Startup Savant

Margaret Wishingrad is the CEO and founder of Three Wishes, a high protein, low sugar, grain-free cereal. After struggling to find a healthy cereal for her son, Margaret decided to create her own. Taking on the cereal industry juggernauts is a daunting task, but having had experience running an advertising agency with her husband, Margaret has used her marketing skills to develop a brand and build a following around a product that she is proud of.

In this episode we dive into: 

• How to begin creating, testing, and reiterating a product
• Branding 101 and using your brand to build customer relationships
• Growing retail partnerships
• Unorthodox marketing strategies

Read the full episode summary on Startup Savant!

#34. Fran Maier  is the CEO and founder of BabyQuip, the "Airbnb of baby rental equipment." Having been a co-founder for Match.com, Fran is no stranger to the startup world. In fact, Fran has been involved in starting numerous enterprises and continues to invest in other startups. Fran encourages founders to differentiate their business from the market and talk with customers in order to establish a successful brand.

In this episode we dive into:

• Why building brand trust is important
• Co-founding Match.com, TrustE, and BabyQuip
• BabyQuip's unique Shark Tank experience
• Fran's tips for navigating your board of directors

#33: Alex French is the CEO and founder of Bizzy Coffee. Frustrated by the lack of cold brew coffee available in retail stores, Alex got to work developing what would become the #1 best-selling cold brew coffee on Amazon. Alex leveraged his previous experience at General Mills to better understand the beverage market and ultimately scaled his product from an apartment creation to a profitable business venture. 

In this episode we dive into: 

• How Bizzy Coffee quadrupled their retail partnerships in a year
• The best tactics for securing funding for a CPG company
• Developing a competitive edge in a saturated market

Read the full episode summary at StartupSavant.com/podcast! 

#32: Andrew Gershfeld is a partner at Flint Capital, a VC firm that has invested in big-name companies such as Source, WalkMe, and Flo. Andrew began his entrepreneurial journey in management consulting and eventually led his own startup. Andrew emphasizes the importance of listening and growing empathy while working with startup founders.

In this episode we dive into: 

• Andrew’s journey from a scientist to a startup founder and VC investor
• How investors approach economic downturns
• Strategies for preparing for and navigating economic downturn

Read the full podcast summary on Startup Savant.

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or by email at [email protected]

Greg Giniel is the founder of Giniel Financial Group, a real estate startup focused on simplifying the mortgage process.  Greg  joins Annaka and Ethan to talk about his company Giniel Financial Group, a mortgage company that puts people first. Greg explains why it can be difficult to obtain a mortgage if you are a self-employed business owner, and we discuss the importance of establishing your business’s values.

This episode we dive into: 

• Mortgages difficulties for self-employed business owners
• Planning for your future financially
• Greg’s life on the road with his business, his wife, their four kids, and their dog
• The importance of establishing your business’s values

For the full episode notes and summary visit Startup Savant and read our guide to the Best Mortgage Lenders for Entrepreneurs.

#30:  John Salzinger and Seungah Jeong join Annaka and Ethan to talk about MPOWERD, a B Corp whose signature product, the solar-powered Luci Light, aims to help create a more sustainable future while providing light to those without access to electricity. John and Seungah share their story building MPOWERD and how to use business as a tool for change.

This episode we dive into: 

• The importance Trademarks and patents 
• How creating an impact can be a powerful motivator
• Using corporate social responsibility (CSR) to form partnerships

For a full episode summary and transcript, visit startupsavant.com/podcast!

#29: Juan Andrade  joins Annaka and Ethan to talk about Rebank, a startup-to-startup software company that provides young businesses with the financial operation systems needed to succeed. Juan discusses the importance of trial-and-error marketing and how his own issues at his previous job led him to conceptualize Rebank.

This episode we dive into: 

• Finding a target audience and understanding the problem you solve
• Marketing without an experienced marketer
• The benefits of working with an accelerator and Juan’s experience at Y Combinator

For the full episode summary, visit startupsavant.com/podcast!

#28: Alex Iceman is a serial entrepreneur and, most recently, the founder and CEO of Genium, a tech startup that provides solutions for affordable, quality tech hiring on a global scale. Iceman is also an advisor at Hawaii-based accelerator, Blue Startups, and in his spare time works as a hockey referee for the NHL. In this episode we dive into: 

• Hiring and vetting developers overseas 
• Iceman's 'reverse pyramid' management style 
• What hockey has taught Iceman about entrepreneurship 
• His role as a startup advisor: what that means and how he got there 

Read the full episode summary at https://startupsavant.com/podcast!

#27 BONUS EPISODE: This week, Annaka and Ethan are joined by Dr. David Vik or 'Doc' to discuss how he helped Zappos find their 'wow factor' and his top advice for startups looking to establish their competitive edge. Doc is a former chiropractor turned startup advisor, investor, and expert known most prominently for his role in the success of Zappos. 

In this special episode we dive into: 

• How Doc helped Zappos find their 'wow-factor'
• How your startup can find it's winning strategy
• The flywheel and its importance in startup marketing
• The main takeaways from his book, The Culture Secret

Read the full episode notes at startupsavant.com/podcast

#26: Chadwick Carlson and Marc Gingras join Annaka and Ethan to talk about Nook, a software company working to give users better agency over their scheduling through their calendar tool. Their first product, Nook Calendar, was Product Hunt’s #1 Product of the Day. Chad and Marc walk us through their decision to pivot their business, their philosophy for merging innovation with familiarity, and the importance of building strong teams that can succeed.

This episode we dive into: 

• Learning to pivot and navigate a changing environment
• Success on Product Hunt
• The importance of building a great team and why CEOs should see themselves as a head coach

Join Nook's waitlist and let them know you heard them on the podcast to get bumped to the top of the list at [email protected]. Read the full episode summary at startupsavant.com/podcast