Episodes

Chris Kirby, founder/president of Ithaca Craft Hummus, spoke about how he identified white space in the hummus category and what he learned during four years of operating his own production facility. He also urged entrepreneurs to be thoughtful about their retail relationships and deliberate about expenses, and discussed why he hires people that are highly self-sufficient.

Alex Day, co-founder of trendsetting cocktail bar Death & Co., spoke about his thoughtful approach to innovation and branding. He also explained why articulating the brand’s style is an “ongoing process,” why the Death & Co. considers itself a content creator as much as a bar, and why it never “follows trends out of fatigue.”

In this episode, we’re joined by Ashleigh and Trey Lockerbie, the co-founders of organic kombucha brand Better Booch, who joined us for a conversation about the good, the bad and the ugly of a brand revamp. As part of our conversation, they discussed how the process helped shape the strategy that now serves as the foundation for the company’s future.

Greg Vetter, the co-founder/CEO of organic dressing brand Tessemae’s, spoke about the huge wins and unexpected losses from his first decade in business. He also explained why his “positively intense” approach is not for everyone, the dangers of bad employees and advisors, and why he believes that “the key to this game is surrounding yourself with people that you really trust.”

Mark Rampolla, founder of Zico and co-founder of venture capital firm Powerplant Ventures, spoke about why he reviews long-term goals on a daily basis and the importance of thoughtful communication with employees and colleagues. He also explained why daily huddles are key for highly effective organizations and why getting to bed early every night is the most underrated habit of all.

In this week’s episode, GoodBelly CEO Alan Murray explained the roles that ambition and leverage played into his first CEO job, how observing others helped frame his own leadership style, and why hanging out by the coffee machine is key to understanding company dynamics. He also discussed how GoodBelly has honed in on its core consumers and what elicited its partnership with General Mills.

In this week’s episode, we sat down with Rise Nitro Coffee Co. co-founder/CEO Grant Gyesky who spoke about how the fast-growing brand considers innovation and distribution amid an evolving market for RTD coffee, why first-time entrepreneurs often make better decisions than industry veterans, and why it’s critical to choose the right advisors.