Thu, 29 December 2016
Turning the tables to end the year, this time I am the interviewee. Laura Coe, of The Art of Authenticity, and I talk about Money, Pressure, and Passion. Copying the show notes from Laura's episode page here:
Direct download: The_art_of_authenticity_-_Matt_s_interview.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:44am CDT |
Thu, 22 December 2016
Dear listeners, You know me from my podcast. I've spoken to over 100 experts and I always try to get advice. Ask questions that we can learn from. You know this. But did you know that I am in the food business as well? Where do I want to go with my business. Today I am going to share more about me. What I do, mistakes I made in 2016, things that went well, plans for 2017. From these reflection combined with learnings from the many founders I spoke with this year, I'll go in depth on Peter Drucker's feedback analysis method. Then, I'll teach you how to apply this to your professional and personal life. We discuss:
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Thu, 15 December 2016
Eric De Feo grew up in New York, the son of Italian immigrants. As a child, he learned about design, building, and community. He also learned that living in a big house means a lot of work! As an adult, Eric has combined his experience and interests in design, architecture, environmental conservation, and food. Eric has experience in designing projects for informal settlements abroad, including working with the Kounkuey Design Initiative in Nairobi to build sanitation blocks and a playground, along with public housing concepts with Gensler in Thailand. After working abroad, Eric came home. He co-founded OpenDoor, a collaborative living space currently in the Bay area. He also built a beautiful and functional smart growing machine, ROOT. Grow your own fresh foods, medicinal herbs and flowers with the swipe of a finger. If you are interested in indoor growing or would like to learn about coliving spaces, this episode is for you:
Selected links from the episode: ROOT |
Thu, 8 December 2016
You don't HAVE to follow the cookie-cutter retail sales model. An entrepreneur can feel powerless when they are 100% dependent on one or two large grocery buyers for the success of their food startup. Hotels, catering, and local cafes are a few examples of local businesses that may be interested in carrying your brand. But they need a way to find out about your product. Kim Bryden is doing just that with Cureate Connect. She has a network nearing 250 food startups in DC and Baltimore with access to D.C. and Maryland businesses interested is local sourcing. For over 10 years, she has worked in the food and beverage industry from government to Whole Foods retail management, to food+tech start-up. We talk about:
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Thu, 1 December 2016
"I attribute my success to my numerous beloved mentors and getting up early in the morning to play and work harder." Nicolas Warren is relied upon for action, leadership, strategy, sales, energy, and smiles. Learning, competition, and positivity are driving forces in his life. He has significant experience in several capacities across multiple industries including tourism, food /hospitality, computer/software tech, marketing, and advertising. Nicolas recently sold his dark chocolate energy bar company, Perfect Fuel. We reflect on his 6 year journey. How did Nicolas get to where he is today?
Selected links from the show: |
Thu, 24 November 2016
Happy thanksgiving to all! In this episode we pay thanks to and learn from the all-stars of food. Learnings from five of the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs in the game: Tim Joseph of Maple Hill Creamery (episode link) Tim Heydon of Shenandoah Farms (episode link) Susan MacTavish Best of Living MacTavish (episode link) Andrew Chae of YinYang Naturals (episode link) Seth Goldman of Honest Tea (episode link)
The War of Art and Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield: If these books don't provide the necessary motivation to work, to become a true professional then nothing will... Read both, but start with The War of Art. |
Thu, 17 November 2016
Recognized as one of Zagat’s 30 under 30 in 2013, Tim West is a Slow Food chef turned Social Entrepreneur. He is a Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduate and grandson of Arch West, the inventor of Doritos®. Tim cut his teeth in the the kitchens at The St. Regis Hotel in New York and the Facebook headquarters in California before entering the world of entrepreneurship. Tim co-created The Food Hackathon + Forum as a business plan competition and alternative educational experience to encourage entrepreneurs to work on more meaningful problems and to expose corporate teams to a more collaborative and inspiring working methodology. We had a great conversation about the future of food and how to get involved:
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Thu, 10 November 2016
He is the founder of Yin Yang Naturals, a food brokerage focused on the natural retail channel. Andrew Chae worked in his family’s food manufacturing business since his teenage years. In 2004, he oversaw the organic certification of two production facilities, and built a new Asian organic brand, Ohana House, from the ground up. Ohana House went national with distribution into all Whole Foods and other major natural chains. Andrew also oversaw the entry of Ohana House into Costco and initiated private label opportunities with Trader Joe’s. In 2008, Andrew started Yin & Yang Naturals. He discovered a passion for helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Taking a product from concept, to store shelf, to someone’s kitchen shelf provides an unmatchable level of both personal and professional satisfaction. Some brands that Yin Yang Naturals works with are Coconut Bliss ice cream, Harmless Harvest, Maple Hill Creamery, and Uncle Matt's. Yin Yang also helped launch EPIC bar, REBBL drinks, and Temple Turmeric. Andrew is highly skilled, experienced, and successful. He drops serious knowledge for food startup founders:
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Thu, 3 November 2016
Featuring cameos from Keely Gerhold of Tinyfield Roofhop Farms and Corey Wood of Elixir Kombucha. My favorite charity*, Kiva, is a micro-finance platform based on Nobel-prize winner Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank. On their platform, over $924,000,000 has been lent to over a million borrowers in 82 countries from over a million lenders! Kiva's awesome international work has a lot of publicity. But small U.S. businesses can also receive loans of up to $10,000 with 0% interest! We talk with their US Digital Marketing Manager, Adam Kirk. Plus, we hear from two startups that benefitted from a Kiva Zip Loan. This episode was so much fun and a great way to learn about low-interest money for your startup:
*Our company has already made 38 loans to Kiva borrowers in Colombia and Peru. Start a Kiva Loan Application
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Thu, 27 October 2016
In this episode, we talk neem oil, biology, and international business with the founder of Terramera. Their products can increase crop yields over conventional and current organic pesticides, bee health and public health applications by harnessing the power of natural plant defenses and innovative chemistry. Checkout their PROOF® Spray at Walmart and Target. This is important stuff: Karn Manhas recently traveled to Washington to talk with the Obama's about it! And have you ever had bedbugs? Karn has a background in Biology and Law. He is incredibly bright and charismatic. So it is no surprise that his company is thriving. We dig into all sorts of cool stuff:
Selected links from the show:
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Thu, 20 October 2016
Marlo Giudice landed in San Francisco by way of New York City and years of work in relationship management at digital marketing & Ad Tech companies. Once relocating, she quickly realized that her passion actually lay in baking and enrolled in a professional pastry education program. Today, she has expanded that recipe and Marlo's now sells five flavors of the contemporary twist on traditional biscotti across 10 SKUs. We had a great time talking about biscotti, the ups and downs of being entrepreneur, and food business strategy:
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Thu, 13 October 2016
“Any time more than two people mention something, you know that it is something to consider.” Corey Hill is the founder and CEO of Indie Food Hub, a resource providing services to small and medium sized food businesses. He is driven to change the food system for the better, creating greater access for independent producers. Indie Food Hub is in the bay area and recently launched Vittle Bus to help food startups with one of the two most difficult problems: delivery logistics. The other is money, which will also be discussed in detail. Corey is passionate about helping people like you, the listener:
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Thu, 6 October 2016
"I've made a lot of people wealthy, but what about me? What do l love to do?" Susan MacTavish Best creates interesting and engaging salons that have brought together some of the most creative minds of this century, from Tim Ferriss to Michael Pollan to food companies like Hampton Creek. The salons cover topics ranging from LSD to the future of death, and more. Susan also has an all-encompassing lifestyle brand, Living MacTavish. It is not unlike Martha Stewart, but well, more accessible. And not a perfectionist. Martha Stewart meets the Royal Tennenbaums. The art of casually bringing together our friends has been lost in this era of texting, social gaming, tweeting, IM’ing, and frenetic scheduling Understand: strategically executed events, dinners, and salons can be used to make contacts, promote your food brand, and get deals done. Add this to your skill set. We cover a wide array of topics in a fun interview:
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Thu, 29 September 2016
“Buy the ticket, take the ride.” -Hunter S. Thompson He took an adventure against doctor’s orders and it changed his life. Back to another Ohio startup (what up LeBron!), Inca Tea does not disappoint. As you'll learn today, Ryan Florio is a contrarian thinker. He does not take things at face value, which gives him an advantage in business and life. The story of Inca Tea began when Ryan and his friends hiked a treacherous Peruvian mountain trail with the help of their Sherpa Edgar. Edgar introduced them to an amazing Ancient Tea recipe combining boiling water, freshly cut apples and Purple Corn, which Peruvians consider a super food that fights against a host of medical conditions. Upon Ryan’s return home to the U.S., he quit his job, cashed in his 401K, took a second mortgage out on his home and started a company called Inca Tea, the first U.S. company to use the ingredient Purple Corn. In addition to winning several awards throughout the state of Ohio, Inca Tea’s sales continue to climb at big-brand stores around the country (like Bed Bath and Beyond) and online orders continue to come in from all over the world. We share Ryan's journey and offer tips for food startup founders who want to do things their way:
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Thu, 22 September 2016
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." - Steve Jobs Kellee James exemplifies this quote. Looking at her experience, one can connect the dots and trace why she was able to start a food commodities exchange. Mercaris allows buyers and sellers of raw commodities to meet and trade online. Customers include Whole Foods Market, Michael Foods, Perdue Farms, and others. They make it possible for "everyone in the supply chain, from farmers to food manufacturers, to track prices, volumes and other statistics for organic corn, or non-GMO soybeans." Prior to Mercaris, Kellee spent five years at the Chicago Climate Exchange(CCX), the first electronic trading platform and registry for spot, futures and options contracts on carbon, sulfur, clean energy and other environmental products. In 2009, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow where she advised members of the administration on environmental markets. She has also worked with coffee farmers and commodity banks in Latin America on risk management and income diversification strategies. She was named by both Black Enterprise Magazine and Crain's Chicago Business Magazine as a '40 under 40' rising leader. Learn the ins and outs of Kellee's life and company:
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Thu, 15 September 2016
Richard Willis and Bob Pierson saw the trend of food trucks before most. From their website: "The Macclenny based company is cooking up a thriving business of customizing food trucks and trailers. They have capitalized upon the public’s insatiable appetite for mobile food, the steady online buzz, and the testimonies of satisfied customers – nearly tripling their annual revenue to $1 million within the last year. Fed by reality television shows, social media, and a demand for increasingly creative trucks and food, the nation’s street vendor market has grown into a $1 billion industry." Tune in to learn:
The M+R Recipe: Selected links from the episode: M&R Specialty Trailers + Trucks |
Thu, 8 September 2016
"After the tour, I started meeting with him regularly to do Harley trips, and over a bottle of whiskey we both talked about doing something together, starting a business ... Let’s make a coffee machine that’s connected, that uses your patent." If you're into coffee, you may own a variety of equipment: grinder, coffee dripper, french press, an expresso machine .. what if it could all be replaced by one, smart machine? Roderick de Rode is making it a reality with his Spinn machine. (Check out the video) He got his first investment at Rockefeller Plaza; an investment banker there gave him $25K. In the past, Roderick has successfully built and managed $100M+ businesses in hardware, software and online services. We talk about the machine, entrepreneurship, and, of course, the second most traded commodity in the world, coffee:
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Thu, 1 September 2016
Tim Joseph had no farming experience. He had never even milked a cow. In 2004, he received a fast education when sixty-four cows stepped off the trailers onto his land. Thrown into the fire, Tim and his wife Laura started selling milk while Tim worked a full-time corporate job from home. In 2009, they went "all in", opened a storefront and transitioned to making dairy products, like yogurt and cheese. And the company started to grow.. Over a two-year span from 2011-2013, Maple Hill Creamery went from being on shelf in about 600 stores—mostly independents in the Northeast—to over 6,000 stores, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Target, Walmart, Ahold, Safeway, Natural Grocers, EarthFare, and many others. Tim is also committed to building the Maple Hill Milkshed, the community of nearly eighty 100% grass-fed dairy farms in New York. A fun, incredible success story. I had a lot of questions for Tim:
Selected links from the show:
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Thu, 25 August 2016
Tim Heydon started at Shenandoah Growers via an unusual route: along with a few classmates, he wrote a case study on the company while doing his MBA nearby at James Madison University. This was 1998. Tim joined the company as CEO and has grown Shenandoah into 350 employees across 300,000 square feet of growing/packing facilities in Virginia, Texas, Indiana, and Georgia. Today, Shenandoah is the leading organic herbs supplier in the Eastern United States. How did they get here? To start, Tim is a fantastic leader. People like to work for him. Listeners will pickup on this quickly. Strong on innovation, culture, and vision, we talk about the ins and outs of Shenandoah and the keys to their success:
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Thu, 18 August 2016
In today's interview we talk about the paradox of choice and the power of data. As Sam Slover mentioned in the interview: "If you think of a grocery store with a huge aisle of 60+ yogurts to choose from, but each of those yogurts has a slightly different (nutritional) profile", how do you choose the healthiest yogurt to eat? Sam's company, the Sage Project, is working to make in-store recommendations based on your dietary needs and help to decipher product transparency to the end consumer. Food product labels have it's limitations. Think of a "smart wikipedia for food data". What do "all-natural" and "made in small batches" mean in terms of nutrition and the preparation of a food product? They are working with a number of retailers in Whole Foods to bring the project to reality. Listen and learn how a data-driven company is on the path to transform our shopping experience:
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Fri, 12 August 2016
Self-driving cars, IBM's Watson, and Google's search algorithm are just a few examples of AI (Artificial Intelligence) .. it is already here. And it is rapidly becoming a bigger part of our lives. AI will change food. Listen to this quick overview as a starting point for AI Awareness, how you can start thinking about AI business ideas and some examples of AI in food startups. We'll interview some of them in the next few weeks. Don't worry, you can learn about it even if you're not technically inclined. Photo Credit: CC Sarah Wheeler Selected links from the show: |
Thu, 4 August 2016
Kristen Hawley is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and editor focusing on chefs and restaurants + digital and social technology. Like a lot of freelancers, she leads a fascinating life. She has worked on creative projects with OpenTable, the National Restaurant Association, TechTable Summit, SF's Nopa restaurant, SALIDO, Upserve, and more and has a background in traditional magazine publishing (Country Living, Delish). In 2013, she started the Chefs + Tech newsletter to share news, ideas, and trends in the restaurant+tech space combining her love of lifestyle, food, and restaurants with an understanding of the current technology landscape. And her newsletter has an unprecedented open rate of over 50%! It has opened up opportunities for her in the ever-evolving digital content and communications space. Kristen answers host and listener questions:
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Thu, 28 July 2016
85 dollars is the most I ever paid for a book. Not a textbook, but book. I had to have it. And it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I am a better thinker and food entrepreneur because of it. The most important takeaway from the book was the importance of having a latticework of mental models in decision making. Mental models are the key concepts from main disciplines you'll need in business - psychology, economics, finance, physics, evolution (biology) accounting, marketing, etc. In less than 10 minutes, I explain the why and I share my four favorite mental models. This can be a game changer for your prosperity/performance. I encourage YOU to follow the steps below to begin your masters in mental models. I have to say it is quite fun. First Read: Then, review these two lists of models: Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful Finally put together a list of mental models and create flashcards to study: Anki - Friendly, Intelligent Flashcards Cover Photo Credit: CC Photo by “Berkshire Hathaway 2009 Munger quote” User TEDizen |
Thu, 21 July 2016
Evan Delahanty is one of the few people I know who has lived in the the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. I mean taking a canoe 3 hours UP river. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname, he learned a language that only 26,000 people speak (Saramaccan)! After completing his mission, he was looking for a way to stay in touch and help the community. He choose Açaí as the vehicle to accomplish that. Evan founded Peaceful Fruits, a snack company that makes delicious organic fruit snacks that create jobs for people with disabilities in Akron while helping to protect the Amazon Rainforest. I LOVE how he is helping two distinct communities!! Peaceful Fruits is currently in about 50 stores and working hard to scale up. Evan shares his journey:
Selected links from the show:
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Thu, 14 July 2016
Seth Goldman co-founded Honest® Tea in 1998 with Professor Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. Thirteen years later they were acquired and are now a $160 million division of Coca-Cola. Today, Honest Tea is the nation’s top selling ready-to-drink organic bottled tea and Honest Kids® is the nation’s top-selling organic children/youth beverage. The brands are carried in more than 100,000 outlets in the United States, including all Wendy’s and Chik-fil-A restaurants. It was a long, tough, and fun road to get to where they are today. One of the best food business books I have ever read, Mission in a Bottle tells their story. I interviewed Seth about the book and he responded with sage advice for emerging food startups:
Selected links from the episode:
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Thu, 30 June 2016
It's been almost three years since we started the show. Today we finally reached a milestone. Triple digits! All this time we have spent - interviewing experts, talking to listeners, and going through the trials and tribulations of a food startup ourselves - we have picked up a lot of ideas on how to succeed. This knowledge needs to be shared. So I synthesized all of this feedback and advice into recommendations on how to get in front of buyers and sell to them over a long-term relationship. Enjoy! Selected links from the episode: |
Thu, 23 June 2016
Over the last 6 months, we have had many listener requests for a packaging/branding episode. It took a while, but I finally found the experts. Jordan Hill and Fed Pacheco met when in the design program at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation they took separate paths as art directors in different global ad agencies, working on global and national accounts. A move to New York in 2014 reignited the spark to partner once again, and Hungry Studio was formed over the love of a good meal and the longing to make beautiful work. They work with large and small food companies and help them with all aspects of branding, packaging and design. Hear their story and take notes:
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Thu, 16 June 2016
The original title was "Growth Stories from Blue Crabs to the Bronx to Brooklyn to Boston".. full of alliteration but a bit too long. Sean Butler has been slowly moving north through his life, adding skills and experiences. The current stop of his journey is VP of Growth at one of the hottest startups in New England. Sean joined LeanBox pre-revenue, and has grown with the company as it expanded from 3 to 42 employees in two years. LeanBox delivers customized inventories of meals, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages to hi-tech refrigerators at 200+ companies in New England, including Uber, Amazon, and Microsoft. Cold brewed coffee, organic snacks, cold-pressed juice and more. The million dollar question: with software, hardware, sourcing, logistics, and more, how are they able to run multiple businesses at once? We go behind the scenes:
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Thu, 9 June 2016
Pietro Guerrera and Filippo Lubrano reached breakeven in 2015 with their European venture. But they are thinking BIG. They recently launched in the U.S. with a new subscription box business model. Eattiamo brings exclusive, gourmet Italian products to your doorstep. On the outside, the products are fantastic and the design is beautiful. On the inside, like most startups, they are putting in serious WORK. Sourcing, importing, storage, logistics, marketing and sampling .. the hustle is on.Starting from scratch in a new country is not easy. Get the inside scoop:
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Thu, 2 June 2016
Produce going bad is no secret: 50% of the shelf life is already gone before you can visually detect that the fruit has gone bad. Fresh Surety is working on solving the problem with "real time freshness reporting anywhere in the world for a few cents per carton." It could really change the world. As we covered in the Bluecart episode, this startup is founded on 10X thinking. Over the past 30 years as founder and CEO Tom Schultz has guided multiple technology companies from concept to liquidity event, including IPO, NASDAQ listing, and nine-figure exit. I recommend this episode to everyone:
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Thu, 26 May 2016
Ryan Wiltse was working as a CPA. Common to many guests on the show, along with his cofounder, he realized that they wanted more than the status quo; a higher calling than the "cubicle finance life". So they founded a healthy snack food company out of Brooklyn. Their first product is named ProTings, A vegetable snack with 15 grams of protein per serving. Ryan explains the "why" behind the product, the problem they solve and how they are growing the company:
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Thu, 19 May 2016
"We've noticed that most restaurants don't put much effort into their menus, which is their most important tool for selling their food." Bite was founded in 2015 by two friends who set out to transform the way restaurants sell to I learned a lot in this interview. Jeff educates us on their mission and strategy for getting Bite into thousands of restaurants nationwide:
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Thu, 12 May 2016
Hey FSP Community. The last 10 guests have a common theme. They solved either their own problem or a problem they saw in the world. I share my thoughts on each. This is a great refresher episode and a way to start exploring the last 10 guests. Have a listen! Selected Links From This Episode: Episode 92 – On Becoming a Rockstar Social Entrepreneur – Lisa of Kuli Kuli Episode 91 – Breaking the Rules to Better a Supply Chain – Karl of Direct Origin/Swillings Coffee Episode 90 – “Will you help me bring this fruit to the US?” – Linh and Myron of XOI Company Episode 89 – Building a Community in NYC – Ashly of Barley + Oats Episode 88 – How to Crush Kickstarter & Business – Lisa Q. of NOMIKU Episode 87 – American Hemp, Activism, and Life on the Bourbon Trail – Chad Rosen of Hemp Foods America Episode 86 – Natural Prophets, Whole Foods and Advice for Millennial Food Entrepreneurs Episode 85 – How to Build a Brand Using Art, Values, and Experience Design – Jody Levy of WTRMLN WTR Episode 84 – How to Create Impactful Editorial Content – Jeffrey of The New Food Economy Episode 83 – Making Shrimp Great Again – New Wave Foods
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Thu, 5 May 2016
Roughly six years ago, Lisa was in the Peace Corps in a remote village of Niger. Eating a limited vegetarian diet, she was feeling malnourished. On discovering the superfood moringa, she solved her "sluggish energy" problem. And she decided to use moringa as a vehicle to solve problems for others. Fast forward to today, her company Kuli Kuli foods is a thriving business making a positive social impact in West Africa and Haiti. Before Kuli Kuli, Lisa wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House, served as a United Nations Environment Programme Youth Advisor and worked at an impact investment firm in India. Lisa shares her story:
Selected links from the show: Photo Credit: Kuli Kuli Foods (link) |
Thu, 28 April 2016
For every 20 lots of coffee Karl tastes, only 1 makes the cut for his final container. A direct trading coffee company requires work. It's not just visiting beautiful coffee farms. Karl Wienhold has some stories to tell. He frequently has to take longer routes to coffee farms to prevent contact with leftist guerrillas that have plagued the country for 60 years. My favorite story is Karl's effort to change a supply chain and involve rural farmers in Colombia. Learn about international trade and specialty coffee:
Selected Links From The Episode: About Jack Swilling: "Swilling was a teamster, prospector, mine and mill owner, a saloon and dance hall owner. He also was a visionary, a canal builder, farmer, rancher, and public servant. All of this was accomplished while he suffered from periods of excruciating pain resulting from major injuries he suffered in 1854. He took morphine to assuage the pain, which led to dependency problems for the rest of his life." Swilling founded the city of Phoenix, Arizona. |
Thu, 21 April 2016
The title of the episode is a question from Bkrong, an Ede (ethnic minority group) farmer from Vietnam. Bkrong was also the host mother of Linh, cofounder of XOI company. Linh Tran and Myron Lam met on a 2013 trip to Vietnam on a research grant from Brown university. There, they discovered the Gac fruit growing in Bkrong's backyard. Upon further research, they realized Gac fruit was packed with beta-carotene and lycopene; a new superfood was born. How could they bring the Gac fruit to the U.S. and include the Ede in the process? This episode tells their story:
Selected links from the episode: XOI IndieGoGo Campaign ($34,611)
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Thu, 14 April 2016
Ashly Yashchin created Barley + Oats to solve a problem. She was pregnant and worried about her baby's health. So, she learned and practiced a healthy pregnancy diet. 9 in 10 women are micronutrient deficient, affecting their fertility, pregnancy and postpartum experience. Ashly is quickly establishing herself as an expert in the space. But first she had to become accepted by the community:
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Thu, 7 April 2016
NOMIKU was born from two successful Kickstarter campaigns that totaled over $1.3 million and have thousands of units in homes and restaurants around the world. Lisa Q. Fetterman, the co-founder and CEO, is equally gifted and inspiring. She launched the first home sous vide immersion circulator machine on the market. Yes, you've tried sous vide cooked food even if your not familiar with the term. I wasn't. Top restaurants, Chipotle, they all use this cooking method. Lisa has been featured in Wired, Make, CNET and Forbes, and was named on both Forbes and Zagat Survey’s 30 Under 30 lists for her pioneering work in the food space. Her book Sous Vide at Home is available on preorder from Amazon now. On top of all that, Lisa is a YCombinator graduate, where she worked on the app Tender. Lisa takes us to school:
Selected links from the episode: Nomiku |
Thu, 31 March 2016
Chad Rosen is nicknamed "Hemp Man" in New Castle, Kentucky. A California transplant, he is spearheading the movement for industrial grown US hemp. Watch the video (and support) his IndieGogo to learn why hemp is so important to the economic, environmental, and nutritional future of the United States. U.S. legislation is severely restricting the hemp movement. But not for long. Chad is on a mission for federal change. And it starts in Henry county, Kentucky which is on its' way to becoming the agricultural center for the hemp crop in America. If you're interested in starting a movement and/or becoming an activist, learn from Chad:
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Thu, 24 March 2016
This is the history episode you have to listen to! Joe Dobrow wrote the textbook on the history of the natural foods industry: Natural Prophets. He masterly weaves U.S. history and the natural foods industry history side by side. Joe served as the head of marketing for Fresh Fields, Whole Foods Market, Balducci’s and Sprouts Farmers Market. The inside look at the industry educates us on where we've been and where we're going:
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Thu, 17 March 2016
Jody Levy knew she was going to be an artist in 3rd grade when she got into the flow state painting a Georgia O'Keefe piece. Fast forward to 2016, her watermelon water drink WTRMLN WTR (website) will be nationwide in 7500 stores this summer. Cold pressing 14 million pounds of watermelons in 2016. Last month, many of the Denver Broncos drank it before they went on to upset the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. How have they achieved success so quickly in one of the hardest industries around? This episode will help you to think deeper about your company's branding and marketing. I credit a lot of Jody and her team's success to their comprehensive understanding and execution of experience design. You'll learn how to apply the concept to your food project and more:
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Thu, 10 March 2016
Jeffrey Kittay is a native New Yorker who spent time in the academic world as a journalism professor @ Columbia University. Later, he worked as a publisher. Four months ago, he decided to start his own e-magazine: The New Food Economy. I love the content. It is aimed to help entrepreneurs like us create change as part of the "food movement". We discuss:
Selected links from the episode: The New Food Economy
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Thu, 3 March 2016
I'm so proud to have Dominique Barnes and Michelle Wolf on the show. They are the founders of New Wave Foods. They create seafood in a lab not the ocean. Their first product is recreating shrimp using plant proteins and marine algae. This interview blew my mind. Fresh out of IndieBio, a biotech accelerator, and a $250,000 grant, they are currently raising capital with investors. Their first customer: Google. The lead vegan chef at Googleplex put in an order for 200 pounds. The environmental and social issues of commercial seafood production are numerous and serious. It is precisely what makes New Wave so important. Listen to their story and be inspired:
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Thu, 25 February 2016
One of the most formative biographies on food and business that I have read is A Man and His Mountain: The Everyman who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America’s Greatest Wine Entrepreneur. Jess "Stonestreet" Jackson passed away in 2011. A self-made billionaire, he was vital to the transformation of California wine and was a champion in horse racing. Using concepts from the legendary strategist, Robert Greene, I analyze the key traits and power laws that Jess Jackson followed. They allowed for him to build a wine empire. Enjoy the show:
Selected links from the show: Jess Jackson Dies at 81, a Wine Grower With a Taste for Thoroughbred Racing Photo Credit: Under Creative Commons 3.0 - User:Packyourlunch |
Thu, 18 February 2016
Cultivate Ventures is changing the Washington DC food scene. They invest time, money, and expertise into promising startups in the DMV. A few years ago, Caesar Layton, the founder, was commuting to South East Asia as an agricultural economist. After poor customer service from an online grocery, he sent an email to them and got called back by the founder. A few months later, Caesar invested in the company and took over as the CEO. Today, his firm is investing and advising. Wheeling and dealing. They are betting everything on the under-appreciated DC food scene. Caesar shares his story:
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Thu, 11 February 2016
Anthony Rodriguez is the founder of Lineage Interactive, A mini ad agency meets a production company. They work with Anna Rawson, David Ortiz, Chris Culliver, Amare Stoudemire, Diplo, Nas, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Amare Stoudemire, 8 pro sports teams, and many other athletes, musicians and actors. Lineage formally started 12 years ago with athletes who were struggling to get off the court income. He has been honing his craft since he was a kid, helping his parents build a cosmetics business that got into big box retailers like Target and Walmart. While he maintains a low profile, Anthony is a power player in digital media for artists. He's proud of his "old school" mentality around building a business that provides real value. I had a great time speaking with him and there is so much we can learn to become better entrepreneurs:
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More about Anthony Rodriguez: As the founder of Lineage Interactive, Rodriguez has ideated and produced creative content and strategy for some of the world’s biggest athletes, musicians, teams, and brands. By acting as the creative liaison between Fortune 200 brands and clients, he's able to bring them genuine and captivating digital content that their clients will love and share. His work is seen by millions on television, the web, and mobile platforms every month. Rodriguez is also the acting content director for five different charitable foundations. Lineage Interactive is made of up three branches; digital marketing services for athletes and musicians, content as a service for Fortune 200 brands, and a production house that produces original content custom-tailored for all formats. Our DNA is rooted in agency work with athletes, teams, and brands. We are storytellers by nature and are responsible for communicating with over 41 million social media accounts daily. Because we actively manage a multitude of clients’ social platforms, we have a robust understanding of what content generates interest, engagement, and sharing.
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Thu, 4 February 2016
She dreamed up EatPops in 2013 while studying for the Bar exam, becoming frustrated by the lack of healthy snack (and dessert) option. In 2014, it became a reality. EatPops is now in over 300 locations throughout the country, including stores like Fairway and Whole Foods . Sophie was recently named to Forbes 30U30 and is making dessert healthy with her fruit and veggie pops. Noni, Acai, Kale, Spinach, Carrots, Vanilla, and Mango are among some of the ingredients you’ll find in her popsicles. We reflect on her foray into the food biz:
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Thu, 28 January 2016
“I was doing entertainment P.R. in Hollywood — you know, celebrities and calls at 2 a.m. — and was, what should I say? Burnt out,” (New York Times) .. That was 5 years ago. Today, she runs Cherryvale Farms, currently in 1400 stores with their “Everything But The...” baking mixes. Lindsey Rosenberg and I had a fun chat about her story and she dishes out advice for our listeners:
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Thu, 21 January 2016
They showed up to ExpoWest 2012 with an idea: transparent ingredient tracing using proprietary software and creative film production. Today, they are nationwide in US stores with their collection of cereals, breads, flowers, and seeds. Danny Houghton is the cofounder of One Degree Organics. He leads ingredient expeditions around the world in search of pure veganic harvests. Every ingredient comes with a video (see below) where you meet the farmers and learn how it is made. I really enjoyed learning about One Degree, the veganic movement, and their unique business model: technology, media, and sustainable food. Danny sheds light on:
"We only want to tell stories about ingredients we're proud to tell stories about." - Danny Houghton Selected links from the episode: My |
Thu, 14 January 2016
Our first episode of 2016. Let's revisit the wisdom for our last 10 guests. Use this episode as a recap of 10 food lessons. And if you here a lesson or guest that interests you. Check them out in the links below!
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The Food Startups Podcast
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