From Kitchen Idea to Walmart Shelves: The Millie’s Sipping Broth Story

How do you turn a simple healthy snack idea into a new category on the shelves of Walmart and Sam’s Club? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Llance Kezner, co-founder of Millie’s Sipping Broth, about how he and his wife, Lori, transformed a homemade wellness idea into an award-winning, nationally distributed food brand. What started as a healthier alternative to bouillon cubes for Lori’s school-day snack became a plant-based sipping broth in a tea bag, built for people who want a savory, satisfying, low-calorie option between meals. Llance shares lessons on product testing, customer feedback, retail growth, food innovation, and what it really takes to create a new category in the health-conscious food and beverage market. What You’ll Learn How Millie’s Sipping Broth began as a simple solution for a healthier snack during the workday Why customer feedback at Pike Place Market helped shape the product, pitch, and name How Llance and Lori moved from kitchen experiments to professional food manufacturing Why finding the people who truly need your product is more important than trying to sell to everyone How Weight Watchers, Walmart, and Sam’s Club helped expand Millie’s national reach Why innovation requires flexibility, fast learning, and a willingness to adjust in motion How plant-based ingredients, shelf-stable packaging, and dry broth formats support health and sustainability Episode Highlights 01:36 – Llance shares his background growing up in Bellevue, Washington 02:22 – How growing up in a family of entrepreneurs shaped his early view of business 03:06 – Selling Christmas trees as a six-year-old and learning how to sell through conversation 04:38 – How creativity showed up early for both Llance and his wife, Lori 06:02 – Why health and wellness became part of the product story through Lori’s everyday needs 07:05 – How Lori’s teacher schedule and desire for a healthy snack led to the first broth idea 08:08 – Why Llance created a healthier alternative to bouillon cubes 09:11 – The first kitchen experiment using Lipton tea bags and a tomato basil broth blend 10:24 – The problem Millie’s was designed to solve: a savory, satisfying snack without sugar, caffeine, or junk food 12:15 – Moving from homemade samples to a co-packer and professional production 13:40 – Why they needed both manufacturing support and proof that customers would pay for the product 14:52 – Testing the minimum viable product at Pike Place Market in Seattle 15:35 – How selling hot broth in summer helped them perfect a five-to-ten-second pitch 16:48 – Why creating a new category brought both opportunity and ongoing challenges 18:10 – How weight-conscious consumers helped Millie’s find its first strong market fit 20:22 – How Weight Watchers discovered Millie’s during COVID and introduced the product to millions of subscribers 22:18 – How Millie’s expanded into Walmart, Sam’s Club, Amazon, and thousands of retail locations 24:11 – Winning the Specialty Food Association’s Sofi Gold Award for Outstanding Hot Beverage 26:02 – Why awards build credibility, but the product still has to win on taste and usefulness 27:14 – How Walmart’s Open Call led to a golden ticket and a major retail opportunity 29:18 – Scaling from small production runs to making more product in a week than they previously made in a year 31:02 – Why customer feedback led them to change the name from Millie’s Savory Teas to Millie’s Sipping Broth 33:05 – Why innovation means solving real problems instead of reinventing products that already exist 35:14 – How plant-based ingredients became a natural part of the brand because Lori is vegetarian 37:08 – Why Millie’s focuses on flavor first, with health as a strong added benefit 39:12 – How dry broth reduces the need to ship water and supports a more sustainable format 40:48 – The most rewarding customer feedback, including people using Millie’s during chemotherapy or in hospitals 42:22 – Lessons from early manufacturing challenges and why mistakes help entrepreneurs learn where the trap doors are 43:48 – How Llance and Lori balance working together, family life, and entrepreneurship from home 45:10 – New international-inspired flavors and potential food service opportunities 46:21 – Llance’s vision for broth as an airline beverage option alongside coffee and tea 47:33 – Why health-conscious food and beverage products will keep growing with younger consumers 49:38 – The legacy Llance hopes to build through Millie’s and the entrepreneurial lessons he wants to pass to his children Meet the Guest Llance Kezner is the co-founder of Millie’s Sipping Broth, a plant-based savory broth in a tea bag created with his wife, Lori. The brand has won a Sofi Gold Award, reached national retailers including Walmart and Sam’s Club, and created a new way for consumers to enjoy healthy, satisfying broth as a snack, beverage, or wellness ritual. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Millie’s Sipping Broth Plant-based sipping broth Savory snack alternative Tomato basil broth Minimum viable product Pike Place Market testing Five-to-ten-second sales pitch Co-packer manufacturing Weight Watchers discovery Walmart Open Call Walmart golden ticket Sam’s Club retail launch Specialty Food Association Sofi Gold Award Direct-to-consumer sales Customer feedback loops Health-conscious snacking Intermittent fasting support Vegan food innovation Shelf-stable dry broth Sustainable packaging Food service opportunities Airline beverage concept Closing Insight and CTA Llance’s story shows that innovation often starts with a small, personal problem. Millie’s Sipping Broth began as a better snack for one busy teacher, then grew because other people recognized the same need in their own lives. The lesson for entrepreneurs is clear: get the idea in front of real customers, listen closely, stay flexible, and build for the people who truly need what you offer. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.