Today we get to chat with one of the most incredible champions for emerging CPG brands, Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News and Food Entrepreneur. Food Business News is a trade publication covering all aspects of the food and beverage industry, from field to fork. Food Entrepreneur, a sub-brand, focuses on the innovations, trends and personalities in the food and beverage startup ecosystem. You’ve heard Monica on the show a few times during Expo West and East recaps, but this time, I asked Monica if she’d come on the show to share more behind-the-scenes about what her career looks like and how to best work with members of the press.Listen in as Monica shares about:How trends and news become publications either digitally or in printWhat an editorial calendar is and how some types of content are plannedHow Monica stays up-to-date on the latest brands and trendsBest practices for reaching out to the press and what to avoidWhy your brand should release press releases and how other publications use themMonica’s strategy for tackling a trade show like Expo WestAnd more!Plus, mid-ish-episode Monica and I share our reviews of G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer (at 31:10), which won a Shelfie Award last year. Make sure to check out our bonus episode featuring founder Donna to learn more!And…speaking of Shelfie Awards, let’s talk about how you, dear listener, could be a Shelfie Award winner this year! This will be the 3rd annual Shelfie Awards, and due to popular demand, we’re accepting samples by category. First up is health and beauty brands! So, if you are listening to this in March 2023 and you are a health and beauty brand, here’s what you need to do, head to the link in the show notes and complete the application form (it’ll take less than 10 minutes and it’s free!), ship samples to the two locations indicated and have them arrive before March 31st. And that’s it! And if you are listening to this after March, I’ll link to more info about the Shelfies in the show notes. Sample shipments for other categories will be open in April, May, and June. Stay tuned in the Slack as well!Episode Links:Food Business News & Food Entrepreneur websiteMonica’s LinkedInMonica’s InstagramSign up for the next Food Entrepreneur Experience eventBrands mentioned: Chubby, tbh, Oat Haus, Mmmly, Dream Pops, Olipop, Forij, Aura BoraSign up for the Alley Rally event at Expo WestLink to bonus episode with Donna at G’s Dry Hard Ginger BeerAbout the Shelfie Awards: Link to general Shelfie informationForm to complete with addresses for samplesShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

I love that I get to bring you more Shark Tank content so soon, and with one of my favorite people. Today’s guest is Sandra Velasquez, the CEO & Founder of Nopalera, and a very early member of the Startup CPG community. Nopalera creates Mexican botanicals for bath & body, and as you’ll hear, have become a staple in my life. Sandra appeared on Shark Tank last month during Season 14, Episode 12, and I’m so glad she agreed to come on the show and share the details with us. You don’t need to pre-watch the episode to enjoy the conversation, but I definitely recommend tuning in to watch Sandra’s incredible pitch and how she gracefully received and ultimately turned down two offers from the Sharks. Nopalera also recently closed a fundraising round of $2.7 million unrelated to Shark Tank!Listen in as Sandra shares about:The process of applying to Shark Tank and preparing to air from the opening pitch to outfit vettingHow eerily quiet the time in the Tank isSandra’s affirmations and prep going into the TankHow her team prepped for consumer demand and the real numbers from Amazon and their website after airing (Sandra really gives us the nitty gritty details and I love it!)The process of raising $2.7 million including valuation work and legal fees to expectHow Sandra developed a fundraising network from scratchWhat’s next at NopaleraAnd more!You also may notice our intro music is a little different, I wanted to feature a song from Sandra’s band, Pistolera - this is "Nuevos Ojos", which was featured in Season 4, Episode 12 of the show Breaking Bad.Episode Links:Nopalera website & IG/TicTok handle @nopalera.coSandra’s LinkedInThe Nopalera PodcastLink to Season 14, Episode 12 of Shark TankMitú article: "Why Nopalera CEO Sandra Velasquez Chose To Decline Two ‘Shark Tank’ Deals"Other Startup CPG Shark Tank episodes: #77 Making a deal on Shark Tank with wildwonder's Rosa Li, #57 Shark Tank, Sea Moss, and an Ocean of Potential with Alexiou GibsonBrand mentions: Luna Magic, Liquid DeathShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today is our sixth episode in the "First Hire" series where we’ve so far covered making first hires in marketing, finance, operations, and retail & foodservice sales. Today I thought it would be helpful to talk more cross-functionally with one of our community member brands about their experience of making first hires, being a first hire, and what they’ve learned in the process, and I immediately thought of Sweet Nothings, who makes ready to eat superfood snacks (that I think are absolutely incredible as you’ll hear). We’ll talk with both Jake Kneller, the CEO and co-founder of Sweet Nothings, and Lucy King, their VP of Marketing. I met Jake and Lucy in 2021 via Slack and have continued to see them post jobs, questions, and responses all in the Startup CPG Slack channel, so it’s great to catch up and hear what they’ve learned about hiring in the past few years.Listen in as Jake and Lucy share about:Sweet Nothings’ hiring trajectory so far including their very first hire and how the team has grown to now over 10 peopleLucy’s experience of being the first marketing hire and now making additional marketing hires for her own teamHow Jake thinks about leadership and hiring and his helpful goal-setting tipsBoth Lucy and Jake’s ideas on setting up a new hire for success from an onboarding and interviewing standpointHow you can’t always hire the perfect person and the importance of setting realistic expectationsWays Sweet Nothings’ is intentionally about building an all-remote cultureAnd more!Episode Links:Sweet Nothings website & IG @eatsweetnothingsJake’s LinkedInLucy’s LinkedInShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Earlier this week we had a bonus episode that was a bit shorter, so I thought this was a good chance to re-air one of my favorite episodes from last year with Seth Goldman about prepping for Expo West (which is less than 1 month away!). We have five other great episodes with Seth from last year available as well. Be sure to stop by the Eat the Change booth in the North Hall if you attend Expo West this year, and while you are there, stop by Startup CPG’s booth and come say hi to me and the team in person. Happy Expo prep!This is the first episode of a very special new podcast series from Startup CPG. Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, will be joining us once a month for the next few months to talk about hot topics in CPG. Today we kick off by talking all things Expo West. With twenty-one Expo West events under his belt, who better to answer our community's Expo West questions! You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how to stand out among thousands of brands, how to craft your ten second pitch, a simple yet game-changing follow up/lead tracking plan, how to maximize Expo West even without a booth, why you should treat everyone like the most important buyer, and more.Episode Links:Expo West 2023: Eat the Change Booth N2134, Startup CPG Booth N1210, Startup CPG Alley Rally EventLink to Seth's blog post: Going to Expo West? How to Make the Most of ItEat the Change’s websiteSeth’s book - Mission in a BottleHow I Built This episode with Seth about Honest TeaSeth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change SocietyOther Startup CPG Episodes with Seth: How to Approach Innovation and Research & Development, How to Fight Climate Change as an Emerging Brand, How to Build a Field Marketing Event & Demo Program, Honest Tea's Discontinuation, Ask Seth AnythingShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today we have a bonus episode for you to celebrate the launch of the alcohol channel in the Startup CPG Slack! We realize that alcohol brands face many unique challenges and very different regulations, and now that we have over 10,000 community members, we wanted to dedicate a space just for emerging alcohol brands. In the Startup CPG Slack, you can now go to “All Channels” on the sidebar and then join the new channel #alcohol_brands. And what better way to celebrate this channel launch than with an interview with one of our earliest Startup CPG community members, Donna Katz, founder of G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer. G’s won a Shelfie Award last year and was a Shelfie Award finalist the year prior. I personally am obsessed with all the flavors of G’s - from the original to the seasonal Toddy, it’s a revolutionary product that I can’t get enough of.In this episode, Donna shares about starting G’s, how creating and selling an alcoholic beverage is unique, and exciting retail expansion with independent stores, plus Target and Safeway. Donna and I recorded this episode in December 2022, and you may notice my audio isn’t quite as crisp as normal (this day of recording was the inciting incident for a platform switch up actually). But Donna’s audio is great, and this was one of those conversations that just left me smiling and feeling inspired by Donna’s infectious energy and attitude. Plus, drinking G’s Hard Ginger Beer also left me feeling awesome, so double win. Now let’s hear from Donna!Episode Links:G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer website & IG @gsgingerbeerDonna’s LinkedInFind the new #alcohol_brands channel in the Startup CPG Slack by going to “All Channels’ on the side bar (get the invite to the free Slack community at startupcpg.com)Show Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

If you’ve been on LinkedIn in the last year, chances are you’ve seen pictures of a green van making it’s way around the country, spreading the good word about Forij. I was lucky enough to meet up with founder Parker Olson when he came through Portland in the Forij van, and I think it’s the only time I’ve been elated to received food from a stranger out of a van. Forij’s first product line is a functional granola that’s low sugar, crispy, delicious and also packed with the power of mushrooms. Parker’s energy and creativity are unparalleled, and I’m excited today for you to be inspired by his journey so far.Listen in as Parker shares about:Stories featuring airplane competitions, swimming and driving to customers, and a night in jail as an alleged pirate.Exciting new launches in select Kroger banners and Sprouts Farmers MarketHow to find another person named Jarred who also wants to live in a green van and drive around the countryInternational opportunities Parker’s evaluatingForij’s new digital product suiteAnd more!And on the digital product note - Parker’s team gave me access to the digital part of their 30 Day Brain Power Up Program, and it’s been really fun. I’m over two weeks in, and I look forward to each day’s challenge. I’m excited to see what else the Forij team develops in this area!Episode Links:Forij website & IG @forij.coParker’s LinkedInForij’s 30-Day Brain Power-Up ProgramBrands mentioned: Monterey Mushrooms, Ryze Superfood Coffee, Neptune SnacksShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

In case you missed it, long-time Startup CPG community member wildwonder just aired on Shark Tank, and today, Founder Rosa Li joins us to share all the details! You don’t need to pre-watch the episode to enjoy the conversation, but I definitely recommend giving Season 14, Episode 11 a watch to see Rosa make a $500,000 deal with Tony Xu, guest Shark and Founder of Door Dash.Listen in as Rosa shares about:The process of applying for Shark TankHow recording day worksThe timing from recording to airing and how she and her team preppedThe details of the deal made on air and the post-show diligence processHow wildwonder sales grew post-airingWhy she was hoping for a deal with Tony Xu and how wildwonder hopes to leverage the DoorDash relationshipAnd more!We recorded this conversation less than 1 week after the episode aired on ABC and Hulu, so this is hot of the press!Episode Links:wildwonder website & IG/Tiktok handle @drinkwildwonderRosa’s LinkedInWatch Season 14, Episode 11 on AmazonShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

I figured it was worth putting my soul on the line to bring you some behind the scenes content from one of the hottest brands in CPG. Just a few months ago in October 2022, Liquid Death Mountain Water closed a $70 million Series D round that valued the company at $700 million, their products are in over 60,000 retailers nationwide, they have over 160 employees, and they were only founded in 2018, so things are just getting started. Hamid Saify, Liquid Death’s SVP of Digital Retail, one of the company’s first hires and a long-time Slack community member, joins us today to dig into how he and the team at Liquid Death creates such incredible marketing and branding.Listen in as Hamid shares about:Liquid Death’s early days testing paid social ads, video content, copywriting, community-building, and choosing to focus on niches like action sports and heavy metalWhy their marketing is entertainment-led rather than product/feature-led - including some of Hamid’s favorite campaigns like one that included drawing Tony Hawk’s blood!?How starting with a focus on ecommerce helped their eventual retail expansionHow they’ve used Amazon DSP and why they’ve 10xed their investment in Amazon in the last year and a halfThe importance of bridging the physical and digital worlds and their work on Instacart, a new rewards program, and frequent merch dropsThe details behind joining their Country Club and how some people want their souls backHow Hamid and team noticed something magical happening in their reviews and used it as a community-building momentAnd so much more!Episode Links:Liquid Death’s website & IG & TikTok @liquiddeathHamid’s LinkedInThe Liquid Death Country ClubThe Time-Waster 5000Fastest-Growing Emerging Brands on Instacart 2022Companies mentioned: Pear Commerce, Tinuiti, OkendoShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

A few weeks back, we talked about Angel Investing 101 on the show, and equity crowdfunding got a brief shoutout. I was super curious on the topic and thought who better to talk about equity crowdfunding than someone in the process right now! Today we’re joined by Elena Guberman, co-CEO of tbh, a brand focused on reimagining nostalgic snacks. Their first product is a better for you, better for the planet, plant-based version of Nutella - with no palm oil, 50% less sugar, and 3x the protein! tbh was co-founded by someone you may know - Stranger Things actor and entrepreneur, Noah Schnapp.Listen in as Elena shares about:The details on their current equity crowdfunding raise on Republic (that as of our recording date has blown past it’s $25,000 goal with over $450,000 raised from over 550 investors)Why they chose equity crowdfundingWhat it’s like getting set up on an equity crowdfunding platform as far as the due diligence process and Elena’s launch prep tipsHow they are using the campaign to educate Gen Z consumers about investing and why keeping the minimum investment at $50 was important (as a side note, Elena will mention that over 70% of campaign investors invested less than $250 - so cool!)The story behind their Nosh award-winning collaboration with Chubby Snacks and why collaborations are part of the thh strategyWhat’s it like to have a celebrity co-founderAnd more!And, stay tuned at the end for a bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Popadelics - Elena and I will share our reviews mid-episode and then at the end of the episode (41:55), you can catch a mini-interview (25:53) with Popadelics’ founder, Marilyn, to learn more!Episode Links:tbh website & @snacktbh on IG & TikTokElena’s LinkedIntbh Republic campaign pageElena's article "tbh raised over $700k on Republic: Here's What I Learned"Article mentioned by Elena: “How to Rock a Republic Campaign” by Courtney at AKUABrands & companies mentioned: Chubby Snacks, Rhythm Superfoods, TERRA, Rodeo CPGPopadelics Links: Popadelics website & IG @popadelicsMarilyn’s LinkedInShow Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Happy New Year! We’re coming at you this week from the archives again - host Jessi got COVID and temporarily lost her voice! I’m sharing another of our greatest hits from last year, 2022, in case you missed it. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I hope you enjoy! We've got a really fun episode today that I think will bring you a lot of joy and inspiration. It's probably no surprise but your Startup CPG team members are big Shark Tank fans. Our Startup CPG founder Daniel was watching Shark Tank a few months ago and he just knew today's guest was someone we all needed to know. From the Season 13 finale, where he landed a $600,000 deal from Mark Cuban and Kevin Hart, today's guest is Alexiou Gibson. You don't need to have seen the Shark Tank episode to enjoy our conversation but I definitely recommend watching it as soon as you can. So a little about Alexiou - he's founder and CEO of The Transformation Factory and creator of their Sea Moss Gel product and he scaled the company to $3.5 million in revenue in just 11 months (watch the Sharks faces when they hear that!). He's an incredible story teller and I hope you'll be smiling and laughing along with us (or even crying a little like me), plus you might need a notebook for all the wisdom he shares. Listen in as Alexiou shares about his career path from NASA to entrepreneurship, his personal health journey and transformation, launching a sea moss product during a pandemic, the best story I've ever heard for finding an online advertising expert, the process of getting on Shark Tank and what it was like to being on the show, making a deal, and the post-show diligence process, what's next at The Transformation Factory, and more.Episode Links:The Transformation Factory / Sea Moss Gel website and IG @seamosstransformationAlexiou's LinkedIn & IG @alexiou2.0More info on Season 13, Episode 24 of Shark TankWatch the episode on Amazon (should be available again on Hulu or ABC soon)Show Links:Join the Startup CPG Slack community (10K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Jessi's Linkedin or websiteQuestions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com