205. Founder Stories: Sip Herbals, Orleatha Smith

In this episode, I’m joined by Yuval Selik, CEO of Promomash, to explore the challenges and strategies of securing investment for CPG brands in today’s tight market conditions. Despite the availability of capital, the CPG sector often struggles to attract investment. Yuval shares expert advice on making your brand more appealing to investors by honing in on crucial aspects of your business, particularly profitability.We'll delve into the essential actions CPG founders need to take, the key metrics they should be monitoring, and the reporting standards that can make or break investment opportunities. Additionally, Yuval provides valuable resources on crowdfunding and other financing alternatives that could be vital in navigating these challenging times.Tune in to gain practical lessons that can help position your brand for success in the investment arena. Whether you're preparing for your first round or looking to scale up, this episode is packed with guidance to maximize your appeal to potential investors.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Join us as Rachel Kane, co-founder of Sprinkle Bites, shares her journey of bringing a Dutch-inspired snack, Hagelslag, to kids in the U.S. Sprinkle Bites isn’t just about sprinkles—it’s a high-protein, sugar-free treat packed with plant-based nutrients, perfect for on-the-go snacking.Learn how Rachel and her co-founder Nicole are revolutionizing snacking with sprinkles that are as nutritious as they are fun. Tune in to hear about their innovative product development, go-to-market strategies, and what it takes to build a category-defining CPG brand!Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

 Join us as we dive into the inspiring journey of Orleatha Smith, co-founder of Sip Herbals—a caffeine-free, prebiotic-rich herbal coffee alternative. From overcoming personal health challenges to creating a groundbreaking product loved by the wellness community, Orleatha shares her story of innovation, resilience, and the lessons learned along the way. Discover what it takes to grow a brand in a niche market, the power of listening to customers, and the behind-the-scenes experience of pitching on Shark Tank. Don’t miss this episode packed with insights for entrepreneurs and coffee lovers alike! Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Popadelics, founded by wife and husband team Marilyn and Michael makes crunchy mushroom chips. They’re a bootstrapped company that’s used creative debt financing to fund their operations and grow to over 3000 stores. They worked with Kickfurther, which offers inventory financing to decrease their cashflow gap when producing orders for the new distributor and retailer launches. Marilyn is also still working a full time job and building Popadelics.Join me for an engaging conversation about how to build a business that works best for you.CPGrow Pitch CompetitionApplications are open for Kickfurther’s CPGrow 2025 Pitch Competition! You could win $250,000 in no-cost inventory funding, plus incredible grand prizes from partners.Submission Deadline – January 31st, 2025Submit HereStartup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Storytelling is crucial to building your brand, and PR is a great way to get your message out in the world. But where to start? On this episode I talk with Heather Holmes, founder of Publicity for Good to break down how to think about PR for CPG Brands to build awareness and ultimately drive sales.We also do a live virtual PR audit for my brand, Joyful Co and discuss which elements of our story are most compelling and which mediums we should focus on.Want an audit for your brand?Book a free consultation call with Heather to help map out your PR StrategyRegister for our free webinar to get an audit of your PR Strategy and listen to others.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Building a profitable CPG business is possible, but it takes a special product and business model. Join me as I sit down with Sean Hall one of my favorite bootstrapped entrepreneurs who founded Wellious as we talk through what it took to build a profitable business, how he carefully chose a category and built a product in a crowded category. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Founded by former KIND Snacks Exec Lindsay Hancock, My Better Batch was created to make baking from scratch as effortless as possible. Lindsay did 90% of the work by sourcing premium ingredients and crafting an easy, mix-and-bake solution so customers can make cookies that taste homemade with just the addition of egg and butter.In this episode, learn how she is starting her company and getting into retailers like Sprouts.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

In this episode I dive into the essential strategies for building successful relationships with service providers that help your business thrive. From aligning on goals to fostering transparent communication, we cover actionable tips to maximize the value of these critical partnerships. Joining me is Brad Ebenhoeh, CEO of Accountfully.Key topics include:Alignment: Setting clear expectations and ensuring your provider has the capability to deliver.Expectations: Defining timelines, pricing, deliverables, and involvement to stay on track.Communication: How frequent, transparent, and engaged communication transforms the relationship from a transaction to a true partnership.Tune in to learn how to strengthen your collaborations, trust your partners, and create a foundation for mutual success. Whether you're working with agencies, consultants, or contractors, this episode offers insights you can apply today.Don’t miss this practical guide to getting the most out of your service providers! 🎧PS. Get in touch with Brad from Accountfully if you’re looking for an outsourced bookkeeping firm.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

 In 2024, Sarjesa, founded by Alexandra Sangster announced that she acquired Buzzd Nutrition, a superfood creamer brand founded by Lauren and Alex Burrows. What’s really exciting is that Sarjesa is an emerging brand itself and co-manufactured the Buzzd product. I had a lot of questions for Alexandra about what it looks like for one emerging brand to acquire another, and we break down all the details in this episode. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

As a startup you need a bank account to transact business, but who should you partner with? Retail banks like Chase and Wells Fargo? Or online banks?Let’s talk with one of my favorite partners, Aion Financial that offers free online banking tools for businesses of all sizes including:BankingDebit CardsBill PayReceivablesCredit and LendingWatch Video HereStartup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.