Episodes

The hosts discussed the rise of high-profile creator-led brands and their transcendence beyond celebrity ties. They also reflect on a PSL season that started way too soon and the strategy behind functional brands that market both energizing and calming products. We also feature the latest installment of The Goat Pen, our regular series with Carlton Fowler, the co-founder and managing partner of early-stage investment firm Goat Rodeo Capital.

Shadi Bakour, the co-founder and CEO of PATH, a bottled water brand that uses refillable aluminum containers, spoke about how he convinced retailers and investors that there was an unmet need for the brand, the game changing impact of relationships with San Francisco Airport retailers and Natural Products Expo West, the value of licensing deals with Barbie and TMNT, and PATH’s $30 million Series A funding round.

Is it groundbreaking or headed for infamy? The hosts sample several new products made with controversial (or, perhaps, objectionable) ingredients and flavors and assess the mainstream potential for each. This episode also features an interview with Alex Conyngham, the co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey, who discussed the duality of building a modern brand that’s rooted in tradition.

Sketch comedian. Ghostbuster. Vodka entrepreneur. It’s all in a life’s work for Dan Aykroyd. The co-founder of iconic spirit brand Crystal Head Vodka, Aykroyd spoke about the company’s adherence to business fundamentals and premium positioning, what makes him an effective salesman and the limited impact of his celebrity on the brand’s success. He also explained what postal work has to do with the ownership team’s harmonious relationship and answered an infamous question with a “little g.”

They talk the talk, but does Gen Z walk the walk? The hosts discuss the generation’s complicated relationship with food and whether their values actually impact purchasing decisions. This episode also features an interview with Jorge Antonio Salles, the third-generation master distiller for iconic tequila brand El Tequileño.

Hakki Akendiz, an immigrant who became a successful entrepreneur and lauded philanthropist, is living the American Dream. He also for years experienced the plight of living without housing. His business, Champion Pizza, gives a voice to both.

What does Campbell Soup’s planned acquisition of Rao’s owner Sovos Brands suggest about the M&A environment for food and beverage CPG? The hosts discussed the deal and also chatted about several new, notable and innovative products. This episode also features an interview with Gregory Lowe II and Jason Miller, the founder and CEO and president of sales, respectively, of fast-growing coconut water brand 100 Coconuts.

How do breakout brands, particularly those that operate in trendy categories, build sustainable businesses? They cultivate authentic relationships with consumers by delivering on attributes they’re seeking. It’s how Wilderton, a maker of small-batch, non-alcoholic spirits crafted from raw botanicals, is paving its path.

The hosts discussed a celebrity foodie’s new glitzy brand of $10/box pasta, the debut of a black-owned and gastronomic-inspired brand of toaster pastries at Target, French’s sweet limited-time partner and a brief recap of the recently held 2023 Tales of The Cocktail convention. Also featured is the latest edition of Special Ops with Andrew Guard, in which the operations expert shares his take on both opportunities and challenges that are impacting new and emerging beverage and food companies.

Allison Luvera and Lauren De Niro Pipher, the co-founders of Juliet, a premium brand of multiserve wine encased in an innovative cylindrical container, spoke about how they assessed the opportunity to disrupt a legacy category, why developing a unique package was central to the planning process and how they have won over retailers by positioning Juliet as an upscale lifestyle brand.