Unit Economics

On today’s episode, I sit down with Clarke Pennington, founder of Lasso, a better-for-you gelatin brand built around protein and fiber.We get into what it actually takes to build a product like this from scratch, including the formulation challenges behind texture, why adding protein and fiber makes the system significantly harder to build, and how many iterations it took to land on something viable. We also talk through how Clarke approached pricing, benchmarking against other protein snacks and working backward from cost and margin targets early on, along with how he’s thinking about positioning the product across DTC and retail.We also spend time on some of the less obvious constraints in the business, particularly around packaging and manufacturing. Unlike most categories, there isn’t an off-the-shelf solution for something like a single-serve gelatin cup, which means navigating material limitations, equipment requirements, and a supply chain largely controlled by incumbents. I learned so much during my conversation with Clarke, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Tenley Fitzgerald, the creator of Yes! Apples, a consumer brand built to bring clarity and differentiation to the apple category.If you’ve ever walked into a grocery store and felt overwhelmed by the number of apple varieties, that’s exactly the problem Tenley is trying to solve. Yes! Apples is built around making the category easier to navigate, using branding and packaging to help make consumers make more informed decisions at shelf.In this conversation, we get into how apples are sourced and sold at scale, how the business works across retail and direct-to-consumer, and what it looks like to build a brand in a category where most products are still treated as commodities.I learned so much during my conversation with Tenley, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Saif Khawaja, founder and CEO of Shinkei Systems and Seremoni, two companies that together form a vertically integrated seafood business, where Shinkei builds robots that change how fish are handled right after they’re caught (resulting in longer shelf life and better quality) and Seremoni is the brand and standard under which that fish is sold.This was, without a doubt, one of the most compelling conversations I've had on the show to date. We talk about the inspiration behind starting the business, the early days of building hardware that could actually run on boats, and how that’s turned into a system now being deployed across vessels in the U.S., with a plan to sit on roughly 25 by the end of the year.We also get into the mechanics of how the business actually works - why their machines are deployed for free, where they actually make money in the system, the decision to buy a processing plant, what it looks like to work with distributors, restaurants, and retailers, and how all of it ties back to controlling quality from the moment the fish is caught.I learned so much during my conversation with Saif, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Gabe Turner, co-founder of Fjord, a floating sauna and cold plunge experience built on the water in Sausalito.In this conversation, we talk about how the business actually came together, from early experiments with a mobile sauna to navigating an 18-month permitting process across multiple agencies and ultimately building their first unit in the Bay using repurposed materials.We also get into how the experience is designed, including why they chose to keep it simple, root it in nature, and avoid layering on additional services typically associated with spas.We spend time on how the business works today, from session structure and capacity to pricing, and what changed when a model that was expected to be difficult to fill ended up fully booked from day one.Gabe also walks through how they are thinking about expansion, the complexities around scaling business like theirs, and how they plan to grow without compromising the core experience.I learned so much during my conversation with Gabe, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Noah Phillips, founder of Honey Department, a recently launched brand selling creamed honey in a tube.Honey Department started with a pretty simple observation: everyone uses honey, but almost no one thinks about the product or the brand, and it’s still mostly sold the same way it always has been.But what looked like a pretty straightforward idea quickly turned into a much more complex product and supply chain for Noah to develop.We walk through the decision to use creamed honey so the product would actually work in a tube, how he built a supply chain that runs from a co-op in Mexico to an apiary in Texas to a separate co-manufacturer, and what it took to go from zero to a finished product in a category with very little standardization.Lastly, we also spend a good amount of time on branding and positioning, as it's a huge part of this story.I learned a lot during my conversation with Noah, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Brittney Cook, co-founder and CEO of Something Sweet, a frozen dessert brand built around pre-portioned, ready-to-bake brown butter cookie dough.In this conversation, we talk about what it looked like to turn a family recipe into a real CPG business with no prior food background, the challenge of scaling something as technical as brown butter without losing what made the product special, and why Something Sweet chose to build around frozen dough rather than refrigerated or pre-baked cookies.We also get into the realities of shipping a frozen product DTC, breaking into retail from scratch, why velocity matters more than just piling up doors, and how the team has tried to stay disciplined around growth, distribution, and SKU expansion as the business has scaled.I learned a lot during my conversation with Brittney, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Julia Marsh, co-founder and CEO of Sway, a materials company using seaweed to build compostable replacements for plastic packaging.In this conversation, we talk about why flexible plastic is such a difficult category to replace, how Julia went from a background in packaging design to building a company around seaweed as a feedstock, and what it actually takes to turn a raw natural material into something that can run on traditional plastic manufacturing equipment.We also get into sourcing seaweed globally, the challenge of working within legacy industrial systems without compromising the long-term mission, why existing infrastructure was such a critical part of the strategy, and what demand looks like from brands trying to move away from conventional plastic without sacrificing performance.I learned so much during my conversation with Julia, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Shay Carrillo, Founder & CEO of Madre Linen, a home goods brand focused on building a fully traceable, ethically sourced linen supply chain from the ground up.In this conversation, we talk about how the business actually came together, starting with hand-sewn napkins and an early wholesale order from Heath Ceramics that forced Shay to figure out manufacturing almost overnight.We also get into how linen is produced at a material level, what it takes to source fabric with a transparent supply chain, and why she ultimately built a new brand after realizing she couldn’t trace where her original materials were coming from.We spend time on the economics of producing domestically, how tariffs and input costs impact margins, and why wholesale, despite reaching over 100 stores, ultimately didn’t work as a profitable channel.Shay also walks through how she’s thinking about distribution today across DTC, rentals, and B2B, and what needs to happen operationally to grow the business from here.I learned so much during my conversation with Shay, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Isabel Washington, Founder & CEO of Laurel's Coffee, a canned ready-to-drink latte brand built around A2 dairy.In this conversation, we talk about what led Isabel to bet on A2 milk as a core ingredient, why she saw a gap between what people are actually ordering in coffee shops and what exists on shelf, and how she went from idea to launching in Erewhon in a matter of months.We also get into the realities of building a beverage business from scratch, including early production decisions, slotting fees, demo strategy, pricing and promo mechanics, and the operational tradeoffs behind scaling quickly into retailers like Whole Foods.I learned so much during my conversation with Isabel, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Matt Hassett, Founder and CEO of Loftie, a consumer sleep tech company best known for its design-forward, connected alarm clock aimed at helping people use their phones less and sleep better at night.In this conversation, we talk about how the business actually got off the ground, including what it took to move from an initial concept into a physical product, how Matt got the first units manufactured and into customers’ hands, and what it looked like to build a hardware company without venture backing. We get into the realities of working with overseas manufacturers, managing inventory and cash flow, and trying to grow while operating with real capital constraints.We also spend time on how the company has evolved since those early days, expanding beyond a single product into a broader set of offerings. A big part of the conversation focuses on tariffs and the impact they had on the business, what it actually means when your costs effectively triple overnight, why relocating one's manufacturing presence isn’t as simple as it sounds, and how those constraints forced a meaningful shift in strategy, including moving a large portion of the business toward international markets.I learned so much from Matt, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Chelsey & Cassie Maschhoff, the co-founders of Lottie’s Meats, a company built around a simple idea: making sausage feel like a product worth rethinking.In our conversation, we talk about what they saw when they looked at the category early on, why so much of the sausage aisle felt visually dated and operationally stagnant, and how they set out to build something more modern around whole-muscle cuts, a cleaner ingredient list, and a clearer point of view on quality.We get into the early product development process, what it looked like to take recipes that worked in a kitchen and translate them into real production runs, and why the path to market ended up being more complicated than just making a better product. We also spend a lot of time on the actual mechanics of the business: the realities of working with multiple USDA facilities, why meat production creates constraints that a lot of other CPG brands never have to think about, what they learned very quickly about the economics of frozen DTC, and how retail, food service, farmers markets, and pop-ups each served a different purpose in helping them get the company off the ground.This is a conversation about category positioning, supply chain complexity, and what it really takes to build a premium product in a part of the store where consumers are used to thinking mostly about price. I learned so much from my conversation with Chelsey and Cassie, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Jack Davis and Jacob Tubis, co-founders of Byte'm, a company built around a simple idea: bringing a true bakery-quality brownie to the grocery store in a bite-sized form factor.Jack and Jacob met as freshmen at American University and bonded over a shared interest in food and business. The idea for Byte'm started with Jack’s mom’s brownie recipe and an observation that, despite how beloved brownies are, the versions you find in most grocery stores rarely resemble the homemade ones people actually love.In this conversation, we talk about how they translated a home recipe into a product that could be manufactured at scale, what it was like to source early feedback from the market, and what it looked like to go from baking small batches in a kitchen to working with food scientists and co-packers.We also discuss the technical challenges of producing a brownie with a crispy edge and chewy center in a commercial production environment, how ingredient choices impact manufacturing costs and unit economics, the critical role packaging plays in communicating quality on a crowded shelf, and what it takes to start building retail distribution from scratch.I learned so much during my conversation with Jack and Jacob and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Seamus Menihane, Co-Founder and CEO of Armada, an entertainment merchandise company that works with artists and brands to design, manufacture, and distribute merchandise across e-commerce and live touring.Seamus started his career as a touring musician, playing drums in bands for years before becoming interested in the business mechanics behind the scenes, particularly the role merchandise plays in how working artists actually make money. In 2017 he launched Downright Merchandise, originally as a scrappy operation helping bands run their own online stores and sell tour inventory directly to fans. Last year, the company merged with Overcast Merchandise to form Armada.In this conversation, we talk about how the modern band merch ecosystem actually works, from product design and sourcing blank garments to screen printing, fulfillment, and the logistics of getting inventory onto a tour with almost no margin for error.We also explore Armada’s evolution as a company, including lessons from attempting to vertically integrate manufacturing, how the company thinks about financing larger artist deals, and why Seamus believes customer data will become increasingly important for artists over time.I learned so much from my conversation with Seamus and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today's episode, I sit down with Lil Tuffy, a San Francisco-based poster artist who’s spent more than two decades designing and hand-printing concert posters.Tuffy's path into poster design started almost accidentally. After leaving the tech world and getting involved in the San Francisco music scene, he began making posters for shows around the city. What started as creating unsolicited posters for small venues gradually evolved into a full-time practice, eventually leading to work with legendary artists like Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and many others.In this conversation, we talk about how the economics of concert posters actually work — from setting print runs to how revenue from poster sales is split between artists, bands, and venues. We also get into the logistics of screen printing, the timeline from design to finished poster, and how the role of concert posters has evolved from promotional material to collectible merchandise.We also talk about his work with the Poster Institute, a nonprofit organization that supports poster artists around the world through events, exhibitions, and community building within the gig poster scene.I've been collecting concert posters for over 15 years, and Tuffy is genuinely one of my favorite artists. I learned so much during our conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Sherri Franklin, founder of Muttville, a senior dog rescue based in San Francisco that has helped find homes for more than 14,000 older dogs.Sherri didn’t start her career in animal welfare. She was a hairstylist who had previously owned several salons in San Francisco when she began volunteering at a local shelter in the 90s. After watching a dog she loved get euthanized simply because she was older and overlooked by adopters, Sherri decided she was going to build something that didn’t really exist at the time: a rescue focused entirely on senior dogs.What started with Sherri fostering dogs in her own home and placing them with her hair clients eventually grew into a nonprofit with a full foster network, a dedicated adoption center, and a model that now rescues more than a thousand dogs every year.In this conversation, we talk about what those earliest days actually looked like operationally, from paying vet bills out of pocket to learning how to structure a nonprofit and recruit a board.We also get into the mechanics of running a large scale rescue today, including how foster networks function as the engine of the organization, how they think about adoption versus sanctuary care, and what it takes to consistently place senior dogs that most shelters have historically struggled to move.This was a deeply personal conversation for me, as Muttville is truly my favorite nonprofit in the world. The rate at which they’re placing dogs is absolutely amazing, and I’m just so honored to be able to share the work they’re doing, and help get the word out in any way that I can.I learned so much from Sherri during our conversation and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Kelly Bennett, brand strategist and host of the Emerging Brands Podcast.Kelly has spent the last 16 years working alongside founders in the food and beverage space, helping them turn early product ideas into shelf-ready brands. Her focus is pre-launch brand strategy, which means she’s often involved before a founder has finalized a name, filed a trademark, or chosen a manufacturer. Her job is to build the underlying framework that everything else sits on top of.In this conversation, we talk about what brand strategy actually is beyond logos and packaging, how to think about retail positioning and sales channels before you ever approach a buyer, and why clarity around target customer and use case should really come before design. We also get into pre-launch demand creation, building in public without looking too DIY, and the specific signals she watches once a product hits the market to evaluate the efficacy of the strategies she’s helping implement.We also explore the value the media arm of her business is driving, how her podcast functions as both a network engine and a client acquisition funnel, and how she’s thinking about evolving from just advising to investing in emerging CPG brands as well.I learned so much during my conversation with Kelly and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Brian McMahon, co-founder and CEO of Pickle, a peer-to-peer rental marketplace built around the idea that the things sitting in our closets can function as income-generating assets.Brian started his career in finance before teaching himself how to code and launching what was originally a social polling app designed to help people make purchase decisions. But after noticing that users were constantly recommending items they already owned, he and his co-founder (Julia) pivoted toward a marketplace model focused on renting, lending, and reselling personal items.In this conversation, we talk about what that pivot looked like in practice, the scrappy early days of photographing inventory in friends’ apartments, personally completing thousands of deliveries across New York, and how an asset-light model shapes everything from supply dynamics to operational complexity.We also break down how Pickle generated its first network effects, lessons from fundraising, and how Pickle is thinking about expanding into new categories as it works toward unlocking underutilized consumer assets at scale.I learned so much from Brian and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Adam Gillman, Co-Founder of Hiya, a direct-to-consumer children’s vitamin and wellness company built around trust, transparency, and customer education as core operating principles.We talk through how Hiya approached product development without prior experience in the health and wellness space, including how they thought about formulation tradeoffs, manufacturing partners, and palatability versus nutrition. Adam walks through why the company committed to a 100% subscription model from day one, how retention and customer feedback shaped product iteration over time, and how pricing was set to signal quality while remaining broadly accessible.We also get into the operational realities of scaling a subscription business: managing cash flow while offering upfront discounts, navigating rising costs during COVID, financing growth while bootstrapped, and deciding when it made sense to expand the product line. Finally, Adam shares how scaling constraints and operational gaps ultimately led Hiya to pursue an acquisition, and what they looked for in a partner.I can’t believe how much I learned in just 35 minutes with Adam, and as always, I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Kiki Couchman and Elan Halpern, the co-founders of Sourmilk.Sourmilk is built around a simple but differentiated premise: take something 92% of households already consume and engineer it to deliver measurable gut-health impact. We talk through how they formulated around specific probiotic strains rather than optimizing purely for flavor, what it looked like to source grass-fed dairy without prior industry experience, and how they built a co-manufacturing relationship from scratch.We also get into their deliberately high-friction, self-distributed drop model as a way to validate demand, measure retention, and collect first-party customer data before entering retail. From there, we discuss cold-chain constraints, retailer relationships, geographic saturation before national expansion, fundraising discipline, and what it takes to build defensibility in a category dominated by large incumbents.I learned so much from Kiki and Elan, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

On today's episode, I sit down with Joe Hollier, co-founder of Light, the company behind the Light Phone — a minimalist mobile device designed to be used as little as possible.We talk about how the company emerged from an experimental Google design program, why Joe and his co-founder chose to build hardware in a software-dominated world, and what it actually takes to bring a new phone to market without relying on the traditional venture-backed smartphone playbook. We get into crowdfunding as early validation, how they managed to develop a relationship with Foxconn — one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electronics — and what that partnership required at their scale.We also break down the unit economics: non-recurring engineering costs, bill of materials, software licensing fees for tools like directions, inventory financing, and how tariffs and component shortages have affected margins. We discuss the tradeoffs behind feature decisions — why the phone includes essentials like calling, texting, directions, and now a camera, but will never include features like social media access, email, or an internet browser — and how those boundaries shape both the product and the business model.This was a thoughtful, detailed look at what it takes to build a hardware company with a fundamentally different incentive structure. I learned so much from Joe, and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

In today's episode, I sit down with Sara Victorio, founder of Hotel Ceramics, a one-person handmade ceramics studio based in Portland, Oregon.We talk about how Hotel operates as a solo manufacturing business, from product design and material inputs to kiln capacity, production methods, and quality control. Sara walks through why she shifted from wheel throwing to slip casting, how that decision changed her labor economics and output constraints, and what tradeoffs it introduced operationally. We also get into pricing and margin considerations in handmade ceramics, including how labor, throughput, and failure rates factor into pricing decisions, and why Hotel uses a drop-based sales model rather than pre-orders. Throughout the conversation, we discuss demand management, customer expectations, repeat purchase behavior, and how distribution choices affect both cash flow and workload when the founder is also the sole producer.This was a clear, grounded look at the mechanics of running a small, design-driven physical goods business with real production constraints. I learned so much during my conversation with Sara, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In today's episode, I sit down with Nate Mell, founder of Felt + Fat, a Philadelphia-based ceramics company producing tableware for both restaurants and direct-to-consumer customers.We talk about how Felt + Fat began supplying custom tableware to restaurants, why ceramics made sense as a business from a unit-economics perspective, and how debt-financed equipment shaped the company’s growth and risk profile. Nate walks through the operational realities of scaling a labor-intensive manufacturing business, the shift from wholesale to direct-to-consumer, and how capital decisions around space, equipment, and staffing affected margins and cash flow. We also get into the limits of vertical integration, what rapid expansion exposed about the business model, and how a period of financial distress forced a clear-eyed reassessment of what the company actually does best — ultimately leading to a narrower, more sustainable operating scope.This was a candid, detailed look at the mechanics of running a U.S.-based manufacturing business and I can't thank Nate enough for his transparency around some pretty sensitive topics. I learned so much during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In today's episode, I sit down with Jared Klusner, founder of Erstwhile, a jewelry business built around highly curated vintage and vintage-inspired pieces.We talk about Jared’s path into the jewelry world, how sourcing actually works in a niche, relationship-driven market, and why trust and expertise matter so much when you’re dealing in rare, one-of-a-kind goods.We also get into the mechanics of building a business around non-fungible inventory — from pricing and negotiation to replacement risk, inventory management, and the realities of scaling a high-touch operation without losing credibility.This was a fascinating look at what it really takes to build a relationship-driven business in high-end vintage goods. I learned so much from the conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today's episode, I sit down with Lucy Dana, co-founder and CEO of One Trick Pony, a peanut butter brand built around Argentinian peanuts and a novel approach to jar design.Lucy walks through the tradeoffs involved in supplier selection, inventory risk, and manufacturing control, including the very real consequences of getting early production decisions wrong.We get into how One Trick Pony thinks about differentiation in a crowded, commoditized category, why jar design — not ingredients alone — became the company’s primary growth lever, and the operational and margin implications of introducing custom packaging.Lucy also shares how pricing decisions have evolved alongside rising input costs and tariffs, why DTC played a critical role early on, and how the business is balancing e-commerce with retail as it scales.This was a thoughtful, transparent conversation about building a modern food brand from scratch and I learned so much during my conversation with Lucy. As always, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In this episode, I sit down with Lauryn Menard, founder of GOB, a company rethinking single-use personal care products starting with earplugs made from mycelium.We talk about how GOB came to focus on a category most people overlook, and what it actually takes to commercialize a new biomaterial in a space dominated by low-cost, petroleum-based incumbents. Lauryn walks through the early research process, the tradeoffs involved in material selection, and the realities of working with suppliers and manufacturing partners when you’re building on top of emerging technologies rather than established supply chains.We also get into pricing and positioning in a highly price-sensitive category, how GOB thinks about margins and cost reduction over time, and why subscription has become the core business model as the company shifts toward daily-use, health-driven customers. Lauryn shares how GOB is approaching distribution across DTC, music venues, and retail, and how those channels serve different roles at different stages.This was a thoughtful, grounded conversation about building a premium physical product in a commoditized category, the real constraints of scaling physical products that don’t rely on petrochemicals, and what it actually means to design products with end-of-life in mind. I learned so much during our conversation and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In this episode, I sit down with Hilary Dubin and Caroline Huber, co-founders of Jones — a modern nicotine-cessation company built for people trying to quit vaping.Jones combines FDA-approved nicotine mints, a form of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), with an app that provides behavioral support and community. Hilary and Caroline started the company after struggling to quit nicotine themselves and realizing how outdated, stigmatized, and incomplete the existing NRT category felt — especially for younger users.We talk about how their personal experiences shaped the product, what it takes to build a regulated physical product alongside software, and why behavioral support is just as important as the nicotine replacement itself. We also get into manufacturing constraints, FDA economics, fundraising stress, and the realities of building a business in a tightly regulated space.This was an extremely transparent conversation about building a real company in what I consider to be a critically important category. I learned a lot from this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Dan Cassaro, Dan Christofferson, and Meg Yahashi — the team behind Weast Coast Games, a modern board game company designing beautifully crafted tabletop games.Weast Coast grew out of Young Jerks (the branding and packaging studio they’ve been building for over a decade) and this conversation provides a look at what happens when a design firm decides to make its own physical products.We talk about how a lunchtime prototype turned into a real board game business, how they think about gameplay and play-testing, and why they chose to lead with a high-cost, component-heavy game instead of playing it safe.We also get into manufacturing realities, pricing and margin decisions, using Kickstarter as a validation tool, and the ways in which game design has changed the way they think about client work.This was a fascinating look into balancing craft and creative ambition with the realities of producing and selling physical products — and I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.(Also a shoutout to the team for designing this episode's cover art!)

In this episode, I sit down with Elliott Walker and Tim Hucklesby, co-founders of Nymzo — a modern chess brand rethinking one of the world’s most traditional games. Elliott and Tim are longtime brand designers, and their perspective on product, positioning, and credibility shows up in every part of Nymzo’s story.We talk through how they identified a real gap in the chess market based on what they were seeing culturally and commercially, and how that conviction translated into a premium, performance-driven physical product. Elliott and Tim break down what it actually took to manufacture a chess set from scratch — from tooling decisions and material choices to the realities of minimum order quantities and early production constraints.We also dig into bootstrapping, demand and distribution strategy, how they approached launching DTC, what they’ve learned from working with chess clubs as a discovery channel, and what it means to build trust and legitimacy in a legacy category that’s deeply rooted in tradition.Tim and Elliott are exceptional brand builders, and I think it really shows. I learned so much during our conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

On today's episode, I sit down with Jamey Stegmaier, Co-Founder & CEO of Stonemaier Games — the studio behind modern board game staples like Wingspan, Scythe, and Viticulture. We dig into what it actually takes to run a board game company at scale: the economics of manufacturing in China, navigating tariffs and freight costs, the true timeline of bringing a game from idea to shelf, and how Stonemaier thinks about margins, value, and customer trust.Jamey also opens up about the early Kickstarter era, budgeting mistakes that almost sunk the company, why they eventually walked away from crowdfunding altogether, and how that decision changed their business overnight. We talk art investment, digital vs. physical revenue, distribution strategy, working with retailers, hiring slowly, and why he’s far more interested in serving existing fans than chasing “growth for growth’s sake.”It’s a transparent, thoughtful look at an industry that rarely gets discussed through an operational lens — and one of the most insightful conversations I’ve had about building a product-driven company. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. 

In this week’s episode I sit down with Dave Allee, Founder of Almond Surfboards — one of the most respected surf brands in the market. Dave started Almond back in 2009 with a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, heritage, and timeless design, and over the past 15+ years he’s grown it into a brand that customers genuinely trust.We talk through what it actually takes to build durable, meaningful products in a category that isn’t always forgiving, how Almond has cultivated such a loyal community, and why discipline and restraint have been central to the company’s longevity. We also dig into the story behind the R Series, the recyclable, mold-injected surfboard line that became a major turning point for the business.Dave is one of the most thoughtful, disciplined founders I’ve come across and I learned so much during our conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Ilay Karateke, Co-founder & CEO of Bezi, the Labneh brand working to introduce an entirely new category to U.S. grocery shelves. We dig into what Labneh actually is, why it hasn’t historically broken through in mainstream retail, and what it takes to introduce a new category rather than compete in an already understood space.We talk through the realities of building a refrigerated CPG brand without DTC, why Bezi made a retail-first, New York-first bet, and how relentless in-store demos and community events became the backbone of customer acquisition. İlay also shares what it means to be bootstrapped while competing next to massive, well-funded category players, how her co-founder’s family dairy business shapes Bezi’s manufacturing and shelf-life advantages, and what scaling inside Whole Foods actually looks like when the roadmap isn’t obvious.We also get into tariffs, distribution tradeoffs, the decision to avoid big national brokers (for now), and how she thinks about timing fundraising vs. staying disciplined on cash flow. It’s an honest look at what it takes to build a food brand when demand doesn’t already exist — and what it looks like to try to bring an entirely new grocery category to life.

In this episode, I sit down with Nash Howe, founder of Currently Running — a new running apparel brand built at the intersection of product, art, and storytelling.Nash is like no one I've ever met. His passion for running, art, and brand building is infectious and it made for an incredibly compelling conversation.Nash walks through his path from creative work in film, photography, and music to building a physical product from scratch. We talk about developing Currently over several years before launch, how he approached fabric sourcing and manufacturing without a traditional apparel background, and what it looks like to bootstrap a brand through prototyping, tariffs, and early cash-flow constraints.We also get into pricing and margin decisions, staying DTC in the early days, learning when to ask for help, and how creative direction shapes everything from product to community.I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

In this episode, we sit down with Michael Fisher, founder and CEO of ⁠Rotten⁠, the better-for-you candy brand built for people who still want to indulge. Michael shares how Rotten came to life after years of R&D, early manufacturing trials, and the realization that healthier candy didn’t need to look or feel “health-first” to win consumers.We walk through what it actually takes to build and scale a modern candy brand — from working with food science partners and commercial manufacturers to using Kickstarter and direct-to-consumer as early validation and learning tools. Michael breaks down how Rotten leveraged DTC to iterate quickly on product and messaging before expanding into retail, and why that feedback loop was critical before taking on larger distribution.We also dig deep into retail strategy: how Rotten thinks about velocity, distributor relationships, and syndicated data; the margin pressure that comes with better-for-you ingredients; and the packaging decisions that matter most on shelf. Michael explains how the brand approaches pricing, promotions, seasonal demand like Halloween, and why Rotten has been able to attract customers who had never purchased better-for-you candy before.If you’re interested in CPG, food and beverage, retail expansion, or the operational trade-offs behind building a product that has to win on taste, branding, and economics, this is a detailed look inside the business of modern candy.

In this episode, we sit down with Alec Jaffe, founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream — the first certified regenerative, A2-dairy ice cream brand in the country. Alec walks us through what it actually takes to build a modern CPG brand inside one of the most operationally challenging categories: frozen foods.We cover everything from how he found (and rebuilt) a shut-down 4,000 sq. ft. ice cream factory in Sonoma, to the realities of sourcing regenerative A2 dairy, to navigating cold-chain logistics that stretch across farms, warehouses, distributors, and grocery freezers. Alec breaks down the real math behind ingredient costs, why their pints sit at a premium price point, and how he thinks about incrementality when launching new flavors or whole new formats like Culture Cup — the probiotic single-serve cup that unexpectedly blew up on TikTok.If you’ve ever wondered how a small team brings a new CPG product to life — from ideation and benchtop testing to packaging, scale-up, retail resets, and managing a fragile cold chain — this is a masterclass in the operational grind behind the ice cream aisle.

This week, we sit down with Kristen Pumphrey and Tom Neuberger, co-owners of P.F. Candle Co., the California-born home fragrance brand known for its clean, modern scents and iconic amber jar candles. Kristen and Tom share the full story behind their 15-year journey — from learning to make candles at age 12 and selling early blends on Etsy, to navigating craft fairs, bootstrapping every step, and ultimately opening three retail stores across LA, San Francisco, and Brooklyn.They walk us through P.F.’s deeply intentional product-development process: building mood boards, working with fragrance houses, learning the language of perfumery, iterating endlessly on scent mods, and managing production timelines that can stretch from nine months to a year and a half. We discuss how they forecast demand in a high-cost, razor-thin margin environment, the systems they use to avoid overbuying, and how unexpected moments — like a Wirecutter feature that triggered a 2,500-person waitlist — force even seasoned operators to stay nimble.We also dig into what it really means to manufacture domestically today. Kristen and Tom break down the realities of sourcing U.S.-made materials, negotiating credit terms, weathering tariffs, and scaling while staying self-funded. They share candid lessons from retail expansion — picking neighborhoods, avoiding bad real estate, designing stores through a DIY lens, and staying grounded in curation and customer connection.Finally, we explore why authenticity in press still matters, how P.F. thinks about new vs. returning customers, why some product bets fail (and what they learned from them), and how the team stays creatively energized after more than a decade in business.If you're interested in CPG, scent and product development, bootstrapping, retail strategy, or the realities of scaling a small but mighty brand, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

This week, we sit down with Kathryn Shaw, co-founder of Spring & Mulberry, the chocolate brand redefining sweetness with through its use of whole foods. Kathryn shares the deeply personal story that sparked the company and how it led her to rethink indulgence completely.She walks us through the surprisingly complex journey from kitchen experiments to commercial chocolate production: searching for co-manufacturers, navigating minimum order quantities, building early demand, and playing “inventory whack-a-mole” after early press from Forbes and Bon Appétit. Kathryn breaks down the realities of launching as a premium brand, from dialing boutiques via Instagram DMs to understanding the hidden mechanics of grocery distribution, freight, and setup costs.We also dive into today’s chaotic cacao market (with prices up nearly 5× since 2022), how a small brand finds efficiencies to stay competitive, and why packaging, positioning, and premium experiences matter more than ever. Kathryn shares lessons on PR, omni-channel marketing, hiring slowly, and the role of relationships — plus what’s next as Spring & Mulberry expands beyond date-sweetened chocolate toward a world of “sweet beyond sugar.”If you're interested in CPG, brand building, grocery strategy, or the intersection of wellness and indulgence, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

This week, we sit down with Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland, the co-founders and co-CEOs of Talea Beer Co. — one of New York City’s fastest-growing and most beloved breweries. Tara and LeAnn share the winding paths that brought them from the Navy, Google, consulting, and the New York Times into the world of craft beer, and how a chance job interview led to forming Talea just three months after meeting.They walk through the early days of contract brewing, hand-packing six-packs in the back of a van, and landing Whole Foods as their first major retail account through a mix of hustle and “ignorance is bliss” ambition. The founders also unpack why Talea’s brand intentionally breaks from traditional craft beer aesthetics, how their corporate backgrounds gave them an edge in building a professionally run brewery, and why their brick-and-mortar taprooms are the backbone of their business model.From fundraising across 150+ small investors, to navigating the challenges of today’s alcohol market, to scaling from one Williamsburg taproom to a growing NYC footprint, Tara and LeAnn offer candid insights into what it takes to build a hospitality-focused, design-forward brewery from the ground up. We hope you enjoy.Chapters00:00 Intro02:16 Founding Stories: From Navy to Brewery04:52 The Journey to Entrepreneurship07:45 Building a Business Partnership10:33 Launching Talea: The First Steps13:00 Securing Distribution: The Whole Foods Experience16:00 Branding and Design: Crafting a Unique Identity18:49 Corporate Backgrounds: Misconceptions and Insights21:38 Navigating Challenges in the Brewery Industry30:33 The Dual Role of a CEO31:22 Navigating the Fundraising Journey34:07 Building a Business from the Ground Up36:59 Challenges and Opportunities in the Craft Beer Market40:01 Optimizing Operations and Expanding Taprooms44:36 The Importance of Relationships in Business47:32 Surprising Moments and Personal Connections50:50 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

On this episode we're joined by Alastair Matthews and Michael Hunter, Co-founders of the artist-run jigsaw puzzle company, Le Puzz. They share their journey of turning a hobby into a successful business while emphasizing the importance of community engagement, strong branding, and adapting to the evolving macro environment. They discuss the impact of tariffs on their pricing strategy and their vision for future growth. We hope you enjoy it.Chapters00:00 Intro02:52 Navigating Challenges: The Early Days of Business05:45 Manufacturing Decisions: The Quest for Quality09:00 Shipping Woes: The Freight Crisis11:56 Bootstrapping Success: Funding and Growth14:36 Building a Brand: Aesthetic Choices and Design Collaboration17:52 Evolving Operations: Day-to-Day Changes Post-COVID20:39 Retail Relationships: Securing Partnerships and Sales33:53 The Evolution of Puzzles Post-COVID38:41 Understanding Customer Dynamics in Puzzle Design42:54 Building a Community Around Puzzles48:12 Navigating International Trade and Tariffs55:12 Outro

In this episode, we sit down with Zach Fried, Co-Founder and CEO of Craighill — the design-forward brand known for creating beautiful everyday objects. Zach shares his unique journey from a creative background in music to leading a design company. He discusses the challenges and learning experiences of launching Craighill, the importance of community and customer acquisition strategies, and the evolution of their marketing approach. Zach emphasizes the significance of retention and email marketing in their business model, outlines their new product development process, and shares his vision for the future of Craighill as a leading American design brand.Chapters00:00 Zach Fried's Journey to Craighill07:27 Launching Craighill: The First Products15:43 Evolving Customer Acquisition Strategies20:16 The Importance of Community and Real-Life Connections33:45 Retention Strategies and Email Marketing40:32 The New Product Development Process47:41 Vision for the Future of Craighill