169. How to Create Products People Beg to Buy ft. Maxx Chewning
THE 505 PODCAST
Intro
This chapter dives into the entrepreneurial journey of creating the candy brand Sour Strips, emphasizing the strategies and consumer-focused decisions that fueled its growth. The speaker shares significant risks and changes, showcasing how authenticity and a keen understanding of consumer preferences led to the brand's eventual success and acquisition by Hershey's.
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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.
Check out Maxx here:
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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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