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Monisha Khushalani is CFO at Hu Products, the better for you snacks company known for their chocolate bars and hunks. On this epiosode of ITS, Monisha walks Ali through the finance piece of the puzzle: Accounting, modeling, cash flow, and more. And Monisha should know, she has led 3 companies through aquistions by the CPG "Big Guys," including Sir Kensington's sale to Unilever and Mondalez's recent purchase of Hu. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Marissa Dobbins and Courtnie Beceiro are the General Manager and Brand Director at Haven's Kitchen. With Ali on vacation this week, the two of them take over ITS to talk about their experience leaving Fresh Direct to build a start up, their management styles, and how to work with a Founder (hint: learn how to say "no" to them...).Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.   

Jing Gao is the Founder of Fly by Jing, the super popular spice and condiment company on a mission to bring premium, natural, uncensored Chinese flavors to the table. On this episode of ITS, Jing tells Ali her story, and the story of Fly by Jing. They discuss Fly by Jing in the broader context of centuries of false narratives about Chinese food in the US, and how a refresh of the brand led Jing to reclaim her name after 25 years.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Alex Center is a designer and founder of the branding company CENTER. Prior to building his own studio, Alex worked at Coca-Cola, where he became Design Director, for 11 years. On this episode of ITS, Alex and Ali talk about what makes iconic brands magical, why packaging is just one part of a larger ecosystem (hint: you must also have a great product and the people are key), and why the best brands make you feel like a superhero.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Adam Brown is the Founder and CEO of Sircle Media, a Social Media Strategy Firm based in New York. On this episode of ITS, Adam and Ali cover everything Social: from channel strategy to what Adam refers to as a "360 campaign." Social, according to Adam, is a paid game, so learn the rules, figure out where the secret mushrooms are, and play.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Madeline Haydon is the founder and CEO of Nutpods, the unbelievably successful dairy-free creamer that launched with a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. On this episode of ITS, Madeline tells Ali the Nutpods story, shares her lessons for building a successful business, and explains why it's so critical that we know who we are, what makes us different and how we plan on challenging the status quo.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Adam Epstein is VP of Growth at Perpetua, a software company that helps brands maximize their visability (and sales!) on Amazon, Instacart, and many other e-commerce channels. On this episode of ITS, Adam walks Ali through how Perpetua works, how investing in Instacart ads early can help a brand, how to maximize Amazon ads, and the massive opportunity we're all missing if we don't think of all of the ecomm channels as potential marketplaces. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Paul De Joe is Co-founder of MUD\WTR, a DTC coffee alternative made of functional ingredients. On this episode of ITS, Paul and Ali talk all about hiring: What to avoid, how to map out the process, and why, as Netflix says "Culture is who you let go." Hint: this is a MUST listen if you're growing your team.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Melanie Masarin is the founder of Ghia, a spirit-free aperitif designed to change the way we think about drinking and socializing. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Melanie talk about Ghia's launch this past June, the non-alc market, and how Melanie's turns at Dig Inn and Glossier informed the Ghia brand.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Roxana Saidi is the founder of Tache, the first true pistachio milk in the United States. On this episode of ITS, Roxana tells Ali about Tache's 5-yr long journey from idea to product launch, why cracking the supply chain puzzle is a lot, but worth it, and how she plans on competing in the big bad world of alt milk.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast. 

Ashley Jones is Director of Retail Execution at Dirty Hands, a company that makes over 3,000 visits a month to top grocery stores across the country, ensuring that your product is on shelf, priced correctly, ordered regularly, and has optimal real estate. On this episode of ITS, Ashley and Ali talk about the importance of building relationships on the grocery store floor, how brands can optimize sales, and why getting a ""yes"" from a buyer is just the beginning.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast. 

Miguel Leal is the Chief Marketing Officer at Cholula, the hot sauce brand that sold to McCormick in November for $800m. Miguel has led declining brands through incredible turnarounds over the course of his career, and built marketing teams at KIND, Kettle Chips, Pop Secret, Diamond nuts (and more!). On this episode of ITS, Miguel walks Ali through the key tenets of marketing. From the importance of insights and focus, to building a great team, every minute of this episode is packed.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.  

Dan Frommer is the founder and editor in chief of The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money. On this episode of ITS, Dan walks Ali through a new survey (published today!) on consumer shopping habits and behaviour, his analysis of what's changed permanently, and what it all means for emerging CPG brands. This final episode of 2020 is a must for anyone building a brand post COVID. The survey is available at newconsumer.comHeritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Ali Bonar is founder and CEO of Kween, the organic, nut and allergen-free granola butter that tastes like a creamy version of cinnamon Teddy Grahams, but is actually good for you. On this episode of ITS, Ali and Ali talk about the challenges and opportunities, both from a production and a marketing perspective, of bringing something entirely new to the market.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Emmett Shine is Co-founder at Pattern Brands, a family of brands with the mission of finding more enjoyment in daily life. In 2019, Emmett and his team closed their iconic branding agency, Gin Lane (think Sweetgreen, Quip, Harry’s, and Care/Of) and created Pattern, where they set out to build their own brands. On today's episode of ITS, Emmett talks about that transition, what he's learned while building Equal Parts and Open Spaces, and what he means by intimacy at scale. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Marisa Zupan is founder & CEO of United Sodas of America, the gorgeous, naturally sweetened sodas that look like an art installation. On today's episode of ITS, Marisa and Ali talk about brands as conceptual spaces, the connections between strategy and creativity, and how clarity and vision are at the foundation of all great brands.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast. 

Natalie Smid is Growth Manager at Lunar Solar Group, an e-commerce and digital growth consultancy that works with brands on their digital strategy. On today's episode of ITS, Natalie and Ali trace back their working relationship to the day after Expo West was cancelled and the Haven's team realized the only way they'd build awareness in 2020 was digitally. With no demos or events, a lot was riding on digital, and wholesale brands need to hop on the digital train, pandemic or not.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Corey Rateau is Senior Category Manager at Good Eggs, the e-commerce grocery business beloved by the Bay Area. On today's episode of ITS, Corey walks Ali through what buyers are looking for from brands. They discuss how choosing new brands is a fraction of a buyer's job, and how brands need to identify the role our product will play in a store's assortment.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Ben Goodwin and Eli Weiss are the Founder/CEO and the Customer Service Director of Olipop, the low sugar, prebiotic, fiber-rich healthy soda alternative that is, as they say “Killing it!” On this episode of ITS, they talk with Ali about the difference between customer service and customer experience, how expanding your team requires "depth charges," and why self awareness is critical for a founder, but also a company.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

Chuck Cotter leads the Food, Beverage, and Consumer Products industry group at the Law Firm Holland and Hart, advising companies of all sizes and stages. On this episode of ITS, Chuck breaks down the differences between LLCs and C-Corps, how to talk to your team about equity, what to think about as you raise capital, and the general state of CPG today.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In the Sauce by becoming a member!In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.