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We get down and dirty with the living motivation that is Mark Samuel, founder of IWON Organics high-protein, plant-based snacks, granola and cereal. We get under the hood on the tactics that took them from Vitamin Shoppe to a national force. It's a must listen for any mission based brand or food and bev founder.Mark opens up about:- What makes him proudest- How IWON survived as peers disappeared- The need for capital- Growth strategies he's using right now for DTC and discovery- The big move from savory snacks to the cereal aisle - QVC! and far more. Listen and learn!Support the show

Is plant-based cheese the new plant- based meat? Can it be made of hemp and cauliflower instead of nuts?  Can cheese-free cheese NOT be "life, laugh, love, vegan?"  First-time founder and former marketing exec Veronica Fil and her chef partner Shaun Quade say yes. They took his bold cheese prototypes off their Australian restaurant menu and into the US market. Whole Foods came calling. Now they're selling meltable tasty cheese-free cheeses including American, baby. Stir some Rotel into the queso and get the story. It's serious inspiration to just go for an idea with the right whitespace and timing. Support the show

Welcome the Cann Cannabis-based drink founder! Even if you don't party, we talk about promotion when you can't legally "advertise, " distribution when you can't be on shelf and why Cannabis drinks vs booze. Also: the queer origins of the Cann Social Tonic concept, how to make something tasty AND healthy and can you mix tequila and THC??! Support the show (http://ecoecho.substack.com)Support the show

What does it take to make a great brand in Natural? From the studio that did Bobo's Naturals, Good Pop, Fat Snax, Boulder Canyon snacks and more, we talk packaging, design and ask the question, "What if a brand had NO copy?" Tune in!Support the show

 for a rant on the changing culture of the natural industry and what it means for brands. We also unpack Beautycounter's $1B acquisition and retailer Grove bringing its products into retailer Target. Join Eco Echo for interviews & regular takes on the green, eco and natural industry from your friends Corey and Julie K. Our newsletter >  ecoecho.substack.comSupport the show

A mini-opinion ep where we ponder:- NewNew and other emerging apps where we can pay to control the lives of others, and other new news in the influencers, the creator economy and monetization of everything- Dr. Tusk, a curiously founder-less, mission-based brand with big claims and (we think) low credibility.Are we wrong on both counts? Let us know! Support the show

We talk to Lindsay McCormick who founded Bite Toothpaste Bits with an Etsy shop in her living room. Now it's at millions a year in revenue  - 100% direct, 100% equity, with ZERO VC funding and no Amazon shop. She gives us the details on how it's still possible to bootstrap your way to success. She's build believers with big heart, DIY product drops and an ex-TV producer's skills.  No Mark Cuban? No Fluoride? Champagne-flavored toothpaste? TUNE IN as we kick off season 2. Support the show

Our take on news in natural, conscious & better-for-you brands and marketing. This time we take on the retail whiplash of upmarket Dollar Stores, Whole Foods' new Ideal Market test concept, and a cool new Joints for Justice bringing a powerful cause in a sea of  #wokewashing. Oh yeah, and plastic-eating enzymes may save us after all! Tune in and hit subscribe! Support the show

Our take on the world of sustainable, conscious, better-for-you brands and marketing.  We welcome the fabulous Ben Schott, author of the article had that the CPG, DTC and design worlds talking. And wondering whether they were part of the bland. And if you haven't read it, find "Welcome to Your Bland New World" on Bloomberg now, as well as his other pieces on tech, business, politics, ideas and finance.Tell us if you think the BLAND world is over - or too big to go away. Support the show

This week in sustainable, conscious, natural and better-for-you brands and marketing. We're back after a brief hiatus! We discuss surprisingly low numbers (or are they?) for online grocery and talk about a few encouraging sustainable moments stories: innovative refillables, bee-friendly KIND, and Julie's call for a new sort of CPG sustainability measure. Oh yeah, and Goop's gone democratized. Support the show

This week in natural, sustainable & better-for-you brands and marketing.Craig Dubitsky was an original Method board member, invented Eos lip balm and founded oral care brand Hello products, which recently sold to Colgate-Palmolive.We cover:How he sees "consumers" and "employeees"How to get & keep a brand's soulWhy anyone can Skype him from Hello's site (he drops his number here, too)Innovating with Emotion The convo that get him on-board Method back in the day.Why acquisition can help the brand be better Where they are going nextCraig is a guy who loves people and brings it to the shelf. Let him inspire you to make more authentic connections in your biz, work and life.  Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. We interview Beatrice Dixon, Black female founder of the very hot, fast-growing brand of plant-based feminine care. Beatrice has a rare mix of no-BS real talk and higher consciousness that's a great model for purpose- or mission-driven leadership. This was a conversation that stuck with us - a truly inspiring mix of real talk on:12:55 Educating for real in social content20:36 Getting into major retailers 24:46 Not caring about racist backlash 28:12 Aligned Teams 36:07 Why Acquisition is not "Selling Out" 39:53 Why $10M revenue doesn't mean the founder has cash (and a BIG money breakdown on the costs and strains of a startup CPG company(49:07 Why She Never Thinks about What's Next  Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more.  Support the show

This week in sustainble, conscious, natural and better for you brands and marketing. This week is a focused ramble:- Pandemic's effect on cities and startup hubs- Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and others take on the Plastic Bag (sorta)- A startup raises a Series A to save - ok, restart - America's home recycling by monetizing it... good idea?Join us and listen! Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. Tracy Gray is founder and managing partner of The 22 Fund, and Executive in Residence at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI). As a Black woman, she intentionally funds  women and people of color. There's plenty of no-holds-barred conversation on what it will take to change the system, drive equity, raise money when you're not a white man. Her TEDx Talk entitled “Why It's Time for Women to Be Sexist with Investment Capital” led her to found a non-profit We Are Enough (WAE). WAE’s only mission is to educate ALL women on how and why to invest in women-owned, for-profit businesses or with a “gender lens."Her long list of accolades includes a Bad Ass Woman in Green award and the Women of Courage award. This podcast will show you why! Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. We dig way into Facebook, Zuckerberg and which brands stand to lose. Lululemon buys Mirror - will we ever shop or check our butts the same way? We salute male beauty (and CVS), pour one out for Odwalla and note a surprising brand pursuing Zero Waste. Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more.  Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. Regrained was founded when 2 friends saw how much grain was wasted every time they home-brewed beer. A decade later, they're startup jedis, working with Big Brands and forging ingenious partnerships to address the climate crisis at huge yet hidden scale. How? That grain is now a branded ingredient in their Regrained snacks and soon much more.David MEETS Goliath, baby. Learn:- Why their product line is a proof-of-concept experiment, even though it's in 1500 doors- The surprising tech partner they cold emailed to get patented IP- Why their compostable packaging didn't work the first time- How used grain can be more valuable than virgin - Why hot dogs aren't upcycled - How he got on stages from TED to Iceland.This startup will make you rethink the blueprint - whether you're a startup, a supply chain partner or at a major player.Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more. Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. You'll never guess what's gonna run your closet and save the planet. Plus: Brandless returns, Vending Everything and we debate whether New Hope's Spark Change platform will spark change. Bonus: Joy wellness? Or just trend reversal?Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more.  Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. Interview with Sharon Werner, highly awarded and world recognized designer of many iconic, category-creating brands. Many of her brand and packaging designs remain top sellers and relatively unchanged after one (or two or more) decades.  We dig into:- the origin story of the Mrs. Meyers brand look, voice and feel- why Lord Jones was a must-do product- what makes for successful partnerships between client and designer- what clients can do to ensure a more successful design - how she ensures a design is really working And more. Down to earth with zero pretense, Sharon inspires us to think about design differently in a world of fast, me-too trends. Get on your roller coaster! Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more.  Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. Black Lives Matter is reverberating in the industry, especially in beauty and other female-focused segments. We talk about the cancelling of female founders from Bando, Reformation and Refinery29, weigh in on ads, and talk about the more action-driven choices across industries, from NetFlix to LEGO to Wal-Mart and NASCAR. Brands in any purpose driven space may be unprepared for the cultural scrutiny that's here - and not going away.  Join us each week for our hot takes on the latest in natural, conscious, sustainable and better-for-you brands, marketing, retail, startups and more.  Support the show

This week in natural brands and the sustainable marketplace. The tragic murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officers has rightfully awakened, enraged and activated the world. Still a bit stunned, we left analysis of the events to experts but touch on brand responses, including &Pizza's paid activism policy. Also, some promising sustainability efforts and some male celebrities taking cues from NOTE: Sound quality low due to compromised wifi in Minneapolis. For thoughts on race in the world of green and wellness, please see our newsletter, dropping this weekend.  Support the show