Building An Authentic, Resilient Food Brand From Scratch With Sonya Patel

Building An Authentic, Resilient Food Brand From Scratch With Sonya Patel

Sonya Patel is the Founder of PUR Spices, a Cleveland-based food brand creating boldly flavored, top allergen-free sauces, spice blends, and freeze-dried snacks inspired by her family's experience with food allergies. Since launching in 2019, Sonya has grown PUR Spices from a grassroots startup into a multi-channel business, with nationwide reach through Amazon and select regional retail partners. With a background spanning management consulting, nonprofit leadership, and education, Sonya brings a mission-driven approach to food manufacturing, with a focus on authenticity, ingredient integrity, and building a brand rooted in purpose. In this episode… Building a food brand from scratch can look glamorous from the outside — beautiful packaging, stocked shelves, growing buzz. But what happens when the reality behind the scenes is far less polished, and every decision carries real financial and operational weight? For Sonya Patel, the key lies in understanding that building a food business is fundamentally about discipline and clarity, not hype. She explains that success comes down to knowing your numbers, understanding your supply chain, and the true costs of getting a product into customers' hands. Whether selling through retailers or online, without a firm grasp on margins, sustainability quickly slips away. That perspective reframes growth not as visibility, but as the ability to build something that actually lasts. In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Sonya Patel, Founder of PUR Spices, to discuss building an authentic and resilient food brand from the ground up. Sonya explores the realities behind scaling in CPG, navigating Amazon versus retail, and staying grounded in your non-negotiables. She also shares advice on pivoting through supply chain challenges and staying true to your brand.

Navigating Creative Tension To Build Iconic Brands With Nikki Peyraud and Alexander Deleuse

Nikki Peyraud and Alexander Deleuse are the Co-founders of BOTH/AND, a systems change company that helps organizations radically transform by embracing the creative tension between divergent perspectives. Under their leadership, BOTH/AND has worked with top brands across industries, demonstrating impressive results in brand growth and organizational alignment. Nikki brings over 20 years of experience in brand strategy and a background in spiritual psychology, while Alexander combines 15-plus years in brand experience design with deep study in eastern philosophy. In this episode… Creative breakthroughs rarely come from perfect alignment. More often, they emerge from friction — the kind that feels uncomfortable, unresolved, or inefficient in the moment. So what happens when you stop trying to resolve that tension too quickly and instead learn to work within it? According to Nikki Peyraud, a leader in navigating complexity and human-centered strategy, and Alexander Deleuse, a brand strategist grounded in relational and philosophical thinking, the key lies in resisting the instinct to default to quick, either/or decisions. They explain that the best ideas don't come from compromise, but from holding space for opposing perspectives long enough for something entirely new to emerge. By staying in that tension rather than escaping it, teams unlock more thoughtful, innovative solutions. The result is work that feels less like a trade-off and more like a breakthrough. In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Nikki Peyraud and Alexander Deleuse, Co-founders of BOTH/AND, to discuss how embracing creative tension leads to stronger brand outcomes. They explore the shift from output-driven work to relational collaboration, how to balance performance and brand without compromise, and why staying in the unknown leads to better ideas. Nikki and Alexander also talk about building alignment across stakeholders to unlock deeper, more impactful solutions.

Scaling Impactful Food Brands With Aubrea Alford

Aubrea Alford is the Founder of Starflower Marketing, a boutique consultancy helping purpose-driven food and lifestyle brands grow through strategic storytelling and brand development. With over a decade in CPG marketing, Aubrea has led brand and innovation initiatives that helped scale Hope Hummus into the top organic hummus in the natural channel and supported companies like Traditional Medicinals on sustainability efforts. Her work blends data, creativity, and impact to build authentic, lasting brands. In this episode… Great brands don't just scale on distribution or clever marketing; they scale on meaning. But in a world full of surface-level storytelling and "purpose-washing," what actually makes a food brand's impact feel real? For Aubrea Alford, a seasoned CPG marketer shaped by years inside fast-growing, mission-driven brands, the key lies in building purpose from the inside out. Aubrea explains that sustainability and social impact shouldn't start in marketing but in operations, where decisions about ingredients, packaging, and processes are made. When purpose is embedded at that level, it stops being a campaign and becomes something consumers can genuinely feel and trust. In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Aubrea Alford, Founder of Starflower Marketing, to discuss how food brands can scale with both purpose and performance. Aubrea breaks down lessons from scaling a national hummus brand, the role of innovation like HPP in growth, and how to balance profit with sustainability. She also shares advice on blending data and creativity through the art and science of marketing.

Breaking Into Grocery Retail and Winning Shelf Space With Brandie Miller and Will Miller

Brandie Miller and Will Miller are the Co-founders of Mochi Love, a company expanding how mochi shows up in grocery stores with fresh, non-ice cream formats and upcoming shelf-stable products. Brandie is a 17-year CPG veteran recognized as a Supermarket News Disruptor and Progressive Grocer Top Woman in Grocery, known for spotting trends and building retail-ready brands. Will, with a background in engineering, tech, and operations, brings a systems-driven approach to scaling the business and integrating tools like AI into operations. Together, their complementary skill sets and shared passion for innovation have helped Mochi Love carve out a unique position in modern snacking. In this episode… Building a food brand is rarely just about the product. It's about timing, intuition, and the willingness to bet on something people don't realize they want yet. So what happens when experience meets experimentation at the dinner table? According to Brandie Miller and Will Miller, success comes from creating products that surprise and delight while building the systems needed to support growth. As experienced operators across retail, supply chain, and technology, they combine creative intuition with operational discipline. They emphasize testing where a product fits in-store, working within existing retail systems, and prioritizing quality to drive repeat purchases. Will focuses on building systems that support scale, while Brandie highlights the importance of treating retailers as true partners to unlock long-term growth. Together, their approach shows that balancing experimentation with structure is the key to building a scalable business. In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Brandie Miller and Will Miller, Co-founders of Mochi Love, to discuss building a modern mochi brand from the ground up. They break down how their complementary skill sets shape the business, why merchandising next to sushi unlocked early growth, and how they approached manufacturing for quality at scale. Brandie and Will also talk about navigating supply chain challenges and using AI to streamline operations.

Mastering PR in the Food and Beverage Space With Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith is the Co-founder and CEO of JS2 PR, a Los Angeles–based agency specializing in branding, public relations, and communications for food, beverage, and hospitality brands. With more than 30 years of experience, Jeff has helped launch and grow some of the nation's most recognized consumer brands, including Starbucks, Jamba Juice, Arclight Cinemas, and Whole Foods Market. Known for his results-driven leadership and "whatever it takes" approach, Jeff has built a team with deep industry expertise, helping clients earn meaningful media coverage and long-term brand visibility. In this episode… Great PR isn't about blasting messages into the void; it's about knowing exactly what story deserves to be told and when. In a world flooded with content, what actually makes people care enough to pay attention? For Jeff Smith, a seasoned communications strategist, the key lies in relevance, relationships, and timing. He believes that strong PR comes from deeply understanding your brand's story and aligning it with what's already happening in culture, media, and consumer behavior. From tapping into seasonal trends to creating moments around launches, anniversaries, or even "National Food Days," Jeff emphasizes that the best stories aren't forced — they're discovered and shaped with intention. Ultimately, great PR isn't just about getting coverage; it's about building sustained visibility that compounds over time. In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Jeff Smith, Co-founder and CEO of JS2 PR, to discuss mastering PR in the food and beverage industry. Jeff breaks down how to generate ongoing story hooks, balance earned media with influencer strategy, and measure PR ROI beyond vanity metrics. He also shares advice on preparing your brand before hiring a PR firm.