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Latest episodesHear how founders and brand leaders made decisions about products, retail, money and growth, with examples across categories.
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Clear your search and topicBobo’s founder traces the brand’s kitchen origins and its long period of bootstrapping before adding personnel and outside funding.
Why it’s here Begin with Bobo’s long period of bootstrapping.
A founder describes building meals around a family need, starting with a manageable footprint, improving packaging and prioritizing retail velocity.
Why it’s here See a family need become a packaged-food business.
Carpe’s cofounder discusses developing an antiperspirant brand, handling consumer calls, building demand and raising growth capital.
Why it’s here Learn from Carpe’s product development and consumer feedback.
Brooks Powell shares Cheers Health's origin, its route to US sale, and why marketing focus and a profitable DTC business mattered before entering brick-and-mortar retail.
Why it’s here Meet Cheers before listening to the follow-up episode.
Brooks Powell explains how Cheers approaches marketing, ACV coverage, regional versus national expansion, and the balance between growth, profitability, and long-term ambition.
Why it’s here Compare the later Cheers discussion of marketing and expansion.
Luke Schneider discusses choosing retail partners, managing SKUs and pricing across channels, working with brokers, and finding investors who contribute more than capital.
Why it’s here Explore Fire Department Coffee’s channel, broker and investor choices.
Dror Sharon discusses early entry into Walmart, less obvious distribution costs, staffing for expansion, ECRM meetings, and extending a popcorn brand into functional foods.
Why it’s here Hear Belle’s experience with early Walmart distribution and rapid expansion.
Ted Peterson explains how a personal mission shapes VIC Cloth, the challenge of premium pricing, online demand building, and choosing a retail partner for expansion.
Why it’s here Finish with VIC Cloth’s purpose, premium pricing and search for retail fit.
Kiowa Kavovit shares how a family business developed Eco Bandage, sharpened pitches for Shark Tank and Walmart Open Call, managed growth commitments, and evaluated investors and advisers.
Why it’s here Matched automatically from the episode title and discussion notes.
Brian Bethke shares his move into CPG, the search for ginseng, a supplier setback that redirected the business, and lessons from developing functional soda.
Why it’s here Matched automatically from the episode title and discussion notes.
Andrea Cherkerzian shares her cookie brand's origin, the importance of clear partner communication, selecting a manufacturer, launching with Hy-Vee, and using RangeMe.
Why it’s here Matched automatically from the episode title and discussion notes.
Maggie Olczyk shares how differentiated lupini-bean granola, selective retail placement and immediate feedback from sampling helped shape Avi Foods through the challenges of starting a brand.
Why it’s here Matched automatically from the episode title and discussion notes.