Episodes
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Do you feel a little guilty bringing home dinner in a mound of single-use plastic bound for the landfill? Ashleigh Ferran had a moment of inspiration and wanted to help solve the single-use plastic problem. She just didn't know she was going to start an amazing chef-inspired food business! We are glad she did because this is the definition of a win-win-win business model. Ashleigh brings her high energy to the W@W podcast today to showcase how they are solving a big social and environmental problem while building a profitable model for expansion.
Center of the plate entre – ready to heat and serve – the customer rounds out the meal.
Advanced freezing technologies
Reusable
Foodie
She noticed legislation attempting to change consumer behaviors for plastic and she had her “Founder Conviction Moment” for circular to replace single-use packaging.
The business model – partner with restaurants and chefs to deliver ready-made entrees to the dinner table and offer a high-margin extension to the restaurant in a circular, reusable packaging.
Centralized kitchen and a partner who handles the health and safety and sanitizer.
The tipping point to scale: hub and spoke. Building customers, community, chefs, and restaurants per region with some overlap into the next hub. Tap into the hot spots of food and innovators.
In Good Company is the facilitator to help chefs expand their food and flavors across America and activate their own communities
Chefs on the platform activate their network and all the restaurants have an expanded opportunity.
Investing in the circular foundation now and is not waiting until the whole infrastructure is built
Season 3, Episode 24
In Good Company:
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Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
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Friday Apr 28, 2023
Friday Apr 28, 2023
Kevin McGee's crisis management background is the perfect skillset to lead the rebranding and expansion efforts of the nationally distributed craft beer brand, Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Kevin's home base in Boonville, CA might be the coolest place on earth to drink a beer, play frisbee golf and take in some music. AVBC also is leading the way in sustainability efforts.
35+ year old-school craft brewery
Started one of the first nano–breweries in America
Beer is a good business, recession-proof, and he and his father bought AVBC
Expert in crisis management
How they reorganized AVBC
The story behind the bear with deer antlers
Issues with the Brewery: consumer-facing marketing was failing
Legacy brands had grown rapidly with little marketing effort without talking to the consumer
Instead of A-B testing – they physically show up in the market and understand what resonates
Has a national sales team and outsources communications, social media, and outreach
80% of sales effort should be to your distributor
Craft beer didn’t benefit from pantry loading
Trends in beer – return to beer-flavored beer & hire ABV per dollar & nonalcoholic
30-acre brewery in Anderson Valley, CA – an 18-hole disc golf course, stream, music events, outdoor stage
The solar-powered array covers 50% of needs and they are expanding to 110%.
Self-contained water cycle – 10 wells on the property
Sustainability won’t sell a product for you – comes in handy if you are high-quality or a tiebreaker
Brain fart that I didn't edit out – LOL
Other sustainability initiatives and cost savings - how do eliminate waste and expand margins
A special collaboration with Surf Rider Foundation – Coastal Ale and donating 5% of gross margin
25thBoonville Beer Festival April 29th
Season 3, Episode 23
Anderson Valley Brewing:
LinkedIn
Website
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Instagram
Connect with Kevin McGee
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
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Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Former NFL player and chef is currently closing a round of investment for his newest venture, ToMarket, a POS (point of sale) ordering platform that solves three problems: 1. Chefs don't have time to find farmers, 2. Farmers don't know how to find chefs, and 3. Distributors want a value ad for their customers. Join David Moosman, CEO and Founder of ToMarket as he discusses how this POS system, the old legacy restaurant marketplace, and his insights into dealing with investors. Today we are diving into a food tech! Let's go.
Origin Story – Grid Iron Chef at U of M
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Farmers don’t know how to find chefs and chefs don’t have time to find farmers.
POS system – integrates directly into an ordering platform for chefs
Digitize their clipboard
They sell to distributors and get introduced to the buyers on the platform
The greatest barrier to scaling is the “status quo” mindset
Consumer restaurant spending is outpacing grocery store spending
Get to a dollar as soon as possible
Venture capital opinions
Hot-hand fallacy
Season 3, Episode 22
ToMarket:
LinkedIn
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube
Connect with David Moosman
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
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Friday Apr 21, 2023
Friday Apr 21, 2023
Creating a profitable and scalable casual dining establishment or quick-serve restaurant (QSR) isn't for the faint of heart. The food entrepreneur needs a delicious menu, an attractive concept, passionate front-of-the-house people, and a skilled back-of-the-house operation. Consumers want to save water, reduce plastic use and be good stewards of resources, and they expect their favorite restaurants and brands to do the same. Diana Geseking joins me from Restaurant Technologies to share how RT is partnering with our favorite restaurants to help them recycle spent oil, reduce CO2, and lessen the landfill burden. In this episode, you will learn how to start a sustainability program.
RTI – their place in the restaurant infrastructure
Turning spent oil into bio-diesel
Tracking the data to help customers see sustainability results
2022 numbers - 289.4 million pounds of waste oil recycled, 16 million total jugs saved, 7.4 million cubic feet of landfill space saved, 66.6 estimated GHG C02 emission reduction, and 24.6 million pounds of trash saved
Trends in Foodservice and QSRs
Plastic reduction is a stepping stone to greater opportunities
Advice for restauranteurs to advance into more sustainable practices
Role of the distributor
Standing up for what is right
What Gen Z wants
Educational Scholarships for employees to go to secondary school
Season 3, Episode 21
Restaurant Technologies:
LinkedIn
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Connect with Diana Geseking
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
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Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Draft anything, anywhere? Don’t pinch yourself. You’re not dreaming! Whether you like beer, bubbly, hard seltzers, cocktails, soda, get ready for the Cooler Keg. ER nurse, founder/CEO and former chemist, Anthony Bernas built a system that lets you take the bar with you. Just rinse, clean, empty, REPEAT. The perfect solution to take to concerts, tailgates, camping, or just hanging out at home, you’ll wish you found the Cooler Keg sooner.
The wait is OVER! Anthony joins us as we tap into the makings of turning his passion into reality.
Cooler Keg - portable, stainless steel draft system holding up to 36 beers or 72 cocktails
What are people saying about this invention?
Who is the ideal customer?
Opportunities for growth
2023 plans
Initial production run
Cost to purchase
Season 3, Episode 20
Cooler Keg:
Preorder Now!
Website
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Youtube
TikTok
Connect with Anthony Bernas
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
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Friday Apr 14, 2023
Friday Apr 14, 2023
Have you ever skipped lunch because the line for the Chipotle was out the door during lunch rush? or maybe you've found yourself at 9pm looking up "food open near me," to see the only place open is the gas station 15 minutes away? Andy Lin, CEO of Yo-Kai Express, found himself in that situation when he was up late studying and craving comfort food - noodle soup. That longing for a warm bowl of soup snowballed into the creation of Yo-Kai Express: the unattended solution. Now the autonomous restaurant offers 30+ gourmet meals that are ready in 90 seconds or less, 24/7, expanding to hundreds of locations across multiple countries. You won't want to miss this episode with CEO Andy Lin because Yo-Kai can pop up anywhere at anytime.~
Origin Story - Noodle soup is comfort food
Don’t think of these as a vending machine– think food platform or ghost kitchen
Good food fast
2022 – Japan and Taiwan
2023 – Europe, Singapore, and Korea to name a few
Challenges with autonomous
Focus on frozen using rapid heating technology
Introducing a Boba Tea concept
Target consumer is wide ranging
Whenever someone is in a hurry
Consumers are quickly adopting
Business model – work with existing business operators
Japan doesn’t not need consumer education; American consumers need education
100 Autonomous Restaurants in America
300-500 planned expansion globally
Partner with big food brands under the ghost kitchen model (shout out Jinya)
Social media is a must – and different based on the region
Season 3, Episode 20
Yo-kai Express:
Website
Instagram
Youtube
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
Connect with Andy Lin
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
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Friday Apr 07, 2023
Friday Apr 07, 2023
The most delicious, lean red meat that isn't beef is Ostrich! If you are like me, you probably have not tried it. I did and was pleasantly surprised! Today I interview the premiere Ostrich farmer in America, Alex McCoy, CEO, of American Ostrich Farms. Agriculture is the single most important industry in America if you ask me, and Alex is single-handedly building the value chain for this environmentally friendly, healthy, and sustainable alternative to beef. Join me as I dive deep into Alex's business to discover the challenges and immense future opportunities for this unique bird.
Origin story
Health and environmental benefits
The biggest consumer challenge
Building the value chain
Vertical integration
Using every part of the bird
It's red meat, not beef
What differentiates ostrich that makes it an interesting addition to your protein mix
The business model
Certification proliferation
The birds never leave the farm
Problems with DTC marketing
Chefs love ostrich meat
Foodservice strategy
Jerky?
Growth plans
Preferred climate
The matrix
Season 3, Episode 19
American Ostrich FarmsWebsite
Instagram
Facebook
Youtube
Connect with Alex McCoy
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Nature teaches us about sustainability, insulation, and freshness. You just have to know where to look. Alan Cohen, CEO of KoKomio found his inspiration in the Mexican coconut and is building a deliciously natural beverage brand, a multi-use co-packing facility, and Ko Ko Chill - a cold-pack insulation technique inspired by nature's design. Matt Kovacs, the CEO of Blaze PR joins me today as we discover a new brand that is making its way into America.
Kokomio – mission and purpose
Vertically integrated
Circular economy model - Take care of people, profits, and the environment
90% of US coconut beverages come from Asian coconuts – imagine the carbon footprint!
Cold press in Mexico retail very successful - helped launch into more markets
The coconut broker model didn’t work – inconsistent quality
KoKomio trained the coconut harvesters and gave them better wages and benefits to improve the quality of coconuts harvested and the communities.
Using the entire coconut to reduce the cost of shipping and improve insulation
Called “Co-Co Chill”. You can use the insulation in your garden!
Sales and marketing strategy
Consumers can scan the QR code and look at the whole supply chain and see a more sustainable product
US expansion plan – learning how the consumer works
What are the storylines you are getting from the consumer?
People who were hesitant to try because they didn’t like coconut, loved it because it is different – fresh, just like it was from the tree
“Beach in the bottle”
Expo West was a success
Foodies: How it’s made, coconut maturity level dictates taste. Each one contains MCT, electrolytes, and plant protein, and additional flavors are not added, they blend in actual fruit. 70% less natural sugar than Asian coconuts
3 categories of competitors – cheap brands, raw refrigerated, specialty
Trial and demo strategies, POS promotions, rebates, events, and VW bugs!
Season 3, Episode 18
KokomioWebsite
Instagram
Facebook
Connect with Alan Cohen
Connect with Matt Kovacs
Connect with Tony
About me and my mission and the podcast:
Are you looking for a fun and light-hearted podcast to discover unique brands and learn about the people and strategies successful companies are implementing in the CPG and Food and Beverage Industry? The brands featured here take us into the world of innovation, sustainability, good for you, lifestyle, QSR, Foodservice, Distribution, DTC, Club, and more.
I am a fun-loving business leader, podcaster, husband, dad, cyclist, and Convention of States volunteer in my spare time. My mission is to discover the people and ideas behind these different, better, and special companies.
Entrepreneurs and CEOs, are you:
Searching for distributor or broker partners?
Actively prospecting commercial buyers to gain more points of distribution?
Searching for the right person to add to the team?
My Direct Response Marketing Service attracts exactly what you need to help your brand thrive and grow.
Here is a NOVEL approach to ATTRACT distributors, buyers, and people (DEMO)
Contact me: Tony@timpl.com
Follow me on LinkedIn: Different, Better, Special Brands
Join Our Community
Music from Uppbeat and ZapSplathttps://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/get-the-funk-inLicense code: SF3WUKBUJQULFHXE