Small Business Pivots From Near Bankruptcy to Sum Good – How April Glavine Built a Better Electrolyte Brand
Founder April Glavine shares how she turned a near-bankruptcy CPG lesson into Sum Good, a fruit-first electrolyte brand built on health and smart scaling.
Are you building a product brand and hoping the margins will magically work themselves out later?
In this episode of Small Business Pivots, Michael D. Morrison sits down with April Glavine, founder of Sum Good, a Canadian company pioneering fruit-first electrolyte shots and freezies made with pressed fruit and a potassium-forward formula.
Named one of the Top 100 Women with Natural Products Canada, Rising Star of the Year 2022, and a 2024 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, April also took Sum Good onto CBC’s Dragons’ Den where she secured a deal to help scale the brand nationally.
April shares the hard lessons from almost going bankrupt with her first CPG company and how she used those scars to build a stronger, data-backed brand with Sum Good. From market validation and packaging strategy to clinical research and investor pitches, this conversation is packed with real-world insights for any founder trying to grow without burning out.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
- Turn a near-bankruptcy experience into a blueprint for your next successful business
- Use market validation to test flavors, pricing, packaging, and messaging before you over-invest in inventory and design
- Prioritize cash flow and sales velocity instead of chasing perfect margins too early
- Think differently about electrolytes and hydration – including why Sum Good focuses on high potassium and low sodium for cognitive function and muscle repair
- Translate academic or clinical research into simple claims your customers actually understand
- Prepare for high-stakes pitches like Dragons’ Den, VC meetings, or bank presentations – and what investors are really looking for in the founder
- Apply global business management thinking so you don’t assume what works in one market will automatically work in another
- Build the right “informal” team around you as a solo founder – co-packers, brokers, creatives, and mentors who’ve both won and failed in your industry
Whether you’re in food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, or any kind of product-based business, you’ll walk away with practical ideas to slow down, think smarter, and build something that can stand the test of time.
Ranked globally in the top 10% by ListenNotes, Small Business Pivots brings you real, honest conversations with entrepreneurs who’ve built something from nothing. My goal is simple: help you grow your business faster and avoid the mistakes that keep small business owners stuck.
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