Then What?

A battle with cancer taught Loren Brill four important concepts to live a full life without regret? Try new things. Work out. Experience the world. And: treat yourself. Loren founded Sweet Loren’s, offering pre-made cookie dough and edible cookie dough crafted with clean, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy free, and non GMO ingredients. Her altered diet while facing cancer turned  into a driver for her own business, which went from creating prototypes in her kitchen to becoming a nationwide smash success. And less than eight years later, Sweet Loren’s is in more than 10,000 supermarkets and is the top selling clean cookie dough. Loren shares the one thing she wishes she could’ve had early on in her business that would have been  crucial to successfully building a company, how surviving a pandemic may rest on listening to yourself and what brings joy,  and how Loren is navigating her own big "then what" moment (next level partnerships, new products, and finding causes and charities to support ) thanks to what she’s been able to achieve.

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Hearing the word "no" is one of the most difficult things when you are launching a business. Even harder is hearing over and over again that your idea will never work, and no one will ever buy it.  So, how do you keep pushing forward with an idea that you believe in, one for which you've left your full time job behind (and during a pandemic)? Just ask Sam Madani, co-founder of  BOMANI Cold Buzz, the first ever healthy and clean cold brew alcoholic beverage. Sam joins Lahari Neelapareddy to share how he and his partners kept going and achieved their goal in the face of adversity, how you can (and should) work toward your purpose without sacrificing your social life or physical health, and what happened that transformed the company offering the beautiful simplicity of alcohol-infused cold brew coffee through its own "Then What" moment and into one partnering with a large manufacturer, securing capital funding, and successfully getting into retailers across the nation.

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During the holiday season, one of the most important things any entrepreneur can do is reflect on things like gratitude, empathy, and giving. We can only succeed when we have relationships with our customers or clients that endure. And that requires trust, give and take, and helping them to grow with us as we transform.

In that spirit, I want to share something amazing with you, and I hope you will really take a few minutes to listen. I came across a remarkable interview on another podcast "Funny People Talking”, with their guest Chris Schembra -- he's Founder and Chief Question Asker at 7:47, the bestselling author of "Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce for Human Connection", chronicling his adventures as one of the most sought-after dinner hosts in the World, and he's a rockstar motivational speaker. But most of all, he has a very important message of how gratitude can bring us to, and through, our most important "Then What" moments. As my gift to you for the holidays and as we enter a new year, enjoy this remarkable conversation I am able to share with you, which I am confident will have you reflecting for days to come

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Balance and positivity are important for health, wealth, and overall success in business, and as human beings. Perhaps no one knows that better than Mark Samuel, founder of IWON organics, a health and wellness platform offering flavor-infused, organic, protein snacks. Ultimately, Mark launched a brand that projects both balance and positivity, propelled by the belief  that everyone should have access to non toxic products. By simply putting one foot in front of the other and achieving small wins daily, he’s succeeded in moving to the next levels of the business, and he’s leaned into his passion.

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In the midst of the uncertainty and difficulty of COVID-19, one local cookie shop owner in Boston found herself writing a blog post that got a lot of attention and helped her get past her challenges. Top Shelf Cookies founder Heather Yunger joins Lahari Neelapareddy and shares why giving back is what carries Heather past "Then What" moments and into success, not to mention a big helping of yum.

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Lisa Love’s extensive background in the CPG space including a stint at Amazon, where she launched Amazon Marketplace for startups, was only the start. It was really the blend of influence from her mother’s work in education and her father’s work in technology that created the recipe that led to a passion for startups and tech, propelling Lisa to pursue making a significant impact on the future of the tech industry. Lisa talks with Lahari Neelapareddy about creating a product and brand that’s bridging a critical gap, and how she and her team are bringing technology into the hands of youth who may not have the same access or exposure. Through her own tireless drive -- and riding the traction gained on Shark Tank and Amazon --  Lisa is leading Tanoshi to meet a major need for youth in what is now a pandemic-impacted education system. It’s a true labor of love.

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Inspired by family trips to Belgium enjoying breakfast featuring dark chocolate spread, husband and wife team and co-founders of Lekkco, Jennifer Lukas-Bourgeois and Bram Bourgeois, saw an opportunity to bring a 50-year old Belgian dark chocolate spread recipe to the United States. Combining their considerable high-level professional experience, including Jennifer's success with Red Bull, together they have launched a menu of mouthwatering chocolate spreads, enjoyable even by consumers with food allergies or diabetes. Jennifer and Bram take host Lahari Neelapareddy inside how they went from an idea to a physical product, how they pushed past the friction of a pandemic, the importance of giving-back and storytelling as critical components of the Lekkco brand,  why keeping the company moving forward must assume that you’ve never actually “made it”, and how that should always lead to asking: Then What?

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With a mission to bring fiber to the market in a way that is not only healthy but delicious, Rusty Jones designed a water brand that “works for you” and that has disrupted the industry, pioneering the blend of health conscious hydration with the crucial need to add fiber to our diets. Rusty and the Hello Water team believe that this product is not just a product--it’s a message with a mission, adding value to the market and bringing a better tomorrow to society. Rusty shares the highs and lows of building his business, a scary moment that proved his team would do anything to make sure they succeeded, and he relives a chance encounter on a plane that showed that they had created something incredibly important and more impactful than they even could have ever imagined from a brand that started with a simple word: Hello.

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Great success can come from anywhere. For Dawn Anderson, Founder and CEO of Ohi Food Co., offering plant-based superfood bars, it started at a local Hawaiian farmers market. She shares how she  and her company overcame challenges and turning points to get where they are today. Her motivation? Making something out of nothing and having the chance to make a difference in people’s lives.

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From the local farmer’s market into the international market, Jessica Arman has taken My Magic Mud to incredible heights. Her products have disrupted the natural beauty and oral care market,  but the journey there hasn’t come without its challenges. It’s her drive to inspire other business owners, especially female entrepreneurs, to brighter futures (and teeth, of course) that propelled her through her moments of ‘Then What’.

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