From Fads to Foundations: Amanda Schutzbank on the New Era of Consumer Investing

In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Schutzbank, Co-Founder and General Partner at Willow Growth Partners, one of the most thesis-driven and disciplined early-stage consumer funds in the market. Willow specializes in backing health, wellness, and essential-category brands in the $2m–5m revenue range, often before they’re household names. Their portfolio includes hits like Coterie, Goodles, Bubble, Parallel, and others that have since become category leaders.Amanda breaks down:How consumer investing has shifted from peak 2020–2021 froth to today’s slow, selective, fundamentals-first environment.What a “truly great asset” looks like: strong margins, authentic emotional resonance, real product differentiation, and the seeds of a platform brand.Why community is the ultimate moat, from micro-influencers to insider Facebook groups to immersive IRL experiences.The difference between venture-backable brands and “great but non-VC” lifestyle businesses and how founders should think about which path they’re really on.How Willow evaluates founders: clear vision, ruthless execution, decisiveness, and the ability to hire an A-team early.The consumer trends she’s most excited about: Gen Alpha, longevity, GLP-1 impacts, next-gen science-based VMS, and the next wave of cultural-led brands.Why Amazon, TikTok Shop, and AI-enabled lean teams are changing early-stage consumer building forever.What founders should prioritize heading into 2026 and why timeless fundamentals still separate enduring brands from “flash-in-the-pan” plays.She closes with a call-to-action: Willow just closed its second fund and is actively looking for high-margin, high-repeat, health & wellness-aligned consumer brands raising their first institutional round.