BevNET’s Taste Radio is the podcast for food and beverage professionals, where we talk trends, interview the leaders and rising stars in the industry and discuss knowledge and topics that we hope entrepreneurs and pros everywhere find useful.
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Sarah Frey, founder & CEO of Frey Farms, spoke about how she engineered her company’s remarkable turnaround despite having no formal business training, how she identified and utilized advantages her company had over larger competitors and how she navigated Walmart’s corporate culture. She also discussed how consumers’ relationship with food has evolved during the Covid era and what she’s learned about building a beverage brand.
Dean Eberhardt, co-founder & CEO of Hoplark, spoke about how getting fired from his own prior startup led him to a “lightbulb” moment and inspired the creation of the fast-growing hopped tea brand, his belief that he’s “a marketing textbook’s worst nightmare,” how the company has succeeded during the pandemic, and why he turned down a venture capital investment this past summer.
Nicole Ledoux, co-founder & CEO of seed-based food company 88 Acres, spoke about the thoughtful process of scaling from a local to national brand, why she credits in-house production as a significant competitive advantage and how a successful Kickstarter campaign provided the foundation for the brand’s retail launch and successive fundraising initiatives.
Paul Feig, the Hollywood director and producer behind blockbuster comedy “Bridesmaids,” sat down with us to discuss his latest project, Artingstall’s Gin. Feig spoke about how his personality is incorporated into the brand, why he compares the business of distilled spirits to that of directing a movie and his ultimate goal for Artingstall’s.
Veteran food industry insider, trendsetter and entrepreneur Errol Schweizer explained how systemic racism, labor inequality and outdated cannabis laws are affecting the food and beverage industry, and how he is attempting to motivate action and change via his new podcast, “The Checkout.”
Joseph Carr, founder of top-selling wine brand Josh Cellars, spoke about how diligence and self-education were critical in turning his passion into a career and why he left a lucrative job to launch his own company. He also explained how he defines hard work and how Josh Cellars has articulated a positioning that is both premium and accessible.
Veteran beverage entrepreneur CJ Rapp, the founder of Karma Water and cult cola brand Jolt, spoke about why he defines himself as a “marketer,” the key lesson learned from launching several ahead-of-their-time beverages and what he believes to be the guiding path for any entrepreneur.
Stacy Madison, founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips, shared essential lessons learned from building her company, including those that she’s applying to her latest venture, BeBold, a refrigerated energy bar brand. She explained why having a “nothing to lose” attitude was key during her early days as an entrepreneur, the most significant mistake in building Stacy’s Pita Chips and the altruistic reason that she decided to get back into the packaged food industry.
“New Girl” actor Max Greenfield and serial entrepreneur Mike Constantiner, co-founders of dad-centric consumer products and lifestyle company Dadz, spoke about how they’re attempting to reach a “new generation of dads,” the importance of a strong founding team and why it offers a “shortcut” to a fast start and how the brand is being communicated to the trade and consumer press.
You might recognize Tony’s Chocolonely by its quirky labels and comic font logo. Behind the Dutch brand’s playful vibe, however, is a profound mission to end the use of child labor within the cocoa industry. Ynzo van Zanten, the company’s Chief Evangelist, spoke about how Tony’s has navigated the development of a premium brand while staying focused on its overarching social mission.