In this episode of Food Chained, Vasa interviews Fred Hart, founder of Hart Brands, discussing his journey from growing up in Hawaii to becoming a prominent figure in branding and design within the consumer goods industry. Fred shares insights from his agency experience, the importance of trade shows, and the evolving landscape of design trends. The conversation also touches on the significance of nostalgia in branding and the challenges faced by legacy brands. Fred offers valuable insights on agency selection and the crucial role of packaging in consumer engagement.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Fred Hart emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes in a supportive environment.
• The design journey often starts from personal passions, such as sports and sneakers.
• Agency experience can accelerate learning and growth in the branding field.
• Independent consulting allows for flexibility and creativity in project work.
• Trade shows are vital for understanding industry trends and consumer behavior.
• Design trends are shifting towards more original and restrained aesthetics.
• Nostalgia plays a significant role in branding, but it must be balanced with modernity.
• Brands need to differentiate themselves in a crowded market to stand out.
• The importance of cohesive branding across all consumer touchpoints is critical.
• Legacy brands have opportunities for reinvention through strategic design.

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Fred on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Check out Hart Brands

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

In this episode of Food Chained, Vasa interviews Nicky Seaman, founder of Freestyle Snacks, discussing her journey in the food industry, the creation of her innovative snack products, and the challenges and successes she faced during the pandemic. Nicky shares insights on retail strategies, the importance of packaging, and her latest product launch of pickle chips. The conversation also explores personal growth, the importance of following through on commitments, and the future of food trends. NOTE: The audio is a bit spotty, but Nikki drops some amazing information.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• The idea behind Freestyle Snacks
• Scrappy, winning retail strategies
• How Nicky's experience at Whisps helped her launch her own brand
• What drove the recent launch of pickle chips?
• The importance of packaging in attracting new consumers
• How to leverage exclusivity with retailers
• Nicky's superpower
• Growing trend of pickles in the food industry.
• Growth during the holidays

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Check out Freestyle Snacks

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Willy is the Founder at Krack'd Snacks. A delicious, sweet snacks company that makes better-for-you Butterfingers and Samoas.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• When Willy pursues retail opportunities
• Pod Foods as a distributor
• Self-manufacturing vs. co-manufacturing
• The evolution of Krack'd Snacks' brand name
• Willy's hopeful next retailer
• Miscellaneous logistics and ops conversation

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Willy on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Check out Krack'd Snacks
• Check out Krack'd Snacks on Amazon

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Jed is the Founder at Pirawna, Uptickk, and Refund Hawk. Pirawna is a performance agency for Amazon. Uptickk is a performance agency for TikTok. And Refund Hawk claws back erroneous fees from Amazon.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• Must-read tips for Prime Day
• Amazon reviews
• Managing 3rd-party sellers
• Jed's 3-step checklist for BFCM

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jed on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Check out Pirawna
• Check out Uptickk
• Check out Refund Hawk

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Elan and Kiki are the Co-founders at Sourmilk, a modern Greek-style yogurt made for your gut.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• Co-Founders' origin story at Stanford
• Cease & Desist, Benny -> Sourmilk
• The bet on yogurt, reverse engineering the product to truly support gut health
• The Sourmilk "Drug Deal Model" - 5k units in 7 weeks!
• Who the founders look up to
• The dairy company they think gets acquired next

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on Linkedin
• Connect with Elan and Kiki on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Check out Sourmilk

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Nate is the Founder at Express Checkout, a newsletter covering all things CPG, one of the most respected voices in CPG, and a friend to all.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• Newtopia Now
• Sharing booths at tradeshows
• Nate's favorite brands
• Some hot take acquisition predictions
• Nate's thoughts on Pepsi's new gut health sodas

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Nate on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Subscribe to Express Checkout

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands and local businesses grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Wade is the VP of Brand Management and Business Development at Vdriven Consulting. He has had a decorated career in the grocery industry, including stops at Buehler's, Rouses, Jimbo's, and The Fresh Market.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• Wade's story
• A buyer's perspective
• Vasa's POV on streamlining review schedules OBJECTIVELY
• Integrating loyalty members into category management
• Innovation sets

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on LinkedIn
• Connect with Wade on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Get in touch with Vdriven Consulting

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.

Brian is the Managing Partner at FirstLook Ventures and the founder of FirstLook, a monthly box that connects founders to investors.

WHAT WE GO OVER:

• The state of capital
• Recent FirstLook Investments
• Pitch deck advice for founders raising
• Predictions on future acquisitions
• FirstLook Monthly Box

CONNECT WITH US:

• Connect with Vasa on Linkedin
• Connect with Brian on LinkedIn
• Perfy's website
• CPGSPN by Growthbuster, a CPG newsletter with a sports theme
• Get in touch with FirstLook

SPONSOR:

Food Chained is a Perfy podcast brought to you by Growthbuster. Growthbuster is a team of creatives and strategists that help food & beverage brands grow. Check out Growthbuster's newsletter, CPGSPN here.