Episodes

How did Harken Sweets, an upstart brand of better-for-you candy bars, land placement in the checkout aisles of thousands of Walmart stores just months after its debut? Founder & CEO Katie Lefkowitz explains how she secured and prepared for her pitch meeting with Walmart and why the category buyer said “yes” almost immediately.

Jocko Willink, a decorated, retired Navy SEAL and founder of better-for-you beverage and supplement brand Jocko Fuel, explained why having a “military mindset” means more than you might think and how he empowers his team to navigate the complexities of running a modern consumer brand.

Milan Martin, the founder and CEO of The Free Spirits Company, which markets hand-crafted, non-alcoholic spirits and RTD cocktails, explains his belief that “there’s no such thing as a non-alcoholic cocktail menu anymore,” why flavor improvement is a process, how to convince someone who didn’t like a product the first time to give it a second try and why he’s bullish on the brand’s RTD cocktails.

This episode is the first in a special series in which we examine the state of Black food and beverage entrepreneurship within the CPG landscape. The series highlights conversations on various aspects of the challenges felt by all entrepreneurs filtered through the experience of Black founders.

If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a retail buyer or merchandiser, this episode, in which we sit down with key executives representing mass, specialty and natural grocery retail chains, is required listening.

Peloton icon Kendall Toole discusses her involvement as a partner with active lifestyle beverage brand Don’t Quit, including how she incorporates her everyday consumption of its products into her social media posts and how she attempts to spur conversation and “give people a platform to be seen.”

NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes and former BodyArmor executive Michael Fedele, the lead investor and founder, respectively, of better-for-you coffee brand Throne Sport Coffee, explain how a genuine connection helped formalize a business relationship, why Throne’s target audience includes both health-minded athletes and blue-collar workers, and the company’s initial focus on C-stores.

Jacqui’s recap of the recently held Vegan Women’s Summit spurs a conversation about consumer perception of plant-based food and meat alternatives, in particular. We also sit down with Dr. Farnoush Fadavi, the co-founder of Bala Enzyme, an innovative brand of plant-based drink mixes developed to speed recovery and reduce inflammation.