Predicting The Turn w/ Dave Knox

Launched two years ago, Ergatta offers an alternative to instructor-led fitness with what the company calls game-based workouts.  As Ergatta looks to broaden the awareness of the company and their at-home rower, they are launching their first brand campaign with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick at the center of it.  I sat down with Randi Charles, VP of Marketing for Ergatta, to talk more about the upcoming campaign and what made Kaepernick the right fit to tell their brand story.

Over the last several years, Anheuser-Busch has been undergoing a mindset change as they put the consumer at the center of their innovation efforts. Leading this change is Dafne Hefner, Vice President of Insights and Strategy for Anheuser-Busch.   I sat down with Hefner to talk about A-B’s renewed focus on the consumer and how that focus has impacted both their new product pipeline, as well as the innovation strategy of their biggest brands.

With the backing of Mike Tyson and Georges St- Pierre, FightCamp has serious street cred in the at-home connected fitness world. And while FightCamp can take a punch from the likes of Tyson and GSP, the company is on a mission to show people of all skill levels the fitness benefits of boxing and kickboxing. I sat down with FightCamp’s co-founder and CMO, Patrick Chandler, to talk about the company’s evolution and how they differentiate themselves in the increasingly crowded connected fitness space.

With the rise of COVID has come a rise in people rediscovering

the outdoors.  But that has also come

with mosquitoes rediscovering them. 

Enter Murphy’s Naturals, veteran owned and family run business that lets

you enjoy life outdoors with their natural mosquito repellents.  I sat down with founder and CEO Philip

Freeman to learn more about why he started Murphy’s Naturals and how the search

for a new office led him to start a second business alongside Murphy’s.

In the crowded water bottle market, HydroJug stands out by giving consumers exactly what they are looking for. Instead of fancy colors or an abundance of features, HydroJug created a simple, 73 ounce water jug made for people who just need a lot of water. I sat down with co-founders and brothers, Jake and Hayden Wadsworth to talk about building HydroJug, how they found passionate fans well beyond their original fitness audience and how their parents’ entrepreneurial backgrounds influenced their path.

When it was launched in 2016, Theragun was a revolutionary product that created a new category. Since that time, the company has broadened their reach and rebranded as Therabody in 2020 in recognition of that bigger mission. I sat down with Benjamin Nazarian, CEO of Therabody to learn more about the company’s evolution, how he became involved in the business, and how they approach their innovation pipeline. 

As a child, Debbie Wei Mullin was surrounded by the influences of her Vietnamese heritage. As she began her entrepreneurial journey later in life, she turned to that heritage to launch Copper Cow Coffee, a direct-to-consumer Vietnamese Coffee that is launching nationwide in Whole Foods. I sat down with Debbie, the CEO and Founder of Copper Cow Coffee, to learn more about the company, educating the US about Vietnamese Coffee, and how she stumbled across their innovative pour-over design on a supplier’s desk.

When Steven and Brittany Yeng came up with the idea of Skrewball, many of the people they talked with scoffed at the idea of a peanut butter whiskey. Fast forward to today and Skrewball has become of the fastest growing liquor brands in history. I sat down with the husband-and-wife co-founders to talk about their unique journey, what motivated them to launch the brand, and why they celebrate screwballs and misfits.

Twenty years ago, Carla Schneider was a special ed teacher and new mom looking for a solution to help her newborn son stop crying.  That need led her to sew her son’s favorite stuffed animals to his pacifiers, giving birth to the global household brand WubbaNub.   I sat down to talk with Carla about her journey building WubbaNub, what led to her partnerships with brands like the MLB and Jimmy Fallon, and the advice she gives to other aspiring entrepreneurs.

Growing up in the Netherlands, Rip Pruisken’s favorite treat was the stroopwafel, a near universal treat in the country. But while he was attending Brown University, he found that it was largely unknown in the US. Pruisken set out to change that with the launch of Rip Van, which has grown into a better-for-you snack food company. I sat down with Pruisken to learn more about the journey of building Rip Van over the last decade and how the brand has evolved with their growth.