Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

By Gage Mitchell of Modern SpeciesBusiness Health & Fitness Nutrition Arts Marketing Food

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG) episodes

September 14, 2022087 - Importing Food Culture with Amy Zitelman of Soom Foods
Although not particularly new to the US market, tahini has historically been found gathering dust at the bottom of the shelf in the international foods aisle instead of being celebrated in the kitchen for its versatility. Today we are joined by Amy Zitelman, CEO and Co-Founder of Soom Foods, to talk about the various culinary uses of tahini, why she and her sisters started importing it, and the sustainable, regenerative qualities of the sesame crop and supply chain. Tune in to hear from this inspiring entrepreneur who refused to allow the lack of evidence for a thriving tahini market in the US to deter her!

Key Points From This Episode:
The role of consumer education when introducing products to a new market.
Why Soom Foods founders, Amy Zitelman and her sisters chose to import tahini into the US.
The rise of tahini in the national consciousness and its culinary versatility.
What differentiates Soom from other tahini brands in the US.
The importance of quality invariability in the US market.
The pros and cons of prioritizing product simplicity.
Soom Foods’ omnichannel sales approach.
The sustainable and regenerative qualities of the sesame crop and supply chain.
The advantages of regenerative agriculture.
How Amy and her sisters manage the marriage of family and business.
How the family dynamic permeates Soom’s company culture.
Why ignorance is bliss when it comes to starting a business.
The fine balance between trusting your intuition and calling on others’ perspectives.
The value of feedback.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Amy Zitelman on LinkedIn
Amy Zitelman on Instagram
Soom Foods
Soom Foods on Instagram
The Green Marketing Academy
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hr 2 min
September 08, 2022086 - Simplify to Amplify with Fred Hart of Interact
Design is so much more than aesthetics; it’s a tool for business. Today’s guest, Fred Hart, is a Partner and the Creative Director at Interact, a branding and design agency similar in many ways to our own. Fred’s passion for design began with sneakers and has since transitioned to food. Interact’s approach is underpinned by the principles of “simplify to amplify” and “brave design” and, during this conversation, we discuss the work they do with small, niche brands, as well as larger, more mainstream ones (Fred might even change your perspective on “big food!”) We also zoom out and talk about trends in the CPG market right now and Fred's thoughts on the future of the space. As Fred says, the opposite of bravery is conformity. If you want to know how to stand out, this episode is a good place to start!

Key Points From This Episode:
Exploring Interact’s ‘simplify to amplify’ strategic principle.
The power of design as a business tool.
Why Interact isn’t interested in design awards.
What brave design is (and an example of what it looks like).
A warning against putting every possible claim on your packaging.
Working with small, niche brands versus bigger, more mainstream ones (and why “Big Food” doesn’t wholly deserve its negative reputation).
Work Interact has done with niche brands that Fred is most proud of.
Noteworthy design trends in the CPG market right now.
Fred’s thoughts on personalization as the future of CPG.
Interact’s approach to enhancing the sustainability of their company.
Two brands Fred and his team at Interact began building when the pandemic hit.
What Fred gained from the altMBA and AIGA Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders programs.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Interact
Fred Hart on LinkedIn
Cleanli on Instagram
altMBA
AIGA Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders
Lift Economy: The Next Economy MBA
The Green Marketing Academy
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG Email
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
58 min
August 31, 2022085 - Help People Along the Way with David Simnick of Soapbox
What are you doing to make the world a better place and help those around you? Creating change in the world requires dedication and handwork, leaving very little time to run a business, but what if you could use business as a tool for good? This is the approach of today’s guest, David Simnick, CEO and Co-Founder of Soapbox and Managing Partner at Impact Driven Brands. David believes that creating and running impactful businesses is how entrepreneurs can help meet the needs of society and help make the world a better place. In this episode, we discuss his early interest in politics, how a business can be used to create impactful change, why he chose to use business to help drive change, and the hard lessons he learned on his journey to success. Don’t miss out on this inspirational episode, and find out how you can create positive impact in the world through business with David Simnick!

Key Points From This Episode:
We learn about David’s background and his professional career journey.
What motivated him to shift from his previous career path to start Soapbox.
Why he decided to use business as a way to create positive change.
The similarities and differences he sees between politics and entrepreneurship.
Learn the definition of a ‘sustainable’ positive impact.
David’s approach to business and making a sustainable impact.
A brief discussion about the role of the political system in society.
An outline of the recent positive impacts Soapbox is creating.
Learn why good packaging design is so vital for success.
He shares some of the hard lessons he has learned working in the CPG space.
What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in the CPG sector.
Essential advice to aspiring entrepreneurs that will save you time and money.
How growing a business and customer base helps you create change.
The idea of learning what your customers love and then scaling those aspects.
Find out why David decided to start and support other brands.
How many years it took for Soapbox to become profitable.
The various steps David takes to make sure his products are quality.
Why it is important to couple the product quality with the cause.
His experience with the ‘Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses’ program.

PROMO: Get 10% Off products at Soapbox, Bushwick Kitchen, and Goodnest with promo code "gagerocks".

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
David Simnick on LinkedIn
David Simnick on Twitter
David Simnick on Instagram
Impact Driven Brands
Soapbox
Soapbox on LinkedIn
Soapbox on Instagram
Bushwick Kitchen
Bushwick Kitchen on Instagram
Goodnest
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs 10KSB
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email&
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
49 min
August 24, 2022084 - Be Willing to Lose Everything with Adam Hiner of Pacha
Setting out and starting a business takes courage, determination, and the ability to learn as you go. It also requires a certain commitment to the foundational causes of the work. For Adam Hiner, our guest on today's show, combining his passion for food and regenerative agriculture with his work ethic and growing knowledge of the entrepreneurial landscape has enabled him to build two really inspiring and conscientious brands. Adam is the CEO and Founder of Pacha, a gluten-free, grain-free, sprouted, fermented, paleo, and plant-based bread company, as well as the Co-Founder of Boochcraft, through which he and his team introduced the market to organic hard kombucha! In our chat, we get to hear from Adam about the important steps on his evolving path, the morals that ground his work, and some of the challenges he has faced and overcome so far. If you would like to hear about true innovations in the food sector, how Adam approached business during the pandemic, and the power of intuition in a data-filled world, listen in with us!

Key Points From This Episode:
Adam talks about regenerative agriculture and how Pacha is involved and supports this movement.
Challenges in the baked goods space: distribution, freshness, packaging, and more.
The environmental and social initiatives that Adam and Pacha have linked with so far.
A little about the organic, hard kombucha company that Adam started called Boochcraft.
Advice from Adam for aspiring CPG business owners on the realities of running a business and using intuition.
How Pacha was birthed at the beginning of the pandemic and Adam's attitude towards riding that wave.
Demand for kombucha and the surprising demographics that gravitated towards the products.
Adam's journey before launching Pacha; selling mortgages, restaurants, catering, and more!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Modern Species
Adam Hiner ob LinkedIn
Pacha
Boochcraft
Rate Rabbit
Unity Vibration
JuneShine
Trilogy Sanctuary
1% for the Planet
CCOF
Episode 31 - Cultivating Heartset with Linwood Paul & Matt D'Amour of Subtle Distinctions
Episode 37 — Nailing The Pitch with Kayla Castañeda of Agua Bonita
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hr
August 17, 2022083 - Follow Your Passion with Fred Haberman of Freak Flag Organics
Success within the CPG space is an arduous undertaking that requires immense drive and passion for overcoming the inevitable challenges. Following your passion is a fundamental driver of today’s guest, Fred Haberman, an entrepreneur whose businesses reflect his values and ideals. One of those businesses, Freak Flag Organics provides ultra-organic foods with extra-amazing flavors to help people create healthy dishes right at home. In our conversation, he explains how his various businesses act as a platform to communicate ideas to help drive change, the challenges with the CPG space, and the hard lessons he has learned during his 28 years of entrepreneurship. Tune in today to find out why chasing your passions is better than chasing money with guest Fred Haberman!

Key Points From This Episode:
Fred tells us why he decided to start his most recent company, Freak Flag Organics.
How his businesses act as a way to communicate ideas and drive change.
Hard lessons he has learned while working in the CPG space.
Different aspects of a business that should integrate with marketing.
Find out if Fred outsourced some of the work required for Freak Flag Organics.
Fred’s thoughts on whether or not he would start another enterprise within the CPG space.
We learn about the Freak Flag Organics product range and the inspiration behind it.
How long the brand has existed and what plans Fred has for the company.
He shares what he feels are the most significant successes he has had so far.
Fred’s advice for people interested in entering the CPG space.
Fred’s motivation behind starting Haberman and his experience in creative services.
Details about his entrepreneurial experience and the businesses he has started.
Some of the essential qualities needed to be successful.
Why it is okay to ask questions and find the right people for help.
What Fred has struggled with the most during his career.
Where he got his passion and entrepreneurial spirit.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Fred Haberman on LinkedIn
Fred Haberman on Twitter
Freak Flag Organics
Haberman
Haberman on LinkedIn
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1 hr 5 min
August 10, 2022082 - 2021 HITS: Prioritizing Brand Messaging with Pilar Ochi of Alter Eco
We're re-running our most successful episodes of 2021 because there are some insights that we have to go back to. This time, we speak about brand messaging for sustainable CPG products with Pilar Ochi, Vice President of Marketing at Alter Eco, a sustainable sweet snacks company.

Making a sustainable CPG product a household name doesn’t sound as challenging as it is.

Today we speak to Pilar Ochi, Vice President of Marketing at Alter Eco, a sustainable sweet snacks company. She joined the company because this was the first brand she found that does more for people and the planet than they talk about. While this sounds like any marketer’s dream, narrowing down the messaging and the direction the brand should be taking when you have so much to say has been quite challenging. She provides valuable insight into how to build a brand by finding the balance between owning the thing that makes your product special and owning the thing that gets it into a consumer’s cart. For all this and other helpful advice on how to build a brand, tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Why making a sustainable CPG product a household name is so challenging.
How building a brand is a balance between owning the thing that makes you special and owning the thing that gets you into a consumer’s cart.
The challenge of mission-driven brands settling on one key takeaway.
How companies benefit from hiring consumers because they don’t have to figure out what makes a consumer tick.
How Pilar decided on the direction the brand should be taking from many possible options.
The three pillars of Alter Eco’s brand strategy and which two they chose to focus on and why.
How Pilar’s background in economics provided a framework for understanding human behavior at scale.
How Pilar’s different experiences at Clorox and Blue Bottle Coffee Company became the perfect foundation for her current job at Alter Eco.
The difference between a brand marketer and a brand manager and how this varies across different-sized companies.
Paid media versus influencer and PR and why Alter Eco does both.
The biggest challenge of scaling now that Alter Eco’s brand has been updated.
How Pilar envisions the industry and the world evolving towards more sustainable products.
The shift Pilar has noticed away from a minimalist aesthetic to one that is more colorful, detailed, and sensorial.
Thoughts on how consumers are increasingly more interested in the simple things in life.
How Pilar hopes the pandemic will impact consumers going forward.
The marketing books that Pilar and Gage have found useful.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Pilar Ochi
Alter Eco
Clorox
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Modern Species
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG Email
Evolve CPG
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
55 min
August 03, 2022081 - Will it Get Recycled with Gage Mitchell of Modern Species
It sounds confusing, but the word ‘recyclable’ doesn’t always mean that something can, in fact, be recycled. Hopefully, by the time you get to the end of this episode, you’ll have a greater understanding of the complexities of the recycling system as a whole. Through careful distillation of the procedural and consumer-based processes, you can begin to distinguish between greenwashing and truly recyclable products. Object, consumption, recovery, and market are all relevant to the conversation, along with contamination, consumer power, and demand. Join us to hear all this and more today!

Key Points From This Episode:
Why the word ‘recyclable’ cannot be trusted as an indicator that something can be recycled.
How the three chasing arrows symbol only identifies that a material is plastic.
The four layers used to determine whether or not something is recyclable.
Considering the nature of an object along with its color.
Why objects made from a combination of materials are harder to recycle.
The greenwashing that happens when objects are labeled recyclable, when only one component actually is.
What needs to be considered surrounding processing contaminants.
End-user education and communication.
The recovery question which determines if something can effectively be recycled.
State-specific automation and recovery processes.
Considering the cost to recycle versus the cost of the product and the demand for it.
A reminder of your power as a consumer.
The effect of contamination on the recycling process.
Why, if you don’t know if something is recyclable, it’s better to put it in the trash.
The influence of recycling on how a material behaves in comparison to virgin materials.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email

Adobe Creative Jam Event: Virtual Product Photography
No studio, camera, or product? No problem! Learn how to use virtual photography skills for photorealistic scenes, CPG product shots, portfolio mockups, and more… to elevate marketing and e-commerce imagery in the Virtual Product Photography Creative Jam on August 17. In-house, agency, and freelance designers will be challenged to stage a product shot quickly in Adobe Substance 3D Stager and submit it for feedback and prizes. No experience necessary. Sign up now to learn and compete at cjam.in/virtualphoto
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
40 min
July 27, 2022080 - Better Food Packaging in 30 Questions with Gage Mitchell of Modern Species
The way your product is packaged is almost as important as the product itself. Your packaging helps potential customers decide whether they should pick your product off the shelf, or go for one of your competitors’ products instead. During this episode, Gage covers 30 questions relating to product packaging within the realms of messaging, images, branding, form, and (of course) sustainability. From, “How would I use it?” to, “Is the packaging recyclable/compostable?” tune in to hear how you can use these 30 key questions as a guide to help you create better food packaging and sell more products as a result!

Key Points From This Episode:
Why your messaging is the most important part of your packaging.
Six questions that your potential customers are likely to be asking to help them determine whether or not they are going to buy your product.
Key factors to take into consideration with regard to your images.
How your branding can attract or deter customers.
Examples of how to communicate your mission through your packaging.
Questions to take into consideration regarding the form of your product.
A real-world example of how the form of your packaging can make your product stand out.
Six questions that potential consumers might be asking about the sustainability of your product.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Episode Slides
Modern Species
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Adobe Creative Jam
Sustainable Coalition
How2Recycle
Evolve CPG
Evolve CPG Community
Evolve CPG on YouTube
Evolve CPG email

Adobe Creative Jam Event: Virtual Product Photography
No studio, camera, or product? No problem! Learn how to use virtual photography skills for photorealistic scenes, CPG product shots, portfolio mockups, and more… to elevate marketing and e-commerce imagery in the Virtual Product Photography Creative Jam on August 17. In-house, agency, and freelance designers will be challenged to stage a product shot quickly in Adobe Substance 3D Stager and submit it for feedback and prizes. No experience necessary. Sign up now to learn and compete at cjam.in/virtualphoto
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
40 min
July 20, 2022079 - 2021 HITS: From Coffee to Cascara with Paul Evers of Riff
We're re-running our most successful episodes of 2021 because there are some insights that we just have to go back to. This time, we speak about sustainable coffee practices with Paul Evers, Co-Founder and CEO of Riff, an innovative cold brew coffee company

Your morning cup of coffee has a far greater environmental impact than you might realize. Ironically, the current unsustainable practices have the largest effect on the industry itself. Today’s guest, Paul Evers, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Riff, an innovative cold brew coffee company that looks to use the whole coffee plant, reducing waste and increasing sustainability. In this episode, Paul unpacks coffee’s dirty, not-so-little, secret and shares how uncovering it led Riff to venture into an entirely new range of products no one else in the space is creating. Paul also talks about his other passion, craft beer, and how the sector’s growth has had cascading effects for other small business growth. Consumers have grown to trust their neighbors more than corporations and this is in large part due to craft beer. Tuning in, you will hear why reducing waste in the coffee industry will not just benefit the environment but could improve your health too!

Key Points From This Episode:
Coffee’s big, dirty secret and how this led Riff to have a new product range.
The coffee industry has large stakes in more sustainable practices yet is contributing to environmental degradation.
The craft beer sector has been the catalyst for artisanal manufacturing in other industries too.
The importance of getting clear on purpose as a mission-driven brand.
Get to know Paul, his background in creative services, and the ethos that underlies his career.
What drew Paul to focus his work on beverage brands.
Insights into the first brand Paul launched and the major lessons from this first big step.
Building a brand is about more than just good marketing; it’s about community.
What led Paul to transition into the world of cold brew coffee.
We could potentially be overlooking a super fruit, cascara.
All of the benefits of creating demand for cascara, which should be done through creating awareness.
Paul’s advice for impact entrepreneurs and marketers.
Parallels between craft alcohol and cold brew coffee.
Why small, emerging brands are the bedrock of the economy.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Paul Evers
Riff
Crux Fermentation Project
Bobby Evers
Cascara

Climify Podcast
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
56 min
July 13, 2022078 - 2021 HITS: Reaching Green Consumers with Carolyn Parrs of Mind Over Markets
We're re-running our most successful episodes of 2021 because there are some insights that we just have to go back to. This time, we speak about how to market sustainability with Carolyn Parrs, CEO of Mind Over Markets.

So many businesses struggle to find the right words to market their sustainable and social impact products. Today’s guest is Carolyn Parrs, CEO of Mind Over Markets, and she joins us to talk about the green consumer and the best ways to market sustainability. The purpose behind Mind Over Markets is to help sustainable and social impact businesses market themselves so they can be seen and heard more clearly in order to grow and thrive.

Carolyn’s main marketing philosophy revolves around the fact that it is the brands that can communicate the clearest and the fastest that win at the end of the day. She talks about how she helps her clients find their main message by listening to their customer’s needs, whatever they may be – a tactic that ultimately wins people over more effectively at the end of the day!

Key Points From This Episode:
Carolyn’s love of nature, skill in copywriting, and how she got interested in sustainability marketing.
Different tiers of the green consumer and what their buying habits look like.
How to tap into what already motivates people to convince them to buy your product.
The services around distilling a marketing message that Mind Over Markets provides clients.
Online marketing tips for keeping the messaging on your website clear and collecting emails.
How to inform leads about the rest of your services after you hook them with the main problem you solve.
Early adopters who help champion a cause and shift the opinions of less concerned groups.
Big mistakes that brands often make when trying to market themselves.
Digging into the problem you solve for your clients and building your story around that.
The challenge of working out which group on the green spectrum to tailor your message to.
Examples of how Carolyn has reframed her clients’ messaging to better suit their customers.
The reality that it is often economic reasons that motivate people rather than green reasons.
Big life incidents that make people more concerned about health.
How unbalanced the American diet is and the need to eat more vegetables.
Where on the green spectrum the LOHAS group exists.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Carolyn Parrs on LinkedIn
Carolyn Parrs on Twitter
Mind Over Markets
StoryBrand
Start With Why
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn
Evolve CPG

Climify Podcast
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
55 min

About Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

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We're bringing you the stories behind the people and products building a more just, healthy, and regenerative future for us all. Tune in weekly and together, we’ll learn about why these better…

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Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG) episodes

About Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)