Episodes

This edition of Taste Radio Insider features highlights from interviews with six entrepreneurs and experts who joined us during the first half of 2020, including TRUFF hot sauce founders Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni; Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys; Nona Lim, founder/CEO of Nona Lim; GT’s Living Foods founder/CEO GT Dave; Ashley Thompson, co-founder/CEO of MUSH; and Lee Robinson, director of dairy and beverage for Whole Foods Market.

Henry Chen, founder/CEO of SPI West Port, the owner of ALO Drink, ALO Snacks, Jen Collagen and Woodridge Snacks, spoke about the importance of staying true to the company’s core focus, who he views as the ultimate industry gatekeeper, how the company strategizes around retail placement and the key element entrepreneurs can’t overlook when scaling.

Chuck Casano, founder of Pitaya Foods and HiTouch Distribution, spoke about navigating the food industry on two fronts, how a social mission guided his foray into entrepreneurship, the failure that propelled his decision to launch HiTouch, the elements of successful brand relationships and being on the front lines of food distribution during the pandemic.

NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis and Megan Bushell, co-founders of CBD-infused beverage brand DEFY, discussed how the company is navigating a murky regulatory environment for CBD, the positioning of the beverages as “performance drinks” and how Davis is advising current NFL players about incorporating hemp- and cannabis-based products into their lifestyles.

Alex French, co-founder & CEO of Bizzy Coffee, spoke about how online research sparked the launch of Bizzy, how the company sourced data from retail partners and customers via its packaging, learnings from the failure of the brand’s coffee shots, why buyer presentations are as important as the product itself and valuable tips about how to stand out on Amazon.

Serial entrepreneur Ashley Rogers spoke how she has applied lessons from her first two businesses to the development of her current brand, Spudsy. She also shared the remarkable story about how she identified and partnered with a co-packer, why she is more thoughtful about retailer relationships than in the past and how outsourced staff has supported Spudsy’s rapid growth.