The Startup CPG Podcast

In this Founder Fundraising Journey episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Griffin Spolansky, Co-Founder and CEO of Mezcla, the plant-based, puffed, crispy protein bar brand that puts taste and texture first, to walk through how he raised multiple rounds of capital and what he would do differently.Griffin grew up in New York City in a family of entrepreneurs and started bottling and selling his grandmother’s salad dressing at 13. While playing lacrosse at the University of Virginia, he found post-practice protein bars chalky, dry, and boring, and he met his co-founder in an entrepreneurship class, where she was building a granola company inspired by her hometown in Mexico. The two named the brand Mezcla, Spanish for “mixture,” and Griffin began building it as a college student, with no CPG experience.Hannah and Griffin dig into how he raised small tranches tied to specific revenue goals, why angels came first, how he vetted investors for each round, and what finally resonated with investors as the brand grew. They also cover how to handle rejection, why conservative projections protect your cash, how advisors act as people who “look around corners,” and a Slack community case study on the single thing that helped most with fundraising.Listen in as they discuss:How Griffin went from selling his grandmother’s salad dressing at 13 to launching Mezcla as a college studentWhy Mezcla is “taste first and protein second,” and where Griffin sees white space across aislesHow he raised $500K, then $2M, then $4M to $5M, with each round tied to an 18-month revenue goalWhy the first rounds were angels, and why Griffin waited two and a half years before raising ventureWhy raising is a two-way relationship, and how he vetted investors instead of taking any check that came in the doorHow consistently hitting his numbers and sending quarterly updates built trust with investorsWhy Griffin says to nail the product and the positioning, and to look for clear white spaceHow he handled hundreds of no’s, and why messaging matters as much as the number of people you reachWhy conservative projections protect your cash position, and how to train a growing team on your operating modelHow advisors a few steps ahead of you help you look around cornersHiring: Mezcla is hiring a Director of Conventional Sales and a Director of Food Service Sales. Interested candidates can reach out to Griffin on LinkedIn.Want to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we’ll get in touch.Episode Links:Griffin Spolansky LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/griffinspolanskyMezcla LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/eat-mezclaMezcla Website: www.eatmezcla.comMezcla Instagram: @eatmezclaDon’t forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844bQuestions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jessica Assaf, founder of All Natural Flavor, a new candy brand built on clean ingredients and a very simple purpose: joy. Jessica is a self-described professional pivoter who previously co-founded the CBD wellness brand Prima.Jessica’s career began at 13, when a newspaper article about rising breast cancer rates sent her door to door as a teenage activist and later helped pass a California law requiring cosmetic makers to disclose carcinogenic ingredients. She went on to work at clean beauty companies, earned her MBA at Harvard Business School, and moved to Los Angeles to build a career in cannabis, where she co-created a show with Snoop Dogg and built a women’s community of around 80,000 followers. She co-founded Prima in 2019, launched it into stores including Sephora, Nordstrom, Erewhon, and Vitamin Shop, and was also featured in Sean Penn’s documentary The Human Experiment.Caitlin and Jessica dig into what went wrong at Prima after COVID and unresolved CBD regulations, a failed merger, and how Jessica found a buyer after 80 conversations. They also cover what business school doesn’t teach founders, what it is like raising money for women’s products, and why she is self-funding All Natural Flavor, a candy brand with no refined sugar, sugar alcohols, artificial colors, or seed oils, built for people who simply love candy.Listen in as they discuss:How a newspaper article about breast cancer rates at age 13 launched Jessica’s career as an activistHow her activism helped pass a California law requiring cosmetic makers to disclose carcinogenic ingredientsWhy she moved from activism to building cleaner products, from clean beauty brands to Harvard Business SchoolHow a Harvard cannabis case study led her to Los Angeles and eventually to PrimaHow Prima launched into Sephora, Nordstrom, Erewhon, and Vitamin Shop right before COVIDWhy CBD marketing, advertising, and payment processing limits stalled growth for PrimaWhat she learned from a failed merger, and how she found a buyer for Prima after 80 conversationsWhy All Natural Flavor is a candy brand for people who love candy, not another functional gummyWhy Jessica is self-funding her new brand, and what she values about staying in controlWhy a small first run and flexible packaging make it easier to pivot based on customer feedbackWant to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we’ll get in touch.Episode Links:Jessica Assaf LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaassafAll Natural Flavor LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/all-natural-flavor/aboutAll Natural Flavor Website: www.allnaturalflavor.comAll Natural Flavor Instagram: @allnaturalflavorPrima Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/prima-co Prima Website: www.prima.coPrima Instagram: @prima Don’t forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinbrickerQuestions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Matt Merson, President of Once Upon A Coconut, for a deep, practical primer on retail pricing: how to set a shelf price, what it means for your wholesale price, and what actually lands in your pocket.Matt has spent about 35 years in food and beverage. He started with 15 years of classic CPG at Dannon Yogurt, Sara Lee, and Coca-Cola, then joined his first startup at Glaceau Vitaminwater and has focused on better-for-you, disruptive emerging brands ever since. Daniel’s first CPG role was global pricing and promotions at Mars Chocolate, and he shares his own research methods alongside Matt’s on-the-ground experience negotiating with retailers and distributors.Daniel and Matt walk through how to do store and online price research, why you should price-slope across every channel you might one day sell in, and how to model your cost of goods at scale. They break down the pocket price waterfall (retailer margin, distributor markup, trade spend, and marketing), how promotions work with distributors like KeHE and UNFI, and how to handle price increases and buyer pushback.Listen in as they discuss:Why Matt says to think broadly across channels and long term, and why price missteps in the first couple of years cause pain in mass and club laterHow to do day-one research with store checks and retailer websites, logging weights, SKUs, price points, and facingsWhat “magic price points” are, and why pack size and common formats matterWhy you should model your costs at 10,000, 100,000, and 1 million units before you launchHow the pocket price waterfall works, from retailer margin and distributor markup to trade spend and marketingWhy Matt says brands will not survive on sub-50% margins, and why you need a clear path to 50%Why retailers and club buyers check your website price first and Amazon secondHow to model higher and lower price scenarios, and how NIQ Byzzer data can show expected promotional liftThe difference between off-invoice and scan-back promotions with KeHE and UNFI, and why an anchor account can protect you from heavy promo commitmentsHow to change prices, from distributor lead times to how buyers reactResources mentioned in this episode:Startup CPG Retail Tracker, with retailer margins, store lists, and estimated distributor markups: bit.ly/4idan1TNIQ’s Byzzer™, with three free reports through Startup CPG’s partnership: bit.ly/4jAHAl9Circana: bit.ly/4yafl5hWant to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we’ll get in touch.Episode Links:Matt Merson LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mersonOnce Upon A Coconut LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/onceuponacoconutOnce Upon A Coconut Website: www.onceuponacoconut.comOnce Upon A Coconut Instagram: @onceuponacoconutDon’t forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff/Questions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this Founder + Funder episode, host Hannah Dittman sits down with Lindsay Leopold, Founder and CEO of Joy Supply, and Brandon Alster, Founder and Managing Partner of Sling Ventures, to unpack how the two met at a Startup CPG Founders & Funders Roadshow event and went on to close an oversubscribed pre-seed round.Lindsay comes from a culinary background that includes pastry at one of Tom Colicchio’s restaurants, the Martha Stewart Kitchen as a recipe tester and food editor, and product development for Martha Stewart, Home Chef, and Sakara. Joy Supply brings back a crisp oat cookie from her great-grandfather’s family bakery, which he opened in Illinois after emigrating from Sweden in 1908. Brandon’s firm, Sling Ventures, invests in active lifestyle, “food is health,” and offline experience businesses, and Joy Supply is its first investment in the cookie aisle.Hannah, Lindsay, and Brandon dig into what made Joy Supply stand out, how a five-minute roadshow meeting turned into months of relationship-building, what Brandon looks for in diligence, and the fundraising lessons both of them would pass on, from embracing rejection to knowing your investor’s thesis. They also tackle a Slack community case study on what to have ready in a data room.Listen in as they discuss:How Lindsay and Brandon met at a Startup CPG Founders & Funders Roadshow, with cookies in handWhy Brandon looks for the right founder and a category that needs innovationWhy Joy Supply leads with “we’re delicious” before “we’re healthy”Why the cookie aisle can feel crowded yet stale, and what that means for new brandsHow Lindsay funded the first year of R&D and packaging before raising her pre-seedHow a five-minute meeting grew into a coffee, a steady stream of updates, and a close in AugustHow early retailer enthusiasm and consistent updates built Brandon’s convictionWhy fundraising is “a match, not a prize,” and why researching investors mattersWhy Brandon says to embrace rejection and build supporters through regular investor updatesWhat to have ready in a data room, from a monthly P&L to retailer pipeline and unit economicsBrands and names mentioned in this episode:Jesse & Ben's SauzRainforest DistributionTate's Bake ShopCentral MarketPalm Tree CrewHiring: Lindsay is looking for a content creator or brand marketer in the New York area to work directly with her on activations and content. Sling Ventures is also always looking to meet talented people in social media, operations, sales, and marketing across its portfolio.Want to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we’ll get in touch.Episode Links:Lindsay Leopold LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayleopoldJoy Supply LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/joy-supplyJoy Supply Website: www.joysupply.comJoy Supply Instagram: @getjoysupplyBrandon Alster LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brandonalsterSling Ventures LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/slingvcSling Ventures Website: www.slingvc.comContact Brandon directly: [email protected] Don’t forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Hannah’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-dittman-011b844bQuestions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] Episode music by Super Fantastics

In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Isabella Hoag, founder and CEO of OSIA, a caffeine-free energy drink made with real fruit, no natural flavors, and a functional blend of ingredients, to talk about building a brand through feedback, bold pivots, and heart.Isabella came from the design world and fell into beverages after a health journey in 2022 sent her reading labels and searching for products without fillers or natural flavors. She started making drinks in her kitchen, then launched OSIA before manufacturing, selling at around 500 pop-up events in eight months and reinvesting what she made after starting with just $50. Her first line was a set of four “mood” beverages, and customer, retailer, and distributor feedback has now led her to a single caffeine-free energy drink and a full rebrand.Caitlin and Isabella dig into why finding a manufacturer for a no-natural-flavors product hasn’t been the obstacle many expect, why OSIA uses juice concentrate, how the functional blend works, what she learned from early pricing and flavor missteps, and how her design background shaped the new can. They also cover the story behind the name OSIA, her pitch to retailers, and why she believes the best advice for any founder is to just put it out there.Listen in as they discuss:How a design background and a 2022 health journey led Isabella to start making drinks in her kitchenHow OSIA launched before manufacturing, with around 500 events in eight months and a $50 startWhy OSIA is moving from four mood beverages to a single caffeine-free energy drinkWhy Isabella says finding a manufacturer for a product with no natural flavors hasn’t been an issueWhy OSIA uses juice concentrate, and how to formulate a drink that tastes real without being overly sweetThe functional blend of rhodiola, L-theanine, magnesium malate, vitamin B6, and taurine, and how Isabella explains the difference between stimulating energy and blocking tirednessWhat retailer, distributor, and customer feedback taught her about pricing, sweetness, and flavor balanceHow the can design drew inspiration from perfume, skincare, and fashion, and why she added callouts and a warm metallic paletteThe story behind the name OSIA and its connection to ambrosia, the nectar of the godsWhy Isabella is raising her first round, and what she tells retailers about in-store tastingsJoin the OSIA waitlist: Sign up at drinkosia.com for a special gift and perks at launch.Want to connect with buyers, investors, and industry experts in real time? Join our free Slack community with over 40,000 members. Get access to exclusive events and trade shows where you can meet buyers and investors in person, plus free resources and more. Just text CPG to 833-605-7002 and we’ll get in touch.Episode Links:Isabella Hoag LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/isabellahoagOSIA LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/drinkosiaOSIA Website: drinkosia.comOSIA Instagram: @drinkosiaInvestors interested in OSIA’s first round can contact Isabella directly (reach out to [email protected] for an intro)Don’t forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (40K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Caitlin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinbricker/Questions or comments about the episode? Email [email protected] Episode music by Super Fantastics