Our guests today are Angela Vranich and Ben Lewis, the dynamic duo behind Little Spoon, as we explore their journey from high school sweethearts to co-founders of a revolutionary baby food brand. Listen in as they share how their early fascination with consumer brands led them to the natural products industry, and how their personal relationship evolved into a successful business partnership. Angela and Ben provide a candid look at the challenges and rewards of building a business as a couple, the motivations that fueled their entrepreneurial spirit, and the key partnership principles that have guided their journey.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

(0:00:01) - Building Little Spoon With a Partner

(0:10:31) - Revolutionizing the Baby Food Industry

(0:19:15) - Expanding Product Line for Growing Kids

(0:32:56) - Direct-to-Consumer Success in Marketing

(0:46:21) - Balancing Growth and Profitability Strategy

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Our guests today are Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman, Managing Partners of Bluestein Ventures. Bluestein Ventures invests in the future of food. What does that mean? They focus on investing in High-growth consumer brands, Proprietary foodtech, Next-gen commerce, Value-add digital technology. They just raised a $45 million third fund – which huge congrats to them for doing so. We discuss the transition from family office to VC firm, investing in inventory businesses and technology businesses, the difference between fund 3 and funds 1 and 2, what happened with Foxtrot, future of plant based meat, and much much more.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

0:00:00 - Intro

0:03:32 - Trends in Food Industry Digitization (35 Seconds)

0:07:14 - Food-Centered Investing Strategy Discussion (65 Seconds)

0:13:38 - Supply Chain Investing and Business Models (78 Seconds)

0:27:45 - Channel Strategy for Expanding Food Brands (75 Seconds)

0:38:10 - Plant-Based Meat (59 Seconds)

0:41:52 - Debate on Plant-Based Meat Benefits (91 Seconds)

0:50:59 - Investing in Great Businesses (77 Seconds)

0:57:47 - Optimizing a Complex Store Concept (67 Seconds)

1:02:09 - Strategic Framework in Business Startups (54 Seconds)

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Our guest today is Manica Blain. In this episode, we journey through the fascinating evolution of two beauty brands that have overcome initial hurdles to achieve remarkable success. Discover how an Ayurvedic beauty brand captured investor interest through high repeat purchase rates and how Everest, a hair care concentrate brand, pivoted from sustainability to performance, leading to explosive growth.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

We Discuss:

•Investing in Long-Lasting Consumer Brands

•Founding and Growing Beauty Brands

•Investment Strategies in Beauty Industry

•Dealing With Red Flags in Business

•Fund Development and Co-Partner Dynamics

•Inspiration in Books

0:01:35 - Investing in Beauty and Personal Care

0:04:44 - Evolution of Consumer Brand Expectations

0:08:08 - Brands Iterating to Find Success

0:18:41 - Investing in Beauty and Personal Care

0:23:09 - Beauty Industry Exit Dynamics

0:25:22 - From Bootstrapping to Funding

0:37:57 - Importance of Customer Retention

0:41:50 - Future Plans for Topknot Ventures

0:46:15 - Investment Strategy and Relationship Building

0:49:29 - Book Inspiration - Personal and Professional

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Our guest today is Teddy Townsend of CG Sawaya Partners, as we explore the dynamic world of health and wellness brand acquisitions.Teddy brings her expertise to the table, shedding light on why companies in this vibrant sector pursue mergers and acquisitions, and how different types of buyers, from private equity funds to strategic acquirers, approach these deals

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

We discuss:

• Company Acquisition Health & Wellness 

• Understanding Equity Investment Terms

• Challenges With Low Profit Margins 

• Shift in Supplement Business Trends

• Strategic Timing in Brand Acquisition 

• Strategic Acquirers and Private Equity Groups 

• Brand Evaluation and Marketing Strategies 

• Strategic vs Minority Round Buyouts

• Women's Health and Market Needs

• Importance of Differentiation in Consumer Industry

(0:00:00) - Health and Wellness Brand Acquisitions

Nature's mergers and acquisitions in health and wellness, private equity vs. strategic buyers, term sheet nuances.

(0:09:35) - Understanding Liquidation Preferences in Investments

High liquidation preferences in VC deals can misalign interests, impede exits, and signal investor confidence in hot markets.

(0:13:37) - Sustainable Growth in Business Trends

Unsustainable growth models, excessive capital raising, reliance on high cash burn, shift in investor perspective, D2C market, understanding key metrics, importance of acquiring new customers, fundamental health and long-term sustainability in health and wellness sector.

(0:17:45) - Health and Wellness Industry Strategy

Current trends in health and wellness industry: focus on OTC products, strategic acquisitions, and consumer behavior in beauty and personal care.

(0:27:37) - Strategic Considerations for Business Acquisition

Nature's strategic considerations for founders targeting specific buyers, including M&A criteria, legal issues, scaling capabilities, and private equity.

(0:34:30) - Navigating Business Exits and Valuations

Substantiating product claims, engaging third-party reviews, and understanding exit strategies for successful business transactions.

(0:42:12) - Maximizing Deal Opportunities and Process Preparation

Maximize M&A success with nostalgia marketing, thorough preparation, and strategic buyer engagement for full buyouts and minority rounds.

(0:49:56) - Women's Health Challenges and Brand Differentiation

Women's health sector faces challenges in narrow market windows, scaling, and differentiation in a saturated market.

(0:56:55) - Transition From Writer to Banker

Teddy's journey from writing to investment banking, using storytelling skills, learning finance from "Investment Banking," and the impact of reading Stephen King's "The Stand.

Our guest today is Diana Melencio. Diana manages the entire XRC Ventures investment process across three investment vehicles – Accelerator Fund, Brand Capital Fund, and Opportunity Fund.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

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Our guest today is Dayton Miller, Managing Partner at BFG Partners. BFG Partners help entrepreneurs build exceptional businesses that deliver sustainable growth and outperform competitors in the better-for-you food, beverage, and consumer products space. Their investments include Olipop, Athletic Greens, Caulipower, and Bobo’s. We discuss the inflection points at seed, series A, and Series B in today’s market, categories he’s excited about in consumer today, ozempic, operations metrics, and his time as an entrepreneur building Function Drinks from scratch to $20 million in sales.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is George Milton & Erin Link, Founders of YellowBird Foods a Modern Hot Sauce business.

We discuss:

• How did they get into Whole Foods?

• How did they also get into Walmart?

• How did their approach to retail expansion?

• How did they approach branding and positioning for Yellowbird

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries – https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Amrit Richmond, Founder of Indie CPG since 2019, and has also joined SecureCPG recently

We discuss:

• What gives a food and drink brand accusation energy?

• What are the different profiles of the acquire today?

• Why acquire emerging brands?

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Samyr Lainé, an Olympian, an amazing operator who worked with Jay-Z's, Will Smith and Jada Pickett Smith who is now the founder of Freedom Trail Capital.

We discuss:

• How he trained for the Olympics while being a full time law student

• Working at Monumental Sports (owners of the Washington Capitals and Wizards)

• Shifting towards the MLS

• Getting the email that Jay-Z was looking for someone to help run his businesses

• All of Jay-Z's businesses

• His view on how brands can collaborate with talent

• Why he left to work for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's Westbrook

• His thesis behind launching Freedom Trail Capital

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Matt Weiss, Founder & CEO at RIND Snacks

Matt is the CEO of RIND Snacks, a sustainable fruit snack brand. He has over a decade of experience in the natural food industry and previously worked in investment research. Matt is also known for his advocacy in community and environmental causes, founding a nonprofit that helped establish a park in lower Manhattan.

We discuss:

• We discuss the inspiration behind creating a brand and a product that focuses on the peels of a fruit

• How did he first get into retail?

• Why he was part-time with it for two years? 

• What was kind of the moment that he switched to doing it full-time?

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Ben Lerer. Ben Lerer is a Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. Lerer Hippeau is a venture capital fund based in New York who were early investors in Warby Parker, Glossier, and Topicals. He also founded Thrillist, an online media website website back in 2004 and was former CEO of Group Nine Media until it was acquired by Vox Media.

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries – https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Fan Bi, Founder & CEO of Hedgehog

Fan Bi is the Founder & CEO of Hedgehog. He founded, grew, and exited many eCom + store menswear brands. He has been in DTC eCommerce for over 13 years. 

We discuss:

• How was Fan was introduced to entrepreneurship and what things he found compelling about man's fashion?

• What multiples were used for early-stage digital brands?

• Why he started Hedgehog?

• What to make of the current market and how do you see it in the future?

Thank you to our Partner –– Propeller Industries – https://www.propellerindustries.com/

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

Our guest today is Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Partner at Cult Capital. She combines her zeal for investing with her affection for cult consumer brands. Their investments include Supergoop!, Babo Botanicals, and Lawless Beauty. Prior to CULT Capital, Sarah served on the investment team at Audax and as an I-banking analyst at Deutsche Bank.

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Thank you to our partner Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

She leads the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy for Belgian Boys and is bringing European treats like Belgian waffles, brioche french toast, crepes, and other delicious delights to the American home. They are now in over 8,400 stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods.

Thank you to our partner Propeller Industries

Propeller Industries is the leading strategic finance and accounting partner for venture-stage companies.

We discuss:

• Anouck’s journey from fashion to joining her husband in starting a food CPG company

• How they first got into retail

• What it was like years of bootstrapping

• How they landed KIND snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky’s venture firm Camino Partners as investors

• Why they pivoted from frozen food to refrigerator food and much more.

Our guest today is Caleb Wang, CEO and Co-Founder MiLa. Authentic soup dumplings, chinese noodles and chef crafted sauces. Made fresh and shipped! We talked about how he and his wife, Jen first stated a restaurant, how that expanded to an ecommerce business, how they raised capital and why they raised capital, and much much more.

Our guests today are David Wagner and Jesse Marble, Co-Founders of Wildwood Ventures. Wildwood Ventures is backed by VF corporation, a holding company whose portfolio includes iconic outdoor and activity-based lifestyle and workwear brands like Vans, North Face, Timberland, Dickies. Wildwood Ventures invests in consumer technology companies that make lives better.

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Our guest today is Denise Lambertson, Managing Partner at Constellation Capital and Chairwoman & Founder of LMS, the influencer marketing agency. We actually didn’t get into the Constellation Capital / VC / Investing side for this episode, we ran out of time. We focused on the relationship between talent and brand and how that partnership could work and how it could not work.

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Today’s episode we focus on the wonderful world of consumer fintech and our guest today is Drew Glover, General Partner of Fiat Ventures and Founding Partner of Fiat Growth. Fiat Growth is a growth consultancy helping to scale some of the largest fintech companies out there - Chime, Lemonade, Copper. They decided to launch a VC fund that focuses on emerging fintech companies. 

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Our guest today is Brian Fenty, Co-Founder & CEO of TodayTix. TodayTix is the digital gateway to live shows, arts, and cultural experiences.

We discuss:

• His introduction to Broadway & ticketing
• How Broadway initially tried to appeal to younger demographics and failed
• How TodayTix partners with theatres
• The threat of TicketMaster
• Why they didn’t pivot during COVID
• Their acquisition strategy & more

Our guest today is Martin Mignot, Partner at Index Ventures. Index Ventures is a global firm that operates as one team across three offices (London, SF, NYC) and invests at all stages. Martin opened Index’s office in New York a couple of years ago. We discuss the massive consumer opportunity in New York that Index has tapped into through, the future of transportation and delivery, and the differences Martin has seen between European and American consumer markets.