How do you sell consumers on an entirely new ingredient? That was the question Isabelle Steichen had to answer when she launched her business, Lupii. Lupii products, which currently consist of both a protein bar and a pasta, are based on the lupini bean — a superior source of plant protein that had yet to be popularized in the United States. In this episode, Isabelle shares her journey from working in the start-up world to founding her very own business and introducing a food product that delivers the functional benefits of protein without all the carbs. If you want to learn just how Isabelle ..read more

Have you ever dreamed of bringing your very own food product to market? The path to doing so isn’t always clear, and many would-be entrepreneurs might wonder how to take the first step. From research and development, to marketing and distribution, there are no shortage of factors to consider! In this episode, Crystal Ung, founder of Bowlcut, shares her transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship and how growing up in the restaurant industry helped to inform her journey. You’ll hear, from start to finish, how she was able to transform traditional Asian sauces into healthier, more ve ..read more

Communication is really important when it comes to your food business. Getting your brand out there, promoting your products, interacting with your employees and your consumers - all of it needs to meet people where they are. Too much jargon or using the wrong tone can really throw off your message. Being able to communicate clearly and effectively with your audience, and receive feedback from them, is a basic step that is often overlooked. In this episode, Noah Wunsch, founder of Ruby Hibiscus organic sparkling beverages, shares how he formulated his products and got them into stores, how his ..read more

Food brands don’t exist in a vacuum, right? It’s not enough to create a great product, but you’ve got to refine it, pitch it, market it, sell it. And you can’t do all of that alone. Building a community of people who care about you and your product is vital in order to survive in this industry. Let people support you and shout your praises from the rooftops. Collaboration over competition is the name of the game, and we’re all in this together. In this episode, Ehime Eigbe, founder of Sweetkiwi frozen whipped Greek yogurt, shares how a medical issue led her to create her product, how she start ..read more

COVID was a hard time for everyone, food business owners included. There was so much uncertainty and hardship during that time. But it also afforded some people the space and the timing to innovate new ideas and products. Business pivots can be a beautiful thing to come out of that dark time. Don’t be afraid to make changes to your business model and adapt if that’s what you’re called to do. In this episode, Jen Liao, co-founder and president of MìLà Chinese food brand, shares how COVID forced her to pivot from restaurant owner to CPG food entrepreneur, how she pivoted even further from D2C to ..read more

Let’s set the scene. You’ve created a food product, perfected the recipe, put it on the market, and now you’ve reached your limits on the time and capacity you have for production. So, what’s next? The answer is: find a co-packer to hand off your production. It might sound easy, but there’s some preparation you’ll need to do first. In this episode, Ashley Sutterfield, creator of Co-Packing with Ashley, shares what co-packing is, how to know if you’re ready to transition production to a co-packer, and how to find the right one. In this episode, you’ll learn… [00:37] How Ashley got started in th ..read more

Food waste is a big problem in the United States, but I didn’t realize how big until recording this episode. So many people have food insecurity, and with steadily rising food prices at the grocery store, this likely won’t change any time soon. So, what can we do to alleviate this problem?  In this episode, Louise Fritjofsson, co-founder of Martie online discount grocery store, shares how she is reducing food waste and increasing food accessibility for all, the challenges she faced in starting her business, and how she gets the word out about Martie with marketing. In this episode, you’ll ..read more

This month, we’re highlighting members of Hudson Kitchen on the podcast and today, I’m chatting with Ron Holloway, co-founder of Woofbowl, a food truck for dogs with quality ingredients. Ron’s life experience and the challenges he’s faced have helped bring him to where he is today and it’s an incredible story.    In this episode, Ron how his previous life experience from the military and the financial sector has informed his business, what it’s like to work with his spouse, and his unique take on food trucks for dogs. In this episode, you’ll learn… [00:54] Ron’s cubicle to founder st ..read more

This month, we’re highlighting members of Hudson Kitchen on the podcast and today, I’m chatting with Marlin Chan and Rachel Cheng of Yay’s Snacks beef crisps. The story of how Yay’s came to be (there was mistaken identity involved!) is fascinating, but even more impressive is the success they’ve found in their business with content creation, especially on TikTok. In this episode, Marlin and Rachel share the story behind the Yay’s product, why they have a specific vision for their product packaging, and how they’ve leveraged Marlin’s extensive content creation experience to grow their business ..read more

This month, we’re highlighting members of Hudson Kitchen on the podcast and today, I’m chatting with Jesse McBride, founder of Mademeals, an organic meal delivery service focused on high-quality ingredients. Jesse has faced some challenges along the way in launching his business, but his tenacity in establishing processes for success in his business is admirable.   In this episode, Jesse shares how Mademeals came to be, why establishing business processes has vastly improved the performance of his team, and how he mitigates customer attrition in his meal delivery service. In this episode ..read more