jobTopia with Tony Moore
Executive insights, trends, innovations, and business strategies in a free-flowing, bite-sized format.
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Episodes
Friday Nov 18, 2022
Friday Nov 18, 2022
2019 was known as the year of White Claw. And as beverage manufacturers scrambled to profit from the new spiked seltzer category, one group of beverage pioneers asked the more important question. What gave rise to this trend and what will the good for you revolution bring next? Chris Allen and Vicente Surraco believe Osena Spiked Coconut Water is the next evolution in "Good for You" alcohol. Chris and Vicente take us to the intersection of functional & alcoholic beverages today and share their key learnings.
Origin Story
The hotbed of tropical-flavored start-ups is located where?
Trends in drinking
Spiked Seltzer
Why coconut water
Market size
Demographics
Distributors
Key learnings
Old School is the best school
Connect with Chris and Vicente on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-d-allen/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicente-surraco-21334566/
Try Osena: https://drinkosena.com/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 151 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Nov 11, 2022
Friday Nov 11, 2022
Manuka honey is a premium, functional honey from New Zealand, and not the ordinary honey in a plastic bear! Did you know bees are nearly extinct in 8 US states? Crazy but true. Learn about the world's most unique honey and how it is sold and marketed as a "challenger" brand.
Connect with Corey Blick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corey-blick-781a9b4/
Connect with Matt Kovacs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjkovacs/
https://www.comvita.com/
http://www.blazepr.com/
Comvita Origin story - Beekeeping since 1974
What is Manuka Honey?
What are the benefits?
Industry trends
Lab Certified
How does one market ultra-premium food?
Line extensions?
3 tough questions
The plight of the bees
Bee Resources:
Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Idaho, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Oregon each have zero or close to zero American bumblebees left, according to a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity and Bombus Pollinators Association of Law Students.
Over the last two decades, the American bumblebee population has decreased by 89% across the U.S. New York had a decline of 99% and they disappeared from the northern part of Illinois that has seen a 74% decrease in population since 2004, the petition said. Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/10/14/american-bumble-bees-disappeared-8-states-face-extinction/8448637002/
There are 4,000 bee species in North America: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-many-species-native-bees-are-united-states
Beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honey bee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership, or BIP. These losses mark the second-highest loss rate the survey has recorded since it began in 2006 (6.1 percentage points higher than the average annual loss rate of 39.4%). The survey results highlight the continuing high rates of honey bee colony turnover. The high loss rate was driven by both elevated summer and winter losses this year, with no clear progression toward improvement for beekeepers and their colonies. Source: https://ocm.auburn.edu/newsroom/news_articles/2021/06/241121-honey-bee-annual-loss-survey-results.php
https://pollinator.org/learning-center/bee-issues?gclid=CjwKCAiA9qKbBhAzEiwAS4yeDWCNdxzMM5I3vjGIB08aTe6f-Jug6JyhVwm_FOeQwZL1ESuNV2R_-BoCnT8QAvD_BwE
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/
https://www.earthday.org/fact-sheet-bees/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 150 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Jay-Z’s corporate catering platform, Hungry, acquired Nature Box, the tech-enabled healthy snack business in 2022. Why? What is the business rationale? What corporate trends is Hungry addressing? What can we learn from this? Hint – every CEO is pondering this question as people come back to the office! Joining me today to answer these important questions is the brain behind the business, John Occhipinti, the CEO of Nature Box.
Connect with John Occhipinti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/occhipintijohn/
Nature Box: https://naturebox.com/
Hungry: https://tryhungry.com/
Listen to my podcast with Jeff Grass, CEO, Hungry: https://www.podpage.com/winning-at-work/disrupting-the-100-billion-corporate-catering-and-events-category-with-hungrys-jeff-grass-ceo-and-jon-ebner-nyc-market-leader-e120/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 149 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Kun Yang and his co-founder Mohammed Hassoun are on a journey to create the greatest cactus company in the world. Mo rediscovered a delightful childhood drink made from the prickly pear cactus. Kun recognized the health benefits. They knew the drink would "check the functional boxes", but that wasn't the essence behind the beverage. Sustainability and 'Good for You' are major benefits of the cactus for sure! But could they find authenticity in the brand true to their personal values? Entrepreneurs, this is no easy endeavor. It can be lonely. It is painfully slow at times. But the journey is worth it.
Thank yo for sharing your journey with us all, Kun.
Connect with Kun Yang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyang2/
Pricklee: https://pricklee.com/
Youtube Sharktank episode: https://youtu.be/CdEBhhQVtkw
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 148 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
The meal kit delivery industry is estimated to be worth $11.6 billion! Lockdowns accelerated adoption, but with those authoritarian policies in the rear-view mirror, customers are back to eating out more. Unphased by this trend, one brand continues to surge and has scaled from a single farmers market and a garage distribution center into every zip code in America - meet Sunbasket!
Mike Wargocki, SVP of Operations joins me to chat about how they scaled and the organized chaos that is meal-kit manufacturing. You will have a newfound appreciation for that little box when it shows up on your doorstep!
Intro - we both love Boy Scouts and Philmont!
Sunbasket origin story
Challenges scaling a perishable food business
Safety
Automation
Complexity - 1 million preps per week
FDA/USDA regulations - retail exemption
Connect with Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewargocki/
Sunbasket: https://sunbasket.com/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 147 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Continuing our theme of Costco brands, Jeremy Smith shares his unique perspective on why Costco is the King of Club. His brokerage is dedicated to helping brands get fitted and prepared to enter Costco. Stick around for the trends he expects in 2023, too.
Connect with Jeremy Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-smith-8aa3281/
Connect with Matt Kovacs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjkovacs/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 146 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
I had a great time catching up with my foodservice buddy, Thaddeus Thorne, the new VP at My/Mochi. Foodservice has changed - it's tougher to get in! Listen in as Thaddeus explains the new reality of Foodservice distribution. We touch on sustainable packing and why it's damn tough for recycling solutions to take off. But there is hope with the rising generation of college students.
Connect with Thaddeus on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaddeus-thorne/
My/Mochi: https://www.mymochi.com/
Companies, brands, and shout-outs:
Harvest Culinary Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvesttableculinary/
Chef Matthew Thompson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefmthompson/
Sambazon - https://www.linkedin.com/company/sambazon/
Impasta! Foods - https://www.linkedin.com/company/impasta-foods/
Peter Mead - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-mead-1a73028/
Donya Litowitz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donyalitowitz/
Kelly Slator - https://twitter.com/kellyslater
Outerknown - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outerknown/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Connect with me on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 145 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
How does a beef lover and self-titled ‘meat head’ become the leader of a plant-based protein company? God has a sense of humor! Rody Hawkins, with his Ph.D. in Meat Science, worked for two of the world’s largest food manufacturers as a food scientist, head of R&D, and new product development where he learned firsthand, what new ideas will work, and which ones won't. Rody is personally responsible for creating and developing hundreds of new food products, including his biggest hit, Lunchables! which is now over a $ 1 billion category.
As the leader of Improved Nature, Rody and his team have an audacious goal to feed the world. Rody joins me today to share his stories of learning from his uber-successful career as a creator. You might be surprised to discover the KEY ingredient required to make a new food idea successful.
Origin Story
Commercialization concepts
Rody’s Philosophy ~ without this ingredient, it will fail ~
Lunchables story
Marketing
Sales
Manufacturing
Supply Chain
Technical regulations
Connect with Rody Hawkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rody-hawkins-3895769/
Improved Nature: https://improvednature.com/
About your Host Tony Moore and the Winning at Work podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to stay current on the trends shaping the $1.6 trillion food and beverage industry? My totally awesome brands featured here take us deep into the world of sustainability, plant-based, food tech, CBD, and good for you. Want to learn how to grow a brand? Scale a brand? I've got you covered.
Join me on my mission to discover what makes these companies different, better, and special.
Episode 143 is sponsored by: Timpl Search - National Food and Beverage headhunters for sales, marketing, innovation, and operations. https://www.timplsearch.com/
Contact: Tony Moore. 404-904-9235. Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentbetterspecialbrands/
Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE