$25M in Year 1 via TikTok Shop | Brandon Castaneda & Ben Amaya, EZ Bombs

On this episode, we’re joined by Brandon Castaneda, Co-founder and CEO of EZ Bombs - a breakout Hispanic food brand that went from zero to $20 million in just one year by turning traditional Mexican recipes into viral “bath bombs” - and Ben Amaya, the brand’s Director of Marketing.What started in Brandon’s mom’s kitchen exploded on TikTok Shop, where EZ Bombs quickly became the #1 food brand on the platform. Built on an authentic birria recipe, a family-first ethos, and a network of over 10,000 affiliate creators, the brand has rewritten the playbook on viral food and modern CPG growth.Brandon and Ben share the full blueprint behind EZ Bombs’ rocketship trajectory - from finding and scaling with the right co-packer to managing 245,000 monthly orders, building a creator army, and preparing for national retail. We dig into packaging strategy, flavor formulation, TikTok algorithms, and the biggest mistakes brands make when they try to scale without a community.—---------------Episode Highlights:🌮 The viral origin story behind EZ Bombs📦 What Brandon looks for in a great co-packer📱 TikTok Shop mechanics that still work today🎯 How to get creator content that actually converts🔥 Designing for retail and the feed🥘 Flavor formulation & CPG product dev 101🛒 Winning the shelf: where EZ Bombs fits in-store💸 Fundraising strategy and brand positioning🧠 Mistakes most food founders make on TikTok—----------------Table of Contents:00:00 – Intro00:54 – EZ Bombs Intro and launch story03:21 – Family business dynamics10:37 – Exploding on TikTok Shop12:59 – Scaling up with a co-packer15:39 – Seeing the TikTok Shop opportunity early17:25 – Recommendations for launching via TikTok Shop today22:53 – Product dev and formulation27:27 – Nailing down a co-packer31:57 – Packaging design38:20 – Expanding into retail42:51 – Fitting into the right aisle45:12 – Fundraising—---------------Links:EZ Bombs – https://www.ezbombs.comFollow Brandon on LinkedIn – Brandon CastanedaFollow Ben on LinkedIn – Ben AmayaFollow me on LinkedIn – Adam Steinberg For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.