Boom Chicka Mom & Pop! | One Couple’s Road to a $250M Acquisition

In this podcast, we drop you inside a Tony Robbins Business Mastery seminar for a 1-hour masterclass in how to build a brand that not only changes the game but empowers your customer base.

You’ll hear Tony Robbins in a dynamic interview with the co-founders of BOOMCHICKAPOP, a wildly successful natural and organic popcorn brand that completely disrupted the snack industry.  

Angie and Dan Bastian were looking to put aside some money for their kids' college fund when they started a small kettle corn business out of their garage.  Initially selling popcorn at outdoor events, including Minnesota Vikings games, the couple soon took their popcorn to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco – gaining a crash course in how to operate a business along the way.  The real game changer took place when the then-named Angie's Kettle Corn embraced a bold new identity: BOOMCHICKAPOP. 

Angie retired from being a nurse practitioner and Dan from a history teacher and baseball coach to run their company full time.  And after years of commitment and sacrifice, the Bastian's sold their business in 2017 to Chicago-based Conagra Brands for $250 million.

In this candid conversation, the couple reveals how facing their fears and connecting to their customer base in a fresh and empowering way led to their ultimate success.

Show Notes:

[1:47] Introduction to Angie and Dan Bastian

[3:42] How Angie and Dan met

[6:48] Angie and Dan attend Tony’s Unleash The Power Within 

[7:41] Facing your fears

[10:14] Starting a business as a couple

[14:37] Being thought of as crazy

[16:07] Gaining proximity to the Minnesota Vikings

[17:13] Importance of building bonds

[20:20] To gain a seat at the table, you must commit everything

[21:35] Say yes to every opportunity

[26:07] There’s always a solution

[30:22] Raising private equity

[32:32] Only 2.5 seconds to capture a consumer’s attention

[33:35] Coming from a position of empowerment

[37:04] Origin of the BoomChickaPop name

[40:39] Talking directly to consumers

[42:56] Dividing labor as a couple

[45:08] Maintaining a relationship despite stress

[47:20] Selling the company

[49:22] How it felt to distribute funds to colleagues

[51:59] Committing to business relationships

[57:33] Audience question from Javier:  What was the process of selling your company?

[1:00:29] Audience question from Aaron:  What was your goal for the company?

[1:03:56] Audience question from Kaley: How did you feel when you sold the business?

[1:06:11] Audience question from Annabelle:  What kept you going through the tough times?

[1:12:33] Audience question from Ryan: If you (Chris) were to develop Shazam again today, what would you do differently?

[1:15:16] Audience question from Anjelica: How many times did your brand evolve?

[1:21:40] Final question from Tony: What’s the single best piece of advice that you’ve gotten in business?

[1:26:30] Sign off