Ep 62 - How to Launch in Whole Foods with Zero Prior Food Industry Experience

Ep 62 - How to Launch in Whole Foods with Zero Prior Food Industry Experience

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/fan_mail/new] 🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates! After an autoimmune diagnosis forced her to drastically change her diet, finance professional Andrea Kazan found the UK baking aisle severely lacking in allergy-friendly, clean-label options. With her mother’s help, she developed a recipe that would completely revolutionize the category, leading her to found Good Mess. ------------------ In Episode 62 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina sits down with Andrea Kazan, the London-based founder of Good Mess. Andrea shares her remarkable journey of pivoting from a decade in finance to building a rapidly growing food brand from scratch. She details the mechanics of successfully pitching to Whole Foods, the scramble to find a co-manufacturer in just six weeks, and the immense value of using grassroots sampling to gather customer feedback. Listen to learn: 🛒 The exact playbook Andrea used to pitch her brand and secure a launch in Whole Foods UK  📦 How to rapidly scale from home baking to securing a co-manufacturing partner in six weeks  🍰 The importance of product sampling and why acting as your own merchandiser builds customer loyalty  🚫 Why receiving a "cease and desist" letter turned out to be the catalyst for an incredible rebrand  💡 How a complete lack of food industry experience actually fueled innovative, customer-first problem-solving Whether you are trying to break into the CPG space or rebrand an existing product, Andrea breaks down the exact plays needed to build a purposeful and predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Good Mess: 🌐 https://www.eatgoodmess.com/ [https://www.eatgoodmess.com/] 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ [https://sinuatemedia.com/] #recipetorevenue #cpg #goodmess #foodentrepreneurship #wholefoods #bakingingredients #startupjourney #brandbuilding #cleaneating Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/support]

Ep 61 - Building a Brand Around the World’s First "Healthy Beer"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/fan_mail/new] 🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates! Dana Koller grew up in the hospitality industry, fueling a lifelong passion for food, beverages, and community connection. After turning a two-car garage into Kaktus Brewing Company, he built a vibrant, award-winning venue in New Mexico and set his sights on an ambitious new goal: creating the world's healthiest beer. ------------------ In Episode 61 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Dana Koller, founder of Kaktus Brewing Company. Dana shares his unique entrepreneurial journey from running pizza restaurants to launching an eclectic, sustainability-focused brewery. He explains the science behind brewing a clean, fortified lager that supports microbiome health and how creating an authentic, holistic experience for guests builds deep community loyalty. Listen to learn: 🍻 The science of brewing the Huali Lager, fortified with electrolytes, antioxidants, and iodine 🌱 The operational playbook for building a sustainable, farm-to-table brewery aiming for zero-waste 🤝 Why prioritizing community connection and authentic, in-person experiences is critical in a digital world 📈 The mechanics of transitioning a local craft beer from on-tap at a venue to a distributed CPG product 🛠️ How to cultivate team buy-in for sustainability and holistic business practices Whether you are launching a CPG beverage or looking to build a deeply engaged local community around your brand, Dana breaks down the exact plays needed to build a purpose-driven and predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Clean Dough Co.: 🌐 https://www.kaktusbrewery.com/ [https://www.kaktusbrewery.com/] 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ [https://sinuatemedia.com/] #recipetorevenue #kaktusbrewing #craftbeer #healthybeer #sustainability #farmtotable #hospitality #brewery #newmexico Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/support]

Ep 60 - How to Get a Snack Brand Into Retail (Without a Broker)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/fan_mail/new] 🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates! After studying architecture and working in his family’s firm designing natural food grocery stores, Jake Bagnall felt an itch for more creative freedom. What started as a passion project baking with the ancient grain einkorn quickly evolved into Clean Dough Co., a fast-growing, better-for-you cookie brand. ------------------ In Episode 60 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Jake Bagnall, founder of Clean Dough Co. Jake shares his journey from architecture to food entrepreneurship, explaining the mechanics of launching a CPG brand from scratch. He explores the unique health benefits of baking with einkorn and shares how he successfully scaled his brand from local farmers markets to independent retail shelves—all without relying on a traditional broker. Listen to learn: 🌾 Why using einkorn, an ancient grain, creates a more digestible and fiber-rich cookie 🛠️ The transition from an architecture career to launching a bootstrapped CPG food brand 🤝 How to leverage direct relationship-building and platforms like Faire and Air Goods to land retail accounts 📈 Why "slow and sustainable" growth often beats the pressure to go viral overnight 🍪 The food science behind creating an indulgent, healthy cookie without artificial binders or sugars Whether you are formulating a new snack product or looking for scrappy ways to grow your retail distribution, Jake breaks down the exact plays needed to build a purpose-driven and predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Clean Dough Co.: 🌐 https://www.cleandoughco.com/ [https://www.cleandoughco.com/] 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ [https://sinuatemedia.com/] #recipetorevenue #cpg #cleandoughco #foodentrepreneurship #retailstrategy #healthycookies #ancientgrains #brandbuilding #bootstrapped Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/support]

Ep 59 - Scaling Hummus Goodness: From Car-Side Deliveries to National Retail Success

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/fan_mail/new] 🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates! When Hannah Awada moved to China, she expected to leave her career as a high school history teacher behind—not start a hummus business out of her kitchen window. What began as a side project serving expats quickly evolved into a fast-growing brand, leading Hannah to launch Hummus Goodness upon her return to the US. ------------------ In Episode 59 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Hannah Awada, founder of Hummus Goodness. Hannah shares her incredible journey from selling hummus through a WeChat group in Shanghai to managing massive purchase orders from national retailers like Meijer. She explains the mechanics of scaling production, transitioning from a church kitchen to strategic co-manufacturing, and executing a major rebrand to ensure her product stands out in a crowded market. Listen to learn: 🌎 How Hannah launched and grew a food business in a foreign market using unconventional distribution methods  🥣 The importance of authentic, clean-label ingredients in distinguishing a brand in a highly saturated category  📦 The operational challenges of moving from self-manufacturing to a co-packer to handle scaling retail demand  📈 How a strategic rebrand brought the brand’s vibrant personality to life and boosted retail visibility  🛒 Navigating retail expansion and building lasting partnerships with major grocers Whether you are trying to break into the CPG space or scaling an established food brand, Hannah breaks down the exact plays needed to build a resilient and predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Hummus Goodness: 🌐 https://www.hummusgoodness.com/ [https://www.hummusgoodness.com/] 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/ [https://inbevcapital.com/] Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ [https://sinuatemedia.com/] #recipetorevenue #hummusgoodness #cpg #foodbusiness #retailstrategy #entrepreneurship #brandbuilding #womeninbusiness #foodinnovation Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/support]

Ep 58 - Solving the Low FODMAP Puzzle: Scaling a Specialized Brand from Australia to the US

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/fan_mail/new] 🔔 Subscribe to this channel for exclusive content and updates! Living with severe food intolerances and IBS made dining out nearly impossible for Christina Glentis and her husband. Instead of accepting a highly restricted diet, they launched Foddies Foods to make delicious, allergy-friendly, low-FODMAP meals accessible to everyone. ------------------ In Episode 58 of Recipe to Revenue, host Leah Messina talks with Christina Glentis, co-founder of Foddies Foods and a Shark Tank Australia alumna. Christina shares her incredible entrepreneurial journey of building a specialty food brand in Australia and successfully navigating the complex expansion into the United States. She explains the mechanics of scaling internationally, adapting to new consumer tastes, and managing global manufacturing. Listen to learn: 🌍 The strategic playbook for expanding a niche food brand from Australia to the US market  🍔 How to adapt product development and flavor profiles to match American consumer tastes  📋 Navigating the complex regulatory and manufacturing differences between international food markets  🦈 What it takes to pitch on Shark Tank Australia and scale a specialized CPG company  💡 Why solving your own problem and staying relentlessly passionate is the ultimate recipe for success Whether you are formulating a specialty health product or looking to take your regional brand global, Christina breaks down the exact plays needed to build a predictable revenue engine. Learn more about Foddies Foods: 🌐 https://www.foddies.com/ [https://www.foddies.com/] 📱 Krissi App: https://krissi.app/ [https://krissi.app/] 📖 Cookbook: https://geni.us/AlwaysDelicious [https://geni.us/AlwaysDelicious] 🚀 Learn More About Our Sponsors: Intercontinental Beverage Capital: https://inbevcapital.com/ [https://inbevcapital.com/] Sinuate Media: https://sinuatemedia.com/ [https://sinuatemedia.com/] #recipetorevenue #foddiesfoods #lowfodmap #allergyfriendly #foodinnovation #internationalexpansion #cpgmarket #entrepreneurship Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2355464/support]