Brand Builder

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.

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

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.

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! [email protected].

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.