169. How to Create Products People Beg to Buy ft. Maxx Chewning
THE 505 PODCAST
Building Hype for a Candy Brand Launch
This chapter covers the creation and strategic launch of a new candy brand, humorously named 'Project XX.' It highlights their innovative marketing tactics, including influencer engagement and a successful sellout event coinciding with their birthday.
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What’s up, Rock Nation! Today we’re joined by Maxx Chewning - fitness YouTuber, entrepreneur, and the founder of Sour Strips, one of the fastest-growing creator-led candy brands in the world.
In this episode, Maxx breaks down how he turned $50,000 and a secret “Project XX” into a candy empire that sold out 20,000 units in under an hour. We dive into the psychology of building a brand people actually want, why he kept his face off the packaging, and how obsessing over tiny details - from resealable bags to flavor tweaks - set Sour Strips apart from the competition.
Maxx also shares the reality of running a multimillion-dollar company without investors, why product-market fit matters more than follower count, and the behind-the-scenes risks that nearly broke the business (including changing the entire formula at scale). From influencer marketing hacks to lessons in cash flow, this episode is a raw playbook for turning passion into profit.
If you’ve ever thought about launching a brand, building something bigger than content, or just want the inside scoop on how a YouTuber created a $100M candy company, this one’s for you.
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https://www.instagram.com/sourstrips/
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
1:22 - Leveraging the initial $50,000 investment
2:42 - Sour Strips Launch Strategy
8:44 - Why Sour Strips was the fastest growing creator lead brand
13:06 - No investors and making every decision
13:51 - Hydrant Pay
14:48 - No investors and making every decision
19:22 - Dialing in the final candy
24:17 - The biggest decision in Sour Strips History
25:43 - Changing the original formula
30:15 - Pushback from customers
31:01 - Trusting your gut
33:11 - Packaging details
37:59 - The Viewing Window
40:36 - Truly understanding your brand
43:32 - Separating Maxx from Sour Strips Branding
48:33 - The science behind buying candy
52:33 - Why Sour Strips is more expensive
56:22 - Covid was the best thing to happen for Sour Strips
59:10 - Getting into Target
1:04:15 - Using influencer marketing to blow up Sour Strips
1:13:38 - Expanding outside of influencers
1:14:40 - Managing cashflow with massive target orders
1:26:48 - How Maxx paid himself while growing Sour Strips
1:29:25 - Maxx was the only one who handled the finances
1:31:46 - Hiring an inventory analyst
1:32:44 - Maxx never thought about selling
1:38:21 - Maxx’s next chapter
1:44:03 - How the money has changed Maxx
1:52:51 - Maxx’s investment strategy
1:58:08 - Maxx never got caught up in blowing cash
2:01:47 - How Maxx wants to raise his kids
2:07:05 - Advice to your 18 year old self
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