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Marketing Food To Health Conscious Consumers
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“I do believe [that] you’re [only] as limited as you think you are.”
This short yet powerful quote is from today’s incredibly inspiring guest, Alan Cohen, the Founder and CEO of Kokomio – the coconut beverage unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Alan is a powerful entrepreneur and an incredible human being whose values serve his business and family. I’m not exaggerating when I say after our interview I felt like I had just been through an awesome and inspiring therapy session!
Alan speaks a lot about our internal dialogue and how it can be extremely limiting and keep us from living up to our full potential. Alan talks about how to push past the negative thoughts, how to turn problems into opportunity, and how leaning into vulnerability and discomfort can pave the way for incredible growth opportunities.
We also discuss what inspired him to found Kokomio and what sets the brand apart from others in the category.
I promise you won’t want to miss this one because his words of wisdom are so profound that you’re bound to want more! You’ll get amazing business advice and also invaluable life advice.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Alan Cohen, Founder and CEO of Kokomio.
Links mentioned in this episode:
WavenDean Fernandes on LinkedIn
Revolutionizing the non-alcoholic beverage world, our guest today is blazing through this niche market with a quality product and an incredible tenacity. You’ll want to hear this interview with Molly Fedick, the Founder of Buzzkill Wines, on this episode of The Irresistible Factor.
Molly shares her journey in creating a non-alcoholic wine for those who love the experience and taste of drinking without the consequences. In our conversation, she opens up about her path to becoming a founder, her experiences in fundraising, and her beliefs on the current trend of holding onto your cash at all costs. Molly talks candidly about her lack of experience and when that helped and hurt her on the journey to creating a successful brand.
She also talks about the significant challenges she faced, including navigating capital raising as a woman entrepreneur.
Be sure not to miss out on this insightful episode. Start listening now!
In this episode you’ll hear:
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Molly Fedick, Founder of Buzzkill Wines.
Links mentioned in this episode:
In this episode, you’ll meet Luigi Marulo, one of the men behind the most delicious, premium pasta brands I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried them all)! I had the pleasure of meeting Luigi at the Fancy Food show in New York. After recording this podcast episode with him, Luigi invited me to visit his pasta factory in Naples, Italy and it turned out to be one of the most profound experiences this crazy job has led me to.
Before the podcast, I decided to try Marulo pasta for myself. I was initially a bit skeptical of its premium price, however, I was quickly won over by the taste and texture. Luigi attributes the excellence of their pasta to their use of ancient superior durum wheat, 100% Italian ingredients, and meticulous artisanal drying processes. And all of that is true. I saw it with my own eyes. The factory was pristine and organized and the ingredients and the process were beautiful.
But what truly sets Pastifico Marulo apart is the love and passion that go into every step of the process. Every detail of the process and every ingredient they use has been carefully considered and was beautifully explained on our tour. There is a respect for the food, the land, and the meal, that I don’t know if most would appreciate without hearing it straight from Luigi.
After the tour, Luigi treated my daughter and I to a delightful lunch at his family’s beach club where we sampled incredible pasta dishes. Luigi generously offered to drive us back to Naples where we were staying, with 8 boxes of pasta in tow. That pasta was carried by hand on 6 trains and one plane from Naples to Cinque Terre and then to Milan before making its way to my home.
I learned a lot that day, but I felt even more. Many people say you have to “try it” to really get it. That has never felt more true to me. Yes, This is a blog about a founder. And also, a thank you for the reminders about what matters in our industry and more importantly, our lives.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Luigi Marulo, Founder of Pastificio Marulo.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Pastificio Marulo on Instagram
Fruit of the Boot Distribution
“I don’t ask anymore for permission, I’d rather just apologize after.”
This is the motto of our extraordinary and energetic guest on this week’s episode of The Irresistible Factor, Joseph Zeppilli, the ultimate rule breaker. Joseph’s knack for bending the rules, getting creative, and thinking way outside the box has catapulted his company, Bad Monkey Popcorn, into a nationally recognized brand in an astonishingly short timeframe.
Joseph admits there may be better products out there, but he knows no one else has a brand quite like theirs.
Listen to hear about the insane risk they took on the show Dragons’ Den (the Canadian version of Shark Tank) and why after they got an incredible offer, they turned it down! Learn about the crazy tactics they employed to get their product into the mouths of consumers, how he scored an incredible partnership with Disney, and the creative marketing strategy behind avoiding the snack aisle.
This episode is filled with amazing stories, tons of passion, and invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Links mentioned in this episode:
Bad Monkey Popcorn on Instagram
John Molson School of Business
Most conventional wisdom would say not to line-extend too soon and certainly not to extend to other categories without a highly successful product launch. But Katina Mountanos, the CEO of Kosterina, chose her own path.
Katina started with a single sourced, high quality Greek olive oil and quickly added other flavors, a line of balsamic vinegars and truly delicious fruit flavored vinegars (and I tried every one). But that wasn’t enough for her. Her vision, to create a healthy lifestyle brand with olive oil as the star, in the U.S., mirrors her experience in Greece. That vision quickly led her to add skin care products to a relatively new brand. So what made her believe it was going to work?
Her inspiration was observing her friends and family in Greece. They stay out late, eat good food, and have a glass of wine every night at dinner and are healthy and happy. In contrast, her American friends resort to extreme diets and intense workouts. She knew there was a real opportunity to bring this lifestyle to the U.S. market.
Listen to hear more about her journey and find out how she’s managed through the operation complexities, the naysayers, and the uncharted territories of bringing her vision to life.
you’ll hear about:
This is an episode you won’t want to miss!
Use code “Irresistible Factor” for 15% off through Kosterina’s website.
I’m literally obsessed with their stuff – I know you’ll be too!
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Katina Mountanos, CEO of Kosterina.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Kosterina 15% off discount code: Irresistible Factor
Today Show: ‘Discover female-founded businesses: Kosterina and Effie’s Paper’
Kosterina on Home Shopping Network
Interview with Alison Cayne – CEO and Founder of Haven’s Kitchen
Imagine you finally take that leap, buy a company, and days later, your entire factory burns down and you lose everything. That happened to today’s incredible guest and it didn’t stop him.
Join us for an inspiring episode of The Irresistible Factor as we delve into the remarkable journey of Tony Rivas and his brand Chifles, one of the world’s oldest Hispanic snack brands.
Tony’s long relationship with Chifles started because his father (a Cuban immigrant) was a distributor for Chifles. Eventually, Tony had the opportunity to acquire the brand he loved from the original founders.
Only four months after the acquisition, a devastating fire destroyed the company’s only factory.
Tony quickly lost everything he and his father had worked so hard for. But Tony never thought about giving up. In this riveting interview he reveals that the fire turned out to be a blessing in disguise, prompting a positive shift in their business model that would redefine success.
In this episode you’ll also hear:
Don’t miss this extraordinary episode, where Tony shares his incredible journey of resilience and growth!
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Tony Rivas – CEO of Chifles
Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
Links mentioned in this episode:
“I always like to say that [Nuts for Cheese] was a really happy accident. I don’t think I knew what I was getting into. I’m glad I didn’t because it’s been an amazing journey.
I am thrilled to tell you about Margaret Coons, Founder and CEO of Nuts for Cheese, in the latest episode of The Irresistible Factor Nuts for Cheese is a premium vegan cheese brand that sells really high-quality products ranging from cheeses and butter to their newest addition, cream cheese spreads
Margaret was only 24 when she founded her company at a local farmer’s market in London, Ontario. She was an English major with a love for vegan cooking, and despite lacking any business experience, she dove headfirst into building her dream venture. Being unaware of the full spectrum of challenges that come with starting a business can make it easier to make the scary leap to founder. Margaret thinks that naïveté combined with her unique viewpoint might have been a good thing.
What Margaret did understand was hard work. After long days at her restaurant job, she’d go home, grab her cashews, and bring them back to the restaurant kitchen, where she’d perfect her cheeses until 4 in the morning! She never dreamt that her brand would become a nationwide sensation that is now sold in over 4,000 stores across North America. It just goes to show that passion and determination can lead to incredible accomplishments.
In this episode, Margaret explains how they managed 50% year-over-year growth with ZERO funding. Margaret talks about the challenges she’s experienced thus far like education marketing, cash flow, being a woman in business, and her fear of public speaking.
Margaret also shares some words of wisdom for founders at the beginning of their journey, like the importance of surrounding yourself with great advisors, how to block out the noise, and the significance of authenticity. From raising capital, to social media, to goals for the future, and so much more. This episode has it all so be sure to tune in now!
Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
Links mentioned in this episode:
Starting a business is no easy feat. We hear a lot about people’s success stories, but not enough about their intense challenges and failures, and more importantly, the invaluable lessons they have learned.
On Today’s episode of The Irresistible Factor, my guest August Vega bravely opens up about the struggles she faced with the very well-known company she founded, MALK Organics. Being a first-time entrepreneur, she quickly learned that it was an intense, cut-throat industry that required a lot of money to stay in a level playing field.
August talks about the many challenges of being a leader in the CPG food space like fundraising and the intense competition. When the pandemic hit, it became almost too much for her to handle. Their fundraiser was overdue, their books were in bad shape, and every single day was about survival. After eight challenging years, August made the brave decision to leave MALK Organics to prioritize caring for her child over caring for the business.
August felt like she really needed to evaluate what was truly important and meaningful in her life. And for her, caring for her child took priority over the business, so she made the difficult but necessary decision to walk away completely. Since August decided to leave she has paved a new and exciting life for herself that she is far happier with.
Today, August is talking about the valuable lessons she learned from MALK Organics and how she is continuing to kick ass in the food and beverage world. She is a board member at Miyoko’s Creamery and a Fractional CEO of MommaStrong, a fitness app designed to help you be healthy and reach your goals realistically. Although things didn’t work out with MALK, August took the invaluable lessons she learned through starting her company and paved a new path for herself that is far more fulfilling.
Tuning in, you’ll hear about her abundant career in the food and bev industry, and how she keeps things exciting with her multifaceted and unlimited career interests. Stick around to the end where she shares some wise words of advice for business owners just starting out about having a good team, being financially disciplined, and trusting your gut. You don’t want to miss out on this one!
Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
Links mentioned in this episode:
Today I am joined by the incredible and inspiring Nina Tickaradze on today’s episode of The Irresistible Factor. Today is World Refugee Day, and I am honored to have had the opportunity to talk to Nina about her inspiring mission and am thrilled to have this podcast air on such a special day.
Nina is the founder of NADI, an all-natural, organic, delicious drink made with rosehip from her native country of Georgia. Nina’s real reason for starting her company was her mission to assist displaced Georgian refugees by providing them with employment opportunities to help them get back on their feet. Through the launch of NADI, Nina has helped hundreds of families rebuild their lives through her business and continues to make a profound impact on the lives of so many refugees.
It was important, especially to Nina, for this blog and podcast to drop today as it is World Refugee Day, an important reminder of the urgent need to address the very real struggle of refugees around the world.
Nina’s mission behind this brand was driven by her genuine desire to create jobs for refugees rather than promoting a product, although she does have a really awesome juice with so many health benefits. In a world that can seem to have lost its way at times, Nina serves as a crucial testament to inherent goodness that still exists. She reminds us that when people unite to support each other, the impact can be truly transformative.
In today’s episode you’ll hear all about Nina’s awesome journey, all while keeping a very important full-time job (yes, you read that right!). She also shares how they managed to pivot after realizing who their real customers are, and why she is committed to having a relationship with every single distributor. Lastly, she tells us about the importance of a truly supportive community of entrepreneurs.
This inspiring episode is full of goodness and passion and serves as a gentle reminder that there is always an opportunity to make an impact.
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Nina Tickaradze, Founder of NADI.
Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
Links mentioned in this episode:
“We’re not family-friendly, you can’t say the word vagina and so we fought very hard to push through those, those boundaries and just a few weeks ago actually had a billboard in Time Square run that said, “We love healthy vaginas” and that was a really big one for us…”
This is an episode I am really excited about as we talk about the challenges of marketing a subject matter that not everyone is comfortable talking about – women’s sexual health. Today, I am joined by Monica Cepak, the CMO of Wisp, a women’s healthcare company. Wisp is the largest provider of sexual and reproductive tele help services in the country, offering everything from same-day prescriptions for common vaginal infections to more taboo subjects like various forms of contraception and medication abortion services where it’s legal.
With the current state of reproductive rights, taboo words, and a lack of access and awareness, women’s health can be a very difficult sphere to navigate, especially as a business. Monica passionately delves into the dynamic landscape of women’s health and reproductive care, and tells us how she is fearlessly navigating the polarizing topics of women’s sexual health. She unveils the intricate challenges that lie within advertising in this category, all while competing with big pharmaceutical companies with massive budgets. She also talks about how their creative work uses humor to cut through the noise of tough subject matters. Monica leaves us with Wisp’s long-term goals envisioning revolutionary breakthroughs in the realm of female sexual pleasure and exploring verticals such as fertility, post-partum, and menopause.
To all of our female listeners, I strongly encourage you to listen to this important and thought-provoking episode, and share it with your female friends!
Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with Monica Cepak, CMO of Wisp.
Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
Links mentioned in this episode: