On today’s episode, I sit down with Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, a brand best known for its high-quality, California-sourced olive oils, vinegars, and other pantry items.

Ash started Brightland after a career spanning beauty, technology, and venture capital, combining her interest in olive oil with a desire to build products that encourage people to live a little more offline. Eight years later, Brightland has become one of the most recognized names in the space while managing to remain remarkably deliberate about how the business grows.

In this conversation, we talk about the realities of entering the olive oil industry without a traditional food background, how Ash approached pricing and product development, as well as why she's been so selective about retail expansion.

We also discuss gifting, collaborations, fundraising, personnel management, and how her approach to building Brightland has evolved over time.

Without giving away too much, I think Ash’s philosophy is one of the most unique I’ve come across to date, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I learned a lot during our conversation. As always, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.