In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews J.J. Jaxon, co-founder and co-CEO of Mission MightyMe. 

The conversation explores how a deeply personal parenting challenge evolved into a fast-growing consumer brand on a mission to help end the food allergy epidemic. J.J. shares the origin story behind Mission MightyMe after his daughter developed severe food allergies and how groundbreaking pediatric research inspired the company’s science-backed snacks designed to help parents safely introduce allergens early in infancy. 

Phil and J.J. also discuss the realities of launching a disruptive food brand during the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating retail expansion, educating consumers in an emerging category, and building long-term retail velocity beyond simply getting shelf placement. 

Mission MightyMe website: https://missionmightyme.com  

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

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#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

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In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiolo interviews Tierra Forte, co-founder and CEO of Mightly. They explore how a values-driven approach to fashion can reshape an entire business model, from prioritizing organic cotton and supply chain traceability to building a brand rooted in ethical production and long-term sustainability. 

Tierra shares how her early experience as a mother influenced her awareness of environmental and consumer safety issues, ultimately leading her to challenge the norms of the fashion industry and build a company focused on transparency and responsibility. 

The conversation also dives into the realities of manufacturing decisions, including producing in India, ensuring supplier accountability, and navigating the trade-offs between cost, quality, and ethical standards in a highly competitive global apparel market. 

Mightly website: https://www.mightly.com

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

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#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Marissa Gurdian, founder of Sweet Paws. They explore how identifying everyday friction points in pet ownership can lead to scalable product innovation, and how Marissa built Sweet Paws by focusing on both functional and emotional needs of pet parents. 

The conversation highlights how solving small, overlooked problems—like puppy teething or opening dog waste bags—can evolve into differentiated products with strong consumer demand, as well as how tapping into emotional drivers led to the creation of a greeting card line designed specifically for pet parents. 

Marissa also shares insights on expanding from a single product into major retail channels, emphasizing the importance of persistence, product-market fit, and understanding the deeper motivations behind consumer behavior. 

Sweet Paws website: https://sweetpawspup.com

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

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#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Joshua Rystedt, Managing Owner of R Creative, a digital marketing agency specializing in high-stakes industries such as finance, healthcare, and architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). 

They explore why most B2B companies struggle with lead generation due to overly broad positioning and how narrowing focus can dramatically improve marketing performance. 

Joshua shares why many firms mistakenly rely solely on referrals, leaving significant untapped opportunity in channels like SEO, which can deliver exceptionally high ROI in industries such as construction. 

R Creative website: https://www.rcreative.marketing  

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Gregory Hegger, co-founder of Fox Fold. They explore how a simple observation inside hotel rooms—partially used toilet paper and tissue products being discarded—turned into a scalable B2B opportunity within a traditionally overlooked industry. 

Gregory shares how identifying inefficiencies at scale can unlock meaningful cost savings and sustainability improvements, and why some of the best business ideas come from problems hiding in plain sight. 

The conversation also dives into the realities of building a physical product company from scratch, navigating complex distribution systems in the hospitality sector, and the importance of persistence when entering fragmented markets with multiple decision-makers. 

Fox Fold website: https://foxfold.com

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of Crunching Your Growth, host Phil Masiello interviews Dr. Babak Baravarian, founder of Arch Tek Socks. They explore the realities of building a product in an “unsexy” category and why even the most innovative products struggle without the right go-to-market strategy. 

Dr. Baravarian shares how his background as a foot and ankle surgeon led him to rethink product design from a functional, performance-first perspective, ultimately reinventing the traditional sock with patented features aimed at improving alignment, reducing fatigue, and enhancing overall body performance. 

The conversation dives into two key lessons: first, the importance of selling outcomes rather than features when positioning a product, and second, how narrowing focus to the right audience—such as healthcare professionals—can unlock traction, credibility, and strategic partnerships like his collaboration with FIGS. 

Arch Tek Socks website: https://archteksocks.com

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Jesse Kozlov, Co-Founder and CEO of The Dog Stop. They explore the realities behind entrepreneurship and franchising, breaking down why not everyone is suited to business ownership and what it truly takes to sustain and scale a company. 

Jesse shares candid insights on the pressures of running a business, from the shift to 24/7 responsibility to the long-term commitment required once you take the leap. The conversation also highlights one of the most overlooked drivers of success: a relentless focus on the customer. 

Jesse explains how consistently viewing decisions through the lens of the customer—and later, the franchisee—has shaped the company’s growth, simplified complex decisions, and built long-term trust. 

The Dog Stop website: https://thedogstop.com

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Machine, host Phil Masiello interviews Amy McCord, founder and CEO of Flower Moxie. They explore the realities of entrepreneurship, including why there is no perfect formula for success and how strong leaders develop the resilience to pivot quickly when plans fail. 

Amy shares her perspective on business decision-making, explaining how entrepreneurs must accept trade-offs between money, time, creative freedom, and impact, and why identifying those priorities early can shape long-term growth. 

The conversation also highlights the importance of bouncing back from setbacks, learning from unexpected failures, and building businesses that evolve through experimentation rather than rigid planning. 

 Flower Moxie website: https://flowermoxie.com 

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Larry Reines, CEO and President of Floafers. They explore how decades of experience across the footwear industry—from warehouse operations to executive leadership—shaped a 360-degree understanding of building and scaling a brand. 

Larry breaks down how deep operational exposure creates stronger leadership decisions, especially when managing teams, sourcing products, and aligning execution across functions. 

The conversation also dives into how Floafers identified unexpected growth in the kids’ market by closely listening to retailers and analyzing real customer behavior, revealing powerful “family-driven” purchase patterns that expanded the brand beyond its original use case. 

Floafers website: https://floafers.com/

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Growth Class, host Phil Masiello interviews Matt Warnock, CEO of RidgeCrest Herbals. They explore how his transition from attorney to business leader led him to challenge long-standing medical assumptions and rethink how modern healthcare approaches treatment. 

Matt shares insights into the limitations of the traditional “one disease, one drug” model and explains how portfolio-style formulations—combining multiple ingredients to address health challenges from different angles—can create more predictable and balanced outcomes. 

RidgeCrest Herbals website: https://www.rcherbals.com 

Support the show

There are a lot of  "experts" out there giving advice who’ve never built a thing. They’ve never stayed up all night sweating a product launch. Never had to scale a team. Never had to meet payroll.

They’re just regurgitating what they read in someone else’s book.

That’s not me.
 I’ve built brands. I’ve scaled them. I’ve exited them. I’ve failed, won, and fought through it all.

And now, my team and I help brands do it every single day — across eCommerce, retail, and digital.
 We don’t just advise — we execute.
We write the playbook.

So if you’re done with fluff, fake gurus, and marketers who’ve never sold anything outside of a slide deck — you’re in the right place.

This show is real strategies, real tactics, and real talk.

https://www.facebook.com/philmasiello

https://www.instagram.com/philmasiello/

https://www.tiktok.com/@philmasiello

https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-masiello/

https://www.youtube.com/@philmasiello

#StartupGrowth #EcommerceTips 

#ScaleYourBrand #DTCMarketing #PhilMasiello #GrowthClass #BrandStrategy #MarketingPodcast #CrunchGrowth #StartupTips #BusinessGrowth