On the show today, we have Vanessa Santana, Brand Experience Planner at General Mills. We’re discussing some of the most important issues the industry is wrestling with today, the lack of diversity and what leaders can do to play a role in making a positive change.
We invited Vanessa onto the show to talk through this from both a personal and business perspective. And looking forward, what actions we can take to build a more inclusive industry.
Recommended Reading:
Howdy folks, today we’re chatting with Jim Lamancusa, founder and CEO of Cusa Tea and Coffee. Cusa is not your usual tea or coffee company. What started as a small line of innovative instant tea products soon grew into multiple product lines (including coffee), a handful of patents, and multiple global awards. Having worked at CPG start-ups that went from a million in revenue per year to over 100 million, Jim experienced the internal workings of a natural foods unicorn. He’s taken that know-how, along with his own scrappy mentality, to develop some really smart marketing initiatives that might leave you thinking, “hmm why didn’t I think of that?”.
After seeing the cost and conversion rates of his in-store demos, Jim was looking for a better way to grow his base of loyal customers. Cusa Tea and Coffee began refining its digital presence and hasn’t looked back since. Cusa’s approach to digital marketing is extremely savvy and anyone looking to establish or build on an existing e-comm presence, especially in the wake of COVID, has so much to learn from today’s episode.
In this show, you’ll learn:
So, let’s get after it.
Recommended Resources:
Find Cusa Tea & Coffee Online:
On the show today, we’re talking with Michael Silverman, Managing Director of the Samantha Brands Group, or SBG for short. SBG is an investor group that helps promising consumer brands quickly scale and develop into enduring household names, and in talking with Michael, we get a glimpse into how SBG makes it happen.
Michael is a brilliant guy who knows the business of CPG as well as any guest we’ve ever interviewed. His firm has successfully scaled brands like Wild Made Snacks and Tres Latin Foods, maker of the Pupusas that are near and dear to my heart. We dive deep into some of the commonly shared notions around marketing and distribution strategy, and why much of what you’re hearing around making it big may actually be leading you down a slow, painful path of destruction.
This is only scratching the surface, but in today’s episode, you’ll learn
Recommended Reading & Listening
Find out more about the Samantha Brands Group and Associated Brands:
In this episode, we’re talking to Kristen Majdanics, VP of Marketing for Firehouse Subs. We were already huge fans of their sandwiches, but chatting with Kristen gave us a whole new appreciation for the brand and how they’ve managed to grow, in spite of intense competition.
Kristen started as a brand manager with Firehouse back when they had 300 locations and a marketing department of just two people. Well, the company grew quickly and so did Kristen’s role. She now leads the marketing department of 17 people, with Firehouse clocking in at over 1,100 locations nationwide. She talked us through what’s driven the company’s growth, and learnings she’s picked up along the way.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear:
Kristen’s Recommended Podcast:
Learn More About Firehouse Subs:
Today we’re sitting down with Shauna Martin, the founder and CEO of Daily Greens.
Shauna started her career in corporate law, and after being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30’s, she discovered her passion for green juice and plant-based nutrition.
Her green juice recipes had a profound impact on her own well-being, and wanting to share that benefit with the world, she set up shop at her first farmer’s market. As you may have guessed by the fact that she’s on this podcast, those initial batches sold pretty well, and Daily Greens became one of the companies to kick start the green juice movement. Fast forward to today, and you can find Daily Greens on the shelves of every major retailer across the country.
While dealing with everything from the ups and downs of the green juice category to competitors getting acquired by the Coca Cola’s of the world, Daily Greens has managed to stay independent and remain a key player in the industry.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Check out Daily Greens online and on social: