Hema Reddy is the Founder and CEO of Crafty Counter, a food company that specializes in nutrient-dense food that also is pleasing to the taste buds. Their flagship product, Wunder Nuggets, provides a well-balanced meal contained in every serving. Crafty Counter is designed to help flexitarian families have better choices so that they can help long term health and still have a positive impact on our planet.

Join G. Steven Cleere as he is joined by Hema to talk about flexitarianism, Hema’s Food Startups Podcast, and what is coming next for the Crafty Counter Line.

• [2:36] Background on Hema and the origins of Crafty Counter
• [8:44] The longevity of Flexitarianism
• [11:20] Challenges Hema had starting a commercial kitchen
• [16:40] Selling in the frozen section versus the fresh section
• [21:51] Marketing strategy for Crafty Counter
• [28:13] Upcoming products that Hema is planning to add to the line
• [32:08] The unique relationship children have with food
• [36:48] Wunder Nuggets don’t need a dipping sauce
• [37:42] Hema’s experience on the Food Startups Podcast
• [40:29] Advice for developing brands

• Crafty Counter
• Food Startups Podcast
• LinkedIn for Hema

Encore Presentation from 2020: Ryne O'Donnell is the Founder of Sol-ti, a living beverage company. Ryne’s personal obsession with health and well-being along with the undeniable benefits of good, organic food and juice had on his body made him realize that there was a lack of quality options for travelers. This, coupled with the incessant infiltration of plastic packaging got Ryne thinking that it was time to address the gap in the market for glass bottled living beverages which was how Sol-ti was created in 2014.

Ryne is also the Founder of Permaculture Planet, a Costa Rica-based corporation specializing in permaculture design land development and design properties. He invested in a farm in Costa Rica as a backup plan in case his business failed and later moved there.

How Ryne O’Donnell's personal challenge led to the Sol-ti

Ryne talks about making smoothies and other beverages at home before starting his business

What prompted Ryne to leave the tech industry and develop a mobile phone app to help people find healthy food and juice bars

How Ryne started his Sol-ti business and the returns he got during the first month of sales

Ryne’s initial plans for Sol-ti, how he produced his products at a rental kitchen, and his initial sales run at a local yoga studio

Ryne explains what Sol-ti means, the flavors they currently have, and where the products are sold

How Ryne filled the gap between demand, distribution, and production

Ryne talks about Costa Rica and his decision to sell the beverage company only to buy it back later on

How Ryne handled sales for his business and what he learned from hiring sales reps

Ryne talks about the glass element and pricing of his products and why he refuses to use PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)

Ryne's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a classic and iconic company and brand that stands out

Many entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry started their businesses to solve a specific personal challenge they had. For Ryne O’Donnell, the lack of quality healthy beverages on the road because he traveled a lot and the infiltration of plastic packaging for the available products got him thinking about addressing this obvious gap in the beverage industry. He then decided to make his own glass bottled living beverages.

However, Ryne soon found out that the food industry is tough and requires tenacity and persistence. He has learned so much about entrepreneurship after leaving the tech industry and knows that it can take years to build an amazing brand. But while it’s challenging, Ryne vouches that the view from the top is amazing.

In this episode of Nexxt Level Brands Podcast, Ryne O'Donnell joins Steve Cleere to talk about how he started and grew his beverage company, Sol-ti. He talks about the expectations he had while starting his entrepreneurship journey, growing his business, selling it and eventually buying it back again, moving to Costa Rica, and his future plans for his beverage brand. Stay tuned.

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Encore Presentation:

Katherine Harvey is the Co-founder of Bare Bones, a San Diego based nutrition company offering a full menu of protein-infused products including ready to use bone broth, collagen protein powder, and instant bone broth beverage mixes. After three years as a business reporter at the San Diego Union Tribune, Kate left journalism and took the leap into the food industry to run Bare Bones along with her husband Ryan Harvey.

Bare Bones quickly became one of the top innovators in the bone broth industry by pushing the limits of how to deliver bone broth to consumers with a focus on maximum convenience and top quality. Kate's words to live by are 'May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears'.

Kate talks about her husband's transition from being a fine dining chef to a bone broth maker

How Kate transitioned from being a reporter to writing a cookbook and entering the food industry

The difference between bone broth and bone stock, and benefits of taking bone broth

Why the new business decided to move to Oregon and how they landed their first investor

Kate talks about the process of getting into retail, the challenges they faced and what they learned from that process

How the company's first frozen product line was shipped and how they changed it to shelf stable

How customer feedback prompted the company create a less expensive and more convenient product

Where to find Bare Bones’ products

How selling on Amazon has impacted the company's sales

How Bare Bones’ broth products fit in with different lifestyle diets

Challenges faced in marketing to people in different consumer groups and demographics

Bare Bones’ plans for the future and new products coming out soon

What Ryan Harvey has been upto and what he does in the company

Why the company decided to move back to California

How attendants of Expo West were affected by the health crisis

Kate's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on managing through failures and resiliency

Where to learn more about Bare Bones and get their cookbook

It is ironic that a good number of chefs live unhealthy lifestyles despite working in restaurants. They rarely get the time to sit down and enjoy a good meal. Many times they drink stock to sustain themselves through service, and if this stock is store-bought, it is often not very nutritious.

Katherine & her husband Ryan are in the business of creating 100% organic bone broths to provide nutritious protein alternatives to people. Ryan was a fine dining chef who faced the same challenge many chefs working in busy restaurants face regularly. He & Kate launched their bone broth side business out of a local food delivery service and soon grew to not only selling in supermarkets but also in online marketplaces.

Katherine Harvey joins Steve Cleere in this week's episode to talk about her journey and her husband's transition to the food industry. She also talks about the benefits of her company's bone broth over common stock products found in food stores, how the company found its first investor and entered the retail market, and how selling on Amazon has impacted sales. Stay tuned.

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Encore from July 2020: Marc Siden is the CEO of Cloud Water Brands. He is also a former Co-Founder and CEO of Onboard Informatics, a self-funded real estate technology company that pioneered the dissemination of online real estate data to businesses like Zillow, Trulia, and Chase Bank, among others. He was also an Advisory Board Member for NabeWise Media and Scout Ventures.

Marc Siden is a Founding Board Member of The TORCH, a nonprofit organization that works with underserved New York City high school students by exposing them to career path training via internships and mentorships while promoting diversity in the workplace. He is also a Founding Ice Hockey Coach for Ice Hockey in Harlem, a nonprofit organization based in New York City that works with inner-city kids to promote education and work ethic through hockey.

How and why Cloud Water Brands was started and how Marc became CEO of the company

What Marc learned from the tech industry, what he brought to his new food business, and the differences he found in the food industry

Marc talks about the initial plans for Cloud Water Brands and how the company pivoted because of COVID-19

The growth of e-Commerce and the customer behavior expected after COVID-19

Marc Siden's thoughts on doing demos, sampling, and reviews for company products

Where to find Cloud Water Brands, how the company plans have changed, and how the brand has evolved

How the company decided on its distribution strategy

Marc talks about the importance of branding, the high bar they set for their products, and the branding agencies the company works with

Cloud Water Plus, the company's new product line

How the company raised funds to grow its business and its future investment plans

Marc's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on running a successful company

The current economic times are very challenging and many businesses have been forced to switch gears. Not only that, but the regulatory environment for the CBD industry lacks a lot of clarity in most states since the FDA is not very involved, although this is likely to change in the future.

Because of the lack of regulation in the industry, there are many distributors and retailers who avoid CBD products even as more players join the industry. So, to stand out from the competition, brands have to do more. Cloud Water Brands chose to play bigger by working on their branding and pivoting to grow their market share.

Marc Siden, the CEO of Cloud Water Brands, joins G. Steven Cleere, host of The NexxtLevel Podcast, to talk about founding the CBD infused drink company and the importance of branding in a competitive industry. Marc explains how the company has pivoted because of COVID-19, how it has been growing its distribution and market share, and its future plans.

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Deezer

Elliot Begoun is a 30-year industry veteran. He's an author and Founder of TIG Brands, a practice focused on helping emerging natural product brands grow. TIG as a customized one-to-one accelerator that positions natural product brands to raise capital, prove velocity, gain distribution, and scale.

Elliot is a prolific speaker and writer in his industry. You can see and hear more of his works at FoodBytes, The Hirshberg Institute, and NatchCom. You can also find his articles in publications such as the Huffington Post, SmartBrief, and New Hope. He also bylines a weekly industry update on LinkedIn and at the TIG Brands website.

How different brands and businesses are faring giving the current health crisis due to COVID-19

The current challenges for co-manufacturers and co-packers

Elliot Begoun’s advice for businesses with cash flow shortage to help them weather the current crisis

The importance of planning for unexpected scenarios when running a business

Alternative fulfillment options for co-manufacturers and fulfillment centers

The three reactions of businesses to the current situation and what they should be doing instead

How being fear perverse can actually help entrepreneurs survive the current economic crisis

The various unique societal game-changers that will come out of the current crisis

The shifts in online buying vs retail shopping that brands need to be aware of

What people think about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and what it means for their businesses

Will there be a crunch in eCommerce fulfillment?

What does Nielsen mean by restricted living and what is its role consumer behavior

Elliot explains why he believes that everyone needs to practice empathy right now

Many businesses, both online and in brick and mortar retail stores, are currently going through extremely challenging times because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These challenges vary from low sales, co-packing, and warehousing, cash flow shortages, to e-commerce fulfillment. Things are changing at just a rapid pace and businesses need to be on their toes if they want to make it out of this pandemic in one piece.

According to Elliot Begoun, founder of TIG, the changes that are happening now could be the new norm for us and for businesses, this means being aware of and adapting to the changes in market trends and in consumer behavior.

Join Steve Cleere in this episode of the Nexxt Level Brands Podcast where he interviews Elliot Begoun about the current economy and how businesses, in general, are reacting to the crisis. He also talks about why being fear perverse is a trait that can get entrepreneurs out of this rut, the importance of planning for a crisis and finding creative solutions for business challenges, the impact of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on businesses, and why everyone needs to have a little more empathy moving forward. Stay tuned.

Jamie Valenti-Jordan is the Founder and CEO of Catapult Commercialization Services, a one-stop shop for food startups. He founded the company in March of 2018 in response to the industry-wide trend of cutting the talent needed to bring new products to life.

Jamie has a passion for confronting unique food challenges that combine scientific tools, engineering and operations realities, and business drivers to find optimal solutions. This quest has taken him through companies large and small to launch Catapult so that he can focus on unlocking the potential of the food industry.

Jamie Valenti-Jordan's background and how the idea for Catapult came about

Jamie talks about taking entrepreneurs' ideas and turning them into formulas

Who is a good client for Catapult Commercialization Services?

The hardest part of dealing with an entrepreneur when commercializing a product

Why going commercial and getting products into food stores is a capital-intensive venture for new entrepreneurs

Why Jamie advises people to work with a contract manufacturer

Jamie's onboarding process for Catapult’s new clients, the types of clients he works with, and success stories from the company

Where to learn more about Catapult

How COVID-19 has impacted Catapult's business and its clients

Jamie's advice to new entrepreneurs

When starting a food business, most people don’t realize what the commercialization process looks like. Commercialization involves product development, packaging, marketing, branding, and manufacturing. What else does it take? Time and money.

Jamie Valenti-Jordan helps entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry plan and execute their business ideas. He helps food startups validate their products, find contract manufacturers that work for them, and establish an effective supply chain.

In this week's episode of the NexxtLevel Podcast, host G. Steven Cleere interviews Jamie Valenti-Jordan, the Founder and CEO of Catapult Commercialization Services, about his process for helping entrepreneurs build businesses in the food and beverage industry. Jamie talks about the work his company does, the types of clients he works with, and why he encourages entrepreneurs to work with contract manufacturers.

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Deezer

iHeartRadio

TuneIn

Amazon Music

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Catapult Commercialization Se...

Encore Presentation

Brian Tate is the Founder and CEO of Oats Overnight. He studied at the Grande Valley University for two years before leaving to pursue professional poker. After more than a decade of playing high-stakes poker, he took his passion for risk, analytics, and game theory and applied that expertise where it was needed: the crowded breakfast foods industry.

As a health and fitness enthusiast, Brian had already spent years experimenting with homemade oatmeal recipes that complemented his workout regimen and demanding schedule at the poker tables. Looking for a more convenient shelf-stable alternative that would save him time without compromising on nutrition, he created Oats Overnight. Oats Overnight is the first spoon-free, high-protein oats formula. Since its start, the Oats Overnight team has grown to generate eight figures in annual revenue and served 10 million meals.

Brian Tate's background playing professional poker and how that led to the founding of Oats Overnight

How Brian started selling his product commercially and where he got the finances to start his business

Oats Overnight's journey to retail storefronts and through e-commerce sites

How Brian handles his company's fulfillment process

How the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Oats Overnight and how they allow their customers to customize purchases

Brian talks about the company's plans and future product lines

Brian's experience transitioning from playing poker to becoming a CEO

The partners Brian has been working with and his exit strategy

Brian's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a successful business

Playing poker requires a lot from you: time, energy, and especially, mental clarity. To stay on top of the game, players have to work out as often as they can and ensure that they eat clean, healthy food regularly. This is why Brian Tate started making his own oats cereals for breakfast. When he realized his product wasn’t really accessible in the market, he decided to start making them commercially.

Similar to playing poker, Brian found out that you can't control everything that happens in the business world — but you can control the processes, systems, and decisions that you make based on the information you have. Some business decisions can lead to bad results that need adjusting, but usually, entrepreneurs just have to stay focused and learn from their mistakes.

In this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere interviews Brian Tate, the Founder and CEO of Oats Overnight, about starting and scaling a breakfast cereal CPG brand. Brian shares his experience playing poker professionally, growing sales through retail and e-commerce, and how his company provides customized products to customers.

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Deezer

iHeartRadio

TuneIn

Encore Presentation: In this episode, we’re welcoming back Alex Bayer, Co-Founder and CEO of Genius Juice for an update. Genius Juice was featured on Shark Tank, they received Bevnet Smoothie of the Year, and Alex is now the host of two podcasts –15 Minutes of Genius and Friday Vibes, and he’s here to tell us about the latest news and progress around Genius Juice.

Genius Juice is the world's first all-organic plant-based smoothie made from the whole coconut. It blends only two ingredients: organic coconut water and organic meat to make a creamy, delicious and clean smoothie. Founded in January 2014, Genius prides itself on having 'No Dumb Stuff' in its smoothies. NO Gums/Emulsifiers, NO Natural Flavors, NO Stevia or Monk Fruit, and NO Added Sugar.

Join us as we discuss how the pandemic and supply chain issues affected Genius Juice (or didn’t), the benefits of their appearance on Shark Tank, how their business plan has matched up to reality, and hear some great advice from Alex on projections, investors, margins, and not overdoing it with product distribution.

The “NexxtLevel Brands Podcast’ is hosted by G. Steven Cleere, Founder and “Chief Pot Stirrer” of NexxtLevel Brands. This show focuses on disruptors and thought-leaders from the Entrepreneurial Food, Beverage, and CPG Industry, but we also share tips from veterans and key suppliers that may help fellow CPG professionals achieve their goals.

Discussion Points

• Welcome back to the show Alex Bayer
• Last time, you didn’t have a podcast!? Now you have two…
• Time commitments and guest availability for 52 weeks of podcasts
• How did your success escalate after Shark Tank?
• The initial burst, and the long-term relationships from Shark Tank appearance
• How did your business plan stack up against the actual results?
• How did Genius deal with the pandemic– team and supply chain?
• We want to do more team events, even though we are all virtual, we love being together
• How is your business different now, than when you appeared on Shark Tank?
• Being cautious about where you distribute your product– sales per door more important than the number of doors
• The learnings from placement in 600 Publix stores in the Florida market
• Pricing your product – promos vs. debuting at regular price
• Any “Oh Shit” moments you want to share?
• Pitching to investors, under-promising, over-delivering, investors never forget when you fall short of projections
• Tell us about your financing journey from then til now?
• You need to bake in good margins right away at the beginning
• Don’t be stingy with equity– the right partners can dr...