The Duck Pond Podcast | Tips for CPG Brands to Take Flight

Today we’re featuring Jay Williams, founder of Free Bird Water, a brand built around the simple but powerful idea of delivering clean, crisp spring water in tall 19.2 oz aluminum cans, sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains and crafted for everyday Americans who work with their hands, hustle hard, and value authenticity over hype.

Under Jay’s leadership, Free Bird has positioned itself as water “for the people”, no gimmicks, no wellness fluff, just real water for real life.

We’ll dig into:

• How Free Bird Water carved out its space in the beverage market, leaning into heritage, honest branding and a “blue-collar meets beverage” vibe.
• The leap from a successful real-estate background to launching a spring-water brand , why Jay swapped boardrooms for bottling lines, and how that transition shaped Free Bird’s identity.
• Key early decisions: choosing spring water from Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, designing tall-boy cans, opting for recyclable aluminum , and how those choices reflect purpose and practicality.
• Scaling and distribution: hitting retail shelves across the Southeast, launching still and sparkling SKUs, and the operational grind behind rapid rollout.
• Brand messaging, community-building, and positioning Free Bird not just as water, but as a lifestyle and a nod to “everyday heroes.”

✨ Learn how Free Bird Water is redefining what bottled water can mean, merging simplicity, purpose, and refreshment into a can that speaks to working people, honest values, and everyday hydration.

🔗 Free Bird Water Website → https://drinkfreebird.com/

Instagram → @drinkfreebird

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer, and we believe packaging should tell a story, not just hold a product.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#beverage #entrepreneurship #packaging

Today we’re featuring Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco, the chocolate and snack brand redefining indulgence by making sustainability, ethics, and delight inseparable. Under Keith’s leadership, Alter Eco champions regenerative agriculture, fair-trade sourcing, and compostable packaging, proving you can enjoy delicious, premium chocolate and snacks and help heal the planet.

We’ll dig into:

• How Alter Eco positions itself in the “ethical indulgence” space, marrying top-tier taste with deep commitment to soil, communities, and ecosystems.
• The leap from legacy supply chains to regenerative sourcing: how Keith and the team support farmers to adopt agro-forestry, traceability and sustainable practices while maintaining chocolate quality.
• The evolution of packaging and product , from compostable wrappers to clean-ingredient bars and granola, and how Alter Eco balances impact and shelf-ready scalability.
• Navigating growth, supply-chain turbulence (like rising cacao prices and global import tariffs), and the ongoing commitment to maintain mission-driven standards while expanding reach.

✨ Learn how Alter Eco is redefining what indulgence can taste like, by proving that chocolate can be conscientious, delicious, planet-friendly, and socially responsible.

🔗 Alter Eco Website → https://www.alterecofoods.com/ Instagram → @alterecofoods

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer, and we believe packaging shouldn’t just hold a product, it should tell a story. Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/ Website → www.pakingduck.com

#chocolate #sustainability #packaging #entrepreneurship

Today we’re featuring Adam Deremo, co-founder of AWAKE Chocolate, the brand that flipped the script on energy and indulgence by putting caffeine into chocolate. Instead of coffee or energy drinks, AWAKE delivers a pick-me-up in bite-size and bar-form chocolate , each bite packing roughly half a coffee’s brew: 50 mg caffeine, fair-trade, gluten-free, no artificial stuff.

We’ll dig into:

• How AWAKE positions itself in the “functional food / caffeinated treat” space, combining everyday energy with the simple pleasure of chocolate.
• The leap from corporate CPG roots to startup chocolate-maker: what made Adam and his co-founders decide to build a “functional chocolate that tastes good.”
• The evolution of formulation, taste testing, ingredient choices and packaging, how they balanced caffeine, flavor, quality and accessibility to build a product that people enjoy and trust.
• Scaling a functional food brand: rapid growth, distribution, retail partnerships (including recent expansion into major retailers and even listings in big chains), investment rounds, and navigating the challenges that come with growth.

✨ Learn how AWAKE Chocolate is redefining what “energy” means, making it delicious, accessible, and a little more fun.

🔗 AWAKE Chocolate Website → https://awakechocolate.com/ Instagram → @awakechocolate

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging. Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/ Website → www.pakingduck.com

#chocolate #energy #entrepreneurship #packaging

Today we’re featuring Michelle Valdez-Wilton, founder of Date Better Snacks, the brand reinventing what a “better-for-you treat” can be, using Medjool dates stuffed with nut butter and enrobed in organic chocolate, all designed to give you that indulgent treat without the guilt. What started in her home kitchen during the COVID-era has blossomed into a fast-growing snack company now stocked in hundreds of stores across the U.S. and beyond.

We’ll dig into:

• How Date Better Snacks positions itself in the “clean-label, better-for-you treat” space, satisfying sweet cravings with whole foods instead of processed sugar bombs.
• The leap from restaurant kitchens to packaged snacks: recipe testing, ingredient sourcing, packaging clean-label treats that still feel indulgent.
• The ups and downs of scaling a food business, balancing handmade care with growth, navigating supply, manufacturing, and distributing in 700+ stores in under two years.
• Marketing, storytelling, and how Date Better builds community, not just through flavor, but through authenticity, transparency, and a mission to make better snacking accessible.

✨ Learn how Date Better Snacks is redefining indulgence, proving treat foods can be clean, crave-worthy, and kind to body and soul.

🔗 Date Better Snacks Website → https://datebettersnacks.com/ Instagram → @datebettersnacks

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer, and we’re changing the landscape of packaging. Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/ Website → www.pakingduck.com

#snacks #entrepreneurship #packaging

Today we’re featuring Alda Karen Hjaltalín, founder of SKINERGY, a brand redefining what wellness drinks can be by blending skincare, function and flavour in every sip. Alda turned her passion for wellness and ingredient innovation into a drink that delivers on skin, energy and purpose, all while preserving a great taste and strong identity.

We’ll dig into:

• How SKINERGY positions itself in the wellness and functional beverage market—skin-first, flavour-forward, emotionally resonant.
• The leap from concept to launch: ingredient validation, formulation, packaging decisions and how Alda approached creating a drink that speaks to both beauty and beverage consumers.
• The challenges of scaling a startup in the crowded wellness space: sourcing key actives, ensuring taste and stability, building distribution and maintaining brand authenticity.
• Marketing, brand story and category strategy: how to go from consumer education to purchase, and what the future holds for skin-targeted drinks.

✨ Learn how SKINERGY is rewriting what it means to drink your skincare—making it tasty, effective and accessible.

🔗 SKINERGY Website → https://www.drinkskinergy.com/

Instagram → @drinkskinergy

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#wellness #beverage #entrepreneurship #packaging

Today we’re got Marco Biscarini, co-founder of Vibrant Meals, the Chattanooga-based meal-prep brand that’s on a mission to make healthy eating easy, accessible and chef-crafted. Marco and his wife Romana blended her background in high-performance meals for athletes with his tech-ops experience to build a ready-to-eat meal service that delivers fresh, scratch-made meals with no compromises.

We’ll dig into:

• How Vibrant Meals positions itself in the functional food / healthy lifestyle space — real meals, not frozen, designed for busy people who still care about taste and quality.
• The jump from concept to scale: recipe development, packaging, delivery logistics and how they went from kitchen to growth during covid of all things.
• The challenges of staying “chef-crafted, clean eating” while scaling: sourcing, operations, team culture and staying true to mission.
• Marketing, subscriptions, retail and how they’re redefining convenience meals without sacrificing flavor or values.

✨ Learn how Vibrant Meals is rewriting what “meal prep” means making it vibrant, delicious, and practical.

🔗 Vibrant Meals Website → https://myvibrantmeals.com/

Instagram → https://instagram.com/vibrantmeals

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#mealprep #entrepreneurship #packaging #business

Today we’re featuring Veronica Panzardi, founder of edggies veggies, the brand making veggie-intake effortless with flavor-neutral, air-dried kale sprinkles that last two years and slide into your meals like seasoning. Veronica traded her investment-banking career to launch a product rooted in nutrition, convenience, and taste, and she’s building a brand wrapped in mission, design, and more veggie goodness.

We’ll dive into:

• How edggies positions itself in the “better-for-you” and convenience food space, helping busy professionals and families get more veggies.
• The brand, packaging and recipe evolution behind turning kale (and other veggies) into a sprinkle you can take anywhere.
• What it takes to launch a truly novel product: shelf-stable, flavor-neutral, portable from prototype stage (in her East Village apartment) to market.
• Marketing, distribution and sustainability lessons from a brand rooted in mission: “adding nutrition can be as easy as adding salt”.

✨ Learn how edggies veggies is redefining what veggies can look like — making them simple, pantry-friendly, and fun to add.

🔗 edggies veggies Website → https://www.edggies.com/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/edggies

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#veggies #packaging #betterforyou #nutritionalinnovation #entrepreneurship

Today we’re featuring Philip Kosak, founder of Wicked Crisps, the brand on a mission to deliver “deliciously deceptive” veggie-based crisps that are baked (never fried), gluten-free, non-GMO, and crafted for taste and purpose. Phil holds a PhD in Food Science and began his snack journey in 1981 in a small warehouse, now he’s tackling flavor, nutrition, and inclusive job creation all at once.

We’ll dive into:

• How Wicked Crisps positions itself in the better-for-you snack space, turning vegetables, herbs and spices into a category-challenging chip.
• The evolution of recipe, technology and packaging, from snack co-packing to launching a full brand built on taste, health and mission.
• What it takes to scale a snack brand rooted in purpose, including the unique model: over half of the production team are people with disabilities.
• Marketing, distribution, and impact lessons from building a brand from the ground up in a tough snack category.
• How Phil translates decades of R&D and inclusive employment into real business strategy and brand legacy.

✨ Learn how Wicked Crisps is redefining snacking, making veggie-based crisps crave-worthy, shelf-ready, and meaningful.

🔗 Wicked Crisps Website → https://wickedcrisps.com Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wickedcrisps/

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging. Follow for more. Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/ Website → www.pakingduck.com

#snacks #betterforyou #inclusion #packaging #foodinnovation

Today we're excited to sit down with Llance Kezner, co-founder of Millie’s Sipping Broth, the innovative brand that re-imagined soup by turning savory broth into tea-bag-style convenience. Llance and his wife took a home-made idea out of the kitchen and scaled it into a multi-million-dollar category disrupting beverage and wellness shelves, landing in national retailers like Walmart and Sam’s Club, while winning awards in the process.

We’ll dig into:

• How Millie’s found a simple idea: a savory cup of broth in a tea bag, and turned it into a nationwide brand.
• The packaging, naming, and recipe evolution that helped launch a new category and scale efficiently.
• What it takes to hit major retail with a small team: manufacturing, inventory, distribution, and maintaining quality.
• How the brand balances wellness-driven innovation with mainstream appeal, and what the future holds in a shifting food landscape.

✨ Learn how Millie’s Sipping Broth is redefining what an everyday beverage can be merging comfort, wellness, and retail strategy into one cup.

🔗 Millie’s Sipping Broth Website → https://milliessippingbroth.com

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/sippingbroths/

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we’re changing the landscape of packaging.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#broth #cpg #business #growth #competitor

Today we’re featuring Ali Elliott, founder of Farmer Foodie, the brand reinventing what vegan cheese can be with their Cashew Parm, dairy-free, gluten-free, shelf stable, and full of umami. Alison started as an organic farm educator and recipe developer; she launched her first Cashew Parm product just days before graduating. Her brand is built on sustainability, clean ingredients, and making cheese cravings possible without compromise.

We’ll dive into:

• How Farmer Foodie positions itself in the vegan / plant-based cheese space
• The rebrand, recipe evolution, and packaging shifts that elevated the product line
• What it takes to scale a shelf-stable plant-based product rooted in mission and flavor
• How Ali translates her farm education roots into packaging, sourcing, and consumer education
• Marketing, distribution, and sustainability lessons from creating Cashew Parm

✨ Learn how Farmer Foodie is redefining vegan cheese, making it crave-worthy, pantry-friendly, and sustainable.

🔗 Farmer Foodie / Cashew Parm

Website → https://thefarmerfoodie.com/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thefarmerfoodie/

We’re a custom packaging manufacturer and we're changing the landscape of packaging. Follow for more.

Paking Duck: https://www.instagram.com/paking.duck/

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#vegan #cheese #sustainability #packaging #branding