Season 4

To celebrate episode 50 of the Food Founders Podcast I’m breaking down the 5 most talked about themes on the show so far. Every episode is loaded with tons of great insights and there’s been a few themes that have emerged that I want to make sure you haven’t overlooked.

Tune in to hear 5 key themes that have come up over the past 50 episodes.

Tune into these past episodes I reference on the podcast that do a great job of showcasing one or more of these 5 themes I break down.

Food Founder Malak Ben Hmeda of Oh My GUm! never worked in the food industry before. But, she saw a gap in the market that needed to be filled. A better -for -you, plant based, plastic free gum with a chic brand and lasting taste was nowhere to be found when she wanted one, and so, like every great entrepreneur, she went out and created it herself. Malak shares her secret to quickly being able to navigate the packaged food industry and how she found her brand inspiration outside of the food industry so she could truly disrupt the gum category.

Vahdam Tea’s values and brand come across in everything they do. Starting with the supply chain and making its way all the way through its social causes. Food Founder Bala Sarda’s commitment to quality, transparency and enriching the lives of those who enjoy and create Vahdam Teas is apparent across the entire company. Bala shares why having a brand purpose is crucial to success, how to know when to stop what you’re doing and go back to the drawing board and how to make an impact through products.  After hearing Bala’s commitments to impact and quality you’ll understand why Vahdam Teas are one of Oprah’s favorite things and why Ellen DeGeneres and so many others from all walks of life not only enjoy Vahdam Tea, but want to be a part of the mission they’re on.

For Food Founder Adi Chhabr, finding the right product to win in the market with was a mission he set himself on in 2020. Adi is no stranger to launching companies and brands but this time, he was determined to find the one that allowed his values to shine through and have those values easily connect with consumers across the globe. Adi shares the journey Badass Water Company is on and how they are using unconventional marketing tactics and embodying thinking big to create brand evangelists for their direct to consumer water company. Not only is Badass Water Company a delicious, smooth and refreshing high quality water, it’s empowering people from all walks of life.  We truly are all a badass in some way. Adi shares entrepreneurial mindsets and skillsets that have helped him and will surely help any new or experienced food or beverage founder on their unique journey too.

For Food Founder™ Kirsten Karchmer Forever Brazen isn’t just about having great products that provide real results for people. It’s about pioneering a new approach to women’s health all around personalization. Kirsten shares how she’s taken an integrative approach to health to provide products that deliver real (sometimes life changing) results for women in a personalized way. Kirsten shows food founders what it’s like to live your life on purpose, create a brand that makes an impact and how to live your values both inside and outside of your company. Forever Brazen is on a mission to change women’s health and in this episode you see how she’s working to make that possible and what some of the mindset principles are that help her bring such an important goal to life.

Why are you hearing no from wholesale accounts? More importantly, how do you start to hear yes more often.  In this solo episode I share some of the top reasons you aren’t getting listed in stores and how to change that around so you can get on more shelves, in more homes and make more money in your packaged food business.  These reasons aren’t what you always think and if you aren’t hearing as many yeses as you’d like, chances are you might be doing one of these 3 things.

I’ve created a free guide to help you learn about 10 reasons you’re hearing no and how to hear yes instead.

Renewal Mill is making upcycling easier. For consumers, for suppliers and for the entire upcycle community. Food Founder Caroline Cotto shares how Renewal Mill has worked to not only sell a product to consumers, but also to other manufacturers who can use the product as an ingredient. As the company has grown its focus has shifted to new branding, raising capital and expanding the team’s overall mindset and goals.

Ever wondered “how on earth do I get from being a small scale producer to being in 1,000+ stores all across the country?”. Hear Food Founder Jennifer Behar from Jennifer’s Homemade share how she went from taking a family favo(ur)rite recipe to the masses. Jennifer shares what success and struggle look like at different stages of the journey and how she’s been able to stay grounded throughout it all as she continues to grow Jennifer’s Homemade.

Food Founder™ Lars Oltmanns is no stranger to the food industry. But, the inspiration for Up to Good Energy came from someone with far less experience in the food world; Lars’ young son. After being reminded how important sustainability is for our planet and our future, Lars created Up to Good Energy, an upcycled better for you sustainable clean energy beverage. Lars opens up about the early setbacks he experienced trying to launch in 2020 and his current launch plan as he officially brings Up To Good Energy to the market in winter of 2021.

If you want your band to stand out, it needs to do so boldly. And having an enemy is part of that. By having a clear enemy to your brand (and this does NOT mean calling other brands out) you can highlight to your consumers and retailers why you are the solution they’re looking for.  Even the most gentle, loving and inclusive brand needs an enemy (and can easily call theirs out in a way that’s on brand for them too).