How I Built This with Guy Raz Spindrift: Bill Creelman
Jan 13, 2020
Bill Creelman, Founder and CEO of Spindrift, shares his journey from selling smoked fish to creating a refreshing sparkling water brand with real fruit flavors. He dives into the challenges of product development and the importance of local ingredients that shaped Spindrift. Bill reflects on the financial hurdles of scaling his previous cocktail company and the emotional impact of selling it, leading to a new direction. The podcast also features Gaurav Chavala, who discusses his innovative Chai machine that simplifies making homemade chai.
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Childhood on the Farm
- Bill Creelman grew up on a farm in Western Massachusetts, where fresh, local food was a central part of his childhood.
- This upbringing shaped his appreciation for simple ingredients and influenced his later pursuits in the food and beverage industry.
Nantucket Smokehouse
- While at Georgetown, Creelman developed a business plan for Nantucket Smokehouse, a mail-order smoked fish company.
- After graduation, he worked on fishing boats and explored the smoked food industry but ultimately abandoned the smokehouse idea.
Nantucket Harvest
- Creelman and his business partner started Nantucket Harvest, a mail-order business sourcing food from Nantucket.
- They initially focused on selling specialty items like smoked fish, jellies, and ice cream through catalogs.