Introduction

Loren Castle is an entrepreneur and the founder of Sweet Loren's, a brand specializing in ready-to-bake cookie dough that is plant-based, gluten-free, nut-free, and non-GMO.

After being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 22, Loren Castle was motivated to create a line of sweets that aligned with her own desire for healthier, less processed treats made from real food ingredients. Baking served both as her therapy and a means of creative expression during her challenging times.

Sweet Loren's began in Loren's kitchen after her homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe received high praise, leading her to realize the potential of her products. Her business has grown significantly over the years, and she has successfully led the brand to offer a broad range of products catering to health-conscious consumers. Sweet Loren's products are now available in over 25,000 supermarkets.

This episode of DTC Pod explores how Sweet Loren’s became the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the US. We cover topics like scaling product production, identifying business opportunities, and integrating customer feedback into product development stages. Learn about their success from startup to leader in the CPG market.

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On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:
1. Tips for Scaling Product Production
2. Key Considerations for Product Line Expansion
3. Strategies for Successful Product Launches
4. How to Identify White Space Opportunities
5. Customer Feedback Integration in Product Development
6. Business Decision-Making and Growth

Timestamps
04:14 Starting Sweet Loren’s, the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the US
10:32 Discovering passion, becoming an entrepreneur, finding purpose
14:11 From solopreneurship to business leader
15:46 Deciding between opening a bakery vs entering the CPG market
16:39 Product development, choosing cookie dough as the first product
20:54 Customer feedback and its role in product iteration cycle
22:32 Shifting focus to customer needs, scaling Sweet Loren’s
24:58 Changing products to cater to food intolerances and allergies
32:28 Early stages of funding, bootstrapping, scaling
34:36 Evaluating business opportunities based on personal alignment
35:52 Figuring out the top five SKUs that are gonna sell
38:03 Launching Sweet Lauren’s first shelf-stable product
38:59 Launching other types of refrigerated doughs
41:16 Considerations for expanding Sweet Loren’s product offerings
43:14 Researching, identifying opportunities, developing products
46:55 Why team, experience, expertise, and data are vital for startup success

Show notes powered by Castmagic

Past guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  

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Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:
DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internet
Olivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplement
Castmagic - AI Workspace for Content

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Loren Castle - CEO and Founder of Sweet Loren's
Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of Castmagic
Ramon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic