Predicting The Turn w/ Dave Knox

In 2017, Halo Top became the #1 selling pint of ice cream in the United States and was even named one of the top inventions of the year by TIME Magazine. The ice cream was one of its kind, igniting an entire category of low-calorie and high protein products where top companies even launched copycat competitors to get in on the craze. Halo Top was co-founded by former lawyers, Justin Woolverton and Doug Bouton, and the brand had one of the most dramatic growth stories within the CPG industry—going from $2 million in sales in 2015 and skyrocketing to over $300 million in just two years.

Today, Bouton is starting his next brand as he takes aim at a category that is double the size of ice cream: chocolate. In 2021, Bouton founded GATSBY Chocolate, the lowest calorie chocolate on the market, and already released nearly 10 products with ambitious plans to introduce more innovations this year, including unique products like Peanut Butter Cups (for only 50 calories per cup!) and an upcoming Oat Milk-based line that is vegan and plant-based. I sat down with him to talk more about the lessons he learned in Halo Top and how he is applying those experiences as CEO of GATSBY Chocolate.

As a 10 year old kid, Josh Luber loved nothing more than trading cards and sneakers. Decades later, Josh has made a career out of these passions, first as the founder of StockX and now as Chief Vision Officer at the recently launched Fanatics Collectibles.  I sat down with Josh to learn more about the massive impact that Fanatics has already made in trading cards, his views on pricing and distribution, and the plans he has in the years ahead.

Before joining Kraft Heinz as Chief Growth Officer for North America, Sanjiv Gajiwala was the CMO at Mark Anthony Brands where he launched White Claw Seltzer. Today, Sanjiv brings that same approach to Kraft Heinz, where he is taking an iconic portfolio of brands that he views as a portfolio of challengers, competing for consumers' attention. I sat down with Sanjiv to talk more about this challenger mindset and how it is leading Kraft Heinz to take a different approach to brand building.

Justin Wiesehan is a self-proclaimed snackaholic. But when he started to count his macros in his quest to eat healthier, he found the better-for-you snacks lacking the flavor and crunch that he loved. His quest to solve that problem led him to launch HA! A Healthier Alternative, which is line-up of salty snacks that offer 11 grams of protein and 140 calories. I sat down with Justin to learn more about the journey of launching HA! and his plans for the business in the years ahead.

When Mike Russell decided that he needed to change his relationship with alcohol, he realized that most resources were focused only on the daily drinker. This inspired him to launch Monument, an online treatment platform for anyone looking to change their relationship with alcohol. I sat down with Mike to learn about his personal journey launching Monument, and the impact Covid-19 has had on telehealth businesses like his. 

With The Bruery, membership has its privileges. That is because since their earliest days, The Bruery has offered an industry leading direct-to-consumer subscription program called Societies that offers beer lovers exclusive access to some of the most innovative beers in the industry. I sat down with The Bruery’s CEO Barry Holmes to talk about their Societies, why they proved so valuable in the early days of Covid-19, and what led the company to launch a new brand called Offshoot.

Growing up, Justin Gill and his family would spend the holidays making a big batch of Japanese barbeque sauce that they would give out as holiday gifts. Years later, he would take the family recipe and with a lot of ingenuity turn into Bachan’s.  I sat down with Gill, founder and CEO of Bachan's, to talk about how his grandmother inspired the business and the challenges he faced in creating a shelf stable version of the family recipe.

Public Goods is on a mission to make nearly everything in your house healthier and more sustainable.  Behind that mission, revenue has grown over 200% when comparing the month of January 2020 to January 2021, and the company has been able to plant over 300,000 trees  – one for every order placed.  I sat down with Morgan Hirsh, founder and CEO of Public Goods, to talk about their growth since launching, their recent launch of wine, and how their company culture proved so valuable during the pandemic.

Stuck in an unfulfilling job on Wall Street, Ashley Thompson was looking for something more.  She found that inspiration in the most unlikely of places with ready to eat oats.  Starting in farmer’s markets, Thompson started MUSH to make it easier for people to eat healthy - starting with breakfast.  I sat down with Thompson to learn more about the early days of the brand, how they ended up appearing on Shark Tank, and the advice she gives to fellow entrepreneurs.

Over nearly three decades, Ben Fischman has been one of retail’s pioneering entrepreneurs.  In college he started the baseball cap retailer Lids and then followed that with e-commerce retailer Rue La La.  In his latest venture, Launch, Fischman is partnering with entrepreneurs and bringing his years of experience to help them succeed.  We sat down to talk about what he looks for in entrepreneurs, why Launch doesn't consider itself a venture capital firm, and what led to them competing in workwear with their newest brand BRUNT.