Founder Turned Down Amazon Over 100 Times. Her Margins Will Tell You Why | dip | Kate Assaraf

Founder Turned Down Amazon Over 100 Times. Her Margins Will Tell You Why | dip | Kate Assaraf

How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Kate Assaraf built dip into a brand sold in 400 to 500 independent stores without spending a cent on advertising, and she's said no to Amazon more than a hundred times. She started with $40,000 and still owns 100% of the business. In this episode, Kate sits down with Nate to explain the thinking behind a go-to-market strategy that runs counter to almost everything other consumer brands do. She shares why selling through zero-waste stores, salons and surf shops protects both her retailers and her margins, and why putting dip on Amazon would undercut the relationships her whole business is built on. The conversation digs into the financial side too. When her contract manufacturer went bankrupt, Kate took the risk of building her own factory, which removed the distributor and co-manufacturer markups and gave her room to hold prices steady while others raised theirs. She talks through working capital, tiny MOQs, and why her inventory system is really just her team keeping an eye on the shelves. There's also a great section on what she does instead of paid ads: taking her top store owners on retreats to Morocco, the Dominican Republic, the Catskills and Tennessee, treating the people who actually sell her product as her most valuable marketing channel. To date she's redirected over $5 million into local economies through her independent retailers. Kate and Nate also get into greenwashing and why synthetic isn't automatically worse than natural, her grateful dead-stock packaging idea, why she'll never take on an investor or a business partner, and what's behind her decision to finally start advertising for the first time, mostly to drive customers into the independent stores she cares about. Find dip at https://www.dipalready.com and use the store locator to find a stockist near you.  Connect with Kate on LinkedIn, and  follow dip on Instagram and TikTok at @dipalready. I hope you enjoyed this episode!  Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.  – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinking Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

Getting Into Whole Foods Won't Save Your Beverage Brand. Here's What Will. | Kirra Iced Tea | Jerrod Clancy

How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/free-p... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUd4STdiNzdOS3JKOVFOYXNTTTJNOVZ4dVFjd3xBQ3Jtc0trOUNoUlJycHItdEtFSVF5T21pSU9KeU11eklsRnNMbkUxbG5kZGkycDh1dDZ3YzJPSkNxQzdndVdQcDE4RHVUMDU4SHY3R1hYOWQ4U19udDdqYkxfN1J3VXd5WUVRY2FaVGxWMDRIeG9JQjE1bGhaSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurereadycfo.com%2Ffree-profit-audit&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Jerrod Clancy built Kirra Iced Tea without venture capital, without grocery shelf space, and without a marketing budget — and turned a profit doing it. Instead of following the conventional CPG playbook, Jerrod went all in on food service, placing Kirra in restaurants, fast casual cafes, and food service accounts where the brand now does eight to ten times the velocity of a comparable Whole Foods placement, across just 240 doors. In this episode, Nate and Jerrod break down the real unit economics of food service versus retail, why so many beverage brands are losing money on every sale and don't know it, how Jerrod raised over a million dollars from angels and friends without loving the process, and what it actually takes to bounce back after watching hundreds of thousands of dollars of inventory get bulldozed into landfill. If you're a CPG founder wondering whether the conventional playbook is really worth it, this episode will make you think twice. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn:   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3FTV0VtZU1QaXp4clNYbmJuek4wUWk0M0pIUXxBQ3Jtc0tranRUTGNQNnRRd3RBazR3aW16eU96M3J1bGZXUklSb0c0Rmp2THpUaWFsMUQzZ0pkV0h4OXg3SnVDWXV6YzJ3RW5zRFhfaW5NWmR3VmFNdVBxQUw5MzM4SjVQWk9fa2RjeWoxV3JqLUtKRVRDSEdoUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fnathanlittlewood%2F&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y]https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3FTV0VtZU1QaXp4clNYbmJuek4wUWk0M0pIUXxBQ3Jtc0tranRUTGNQNnRRd3RBazR3aW16eU96M3J1bGZXUklSb0c0Rmp2THpUaWFsMUQzZ0pkV0h4OXg3SnVDWXV6YzJ3RW5zRFhfaW5NWmR3VmFNdVBxQUw5MzM4SjVQWk9fa2RjeWoxV3JqLUtKRVRDSEdoUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fnathanlittlewood%2F&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y / nathanlittlewood  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3FTV0VtZU1QaXp4clNYbmJuek4wUWk0M0pIUXxBQ3Jtc0tranRUTGNQNnRRd3RBazR3aW16eU96M3J1bGZXUklSb0c0Rmp2THpUaWFsMUQzZ0pkV0h4OXg3SnVDWXV6YzJ3RW5zRFhfaW5NWmR3VmFNdVBxQUw5MzM4SjVQWk9fa2RjeWoxV3JqLUtKRVRDSEdoUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fnathanlittlewood%2F&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbV9RWEo1OUQzYmNDb09QVE1oMXJQTHROZmxjQXxBQ3Jtc0tsV1BkQ3F1ZDF2eHZLdXRtelRQZC0taXFILVpmRVhDc09GRzMwQnIyR1FIQUxqMUQ1WkhWdDA2bmUyUmxGdkoyQ3pKMmMzRHpoeWZNMlY4ZmJqWXM0MmhiZ204X0hRczFOeEtqM0F4eXZ0UTZXNUNzWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurereadycfo.com%2F&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsle... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmNHeFhTM0JrQmVXTnFkclE3OGx2VkVWOWRuZ3xBQ3Jtc0trcW1GX3VuZjZhWVhES0stS0RpNUhHRDFBZmlBRzR5TjdPd09pbW9PTEdaRHBJMWdrWW16QXZwajR1LTBrVnJvaEVDN0FoVE5CakxORmMxVURlTE9Feld5UE1DWnZBTGRKQ3lWUnYwNlV0OWlZb1BVRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurereadycfo.com%2Fnewsletter&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0pTQ2dIRmM3UVlnWTdwSEtRN1BVRGNpVU1hd3xBQ3Jtc0trb0Z2a2N6VTZ5VEdYRUZ4dWN5Qlh4LWpYdVZDU0k5Q2FzNnVYSlNTa3UwdEtLX2hKbnJPRzNXbkYzYzhoV3ZJUWlEODQ2SkVUZURaLVdfdzVRNmJlWk9vNmthSGVQYkhja1pDOTdCWmVlcndfdjNncw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fshow%2F1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXI&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUZsVUZfc1YxajAzRWJpYVhWRjllY0F4Uzl3QXxBQ3Jtc0ttdWROLW9YUkc3UXBzRmg2WDZVb3dWU0VhR0ZoMWV0ODhlakN3UFR5bDlqdVVrZEladEhOcHpyRC13alNHay1NSHZiZEY0d3NQZTJJQmZNM25mc2RWLVhURnc0MzhncXlUTVNFOU1YRndhYVZnUUp1aw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fprofits-on-purpose%2Fid1826982087&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1NBclJNbWRkSGhpZlZQNTAtWHlSY1FDNU9rZ3xBQ3Jtc0tra2MyOW1vaGVZT1lfek1FLXV1X1BaYldDMTVFMXF3SUdRcWFBbkw4Tkdrb3NTNWE2MFA4OE1ZUW9hYk5GRlJmWTVJVmJQNnZTZUMwVjFSNm1BUV9aOXUxdVJBa29CSGZYdkNxUE1vU1hGanJFcWpGNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fprofits-on-purpose%2Fid1826982087&v=-kWfQb1tK0Y] #profitsonpurpose [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/profitsonpurpose] #nathanlittlewood [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nathanlittlewood] #futurereadycfo [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/futurereadycfo] #financeleadership [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/financeleadership] #cfoinsights [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cfoinsights] #purposeledbusiness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/purposeledbusiness] #scalingforimpact [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/scalingforimpact] #financialstrategy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/financialstrategy] #purposeledprofit [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/purposeledprofit] #missiondrivengrowth [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/missiondrivengrowth] #sustainablebusiness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sustainablebusiness] #businessleaders [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/businessleaders] #entrepreneurmindset [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/entrepreneurmindset] #financialclarity [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/financialclarity] #scalingbusinesses [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/scalingbusinesses] #ethicalentrepreneurship [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/ethicalentrepreneurship] #businessstrategy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/businessstrategy] #impactfulleadership [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/impactfulleadership] #cforole [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/cforole] #executivethinking [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/executivethinking] Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of gen...

Your Pricing Strategy Is Costing You More Than Your Ads | IntelliGems | Andrew Marconi

How Does Your Brand Stack Up? Download our FREE eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template Most eCommerce founders set a price once and never touch it again. Meanwhile, they're running thousands of ad tests, tweaking landing pages, and obsessing over conversion rate — without ever questioning whether their price is actually right. In this episode, Nate sits down with Drew Marconi, co-founder of IntelliGems, who spent years building dynamic pricing systems at McKinsey and Via before bringing that same analytical rigour to eCommerce. Drew breaks down why pricing is so emotionally sticky for founders, what cost-plus pricing gets wrong, how to think about profit per visitor as your north star metric, and where most brands should start when it comes to A/B testing their offers, prices, and shipping thresholds. If you've been running your store on gut feel and haven't touched your prices in years, this conversation will change how you think about it. Connect with Drew: Website: intelligems.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmarconi Resources: • Use code CFO10 for a discount on IntelliGems • Free eCommerce Hidden Profit Audit Template: futurereadycfo.com/hidden-profit-audit-free-template I hope you enjoyed this episode!  Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.  – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinking Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

SE01E43 E-Commerce Inventory Financing Is Structurally Broken | Elephant Herd Capital | Ben Tregoe

Most e-commerce founders accept a painful reality: the money needed to fund inventory has to be repaid long before that inventory generates a dollar of revenue. Ben Tregoe, Managing Partner of Elephant Herd Capital, argues this isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s structurally broken, and it’s the root cause of the debt spirals and cash crunches that derail otherwise healthy brands. In this episode, Ben breaks down the full menu of inventory financing options available to seven-figure founders, explains why even “cheap” capital can be catastrophically expensive if it’s not sufficient, and walks through how a cycle-matched financing approach could fundamentally change the working capital picture for brands at the $5–25M range. If you’ve ever felt like your lender is making your cash flow problem worse, not better, this one is required listening. Ben's Contact Details: Email: ben@elephantherdcapital.com Website: https://www.elephantherdcapital.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamintregoe/ X (Twitter): @bentregoe I hope you enjoyed this episode!  Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.  – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinking Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

SE01E42 Building a Sustainable Shoe Brand from Italy's Finest Materials | Fundae | Holly Garrard

Holly Garrard spent nearly 25 years in media and podcasting before deciding to stop telling other brands' stories and build one of her own. The result is Fundae — a purpose-driven footwear brand built on plant-based materials, manufactured in Italy, and designed to prove that sustainable fashion and high style can coexist. In this episode, Holly gets into the financial realities of building with conviction: absorbing a 20–30% cost premium on materials, navigating unethical vendors, funding the business while supplementing income from consulting, and holding the line on values that every Italian supplier tried to talk her out of. It's an honest conversation about the cost of doing things the right way — and why she believes it's worth it. Holly's Social Handles: Instagram: @fundaesoles TikTok: @fundaesoles Facebook: @fundaesoles Pinterest: @fundaesoles YouTube: @hollydayfundae9611 I hope you enjoyed this episode!  Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.  – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinking Welcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.