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After spending 20 years working in the food, beverage & wellness industry I’ve created this podcast to introduce you to the powerhouse women who have found success on every level. My goal is to give you direct access to their insights and expertise in order to help you make your business ”Gooder”.
Episodes
Monday Jul 12, 2021
Monday Jul 12, 2021
“As a brand and as a business, you got to evolve with the times and really think about what you really stand for and how it manifests nowadays.” – Maisie Antoniello
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Maisie Antoniello, the Senior Marketing Executive Jones Soda Inc., a Seattle-based premium craft soda brand. We chat about Maisie’s big shift from big CPG brands (Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, and Starbucks) to the beloved regional Jones Soda brand - and how that move changed her life. We also learn about why Jones Soda implemented one of the most cutting-edge augmented reality technologies into their packaging – and discuss some of the marketing trends her brand is leveraging. We tackle everything from innovation, supply chain, and women leadership – to interesting facts about the trends/companies in the food and beverage world.
In this episode we learn:
- The history and the story of Jones Soda and what the “secret sauce” is that differentiates Jones Soda from other beverage brands
- How the pandemic impacted Jones Soda and the challenges and opportunities that came along with it
- About utilizing augmented reality in packaging and marketing, and the inspiration behind Jones Soda’s exciting project using AR
- How Masie leverages her big CPG experience to fuel the growth of a smaller “fighter” brand
- Why the shift from large to small brand is instrumental in her career growth
- Why Maisie heavily invests in research and data as a leader
- The advice Maisie gives to other leaders who desire to transition to smaller brands
- Trends in the food and beverage industry
About Maisie Antoniello:
Maisie Antoniello is a passionate brand marketer with over 14 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. Currently, she serves as the VP of Marketing at Jones Soda, where she is helping to lead the turnaround of a 25-year-old craft soda business. Prior to Jones, Maisie had various roles at Starbucks supporting both retail and packaged goods business units. Prior to Starbucks, she worked at Frito Lay where she had roles in brand, innovation, shopper, and multicultural marketing including building Frito-Lay’s Hispanic Portfolio.
Having had the good fortune of working on megabrands like Cheetos and Frappuccino, Maisie loves to take the “secret sauce” of brands and help them scale for growth by making them relevant to today’s consumer.
When she’s not working on “the People’s Craft Soda”, you can often find Maisie having a craft beer with her husband or chasing around her two young boys.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maisiechanantoniello/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/meishichan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonessodaco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonessodaco/
Email: mantoniello@jonessoda.com
Website: https://www.jonessoda.com/ and https://drinklemoncocco.com/
Show Resources:
Frito-Lay is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets, and sells corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods.
Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. As the world's largest coffeehouse chain, Starbucks is seen to be the main representation of the United States' third wave of coffee culture.
Cheetos is a brand of cheese puff snack made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Fritos creator Charles Elmer Doolin invented Cheetos in 1948, and began national distribution in the U.S. The initial success of Cheetos was a contributing factor to the merger between The Frito Company and H.W.
Frappuccino is a trademarked brand of the Starbucks Corporation for a line of highly-sweetened iced, blended coffee drinks. It consists of coffee or crème base, blended with ice and other various ingredients like flavored syrups, usually topped with whipped cream and or spices.
Forbes is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features original articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics.
TikTok, known in China as Douyin, is a Chinese video-sharing focused social networking service owned by Chinese company ByteDance. The social media platform is used to make a variety of short-form videos, from genres like dance, comedy, and education, that have a duration from 15 seconds to one minute.
A liquid ode to bad guys everywhere. Inspired by British criminals who, beginning in 1788, were transported to Australia. Pioneers in a harsh frontier colony, they proved that good things can come from a checkered past. 19 Crimes celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built. From a bad seed comes a truly great wine.
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American based multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of its products.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday Jun 28, 2021
Zelda Beckford - The Movement of the Dietary Supplement Industry in the US
Monday Jun 28, 2021
Monday Jun 28, 2021
“Supplements are regulated heavily, more so than food, and more so than like meat.” – Zelda Beckford
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Zelda Beckford, the Vice President of Quality of New Chapter, Inc., a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble Personal Health Care. We chat about Zelda’s journey from Herbalife to Beachbody, to Goop - and now - New Chapter! She sees herself as an influencer in education, leadership and company culture. Along the way, we discuss how being a child of immigrants influences her perspective on opportunity and commitment. We tackle everything from innovation, sustainability and quality control - to women leadership.
In this episode we learn:
- About the history and story of New Chapter.
- Zelda’s story growing up a first-generation American and how that influences her leadership.
- The changing landscape of quality control, regulation, and compliance within the supplement category.
- Zelda’s transition from the Director of Quality & Compliance role with Goop to VP of New Chapter and how her leadership experiences have helped to her nurture the work environment in both companies.
- How the pandemic has impacted the supplements category and the challenges and opportunities that came along with it.
- Why internal cross-functional team education is the key to her success.
- Trends in dietary supplements and the supplement industry.
About Zelda Beckford:
Zelda Beckford is the Vice President of Quality at New Chapter, Inc., a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble Personal Health Care, located in Brattleboro, Vermont. Zelda received her B.A. from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, and her M.B.A. from Webster University, Saint Louis, MO. She has almost 20 years of experience in Operations, Supply Chain, Process Improvement, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Manufacturing, Product Lifecycle Management, Business Intelligence, Warehousing, Technical Support, and IT Systems Design.
Zelda spent the first 10 years of her career progressively gaining vast QA, QC and Regulatory Compliance knowledge on a global scale for the health & wellness conglomerate, Herbalife Nutrition™. Zelda then moved on to Beachbody®, the creator of household home fitness & nutrition brands, such as Shakeology®, P90X®, 21Day Fix® and Insanity®. During her 6 years with Beachbody®, Zelda held several Quality positions and was ultimately promoted to Operations Manager, focusing on Process Improvement.
Zelda’s next endeavor led her to take on the Director of Quality & Compliance role with Goop, Inc in Santa Monica, California. During her almost 3 years with Goop, Zelda managed a robust team to provide regulatory oversight of global activities for 8 business verticals; Beauty & Wellness, Fashion, Merchandising, Home, Brand Partnerships & Advertising, E-Commerce, Edit & Content. Zelda established Goop’s Quality Department from the ground up; she created the groundwork and executed Total Quality Management principles, approved development and release of new products, standardized processes, facilitated training and development of new quality & compliance applications.
In November 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Zelda relocated from California to accept the Vice President of Quality role with New Chapter, Inc. Safeguarding quality standards is of the utmost importance when handling consumer packaged goods, and Zelda ensures compliance and standards are met at the highest levels. For almost 20 years, Zelda has applied her deep passion for Quality, broad understanding of the manufacturing process and collaborative management style to the growth and prosperity of each organization with which she has been employed. She has a strong track record implementing systems and process improvements in each of her prior companies.
Among her various professional positions, Zelda is also a published author; sharing her take on Artificial Intelligence Technology. You can find the article here: https://securitytoday.com/articles/2017/07/24/safe-and-secure-a-look-into-artificial-intelligence-technology.aspx. Zelda is dedicated to continuous learning and welcomes new challenges in her personal and professional life. Zelda values diversity & inclusion, steaming from her own background growing up a first generation American, born to parents from Honduras, Central America. She encourages clear communication and diverse points of view, as a path to building healthy culture, enlightened values, ideas, and opinions. Zelda currently resides in Amherst, MA. She can be contacted at zbeckford310@gmail.com.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zeldab310/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zweezie310
Email: zbeckford310@gmail.com
Website: https://www.newchapter.com/
Show Resources:
The Procter & Gamble Company is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble.
Goop is a wellness and lifestyle brand and company founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Launched in September 2008, Goop started out as a weekly e-mail newsletter providing new age advice, such as "police your thoughts" and "eliminate white foods", and the slogan "Nourish the Inner Aspect."
LMU Founded in 1911, LMU is a top-ranked university rooted in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions. We are committed to fostering a diverse academic community rich in opportunity for intellectual engagement and real-world experience.
Herbalife Nutrition is a global multi-level marketing corporation that develops and sells dietary supplements. The company was founded by Mark Hughes in 1980, and it employs an estimated 8,900 people worldwide.
The Beachbody Company is a privately-held American fitness and media company based in Santa Monica, California. It operates the brands Beachbody On Demand, Team Beachbody and Open fit.
Zoom is a video telephony proprietary software program developed by Zoom Video Communications. The free plan provides a video chatting service that allows up to 100 concurrent participants, with a 40-minute time restriction. Users have the option to upgrade by subscribing to a paid plan.
The United States Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, security of human and veterinary drugs and biological products.
Blueland creates everyday eco-friendly cleaning products to save you money and space, without any plastic waste.
Gucci is a luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, and accessories, makeup, fragrances, and home decoration. Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Tuscany..
The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, in Yosemite National Park.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Kailey Donewald - Tackling Compostable Packaging in the Frozen Aisle
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
Tuesday Jun 22, 2021
“All ice cream pints in the US and worldwide are not recyclable.” – Kailey Donewald
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Kailey Donewald, the founder and CEO of Sacred Serve – a plant-powered functional gelato and pioneer in 100% compostable ice cream packaging. We discuss her personal health history’s impact on the creation of Sacred Serve and the exciting future for the brand and category. We also learn about Kailey’s influence in spreading awareness of diet and disease and how a trip to Indonesia became the awakening for a healthier life. Along the way, we hear the amazing journey of a passionate leader who promotes the mission of changing the landscape of functional foods. We tackle everything from nutrition to sustainability - to Kailey’s personal commitment to food education in public schools.
In this episode we learn:
- About the history and inspiration of Sacred Serve.
- How and when Kailey identified the connection between diet and disease and the trip that literally changed her life.
- How she used her healing journey through nutrition and healthy lifestyle to create her brand.
- Trends in functional foods. (Especially frozen treats!)
- Sacred Serve’s transition from non-compostable packaging to becoming the first ice-cream brand that uses 100% plastic free and compostable ice cream cartons.
- The technology behind compostable packaging in the frozen aisle.
- Why Kailey believes brands are resistant and hesitant to use compostable packaging.
- Why Kailey makes a priority to participate in food and meal-prep education programs in one of Chicago’s public schools.
About Kailey Donewald:
I’ve spent the last 10 years traveling the world over in search of Mother Nature’s most potent cures to modern-day ailments. Living in places like India and Indonesia, studying under leading practitioners in the fields of yoga, meditation, Eastern medicine, and alternative therapies has taught me a lot. I discovered firsthand the power connection between diet and disease, having healed myself of several chronic conditions through a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet alone. With this profound understand of the body and its innate ability to heal itself, I now want to share and serve the power of Mother Nature’s most sacred elements with you.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileydonewald/
Instagram: @sacredserve
Facebook: @sacredserve
Email: kailey@sacredserve.com
Website: https://www.sacredserve.com/
Show Resources:
Fast-moving consumer goods, also known as consumer packaged goods, are products that are sold quickly and at a relatively low cost. Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods, beverages, toiletries, candies, cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs, dry goods, and other consumables.
Whole Foods Market, Inc. is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A USDA Certified Organic grocer in the United States, the chain is popularly known for its organic selections.
The Clean Label Project award program is based on food and consumer product safety issues that consumers are increasingly caring about-heavy metals, pesticide residues, and plasticizers, other chemicals of concern, and truth in labeling. All programs require unannounced retail product sampling and testing.
PCC Community Markets is a Seattle's community-owned food market since 1953 with 15 certified organic stores.
Beecher's Handmade Cheese is an artisan cheese maker and retail shop with locations in the Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington and New York City's Flatiron District.
Moon Juice: “Plant sourced alchemy to nourish and elevate body, beauty and consciousness.”
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores. As of 2020, Costco was the fifth largest retailer in the world and the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016.
Natural Products Expo, the world's largest natural, organic and healthy products event, brings together an inspired community of industry members and exhibiting companies.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Pam Montgomery - From Orchard to Table
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Monday Jun 14, 2021
“If you can understand how to learn and you have a learning mindset all the time, you can pretty much do anything.” – Pam Montgomery
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Pam Montgomery, the founder and CEO of Chukar Cherries – a pioneer in boutique food processing, that turned Pacific Northwest cherries into a global gifting brand. We discuss the history of Chukar Cherries and the a-ha moment of Pam’s product idea, including the acquisition of chocolate making “tools” from a famous chocolatier. We also learn about Pam’s leadership for driving an inclusive workplace. Along the way, we hear the amazing journey of a dedicated woman who lead the way in clean food processing, environmental stewardship, equity and has a deep passion for the agricultural community of Central Washington State.
In this episode we learn:
- About the history and inspiration of Chukar Cherries.
- The stories of hunting for and finding THE right ingredients and tools to make a premium delicious gifting chocolate. (pre-internet!)
- How she uses her real-estate back-experience to grow her brand.
- Pam’s emphasis on inclusivity, team fulfillment and leadership in Chukar’s workplace culture.
- How “box-checking” isn’t the path to growth.
- How the pandemic has impacted the business and the opportunities that came along with it.
- The drivers behind the trend of biodegradable and compostable packaging in her business.
About Pam Montgomery:
Pam Montgomery started multiple businesses in her 20’s, but it was in Northwest cherries, chocolate & wine in the late 80’s that she found her calling.
Early childhood tragedy accelerated Pam’s self-reliance, independence, and problem-solving. She was just shy of 5 years old when her mother died of polio. Her older sisters and newborn brother were sent to live with relatives in California, but Pam stayed with her father—a forester for Weyerhaeuser stationed in a tiny logging community outside of Olympia, WA. On weekdays, Pam and her dad would climb into the work truck and drive into the mountains, walking for hours inspecting new tree plantings. The family was eventually re-united, and Pam’s French-Canadian grandmother cared for Pam and her siblings for several years, during which homemade soup, fruit pie, and suet pudding were the heart of the home.
Fast forward to 1988: Pam and her young family escaped the bustle of Seattle to purchase the largest family-owned cherry orchard in Washington State. 8000 trees and three daughters (under the age of four) later, she had an idea. On her daily walk around the orchard, Pam noticed that cherries left on the tree after harvest increased in natural sugar while slowly dehydrating. Their flavor was incomparable! A question nagged her, why couldn’t cherries be dried without adding sugar for a healthy year ‘round snack?
At the time, no one was drying cherries without preservatives, sulfites, or added sugars. Pam reached out to UC Davis—the research center for California’s raisin and prune industries. They told her it could not be done. Undeterred, Pam started experimenting on her own and found that the natural sugars in a cherry that was allowed to fully ripen on the tree were sufficient. Pam began dehydrating Bing & Rainier cherries with no added ingredients whatsoever.
Later, on a trip to London, Pam visited the famous Harrods department store and their huge art deco confectionery hall filled with European fruits—preserved and chocolate covered. Visually, it was stunning, and the naturally dried dark sweet cherries covered in chocolate astonished her. She purchased a jar to take home as inspiration to create a Pacific Northwest chocolate-covered cherry.
Over the next three decades Chukar’s product line blossomed from naturally dried & chocolate covered cherries to cherry & nut energy snacks, fruitful preserves & sauces, baked goods & granola, and now regional wine & chocolate pairings—all made with clean ingredients and local cherries. When the pandemic stopped many businesses in their tracks, Chukar continued in their capacity as a food processor, selling their goods at CHUKAR.COM
Since 1988 Pam has remained the creative force in Chukar Cherries—creating a team culture committed to excellence in product development, customer retention, and sustainability.
Perhaps Pam’s greatest contribution has been mentorship within her company. Notably, she’s willing to “take a chance” and hire young people in whom she sees potential, regardless of their level of experience.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-montgomery-0b666715/
Email: Pam@Chukar.com
Website: http://www.chukar.com/
Show Resources:
The University of California, Davis is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system.
Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority.
The Guittard Chocolate Company is an American-based chocolate maker which produces couverture chocolate, using original formulas and traditional French methods. The company is headquartered in Burlingame, California.
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company, Delaware-registered but it is headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world’s largest telecommunications company, and the second largest provider of mobile telephone services.
Battelle Memorial Institute (or Battelle) is a private nonprofit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
Whole Foods Market, Inc. is an American multinational supermarket chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from hydrogenated fats and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. A USDA Certified Organic grocer in the United States, the chain is popularly known for its organic selections.
Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company based in Seattle, Washington, which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
Food & Wine Classic in Aspen is a culinary event that consists of three incredible days of cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and panel discussions by world-class chefs and wine experts.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday Jun 07, 2021
Molly Ruland - Building The Listening Revolution Through Podcasting
Monday Jun 07, 2021
Monday Jun 07, 2021
“You're not going to build an audience with three podcasts.” – Molly Ruland
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Molly Ruland, the founder, and CEO of Heartcast Media. We discuss podcasts, and how the platform has provided a powerful listening revolution for brands and professionals. We learn about ways that brands can utilize podcasts to humanize themselves and authentically connect with consumers. Along the way, we get to meet one of the hardworking business leaders whose passion extends past the microphone and office space into cultural revolution and human rights.
In this episode we learn:
- A background of Heartcast Media and the reason it exists
- Molly’s journey of transitioning from One Love Massive (a multi-sensory creative platform founded in D.C.) to Heartcast Media which focuses supporting brands, NGO’s, and businesses in podcast/content creation and distribution.
- The rise of audio storytelling and how podcasting has evolved in the last several years.
- Podcasts ability to humanize a brand and develop relationships with consumers and business partners.
- How podcasts can be an effective advertising tool for consumer brands.
- The importance of being intentional when starting a podcast by using your mission and business goals to drive content creation.
- Podcasting 101: for companies, organizations and humans.
About Molly Ruland:
Molly Ruland has spent the last 20 years elevating and amplifying voices through community, art, music and culture. Heartcast Media was formed in 2018 to create a sustainable podcast production offering for business, brands, think tanks, and organizations with a message. She currently produces content for NATO, The Dept of Health, DC Gov, several podcasts for The Atlantic Council and many more. Molly believes that "listening is the revolution" and she aspires to make the world a better place with intentional content.
Guests Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.heartcastmedia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heartcastmedia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartcastmediadc/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeartcastMedia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartcastmedia/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCfuiqNu9ZqWMGjMEV8ySA
Email: info@heartcastmedia.com
Show Resources:
Ad Sales in the Packaged Goods Industry on The Rise
One Love Massive is a multimedia platform and cultural hub for all things creative in the DMV. We are a booking agency, marketing firm, production company and talent collective all housed in a 3 story building across the street from the Historic Howard Theatre where we have a podcast studio, recording studio and a live music stage.
Go-go is a popular music subgenre associated with funk originating in the Washington, D.C., area during the mid-60s to late-70s which remains popular in the Washington metropolitan area as a uniquely regional music style. It became the official music of the city in 2020.
The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937.
Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially when the signals cross a national boundary.
Frito-Lay is an American subsidiary of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets, and sells corn chips, potato chips, and other snack foods.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are items used daily by average consumers that require routine replacement or replenishment, such as food, beverages, clothes, tobacco, makeup, and household products.
TikTok, known in China as Douyin, is a video-sharing social networking service owned by Chinese company ByteDance. The social media platform is used to make a variety of short-form videos, from genres like dance, comedy, and education that have duration from 15 seconds to one minute.
Black Lives Matter is a decentralized political and social movement protesting against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people.
FreshBooks is accounting software operated by 2ndSite Inc. primarily for small and medium-sized businesses. It is web-based software as a service model that can be accessed through a desktop or mobile device. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. was created in 2014 to provide fresh, fast, and affordable Southern comfort food to the masses. Our solution was perfecting the biscuit – making them with hormone-free dairy, real butter, and no preservatives. Through grassroots support, smart growth and investment, and growing demand, we also launched a CPG line of frozen biscuits in 2015 available nationwide and growing.
Black Girl Ventures’ mission is to provide Black/Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building in order to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in building, growing and evolving brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday May 24, 2021
Kate Flynn - Compostable Packaging Is HOT
Monday May 24, 2021
Monday May 24, 2021
“Meeting the needs of the consumer and meeting the needs of the environment sometimes is tricky.” – Kate Flynn
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Kate Flynn, the founder and CEO of Sun & Swell Foods. We discuss the history of Sun & Swell Foods – one of the first food and snacking brands leading the way in the use of composable packaging. We also learn about the evolvement of sustainable packaging and Kate’s leadership in driving this hot topic. Along the way, we learn the amazing journey of a passionate leader in creating a more inclusive, accessible and affordable real food products for all consumers.
Fast becoming the leader and go to source for
In this episode we learn:
About the history and inspiration of Sun & Swell Foods.
Sun & Swell’s brand transition from a traditional CPG brand to a direct-to-consumer brand.
Kate’s journey from being a consultant in a firm focused on retail and consumer products to having a CPG brand herself.
The evolvement of compostable packaging technology.
How to create accessibility, affordability for mainstream consumers in the healthy food category.
The advice she finds herself consistently giving entrepreneurs who have family members or loved ones as their business partners.
About Kate Flynn:
In 2017, Kate Flynn, and her husband and co-founder, Bryan Flynn, launched their natural food company, Sun & Swell Foods. Their mission is to make healthy and sustainable eating more accessible with their collection of sustainably-packaged, organic, plant-based pantry staples and snacks. Sun & Swell is the first food company in the US to offer a wide array of healthy foods in compostable, plastic-free packaging.
With a background in business economics and nutrition and a penchant for creating her own healthy snacks, Kate brings a unique set of skills to Sun & Swell Foods. Early on, she pursued her academic career at UC Santa Barbara and graduated with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School. Kate’s professional career included a consulting role as a brand strategist in the retail and consumer products space, where she focused on brand and growth strategy for various leading CPG brands. After spending nearly ten years in the consumer products world, she was looking to do something more purposeful and fulfilling that would positively impact the world. In 2017, Kate took a leap of faith to follow her real passion for health and wellness to start Sun & Swell Foods with Bryan.
Leading up to this, Kate had switched to a more natural lifestyle, including eating only ‘whole foods.’ She realized that eating a whole food diet made her feel better, both physically and mentally, and realized that she wanted to keep eating this way. However, when she looked around for packaged foods to accommodate this new way of eating, she realized there were no options available. Most packaged foods are made with artificial ingredients and loaded with added sugars, preservatives, and flavors. This realization sparked an idea, and Sun & Swell Foods was born.
When sourcing ingredients, Kate and her team buy organic ingredients as close to the source and farm as possible, seeking out small family farms. Sun & Swell is a Certified B-Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of the revenue to environmental non-profits addressing two areas the founders are deeply passionate about: regenerative farming and ocean health.
When not running the company’s day-to-day, Kate loves frequenting Santa Barbara’s local farmers’ markets and beaches and spending time with her husband and newborn daughter, Leila. Kate is also a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-flynn-15187726/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateflynn1/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunandswellfoods/
Website: https://sunandswellfoods.com/
Show Resources:
Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
Kurt Salmon was a global management and strategy consulting firm formed by the merger of Ineum Consulting and Kurt Salmon Associates in January 2011.
Accenture plc is an Irish-domiciled multinational company that provides consulting and processing services. A Fortune Global 500 company, it reported revenues of $44.33 billion in 2020 and had 537,000 employees. In 2015, the company had about 150,000 employees in India, 48,000 in the US, and 50,000 in the Philippines.
Clif Bar & Company is an American company that produces energy foods and drinks. The company's flagship product, CLIF Bar, was created by Gary Erickson and Lisa Thomas. The company is based in Emeryville, California, and is privately held.
Trader Joe's is a German-owned chain of grocery stores in the United States headquartered in Monrovia, California. By 2015, it was a competitor in "fresh format" grocery stores in the United States. By November 2019, Trader Joe's had over 503 stores nationwide in 42 states and Washington, D.C.
For over 50 years, ECOS’ mission has been to protect the health & wellness of people, pets, & the planet with sustainable & affordable cleaning products.
Walmart Inc. is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores. As of 2020, Costco was the fifth largest retailer in the world and the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016.
The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the United States' largest supermarket by revenue, and the second-largest general retailer.
The United States Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2009, Tory Burch launched the Tory Burch Foundation to advance women's empowerment and entrepreneurship in the United States by providing access to capital, education and digital resources, as well as a Fellowship program.
Tea Drops are organic whole leaf tea shaped into fun drops that melt into finely ground plant fibre.
Peloton Interactive, Inc. is an American exercise equipment and media company based in New York City. It was founded in 2012 by John Foley and launched with help from a Kickstarter funding campaign in 2013.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
3:47 Kate shares a little bit of history about her brand Sun and Swell Foods, what’s it’s all about and why it exists
6:00 Kate talks about her experience in transitioning from being a consultant in a firm focused on retail and consumer products to having a CPG brand herself
10:50 Kate talks about the process f how her brand is evolving from a traditional CPG brand to a DTC type of thing and the impact this has
14:10 Kate also talks about where she is in the process to have a Whole Foods kind of standard of product ingredients which is accessible and affordable
18:07 Kate also talks about the process that they use so that they can be able to lower their prices for their products so as to make them accessible to all people
20:00 Kate talks about the importance of understanding what the goal of your business is before making any huge decisions on what you want to lead with
21:54 Kate also advices other businesses owners the importance of picking the niche that they want to be known for and being really good at it
24:31Kate talks about why as a brand you need to know what you are leading with and how you are messaging that to your consumers
26:49 Kate talks about her leadership in the waste reduction, compostable packaging alternatives, how it starting to show up in the market and the impact it has and how she’s advising others
32:05 Kate talks about compostable packaging and if it would work on products that have a long shelf life of even up to four years
35:09 Kate talks about her experience in having her husband as a business partner and how they are managing their business and personal lives
38:01Kate shares her advice to entrepreneurs who have family members as their business partners on how they can manage everything and be successful
39:57 Kate talks about the importance of finding a reason to have a break from work for a few hours so as to avoid burnouts
41:07 Kate talks about the importance of having a mentor and also mentoring others behind you and why you should be in a network full of all kind of entrepreneurs
43:33 Kate shares what she feels is an amazing fact about their industry that most people didn’t know and would be amazed to know
44:55 Kate talks about other women leaders that she admires and would love to elevate in this podcast
46:11 Kate talks about the brands and trends that she has her eyes on and why
47:02 Kate shares some tips that she uses to keep herself sane and centered these days
Monday May 17, 2021
Sashee Chandran - Pioneering the New Tea Culture in America
Monday May 17, 2021
Monday May 17, 2021
“Luck is hard work and opportunity meeting.” – Sashee Chandran
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Sashee Chandran, the founder and CEO of Tea Drops. We discuss the historical colonial influence in American tea culture and how her diverse background has encouraged her to create something new: Tea Drops. We also learn about the tea category shaking innovation of Tea Drops' products and some of the trends her brand is leveraging. Along the way, we get to hear the inspirational story of a diligent and humble entrepreneur who transforms the traditional way of enjoying tea.
In this episode we learn:
- About the history and inspiration of Tea Drops.
- The surprising A-ha moment of her product idea.
- About her go-to-market alternate channel strategy, and why it worked.
- Where Sashee’s passion and drive for risk-taking come from.
- What Tea Drop's give-back program has been doing to tackle the global water crisis.
- Diana and Sashee's personal stories about their love for tea and how tea has helped them connect to their loved ones.
About Sashee Chandran:
Sashee Chandran is the founder and CEO of Tea Drops, which creates bagless whole leaf teas using a patented process — shedding about 15% less waste than traditional tea bag packaging. Tea Drops has become a favorite among new and experienced tea drinkers alike, launching innovative tea experiences that merge flavorful blends, food art and edgy design. Tea Drops an omnichannel brand, selling D2C and also available in 1,500 retailers — loved by Oprah Magazine, Chrissy Teigen, and former first lady Michelle Obama. Sashee is a 1st Place $20K Women Founders Network pitch winner, 1st Place $100K Tory Burch Fellow Grant winner, and the 1st place $50K PepsiCo WomanMade Challenge winner. She has also raised over $3.5M in VC funding for Tea Drops.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasheechandran/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sasheechandran/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sasheec
Email: sashee@myteadrop.com
Website: https://www.myteadrop.com/
Show Resources:
Loose leaf tea is tea that does not come pre-packaged in tea bags. Because the leaves are not crammed into a tea bag, the tea maintains a higher quality and aroma while offering the best possible health benefits.
eBay Inc. is an American multinational e-commerce corporation based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995, and became a notable success story of the dot-com bubble.
Bubble tea is a tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s. It most commonly consists of tea accompanied by chewy tapioca balls, but it can be made with other toppings as well.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.
Tory Burch Foundation competition Designed to provide women entrepreneurs with the tools and platform necessary to grow their business.
8Greens is an effervescent dietary supplement tablet, packed with enough superfoods to give your healthy diet a green boost.
United Natural Foods, Inc. is a Providence, R.I.-based natural and organic food company. It is the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor of health and specialty food in the United States and Canada. UNFI is Whole Foods Market's main supplier, with their traffic making up over a third of its revenue in 2018.
Nordstrom, Inc. is an American luxury department store chain. Founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin, it originated as a shoe store and evolved into a full-line retailer with departments for clothing, footwear, handbags, jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances.
Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., originally Neiman-Marcus, is an American chain of luxury department stores owned by the Neiman Marcus Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The Thirst Project is a non-profit organization whose aim is to bring safe drinking water to communities around the world where it is not immediately available. The Thirst Project collects money and builds wells all across the continent of Africa where villages do not have immediate drinking water.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday May 10, 2021
Monday May 10, 2021
“It’s important to be able to leave a footprint and get to know an impact.” – Jessica Lyons
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Jessica Lyons, the Director of Promotions and E-Commerce of PCC Community Markets. We discuss the history of PCC Community Markets - the nation's largest community-owned food market. We also learn more about PCC's initiatives in building relationships with potential brands and what they do to drive organic as a standard. Along the way, we get to hear the amazing story of an inquisitive and resourceful relationship builder who continuously creates a thriving community around her.
In this episode we learn:
About PCC Community Market and their involvement in the monumental changes within the food industry at a national level.
About the vendor partner program that Jess is managing and some common misconceptions about this program.
Customers' high demand for product's transparency in the food and naturals industry.
How the vendor partner program has helped underserved and underrepresented communities in the food/naturals industry.
About Jessica’s emphasis on creating a community, and following passions.
Diana and Jessica's personal stories about imposter syndrome and how to transform that into positive energy which creates growth and self-awareness.
About Jessica Lyons:
Jessica (Jess) Lyons has built her career following her passions. She’s been successful in a wide range of experiences throughout her nearly two-decade-long career, making her a valuable Swiss army knife in any workplace. Jess currently serves as Director of Promotions and E-Commerce for PCC Community Markets, the nation’s largest community-owned food market. In this role, she lives out her foodie fantasies with a company centered around community and scratch-made organic food with a sustainable twist. Her greatest achievements at PCC include project managing an overnight co-op-wide rebrand, overhauling the in-store sign program, and developing a strategic, revenue-generating vendor partnership program.
Prior to PCC, Jess’s enthusiasm for running was the starting line for 15 years in the outdoor industry. She gained retail and sales expertise during her 10 years with Finish Line and Fleet Feet Sports before joining Brooks Running Company to lead the retail marketing team. Her time with Brooks Running also included sales and customer acquisition, event marketing, and community partnerships.
A native Texan, she proudly builds upon her hands-on experiences and is a self-starter by nature. When she’s not working or running, she can be found leading community fitness, hanging out with her husband and son, or cooking up something plant-based in the kitchen.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaelyons/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyonsqueen117/?hl=en
Email: jesslyons117@gmail.com
Website: https://www.pccmarkets.com/
Show Resources:
Brooks Sports, Inc., also known as Brooks Running, is an American sports Equipment Company that designs and markets high-performance men's and women's sneakers, clothing, and accessories. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Brooks’ products are available in 60 countries worldwide.
Ventures: they're a nonprofit group in Seattle and they work with entrepreneurs. A lot of them are low income or people of color or immigrants or women that are basically incubated to launch their products.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are items used daily by average consumers that require routine replacement or replenishment, such as food, beverages, clothes, tobacco, makeup, and household products.
UDaB's mission as an alternative breaks program is to create a variety of issue-based, service-learning experiences. Our programs are available to undergraduate students of all backgrounds and incomes during spring and winter breaks.
Hint Water is an American beverage company based in San Francisco, California, as an alternative to soda and sugar beverages. It was started by former AOL employee Kara Goldin.
The November Project is a free, open-to-the-public exercise group founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2011. The name "November Project" comes from the Google Doc that the founders shared to track their progress in November 2011. While sessions occur year-round, the name stuck.
Recovery Café Network (RCN) is comprised of Member organizations committed to serving people suffering from homelessness, addiction and other mental health challenges using the Recovery Café Model.
Lily's Sweets is a line of delicious chocolate bars, baking bits and baking bars that have less than 1 gram of sugar per serving.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday May 03, 2021
Monday May 03, 2021
“Better-for-you Foods was here to stay, and more consumers wanted it, but that required education.” – Cynthia Tice
This week on the Gooder Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Cynthia Tice, the Founder of Lily’s Sweets. We discuss the history of Lily’s Sweets -
a leader in the no added sugar movement. We also learn about the history of the naturals industry and some trends that have come up in the natural products industry and Better-For-You brands. Along the way, we learn the extraordinary journey of a passionate leader in finding and building a creative naturals community through Lily’s Sweets.
In this episode we learn:
- The legacy and history of Lily’s Sweets.
- Cynthia’s journey of dispelling myths around using naturals products throughout her career.
- How the pandemic has given consumers a reset moment to reevaluate health and consumption habits.
- The evolvement of the natural products industry and accessibility to naturals/Better-For-You products.
- About Cynthia’s emphasis on leadership, mentorship, and the importance of creating a collaborative culture.
- How a do-it-yourself mentality is a strength and (sometimes) a challenge for entrepreneurs.
- The advice she finds herself consistently giving entrepreneurs who have been approaching a professional transition.
About Cynthia Tice:
Cynthia Tice got her start in the natural foods industry before green juice was cool. She opened a natural foods grocery store, Center Foods, in Philadelphia in 1978, and owned and operated that store for 20 years. As supermarkets realized the staying power of natural and organic foods, Tice began consulting retailers on how to launch or build out their natural and organic offerings. She also began advising brands looking to launch natural and organic products. While working with a client who wanted to launch a natural soda, Tice became aware of the opportunity for naturally sweetened, no added sugar foods. This trend was emerging because of growing consumer sentiments to limit sugar, along with all time high levels of distrust of non-nutritive artificial sweeteners.
As a long-time user of stevia, when the ingredient was granted GRAS status in 2008, Tice began experimenting with making chocolate with stevia to satisfy her own need for a no added sugar chocolate (her favorite food) that she could eat daily. In 2011, the recipe was perfected using not only stevia, but also the finest Fair Trade, additive-free, and Non-GMO other ingredients in order to benefit both people and planet. By 2012, Lily's Sweets was on shelves in Whole Foods stores nationwide. Today, Lily's Sweets remains a leader in the no added sugar movement through continued innovation, and the company's chocolates and confections can be found in more than 24,000 stores nationwide. Lily's Sweets has been recognized by Forbes as a, "mission-driven company reinventing the packaged food industry.”
Cynthia stepped away from the daily running of Lily’s in 2018, and spends her time working with Non-Profits, and mentoring young entrepreneurs. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Dennis, of 30+ years, near her parents, her children, and their spouses/partners, and four family dogs!
Guest Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-tice-4a87a648/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/LilysSweets/?ref=page_internal
Website: https://lilys.com/
Show Resources:
Stevia is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana, native to Brazil and Paraguay. The active compounds are steviol glycosides, which have 30 to 150 times the sweetness of sugar, are heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable.
Alar Scare - In early 1989, the NRDC released a report on Alar, a chemical used to harvest apples. The report estimated that Alar caused cancer and children were at greater risk.
Mothers & Others, a campaign that rallied concerned citizens who supported NRDC in the fight for tougher pesticide residue standards, standards that—thanks to a law passed 10 years later—would protect particularly vulnerable subpopulations such as infants and young children.
FMI Corporation For over 65 years, FMI has been the leading management consulting and investment banking* firm dedicated exclusively to engineering and construction, infrastructure, and the built environment.
Campaign to label GMOs: Using the hashtag #ConcealOrReveal, the campaign reached over 28 million people through social media. In addition to mobilizing American consumers around GMO labeling, Just Label It! won support from many food companies it targeted.
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., is a privately held American supermarket chain; it is headquartered in Gates, New York. As of March 2021, Wegmans has 105 stores in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions.
Acme Markets Inc. is a supermarket chain operating 163 stores throughout Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and, as of 1999, is a subsidiary of Albertsons, and part of its presence in the Northeast.
VMG is an organization comprised of diverse people and points of view, and we are aligned in our mission to challenge the status quo. We encourage everyone in our ecosystem to cultivate a safe space in your communities and to operate with compassion and empathy.
Maxlove Project is an innovative, parent-driven, volunteer-powered, grassroots nonprofit organization founded to help SuperKids thrive against cancer and related life-threatening illnesses with integrative medicine and “Fierce Foods” anticancer nutrition.
The Family Thrive delivers strategies, tools and experts that help families create joyful, meaningful, thriving lives.
Episode Sponsor - Retail Voodoo:
A creative marketing firm specializing in growing, fixing and reinventing brands in the food, beverage, wellness and fitness industry. If your natural brand is in need of positioning, package design or marketing activation, we’re here to help. You can find more information at www.retail-voodoo.com
Monday Apr 26, 2021
April Siler - The Evolvement of Supplements Industry
Monday Apr 26, 2021
Monday Apr 26, 2021
"The pandemic was everybody's chief digital officer accelerant.”
This week on the Gooder Podcast I had the pleasure of talking with April Siler, the CEO at 8Greens. We discuss the history about 8Greens and how their product first entered into consumer’s visibility. We also learn about the trends that have come up in the supplements industry, accelerated due to the pandemic. Along the way we learn the story of an experienced brand builder who incorporates the lessons that she learned as a professional athlete into the corporate world and running a business.
In this episode we learn:
- The legacy of 8Greens and the taste innovation of their first product.
- How the supplements industry has shifted and been impacted by the pandemic.
- How, as a supplement brand, 8Greens leveraged an alt-channel strategy on the front end of the beauty supplement trend to become a dominant player in this growing consumer category.
- About April’s emphasis on diversity, inclusion and the importance of creating a collaborative culture.
- How marketing and creative experience in a CEO role produces a different
organization growth mindset than that of a traditional MBA approach.
- The advice she finds herself consistently giving Gen Z mentees.
About April Siler:
April Siler, the CEO of 8Greens, is a globally experienced brand builder specializing in driving health and wellness innovation. 8Greens, a digitally native brand, is experiencing triple digit growth by delivering exactly what consumers are seeking in this moment, an easy and convenient way to build immunity and boost overall health.
Prior to joining 8Greens April was the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Global Development for Califia Farms. During Califia’s most intensive 3- year growth period April spearheaded all USA marketing in addition to executing all operational aspects of the brand’s internationalization. April previously led marketing and sales at The Chia Co. From the brand’s creative inception through to development of a world first innovation-Chia Pod, where April partnered with world champion surfer Kelly Slater for brand communications.
April also led marketing initiatives for Australia’s largest food and beverage packaging manufacturer, Visy, a $6.7bn privately held company. At Visy, she developed packaging innovation for the top ten accounts—including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Fosters, Diageo—and developed the company’s consumer insights platform. April has a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Economics, from Monash University in Melbourne. April played professional basketball in Australia and Europe, rowed for Melbourne University Boat Club and has a passion for nutritious foods.
Guests Social Media Links:
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-siler-b8790711/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/april_siler/?hl=en
Website: https://8greens.com/;https://thechiaco.com/au/
Show Resources:
At Califia Farms, we're all about creating delicious, plant-powered foods with natural ingredients. Because we believe the world needs a healthier food system.
8Greens is an effervescent dietary supplement tablet, packed with enough superfoods to give your healthy diet a green boost.
The Chia Co are the largest producers of Chia seed in the world. Founder and CEO John Foss, discovered the benefits of Chia while researching natural solutions to modern diet related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol.
Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company based in Seattle,Washington, which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.
A dot-com company, or simply a dot-com, is a company that does most of its business on the Internet, usually through a website on the World Wide Web that uses the popular top-level domain ".com".
Nordstrom, Inc. is an American luxury department store chain. Founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin, it originated as a shoe store and evolved into a full-line retailer with departments for clothing, footwear, handbags, jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, and fragrances.
Bluemercury.com is a leading luxury beauty retailer offering the best cosmetics, skin care, makeup, perfume, hair, and bath and body.
Goop is a wellness and lifestyle brand and company founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Launched in September 2008, Goop started out as a weekly e-mail newsletter providing new age advice, such as "police your thoughts" and "eliminate white foods", and the slogan "Nourish the Inner Aspect."
Target Corporation is an American retail corporation. The eighth-largest retailer in the United States, it is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Its largest competitors, Walmart and Amazon.com, are the first and second largest retailers, respectively.
Slack is a proprietary business communication platform developed by American software company Slack Technologies. Slack offers many IRC-style features, including persistent chat rooms organized by topic, private groups, and direct messaging
Bluestone Lane is an Australian cafe lifestyle in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, D.C., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Toronto.
Rosé Water is a refreshing combination of pure, sparkling water blended with dry rosé wine, produced in the heart of Bordeaux, France. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Produced by Boutique Beverage Company, LLC.
SodaStream International Ltd. is an Israel-based manufacturing company best known as the maker of the consumer home carbonation product of the same name. The soda machine, like a soda syphon, carbonates water by adding carbon dioxide from a pressurized cylinder to create soda water to drink.
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
2:21 April talks about how the pandemic has impacted people in the one year period in New York where she is
3:10 April shares a little bit of history about her brand 8Greens, what it is about and why it exists
5:45 April talks about entry and how their product first entered into consumer’s visibility or market and how they leveraged that
8:00 April talks about the makeup category versus the skin care category and their presence in the market and what the consumer is preferring more
9:27 April shares her journey of becoming a CEO of their company especially during the pandemic and how it has been
12:48 April talks about how the supplements industries are communicating with each other now that the supplements industry has shifted and increased the sales due to the pandemic
15:15 April also talks about the benefits of people being more tapped into supply chains and understanding how brands do their sourcing
16:45 April also explains how she is using the lessons that she learned while doing her sports in the corporate world and running a business
20:32 April talks about how the society used to view women back in the days like 20 years ago and how they were not allowed to be in the C-suite level as compared to now
22:38 April also talks about how her entering into the CEO role from a marketing background, creative and the strategic side helped her run the business perfectly
27:00 April explains why marketers know how to drive growth and create growth opportunities with the consumer that translates that into product offering more
30:16 April also shares some tips to people who want to be in the natural industry to do better than those that are conventional
33:00 April talks about equity and diversity in a company and why people especially the ones in the C-suite level know that all lives matter
34:20 April talks about retailers that are really doing a good job in regards to diversity, inclusion and equality
35:46 April shares the guidance and advice that she always finds herself giving to the Gen Z in regards to business
39:40 April talks about feedback and communication and why CEOs and leaders need to use the tools that younger people are more comfortable with such as Slack
43:18 April talks about Slack and how it has changed the business world and why businesses need to adapt to this platform as compared to emails
46:04 April talks about working remotely and how this change due to the pandemic is positively impacting the business world
47:39 April shares what she feels is a very interesting tidbit in her industry that people would be amazed when they hear it
48:36 April talks about other women that she would like to elevate in this podcast and that she admires for the work that they are doing
50:59 April talks about the brands and trends that she has her eyes on and why
52:29 April also shares the tips that are helping her to be sane and centered especially during the pandemic