Brand Builder
171 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 183 ratingsBrand Builder brings you the people, stories, and lessons learned from the most innovative brands in the world. Presented by SnackNation. Hosted by Sean Kelly, Jordan Cohen, and Jeff Murphy.
Similar to How I Built This, The Dave Ramsey Show, and Seeking Wisdom by Drift.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How This Founder's Fertility Struggles Inspired Her to Create a Bold & Inclusive Wine Brand with Bev Founder Alix Peabody
March 01, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBWhen 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 peo...
How This ‘Lone Wolf’ Entrepreneur Launched Ocean Spray’s First CBD Incubator with CarryOn Managing Director Chris Petersen
February 25, 2022 20:25 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBOcean 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 abo...
How Drnxmyth Is Revolutionizing Ready-to-Drink Cocktails with Innovative Packaging
February 14, 2022 14:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBTwist 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 ce...
Let's Get Nude: The Naked Truth Behind Canada's Cleanest Alcoholic Beverage Brand with Nude Beverages Founder Julius Makarewicz
January 12, 2022 14:00 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBIt 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 s...
How Earth & Star Leverages Brand Storytelling to Make Mushrooms Irresistible with Co-founders Erica Huss and Zoe Sakoutis
December 07, 2021 14:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBRoll 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 strat...
How This Black Entrepreneur Built Chicago's First CBD Brand... And His Own Fulfillment Center with Halfday CBD Co-founder Kameron Norwood
November 16, 2021 14:00 - 55 minutes - 50.8 MBWhere 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.
How To Transform Your Brand into a Venture Funding Magnet with Break Trail Ventures Founder Jay Hirsh
November 04, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 55 MBWhen 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 ...
How to Unlock Your Peak Performance and Level Up with Peak Performance Expert and Author Eric Partaker
October 18, 2021 13:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBWhether 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. ...
How to Master Ruthless Authenticity as a CEO and LinkedIn Influencer with iWon Organics Founder Mark Samuel
September 27, 2021 13:00 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBHow 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 ...
How Kellogg is Leveraging a Startup Mentality to Master the Direct to Consumer Space with Kellogg's Global D2C Director Jordan Narducci
September 14, 2021 13:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBWhat 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 epis...
How to Build an Ethical Brand with Zero Marketing Budget with The Perfect Granola Founder Michele Liddle
July 27, 2021 13:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBYou’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.
How to Radically Optimize Your Brand’s Marketing Strategy with SchroderHaus Founder Elexis Schroder
June 22, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBIf 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...
How Wellfare is Revolutionizing The Fight Against Food Insecurity with Co-Founder Cole Riley
May 24, 2021 13:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBWhat 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 reliabl...
How This Reality TV Producer Pioneered the First High-Protein CBD Bar with Velobar Founder Brant Reiter
May 12, 2021 13:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBSometimes 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 wo...
How Moonshot Snacks is Pioneering a Climate-friendly CPG Movement with Co-founder Julia Collins
April 07, 2021 13:00 - 55 minutes - 37.8 MB“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...
How Resilience and Redemption Inspired This Entrepreneur to Do More with Pass the Honey Founder Douglas Raggio
March 15, 2021 13:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBPass 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 ...
How FireCreek Snacks Found Massive Success in Alternative Retail Channels with Founder Ryan Hansen and CMO Dustin Riechmann
February 16, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MBThis 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 foot...
How Amp Human Is Building the Next Gatorade By Winning at the Top
February 01, 2021 11:30 - 52 minutes - 36.1 MBWhether 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 calle...
How Cloud Water Creates Premium Customer Experiences, with Cloud Water Brands CEO Marc Siden
January 12, 2021 11:30 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBBeverage 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. Fort...
How to Master Demand Planning in 2021, with Ancient Provisions Founder Alex Duong
December 15, 2020 11:30 - 59 minutes - 41 MBFood 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 an...
How AMARUMAYU Is Helping Indigenous Communities Save the Amazon, with AMARUMAYU GM Mark Mallardi
November 23, 2020 22:09 - 55 minutes - 38 MBCPG 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 ...
How The Naked Market Creates Category Kings by Thinking Like a Tech Startup, w/ CEO Harrison Fugman
November 16, 2020 11:30 - 43 minutes - 29.5 MBThis 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 un...
How UNiTE Food Is Welcoming New People Into Wellness, with UNiTE CEO and Founder Clara Paye
November 10, 2020 11:30 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBIt’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 cour...
How JanaBanana is Empowering Girls to Chase Their Dreams, with founder Janaina Lopes
October 08, 2020 10:30 - 53 minutes - 37 MBIf 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 ...
How to Save a Keystone Species...By Eating It, with GOODFISH co-founder Justin Guilbert
September 22, 2020 10:30 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBWhen 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 Dougla...
Why Jay-Z Invested in This Fast-Growing Cookie Startup, with Partake Foods CEO Denise Woodard
August 24, 2020 19:22 - 48 minutes - 33 MBHow 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 apa...
How Magic Spoon Disrupted the $11B Cereal Category, with Magic Spoon co-founder Gabi Lewis
August 11, 2020 10:30 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBBefore 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 launchi...
How Recess Is Building the Redbull of CBD, w/ Recess founder & CEO Benjamin Witte
July 27, 2020 15:08 - 1 hour - 46.3 MBRecess 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 ...
What the Best Brands Are Doing to Thrive During the Pandemic, with PowerPlant Ventures' Dan Gluck
July 07, 2020 14:38 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBUntil 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 re...
A Black Founder’s Perspective on the State of CPG, with Pipsnacks co-founder Jeff Martin
June 23, 2020 10:30 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBFor 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 a...
How This Champion Endurance Athlete Created a Better-for-you Alcohol Brand, with Vega and Pulp Culture founder Brendan Brazier
March 09, 2020 20:01 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBFor 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 Ve...
The Surprising Forces Driving the Meat-Alternative Movement, with Outstanding Foods Co-Founder Bill Glaser
March 02, 2020 11:30 - 39 minutes - 27 MBWhat 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 le...
The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Expo West 2020
February 24, 2020 19:29 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MBNot 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 f...
How the Best Brands Guarantee Longevity by Creating a Ripple of Impact, with CatalystCreativ CEO Amanda Slavin
February 18, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBThere'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, bestselli...
The Surprising Secret to Exponential CPG Growth, with Dr. James Richardson
February 10, 2020 17:41 - 46 minutes - 31.6 MBThere’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 h...
How this Entrepreneur Turned a Lifelong Passion into a Thriving Beverage Brand, with Goldthread founder and Chief Formulator William Siff
February 03, 2020 15:04 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThis 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...
How to Build a Brand That Stands for Something More, with Minna Founder Ryan Fortwendel
January 20, 2020 17:27 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBFrom 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 Mar...
Tribe-Based Marketing Secrets From an Up-and-Coming Keto Brand, w/ EZER Snacks
January 13, 2020 18:06 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBWe 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 mos...
How to Master the Art of Resilience in 2020, with Tom Morris
January 06, 2020 14:48 - 50 minutes - 34.9 MBAs 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, r...
How This Finnish Nomad Found his Calling Dealing ‘Shrooms, with Four Sigmatic Founder Tero Isokauppil
December 16, 2019 21:15 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThere'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 w...
How Top Performers Train their Minds to Win, w/ Dr. Glenn Fox of USC’s Performance Science Institute
December 09, 2019 14:10 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MBWhen 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 th...
How MOD Pizza Made Culture Their #1 Competitive Advantage, w/ MOD Pizza CEO Scott Svenson
December 02, 2019 11:30 - 48 minutes - 33.1 MBIt’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...
How This Former Coca-Cola Exec is Bringing an Iconic French Brand to a Cookie Aisle Near You, w/ Evan Holod, CEO at Michel et Augustin U.S.
November 25, 2019 11:30 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MBEvan 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 ...
The Surprising Secret to Success in Brick & Mortar Retail, w/ Dylan's Candy Bar Founder & CEO Dylan Lauren
November 18, 2019 11:30 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIf 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 ...
Rebel With a Cause: How This Social Entrepreneur Beat the Odds & Built a $50M Brand, w/ Saffron Road CEO Adnan Durrani
November 11, 2019 15:27 - 38 minutes - 26.1 MBWhen 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...
How to Become the Category King in an Old Industry (with Boozy Tea), w/ Owl’s Brew co-founders Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield
November 04, 2019 11:30 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBSpend 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 ch...
How to Achieve Massive Scale by Breaking Into New Markets, with Ekoa co-founder & COO Alejandro Restrepo
October 28, 2019 10:30 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBA 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....
Why This Former Reality TV Producer is Building the "Millennial Unilever," with Brandable CEO Oliver Bogner
October 21, 2019 13:52 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBThis 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...
Why Today's Consumers Demand That Your Brand Gives Back, w/ Feeding America's Briana Crane
October 14, 2019 10:30 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBWhat 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 givin...
The Hottest Trends in CPG (Expo East Recap), with Clara Kim, Sr. Brand Partnerships Manager at SnackNation
October 07, 2019 14:09 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBFresh 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 fou...