Brand Builder

This week on Brand Builder we've got Christy Krejci, the co-founder and CEO of Vegetarian Traveler.

In many ways, the Vegetarian Traveler origin story is a classic entrepreneurial tale. Christy and her husband/co-founder Chuck had been committed vegetarians for many years, and had always wanted an easy way to add plant-based protein to their meals. After waiting for someone else to solve this problem, they realized they had to do it themselves. Luckily for all of us, Vegetarian Traveler was born.

Today their toasted bean blends are selling out online, at grocery and specialty stores, and alternative health channels.

Vegetarian Traveler is one of several brands in recent years that have found success by focusing on features and benefits. And while the initial application is very niche, they've found that their shelf stable, non-gmo packs of plant protein have broad appeal.

In this episode, Christy reveals the uncommon ways they turn customer insights into sales, and why the key to their brand's success has been a passion for compassion.

• Vegetarian Traveler
• @vegetarian_trvlr on Instagram
• @vegetariantrvlr on Twitter
• Connect with Christy on LinkedIn

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

No compromise.

Those two words sum up the Chomps brand better than any other.

Chomps make uber convenient, incredibly delicious meat snacks using 100% grass-fed beef. Their snacks contain no preservatives, no sugar and are certified Paleo, Non-GMO, and Whole30 approved.

Their committed to these standards hasn't been without its share of obstacles. Like, how do you manufacture a consistent product while steering clear of all preservatives? Turns out, you manually inspects every single stick that bears the Chomps brand - we're talking millions every month.

But Chomps' no compromise ethos has clearly struck a cord. The company has been profitable since day one, and seen year-over-year revenue growth between double and 10x every year since their 2011 launch.

What's more astounding, Chomps co-founder and CEO Peter Maldonado was the company's sole full time employee for the first five years of the brand's existence.

We learned all this and more from Peter and fellow co-founder and COO Rashid Ali. In this conversation, Pete and Rashid tell the story of the brands origins in the crossfit world, break down the success of their ecomm-first approach, and tell us why their core values are sacrosanct.

Links

• Chomps.com
• @Chomps on Instagram
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn
• Connect with Rashid on LinkedIn

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

Have you ever worked in a fear-based environment? One where you spend every waking minute walking on eggshells? Where the wrath of a demanding boss is always top of mind, stifling creativity and innovation?

If you have, you know it's not fun.

In fact, it can be downright miserable for employees. And, ironically, it doesn't produce great results either. The effect of a command-and-control atmosphere is actually the exact opposite of what was probably intended. Instead of precise, high quality output, you're much more likely to see uninspired, unimaginative work - and an anemic bottom line to match.

So what's the antidote to a fear-based workplace?

Today's guest has something to say about that.

In our inaugural Culture Builder edition of Brand Builder, we speak to Traci Fenton, a globally recognized researcher, speaker, author, and the founder and CEO of WorldBlu.

Traci founded WorldBlu in 1997 and has helped spark and lead the global conversation around reinventing workplaces using freedom and organizational democracy rather than fear and control. She and the team envision one billion people living, leading, and working in freedom worldwide.

SnackNation CEO Sean Kelly spoke with Traci about what it takes to create a Freedom Centered Workplace, and the astounding results you can achieve within the WorldBlu framework.

Links

• WorldBlu
• Connect with Traci on LinkedIn

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

Industry buzz is super important, especially for early stage brands looking to attract investors, recruit talent, or just make connections.

But how do you do that? How do you get the who's who of your industry talking about, well, YOU?

Yes, you need a story to tell, but you also need someone whose plugged in, and has a platform of influence.

In CPG, there are a few people as plugged in as John Craven.

John is the CEO and founder of BevNet, Project Nosh, and Brewbound. What started as a way to get free drinks in college has snowballed into three must-read blogs, several can't-miss events, and even a podcast (love those).

To find out the secret to working with the likes of John, SnackNation CEO Sean Kelly sat down with John to talk all things CPG.

In this mostly longform interview, John reveals some fascinating insights, including why brand loyalty is steadily declining, why the speed of innovation can be bad for the industry, and some of the big missteps he's seen in his 20 year career as an industry insider.

Links

• BevNet
• Project Nosh
• Brewbound
• Connect with John on LinkedIn

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

This week on Brand Builder, we have someone with hands-on brand building expertise. In fact, she's helping build the next generation of enduring brands.

We're talking to Jordan Gaspar, one half of the duo behind AccelFoods.

Jordan is a Managing Partner at AccelFoods, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in consumer products. She and partner Lauren Jupiter co-founded the firm in 2014 with the goal of offering entrepreneurs a unique perspective and approachable capital.

AccelFoods' value can really be summed in three words - access, expertise, and infrastructure. They pride themselves in their hands-on approach, and their portfolio includes some top tier brands you've definitely heard of (and probably have eaten).

Today the fund manages $40M and 33 portfolio companies - and they're always looking to grow.

One of the reasons she relates so much to startup brands? She and Lauren started AccelFoods as a startup.

She tells that story in this interview - but that's really just scratching the surface of what Jordan brought to the table. She also broke down exactly how she and her firm select the brands they work with, and ultimately provide enduring value.

Jump to

• Jordan and the AccelFoods story 2:30
• How a venture fund like AccelFoods works. 13:40
• Advice for emerging brands. 18:03
• Advanced tactics in the age of retail disruption. 20:24
• The AccelFoods Legacy. 29:11

Links

• AccelFoods
• Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

Tara Bosch is a woman on a mission to kick sugar.

In service of that mission, she and her team at SmartSweets make low sugar, non-chocolate confections... and really nothing else. The thinking is, if you can offer something that tastes like regular candy without all the sugar, you can break the cycle of sugar addiction that adversely affects so many people's diet - and overall health.

It all started with a heart-to-heart conversation between Tara and her grandmother. After years of enjoying sweets together, Tara was surprised to hear her grandmother say that consuming too much sugar was a major regret in her life, as it had taken a toll on her and her family's health.

Whereas most people might have taken this information and perhaps changed their diet, this conversation sent Tara down a path of entrepreneurship. A week later she had a gummy candy mold, a candy thermometer, and was recipe testing in her kitchen. Her goal was nothing short of building the leading low-sugar confectionary brand on the planet.

Oh, and by the way... she was still in college at this point.

It's been a remarkable journey. We caught up with the young founder just as she and the team closed a $3 million funding round and announced nationwide distribution at Whole Foods.

Jump to

• SmartSweets origin story. 3:15
• Early challenges scaling the brand. 7:19
• Tara on finding mentors. 9:43
• Tara's experience launching in a tech incubator. 12:51
• SmartSweets' Critical first hires. 17:35
• Tara on the speed with which SmartSweets launched. 21:35
• How Tara maintains her mindset. 23:53

Links

• SmartSweets
• Connect with Tara on LinkedIn
• Invoke Labs (Tara's incubator)

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

We're currently experiencing a golden age for startup brands. It's easier today to launch, build, and scale a consumer brand than perhaps any other time in history.

But that's not to say it's easy.

Startup brands still face obstacles, old and new, including how to stand out from the glut of new brands, how to adapt to the constantly shifting landscape of retail, and how to best leverage the wide array of data and tools now available at their fingertips.

Luckily for us, Courtney Reum is here to answer those questions.

Courtney and his brother Carter are the co-founders of M13, a brand development and investment company that accelerates businesses at the nexus of consumer products, technology, and media.

I.e., Courtney is perfect for Brand Builder.

With brands like Lyft, Pinterest, Snapchat, Chomps, and Sambazon, M13's portfolio is downright impressive.

Courtney and Carter recently compiled their brand building expertise in a best-selling book called Shortcut Your Startup, and he shared a few of these top tips in this week's episode.

Prior to M13, Courtney's main focus was building VEEV, the first acai infused vodka in the world and one of the fastest growing spirits in the US. Not surprisingly, VEEV was snatched up and acquired in 2016.

Courtney gives a glimpse into the book with of his shortcuts -

1. Role of brand in frictionless scaling. 11:55
2. How to make sure you don't miss out on a key insight. 17:45
3. Why it's important to know whether your brand is a "speedboat" or a "sailboat." 22:45
4. The power of "heart-based" momentum. 24:47
5. Why success doesn't necessarily equate to an exit. 26:09

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

When you think about distribution channels in the natural products space, you probably think of Whole Foods, Wegman's, Kroger, maybe UNFI. I'm guessing your brain doesn't automatically go to 7-Eleven.

But, with 63,000 stores worldwide, maybe it should.

This week we bring you a fireside chat with Marisa Bertha, the Director of Business Development at 7-Ventures, who shares how brands can work with and big successful in the convenience giant's stores.

Jump to:

• A brief summary of 7-Eleven's 90 year history. 3:20
• The top misconceptions about the convenience channel. 4:55
• How brands find success in the C-store space. 6:40
• How 7-Ventures evaluates brands for their portfolio. 11:03
• How brands become successful within 7-Eleven. 15:35

Links:

• 7-Ventures

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

Daniel Katz might have the ultimate entrepreneur story.

Sleeping under a desk? Check. Half a million dollar mistakes? Check. Breeding reptiles and flipping houses in high school? Also check.

Daniel is the founder of No Cow, makers of non-dairy, low sugar, high protein snacks that people just love. You can tell Daniel loves the grind, and he's most comfortable when he's doing everything himself. But with success comes growth and change. These days Daniel has a small but dedicated team, a CEO to run the day-to-day, and strategic partners in 301 Inc. and 2x Partners.

Ultimately, great products solve problems, and Daniel has built a successful business by focusing on the right problems, the right distribution channels, and by treating consumers like an extension of his team.

Takeaways:

• How to hack your company's growth. Daniel shares the surprising strategy he used to scale his company without investing really any money marketing.
• How to make the leap from product to brand. Daniel is taking No Cow and converting it from a bar to more of a platform. He tells us why and more importantly how.
• How to build a stellar team. At a certain point, rise and grind just isn't enough. Daniel's at a point where the team around him makes a huge difference. He tells us how he built it up, and how to approach conversations with the people who will become your board.

Jump to:

• The Now Cow origin story. 3:30
• How No Cow scaled with no marketing budget. 9:40
• Why and how Daniel and team are converting the No Cow bar into a brand platform. 15:15
• Daniel on the No Cow logo mark. 17:40
• Why Daniel slept under his desk for the first two years of No Cow - and why he wants to move back in. 19:20
• How Daniel made 500k in packaging errors in one year. 21:48
• Why Daniel reached out to partners. 22:38

Links:

• No Cow
• Daniel on LinkedIn
• 301 Inc.
• 2X Partners

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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

Didn't make it to Expo West this year? Or maybe you attended, but were overwhelmed by all the new brands and products you saw? Perhaps you hit up too many happy hours and… need a refresher?

Either way, Brand Builder has your back.

We wrap up our Expo West coverage with our favorite brands, products, and trends from this year's Expo - we talk cauliflower, grain-free chips and puffs, pili nuts, fruit and vegetable jerkies, maca, and more. Featuring SnackNation's George Youmans and Clara Kim.

Brands mentioned:

• Jackson's Honest
• From the Ground Up
• Pan's Mushroom Jerky
• Siete Foods
• Peato's
• Kitchun
• Pure Tradition (pili nuts)
• Mama Chia
• Zele
• I'm Different
• Bubba's
• Nothing But the Fruit

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [email protected].

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