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In 2006, young entrepreneur, Daniel Staackmann, took out a home equity line of credit and started Upton’s Naturals in his hometown of Chicago.
He placed his money on seitan and in his 17 years of business, that gamble has clearly paid off. Upton’s Naturals is the #1 selling brand of seitan in the United States and their products are sold in thousands of stores throughout the United States and beyond.
Dan, a 30-year ethical vegan, prides himself on being the sole proprietor of his company and his slow growth model has allowed him to avoid so many of the landmines and pitfalls of the food industry as a whole.
Today, he and Rip share the many intricacies of running a food line from labeling, brand name, sourcing ingredients, getting placement on shelves, growth strategies, and so much more.
It’s an insightful peek behind the curtain on the food industry and the amount of work and passion it takes to bring delicious food from concept to shelves everywhere!
Rip and Dan discuss:
Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrong.com/pages/events
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Take the Free 7-Day Challenge: https://liveplantstrong.com/free-7-day-challenge/
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer
Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
https://plantstrongfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong
https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/
https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/
Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating
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Follow Upton’s Naturals on Instagram
By Rip Esselstyn4.8
22622,262 ratings
In 2006, young entrepreneur, Daniel Staackmann, took out a home equity line of credit and started Upton’s Naturals in his hometown of Chicago.
He placed his money on seitan and in his 17 years of business, that gamble has clearly paid off. Upton’s Naturals is the #1 selling brand of seitan in the United States and their products are sold in thousands of stores throughout the United States and beyond.
Dan, a 30-year ethical vegan, prides himself on being the sole proprietor of his company and his slow growth model has allowed him to avoid so many of the landmines and pitfalls of the food industry as a whole.
Today, he and Rip share the many intricacies of running a food line from labeling, brand name, sourcing ingredients, getting placement on shelves, growth strategies, and so much more.
It’s an insightful peek behind the curtain on the food industry and the amount of work and passion it takes to bring delicious food from concept to shelves everywhere!
Rip and Dan discuss:
Learn More About our 2026 Live PLANTSTRONG Events: https://plantstrong.com/pages/events
Let Us Help Your PLANTSTRONG Journey
Take the Free 7-Day Challenge: https://liveplantstrong.com/free-7-day-challenge/
Learn More About Our Corporate Wellness Program: https://liveplantstrong.com/corporate-wellness/
COMPLEMENT: Use code PLANTSTRONG for 30% off at https://lovecomplement.com/pages/plantstrong-special-offer
Follow PLANTSTRONG and Rip Esselstyn
https://plantstrongfoods.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GoPlantstrong
https://www.instagram.com/goplantstrong/
https://www.instagram.com/ripesselstyn/
Follow the PLANTSTRONG Podcast and Give the Show a 5-star Rating
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Watch the Episode on YouTube
Follow Upton’s Naturals on Instagram

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