Stay ConnectedBrand Builder brings you the people, stories, and lessons learned from the most innovative brands in the world. Presented by SnackNation. Hosted by Sean Kelly, Jordan Cohen, and Jeff Murphy.
Similar to How I Built This, The Dave Ramsey Show, and Seeking Wisdom by Drift.
Tara Bosch is a woman on a mission to kick sugar.
In service of that mission, she and her team at SmartSweets make low sugar, non-chocolate confections... and really nothing else. The thinking is, if you can offer something that tastes like regular candy without all the sugar, you can break the cycle of sugar addiction that adversely affects so many people's diet - and overall health.
It all started with a heart-to-heart conversation between Tara and her grandmother. After years of enjoying sweets together, Tara was surprised to hear her grandmother say that consuming too much sugar was a major regret in her life, as it had taken a toll on her and her family's health.
Whereas most people might have taken this information and perhaps changed their diet, this conversation sent Tara down a path of entrepreneurship. A week later she had a gummy candy mold, a candy thermometer, and was recipe testing in her kitchen. Her goal was nothing short of building the leading low-sugar confectionary brand on the planet.
Oh, and by the way... she was still in college at this point.
It's been a remarkable journey. We caught up with the young founder just as she and the team closed a $3 million funding round and announced nationwide distribution at Whole Foods.
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
We're currently experiencing a golden age for startup brands. It's easier today to launch, build, and scale a consumer brand than perhaps any other time in history.
But that's not to say it's easy.
Startup brands still face obstacles, old and new, including how to stand out from the glut of new brands, how to adapt to the constantly shifting landscape of retail, and how to best leverage the wide array of data and tools now available at their fingertips.
Luckily for us, Courtney Reum is here to answer those questions.
Courtney and his brother Carter are the co-founders of M13, a brand development and investment company that accelerates businesses at the nexus of consumer products, technology, and media.
I.e., Courtney is perfect for Brand Builder.
With brands like Lyft, Pinterest, Snapchat, Chomps, and Sambazon, M13's portfolio is downright impressive.
Courtney and Carter recently compiled their brand building expertise in a best-selling book called Shortcut Your Startup, and he shared a few of these top tips in this week's episode.
Prior to M13, Courtney's main focus was building VEEV, the first acai infused vodka in the world and one of the fastest growing spirits in the US. Not surprisingly, VEEV was snatched up and acquired in 2016.
Courtney gives a glimpse into the book with of his shortcuts -
Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
When you think about distribution channels in the natural products space, you probably think of Whole Foods, Wegman's, Kroger, maybe UNFI. I'm guessing your brain doesn't automatically go to 7-Eleven.
But, with 63,000 stores worldwide, maybe it should.
This week we bring you a fireside chat with Marisa Bertha, the Director of Business Development at 7-Ventures, who shares how brands can work with and big successful in the convenience giant's stores.
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
Daniel Katz might have the ultimate entrepreneur story.
Sleeping under a desk? Check. Half a million dollar mistakes? Check. Breeding reptiles and flipping houses in high school? Also check.
Daniel is the founder of No Cow, makers of non-dairy, low sugar, high protein snacks that people just love. You can tell Daniel loves the grind, and he's most comfortable when he's doing everything himself. But with success comes growth and change. These days Daniel has a small but dedicated team, a CEO to run the day-to-day, and strategic partners in 301 Inc. and 2x Partners.
Ultimately, great products solve problems, and Daniel has built a successful business by focusing on the right problems, the right distribution channels, and by treating consumers like an extension of his team.
Takeaways:
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
Didn't make it to Expo West this year? Or maybe you attended, but were overwhelmed by all the new brands and products you saw? Perhaps you hit up too many happy hours and… need a refresher?
Either way, Brand Builder has your back.
We wrap up our Expo West coverage with our favorite brands, products, and trends from this year's Expo - we talk cauliflower, grain-free chips and puffs, pili nuts, fruit and vegetable jerkies, maca, and more. Featuring SnackNation's George Youmans and Clara Kim.
Brands mentioned:
Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
Welcome to our first ever Battle of the Brands.
We spoke to 10 interesting emerging brands on the Hot Products floor of Expo West, and asked them to tell us their unique brand story - what inspired their product? What problem are they solving? What are they all about?
10 Brands, 10 stories, but there can only be one.
The winner of the Battle of the Brands gets a full length Brand Builder episode. And it's all up to you.
Just let us know which story you liked the best. Post it on social media using the hashtag #brandbuilderbattle. Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram - use the hashtag and we'll see it.
The Brands
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
The Super Bowl of Snacks. CPG Christmas. Whatever you call it, it's one of the most anticipated trade shows of the year. This is where deals are made, where dreams come true, where fortunes rise and fall.
And it's only a few days away.
Yes, this week we're going deep on The Natural Products Expo West (known by pretty much everyone as "Expo West").
In this episode, we go over everything from how to tweak your elevator pitch, to how make yourself memorable, to the real value of the show.
We start with this question - today is Monday. Expo starts Thursday. What should brands be doing right now to make the most of their Expo experience?
Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
There was a certain point in the early days of LivBar where most people probably would have given up.
Despite a product that people really loved and some encouraging momentum, the future of LivBar seemed to be in jeopardy. Their "big break" with a major grocery chain had just fallen through, and the company's co-founders had lost their passion for the business and were looking for the exit
But for co-owner and soon-to-be CEO Jayson Selander, quitting was not an option.
"I didn't have a choice," he recalls. "There was nothing inside of me that was telling me to stop."
This week, Brand Builder sits down with Jayson, a tenacious entrepreneur and a fascinating interview. He's a CEO who loves strategy, but doesn't consider himself a "planner." He's a passionate entrepreneur, but inherited a business with legacy brand and core values. Through it all, his tenacity, his knack for solving the problem in front of him, and his designer's eye have helped elevate the LivBar brand and deliver great tasting bars to thousands of happy consumers.
Takeaways
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
Evan Delahanty is not a foodie.
Yes, the man who founded Peaceful Fruits, a company that makes honest, whole fruit snacks ... was not all that into food at first.
So how did he end up at the helm of a company that's changing the fruit snack game?
It's all about connecting people and markets to the Amazon. Evan spent 27 months as a community economic development specialist in Pikin Slee, a remote village of Suriname accessible only by canoe. Giving back to this amazing place has become Evan's life's work.
Takeaways
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
Some people follow their dreams in a figurative sense. And then there's JJ Rademaekers.
JJ is the founder and CEO of JJ's Sweets. Their signature candy is an award-winning, coconut milk caramels called Cocomels, and the idea for Cocomels came to JJ in a dream.
For this special episode of Brand Builder, we sent our intrepid field reporter Travis Miller to Boulder, CO, to see where JJ launched JJ's sweets, and to learn how JJ went from scientist, to musician, to candy maker, and finally to candy business-maker.
Takeaways
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Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.
Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
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