Episodes

William Siff, founder and CEO of Goldthread, discussed why building the plant-based tonic brand was akin to “inventing a category,” effective methods for driving consumer education and brand awareness, defining metrics for success and how the company incorporates ingredient trends into its innovation strategy.

This week, we’re joined by Tommy Kelly and Salim Najjar, co-founders of Sound Brands, a fast-growing company that markets carbonated teas and tea-infused sparkling waters. In our conversation, they explained why “a failure is really a lesson if looked at properly,” why it was costly to hire consultants without having a clear go-to-market strategy and how corporate sales have been a boon for the brand.

Anouck Gotlib, CEO of European-inspired snack brand Belgian Boys, spoke about how her background in fashion influenced the brand’s identity, the key to successful relationships with retail buyers, how Costco has become a critical partner for incubating new products, best practices for effective merchandising and how the company landed a deal with JetBlue.

This week’s episode focuses on how two food companies are evolving to meet the needs of modern consumers. In our first interview, we spoke with Alden Blease and Emma Frelinghuysen, the founder and CEO, respectively, of REDD Bar, who discussed the reasons for and execution of a rebrand and reformulation. Later, we sat down with Arnold Coombs of top-selling organic maple syrup brand Coombs Family Farms, who discussed how the company has built consumer loyalty through education about the product’s health benefits along with the development of an innovative package.

Nona Lim spoke about the development of her namesake food brand and the importance of saying “no” to “top-line growth that isn’t in line with our profitability requirements.” She also discussed the ways in which she funded her upstart brand prior to accepting venture capital, how she negotiates favorable terms with suppliers and why she describes venture capital as a “double-edged sword.”