When you’re starting out creating a CPG brand, one of the most challenging aspects can be simply getting eyes on your product. It’s hard to sell when no one knows you exist, and it’s also hard to create an audience from scratch. But what if you could borrow someone else’s audience to jump start the process?

In this episode, Mike Currie, fractional CMO and marketing advisor, is here to break down how to get started with influencer marketing. He’s sharing what influencer marketing actually is, why you might want to use it, and how you can fairly compensate influencers in a way that is mutually beneficial. 

Plus, he’s covering how you can find influencers who are as excited about your brand as you are and how they can help build a strong community around your CPG brand.

If you’re up for using influencers to get the word out about your brand, this conversation is for you!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:36] How Mike’s CPG career has evolved from corporate to entrepreneur

[03:29] What a CMO is and how they support growing businesses

[07:11] What influencer marketing is and how it works

[13:32] How you can pay influencers to work with your CPG brand and how you can tell if the relationships are working for you

[19:37] How influencers can help you build a community for your brand

[25:25] How fitness and quality time keep Mike grounded

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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Jana didn’t necessarily plan to start a CPG business… she just wanted better snacks for her kids that they would actually eat. 

But after struggling to find the products that would work for her family, she turned to making her own, first in the kitchen at home and then eventually through her company, Happy Wolf, a snack bar company using allergen-free and no sugar added ingredients.

Despite all her marketing research and experience, Jana admits that she was still naive about all the aspects that come along with building a CPG company. So in this episode, she’s sharing the lessons she’s learned from building Happy Wolf, including some of their unique challenges, her perspective shift around success, and how having a strong business partnership relationship has made all the difference for her.

If you’re considering breaking into the kid’s snack market, this conversation is a good one!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:48] How Jana made her cubicle to business owner transition (and how her children influenced her decision)

[08:56] How Jana approached her business partnership and how she navigates that relationship

[16:59] The unique challenges facing a refrigerated kid’s product like Happy Wolf

[18:47] How Jana focuses on customer education and experience as a major part of Happy Wolf’s marketing strategy (and the origin of their unique name)

[24:37] What Jana wishes she’d have known before getting into the CPG industry

[27:01] What success looks like for Jana these days

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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At the beginning of his career, Josh Johnson didn’t plan on starting a CPG company with his wife and sister, but now that he’s here, he wouldn’t have it any other way. While business and family might be a volatile mix for some, but when it comes to the Poppa’s Custard Company, that’s part of the magic. 

In this episode, Josh Joshson joins me to share how he planned out his transition from corporate to a custard company, how he’s created a business with the people he loves most, how they structured the company to play to each family member’s strengths, and what the sales strategy looks like for a specialized product like chilled custard.

If you’ve wondered how a successful family business runs, this is one conversation you can’t miss!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:53] How Josh transitioned from consulting to custard

[05:26] How Josh prepared to take the leap before quitting his corporate job

[11:14] As a family business, how Josh balances the “family” vs the “business” part of his relationships with his wife and sister

[18:16] Why the Poppa’s Custard company chose and designed their product 

[21:24] What the sales strategy looks like for a speciality product like Poppa’s Custard

[24:51] Josh’s best advice from someone just starting out

[27:56] How Josh takes care of himself outside of his family business

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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When it comes to creating amazing CPG products, one often overlooked aspect is the difficulty of actually sourcing the necessary ingredients, especially if they are specialty. And that’s where Ingredient Brothers comes in.

In this episode, Eran Mizrahi, co-founder of Ingredient Brothers, is here to break down supply chain logistics for us. He’s sharing the importance of having company partners you trust, why you need to build relationships in the food industry, and how he helps founders solve supply chain problems. 

If you’ve wondered how to create steady supply chains, this is one conversation you can’t miss!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:53] Eran’s entrepreneurial background

[03:28] How Eran and his co-founder chose their respective roles and responsibilities

[06:18] When businesses should start looking for partners like Ingredient Brothers

[07:44] The importance of building relationships in the CPG industry

[13:03] What supply chain problem-solving looks like for Ingredient Brothers

[15:12] Why CPG founders need to understand their customer base, from a supply-chain perspective

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

To get more Food Business Bites right in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter at thehudsonkitchen.com.

You can make an amazing product, start the best marketing campaign, and partner with national chains… But if your product doesn’t make it to the stores, or more importantly, your end user, none of that actually matters.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Andrew Lynch of Zipline Logistics on why young CPG brands shouldn’t overlook the logistical aspects of their business. Andrew shares how he got his start in logistics, what it really means to businesses, how it affects their bottom line, and why it might be worth getting support from a partner like Zipline.

If you’re struggling with delivery, transportation, and getting product on your retailers shelves, this is one conversation you can’t miss!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[01:31] Andrew shares the origin of Zipline Logistics

[07:18] Why logistics are so important, especially for young CPG companies

[11:25] Why it might be worth outsourcing logistics to companies like Zipline

[16:25] How to know when your CPG brand is ready to start outsourcing logistics

[18:46] How Andrew takes care of himself as a long-time entrepreneur

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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When it comes to PR and marketing for CPG brands, good design and strategic plans are important… But what if you could spread the word about your product through authentic relationships with partners who are just as enthusiastic about your product as you are?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Alison Seibert, founder of The James Collective, to talk about her unique approach to building relationships and building the foundations for a long-lasting CPG brand. 

She shares how she thinks about PR, marketing, and communication from a CPG perspective, the importance of understanding both your customers and potential partners, and how to find the partners who can help you take your product to the next level.

If you’re in the growing phase of your CPG business, this is one episode you can’t miss! 

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:41] How Alison built her PR and communication company (and how she niched down to working with CPG and beverage businesses)

[09:42] How Alison connects companies and facilitates partnerships in her sphere

[13:48] Why CPG owners need to be fully confident in their product

[16:27] The importance of understanding your audience and buyer in the CPG space

[21:31] How to foster meaningful relationships with partners and influencers (not making it purely transactional)

[26:21] Alison’s well-rounded view of self-care for entrepreneurs

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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Scott Frohman grew up washing cars door to door before he could even drive. Even as an adult in a corporate career, he couldn’t quash his entrepreneurial spirit. But he also wanted to do something sustainable for his own energy, the environment, and for his larger community. 

So when he discovered mushroom powders that gave him energy without the jitters nearly a decade ago, he knew he had to create something with them. Fast forward a few years and Odyssey, his company that creates mushroom infused energy drinks, is growing steadily and spreading across the country.

In this episode, Scott shares his origin story, how he landed on mushroom-powered energy drinks after testing out a variety of products, and how he’s managed the financial aspects of his business from raising capital to hiring carefully.

If you’re in the growing and testing phase of your business, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Let’s jump in!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:53] How Scott’s entrepreneurial journey started in childhood

[03:26] How Scott’s product and offering changed over time

[10:11] Why Odyssey has three different product lines and how they complement each other

[16:55] Odyssey’s unique packaging and the meaning behind it

[19:44] Scott’s advice for raising capital and finding investors 

[25:01] How Scott thinks about hiring and bringing in people to move his business forward

[29:48] Scott’s self-care routine and how he regularly practices gratitude

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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Ariana Ruiz, a former corporate talent acquisition specialist, loved her career at Whole Foods and other start-ups, but eventually, motherhood pushed her to step back from the corporate world and into entrepreneurship. Now, she helps other small businesses hire and develop passionate employees so both the businesses and individuals can grow and thrive.

In this episode, she breaks down her top three tips for finding and developing the right talent, and why taking your time to find the perfect fit is worth it. She also gets real about why your core values should guide your business decisions—and how to actually communicate those values to potential hires.

Ariana doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff, like checking your biases in the hiring process and why a solid training program is an absolute must if you want your employees to thrive. 

If you're building a team while navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss. Let’s jump in!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:53] Ariana’s background in food and how motherhood informed her decision to leave the corporate world

[06:25] Ariana’s three tips for finding and developing the right talent

[10:19] How your core values inform your business and how you can relay those values to potential employees

[14:46] How to check your biases and make sure they don’t get in the way of hiring a good candidate (or accidentally hiring one that is a poor fit)

[18:40] Why it’s so important to develop a training program for your employees

[21:53] Ariana’s self-care routine now that she’s an entrepreneur

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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Justine Reichman, founder of NextGen Purpose, has entrepreneurship in her DNA. And today, she’s here to chat about those roots and how they cross over with her love of food and cooking. 

In this episode, Justine explains how NextGen Purpose is helping CPG and food startups craft authentic stories that resonate with their target audience. She shares her best advice on building sustainable businesses and also discusses the power of storytelling and how true connection can propel your business forward.

For anyone building a food brand and looking to learn from the best, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration. Let's dive in!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:50] The entrepreneurial streak that runs in Justine’s family and her interest in food and cooking

[03:34] How Next Gen helps CPG and food startups tell their stories to wider audiences

[05:28] Justine’s advice for building sustainable businesses

[09:38] Why you need to dive deeper when telling the story of your business

[12:34] How you can truly connect –not just meet– the people who can help propel you forward

[15:53] How you can work with Justine and Next Gen

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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Bruno LeGreco is never one to sit still. Having gone through several career iterations earlier in life, he was ready to go all in once he started The Biscotti Company four years ago. But there’s nothing easy about food entrepreneurship, and Bruno’s sharing lessons he’s learned along the way.

In today’s episode, Bruno tells the story of how he founded The Biscotti Company, the disciplined and persistent method he used to ensure sales growth for his company, and the never-ending navigation of finances (including a lesson learned the hard way.) 

Bruno has such amazing energy and offers story after story for us. You’re going to absolutely love this episode.

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[00:00] Intro

[00:46] Bruno’s seven-year-itch and how he bootstrapped his biscotti business from the start

[10:21] How goal-setting and sheer persistence helped Bruno grow his business early

[16:37] How Bruno navigated selling in-person and getting samples to potential customers in the midst of the pandemic

[22:10] Bruno biggest challenge in four years of business (spoiler: it’s finances, but not necessarily in the way you’d think)

[25:40] The tough lesson Bruno had to learn the hard way

Get full notes and a transcript at: https://www.thehudsonkitchen.com/podcast/

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To get more Food Business Bites right in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter at thehudsonkitchen.com.