Episodes

Carl Goyette, CEO of pioneering organic energy drink brand GURU, spoke about how a disciplined business strategy has paved the way for sustainable growth, why the company “says no to a lot” of opportunities, and why he believes that having both experience in a corporate environment and a thirst for entrepreneurship have been key to his ability to manage and build the brand.

This week, we’re joined by the team behind upstart brand Rowdy Energy, NASCAR champion Kyle Busch and Suja co-founder Jeff Church. The duo spoke about their decision to enter the competitive energy category, leveraging Busch’s fame and fan base in an authentic way and how Church is incorporating lessons from the Suja playbook into Rowdy’s business strategy.

We’re joined this week by Pat LaFrieda, CEO of renowned meat brand Pat LaFrieda’s, who discussed his definition for quality and how it fits into the company’s evolution, why “relationships are everything” in business, his vision for the future of the restaurant industry and his surprising opinion about plant-based meat products.

Annie Chun and Steve Broad, founders of Annie Chun’s and gimMe Snacks, spoke about their entrepreneurial journey from selling at farmer’s markets to building category leading brands, why operational efficiency is critical to achieve sustainable margins and the importance of “discovering new experiences for the consumer.”

Trey Zoeller, founder of pioneering whiskey brand Jefferson’s Bourbon, spoke about overcoming initial criticism of his experimental methods for aging bourbon, why he doesn’t consider himself a distiller, balancing consumer demand for diversity, consistency and predictability and why he’ll “never create a brand or an expression out of a boardroom.”