ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Vacation Darts is a lifestyle and apparel brand founded by Joey Coffin, a 36-year-old former Yelp restaurant manager based in Vancouver (originally from Toronto). A "vacation dart" refers to a cigarette that is smoked exclusively while on vacation. The tongue-in-cheek motto behind the brand is that "vacation darts don't count". It is a rule-free mindset representing the permission to drop everyday expectations, enjoy minor indulgences, and not take life too seriously. After printing an initial batch of hats in Toronto in mid-2024 (which sold out quickly and even had people offering to buy the hat right off his head), Coffin launched online sales in February 2025. Joey joins Justin to discuss launching and growing the Vacation Darts brand!

Natalie Heiter is the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Lofty Pops, a fast-growing, Detroit-based handcrafted ice pop brand. She launched the venture alongside her brother and business partner, Philip Stakich, in July 2024. The siblings debuted Lofty Pops with an initial kiosk at the Detroit Zoo in July 2024. Philip brought prior food-truck and operations experience from running Marilyn's Detroit, while Natalie leveraged her background in marketing and advertising. The brand focuses on real-fruit, chef-crafted, and certified USDA Organic ice pops made with zero artificial colors, flavors, or junk. Natalie joins Justin to unwrap this lofty brand!

Cara Brzezicki is the inventor of The Coffee Stopper, a small, reusable silicone accessory that helps prevent coffee from splashing out of takeout lids. It came from one of those everyday annoyances that made Cara wonder, "Why has nobody solved this?" Cara was not a product-development expert when she started. She simply saw a problem, believed there had to be a better solution, and figured out how to bring the idea to life. Since launching, she has learned the hard way about manufacturing, patents, retail, distribution, marketing, and all the persistence required to get a physical product into consumers' hands. The Coffee Stopper has been featured on the cover of Inventors Digest and has been interviewed twice by the producers of Shark Tank. She has also had the product carried by local retailers and pursued wholesale and distribution opportunities. Cara joins Justin to discuss taking new product ideas and converting them into consumer products.

Welcome to NULASTIN. They are a transformational beauty brand built on routine, results and longevity science. Their clinically proven, elastin replenishing formulas support healthier looking hair, visibly fuller lashes and brows and resilient skin. Your journey with NULASTIN goes beyond before and afters. It's about reaching confidence milestones that help you feel like you again. Award winning media personality and professional athlete Leah Garcia founded NULASTIN® in 2016 after living the hair loss journey firsthand and being told there wasn't much she could do about it. Refusing to accept that answer, Leah sought real solutions and discovered elastin, the protein responsible for skin resilience and, more importantly, anchoring hair. That discovery became the foundation of NULASTIN and the beginning of our elastin powered mission. Leah joins Justin to share the NULASTIN story!

You deserve the best care for your child's health. At Dr. Noze Best they bring hospital-grade efficiency and safety right to your home with innovative healthcare products developed by a pediatric ENT that support a healthier, happier respiratory system for your baby. Christy Brown is the CEO of Dr. Noze Best. Under her leadership, the brand has scaled rapidly, expanding into major retailers like Target and Walmart while championing hospital-grade, wearable pediatric care products like the NozeBot. Christy joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand!

Waiakea® was founded in Hilo, Hawai'i in 2012 as the first Hawaiian volcanic water and triple bottom line premium water of its kind, adapting an unparalleled platform of healthy, sustainable, and ethical attributes and initiatives. Their mission is to provide healthy Hawaiian volcanic water with the blessing of indigenous kupuna and konohiki, while contributing to and promoting clean water access, conservation, and education for those in need in Hawai'i and throughout the world. Co-founder and CEO Ryan Emmons joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing beverage brand!

Ron Friedman, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist who helps leaders build high-performing teams. He is the bestselling author of The Best Place to Work and Decoding Greatness. His new book, Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams, reveals what the best teams do differently. Superteams reveals what the best teams do differently, based on the most comprehensive study of elite groups ever conducted. After surveying thousands of teams, award-winning social psychologist Ron Friedman found that the most successful teams aren't the ones that collaborate most, get along best, or put in the longest hours. What really sets them apart is the way they manage their energy and attention, bring out the best in one another, and keep improving over time. Ron joins Justin to dive deep into Superteams.

Made with real ingredients, 5 electrolytes, and a natural taste you'll love, Coco5 is perfect for at the gym, on the go—and even the morning after a long night out. Treat yourself to active hydration that's actually good. Real good. That's Coco5. Jim Reynolds joins Justin to discuss this high-growth brand!

Snakkidz was born out of a simple yet powerful eureka moment: Why should parents have to choose between a snack that's healthy and one that's fun and tasty? They decided it was high time to blend the best of both worlds into every bite, making snack time the highlight of the day, not just another hurdle to overcome. They are all about making 'healthy' the new 'happy' for snack time for kids and parents alike! CEO and co-founder Steve Weiss joins Justin to unpack this fast-growing food brand.

LensDirect is a family-owned, New York-based online retailer specializing in contact lenses, eyeglasses, and specialized lens replacements for existing frames. Operating for over 30 years, they offer major brand contacts, LensDirect branded eyewear, and a popular mail-in service that replaces old lenses with new prescriptions. CEO, Ryan Alovis joins Justin to share the LensDirect story!