The Food Startups Podcast

Once you have the chance to eat organic chicken, it is difficult to return to the conventional. I say this from experience. Jefferson Heatwole and Shenandoah Valley Organics (SVO) are trying to affordably provide organic chicken. They have an innovative, farmer-focused business model and encourage healthy eating and cultural awareness. The company is growing in number of farms, chickens, and sales. In fact they have an exclusive brand developed just for Costco. SVO operates out of the beautiful Shenandoah valley in Virginia. Jefferson and I demystify the chicken industry and elaborate on their business model: What certified organic farms look like Antibiotic free chicken vs organic chicken Health differences of organic vs conventional chicken Quality of life differences for the chickens! Teamwork and relationships with independent farmers on over 25 farms (24:40) Tips for working with USDA Organic certifiers Tim Heydon of Shenandoah Growers an an advisor Keys to success and rapid sustainable growth Why is organic turkey so expensive? (31:45) Note: For the chicken raising standards chart mentioned at (13:30) scroll down on this page Book recs.

It started off as an Amazon.com side business. Now it is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. But Courtney Gould had to evolve as a person and leader in order to make SmartyPants Vitamins a successful AND healthy company. They have disrupted the vitamin industry. The company's products are top ranked on Amazon and sold everywhere from Whole Foods and Target to Costco and beyond. Courtney is sharp and agile. A talented CEO. Learn about business and personal development: "I like complex problems!!!" No such thing as work/life balance - it is all connected Dealing with the fear of not crushing it The power of knowing yourself Understanding that you suck at most things (humility) Why the name SmartyPants? "I use to lead from fear" Going from Student of Life to Expert Becoming a 'Superager' Online/Amazon versus retail Unaided awareness vs aided awareness Methylfolate folate vs folic acid Recognizing and transforming your personal traits The personal development fund 1-for-1 nutrient grants to a child in need

"And I asked him: Why are you doing this? Your grandchildren won't have to work.." -Greg to his co-founder Wade who owns more than 50 Papa John's pizza franchises. Greg Sausaman has worked in food since the 1980's. By the time he was 30 years old, he owned eight Domino's pizza locations. Then he transitioned to Allied Domecq, one of the largest food/liquor conglomerates in the world. Now he is cofounder of Topper's Creamery, a custard franchise currently in Florida. Upon the company's inception, Sausaman fully designed an entire new brand; image, operational flow, menu, pricing strategy, training processes, and financial. AND he undertook full strategic and tactical plans for this new brand. I had a great time speaking with Greg. He talks about the long term mindset, what he would have done differently, how to manage people and much more: The transition from entrepreneur to employee On choosing retail locations The question he asks employees that has made a huge difference Creating a legacy company Baby boomer vs Millennial definition of "long-term" Developing an award-winning custard recipe All about vanilla Cobranding vs Multibranding Lessons learned from mistakes How they incentivize their employees for high performance and long-term commitment

Turning the tables to end the year, this time I am the interviewee. Laura Coe, of The Art of Authenticity, and I talk about Money, Pressure, and Passion. Copying the show notes from Laura's episode page here: Matt's background and what inspired him to become an entrepreneur [4:20] The background on his podcast, The Food Startups Podcast [7:50] How the reception has been to his podcast [10:17] Why he wanted to talk about money, pressure, and passion [11:45] Dispelling myths about passion [14:40] How to balance money vs. passion [17:01] Balancing the pressure of business with life [19:02] The power of journaling and digital detoxes [25:33] Balancing your current business success with your future goals [27:10] How Matt defines authenticity [30:30] His big turning point moments [32:02] The last time he was almost inauthentic and caught himself [34:18] Matt's daily practices [37:24]

Dear listeners, You know me from my podcast. I've spoken to over 100 experts and I always try to get advice. Ask questions that we can learn from. You know this. But did you know that I am in the food business as well? Where do I want to go with my business. Today I am going to share more about me. What I do, mistakes I made in 2016, things that went well, plans for 2017. From these reflection combined with learnings from the many founders I spoke with this year, I'll go in depth on Peter Drucker's feedback analysis method. Then, I'll teach you how to apply this to your professional and personal life. We discuss: My food startup Why I am sharing this information publicly The importance of applying probability theory to your business Top learnings from 2016 Relationship building and venture capital Our strategy to grow in 2017 Feedback analysis and it's short, medium and long-term benefits My foray into journalism Always be storytelling!! Exciting plans for the podcast going forward

Eric De Feo grew up in New York, the son of Italian immigrants. As a child, he learned about design, building, and community. He also learned that living in a big house means a lot of work! As an adult, Eric has combined his experience and interests in design, architecture, environmental conservation, and food. Eric has experience in designing projects for informal settlements abroad, including working with the Kounkuey Design Initiative in Nairobi to build sanitation blocks and a playground, along with public housing concepts with Gensler in Thailand. After working abroad, Eric came home. He co-founded OpenDoor, a collaborative living space currently in the Bay area. He also built a beautiful and functional smart growing machine, ROOT. Grow your own fresh foods, medicinal herbs and flowers with the swipe of a finger. If you are interested in indoor growing or would like to learn about coliving spaces, this episode is for you: Eric's influence from his childhood Work/life balance In the U.S., are we defined by our work? The appeal of collaborative living How OpenDoor works Why attention to detail and design create experience The amazing ROOT machine Matt makes a shameless plug for the coconut Will indoor growing ever produce a higher percentage of our crops than traditional, outdoor agro? Selected links from the episode: ROOT Landmark Open Door Immigrant Inc Your Money or your Life Email Eric

You don't HAVE to follow the cookie-cutter retail sales model. An entrepreneur can feel powerless when they are 100% dependent on one or two large grocery buyers for the success of their food startup. Hotels, catering, and local cafes are a few examples of local businesses that may be interested in carrying your brand. But they need a way to find out about your product. Kim Bryden is doing just that with Cureate Connect. She has a network nearing 250 food startups in DC and Baltimore with access to D.C. and Maryland businesses interested is local sourcing. For over 10 years, she has worked in the food and beverage industry from government to Whole Foods retail management, to food+tech start-up. We talk about: Kim's diverse background in the food space Lessons from Whole Foods and EMERGE What is SHRINK? and creative finanical costing Community learnings from issuing D.C. liquor licenses Why success is often misunderstood Working with the legendary chef José Andrés Measuring the impact on local economies Why we need Wikileaks for the food industry How Cureate Connect warks The meaning of Cureate Connecting high-level messaging with tactile details Mistakes that food startups make Operating from abundance Two types of food entrepreneurs and how to interact with them Selected links from the show: Cureate Cureate Connect (If in D.C / Maryland - sign up!!) Kim Bryden #FoodPorn School of Food Minibar by José Andrés Adobe Creative Cloud

"I attribute my success to my numerous beloved mentors and getting up early in the morning to play and work harder." Nicolas Warren is relied upon for action, leadership, strategy, sales, energy, and smiles. Learning, competition, and positivity are driving forces in his life. He has significant experience in several capacities across multiple industries including tourism, food /hospitality, computer/software tech, marketing, and advertising. Nicolas recently sold his dark chocolate energy bar company, Perfect Fuel. We reflect on his 6 year journey. How did Nicolas get to where he is today? Thoughts on nutrition How to find and utilize mentors Why were they acquired by America's #1 meatball company? What he would have done differently Why Perfect Fuel was attractive to be acquired Cross-merchandising and shelf displays Making your product into a platform Advice for creating a brand new concept The importance of customer feedback Analysis of another great brand: Perfect Bar "Don't bootstrap your business." Nicolas's next adventure The way he likes to learn Selected links from the show: Perfect Fuel @nicolaswarren Home Market Foods Perfect Bar

Happy thanksgiving to all! In this episode we pay thanks to and learn from the all-stars of food. Learnings from five of the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs in the game: Tim Joseph of Maple Hill Creamery (episode link) Tim Heydon of Shenandoah Farms (episode link) Susan MacTavish Best of Living MacTavish (episode link) Andrew Chae of YinYang Naturals (episode link) Seth Goldman of Honest Tea (episode link) Selected links from the episode: The War of Art and Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield: If these books don't provide the necessary motivation to work, to become a true professional then nothing will... Read both, but start with The War of Art.

Recognized as one of Zagat's 30 under 30 in 2013, Tim West is a Slow Food chef turned Social Entrepreneur. He is a Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduate and grandson of Arch West, the inventor of Doritos®. Tim cut his teeth in the the kitchens at The St. Regis Hotel in New York and the Facebook headquarters in California before entering the world of entrepreneurship. Tim co-created The Food Hackathon + Forum as a business plan competition and alternative educational experience to encourage entrepreneurs to work on more meaningful problems and to expose corporate teams to a more collaborative and inspiring working methodology. We had a great conversation about the future of food and how to get involved: How Tim became a chef His family's past food experience Definition of "Slow Food" What is wrong with food today? Tim's realization "that he can feed more people with a cell phone and a computer than a chef knife and a flame." True cost accounting How do we change the food system? What is a "hackathon" and why is it important? The Startup Bus Competition How to win business plan competitions The art of the pitch What Tim learned from his time at Facebook Thoughts on "digital discipline" Selected links from the show: Food Hackathon Tim West - iFTF Profile Learning From A Banana Tycoon Tim's Ted Talks: Cultivate Innovation and Hacking: Food for Thought Camp Grounded - Summer Camp for Adults A Taste of Generation Yum StartupBus Guy Kawasaki - The Only 10 Slides You Need in Your Pitch Tim West - AboutMe Terra Madre Future Food Institute

He is the founder of Yin Yang Naturals, a food brokerage focused on the natural retail channel. Andrew Chae worked in his family's food manufacturing business since his teenage years. In 2004, he oversaw the organic certification of two production facilities, and built a new Asian organic brand, Ohana House, from the ground up. Ohana House went national with distribution into all Whole Foods and other major natural chains. Andrew also oversaw the entry of Ohana House into Costco and initiated private label opportunities with Trader Joe's. In 2008, Andrew started Yin & Yang Naturals. He discovered a passion for helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Taking a product from concept, to store shelf, to someone's kitchen shelf provides an unmatchable level of both personal and professional satisfaction. Some brands that Yin Yang Naturals works with are Coconut Bliss ice cream, Harmless Harvest, Maple Hill Creamery, and Uncle Matt's. Yin Yang also helped launch EPIC bar, REBBL drinks, and Temple Turmeric. Andrew is highly skilled, experienced, and successful. He drops serious knowledge for food startup founders: Life in Hawaii Showing up as a rookie to ExpoWest Definition of a food broker What food brokers do from sales to the shelves Why use a broker instead of a full time sales person On selling a private-label to Trader Joe's Keys to selling at Trader Joe's When it comes to sales, followups, inventory, etc with distributors and stores, where is the responsibility with the food brand and when is it with the broker? What questions to ask a broker when shopping for one Qualities YinYang looks for in a food brand Retail is about detail Why flavor wins in any launch Tips for buying machinery What is happening in the industry right now? How has the industry changed over the past few years? Selected links from the show: YIN YANG NATURALS L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food

Featuring cameos from Keely Gerhold of Tinyfield Roofhop Farms and Corey Wood of Elixir Kombucha. My favorite charity*, Kiva, is a micro-finance platform based on Nobel-prize winner Muhammad Yunus's Grameen Bank. On their platform, over $924,000,000 has been lent to over a million borrowers in 82 countries from over a million lenders! Kiva's awesome international work has a lot of publicity. But small U.S. businesses can also receive loans of up to $10,000 with 0% interest! We talk with their US Digital Marketing Manager, Adam Kirk. Plus, we hear from two startups that benefitted from a Kiva Zip Loan. This episode was so much fun and a great way to learn about low-interest money for your startup: Life in Albania and how it helped shape Adam's career How to get a 0% interest Kiva zip loan for up to $10,000 After a successful kiva loan what other funding platforms can we look at? Why food startups do well on Kiva How to use social impact to get loans at your favor Essential crowdfunding tips *Our company has already made 38 loans to Kiva borrowers in Colombia and Peru. Start a Kiva Loan Application Elixir Kombucha (Elixir Instagram) Tinyfield Roofhop Farm (Tinyfield Instagram) Tinyfield Kiva Video Adam Kirk on LinkedIn Square Capital Mission Economic Development Agency Urban Solutions Scrum Methodology Episode 88 – How to Crush Kickstarter & Business – Lisa Q. of NOMIKU Elixir Kombucha Kiva Loan Tinyfield Roofhop Farms Kiva Loan Tinyfield Roofhop Farms Indiegogo Campaign Peshkopi, Albania Banker to The Poor by Muhammed Yunus Nichols Industrial Art Strong Rope Brewery Amazon Smile Masters International Reach out to Adam

In this episode, we talk neem oil, biology, and international business with the founder of Terramera. Their products can increase crop yields over conventional and current organic pesticides, bee health and public health applications by harnessing the power of natural plant defenses and innovative chemistry. Checkout their PROOF® Spray at Walmart and Target. This is important stuff: Karn Manhas recently traveled to Washington to talk with the Obama's about it! And have you ever had bedbugs? Karn has a background in Biology and Law. He is incredibly bright and charismatic. So it is no surprise that his company is thriving. We dig into all sorts of cool stuff: All about the Neem tree What Terramerra is at its heart Explaining their technology in layman's terms The problem with many of today's bio-pesticides How to ensure integrity in organic farming Tips on doing effective work with government entities Resources for receiving government aid What it is like to do business in India Future of organic certification How to incentivize companies to work with Terramera Selected links from the show: Neem (Indian Lilac) Terramera About Terramera

Marlo Giudice landed in San Francisco by way of New York City and years of work in relationship management at digital marketing & Ad Tech companies. Once relocating, she quickly realized that her passion actually lay in baking and enrolled in a professional pastry education program. Today, she has expanded that recipe and Marlo's now sells five flavors of the contemporary twist on traditional biscotti across 10 SKUs. We had a great time talking about biscotti, the ups and downs of being entrepreneur, and food business strategy: Turning a family recipe into a business What motivated her to start her own food brand How Marlo transitioned from a digital marketing job to starting a bake shop Soft-baked biscotti The high's and low's of entrepreneurship On selling online and importance to the brand Amazon Fresh and Amazon Payments Coffee shop distribution Alternative channels to grocery Selected links from the episode: Marlo's Bakeshop Marlo's Bake Shop on YouTube Kiva Zip Loans Marlo's Kickstarter The Sweet and Salty Podcast Reach out to Marlo

"Any time more than two people mention something, you know that it is something to consider." Corey Hill is the founder and CEO of Indie Food Hub, a resource providing services to small and medium sized food businesses. He is driven to change the food system for the better, creating greater access for independent producers. Indie Food Hub is in the bay area and recently launched Vittle Bus to help food startups with one of the two most difficult problems: delivery logistics. The other is money, which will also be discussed in detail. Corey is passionate about helping people like you, the listener: What is the purpose of Indie Food Hub? How do you consolidate the wide array of resources for food entrepreneurs? How do I interact with IFH as a small food biz entrepreneur? Corey's favorite food startup resources Water rights, The Big Short, and the precarious future Ideas on how to raise funds for your food business Vittle Bus – one of the brands under the IFH umbrella Stories from a childhood in Germany His experience as a freelance journalist Human frights, fracking, and the issues he is passionate about Corey's favorite novels

"I've made a lot of people wealthy, but what about me? What do l love to do?" Susan MacTavish Best creates interesting and engaging salons that have brought together some of the most creative minds of this century, from Tim Ferriss to Michael Pollan to food companies like Hampton Creek. The salons cover topics ranging from LSD to the future of death, and more. Susan also has an all-encompassing lifestyle brand, Living MacTavish. It is not unlike Martha Stewart, but well, more accessible. And not a perfectionist. Martha Stewart meets the Royal Tennenbaums. The art of casually bringing together our friends has been lost in this era of texting, social gaming, tweeting, IM'ing, and frenetic scheduling Understand: strategically executed events, dinners, and salons can be used to make contacts, promote your food brand, and get deals done. Add this to your skill set. We cover a wide array of topics in a fun interview: How she "cold-emailed" Michael Pollan and got him to show up at a salon. Tips on putting together a guest list Getting over the fear of attending a party alone How to get people to show up to your event Social dynamics party tips Making a lasting, favorable impression How to foster introductions at a busy event or party Embracing imperfection Why Susan started Living MacTavish A common characteristic among elite performers like Tim Ferriss and Chris Sacca How to fit in when not drinking Using wigs and masks for events How to choose a topic for a salon How to create the right "vibe" for an event Why the back of a bar or restaurant is not the ideal location Mentioned in this episode: Living MacTavish Best PR Living the Lab Expert advice for your best end-of-summer fete This entrepreneur wants you to eat, drink – and party! – just like her A high-tech high: Wearable gives you good vibes Quid Pundits Vs. Machine: Predicting Controversies In The Presidential Race

"Buy the ticket, take the ride." -Hunter S. Thompson He took an adventure against doctor's orders and it changed his life. Back to another Ohio startup (what up LeBron!), Inca Tea does not disappoint. As you'll learn today, Ryan Florio is a contrarian thinker. He does not take things at face value, which gives him an advantage in business and life. The story of Inca Tea began when Ryan and his friends hiked a treacherous Peruvian mountain trail with the help of their Sherpa Edgar. Edgar introduced them to an amazing Ancient Tea recipe combining boiling water, freshly cut apples and Purple Corn, which Peruvians consider a super food that fights against a host of medical conditions. Upon Ryan's return home to the U.S., he quit his job, cashed in his 401K, took a second mortgage out on his home and started a company called Inca Tea, the first U.S. company to use the ingredient Purple Corn. In addition to winning several awards throughout the state of Ohio, Inca Tea's sales continue to climb at big-brand stores around the country (like Bed Bath and Beyond) and online orders continue to come in from all over the world. We share Ryan's journey and offer tips for food startup founders who want to do things their way: How his childhood shaped his values and outlook on life Ryan's previous entrepreneurial adventures What Ryan has learned from sourcing The healing properties of Purple Corn Going "all-in", the mindset and stress management Food marketing on a shoe-string budget Starting a kiosk at Cleveland airport The importance of building relationships and saying thank you Taking online sales from $1900 to $30000 over 42 states and 7 countries How he develops flavors On attracting and retaining cusomers A day in the life of Ryan Florio When to sell your company Future plans for Inca Tea Selected links from the show: Inca Tea Inca Tea Cafe The War of Art Robert Thurston Coffee Episode

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." - Steve Jobs Kellee James exemplifies this quote. Looking at her experience, one can connect the dots and trace why she was able to start a food commodities exchange. Mercaris allows buyers and sellers of raw commodities to meet and trade online. Customers include Whole Foods Market, Michael Foods, Perdue Farms, and others. They make it possible for "everyone in the supply chain, from farmers to food manufacturers, to track prices, volumes and other statistics for organic corn, or non-GMO soybeans." Prior to Mercaris, Kellee spent five years at the Chicago Climate Exchange(CCX), the first electronic trading platform and registry for spot, futures and options contracts on carbon, sulfur, clean energy and other environmental products. In 2009, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow where she advised members of the administration on environmental markets. She has also worked with coffee farmers and commodity banks in Latin America on risk management and income diversification strategies. She was named by both Black Enterprise Magazine and Crain's Chicago Business Magazine as a '40 under 40' rising leader. Learn the ins and outs of Kellee's life and company: Her aspirations to be a pro athlete and how she adjusted Why politics and government are two different things What she learned from politics Limitations of the futures market "Every single contract that is traded on our platform results in the physical delivery of the underlying commodity." Why didn't an exchange like Mercaris exist 10 years ago? How they assemble their data (very cool!!) What she learned working with coffee farmers in Honduras How the company attracts farmers, grain mills/elevators, and retailers "Identity preservation" in commodities The auction strategy: standard vs. reverse auctions The commodities she wants to add in the future Selected links from the show: Mercaris Kellee James on AngelList The Rogue Traders Foods: Facebook | Instagram Direct Origin Trading

Richard Willis and Bob Pierson saw the trend of food trucks before most. From their website: "The Macclenny based company is cooking up a thriving business of customizing food trucks and trailers. They have capitalized upon the public's insatiable appetite for mobile food, the steady online buzz, and the testimonies of satisfied customers – nearly tripling their annual revenue to $1 million within the last year. Fed by reality television shows, social media, and a demand for increasingly creative trucks and food, the nation's street vendor market has grown into a $1 billion industry." Tune in to learn: What are the keys to Bob and Richard's success? How much does it cost to start a food truck or food trailer? What traits to successful food truck owners share? How has the industry changed over the years? The M+R Recipe: 1 – Seasoned business owner with construction experience 1 – High-potential business partner proficient in computer-aided design and online marketing 1 – SBA-backed loan from community credit union Cook in pre-heated food-truck industry. Serve to customers across the country. Selected links from the episode: M&R Specialty Trailers + Trucks "Pimp my Food Truck" Youtube Channel

"After the tour, I started meeting with him regularly to do Harley trips, and over a bottle of whiskey we both talked about doing something together, starting a business ... Let's make a coffee machine that's connected, that uses your patent." If you're into coffee, you may own a variety of equipment: grinder, coffee dripper, french press, an expresso machine .. what if it could all be replaced by one, smart machine? Roderick de Rode is making it a reality with his Spinn machine. (Check out the video) He got his first investment at Rockefeller Plaza; an investment banker there gave him $25K. In the past, Roderick has successfully built and managed $100M+ businesses in hardware, software and online services. We talk about the machine, entrepreneurship, and, of course, the second most traded commodity in the world, coffee: How they evolved the idea from a patent into a soon to be retail machine The downside to Keurig machines The second and third wave of coffee Why the machine will sync with local coffee roasters The upcoming crowdfunding campaign Why hardware is .. hard A brilliant gamification strategy for their audience (take notes) The invaluable learnings from their hardware advisory team Looking back what he would have done differently Roderick's advice for food startups Selected links from the show: Spinn Coffee PCH International highway1.io Juicero

Tim Joseph had no farming experience. He had never even milked a cow. In 2004, he received a fast education when sixty-four cows stepped off the trailers onto his land. Thrown into the fire, Tim and his wife Laura started selling milk while Tim worked a full-time corporate job from home. In 2009, they went "all in", opened a storefront and transitioned to making dairy products, like yogurt and cheese. And the company started to grow.. Over a two-year span from 2011-2013, Maple Hill Creamery went from being on shelf in about 600 stores—mostly independents in the Northeast—to over 6,000 stores, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, Target, Walmart, Ahold, Safeway, Natural Grocers, EarthFare, and many others. Tim is also committed to building the Maple Hill Milkshed, the community of nearly eighty 100% grass-fed dairy farms in New York. A fun, incredible success story. I had a lot of questions for Tim: Working from home and dairy farming on the side, how did you manage your time? How did you make the transition from conventional dairy to organic grass-fed dairy? How did you manage the fear of stepping out and doing something different? What's a day like on the farm? Cow milking 101? Why does grass fed dairy make sense? What was the initial response to "grass fed dairy? How did you manage growth from 600 to 6000 stores? What were the keys to such rapid growth? How do you view trade shows from a P/L perspective? How is yogurt made? What about Greek yogurt? When is it time to go "all-in" with your food startup? What questions do you need to ask yourself? Will you hire robots to milk cows? (note: this is already happening!) Selected links from the show: Maple Hill Creamery Pennsylvania Certified Organic This is Maple Hill

Tim Heydon started at Shenandoah Growers via an unusual route: along with a few classmates, he wrote a case study on the company while doing his MBA nearby at James Madison University. This was 1998. Tim joined the company as CEO and has grown Shenandoah into 350 employees across 300,000 square feet of growing/packing facilities in Virginia, Texas, Indiana, and Georgia. Today, Shenandoah is the leading organic herbs supplier in the Eastern United States. How did they get here? To start, Tim is a fantastic leader. People like to work for him. Listeners will pickup on this quickly. Strong on innovation, culture, and vision, we talk about the ins and outs of Shenandoah and the keys to their success: Why Tim decided to join a herb company with no prior experience in agriculture Keys to their impressive employee retention rate On staying afloat in the often harsh and unforgiving agriculture market Their amazing content website - FreshHerbs.com (check it out!!) Cutting edge technology and how it helps their bottom line Keys to developing retailer/buyer relationships How they plan to transform the food system Why the BIG opportunities are in logistics Selected links from the show: Shenandoah Growers FreshHerbs.com

In today's interview we talk about the paradox of choice and the power of data. As Sam Slover mentioned in the interview: "If you think of a grocery store with a huge aisle of 60+ yogurts to choose from, but each of those yogurts has a slightly different (nutritional) profile", how do you choose the healthiest yogurt to eat? Sam's company, the Sage Project, is working to make in-store recommendations based on your dietary needs and help to decipher product transparency to the end consumer. Food product labels have it's limitations. Think of a "smart wikipedia for food data". What do "all-natural" and "made in small batches" mean in terms of nutrition and the preparation of a food product? They are working with a number of retailers in Whole Foods to bring the project to reality. Listen and learn how a data-driven company is on the path to transform our shopping experience: Personalized nutrition - why it matters Sam's personal journey and how the idea for Sage came about How self-tracking has had a positive impact in Sam's life (see Wrap Genius) The positive benefits of personal tracking How we can get started on data tracking Why transparency and nutrition can be overwhelming at a grocery store Buzz words and the confusion of customers Ways for food startups to get involved Empower consumers to be healthier Selected links from the episode: The Sage Project Wrap Genius The Rational Optimist Shaping Things by Bruce Sterling

Self-driving cars, IBM's Watson, and Google's search algorithm are just a few examples of AI (Artificial Intelligence) .. it is already here. And it is rapidly becoming a bigger part of our lives. AI will change food. Listen to this quick overview as a starting point for AI Awareness, how you can start thinking about AI business ideas and some examples of AI in food startups. We'll interview some of them in the next few weeks. Don't worry, you can learn about it even if you're not technically inclined. Photo Credit: CC Sarah Wheeler Selected links from the show: Inevitable by Kevin Kelly Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Stuart Russell Nuritas ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN AGRICULTURE. PART 1: HOW FARMING IS GOING AUTOMATED WITH ROBOTS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN AGRICULTURE. PART 2: HOW FARMING IS GOING AUTOMATED WITH ROBOTS

Kristen Hawley is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and editor focusing on chefs and restaurants + digital and social technology. Like a lot of freelancers, she leads a fascinating life. She has worked on creative projects with OpenTable, the National Restaurant Association, TechTable Summit, SF's Nopa restaurant, SALIDO, Upserve, and more and has a background in traditional magazine publishing (Country Living, Delish). In 2013, she started the Chefs + Tech newsletter to share news, ideas, and trends in the restaurant+tech space combining her love of lifestyle, food, and restaurants with an understanding of the current technology landscape. And her newsletter has an unprecedented open rate of over 50%! It has opened up opportunities for her in the ever-evolving digital content and communications space. Kristen answers host and listener questions: What makes an interesting story? Why does a great story become mediocre after 6 months? How do you standout and be a leader in your industry? What is the best way to start a content strategy for your food startup? Does an article or mention in the New York Times matter in 2016? What questions can I answer about my food biz that will create valuable content (Hint: don't forget the small stuff!)? How do I educate my audience about why my product is better than the competition in a ethical way? What was it like working at Twitter? Selected links from the show: Chefs + Tech Kristen on Twitter Pop Sugar Tech

85 dollars is the most I ever paid for a book. Not a textbook, but book. I had to have it. And it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I am a better thinker and food entrepreneur because of it. The most important takeaway from the book was the importance of having a latticework of mental models in decision making. Mental models are the key concepts from main disciplines you'll need in business - psychology, economics, finance, physics, evolution (biology) accounting, marketing, etc. In less than 10 minutes, I explain the why and I share my four favorite mental models. This can be a game changer for your prosperity/performance. I encourage YOU to follow the steps below to begin your masters in mental models. I have to say it is quite fun. First Read: Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger Then, review these two lists of models: Creating a Latticework of Mental Models: An Introduction Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful Finally put together a list of mental models and create flashcards to study: Anki - Friendly, Intelligent Flashcards Cover Photo Credit: CC Photo by "Berkshire Hathaway 2009 Munger quote" User TEDizen

Evan Delahanty is one of the few people I know who has lived in the the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. I mean taking a canoe 3 hours UP river. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Suriname, he learned a language that only 26,000 people speak (Saramaccan)! After completing his mission, he was looking for a way to stay in touch and help the community. He choose Açaí as the vehicle to accomplish that. Evan founded Peaceful Fruits, a snack company that makes delicious organic fruit snacks that create jobs for people with disabilities in Akron while helping to protect the Amazon Rainforest. I LOVE how he is helping two distinct communities!! Peaceful Fruits is currently in about 50 stores and working hard to scale up. Evan shares his journey: How he got his company off the ground Sourcing in Suriname / wild harvesting How to maintain consistency with an artisan product The joys and business advantages of working with the developmentally disabled All about Açaí, the superfruit How to scale up when working in a remote part of the world Why timing is crucial to success When to involve a famous celebrity from Akron, Ohio (hint: he's very athletic) The two types of people in the world The Crowdfunding campaign coming up Plans to scale up the company in U.S. Selected links from the show: Peaceful Fruits Cleveland Culinary Launch Kuli Kuli Foods Saramaccan language Lebron James Foundation Cornell University Food Lab

Seth Goldman co-founded Honest® Tea in 1998 with Professor Barry Nalebuff of the Yale School of Management. Thirteen years later they were acquired and are now a $160 million division of Coca-Cola. Today, Honest Tea is the nation's top selling ready-to-drink organic bottled tea and Honest Kids® is the nation's top-selling organic children/youth beverage. The brands are carried in more than 100,000 outlets in the United States, including all Wendy's and Chik-fil-A restaurants. It was a long, tough, and fun road to get to where they are today. One of the best food business books I have ever read, Mission in a Bottle tells their story. I interviewed Seth about the book and he responded with sage advice for emerging food startups: "I can't ask others to invest if I'm not completely invested in myself." The biggest mistakes that almost put the company under Why the company needs to shift and evolve along the way Dealing with competitors inside the tent "Creating a successful company depends on your ability to successfully two questions" How to sign on and have success with distributors Learnings from an unsuccessful run with Barnes + Noble How he sold Canada Dry Potomac after 4 years of rejections Why the "little things" add up and can make or break your company "You have to win in New York" - Learnings from a Red Sox fan On selling their company to Coca-Cola How Seth managed a harmonious and prolific relationship with his co-founder Negotiating shipping rates The main problems he sees in advising food startups Selected links from the episode: Honest Tea Mission in a Bottle (note from Matt: Read it!!) Coca Cola Venturing & Emerging Brands Ripple Foods Beyond Meat Calvert Investments American Beverage Association Bethesda Green

It's been almost three years since we started the show. Today we finally reached a milestone. Triple digits! All this time we have spent - interviewing experts, talking to listeners, and going through the trials and tribulations of a food startup ourselves - we have picked up a lot of ideas on how to succeed. This knowledge needs to be shared. So I synthesized all of this feedback and advice into recommendations on how to get in front of buyers and sell to them over a long-term relationship. Enjoy! Selected links from the episode: When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers

Over the last 6 months, we have had many listener requests for a packaging/branding episode. It took a while, but I finally found the experts. Jordan Hill and Fed Pacheco met when in the design program at the University of North Texas. Upon graduation they took separate paths as art directors in different global ad agencies, working on global and national accounts. A move to New York in 2014 reignited the spark to partner once again, and Hungry Studio was formed over the love of a good meal and the longing to make beautiful work. They work with large and small food companies and help them with all aspects of branding, packaging and design. Hear their story and take notes: What is a strong brand? Experience with big brands and what they learned Package design as it is related to branding How to find your story The role of brands in today's market What is the value of great packaging design? How to choose a designer/agency Case studies on successful branding/design work How much should you budget for design/packaging? Purchase decisions at the shelf Attention to detail - Touch points What is important to know about food branding Coming soon: Hungry Studio and Food Startups Podcast's digital guide to Branding, Packaging and Design Selected links from the episode: Hungry Studio Community Coffee Builder's Tea Crepes and Delices FDA Packaging Guidelines

The original title was "Growth Stories from Blue Crabs to the Bronx to Brooklyn to Boston".. full of alliteration but a bit too long. Sean Butler has been slowly moving north through his life, adding skills and experiences. The current stop of his journey is VP of Growth at one of the hottest startups in New England. Sean joined LeanBox pre-revenue, and has grown with the company as it expanded from 3 to 42 employees in two years. LeanBox delivers customized inventories of meals, salads, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages to hi-tech refrigerators at 200+ companies in New England, including Uber, Amazon, and Microsoft. Cold brewed coffee, organic snacks, cold-pressed juice and more. The million dollar question: with software, hardware, sourcing, logistics, and more, how are they able to run multiple businesses at once? We go behind the scenes: Culture shock: moving from the country to the Bronx Witnessing a shooting .. and moving to Brooklyn On managing multiple businesses at once Unusual tactics to get your foot in a door at a startup Surviving their biggest mistakes in outsourcing and insourcing How to get your food product approved by their buying committee Mistakes that food startup brands make The unique pricing model - keeping it cheaper than Whole Foods "We do really well in places where you've got to drive 15 minutes just to find somewhere to eat" What's next for LeanBox Selected links from the show: LeanBox Uber Boston Office Envy: LeanBox Literally Works out of a Mansion Hunts Point Market Kitchen Confidential Cultivate Ventures Eden, Maryland Chipotle Montreal

Pietro Guerrera and Filippo Lubrano reached breakeven in 2015 with their European venture. But they are thinking BIG. They recently launched in the U.S. with a new subscription box business model. Eattiamo brings exclusive, gourmet Italian products to your doorstep. On the outside, the products are fantastic and the design is beautiful. On the inside, like most startups, they are putting in serious WORK. Sourcing, importing, storage, logistics, marketing and sampling .. the hustle is on.Starting from scratch in a new country is not easy. Get the inside scoop: Why they expanded to the U.S. Life in New York Communicating the value and telling the story of their food Utilizing the international experience and diverse skill set of the founders Italian Food vs "Italian American Food" How they plan to gain subscribers Selected links from the show: Eattiamo Sourcing - The ROI Olive Oil Mill Chef's Table

Produce going bad is no secret: 50% of the shelf life is already gone before you can visually detect that the fruit has gone bad. Fresh Surety is working on solving the problem with "real time freshness reporting anywhere in the world for a few cents per carton." It could really change the world. As we covered in the Bluecart episode, this startup is founded on 10X thinking. Over the past 30 years as founder and CEO Tom Schultz has guided multiple technology companies from concept to liquidity event, including IPO, NASDAQ listing, and nine-figure exit. I recommend this episode to everyone: Going through the process, concept all the way to exit Being the senior guy among the young Food X startup community How to correct your "bad ideas" What Tom learned at Dole Foods The concept behind Fresh Surety Advantages of raising venture money Tips for food startups after being in the game 30+ years The two key points that must be proved to investors Selected links from the show: Fresh Surety A Simple Explanation of The Internet of Things

Ryan Wiltse was working as a CPA. Common to many guests on the show, along with his cofounder, he realized that they wanted more than the status quo; a higher calling than the "cubicle finance life". So they founded a healthy snack food company out of Brooklyn. Their first product is named ProTings, A vegetable snack with 15 grams of protein per serving. Ryan explains the "why" behind the product, the problem they solve and how they are growing the company: Marketing at fitness and bodybuilding events On nutrition label panels and balancing taste, ethics, and health Distribution strategies for the company (You can find it at Wegmans!) Usability advantages of their snack The transition from full time job to startup mode Making it work financially as a startup in NYC Why Qwest nutrition has had phenomenal growth + success The Food X Cohort - how it has helped the company Raising capital and the future Advantages of a finance/accounting background in running a food startup Selected links from the episode: Protings Contact Ryan - contact Ryan. Qwest Nutrition Rabobank

"We've noticed that most restaurants don't put much effort into their menus, which is their most important tool for selling their food." Bite was founded in 2015 by two friends who set out to transform the way restaurants sell to their guest experience. They offer restaurants digital menus that can be easily updated, are more visually appealing, and do a better job of explaining the entrees. I learned a lot in this interview. Jeff educates us on their mission and strategy for getting Bite into thousands of restaurants nationwide: Communicating the unique value proposition What is most important in selling new clients and more importantly KEEPING them. Learnings from the sales/marketing process Understanding exactly who your customers are How they scaled their solution to offer Bite remotely anywhere in the country On being a disruptive company and overcoming the resistance to change

Hey FSP Community. The last 10 guests have a common theme. They solved either their own problem or a problem they saw in the world. I share my thoughts on each. This is a great refresher episode and a way to start exploring the last 10 guests. Have a listen! Selected Links From This Episode: Episode 92 – On Becoming a Rockstar Social Entrepreneur – Lisa of Kuli Kuli Episode 91 – Breaking the Rules to Better a Supply Chain – Karl of Direct Origin/Swillings Coffee Episode 90 – "Will you help me bring this fruit to the US?" – Linh and Myron of XOI Company Episode 89 – Building a Community in NYC – Ashly of Barley + Oats Episode 88 – How to Crush Kickstarter & Business – Lisa Q. of NOMIKU Episode 87 – American Hemp, Activism, and Life on the Bourbon Trail – Chad Rosen of Hemp Foods America Episode 86 – Natural Prophets, Whole Foods and Advice for Millennial Food Entrepreneurs Episode 85 – How to Build a Brand Using Art, Values, and Experience Design – Jody Levy of WTRMLN WTR Episode 84 – How to Create Impactful Editorial Content – Jeffrey of The New Food Economy Episode 83 – Making Shrimp Great Again – New Wave Foods

Roughly six years ago, Lisa was in the Peace Corps in a remote village of Niger. Eating a limited vegetarian diet, she was feeling malnourished. On discovering the superfood moringa, she solved her "sluggish energy" problem. And she decided to use moringa as a vehicle to solve problems for others. Fast forward to today, her company Kuli Kuli foods is a thriving business making a positive social impact in West Africa and Haiti. Before Kuli Kuli, Lisa wrote political briefings for President Obama in the White House, served as a United Nations Environment Programme Youth Advisor and worked at an impact investment firm in India. Lisa shares her story: On a life of service and becoming a social entrepreneur Why she mentors young women entrepreneurs Social impact in the non-profit sectior vs "business" Life in Niger Limitations of the non-profit sector Turning Moringa into reality The quality control of unknown superfoods in the US market Obstacles she has had to overcome Selected links from the show: Kuli Kuli Foods Cheryl Sandberg Peace Corps Photo Credit: Kuli Kuli Foods (link)

For every 20 lots of coffee Karl tastes, only 1 makes the cut for his final container. A direct trading coffee company requires work. It's not just visiting beautiful coffee farms. Karl Wienhold has some stories to tell. He frequently has to take longer routes to coffee farms to prevent contact with leftist guerrillas that have plagued the country for 60 years. My favorite story is Karl's effort to change a supply chain and involve rural farmers in Colombia. Learn about international trade and specialty coffee: How he learned the craft of selecting and cupping coffee Explaining the economics of coffee to the end consumer Breaking the rules, a few things that he does different Selling in the US, but living outside of it Avoiding guerrillas on Karl's coffee travels Defining direct trade and vertical direct trade Shade grown coffee and the environment The man, Jack Swilling (see his bio below) On "coyotes": intermediaries and their effect on the coffee and farmers Working through the El Nino catastrophe Selected Links From The Episode: Direct Origin Trading Swillings Coffee Jack Swilling About Jack Swilling: "Swilling was a teamster, prospector, mine and mill owner, a saloon and dance hall owner. He also was a visionary, a canal builder, farmer, rancher, and public servant. All of this was accomplished while he suffered from periods of excruciating pain resulting from major injuries he suffered in 1854. He took morphine to assuage the pain, which led to dependency problems for the rest of his life." Swilling founded the city of Phoenix, Arizona.

The title of the episode is a question from Bkrong, an Ede (ethnic minority group) farmer from Vietnam. Bkrong was also the host mother of Linh, cofounder of XOI company. Linh Tran and Myron Lam met on a 2013 trip to Vietnam on a research grant from Brown university. There, they discovered the Gac fruit growing in Bkrong's backyard. Upon further research, they realized Gac fruit was packed with beta-carotene and lycopene; a new superfood was born. How could they bring the Gac fruit to the U.S. and include the Ede in the process? This episode tells their story: The challenges faced by the Ede How the idea was born How to introduce an unknown fruit to the U.S. Tackling ethnic inequality via social entrepreneurship Changing the supply chain All about the Gac fruit Selected links from the episode: XOI Company XOI IndieGoGo Campaign ($34,611) Gac Fruit The Ede People Tessa Stuart Author Page

Ashly Yashchin created Barley + Oats to solve a problem. She was pregnant and worried about her baby's health. So, she learned and practiced a healthy pregnancy diet. 9 in 10 women are micronutrient deficient, affecting their fertility, pregnancy and postpartum experience. Ashly is quickly establishing herself as an expert in the space. But first she had to become accepted by the community: Detailed customer profiling How to develop community trust Putting on successful events Understanding your niche Mom sourcing Mom bloggers Logistics and bike messengers Mentioned in the episode:Barley + OatsDemeterBarefoot BlondeUber RushPremium Rush (the movie I couldn't recall)

NOMIKU was born from two successful Kickstarter campaigns that totaled over $1.3 million and have thousands of units in homes and restaurants around the world. Lisa Q. Fetterman, the co-founder and CEO, is equally gifted and inspiring. She launched the first home sous vide immersion circulator machine on the market. Yes, you've tried sous vide cooked food even if your not familiar with the term. I wasn't. Top restaurants, Chipotle, they all use this cooking method. Lisa has been featured in Wired, Make, CNET and Forbes, and was named on both Forbes and Zagat Survey’s 30 Under 30 lists for her pioneering work in the food space. Her book Sous Vide at Home is available on preorder from Amazon now. On top of all that, Lisa is a YCombinator graduate, where she worked on the app Tender. Lisa takes us to school: How to put on a successful Kickstarter On moving to China to produce their product "Every night I met 5 new people for real" Makerspace/Hackerspace - where the gadget was born "What humans yearn for is truth and what tastes good. And the old way of food doesn't do that, because you don't have control." Participating in YCombinator Writing a best-selling book Creating the Tender app Selected links from the episode: NomikuYC-Backed Nomiku, Maker of An Affordable Sous Vide Machine, Gets Into Software With Tender AppLisa's Crowdfunding CourseRaising over $1 milion on Kickstarter, graduating from Y Combinator and being married to a co-founder — Lisa Fetterman, CEO of Nomiku, produces sous vide cooking applianceSous Vide At Home

Chad Rosen is nicknamed "Hemp Man" in New Castle, Kentucky. A California transplant, he is spearheading the movement for industrial grown US hemp. Watch the video (and support) his IndieGogo to learn why hemp is so important to the economic, environmental, and nutritional future of the United States. U.S. legislation is severely restricting the hemp movement. But not for long. Chad is on a mission for federal change. And it starts in Henry county, Kentucky which is on its' way to becoming the agricultural center for the hemp crop in America. If you're interested in starting a movement and/or becoming an activist, learn from Chad: Why hemp is a game changer for the US on economic, environmental, and nutritional fronts The history of Kentucky in hemp agriculture Moving from Cali to a town with 5 baptist churches and 800 people Legislation problems in the US current shortcomings and restrictions to success How to talk, dress and solicit permits from the DEA Making a superfood available for all, not just the wealthy 100 amazing facts about hemp, including Thomas Jefferson, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Mercedes, and BMW Selected links from the episode:Hemp Foods AmericaSupport Hemp Foods America on IndieGogoThe Hemp ManifestoSunStrandsRules for RadicalsHemp History Week

This is the history episode you have to listen to! Joe Dobrow wrote the textbook on the history of the natural foods industry: Natural Prophets. He masterly weaves U.S. history and the natural foods industry history side by side. Joe served as the head of marketing for Fresh Fields, Whole Foods Market, Balducci’s and Sprouts Farmers Market. The inside look at the industry educates us on where we've been and where we're going: What the baby boomer natural foods titans were like in their late 20's/30's Visionary and Whole Foods founder John Mackey - king of the industry Why someone starting a food business should read Natural Prophets Whole Foods's "Libertarian Philosophy" Learning to compete from John Mackey and Michael Jordan The natural foods industry enormous if not underreported influence on Silicon Valley MBArk - Joe's program to steer MBA's towards social impact businesses Selected links from the show:Natural ProphetsMBArkSilent SpringMo Siegel/Celestial SeasoningsStonyfield FarmThe Purpose CollaborativeAbout Joe Dobrow

Jody Levy knew she was going to be an artist in 3rd grade when she got into the flow state painting a Georgia O'Keefe piece. Fast forward to 2016, her watermelon water drink WTRMLN WTR (website) will be nationwide in 7500 stores this summer. Cold pressing 14 million pounds of watermelons in 2016. Last month, many of the Denver Broncos drank it before they went on to upset the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. How have they achieved success so quickly in one of the hardest industries around? This episode will help you to think deeper about your company's branding and marketing. I credit a lot of Jody and her team's success to their comprehensive understanding and execution of experience design. You'll learn how to apply the concept to your food project and more: How to think about storytelling Experience design - how to pickup this invaluable skill Brand ethos - tactics vs strategy Why are there no vowels in the brand name How they select their wellness experts Utilizing waste melons (think Hungry Harvest) Growing watermelons in Puerto Rico! Appealing to the senses with your product What is YOUR emotional connection to watermelon? The corporate office in Manhattan - what's it like? Selected links from the episode:WTRMLN WTRDenver Broncos

Jeffrey Kittay is a native New Yorker who spent time in the academic world as a journalism professor @ Columbia University. Later, he worked as a publisher. Four months ago, he decided to start his own e-magazine: The New Food Economy. I love the content. It is aimed to help entrepreneurs like us create change as part of the "food movement". We discuss: The art of helping food entrepreneurs with actionable advice How to create great long-form content How to find (and tell) interesting stories What is the online publishing business like? Certification nation!! The triple bottom line Why "everything in business is personal" How to find journalistic talent. Selected links from the episode: The New Food EconomyJeffrey Kittay BioWhat can open-source do for the food movement?In Maine, a farm-to-campus revolution?Verdict: in Maine, Big Food Service wins againWelcome to certification nationContact Jeffrey

I'm so proud to have Dominique Barnes and Michelle Wolf on the show. They are the founders of New Wave Foods. They create seafood in a lab not the ocean. Their first product is recreating shrimp using plant proteins and marine algae. This interview blew my mind. Fresh out of IndieBio, a biotech accelerator, and a $250,000 grant, they are currently raising capital with investors. Their first customer: Google. The lead vegan chef at Googleplex put in an order for 200 pounds. The environmental and social issues of commercial seafood production are numerous and serious. It is precisely what makes New Wave so important. Listen to their story and be inspired: The why behind New Wave Foods Getting the shrimp texture and nutritional profile right Demo day @ IndieBio Fundraising, marketing, and their blueprint to grow the company Stopping slave labor + shrimp fishing The muscular structure of a shrimp Why marine algae is amazing Behind the scenes of the day-to-day @ New Wave Foods On being founders AND roommates Selected links from the episode:New Wave FoodsIndieBioWhy Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular MindSarcomereGoogle

One of the most formative biographies on food and business that I have read is A Man and His Mountain: The Everyman who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America’s Greatest Wine Entrepreneur. Jess "Stonestreet" Jackson passed away in 2011. A self-made billionaire, he was vital to the transformation of California wine and was a champion in horse racing. Using concepts from the legendary strategist, Robert Greene, I analyze the key traits and power laws that Jess Jackson followed. They allowed for him to build a wine empire. Enjoy the show: Selected links from the show: A Man and His Mountain: The Everyman who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America’s Greatest Wine Entrepreneur. Robert Greene Author Page Jess Jackson Dies at 81, a Wine Grower With a Taste for Thoroughbred Racing Photo Credit: Under Creative Commons 3.0 - User:Packyourlunch

Cultivate Ventures is changing the Washington DC food scene. They invest time, money, and expertise into promising startups in the DMV. A few years ago, Caesar Layton, the founder, was commuting to South East Asia as an agricultural economist. After poor customer service from an online grocery, he sent an email to them and got called back by the founder. A few months later, Caesar invested in the company and took over as the CEO. Today, his firm is investing and advising. Wheeling and dealing. They are betting everything on the under-appreciated DC food scene. Caesar shares his story: The survivalist skill set (developing skills on the fly) The value-chain appoarch time = relevance | relevance = access | access = opportunity “Capital is never enough” “your business is not that great and you’re not that smart” Focus on the non-sexy Learning from failure Selected links from the show:Cultivate VenturesRelay FoodsCultivate Ventures Bets Big on DC's Food SceneDAIBoratKick IncubatorSeeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger

Anthony Rodriguez is the founder of Lineage Interactive, A mini ad agency meets a production company. They work with Anna Rawson, David Ortiz, Chris Culliver, Amare Stoudemire, Diplo, Nas, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Amare Stoudemire, 8 pro sports teams, and many other athletes, musicians and actors. Lineage formally started 12 years ago with athletes who were struggling to get off the court income. He has been honing his craft since he was a kid, helping his parents build a cosmetics business that got into big box retailers like Target and Walmart. While he maintains a low profile, Anthony is a power player in digital media for artists. He's proud of his "old school" mentality around building a business that provides real value. I had a great time speaking with him and there is so much we can learn to become better entrepreneurs: How to operate in world that it is out of control The short term mindset epidemic On pain tolerance Advice for those who want to start multiple projects at once Problems young entrepreneurs face.. “Getting bored is more lethal than getting distracted.” Managing willpower and energy as you get older Finding the right types of mentors Anthony's businesses that didn't work out Working with smart people who are unsuccessful What selling is really about How to work with celebrities (who are different from us normal people) How to connect with celebrities with zero connections Selling a TV show for Henrik Lundquist, The Mask with guests like Jeff Gordon, Michael J Fox, DJ Tiesto. His daily routines and habits Selected links from the episode:Lineage InteractiveThe Mask with Hendrik LundqvistAnna RawsonNew York Knicks More about Anthony Rodriguez: As the founder of Lineage Interactive, Rodriguez has ideated and produced creative content and strategy for some of the world’s biggest athletes, musicians, teams, and brands. By acting as the creative liaison between Fortune 200 brands and clients, he's able to bring them genuine and captivating digital content that their clients will love and share. His work is seen by millions on television, the web, and mobile platforms every month. Rodriguez is also the acting content director for five different charitable foundations. Lineage Interactive is made of up three branches; digital marketing services for athletes and musicians, content as a service for Fortune 200 brands, and a production house that produces original content custom-tailored for all formats. Our DNA is rooted in agency work with athletes, teams, and brands. We are storytellers by nature and are responsible for communicating with over 41 million social media accounts daily. Because we actively manage a multitude of clients’ social platforms, we have a robust understanding of what content generates interest, engagement, and sharing.

She dreamed up EatPops in 2013 while studying for the Bar exam, becoming frustrated by the lack of healthy snack (and dessert) option. In 2014, it became a reality. EatPops is now in over 300 locations throughout the country, including stores like Fairway and Whole Foods . Sophie was recently named to Forbes 30U30 and is making dessert healthy with her fruit and veggie pops. Noni, Acai, Kale, Spinach, Carrots, Vanilla, and Mango are among some of the ingredients you’ll find in her popsicles. We reflect on her foray into the food biz: On asking for feedback Biz dev partnerships with SoulCycle, modelFIT and Lululemon How to utilize your network Dealing with rollercoaster moments Building a support group Why she still maintains her status as an active lawyer Sophie's daily routines and habits Mentioned in this episode:EatPopsEmail SophieSophie in ForbesBristol FarmsLazy AcresThe Art of LearningSweet GreenThistle