Local Merchandising and learn what it takes to be successful selling with Whole Foods. We discuss getting on the shelf, and mor...
36. Finding Success 2 Coffee Companies Later with Zach Frantz
When Zach founded Wildland Coffee, he already had the experience of launching and closing a previous coffee company. He made a ton of mistakes the first time around, but learned from the...
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35. Building a Functional Foods Marketplace with Alexa and Ericka
While the food industry is abuzz with talk around functional foods, the consumer market is still at its early stages. Join me for a conversation with Alexa and Ericka, co-founders of Zippy Pantry, an online marketplace to buy functional p...
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34. Keys to Raising Money from Investors in 2022 with Brandjectory
Raising money from investors has always been difficult for food and beverage founders. The current environment is even more challenging, especially for founders under $1 million. For this conversation, I talk with Michael Movitz and Tom Malengo...
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33. How to Stand out in a Noisy E-commerce World, Kelly Ferris, BigCommerce
E-commerce is getting increasingly crowded, with thousands of companies vying for attention. I talk with Kelly Ferris from
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32. Working with Co-Manufacturers 201, with David Boyle
I talk with David Boyle of Sherpa CPG on some of the intermediate challenges that founders face when working with co-manufacturers. We discuss how to build strong relationships with manufacturers, how to structure contracts, and more.If...
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31. Crowdfunded Debt and Equity with Ben Stein, SMBX
So this is a really cool one if you’re looking to raise money. I talk with Ben from SMBX about crowdsourced debt, a ne...
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30. Building a Successful DTC Brand with Clark Nowlin, Golden Ratio
I first met Clark a few months after launching Golden Ratio Coffee and doing $10k in sales at launch. Now two years later he's built a successful business on it's way to being profitable this year. Join me for a conversation and lea...
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29. Navigating Being an Omnichannel Brand with Steve Gaither
Building a CPG product is damn hard, and building one across multiple channels takes a ton of time and resources. Join me for a conversation with my friend Steve Gaither, brand strategy and marketing expert who's worked with a hundred companies...
28. The Challenges of Starting a CPG Business with Sari Kimbell
Starting a CPG business is full of challenges, and they only keep getting bigger as you grow! Join me as I talk with Sari Kimbell, who runs Food Business Success on what challenges founders encounter on their journey from $0 to $1 million.<...
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27. Paid Social, Organic Social, and Influencer Marketing with Hart and Highland
Building an effective marketing strategy is incredibly challenging. I talk with Arica and Kristen from Hart and Highland about how brands can build an effective strategy using a combination of Paid Social, Organic Social, and Influencer M...
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26. Succeeding in Thrive Market with Jason Bidart
Thrive Market is one of the fastest-growing e-commerce grocery markets for natural products. Join me for a conversation with Jason Bidart, Thrive Market's Senior Director of merchandising for food. We discuss:Thrive’s consum...
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25. Lessons from a Failed Business with Kyle Peters, Carter and Oak
Kyle Peters started Six Pack Creamery, a frozen dessert company inspired by his mother's battle with cancer. As a first-time founder, he overcame roadblocks, found success on his journey including launching in GNC stores, and navigated a rebran...
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24. Working with Co-Manufacturers with Ashley Sutterfield, Metzger and Roth
Most brands will end up working with a 3rd party contract manufacturer (co-manufacturer) over their lifetime, but many of these partnerships are tenuous at best. I talk with Ashley on how to prepare for...
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23. Bootstrapping a CPG Brand with Allison Escovado Owen, Sweet Logic
What's it like bootstrapping your company and finding success? Join me as I talk with Allision, CEO of Sweet Logic about why she made the decision and the opportunities and challenges that came with it. ...
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22. Building a Brand During the Pandemic with Michelle Razavi of Elavi
Michelle and her co-founder Nikki launched Elavi, a line of collagen protein bites during the pandemic. We check-in after their first year in business on all the lessons learned. We discuss everything from th...
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21. Succeeding on Amazon with Shannon Roddy
Selling on Amazon is a full-time job, but take it seriously and you can see great returns for your brand. Join me as I talk with Shannon Roddy, Amazon expert and founder of Marketplace Seller Courses about how to be successful in this channel. ...
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20. VC Fundraising for CPG Brands and the XRC Accelerator with Diana Melencio
What are VCs looking for when investing in CPG Brands? I talk with Diana Melencio, partner at XRC Labs on how brands can stand out to VCs, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how to show your brand can reach $200 million. We also discuss the ...
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19. Standout at Trade Shows with Jonathan Wright
Trade show booths can be a polarizing investment for CPG brands. Some find it extremely helpful and others find it a complete flop. Join me for a conversation with Jonathan Wright, Design Director at Coppinger Exhibits to learn how to think str...
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18. Breaking out of the Ethnic Aisle with Vanessa Pham of Omsom
Vanessa and her sister Kim created Omsom to celebrate Asian flavors from Asian chefs in an authentic and modern way. “No more diluted dishes, no more cultural compromise.” Join me as I talk with Vanessa about he...
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17. Creating a Standout DTC Brand with Chris Jane of Proper Good
When Chris moved on from his first CPG startup, he took everything he learned and leveraged it to launch Proper Good, 90sec meals for busy people. He created a digital-first brand, leveraged manufacturin...
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