The Irresistible Factor

"Be a little patient. Don't be so quick to want to jump into raising a bunch of money without grinding through it a little bit to better understand it. That's okay."

Kristi is thrilled to have one of her favorite serial entrepreneurs back with us today: Jim Donnelly! As the former CEO and Co-Founder of Restore Hyperwellness, Jim knows a thing or two about the growing health and wellness industry. His journey has uncovered a huge need for more self-directed, comprehensive and most importantly, accessible health solutions. So say hello to Humanaut clinics, focused on health optimization and medicine designed to increase longevity. 

Currently, limited to the affluent few, Jim is on a mission to democratize holistic wellness and longevity medicine because he truly believes everyone deserves to live a happier and healthier life and that is hard to argue with. 

As we get older, we all want to feel good, but more than that, we want to live longer. Good luck finding a doctor that looks at medicine from that perspective.  Humanaut aims to change that. They’ll run all the tests,  gather all the data and then create and monitor personalized plans for fitness, nutrition, sleep, stress, and cognitive health. Jim believes they may be able to add 20 good years of living to a person. 

In today’s episode, Jim walks us through a patient’s journey at Humanaut and how it stands out from the current options which are pretty limited and very expensive. He’ll also dive into some tough societal health issues and how these can mess with our personal lives. On top of all of this valuable information, he’s also got advice for entrepreneurs, some heartwarming stories about his kids, and a whole lot more.

Here are some of the great topics covered:

• How Jim further educated himself to launch Humanaut
• His strategic decision to franchise Humanaut locations and the methodology behind it
• Why choosing great partners is so important 
• The importance of setting clear priorities when running a business 

Get ready for a great episode!

"We're entrepreneurs, we're fighters, and we persevere and get through it."

In this episode Rhona Kallman, Founder and CEO of Boston Harbor Distillery and creator of Demon Seed Whiskey talks about being one of the pioneer women in the alcohol industry. 

Rhonda has spent most of her adult life in an industry still  dominated by men. She started her journey co-founding the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams, and then went on to start Boston Harbor Distillery. She talks about her love for whiskey, her entrepreneurial challenges, and the innovative spirit that drives her forward.  Rhonda’s passion for whiskey inspired her to create Demon Seed Whiskey, a unique and distinguished brand. 

Rhonda also lets us in on the challenges around  choosing  to pivot to whiskey after spending 25 years of her life learning about beer, and the difficulties of raising capital as a woman in a male dominated industry. (Did I forget to mention she was the first woman in the industry!?) 

Rhonda’s story is a testament to innovation, resilience, and passion. This episode is a must listen for anyone interested in the craft spirits industry.

You’ll also hear:
-How Rhonda renovated  a pre-Civil War building to house the distillery and uses it as an opportunity to get real-time customer feedback
-Insights into the challenges of getting products to market 
-The importance of creativity and determination in the spirits industry 

Connect with your customers and understand their needs, stay focused on your business model, and trust your gut while being open to advice. Patience and incremental changes are key to sustainable growth. Above all, stick to your vision!

This valuable advice from Andrew Pudalov, one of my favorite Podcast Guests, is what’s allowed him to achieve remarkable business growth.            

2 years ago when Andrew made his first appearance on the podcast, he had 35 stores. Now, the privately held company has over 50 stores with plans to open 16 more this year.  

In this episode, Andrew delves into their successful franchise model, which has driven their steady expansion. He discusses how to select excellent franchise partners and the importance of education and training. He also talks about his unwavering commitment to high-quality ingredients and the challenges that come along with that. For any entrepreneur thinking about franchising, this episode is a must-listen!

You’ll also hear:

• Key strategies behind Rush Bowls' expansion while maintaining product quality.
• Andrew's approach to managing both wholesale and franchise operations effectively.
• The importance of selecting franchise owners with strong marketing skills.

“As a founder, you have to have a very strong core, you have to have a vision, and you have to stick to it.”

Kristi is excited to be joined by Emily Gilels, Founder and CEO of Dosa by DOSA  on this week’s episode of The Irresistible Factor.

During her travels to India, Emily discovered that Indian food in America was underrepresented. She felt a calling to bring the Indian food she knew and loved to America by opening her very first venture – Dosa Restaurants out of San Francisco, which later became a Michelin-rated farm-to-table restaurant group. Emily later transitioned to Dosa by DOSA, a natural CPG brand.

In this episode, Emily shares how Whole Foods reached out and asked to partner with the restaurant (a major win!). They did something very unique and co-opened a restaurant inside of Whole Foods and ultimately became their global hot bar supplier. As a result, they were able to build and launch a CPG brand around the needs and wants of the Whole Foods customer.

 Emily talks about important lessons she learned along the way like why a big distribution partner should NOT be your first goal, and why she feels it’s smarter to look for regional distribution partners instead. Emily also talks about the importance of weeding through the tons of advice she’s been given and staying true to yourself and your vision as an entrepreneur. 

If you're an entrepreneur in the CPG industry this episode is a MUST listen. 

You’ll also hear:

- How Emily plans to make Dosa by Dosa THE brand in America for fresh Indian food
- How Emily made the transition from restaurant ventures to CPG 
-How to find investors that are mission-driven 
-Why reflecting and spending time alone is the key to staying true to your vision as a founder

On this episode of The Irresistible Factor, Kristi is excited to sit down with Julie Cartwright, President of Pvolve, to share the journey of this groundbreaking fitness platform. 

You may know that Pvolve is all about living better and busting the long ingrained idea that you have to push yourself to extremes (even at the expense of getting hurt) to feel like you’re getting a good enough workout. But what you may not know is that PVolve is so effective and works so well that Jennifer Aniston reached out to them because it changed her life so much. A brand dream come true right? Yes. Solution to every single challenge? Probably not. Pvolve is such a unique concept in a sea of constantly evolving fitness options, but there appears to be way more to being successful than having one of the most fit, famous, and admired celebrities as the face of the brand.   

Listen in to hear the story behind how the Founder Rachel Katzman fell in love with functional fitness at 23 years old while managing scoliosis, and all about the unique way Jennifer Aniston became involved. You’ll also get a sense of why even with this incredible stroke of good fortune, there are still challenges for the brand to overcome. 

You’ll also hear: 

• The story behind Jennifer Aniston's management team reaching out to Pvolve 
• Their smart approach to collecting customer insights 
• The importance of  clinical research in addition to customer reviews
• How they go about educating their consumers

Meet the awesome Carol Frank, Founder and Managing Director of BirdsEye Advisory Group, and an absolute legend in the pet industry. Over the past 10 years, there has been an incredible change in the way we treat our pets. Most people seem to see our furry companions in the same light we see our children.  And Carol has been at the forefront of the change.

 After multiple career pivots, Carol  eventually landed in investment banking in the pet industry.  In this fascinating interview, she  shares insights on how she vets  brands and investors, investment criteria that her and her team look for, and the fascinating industry trends that are here to stay. 

Carol believes that equity is the most expensive form of capital and talks about why  founders  should avoid raising capital until they can’t. Lastly, we discuss how being an all female-company has affected her business  and everything to look forward to in the pet industry before the end of 2024.

 You’ll also hear: 

• How the challenges of the pet industry have evolved
• Her advice to founders on finding investors, raising capital and hiring
• The inside  scoop on what to look for in pet before the end of the year
• What Carol and her team look for when deciding to invest in a company  

I love the feeling of being both excited and scared. I want to live on that edge and I want to explore what that feels like and explore my limits…”  

Today Kristi is joined by the incredible Ret Taylor, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ned. Ned’s mission is to help people feel and live better through the true power of nature. From full-spectrum hemp oils to their famous Mellö magnesium, they are taking supplements seriously.  

In the summer of 2016, Ret reached a turning point, realizing that corporate America wasn’t where he belonged. He made the brave decision to trade in his BMW for a 4Runner and spend the next 50 days on his own in Colorado and Utah living and working outdoors. This coinciding with his mother’s battle with cancer was when he discovered his true purpose - to help others heal and thrive through nature. 

In this episode, you’ll gain insight into the transparency and quality that form the cornerstones of the Ned brand. They also discuss how Ret and his Co-CEO are big believers in the power of teamwork, recognizing that they’re stronger as a duo, and how they’ve enlisted the help of a business coach to set up guidelines that help them complement each other's strengths.  Additionally, they discuss what it means to live on the edge of what’s possible.

 You’ll also hear: 

• Why being a Co-CEO  requires him  to leave his ego  at the door and focus on collaboration
• How the Farm to Ned program benefits farmers
• The 3-30-3 approach Ned takes to educate consumers about their products
• Different marketing buckets that the brand uses to “show not tell”
• Where the friendly and approachable name for Ned came from

“The name of the game is who has the most grit. It’s not who’s the smartest in the room, it is not who has the best idea; it is who is just willing to get back up.” 

Today Kristi is joined by the inspiring Jamie Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of Innovative Pet Lab.

Innovative Pet Lab (IPL) is on a mission to empower pet parents with at-home testing and personalized solutions to help pets live longer and happier lives.  

In this candid conversation, they talk about what it’s like to launch a wellness company in the fast-growing pet category. Jamie shares the highs and lows (and there are plenty of both) of launching a new product in a relatively unknown category. They not only have the challenge of  creating awareness for their brand but also have to educate consumers on a whole new category.  

They also discuss the  balancing act of being a female, empathetic leader while also making the tough calls that all successful business owners need to make. 

Jamie is the perfect combination of grit and grace.  Don’t miss this one. 

You'll also hear: 

• Her path to becoming a founder
• The importance of wellness for pets too!
• How and when Jamie knew that her business idea was viable and primed for longevity

Jamie is giving listeners 15% off any of their products with code “petday” through their website: 

https://innovativepetlab.com/ 

Enjoy!

“The most difficult thing or the uphill push has always been that we are ahead of a trend – everywhere.” 

Kristi is joined by Eva Maran of Shroomwell on this episode of The Irresistible Factor. Shroomwell is a mushroom company at the core. They create functional products from the mushrooms they grow themselves on their farms in the very small country of Estonia. Shroomwell was a true pioneer of the medicinal mushroom craze and now their biggest challenge is staying ahead of the trends in this rapidly growing category.

Eva talks about the incredible medicinal power of mushrooms and shares some really compelling (almost miraculous) stories of why the brand was started. She talks about their careful and methodical expansion into the US market  and how important the education component is going to be. 

Here’s what you won’t want to miss: 

- The truly incredible healing powers of their mushrooms
- The products that have made a really positive impact and got Shroomwell launched
- The importance of the  form of the product to the efficacy
- Which  US store shelves make the most sense for them
- The importance of finding partners who align with your vision 

“One of the superpowers of an entrepreneur is the ability to get hit in the face with a shovel and get up and go, ‘I’m okay, I’ve got this.’”

Today’s guest is David Spungen is a partner and wealth advisor at Corient, who happens to work with a lot of founders in the CPG business. He’s heard it all and isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to the challenges of being a founder. Especially in this financial climate. 

David and Kristi talk through ALL the challenges of starting a food and bev company in the extremely oversaturated market and how to navigate raising in today’s tricky economy. They also talk about why market research is essential when starting a brand, alternatives to venture capital, and why resilience is imperative. We dig deep into the importance of recognizing your strengths and weaknesses as a founder and reaching out for support when you need it. 

David also happens to have a fascinating story about how he wound up falling in love with food in the first place. It’s a must for foodies! 

 Here’s what you won’t want to miss from the conversation: 

• How David’s experience in a restaurant put on on this path
• Navigating the oversaturated CPG market 
• Some of the biggest mistakes David has seen founders make
• How David can help and the best time to reach out to him