Brand Builder

When Alix Peabody was in her early 20s, she suffered from an ovarian torsion, in which an ovary twists, cutting off blood flow. Doctors recommended that if she wanted children one day, she should freeze her eggs. The only problem? The procedure, which can cost over $20,000 wasn't covered by insurance. In an effort to raise funds, Alix started hosting ticketed parties and found a passion for creating female-dominated social spaces. She wanted to create that same energy in a product that people could enjoy again and again, and Bev was born.  In this episode, we talk to Bev Founder Alix Peabody about breaking into the male-dominated wine industry with zero experience, standing up against toxic drinking culture, and creating a fun and inclusive experience through every brand interaction. 

Ocean Spray may have once conjured up images of bogs and cranberry juice, but the 92-year-old company made waves in 2020 with their arrival of CarryOn, a refreshing CBD beverage born from their Lighthouse Incubator.  In this episode, we talk to CarryOn's Innovation Lead and Managing Director Chris Petersen about the significance of behemoth brands entering the functional wellness space, the advantages of an Incubator operation, as well as its unique challenges. Chris also gets personal about the mindset shift that came with joining a corporate team after years of solo entrepreneurship and how he combines the best of both worlds for CarryOn.

Twist it! Flip it! Shake it! No, we're not talking about the old Bop It toys. We're talking about Drnxmyth's innovative packaging that houses fresh ready-to-drink cocktails from some of the best mixologists in the world. In this episode, we talk to Drnxmyth Co-founder Brandon Schwartz about the early challenges and a-ha moments behind creating their revolutionary packaging, establishing (and re-establishing) their target consumers, and partnering with passionate mixologists worldwide to celebrate the 'craft' of craft cocktail-making.

It is officially the age of the hard seltzer. In fact, it feels like not a day goes by without a well-known beer or alcohol brand announcing their new low-calorie beverage, or a rookie brand announcing the same. So, what was it like to be the first? Before White Claw was in every corner and Truly was truly everywhere, Julius Makarewicz founded Nude Beverages, the low-calorie beverage brand based out of British Columbia. Eight years later, Nude has amassed fans across the globe with their suite of delicious sugar-free hard seltzers, vodka sodas, hard iced teas and more.  In this episode, we talk to Julius about his entrepreneurial upbringing, his relentless pursuit of success, and the years of rejection that led to Nude Beverages being the powerhouse brand that it is today.

Roll out the red carpet because this week, we're joined by royalty. Erica Huss and Zoe Sakoutis became category queens in 2007 with BluePrint, a first-of-it's-kind fresh pressed juice that leveraged high pressure processing (HPP) to land on market shelves nationwide. Now, they're back and better than ever with Earth & Star, a line of ready-to-drink functional beverages and snacks that harness the power of functional mushrooms and extracts. In this episode, they share their proven strategies for turning fringe wellness trends into incredibly delicious and ‘sticky' products that people can fall in love with. Plus, we get real and raw about the costly mistakes along the way that made them stronger entrepreneurs, brand builders, co-founders and friends.   For full show notes and relevant links, visit snacknation.com/brandbuilder 

Where people see challenges, Kameron sees a new opportunity to build a life-changing brand. Not once, but twice.  In this inspiring episode, Kameron Norwood, co-founder of Half Day CBD and PackDash, reveals the surprising secrets and tested strategies that helped him navigate the stigmas of cannabis, launch his first brand and build an ecosystem to support it. Get ready for a crash course in hustling, being resourceful, and never letting roadblocks get in the way of your success.

When it comes to the world of venture capital, it can feel eerily similar to Squid Game, though not nearly as gory (thank goodness). Thousands of brands competing for the resources and mentorship they need to take their product to new heights, some getting better outcomes than others.  So, how can today's founders find the most successful venture partner to help their brand grow? How can they rise above the noise, grab attention, and win support?  We thought, "Who better to ask than a venture capitalist?" That's why we sat down with Jay Hirsh, founder of Break Trail Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based in Boulder, CO and Columbus, OH. In this episode, he gives us the ultimate crash course on finding and attracting the right venture partner for your unique brand, red flags to avoid, and his learn-first approach for success in venture and life.  

Whether you want to grow your business, become a better leader, or reach your full potential, leveling up is tough work. Add a global pandemic to the mix and it can feel near impossible!  This week, we're joined by Eric Partaker, an award-winning Peak Performance Expert and author of The 3 Alarms, who combines his own entrepreneurial journey at Skype and Chilengo with his in-depth knowledge of behavioral science to guide Fortune 50 CEOs to reach their full potential in work and life.  In this episode, Eric reveals his proven strategies for unlocking new levels of performance and how to leverage your current knowledge and resources to overcome challenges, discover your 'Why' and achieve sustainable success. 

How would we describe Mark Samuel, the founder of the award-winning wellness brand IWON Organics?  Intensely focused, brutally honest, and above all, ruthlessly authentic.  It's this authenticity and his commitment to wellness that has fueled Mark's 17 years as an entrepreneur, launching IWON Organics to promote healthy snacking and successful, long-term eating habits. Along the way, this same authenticity has attracted thousands to Mark's Linkedin, where he shares every lesson, every win, and every ugly truth about being a founder in the world of CPG.  In this episode, Mark reveals his secrets to achieving optimal focus, dedication, and authenticity as a CEO, with tactical tips for pushing your brand forward.  

What happens when one of the world's renowned CPG behemoths take on the emerging direct-to-consumer (D2C) space?  You may think they'd have it easy with endless resources, envious budgets and national access, but you'd be wrong.  This week, we're joined by Caroo alumni Jordan Narducci, who now spearheads Kellogg's budding D2C efforts. After launching D2C at emerging startups, he's using these learnings to tackle Kellogg's unique challenges in a scrappy and innovative way.  In this episode, Jordan gives us an insider look at how one of the world's largest brands is taking on the world of D2C. He'll also reveal the secret weapon that emerging brands can leverage to make massive gains in D2C and new trends Kellogg is keeping their eye on in the months to come.

You've heard the adage, “If you talk the talk, you'd better walk the walk.”  This week, we're joined by Michele Liddle, founder of The Perfect Granola and a shining example of what it means to ‘walk the walk' and build a truly cause-based brand. 

If you're an emerging brand, you know that marketing can be a Pandora's Box that leads to more questions than answers:  Which marketing strategies will give me the most bang for my buck?  How can I create buzz for my brand, while doing everything else on my to-do list?  How do I connect with influencers and customers in an authentic way?  As the founder of marketing communications agency SchroderHaus, Elexis Schroder has helped build powerhouse brands like Lily's, Good Karma, and C2O Coconut Water by honing in their marketing strategies across PR, digital media, brand positioning and more.   In this episode, Elexis bottles up her 15 years of experience to offer the ultimate crash course on brand marketing. From PR and media training, to influencers and branding on a budget, you'll discover the secrets to creating a laser-focused marketing strategy where small steps make a massive impact.

What does it take to solve one of the nation’s most complex and pressing issues? For Cole Riley, he believes it takes a fresh entrepreneurial perspective and a new way of doing things. This week on Brand Builder, we’re joined by Cole Riley, the founder of Wellfare. Not to be confused with government support, Wellfare is a nonprofit subscription box that’s making better-for-you foods more accessible to those navigating food insecurity. With over 50 million people in the US lacking reliable access to healthy, nourishing food, Cole is on a mission to break down the barriers of food insecurity including accessibility, awareness, and affordability by bringing healthier options straight to people’s doorsteps.

Sometimes your greatest idea hits you at the most unexpected time. For Velobar founder Brant Reiter, it was during a leisurely bike ride in 2015 when he realized the world was missing a cannabis-infused protein bar.  From that moment until now, Brant has navigated a Wild West-style cannabis industry, creating and recreating an award-winning, high-protein CBD snack that can now be found in grocery stores, coffee shops, and gyms across the country. In this episode, Brant demystifies the world of cannabis and takes us on the journey of Velobar, from breaking through red tape to finding a niche customer base with fans nationwide. Plus, we announce the arrival of Brand Builder’s new co-host!  Links: Velobar Connect with Brant on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What’s your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

“Climate change and sustainability can feel like such huge problems that you struggle to even know the first step you can take. So I thought, why don’t I start with something small?”  Where some see an overwhelming problem, Julia Collins sees a wondrous opportunity.  As founder and CEO of Planet FWD, Julia Collins is on a mission to tackle climate change using the magic of food, starting with the world’s first climate-friendly snack brand Moonshot Snacks.  Not only does Moonshot Snacks make ridiculously delicious crackers, but every step of their creation is dedicated to reducing emissions in the food system, improving soil health and optimizing human health.  In this episode, Julia shares how her and her team are using technology to discover scalable solutions to the food system’s biggest problems, and getting customers excited about making conscious choices that reflect the world they want to live in.    Links:  Moonshot Snacks @moonshotsnacks on Instagram @moonshotsnacks on Facebook Connect with Julia on LinkedIn Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com. Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Pass the Honey Founder Douglas Raggio will be the first to admit that Pass the Honey is, in fact, a front. Behind the scenes, Pass the Honey is working to restore legitimacy in the honey space, an industry that’s the third most fraudulent in the world. They’re on a mission to promote pollinator health, fight for land conservation and support habitat creation while creating 100% pure snacking honeycomb.  There’s no doubt that Douglas is a founder on a mission to good, but he’s not afraid to admit his journey to Pass the Honey has been coupled with dark times, hard truths, and wrongs he’s working to make right. In fact, our interview went to some deeply personal and unexpected places that you’ve got to hear for yourself.  In this episode, Douglas also highlights what he believes to be short-sighted venture capital and private equity investments in the food and beverage space, and how he’s tackling them head-on through his Bias and Blindspots Consulting Agency.  Pass the Honey Bias and Blindspots Consulting Agency Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn

This week on Brand Builder we’ve got Ryan Hansen, the President and Founder of FireCreek Snacks, joined by  Dustin Riechmann, FireCreek’s Chief Marketing Officer. FireCreek’s origin story isn’t just a wholesome tale, it’s the inspiration behind their wildly successful beef and pork snack sticks and their path for the future.  As a self-proclaimed 3rd generation meat man, Founder Ryan has been around the jerky industry for a lifetime...and that’s not hyperbole. After following in the footsteps of his grandfather’s meat company, he partnered up with Dustin to introduce a new and delicious jerky stick to an already competitive category.  Four years later, FireCreek’s success has only grown as they’ve proven to be masters of alternative retail channels, trade shows, and data-driven branding.  In this episode, Ryan and Dustin reveal the family values that drive their products’ success, and how their niche retailing strategy has set them up for FireCreek’s next big move.    Links:  FireCreek Snacks @firecreeksnacks on Instagram @firecreeksnacks on Twitter Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn Connect with Dustin on LinkedIn    Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.   Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Whether you’re ready or not, the ball is always snapped. It’s how you react that matters.  Business is full of sports metaphors… and some are definitely better than others. But this one carries a little extra weight because it comes from someone who played one of the toughest positions in football at the highest levels - including the NFL.  That man is Jeff Byers, a pro-athlete turned entrepreneur who is currently building the next great human performance platform.  The platform is called Amp Human, and their mission is to help athletes at all levels achieve their limitless potential. He also happens to be our guest on this episode of Brand Builder. To achieve this audacious goal, Amp Human has adopted a strategy to “win at the top." This means validating the product with elite athletes, pro-sports teams, and institutions like the military. In this episode we talk to Jeff about the the serious science behind their flagship PR lotion and new Vitamin D lotion, why competing everyday is the key to entrepreneurial success, and why comparisons to aspirational brands like Nike and Gatorade really aren’t too far off. This interview got us all sorts of FIRED UP… and we think it will have the same effect on you. Links Amp Human Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

Beverage has been described as a “brand forward” category.  This is especially true in the premium beverage space. Consumers align themselves with particular beverage brands to make a statement about who they are. A drink in hand becomes like a fashion accessory - an expression of values and identity - and it’s not uncommon for premium beverage companies to think of themselves more like lifestyle brands than CPGs. But sometimes the brand - or the can - hides a lackluster product.  Fortunately, that’s never going to be the case for Cloud Water.  Cloud Water is an all-natural sparkling beverage made with premium botanicals. Their two principle product lines are their original hemp-infused CBD sparkling waters and their new Immunity line, designed to boost your body’s ability to fight infection.  Cloud Water is a functional product that supports physical and mental wellness. But the real star of the show are their totally unique flavor profiles, like blood orange & coconut or Aztec chocolate and strawberry.  Now that’s not to say that Cloud Water doesn’t focus on its brand aesthetic - quite the opposite. The real genius of Cloud Water is that instead of thinking about brand and product separately, they focus on creating a holistic premium experience, marrying taste, function, and aesthetic. We spoke to Cloud Water Brands co-founder and CEO Marc Siden about what it takes to create a holistic experience like this and the many ways this approach has paid dividends.  Marc also opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, his leadership style, and how the constraints of the pandemic inspired their latest innovations. Links Cloud Water Brands Follow Cloud Water on Instagram and Twitter Connect with Marc on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

Food is a ticking time bomb. CPG entrepreneurs often learn this the hard way. The minute your product comes off the line, you have 90 days to get it to a distributor. If not, you're looking at progressive discounts every month after that.   The reason? Most distributors insist on a 75% shelf life. If you can’t guarantee that timing at the outset, you’re taking on way too much risk. If you’re not careful, you can whittle away your margin completely.  That’s what makes demand planning and forecasting - the topic of this episode - so important. If you can nail the when, where, how often, and how much of your product, you’re well on your way to CPG success.  To help us understand all this we’re joined by CPG veteran and master-forecaster Alex Duong. Today Alex is the CEO and founder of Ancient Provisions, a wholesome and delicious cheese-flavored cracker. Alex has seen CPG from just about every side of the business. And with previous experience onboarding emerging brands at Whole Foods and Procurement at Thrive Market, he’s honed some serious forecasting chops.  Alex also has a history of being ahead of trends, and he isn’t afraid to pivot when faced with new information. This is a big reason why Ancient Provisions is thriving, despite launching in one of the most challenging environments imaginable.  Alex shares how to nail your 2021 forecast, the single most common planning mistake he sees companies make, and why every entrepreneur should ask themselves: are they a Russell Westbrook, a Lebron James, or a Kawhi Leonard?  Links Ancient Provisions Connect with Alex on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

CPG veteran and insights guru Mark Mallardi is taking on a new challenge: build a brand from the ground up...and save the rainforest in the process. Mark has decades of experience helping emerging brands scale using data and insights. Today, he's channeling that knowledge into AMARUMAYU, a newly launched line of superfruit juices. The stars of the show are Camu Camu and Buriti, two immunity-boosting antioxidant-rich superfoods found deep in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.  AMARUMAYU relies on a bio-economic model of preservation. By creating a viable commercial market for the sustainable harvest of Camu Camu and Buriti, the brand helps ensure the survival of the surrounding ecosystem.  For this to work, AMARUMAYU must adhere to a set of “wild-harvest” best practices that include never harvesting from felled trees and leaving a percentage of fruit on the vine for the area's wild fauna.  Another key to the success of this model is the close cooperation of local indigenous communities. Mark and his Peruvian counterparts have marshaled an impressive network that includes Peru’s Ministry of the Environment, local NGOs, and the Peruvian Indigenous People's Chamber of Commerce.  AMARUMAYU just launched exclusively on Amazon (where else?), and Mark walks us through they novel ways they're reaching customers at a time when sample and trial is so limited.  Mark also talked to us about how the survival of the Amazon rainforest is connected to the overall health of the planet, what it takes to harvest in a protected national park, and why this product was the right opportunity for him to become a true brand builder. Links AMARUMAYU AMARUMAYU launch press release Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

This week we’ve got a guest who approaches brand building unlike anyone we’ve talked to yet.  In fact, he’s less of a brand builder and more of a portfolio builder. Our featured guest is Harrison Fugman, the CEO & co-founder of The Naked Market. Our first question for Harrison was probably one you’re asking now: what exactly is The Naked Market? According to their site it’s “an omni-channel food and beverage platform,” but I’d argue that the portfolio analogy is the easiest way to understand what Harrison and the team are doing.  Rather than focus on one brand, they launch multiple brands with the goal of creating market leaders in a capital efficient manner. As you’ll hear, the approach borrows a bit from the worlds of tech and finance. Data is definitely king, and “fail-fast” is a foundational concept. Considering Harrison’s seven years with Credit Suisse, it all makes sense.  At the risk of oversimplifying, The Naked Market approaches brand building like this:  Step 1: Identify a category that’s ripe for disruption Step 2: Create products to attack that category Step 3: Monitor the data to see if the brand is tracking the way it needs to If yes, scale it If no, shut it down Harrison walks us through what that looks like in practice with TNM’s three flagship brands - Flock chicken chips, Avo Crazy, and Beach House bowls. Harrison talks about the role of trends in this process (and the difference between true trends and fads), the potential downsides of this model and how they work to avoid them, and why the pandemic is the perfect time to double down on their strategy.  Links The Naked Market Flock Chicken Chips Avo Crazy Beach House Bowls Press Release: The Naked Market Closes $6MM Seed Funding Round Connect with Harrison on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.  

It’s a law of entrepreneurship that never fails:  No matter how much you prepare, nothing ever goes precisely to plan. There’s always something that comes out of left field and forces you to adapt.  Sometimes, that thing is a typo on your packaging. Other times… it’s the onset of a global pandemic.  The latter was the case for Clara Paye, the founder and CEO of UNiTE Food. After spending years on R&D and planning their March 2020 launch to a tee, COVID-19 changed everything.  Of course, what matters is how you adapt, and so far Clara and her small-but-mighty team have done that expertly. They quickly pivoted their retail-forward strategy, and UNiTE is rapidly building a DTC customer base, thanks in equal measure to media attention and a great product.  UNiTE’s brand and mission has resonated with consumers by infusing the functional bar category with nostalgia and fun. Their bars are clean yet indulgent, with flavors inspired by cross-cultural comfort foods like Mexican Hot Chocolate, Churro, and PB&J. Clara - who describes herself as a “fearlessly positive immigrant founder” - created UNiTE’s signature product out of a desire to see more representation in the bar aisle.  With an MBA and years at the helm of the family’s plumbing supply business, Clara is a seasoned business professional but a first-time CPG entrepreneur. We talk about the lessons she learned running the family business, and what convinced her to take the leap and launch a food brand.  We also discuss why she’s crowdsourcing the next iteration of UNiTE Food, the neuroscience marketing principles behind their eye-catching packaging, as well as what it was like to share a magazine cover with Post Malone.   Links UNiTE Food SHELF Studio Connect with Clara on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

If you want to understand what drives JanaBanana and its powerhouse founder Janaina Lopes, look no further than the JanaBanana soccer team.  Janaina (Jana for short) grew up in Vale do Ribeira, a small coastal community in the southern part of São Paulo Brazil, renowned for its lush Atlantic Forest and plentiful banana farms.  But amidst this idyllic scenery, certain troubling inequities persisted.  “In this village… the girls are being forgotten,” Jana said. “I know because I was one of them.” One glaring example: sports. While the local boys soccer team traveled to play area clubs, girls weren’t allowed to play the game at all.  To right this wrong, Jana launched the JanaBanana Girls Project, and the all-girls JanaBanana soccer team was born.  In this interview, we learn why making a positive impact is at the heart of everything JanaBanana does, both for its customers and for the communities it cares about.  Jana also shares why she left management consulting to launch her own company, the differences between Brazilian and American business culture, and why upcycling is such an important part of the JanaBanana brand.  Links JanaBanana JanaBanana Girls Project Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is produced by Caroo.

When you think about it, Salmon are a magical fish.  They famously swim upstream to the freshwater tributaries of their birth to spawn. Along the way, they become a vital food source for dozens of land animals. After they reproduce and die, their bodies fertilize trees hundreds of miles from the open ocean habitat where they spend most of their lives.  Without salmon, entire ecosystems would collapse. Yet their fate hangs in the balance.  Social entrepreneurs Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud came up with a radical idea to save them.  What if the best way to preserve this keystone species… is to eat it?  That’s the idea behind GOODFISH, the first 100% traceable Wild Alaska Sockeye crispy salmon skins.  So how does this make any sense? GOODFISH sources their salmon skin from one of the most sustainable, well-regulated fisheries anywhere in the world in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The idea is to raise awareness and create a market that supports a sustainable supply chain.  And GOODFISH is poised to pull it off. They’ve created a modern, joyful brand around a great tasting innovative product. A serving of these crispy, snackable skins packs 7g of high quality protein, 2600mg marine collagen, and 800mg of omega 3 fatty acids.  GOODFISH is a brand new product, and the first of its kind. But it’s also the flipside to Justin and Doug’s other venture, Harmless Harvest, the beloved coconut water brand that saw major investment from Danone in 2018. The way Justin describes it, the two brands are part of one ongoing project inspired by deep ecology and constructive capitalism.   Links  GOODFISH Harmless Harvest Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Inc: How These 2 Guys Are Winning the Hyper-Competitive Coconut Water Wars Pattern Brands Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot

How many grammy winners can you name as investors?  If it’s zero or one, Partake Foods has you beat. Because this great tasting, allergen-free cookie brand counts both Jay-Z and H.E.R. as marquee investors.  And it’s not just celebrity investors who are taking notice. Today Partake is available in more than 2,700 stores (including major retailers like Whole Foods and Target), and has been featured everywhere from Forbes to the Today Show. Not bad for a brand that launched out of an apartment barely three years ago.  So how did Partake do it? To find out, we sat down with Denise Woodard, the CEO and founder of Partake Foods.  One reason Partake has resonated so deeply is the idea of inclusion that’s core to the Partake story. Denise’s daughter suffers from a rare combination of food allergies, and her initial goal was simply to create a treat that her daughter, and kids like her, could actually enjoy.  Partake was also one of the inaugural brands in SnackNation’s Amplify box, a special curation highlighting and celebrating BIPOC- and women-founded snack brands. The idea of inclusion extends to Denise as a leader too. Like any founder, Denise feels the pressure to do right by her customers and investors. But she also describes a deeper responsibility she feels to pave the way for women founders and founders of color through Partake’s success.  You can tell from speaking to and learning about Denise that she is a skilled leader, and she tells us about the leadership style that she’s honed over the years, first as an executive at Coca-Cola, and now as the leader of a high-growth startup.  Denise also shares when it’s time for your business to take venture money (and when not to), Partake’s early re-brand, plus the mindset brand founders need to build their brand in a pandemic.  Links Partake Foods Connect with Denise on LinkedIn Forbes: The Odds Are Stacked Against Women Of Color Seeking Venture Funds. Here’s How One Cookie Startup Broke The Mold Essence: Black Owned Cookie Company Gets Co-Sign From H.E.R. Pharell and Jay-Z: “Entrepreneur,” featuring Denise Woodard   Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.  

Before he launched Magic Spoon, Gabi Lewis had wondered why no one had disrupted the cereal space.  When he asked around, the experts all told him the same thing:  “Cereal is a dying category.” The truth is, while cereal might technically be declining slightly, it’s still an $11 billion opportunity. And the conventional wisdom that led so many founders to avoid the space actually created major opportunity - opportunity that Gabi and his co-founder Greg Sewitz promptly seized by launching Magic Spoon in 2019. Magic Spoon is a concept that’s so brilliant, it seems almost obvious: cereal that looks and tastes like childhood favorites but is low carb, high protein, and zero sugar. Their goal from day one was to be the Halo Top or Oatly of the cereal aisle.  So far that strategy has paid off with booming sales and glowing praise from consumers and media alike. The brand has been featured in WIRED, CNN, and Fast Company, and called “The Cereal of the Future” by Forbes. Eye-popping packaging and whimsical branding that appeals to nostalgic, health-conscious Millennials doesn’t hurt either. In this episode, we learn how Magic Spoon nailed product-market fit, their unconventional approach to influencer marketing, and the lessons learned from Gabi and Greg Serwitz’s first venture, Exo, the cricket based protein bar that they sold to Aspire Food Group in 2018. Links Magic Spoon Forbes: Why Exo's Cofounders Have Become 'Cereal' Entrepreneurs Connect with Gabi on LinkedIn   Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Recess is a CBD beverage brand that almost never talks about CBD. How is this possible? Because founder and CEO Benjamin Witte knows that the best beverage brands don’t focus on an ingredient… they convey a feeling.  Case in point: Redbull. You may have noticed that with all their talk of energy, action sports, and giving you “wings,” Redbull never talks about caffeine. Because feeling is more powerful than the ingredient. So why should the CBD category be any different?  Founded in 2017, Recess is a consumer wellness brand creating products and experiences designed to help people feel balanced, centered, and inspired so they can be their most productive and creative selves. They make sparkling water infused with calming hemp extract and adaptogens for balance and clarity. Benjamin and the Recess team have their sights set on becoming the next Redbull. To do that, they’re building their brand around the feeling of calm and tranquility - aka, “taking a recess.”  Recess also recently did something pretty unexpected - they launched an apparel collection called “Reality Wear.” In this episode, you’ll learn how this all ties back to Ben’s philosophy on brand marketing.  On top of that, you'll learn what every CPG brand should borrow from Silicon Valley, and why the era of building a brand by doing demos in Wegman’s is over (plus what to do instead).  Links takearecess.com Connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 2PM newsletter by Web Smith  Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Until COVID, you could argue that Dan Gluck had seen it all in the CPG world. Dan brings an impressive trifecta of related experience to the table. He’s been an institutional investor with 15 years in the hedge fund space, an owner-operator with the wildly successful Health Warrior brand, and now a partner at one of the most innovative VC firms in CPG.  But COVID is an unprecedented challenge, forcing some brands to pivot on a dime and throw out the old playbook. Success in a pandemic requires founders to adopt a specific mindset and set of skills. Fortunately, Dan's experience has given him a unique vantage point to guide emerging brands through this crisis. Even better, this week he shares that POV with Brand Builder. Dan Gluck is a Managing Partner at PowerPlant Ventures, a firm that invests in emerging consumer food & beverage, foodservice and food-tech companies. Their mission is to “re-architect” the global food system by investing in world changing companies that deliver better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways. Prior to PowerPlant, Dan founded Health Warrior, the plant-based superfood company that successfully exited to Pepsi in 2018. This is a great conversation on Dan’s experience with Health Warrior and PowerPlant - for starters, we learn the 5 powerful megatrends that drive PowerPlant’s investment strategy. But if that weren’t enough, what we really found valuable was Dan’s take on how COVID is affecting CPG. He talks in depth about how the best companies and leaders are reacting to the crisis, and what you should be doing right now to ensure your success during and after this challenging time. Links PowerPlant Ventures Connect with the PowerPlant team: info@powerplantvc.com Connect with Dan on LinkedIn BB Episode 10 - Mark Rampolla Born to Run by Christopher McDougall Principles by Ray Dalio Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

For the last few years, Jeff Martin has made the same New Year’s Resolution –   “Speak up more.” The financial-analyst-turned-CPG-entrepreneur isn’t talking about having a bigger hand in decision-making at Pipsnacks, the brand he co-founded with his sister Jen and wife Teresa. It goes deeper than that.  It means speak up and confront injustice, whenever he encounters it. Speak up as a founder of color in a space where that’s a rarity. Speak up so that others may follow the example he and his co-founders have set. We are in the midst of historic societal change. The tragic, senseless death of George Floyd has ignited protests across the U.S. and around the world, and heightened our collective awareness of systemic racism.  Many are learning what others have known for a long time – that racial injustice affects every aspect of society. The world of CPG is no exception.  This week we’re bringing you a very special interview with Pipsnacks’ Jeff Martin. While Pipsnacks is one of our absolute favorite brands, this episode is not really about their business. (Check out Episode 5 for that.) This is a conversation about race and identity, and how those forces shaped who Jeff is as an entrepreneur and as a human being.  We originally recorded this interview as part of SnackNation’s internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming during Black History Month. And while this conversation was pre-COVID and before the global Black Lives Matter protests, we ultimately felt that it spoke to the present moment. We are grateful that Jeff agreed, and gave us permission to share it with all of you.  Links Pipsnacks Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn Brand Builder Episode 5 – How Pipsnacks Got Oprah Winfrey and Mark Cuban Excited About Popcorn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What’s your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

For Brendan Brazier, Pulp Culture all started with a question:  Why are there so many health-obsessed people who are absolutely unwilling to compromise on what they eat, yet so ready to compromise when it comes to alcohol? Why don’t we hold alcohol to the same high standards as food?  The answer, he realized, was that Pulp Culture didn’t exist yet.  Brendan is a former pro triathlete and a two-time Canadian 50km ultra marathon champion. He’s also the founder of the hugely successful Vega Protein Powder line, which he successfully sold to Danone. And of course, he was one of those people who are so adamant about healthy eating, yet constantly forced to compromise when it came to having the occasional beer or cocktail with friends.  His latest venture, Pulp Culture, solves this dilemma by taking 100% raw, fresh juice and allowing it to naturally ferment over three months through a process called “wild fermentation.” That means that there are no starters like yeast or sugar. All the fermentation comes from naturally occurring ambient bacteria. The result is a zero-additive, zero-sugar alcoholic beverage with 6 billion naturally-occurring probiotics, and B vitamins. In other words, an adult beverage that’s actually good for you.  In this interview, Brendan breaks down how he built the Vega brand, the parallels between building a business and rising in the sport of triathlon, the philosophy behind his successful Thrive book series, and why he’s so excited about the opportunity that lies ahead for Pulp Culture.

What do you get when you throw a serial entrepreneur, a vegan chef, and Rob Dyrdek in the same room? Turns out, the perfect plant-based pork rind.  This week’s guest is Bill Glaser, the founder and CEO of Outstanding Foods.  Outstanding make snack foods that are full of flavor and free of guilt - both because they’re nutritious, and because they are made completely sans animal products.  Bill started the company with co-founder Chef Dave Anderson, who also happens to be the former lead product developer at Beyond Meat.  Outstanding’s first product is the PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds… which are 100% plant-based.  We talked to Bill about why loves high growth companies, why Outstanding is a decidedly judgment-free brand, and the surprising consumer forces driving the meat-alternative movement. And of course, we learn how Rob Dyrdek became a lead investor and ultimately helped him develop the brand.  Links Outstanding Foods Connect with Bill on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Not to alarm you, but… Expo West is less than two weeks away. Of course, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably well aware of that fact.  Because if you’re in the natural foods and CPG space, it’s sort of taken as a given - the Natural Products Expo West is a big deal. A very big deal.  The numbers help tell that story. 2020 is on track to be the biggest Expo ever. We’re talking:  90,000 attendees 3,700 exhibitors 20,000 new products debuted But is Expo West right for your brand? And how do you make sure you make the most out of the show? What are the insider secrets to make Expo work for you?  To answer all these questions and more, we talk to Mark Mallardi, Executive Director Strategic Development, Natural Products at New Hope Network  (the organization that holds Expo West each year).  We’re calling this episode The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Expo West 2020. We go in depth from everything from how to successfully walk the floor, to the top trends Mark expects to see at this year’s show, to the big question - the value of a show like Expo for your brand.  Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

There's no getting around it, success in CPG requires this one thing: Repeat purchase.  But how do you get someone not just to try your product, but to come back to you again and again? How do you build a brand that connects on a deep level, and is built for the long term?  This week on Brand Builder we learn the key just might be in creating a "ripple of impact." This week’s featured interview is with Amanda Slavin, a Marketing Strategist & Brand Engagement Expert expert, bestselling author, and the CEO and co-founder of CatalystCreativ. Amanda has worked with marquee brands like Coca Cola, Google, WeWork, NPR, The Nature Conservancy, and the New York City Ballet, helping them understand how and why Millennial and Gen Z consumers gravitate towards one brand over another.   She also understands how brands connect on a Direct to Consumer level - probably because Zappos’ founder Tony Hsieh is one of her mentors.  Speaking of Tony, we also spend some time talking about holacracy, the system of self organization she uses internally at Catalyst, and that she picked up from Zappos. What we found most interesting was that before she was Amanda Slavin, Catalyst CEO, she was Ms. Slavin, a first grade teacher with a Masters in Education from the University of Connecticut. As she tells us in this week’s interview, Amanda is grateful for her experience as an educator, and actually applies the engagement principles she developed in grad school to her client work.  Through education and engagement, Catalyst helps its clients reach Millennials and create a “ripple of impact” - and lasting value for brands.

There’s one question that emerging premium CPG brands need to ask themselves:  Do you want to be a unicorn... or do you want to ride the skate ramp to success? If you’re a little confused, that’s ok. This will all make much more sense once you listen to this week’s featured interview with author and CPG expert Dr. James Richardson.  Dr. Richardson is the author of the new book, Ramping Your Brand, which we think is the best book for CPG entrepreneurs out right now. Seriously, we keep hearing from entrepreneurs- I wish this book had come out five years ago when I started! Dr. Richardson has a unique POV. That doctor title - it’s because he has a PhD in Cultural Anthropology, and spent time living in southern India doing ethnographic research. The coolest part, he brings a few of the tools and insights from Cultural Anthropology to his work in CPG.  The book is a quick read, full of stories, examples, and specific tactics. The foundation of the book is this idea of the “Skate Ramp,” a pattern he saw again and again for the premium CPG brands that broke through and won. It’s a model for sustained exponential growth, and it’s more powerful and more achievable than the unicorn growth that tends to be celebrated. We spent a lot of the interview breaking down exactly how brands can ride this Skate Ramp to win. Plus, Dr. Richardson explains why social pressure is at the heart of every premium CPG purchase decision, and a specific tactic for becoming the master of your category.  Purchase Ramping Your Brand - www.rampingyourbrand.com  Take the Founder's Quiz and see if your team is ready to accelerate to exponential growth - Are You Ready to Ride? Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This week our guest is William Siff, the founder and Chief Formulator of Goldthread plant-based tonics.  Goldthread make a line of plant-based tonics with flavors like Turmeric Radiance, Lavender Bliss, and Honey Rose. Their tonics are a brewed formulation of plants that give you the capacity to expand and evolve past our perceived limits, refreshing the mind, body and soul. One of the most fascinating things about the Goldthread story is that it’s all part of one continuous project - to improve people’s health and wellbeing through healing herbs.  This is really William’s life’s work. It started with an early interest in local flora, expanded into his decision to become a licensed acupuncturist, and took him down a path that included an apothecary, an organic herb farm, and most recently, a line of herbal tonics.  In this episode, William takes through this fascinating journey from hobby herbalist, to licensed acupuncturist and ethnobotanist, to CPG entrepreneur.

From day one, Ryan Fortwendel wanted Minna sparkling tea to stand for something more.  It’s evident in the name itself. The word Minna means “everyone,” and Ryan has spent the last few years creating a brand experience that lives up to this idea.  It’s why he focuses so much on inclusivity and sustainability initiatives, and why he made philanthropic partnerships core to the brand's DNA.  As we learn in this week's interview, Ryan spent years working for the legendary fashion house Marc Jacobs, which had a profound impact on how he conceives the idea of brand. We also go into the parallels between fashion and CPG, Ryan’s distribution strategy for 2020 and beyond, and why Ryan is so committed to doing things right from the beginning. Links Minna Defy Ventures NYTAG Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

We all love success stories… and we’ve told a lot of those on this podcast. But what we haven’t done as much of is shine a light on a success story in the making. The story of EZER snacks is one of those. Parents of three, Brittany and Meguell Suell created EZER out of their desire to fuel their family with healthy, and nutrient rich snacks. They make low-glycemic, keto-friendly 1-minute protein cake mixes. Our goal in this episode: highlight a new brand with a lot of upside (but most of the journey still ahead of them) as they balance day jobs, family, and life in general with building their brand from scratch. The lessons they've learned are applicable to any brand at any stage, but especially to those who are looking for ways to accelerate growth in the early days.  One of the things Brittany and Meguell do best is maximize the event demo, especially for the niche space that they occupy. They take a tribe-based approach, getting up close and personal with the communities who will benefit most from their product.

As we look at the year ahead, the only certain thing is uncertainty. We know that despite the best of intentions, our best laid plans will face unforeseen changes, obstacles, and adversity. That's what makes this week's topic so relevant and important. We are talking about a subject that just might change your life - not to mention your business. What is it? Resilience. Resilience is like a super power. It gives us the ability to turn our challenges into our successes. What's more, resilience is also a skill, something you can cultivate and get better at with practice. To learn how all this works, we talked to Tom Morris, the Sr. Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance at Indiana University. Tom’s job is to get athletes to perform at their peak, and to show up as their best possible selves. As you’ll hear in this interview, Tom has been on a dramatic journey, and has overcome major adversity to get where he is today. A former college football player, he found his passion post-college as an elite cyclist, competing at the highest levels of the sport. But in 2012, his life changed forever when a cycling accident left him paralyzed from the chest down. This set the stage for the fight of his life - the fight to regain his independence. Today, Tom uses the lessons learned from this experience to teach his student-athletes to become better teammates and more resilient human beings. In this interview, Tom teaches us specific strategies for getting us into our discomfort zone in order to come out stronger on the other side. Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

There's do denying it. Mushrooms are magical. There are mushrooms that can eat plastic, clean oil spills, and even survive irradiated environments like Chernobyl. Mushrooms and other fungi are some of the oldest life forms on the planet, and helped create the conditions for all subsequent plant and animal life on Earth. Then there are the superfood mushrooms, many of which are adaptogens - meaning they support our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, helping us recharge our energy when we feel depleted. This week we learn all about building a brand around mushrooms from Tero Isokauppila, the founder of Four Sigmatic. Four Sigmatic's mission is to make medicinal mushrooms more accessible to everyone. They do this through their best selling mushroom coffee, mushroom elixirs, mushroom cocoas, and other fungi-based products.    Tero is passionate about dealing 'shrooms. (His words.) He talks to us about how key hires can help create a brand that people connect with, why he never holds meetings, and the greatest challenge facing emerging CPG brands today. Links Four Sigmatic @iamtero on Instagram  Mushrooms and Santa Claus How to Nap on a Nail Mat Stem Cell Therapy Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.  

When we think about training for high performance, we usually think about training our bodies. We might even think about working our craft. But how often do we consider training our emotions? Not very often, right? Well, if we care about performance, that’s actually a huge mistake. That’s a big part of we explore in this episode with Dr. Glenn Fox. Dr. Fox leads program design at USC’s Performance Science Institute, where he works with top athletes to devise strategies that optimize their abilities. He’s an expert on the ways that emotions - particularly gratitude and optimism - drive performance. According to his research, the ability to regulate emotions is the number one predictor of success in life. This is just as true in business as anywhere else. Since gratitude and optimism affect performance, companies who proactively foster these positive emotions via a culture of recognition have an automatic leg-up on those who don’t. In this presentation, Dr. Fox - gives us a functional definition of optimism and gratitude that you can use at your workplace (it’s not just rosy thinking and pretending everything is great) provides the 3 core components of a Competitor’s Mindset and walks us through a visualization strategy that top athletes often use, and that we can use in our own lives too. Links Dr. Glenn Fox - bio and publications  The Empiricist Blog USC Performance Science Institute Recommended Reading Peak: Secrets of New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Poole Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving, and if you’re anything like me, you’re thinking about one thing right now… Pizza. Ok, maybe I'm the only one.  Before the holiday, I saw an incredible campaign by the folks at MOD Pizza. It’s their Spreading MODness initiative, a bold, anthemic vision statement in which they declare, “This is not a pizza place. This is a people place.” In the campaign it’s quickly apparent that this brand is more than a pizza company, they’re a platform for greater good.  And while these aspirational campaigns can sometimes come off a little cheesy (pizza joke!), this one just works. The reason? Because MOD has been proving they’re the real deal since day one.  This week, we revisit an interview with MOD Pizza co-founder and CEO Scott Svenson. Scott and his wife and co-founder Ally see MOD as more than just a pizza chain, and a company as more than just a money-making enterprise. They call the approach “enlightened capitalism.”  Of course it doesn’t hurt that their pizza happens to also be amazing. MOD is a pioneer in the fast-casual pizza concept, and they’ve been the fastest growing restaurant chain in the U.S. for the past four years. Key Takeaways Scott explains the importance of believing that human beings are inherently good, and how expectations often shape outcomes. Why even though pizza is all that MOD sells, but it’s actually not the most important thing in MOD’s business. Why when setting up guidelines for your team members, its all about creating "wide boulevards and high curbs." Why Scott and his wife Ally founded MOD Pizza under the banner of "enlightened capitalism." The surprising way that money can buy happiness (hint: it’s not how you think). Recommended Reading Mindset, Carol Dweck Links ModPizza.com @MODPizza on Twitter, @MODPizza on Instagram Scott on LinkedIn Email Scott at scott@modpizza.com Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Evan Holod isn’t afraid to admit it. Michel et Augustin is hard to say.  Holod is the CEO of Michel et Augustin U.S., and exactly how consumers might say their name is one of the first challenges he and the team encountered. “It’s something we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about,” he told us.  It’s not just Michel et Augustin - every French brand that crosses the Atlantic has to contend with the fact that most Americans aren’t exactly Francophiles. According to Holod, it’s precisely this apprehension with the French language that has prevented French brands from connecting with American consumers in a big way. But Michel et Augustin is here to change all that. This week we learn how Evan and the team are taking an iconic French brand and starting over in the states. Evan also talks about the “Share a Coke” campaign, which he worked on during his time as an executive at Coca-Cola. Links Michel et Augustin Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

If you were only paying attention to the headlines, you’d be forgiven if you thought that the future of brick and mortar retail is a bleak one. But brick and mortar isn’t dead - far from it. In fact, with digital-first players like Amazon getting in the game, pop-ups popping up left and right, and 8-figure investments in places like The Beverly Center in Los Angeles and Hudson Yards in New York, one could argue that we’re in a bit of a retail resurgence. Still, retail strategy remains a sticking point for most brands. To help us uncover the secrets of brick and mortar success, we talk to Dylan Lauren, the CEO & Founder of Dylan’s Candy Bar. Why Dylan? Because Dylan’s Candy Bar launched in 2001, and has thrived during this entire period of disruption and change. Dylan’s Candy Bar is the largest confectionery emporium in the world with over 20 locations worldwide, including a new location in Hawaii. Their flagship NYC store is a cross between FAO Schwarz, Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory, and Disneyland. Success for Dylan’s lies in constantly creating fresh, memorable experiences that keep people coming back for more. We also learn why Dylan conceives of the brand as a fusion of art, fashion, and lifestyle, plus the top lesson learned from her father, the iconic fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Links Dylan's Candy Bar Connect with Dylan on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

When Saffron Road founder Adnan Durrani first started talking to investors about things like social entrepreneurship and multiple bottom lines, they looked at him “as if [he] had nine heads.” Thirty years ago, Adnan saw the emerging Millennial consumer as the future of CPG, even if the wider business community wasn't ready for a brand proposition that placed health, sustainability, and animal welfare at the forefront.  Today, Adnan’s big bet on Millennial values has paid off, and he sits at the helm of a $50 million brand: Saffron Road. Saffron Road specialize in halal foods, and make world-cuisine inspired frozen meals, simmer sauces, and snack foods that are a hit with Millennial consumers. Saffron Road was also at the center of a minor controversy that landed Adnan on CNN. Rather than panic, Adnan took a potential PR crisis and turned it into a win - while also strengthening the relationship with their most important partner. Links Saffron Road Connect with Adnan on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Spend a few minutes with the dynamic duo behind Owl's Brew, and a few things become apparent. First, the depth of the passion for what they do. Founders Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield are a testament to the idea that big things happen when vision meets drive. Another - the importance of discovering white space in the market. Add to that, the imperative to capitalize on that discovery, before someone else does. The Owl's Brew story is a case study in brand building, with all of its challenges and triumphs, its strategy and its serendipity. But I'd argue that you can actually sum up the Owl's Brew story with two words - No compromise. The temptation to compromise is something that most challenger brands face, but one that people don’t really talk about. It’s an especially thorny area for emerging better-for-you brands, whose values are core to their appeal. In fact, it is precisely this unwillingness to compromise that actually creates the magic for these brands, and that paves a pathway for success. This week we talk to “tea drinking boozers” (their words not ours) Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield, the CEO and COO of Owl’s Brew. They make organic spiked tea and tea and botanical mixers that have been a huge hit with a new class of alcohol consumers. Owl's Brew has won by saying "no" - no to flavor houses, no to artificial ingredients, no to compromise of any kind - and that has made a world of difference. This ethos is why Jennie and Maria are well on their way to making Owl’s Brew the category king in the spirits industry. Links Owl's Brew Connect with Jenni and Maria on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

A lot of brands looking to scale focus on optimizing and growing in the market they’re already in. But at a certain point, you’ve got to think bigger. In order to achieve scale, you have to break into new markets. And that’s what this week’s episode is all about. Alejandro Restrepo is the co-founder and COO of Ekoa, and he’s embarking on the ultimate market breakthrough - taking a successful suite of brands in Brazil and entering the U.S. Ekoa is a line of all natural dried fruit bars. Their tagline says it all - discover simple. In this interview, Alejandro describes his strategy for breaking into the U.S., plus all the unexpected obstacles he encountered along the way. He also talks about the meaning of brand, his four part framework for success, and why he personally ate more than 700 bars as part of Ekoa’s R&D. Links Ekoa Listener spotlight: JOI Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This week on Brand Builder, we hear from Oliver Bogner, the CEO and founder of brandable. Brandable is a CPG platform focused on innovating, curating and creating brands that enable people to live their best lives. Think of it almost like an entertainment studio, but for better-for-you CPG brands. Oliver has a big, audacious vision for brandable: he wants to become the “Millennial Unilever,” with a suite of brands that will be around for the next hundred years. And with exclusive deals with Target, Walmart, and other big time retailers, he and the team are well on their way. So how do you create transcendent, better-for-you brands that will stand the test of time? By “keeping your eyes open” and honing in on true consumer pain points. Oliver breaks down his framework for discovering these pain points, and explains why brands have to focus on moving the needle for consumers in order to be successful.  Links Brandable Connect with Oliver on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

What does your brand stand for? If you’ve never considered it, now’s the time. Today's consumers - especially Millennial and Gen Z - vote with their dollar, and want to support brands that make a difference, not just a profit. This week, SnackNation Chief Revenue Officer Chelsie Lee sits down with Briana Crane, the Director of Development at Feeding America to understand how this dynamic shows up for your brand.Both Briana and Chelsie have unique insight into the ways philanthropic giving can help create a lasting affinity and deeper loyalty with your brand. The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, and they rely on the support of hundreds of companies across the U.S. to help end hunger in America. Briana also delves deeply into the problem Feeding America is solving, and the ways brand storytelling helps raise awareness and inspires both brands and consumers to get involved in the fight. Links Feeding America Take action to fight food insecurity Connect with Briana on LinkedIn Connect with Chelsie on LinkedIn Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.  

Fresh from Expo East, SnackNation's Clara Kim joins Brand Builder this week to talk about the best products, flavors, and trends from this year's show. Plus, learn how to get the most out of your next trade show. Links Connect with Clara on LinkedIn Expo East 2020 Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This week Jordan is going back to school, because our guest is Brenda Bailey-Hughes, a Sr. Lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business - and Jordan's former professor. Brenda is a communication expert, and she has coached executives in Fortune 500 companies around the world, helping them understand their audience, build a personal brand, and become more effective executives. We go deep on the topic of influence - which, by the way, probably doesn't mean what you think it means - unlocking the 3 pillars of influential communication and the two dimensions of credibility. Why does all this matter? Because if you’re listening to this, there’s a good chance you have to make big pitches - to your board, to investors, to retailers - and Brenda’s here to help you nail that next big, important meeting. If that weren't enough, we also talk about design thinking, which is both a fascinating topic, and a useful framework that will help you create a stickier brand. Join our Exclusive Facebook Group! What's your biggest takeaway from the episode? Join our invite-only, private Facebook group just for Brand Builder Community members, where you can connect with fellow entrepreneurs and founders, crowdsource ideas, share best practices (or lessons learned), and get your most important questions answered. Join now! Facebook.com/groups/brandbuilderpod Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.