Masters of Scale The $800M exit that started with a single muffin
13 snips
Jan 8, 2026 
Caitlin Smith, the founder of Simple Mills, shares her inspiring journey from apartment-kitchen experiments to a booming health food brand. She discusses her early days of cold-calling Whole Foods and bootstrapping packaging. Caitlin reveals the emotional weight of her parents mortgaging their home to support her vision and reflects on the challenges of scaling a startup. With an emphasis on clean ingredients and innovation, she explains why selling to Flowers was a strategic move for growth. Her insights on continuous learning are golden for aspiring founders.
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Kitchen Experiments Sparked The Brand
- Caitlin developed Simple Mills recipes in her Atlanta apartment kitchen using almond flour and coconut sugar.
- She tested flavors with friends and family while printing makeshift packaging at home.
First Retail 'Yes' Came From A Cold Visit
- Caitlin walked into her local Whole Foods with baked muffins and convinced the buyer to stock her mixes.
- Her first orders were small but sold faster than she expected, forcing rapid adjustments in production.
Business School Coincided With Early Growth
- Caitlin started Chicago Booth while Simple Mills had about 10 stores and used classes to work on the business.
- She balanced school and the company until investors pushed her to focus full-time.
