Podcast appearances and mentions of Zak Normandin

Welcome to the Tearsheet Podcast. I’m Zack Miller. The industry talks a lot about omnichannel payment experiences. Everyone wants to service the customer wherever he or she is. But what if that experience doesn’t look much like an experience at all. A channel that’s left pretty much unexplored is SMS. There’s one company, Iris Nova, that’s pioneered payment over text for its Dirty Lemon beverage brand. Customers pick up their phones, send an SMS to the brand, and order their products through a chat interface. Given how familiar SMS is to most people, there’s little visible architecture around the customer journey. Iris Nova’s founder and CEO Zak Normandin joins us on the podcast to talk about payment over text and why he thinks in the future, most big brands will have just a website and a phone number. We discuss the challenges of doing conversational commerce well and how he’s positioning Iris Nova to be a future leader in food and beverage using SMS as a transaction channel. Zak Normandin is my guest today on the Tearsheet Podcast.

Iris Nova founder Zak Normandin is betting on a suite of "no or low" sugar drinks -- sparkling teas, seltzers and lemon juices -- and on a new way to sell them. "Every brand has a phone number," Normandin explained on the Modern Retail Podcast. "When you want to place an order for a product you just pull out your phone, you text the brand directly." His lemonade brand, Dirty Lemon, has sold more than 2 million bottles since its founding in 2015, and per Forbes, 90% of those sales happened via text. And Iris Nova now is growing more, thanks to a cash injection of $15 million from Coca-Cola -- to whom, he said, he's open to selling to. "I think that that's probably the best path forward for us unless we can get to a place where, very quickly, where the company is profitable," Normandin said. Normandin called his research into the Asian market "inspiration" for the text message payment system. "I found that in Asia it was probably the most exciting, just the speed at which the market is moving is much different than here in the States," Normandin said. He talked about the fading clout of influencers, the tough path forward for direct-to-consumer companies and the value of text robots (even if none has passed the Turing test) on this week's episode.

This week on Morning Brew’s weekly podcast, Business Casual, we explore the inner workings of direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail with two of the best in the business: Zak Normandin, CEO of Iris Nova, and Nik Sharma, the strategist dubbed “The DTC Bro.”But this episode is about so much more than every suitcase, toothbrush, and mattress company’s effort to become a “lifestyle” brand (even though we cover that, too).We dive deep into the idea of conversational commerce—aka utilizing text messaging to create a more sincere 1-1 relationship with the consumer. Zak and Nik explain how an influx of venture capital funding in DTC retail can be a net negative on the space.We explain what “cutting out the middleman” actually means for retailers and for customers.After all, DTC accounts for 40% of e-commerce sales growth in consumer goods. So...safe to say this movement is going anywhere. Don’t you want to know the ins and outs from the brightest in the business?Want to text Nik? You can reach him at 917-905-2340.

Iris Nova, the Coca-Cola-backed startup that createsDirty Lemonbeverages, is announcing plans to spend $100 million over the next three to five years to expand its offerings. Founder and CEO Zak Normandin said the money will go towards launching new beverage brands developed internally at Iris Nova, as well as investing in beverages created by other companies, which will then distributed via the Iris Nova platform.

Welcome to Episode 105 of The VentureFizz Podcast, the flagship podcast from the leading authority for jobs & careers in the tech industry. For this episode of our podcast, I interviewed Zak Normandin, Founder and CEO of Iris Nova. Zak is a serial entrepreneur with a deep background in building successful consumer products. It was his first company, Little Duck Organics, that taught him about the CPG industry and how the whole ecosystem works. This organic snacks & cereal company was a success as its products were distributed to over 10,000 stores worldwide including major retailers like Whole Foods, Target, and others. This time around, his new company is selling direct to consumers and they are disrupting a $1 trillion dollar market. The company is called Iris Nova, which is building a platform to launch new brands. However, it is the technological innovations that are core to its strategy and their ability to differentiate themselves in a very crowded market. For example, its first brand is DIRTY LEMON, a high-end beverage line that is the first to be sold via text message in a method that they are calling conversational commerce. Its next offering is called The Drug Store, which is a conceptual retail experience where customers pay for drinks on an honor system. In this episode of our podcast, we cover lots of topics, like: -Zak's experience in the U.S. Coast Guard, and what that taught him about entrepreneurship. -The background story on Little Duck Organics and how he navigated through the ecosystem and ultimately land distribution at Whole Foods. -The details on Iris Nova, DIRTY LEMON, and The Drug Store… and how they are disrupting the beverage industry and changing consumer buying habits through technology. -Why Coca-Cola's Venturing & Emerging Brands unit invested in the company, plus other VC firms and notable names like Tim Armstrong, Gary Vaynerchuk, Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez, and others. -Advice for entrepreneurs looking to start a food or beverage company. -Plus, a lot more. Did you know that we've published over 30 interviews with leading entrepreneurs and investors across NY tech? Thank you so much for listening. We have several more episodes coming soon, but if there is someone that you think we should be interviewing, we are always up for suggestions. Just send them to info@venturefizz.com. Lastly, if you like the show, please remember to subscribe to and review us on iTunes, or your podcast player of choice!

When Zak Normandin founded Dirty Lemon, a beverage brand with celebrity fans, he and his team broke every rule. High price, no retail distribution, experimental ingredients. Dirty Lemon even bought a technology company best known for weather forecasts. But it's working...extremely well. Coca Cola led the most recent $15 million fundraising round for Dirty Lemon's parent company, Iris Nova.In this episode, Zak, CEO of Iris Nova, explains how Dirty Lemon won and why there's "no playbook" to building successful brands in CPG.

"We're operating under the thesis that billion dollar brands will not exist in the future," says Zak Normandin, founder and CEO of Iris Nova, the company behind wellness drink brand, Dirty Lemon, on the latest episode of the Innovators podcast by the Current Global. "I know Dirty Lemon isn't going to be popular in a few years. And I want to already have three type of products in the pipeline that we're launching right now, because consumers are very transient in their decisions to buy products," he explains. Dirty Lemon launched in 2015 and quickly gained the type of cult following that only brands born online manage to achieve. It did so through a mixture of being at the right place, at the right time – in this case, right in the middle of the wellness boom – and carefully crafted branding that positioned it as a lifestyle offering, rather than just a product. But Normandin, a CPG entrepreneur at heart, has much bigger plans than creating fleeting frenzy around a single product line. From inception, his Instagrammable bottles could only be bought online, with purchase being completed via text message. In 2018, it launched the Drug Store, an unmanned retail concept where customers could pick up a Dirty Lemon drink and simply walk out, texting to complete their purchase as they did so. This innovative retail model, alongside a stream of new product launches happening over the next few months, demonstrates Normandin's ambitions to keep reacting to customer needs and behaviors before they move onto the next hot thing. During this conversation, recorded at this year's SXSW at the Current Global's Innovation Mansion, Normandin also share with Liz Bacelar the new products launching under the Irs Nova family, what the retail experience is doing to inform future product development, and how Coca Cola is not only one of the brand's biggest investors, but also its competitor.

Founder of Dirty Lemon on harnessing the power of Instagram, new delivery models and the impending dawn of experiential marketing.

Zak Normandin is a problem solver. Back in 2009, he founded Little Duck Organics because he was having a hard time finding healthy snacks for his kids. After selling off a majority of that company, he set out on a new mission: to create a fast, easy way to deliver beverages that are good for consumers and, at the same time, shake up an industry that has been untouched for almost 100 years. In 2015, Normandin co-founded Dirty Lemon. From its text-to-order model to its uniquely flavored, health-boosting products, Dirty Lemon is on a mission to do things its own way. On this week's episode of The Glossy Beauty Podcast, Glossy beauty editor Priya Rao sits down with Normandin to talk about how the brand launched on Instagram, why the products can only be ordered through text message and what challenges come with making wellness trends into beverages.  

The Guest: Dirty Lemon Edited by George Drake, Jr. Music by Lucas Brahme — About Loose Threads — Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest analysis and podcasts: http://eepurl.com/buLQY9 Twitter Full Transcript The Loose Threads Podcast explores the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce. Hosted by Richie Siegel, the founder of Loose Threads, each episode features an in-depth conversation with one guest about their founding story and how it fits into the current state of the industry. Guests come from all different backgrounds, spanning the consumer goods, fashion, retail and technology industries. The unifying thread is always the rapid change facing the industry and how entrepreneurs are responding. You can listen to the podcast on any player of your choice, in addition to on LooseThreads.com.

In this episode, Dirty Lemon founder and CEO Zak Normandin shares how his health-focused drink brand is opening a text-to-order, checkout-free store in New York city

This episode's FREE downloadable guide Scorecards are powerful goal setting tools. You’ve probably heard that “what gets measured gets done”. Scorecards map out objectives in bite-size manageable chunks that keep you on-track and focused. They're what you need to succeed.  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE STRATEGIC GUIDE: Retail Scorecard There is a lot every entrepreneur needs to know about starting a brand. While failure, hard work and perseverance can be the best teachers, there's a better way. Listening carefully and giving your customers what they want is the shortest path to success. Welcome. Thank you for listening, as always. I want to remind you that there's a free downloadable guide for you at the end of most every episode of my podcast. I always try to include one easy to download, quick to digest strategy that you can instantly adopt and make your own, one that can help you to grow sustainable sales and compete more effectively. Remember, the goal here is to get your product on to more retailer shelves and into the hands of more shoppers. If you like the podcast, share it with your friends, subscribe, and leave a review on iTunes. Today's story is about an entrepreneur who continually pushed himself beyond his comfort level, stretching himself, as he says, learning from his mistakes, and always being curious about everything around him, always trying to solve and figure out things. He talks about his creative side and he talks about his love for engineering and how things are built. Today's story is about an entrepreneur who found a way to push beyond his comfort zone to create two disruptive brands, two brands that are really changing the way consumers buy products. I want to thank Zak from coming on today, because you're going to hear Zak candidly share all the challenges and all the mistakes that he made, and believe me, he made a lot. Not only did Zak manage to get beyond the bottlenecks, but he managed to succeed and thrive in a couple of categories where most brands struggle. At the heart of today's message you're going to hear about perseverance and how not giving up, never giving up is the key to success. Having a winning idea, always being curious, pushing yourself beyond your comfort level, stretching yourself, learning from your mistakes. This is the recipe for success. This is the recipe that every brand should be following. I know you're going to find today's episode really inspiring. If you'd like to meet Zak in person, both Zak and myself are going to be speaking at NatchCom, 2018, in Boulder, Colorado this October. I have a special promotion for you on my website, on the Resources page if you're interested, to save you some money, to a show that's going to help you gain valuable insights from Facebook, Google, Amazon, and many other iconic brands and thought leaders in the industry. Here's Zak Normandin with DIRTY LEMON and Little Duck Organics. Download the show notes:  brandsecretsandstrategies.com/session86

Zach Koff, the chief operating officer of beloved and fast-growing burger chain Shake Shack, is well aware that Americans are increasingly health conscious and savvy about what they eat. Yet when it comes to a good, old-fashioned meal of a burger, fries and a shake, Koff believes that most folks will choose to part with their kale and quinoa and opt for an indulgent experience. That perspective, along with a focus on a high-quality ingredients and great taste, make up the core of Shake Shack’s business philosophy and, according to Koff, are the primary reasons behind its success. “Look, I think everybody’s super conscious of what they’re putting into their bodies and they want real ingredients,” Koff said in an interview included in this episode of Taste Radio. “And ever since the beginning, we’ve made it our mission to make sure that’s exactly what we’re using. We use high quality, premium ingredients… all the things that are going into the indulgent items are great ingredients. And I think that resonates with people who are thinking about just what they’re going to eat. But, man, when they want a cheeseburger they still want it to taste great. And that’s what we hope they trust us for every single time.” Listen to our full conversation with Koff, who also explained how Shake Shack curates its menu and embraces limited-edition items (eel burgers!), the company’s strategy for building brand loyalty and why the chain isn’t planning on a plant-based burger anytime soon. Also in this episode: Dirty Lemon co-founder/CEO Zak Normandin returns to the podcast to discuss the evolution of his functional beverage brand. Normandin, who first appeared in episode 50, took us on a deep dive into the company’s innovative direct-to-consumer model, including its text message ordering system, and explained why experiential moments have been critical to its marketing strategy. He also offered his take on the future of e-commerce and why grocery stores are here to stay. This episode is presented by Symrise Califormulations. Show notes: 2:00: Interview: Zach Koff, COO, Shake Shack -- Since Shake Shack opened its first location in 2004, the restaurant chain has become one of the most hyped and fastest-growing in the U.S. The company now operates nearly 200 stores across the U.S. and internationally and is opening new outposts at a rapid pace. Founded by restaurateur and Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer, Shake Shack is led by CEO Randy Garutti and COO Zach Koff. In this phone interview, BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif spoke with Koff about how the company has maintained its high standards and rapport with customers while continuing to expand its reach with new locations. 22:38: Interview: Zak Normandin, Co-Founder/CEO, Dirty Lemon -- While Dirty Lemon, which markets functional beauty and detox beverages, is known for an eye-catching Instagram account and its high-profile collaboration with Vogue magazine, the company has caught the attention from many in the food and beverage industry for a direct-to-consumer distribution model that aims to upend traditional routes to market. Following up on our interview with Dirty Lemon’s co-founder and CEO Zak Normandin back in episode 50 of the podcast, John Craven and Mike Schneider spoke with him again for a deep dive into the company’s business and marketing strategy. 47:31: BodyArmor & The Pillars of a Great Brand -- The hosts chat about a recent visit by Eric Bonin, the founder of Pillars Drinkable Yogurt, to BevNET HQ. They also discuss the news the Coca-Cola Co. has acquired a minority stake in fast-growing sports drink brand BodyArmor and revisit our memorable interview with co-founder Mike Repole in episode 44 of the podcast. Brands in this episode: Shake Shack, Dirty Lemon, Pillars Drinkable Yogurt, Coca-Cola, BodyArmor, Gatorade

This week we’ve got Zak Normandin, the Co Founder & CEO of Dirty Lemon Beverages Dirty Lemon make functional beverages designed to help you get better sleep, elevate your metabolism, or just look your best. Zak and the team have created a red-hot brand that’s been a hit with consumers. But as we learn in this interview, there’s so much more to it than that. Dirty Lemon is the first consumer brand in the world to offer products exclusively via text message.

In this episode of Making the Brand, Billy interviews Zak Normandin, founder and CEO of Dirty Lemon. Dirty Lemon, based in New York and LA, is best known for their functional wellness beverages - consisting of ingredients like charcoal and dandelion. Zak discusses how he ended up starting a beverage company, his unique distribution model, and advice he has for future CPG entrepreneurs of the world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Zak Normandin, Founder of Little Duck Organics and current Co-Founder & CEO of Dirty Lemon Beverages knows how to do things differently. Dirty Lemon's text-message based payment and customer service platform created a brand-new category in the CPG space. Find out how Zak applied his early highs and lows as an entrepreneur to live more harmoniously, and why thinking outside the box propelled Dirty Lemon into an influencer brand, most recently partnering with Vogue magazine.

Zak Normandin is a determinedly practical entrepreneur. As a new father, he was concerned that there were few companies selling organic foods for babies and toddlers. So he created his own: Little Duck Organics, a maker of USDA organic snacks. A few years after its launch, he sold the company. Although he had been successful in the food business, he wasn't satisfied with traditional distribution models. Seeing an opportunity to sell direct-to-consumer, two years ago Normandin launched Dirty Lemon, a brand of functional drinks that are sold via a text message-based ordering platform. Thomas Perez has similar views when it comes to disruptive business concepts. The CEO of Alpha Dominche, a manufacturer of ultra high-end coffee and tea brewing machines for cafes, Perez felt that consumers would benefit from learning about how the company’s equipment works and what separates it from traditional devices and brewing methods. He built Extraction Lab, a sprawling space in Brooklyn’s Industry City neighborhood, to educate consumers about the company’s innovative Steampunk single-cup brewing machines. Part cafe, part showroom, the store gives customers an up-close-and-personal view of how these tech-heavy brewing machines operate. Included in this edition of the BevNET Podcast are interviews with both Normandin and Perez, exploring how outside-the-box thinking shaped their respective companies. Also in this episode: a chat with BevNET’s new CMO, Mike Schneider, one that includes his favorite product discoveries as an attendee of Natural Products Expo West 2017.

Zak Normandin in the hot seat, Marc and Josh in the belly of a whale. natch9000@gmail.com