Like many kids, mainstream snacks and cereals were a memorable part of Krishna Kaliannan’s childhood. There’s nothing he loved more than chocolate puffs for breakfast or a delicious sandwich cookie dunked in a glass of cold milk. Unfortunately, when he turned 17, he was diagnosed with T1 diabetes and had to give up many of his favorite snacks since they are typically loaded with sugar and empty carbs. He started eating low carb to help manage his blood sugar, but the few healthy options available tasted like cardboard. He got fed up! He wanted delicious snacks that would satisfy my cravings but weren’t loaded with all the sugar and empty carbs. And thus, Catalina Crunch was born. Krishna joins Justin to discuss this innovative and fast-growing food brand!
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Endangered Species Chocolate has been crafting premium chocolate for three decades. ESC is passionate about redeeming typical business practices into “doing good better” that leaves a positive and lasting ripple in their wake. They love the truly delicious product they create, and are on a mission to seed joy through abundant giving. By donating 10% of net profits to impactful organizations and initiatives, they can continue in their amazing work to improve our world every day. CEO Curt Vander Meer joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing and delicious brand!
Artificial Intelligence. Machine Learning. Generative AI. Deep Learning. What does it all mean?! And why should you as a founder or entrepreneur care? Michael Connor joins Justin to unpack all of this and more as related to the Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods start-up space.
Mari Fassett started mixing flavors when she was 12 and whipped up a bowl of peanut butter, syrup and melted butter to dip pretzels in while she watched cartoons. Today, she is proud to celebrate over 25 years making better-for-you, plant-based, gluten-free snack mixes. She believes today's consumer craves snacks that innovate with bold, adventurous flavor while still paying tribute to comfort-food traditions. Mari joins Justin to discuss this growing brand!
The LittleOak Company is on a mission to create products that care equally for our little ones and the world they will grow into. They believe that nothing can prepare our children for the world more than the world itself. Nature, after all, is our greatest provider. This is why they fell in love with the natural benefits of fresh goat milk and use it in our range of toddler drinks. Founder Elke Pascoe joins Justin to discuss this growing baby formula brand!
Mara Smith, a former attorney in Chicago, started drinking tequila when she was looking for a clean, gluten-free spirit that fit into her active lifestyle. She and her friends enjoyed the versatile, carb-free and zero sugar spirit but they were not drawn to the traditional offerings. For years, Mara searched for a tequila brand that was additive-free with a look, taste and aroma that appealed to her and that she could share with her friends and family and proudly display on her bar. That perfect tequila simply did not exist, so she decided to create one. Mara joins Justin to discuss this growing alcoholic-beverage brand!
Remedy Organics was founded by Cindy Kasindorf, a holistic nutritionist who set out to create plant-based beverages that are deliciously protein-packed, superfood-charged, colored by food, and nutrient-dense. Her inspiration to create Remedy Organics began with her lifelong passion for health and wellness. Remedy Organics products aim to help you unleash your body’s natural healing power and live each day to the fullest. Cindy and her husband (and partner) Henry, join Justin to discuss this fast-growing beverage brand!
Eastern Standard Provisions delivers expertly crafted, one-of-a-kind artisanal soft pretzels and artfully blended flavored salts & sugars because life is just too short not to love every bite. Their Boston-based team, with deep roots throughout New England, is fiercely passionate in their pursuit of making the best soft pretzels on the planet. This stemmed from their mutual love for pretzels, and a realization that finding one on the market that lived up to expectations was nearly impossible. So, they decided to make it. And they now ship pretzels and waffles. Founder and CEO Bill Deacon joins Justin to discuss this delicious brand!
Katie Hotze is the CEO and Founder of Grocery Shopii. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, data analytics, and business strategy, Katie was able to turn her frustration with grocery shopping into a nationally-recognized retail tech disrupter that’s rapidly expanding in North America. Prior, Katie worked in management and technology consulting, leading global marketing teams at Mercer and BearingPoint. She broke away from her corporate career in 2019 to start Grocery Shopii. Today, Katie is recognized as one of grocery tech’s leading innovators, including recognition as one of Retail Info Systems’ Top 10 Women in Grocery Tech. Katie joins Justin to talk tech + grocery!
Founded by husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Allison and based in Austin, TX, poppi combines fresh fruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and inulin prebiotics for a deliciously refreshing, full-of-flavor soda with benefits. With the help of an investment on Shark Tank, poppi has gone from farmer's-market-favorite to sitting pretty on the shelves of thousands of retailers across the nation. Along the way, they’ve become beloved by many including Hailey Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Billie Eilish, Russell Westbrook, JLo, Olivia Munn, and more. Allison joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing beverage brand!
Griffin Owens is the co-founder of YUZUCO (www.theyuzu.co), a Los Angeles-based emerging brand that sources and creates premium, accessible yuzu products for award-winning chefs and bartenders. His experience with Yuzu began casually over a sour citrus and candy obsession as a young child. It developed more formally in 2020, with the launch of his brand's yuzu-inspired candled, featured in in media on publications such as Snaxshot and Vogue and locally in LA boutiques, such as Lady White Co. Griffin joins Justin to discuss this new fast-growing brand.
Straight forward, independent, no-nonsense advice is not easy to find. This is a must-read book for every budding and existing coffee shop entrepreneur. Andrew & Claire Bowen opened their first franchised coffee shop in 2007, after leaving senior roles in retail and healthcare. Within eighteen months they had opened three outlets and had over £1m turnover. In 2011 they developed their own independent format, which they continue to run. They support coffee shop owners worldwide as founders of Café Success Hub. They join Justin to discuss coffee shops and more!
For most of her life, Wendy Liebmann has been passionate about the convergence of consumers, shopping and retail. It's why she founded WSL, to help companies build their retail strategies by understanding and staying intimately in touch with shoppers, how they live their lives and how they spend. The goal, then and now, is to get retailers out of their ivory towers to meet shoppers on the selling floor, whether that floor is physical or digital. It's all about staying close to shoppers everyday to understand and satisfy their changing needs and wants. Wendy joins Justin to discuss the retail industry!
Solobo Toys is a Montessori-inspired educational children's toy company owned and operated by neurodivergent parents. Their products are designed to emphasize simplicity while encouraging exceptional learning. The owners of Solobo are Daniel & Courtney, a husband and wife team. They are also parents to two amazing children. Daniel is an ADHDer & Courtney is Autistic, ADHD, and OCD. They utilize sensory play, AAC, Montessori, and gentle parenting in their own family. They both feel it's important to encourage a child's individuality and meet them where they are. Courtney Peebles joins Justin to discuss this inspiring and growing toy brand!
Nana's is a family-oriented, Louisiana/Maryland style diner. Their goal is to provide fresh, hot, and comforting food that will make you feel at home while giving you a little peek inside the cuisine of Louisiana and Maryland. Owner Kelli Ferrell joins Justin to discuss this hot restaurant concept!
The Western Michigan University food marketing program will prepare you for many roles within the industry and provide the necessary tools for a successful career. Food marketing graduates are heavily recruited by leading firms in both retail and consumer goods. The program includes professional development, leadership, community service, networking and job search preparation. Russell Zwanka, director of the program, joins Justin to discuss this leading industry university program.
Artificial Intelligence. Machine Learning. Generative AI. Deep Learning. What does it all mean?! And why should you as a founder or entrepreneur care? Michael Connor joins Justin to unpack all of this and more as related to the Retail and Consumer Packaged Goods start-up space.
Elevate your meal with six sauces that combine fresh ingredients and convenience. Haven’s Kitchen fresh sauces save you time shopping, chopping, & cleaning so you can focus on eating. Flavor-Forward Sauces. Vegan & Gluten-Free. Cooking? Haven’s Kitchens knows you’ve got it in you. Fluffy rice, crispy fish, perfectly roasted, caramelized vegetables…you just need a few tricks, a couple of tips and some simple recipes. Founder Alison Cayne joins Justin to discuss this growing food brand!
Family-owned Langer Juice Company, Inc., has emerged as a major force and a top ranked brand in the very competitive juice industry. Since the formation of the company in 1960, the Langer family has remained actively involved in every aspect of making juice, from production and marketing to quality assurance. Producing beverages in many of the high-volume categories that include apple, cranberry, orange, grape, grapefruit, and pomegranate, as well as innovative tropical blends such as mango, guava and passionfruit, the Langers brand can be found in major retailers and Club stores across the country. Additional brands include Langer Farms 100% juices and No Worries brand cocktail mixers. Recent additions include Langers apple cider vinegar stick packs, Langers organic flavored sparkling waters, Langer Farms Beyond Butter apple butter, Beyond Honey plant-based vegan honey, LyteAde Sports hydration beverage with caffeine, and Gen Z flavorless transparent liquid in aluminum bottles. Langer Juice Company is located in City of Industry, CA. Bruce Langer joins Justin to discuss this leading juice brand!
NestFresh started as a family company in Colorado in 1991. Their founders wanted to create an egg company focused on animal welfare and environmental sustainability. They believed that by treating animals right, both hens and humans benefit, and they are proud to maintain those founding values. In the early years, NestFresh Eggs were produced and sold exclusively in Colorado, and soon became Colorado’s favorite egg brand. Today they use regional, family-owned farms to produce and supply farm fresh NestFresh Eggs in a local, sustainable system. Jason Urena joins Justin to discuss the egg industry and this growing egg brand!
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Open Water is ultra-purified, electrolyte-packed canned water in BPA-free aluminum packaging. Recyclable? Check. Climate Neutral? You bet. P.S. Fill up at the tap whenever possible. No, really! Co-founders Jess Page and Nicole Doucet join Justin to discuss this innovative and fast-growing water brand!
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Moving the Middle is a must-read for any leader, manager or coach looking for a way to tap into the unrealized potential of their middle performers. Why the Middle? Your customers – Your culture – The economics – The physics – Your potential. This book was written to change the way you think about solving your greatest opportunity and challenge – your middle performers. As Retail and CPG brands return to office, this topic takes on added importance. Author Jack Spartz joins Justin to discuss this moving concept.
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Do Good Foods is offering great-tasting products consumers know and love, that also have a tangible positive impact on the world. How? Today, 40% of the food we grow currently goes to waste. Can you imagine going to the store, filling five bags of groceries but then throwing two of them away? It’s a waste of resources, time and money. And Do Good Foods is putting a stop to it. Rather than throw food away, Do Good Foods is upcycling it. Surplus grocery food is first shared with local food pantries — what’s left over is then sent to their facility to be repurposed into feed for animals. Co-founder and co-CEO Justin Kamine joins Justin Honaman to discuss this transformational food brand!
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At Mother Raw, their love of plants runs deep. They like to say they're plant-powered and inspired by all the possibilities that can grow from a single seed. Their life's work is to make plants crave-able because everyone benefits from digging into their awesomeness! That's why they select the best of Mother Earth's incredible bounty including organic, non-GMO plant-based ingredients, and create ridiculously delicious and versatile products and recipes. All of the flavor and goodness, with none of the crap. Put Good on Good™. CEO Kristi Knowles joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing food brand!
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As COO of Nuts.com, Eran Mizrahi watched as vendors changed up pricing, quality, and lead times on a whim. With so much at stake, he knew there had to be a better way. He partnered with fellow Nuts.com alumni Aalap Patel to start Ingredient Brothers, a company that is data-informed but relationship-driven and sources ingredients for consumer products from around the world. Eran joins Justin to discuss this growing brand.
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/contendercast-with-justin-honaman/id1253179825
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