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The standard startup advice is "move fast and break things." Charbel Mawad did the opposite—and it landed him in Target.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Charbel Mawad, co-founder of Projo*, about his painstaking, multi-year journey to engineer the perfect high-protein coffee. While competitors rushed to market with "coffee-flavored shakes," Charbel spent years in his garage solving a physics problem that manufacturers said was impossible.

Listen to learn:
🧪 Why experts said his 25g protein coffee was "physically impossible" 
🏚️ How he engineered the formula in his garage like "Breaking Bad" 
🐢 Why slowing down R&D allowed him to bypass competitors 
🛒 Why Farmers Markets are better than retail for product validation 
☕ The "Trojan Horse" strategy for disrupting the coffee aisle 
📉 Why patience and repeat purchases beat fast revenue growth

Whether you’re a founder feeling pressured to launch or a product developer stuck in the weeds, Charbel offers a powerful lesson: sometimes the fastest way to national distribution is to take your time.

Learn more about Projo*:
🌐 https://idrinkprojo.com/

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Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
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#recipetorevenue #proteincoffee #beveragestartup #foodscience #projo #target #functionalbeverages #entrepreneurship #manufacturing #cpgindustry #startupstory #bootstrapping #slowgrowth #productdevelopment

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Founders think hiring a broker is the key to getting into retail. Usually, it’s just a $5,000/month retainer with no guarantee.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Tia Ellis, founder of Wildflower Insight, about why she left the brokerage world to teach founders how to pitch themselves—and why outsourcing your sales too early is a recipe for disaster.

Listen to learn:
🛑 Why hiring a broker before $1M revenue is a waste of cash 
🛒 How to pitch Walmart and Whole Foods without a middleman 
📉 The "Golden Retail Rule" for scaling from 5 stores to 500 
🦄 Why "unicorn" success stories (overnight national launches) often bankrupt founders 
🧠 The critical difference between getting a PO and staying on the shelf 
📊 How to use velocity data to predict if you’re about to be discontinued 
🤝 Why buyer meetings shouldn't be gatekept by expensive agencies

Whether you’re a kitchen-table founder or ready for regional expansion, Tia offers a tactical playbook for owning your retail relationships and avoiding the "2,000 door mistake."

Learn more about Low and Slow Snacks:
🌐 https://wildflowerinsight.com/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #cpgsales #retailstrategy #wildflowerinsight #walmart #foodbusiness #entrepreneurship #startuptips #retailbrokers #scalingbusiness #foodandbeverage #distribution #buyerpitch

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Most snack startups look for a co-packer. Jared Drinkwater built a factory instead.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Jared Drinkwater, founder of Low and Slow Snacks and former Frito-Lay executive, about why he left the corporate world to launch a "real wood smoked" snack brand—and the massive operational risks he took to do it.

Listen to learn:
🔥 Why big snack brands use seasoning instead of real smoke
🏰 How to build a manufacturing "moat" big CPG can't cross
🥜 The real difference between liquid smoke and wood fire
🏭 Why Jared built a factory when co-packers said "no"
🛒 How to use Costco Roadshows to prove velocity
🧠 Why sampling beats paid media for taste-driven brands
🛠️ How to win distribution in non-traditional retail (Home Depot)

Whether you’re a CPG founder debating manufacturing options or a marketer looking to disrupt a crowded category, Jared offers a masterclass in building a defensive moat through operations.

Learn more about Low and Slow Snacks:
🌐 https://lowandslow.com/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #cpg #snackindustry #manufacturing #businessstrategy #lowandslow #fritolay #entrepreneurship #foodbusiness #retailstrategy #costco #startuptips #selfmanufacturing #productinnovation

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To save a traditional agricultural system, sometimes you have to treat it like a business, not a charity.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Ben Ripple, co-founder of Big Tree Farms, about how he went from a backpacker in Bali to managing a vertically integrated supply chain of over 17,000 farmers across the Indonesian archipelago.

Listen to learn:

🌴 Why the non-profit model failed to save traditional crops
📈 How "market-driven conservation" scales impact faster than charity
🔗 How to manage 17,000 farmers without a single middleman
📱 The reality of digitizing thousands of remote, paper-based farms
🥥 How they turned "Nira" nectar from a local ingredient to a global staple 
🌋 The logistical insanity of sourcing from the "Ring of Fire"
📉 Why "everybody fails some of the time" is the only way to grow

Whether you’re interested in social enterprise, supply chain logistics, or international business, Ben shares the blueprint for building a brand that is both profitable and regenerative.

Learn more about Big Tree Farms:
🌐 https://bigtreefarms.com/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #socialenterprise #verticalintegration #supplychain #regenerativeagriculture #bigtreefarms #coconutsugar #sustainablebusiness #impactinvesting #entrepreneurship #businessstrategy #indonesia #organicfarming #fairtrade

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The American food system is like a speeding locomotive heading in the wrong direction—and stopping it won't happen overnight.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with AJ Richards, founder of From the Farm, about why our centralized food supply chain is brittle, how "greenwashing" has destroyed trust in organic labels, and the decentralized "Airbnb model" he is building to fix it.

Listen to learn:

🚂 Why reversing food system collapse takes 20 years minimum
🥩 How a hub-and-spoke model returns 100% of revenue to ranchers
🛑 Why legacy farmers are abandoning "Certified Organic" labels
📦 How to monetize logistics without charging a commission
🏭 Why government slaughterhouse grants failed without marketing
📉 The direct link between cheap food and rising healthcare costs

Whether you’re in AgTech, supply chain operations, or just care about where your food comes from, AJ offers a sobering look at the fragility of our system—and the infrastructure required to save it.

Learn more about From the Farm:
🌐 https://fromthefarm.org/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #foodsystem #supplychaincollapse #agtech #regenerativeagriculture #foodsovereignty #businessstrategy #fromthefarm #logistics #futureoffood #organicfarming #entrepreneurship #ranching #foodsecurity

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Founders often dream of an exit, but few understand what corporate acquirers are actually looking for.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Auroni Majumdar, VP of R&D and Global Open Innovation at CJ Foods, about the specific criteria global giants use to evaluate targets—and how to position your startup as a "must-have" asset rather than a risky bet.

Listen to learn:

🏠 Why acquirers prefer "fixer-uppers" with good bones over "fully renovated.”
🍔 Why speed to market is now the #1 driver for acquisitions.
🤝 A masterclass in negotiating partnerships that build trust and lead to deals.
🌍 What Asian and Global markets are looking for in US-based food tech.
🧠 How to identify if your technology solves a specific "hub and spoke" problem for a global strategist.
💊 How the "share of stomach" shift is changing how investors value food companies.
 
Whether you’re a founder building for an exit or a corporate leader looking to innovate, Auroni opens the playbook on how deals actually get done in the food industry.

Learn more about CJ Foods:
🌐 https://www.cj.co.kr/en/index

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #cpgstrategy #brandbuilding #fablefish #wildsalmon #sustainablebusiness #foodsupplychain #upcycledfood #manufacturing #privatevsbrand #founderstories #businessstrategy #bootstrapping #retaildistribution #womenincpg

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Sometimes the hardest decision in business is turning down revenue—especially when you’re just starting out.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Meghan Luck, founder of Fable Fish Company, about how she transformed a commodity by-product into a premium CPG brand—and why she rejected a massive private label contract to do it.

Listen to learn:

🐟 How to turn supply chain waste into a premium CPG brand
🛑 Why saying “no” to easy revenue protected long-term equity
🤝 The reality of finding a manufacturing partner who truly cares 
🧪 How to scale from kitchen recipes to industrial production
🛒 Why simple trade show presence beat big budget booths
🧠 How to balance daily fires with proactive growth strategy
🎣 Why authentic founder stories win retail partnerships

Whether you’re a bootstrapped founder, a CPG operator, or navigating a family business transition, this episode offers a blueprint for prioritizing long-term value over short-term cash.

Learn more about Fable Fish:
🌐 https://fablefish.co/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #cpgstrategy #brandbuilding #fablefish #wildsalmon #sustainablebusiness #foodsupplychain #upcycledfood #manufacturing #privatevsbrand #founderstories #businessstrategy #bootstrapping #retaildistribution #womenincpg

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Most companies think they have a sales problem. In reality, they have an alignment problem.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with DeAnn Petersson, founder of Sunburst Sales Innovation, about how companies can build predictable revenue without adding headcount by fixing what’s broken between sales, marketing, leadership, and operations.

Listen to learn:

📈 Why most sales challenges are actually alignment issues
🧠 How to move from instinct-driven growth to intentional, repeatable execution
🤝 Why sales needs a seat at the strategy table
💰 How compensation plans often work against growth initiatives
🧩 What true sales and marketing alignment looks like in practice
📊 How companies can grow up to 32% without increasing spend or headcount
🏗️ How to build scalable revenue systems without killing speed or hustle

Whether you’re a founder, sales leader, or operator trying to scale responsibly, this episode offers a clear framework for creating growth that’s predictable, sustainable, and aligned.

Learn more about Sunburst Sales Innovation:
🌐 http://sunburstsi.com 

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #predictablerevenue #salesalignment #revenuegrowth #gotomarket #salesleadership #businessstrategy #revops #scalablesystems #salesandmarketing #growthwithoutheadcount #b2bsales #leadershipdevelopment #commercialstrategy #founderinsights #entrepreneurship

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The coffee industry is massive — but it’s also structurally broken.
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina sits down with Andy Kleitsch, co-founder and CEO of Atomo Coffee, to unpack how his team is approaching disruption in a $450B market without alienating consumers, retailers, or the industry itself.

Listen to learn:
☕ Why disrupting coffee requires working within existing consumer rituals
📉 The structural problems inside the global coffee system
🧠 Why market entry strategy matters more than technical perfection
🚀 How Atomo shifted from product innovation to business model innovation
🏪 What Andy learned from launching through cafés and specialty operators
📊 How sustainability became a growth advantage — not a cost
🤝 Why blending into existing products may scale faster than standing alone
🌍 How mission alignment attracts better talent, partners, and investors

Whether you’re building a food or beverage brand, navigating a legacy industry, or trying to turn a mission into a scalable business, this episode offers a clear look at how disruption actually works in practice.

Learn more about Atomo Coffee:
🌐 Website: https://atomocoffee.com 

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #foodtech #beverageindustry #coffeeindustry #marketdisruption #businessstrategy #foodandbeverage #sustainablebusiness #startupstrategy #founderstory #categorycreation #innovationeconomy #goToMarket #missiondriven #entrepreneurship

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What happens when someone with no distilling background buys a failing rum distillery and rebuilds it into a Louisiana cultural staple?
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In this episode of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Doug Miller of Wildcat Brothers Distilling about how he transformed a struggling operation into a craft rum brand rooted deeply in local agriculture, Cajun and Creole heritage, and true Louisiana terroir.

Listen to learn:
🥃 Why Wildcat Brothers uses raw Louisiana sugar instead of molasses
🌾 How Louisiana terroir shapes the flavor, aroma, and identity of their rum
🧪 What open-air fermentation brings to the spirit (and why it’s so hard to control)
🔥 How Doug rebuilt a failing distillery with zero industry experience
🛢️ The art of aging rum in bourbon barrels and local woods like hickory and persimmon
📉 Why “go smaller to grow bigger” became their guiding business philosophy
📈 How private label projects and small-batch innovation fuel sustainable growth
🏪 The reality of OND season — and how they built year-round revenue to survive it
🤝 Why mentorship and community matter so much in the craft spirits world

Whether you’re building a CPG brand, entering the craft beverage space, or scaling a heritage-driven business, Doug’s story offers a powerful blueprint for growing with authenticity and purpose.

Learn more about Wildcat Brothers Distilling:
 🌐 Website: https://wildcatbrothers.com/

🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors:
Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/
Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/

#recipetorevenue #craftspirits #rumdistilling #louisianaculture #americanrum #craftdistillery #foodandbeverage #founderstory #entrepreneurship #growthmindset #businessstrategy #terroir #artisanrum #cpgroundtable #smallbusinessgrowth

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