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

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves, covering branding, marketing, packaging, and the grit behind it all.

Today we’re featuring Kiki Couchman, co-founder of Sourmilk, a Greek-style yogurt made intentionally for your gut. Kiki left private equity to build Sourmilk with her best friend Elan, combining deep biology insight and a love of real, probiotic dairy. Sourmilk prides itself on being creamy, high protein, and low lactose with no hidden compromises.

We’ll dive into:

• How Sourmilk positions itself in the yogurt / probiotic space
• The journey from concept to community. How they’ve built trust before hitting wide distribution
• What it takes to scale a dairy CPG brand rooted in gut health, authenticity, and direct connection
• Their distribution strategy: pop-ups, drops, NYC local delivery, and when “grocery” comes into play
• Marketing, packaging, and launch lessons from a yogurt brand with a big mission

✨ Learn how Sourmilk is redefining how we think about yogurt — functional, approachable, and rooted in integrity.

🔗 Sourmilk Website → https://www.sourmilk.com/

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

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

#yogurt #guthealth #dairy #packaging #branding

Today we’re featuring Brittney Cook, co-founder of Something Sweet, the premium frozen brown butter cookie dough brand that makes baking feel like magic. Something Sweet offers pre-portioned, ready-to-bake dough with no mess, no artificial stuff, and real ingredients you can trust.

We’ll dive into:

• How Something Sweet balances indulgence + simplicity in the frozen dessert aisle
• The origin of the brand and how Brittney turned family grief into a mission for comfort
• What it takes to scale a frozen food startup while maintaining quality and heart
• Retail wins: from pop-ups to launching into 100+ Raley’s, Bel Air & Nob Hill locations
• Packaging, distribution, and branding lessons from a frozen dessert brand

✨ Learn how Something Sweet is making home-baked joy accessible, one cookie dough puck at a time. 🔗 Something Sweet Website → https://www.somethingsweetdough.com/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/somethingsweetdough

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

#dessert #frozen #cookie #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves, covering branding, marketing, packaging, and the gritty bits in between.

Today we’re featuring Aadit Patel, founder of Confusion Snacks, the ethnic-fusion snack brand that blends bold Indian spices with American snack formats.

Aadit grew up bouncing between two cultures and created Confusion Snacks to reflect that in a snack: snacks like Black Truffle Masala popcorn and Masala peanuts cooked in avocado oil, all vegan, gluten-free, and free of seed oils.

We’ll dive into:

• How Confusion positions itself at the intersection of cultural identity and snack innovation
• The challenge of balancing bold flavor + clean ingredients (avocado oil, no seed oils)
• What it takes to scale an ethnic fusion snack brand from kitchen to shelves
• Winning retailer recognition and the journey through retail launches
• Marketing, packaging, and distribution lessons from a brand rewriting the snack rules

✨ Learn how Confusion Snacks is redefining what “snacking” can mean, bold, clean, and unapologetically cultural.

🔗 Confusion Snacks

Website → https://confusionsnacks.com/

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

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 #fusion #packaging #branding #indian

Today we’re featuring Sam Nelson, co-founder of BAR-U-EAT, the snack bar brand born from his time in Iceland and built around ingredient integrity and sustainability. BAR-U-EAT is crafted with whole, simple ingredients and packaged in plant-based, BPI-certified compostable wrappers, the first in the bar world to do so.

We’ll dive into:

• How BAR-U-EAT positions itself in the clean / sustainable snack space
• The origin from that Iceland bar inspiration to today’s full recipe stack
• What it takes to build a food brand that honors both taste and planet
• Packaging innovation: why compostable wrappers matter, and how they’re done
• Marketing, distribution, and scaling lessons in a competitive bar landscape

✨ Learn how BAR-U-EAT is redefining what a snack bar can be, fueling adventures without trashing the planet. 🔗 BAR-U-EAT Website → https://barueat.com/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/barueat

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 #sustainability #ecofriendly #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves, covering branding, marketing, packaging, and the hard stuff in between.

Today we’re featuring Thereasa Black, founder of Bon AppéSweet, a date-sweetened, plant-based chocolate brand rooted in devotion, integrity, and flavor. Thereasa built Bon AppéSweet after serving in the military, deploying away from her daughter. She vowed she’d never leave her again, and turned that promise into a brand that crafts artisanal chocolate bars made with just 3–4 ingredients (cocoa powder, cocoa butter, dates), with zero added sugar, dairy-free, and fair trade.

We’ll dive into:

• How Bon AppéSweet positions itself in the better-for-you chocolate space
• The pivot from her gelato beginnings (Amore Congelato) into chocolate, and what drove that shift
• What it takes to scale a socially minded, clean-ingredient dessert brand built on mission and community
• Her path to landing in Whole Foods, Walmart, and broader retail, and how she handles that pressure
• Marketing, packaging, and distribution lessons from a “dessert with a cause” brand

✨ Learn how Bon AppéSweet is redefining dessert — serious structure, sweet but pure. 🔗 Bon AppéSweet Website → https://bonappesweet.com/ bonappesweet.com

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

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

#dessert #plantbased #chocolate #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves, covering branding, marketing, packaging, and the hard stuff in between.

Today we’re featuring Joe and Drew, founders of Smearcase, the creators of FroCo, the world’s first frozen cottage cheese ice cream. Joe turned his frustration at craving a protein dessert but only finding indulgent options into a mission: build something that tastes like ice cream but is powered by cottage cheese + collagen, with 40 grams of protein per pint and cleaner ingredient lists. Smearcase is built on creamy texture, high protein, and a bold reimagination of dessert.

We’ll dive into:

• How Smearcase positions itself in the frozen dessert / protein space
• The origin story: from marathon training to cottage cheese ice cream innovation
• What it takes to grow a food brand built on disruption, community, and taste
• Joe’s sampling & go-to-market tactics and how they balanced speed vs perfection
• Marketing, distribution, and packaging lessons from a high-protein, high-ambition dessert brand

✨ Learn how Smearcase is redefining frozen treats — more protein, less fat, no weird additives. 🔗 Smearcase / FroCo Website → https://smearcase.com/

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

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

#frozen #protein #icecream #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast, where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves, covering branding, marketing, packaging, and the hard stuff in between.

Today we’re featuring Caroline Brain, founder of Kif Nature’s Soda, a fermented kefir-style soda built for gut health. Caroline turned her own struggles with brain fog, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and more into a mission: craft a probiotic beverage that’s low sugar, full of real ingredients, and approachable. Kif now delivers 12B+ live probiotics per can, with no artificial sweeteners.

We’ll dive into:

• How Kif positions itself in the functional soda & probiotic space
• The rebrand from kefir water to Nature’s Soda and what drove that change
• What it takes to grow a beverage brand built on fermentation, community, and trust
• Caroline's Gut Hut community and how she's bridging the gap between consumers
• Marketing, distribution, and packaging lessons from a gut-healing brand

✨ Learn how Kif is redefining soda—making it gut-friendly, functional, and fun. 🔗 Kif Nature’s Soda Website → https://www.kifnaturessoda.com/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/kifnaturessoda/

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

#beverage #gut #health #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves. From branding, marketing, to packaging and hardships.

Today we're featuring Brittany Boeckle, founder of 3 snack brands, and we're diving into Knack Snacks, a healthy candy snack alternative that has been shaking up store aisles.

Brittany is a veteran in the snack game and knows exactly what it takes to go from 0 to 1 and from 1 to 100. And she's committed to zero food waste and using only sustainable and socially responsible cocoa suppliers

We’ll dive into:

• How Knack Snacks positions itself in the candy and snack market
• How Brittany bravely moved to a new country to launch her brand
• What it takes to grow a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand in today’s crowded landscape
• Insights into marketing strategies that helped fuel rapid growth

✨ Learn how Knack Snacks is making candy smarter, healthier, and just as crave-worthy.

🔗 Date Smarter:

Website → https://knack-snacks.com/

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

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

Paking Duck:

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#candy #healthysnacks #packaging #branding

Welcome back to the Duck Pond Podcast where we bring on founders, creatives, and brilliant minds to get behind the scenes on how to bring a product onto store shelves. From branding, marketing, to packaging and hardships.

Today we're featuring Amy Bett, founder of Melo, a non-alcoholic sparkling kava beverage that helps you unwind in under 10 minutes boasting zero sugar, zero calories, and no hangover. Melo is fast becoming the go-to drink for those who want that wind-down without the downside.

She’s been spearheading rapid growth, recently celebrated key milestones such as exploding into nearly 1,000 stores from 20, and continues to reshape the functional beverage wave.

We’ll dive into:

- How Melo positions itself in the non-alcoholic drink & wellness market

- Why packaging and branding are so critical for authenticity & connection

- What it takes to grow a direct-to-consumer (DTC) beverage brand in today’s crowded functional drink space

- Marketing strategies and growth hacks that helped Melo gain momentum fast

- How to overcome setbacks and major challenges

- How family plays a part in building a national brand

✨ Learn how Melo is redefining what it means to unwind, drink smart, and still show up feeling good.

🔗 Melo:

Website → https://www.drinkmelo.co/

Instagram → @drinkmelo_

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

Paking Duck:

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#beverage #packaging #alcohol #alcoholfree

In today’s episode, we’re featuring Tracy Luckow, co-founder of Whipnotic, a disruptive CPG brand that’s reinventing whipped cream with a patented flavor-swirl design.

Alongside her sister Lori, Tracy has turned an everyday grocery item into a DTC sensation that’s shaking up shelves and creating buzz in the food and snack industry.

In just three years, Whipnotic has:

✅ Built a loyal following with eye-catching packaging design

✅ Scaled rapidly across retail and DTC channels

✅ Proven how creative branding and marketing can transform even a “commodity” product into a premium experience

We’ll break down:

- How Whipnotic uses packaging as a marketing tool to stand out in crowded aisles

- The role of storytelling in CPG brand growth

- Lessons for founders building food, candy, or snack brands in today’s competitive market

- Why smart DTC strategies are key to scaling a product that feels fresh and fun

✨ If you’re building a consumer brand or love stories about food innovation, this episode is packed with insights.

🔗 Follow Whipnotic: https://www.instagram.com/whipnotic/

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

Paking Duck:

Website → www.pakingduck.com

#candy #healthysnacks #packaging #branding