How I Built This with Guy Raz: What It Really Takes To Build a Food Business – Part 2

Release Date: October 25, 2024

In the second installment of Guy Raz’s insightful conversation with three pioneering entrepreneurs in the food industry—Becca Milstein of Fishwife, Brian Rudolph of Bonza, and Kaui Suplisi of Barnana—listeners delve deeper into the intricacies of scaling a food business. Presented by Klaviyo, this episode uncovers the strategies, challenges, and triumphs that these founders encountered while transforming their brands into category-defining enterprises.

Launching and Gaining Traction: The Power of Packaging and Influencer Marketing

Becca Milstein – Fishwife

Becca Milstein discusses the critical role of packaging in capturing consumer interest, especially on social media. During the pandemic, Fishwife leveraged eye-catching packaging to stand out in the crowded CPG market.

“Your packaging has to be extremely compelling… people just got really excited about it when they saw the packaging.” (02:25)

To amplify their reach, Becca personally engaged with micro to macro food influencers on Instagram, offering them their products to create organic buzz without hefty advertising budgets. This grassroots approach not only validated their product-market fit but also established a loyal customer base eager to support a women-owned small business during challenging times.

Brian Rudolph – Bonza

Brian echoes Becca’s sentiment on influencer marketing, emphasizing the importance of authenticity. Bonza’s distinctive orange packaging and its novel chickpea-based pasta appealed to health-conscious consumers. By sending free samples to influencers, Bonza generated significant engagement and attracted customers outside the traditional pasta consumer base.

“We were extremely lucky to send a lot of free pasta to influencers… a lot of influencers that we would send free pasta to, just excited to share it on their feed.” (05:00)

He highlights the strategic move to secure end cap placements in grocery stores, which dramatically increased trial and repeat purchases, positioning Bonza as a mainstream alternative rather than a niche product.

Kaui Suplisi – Barnana

Barnana’s approach combined compelling packaging with storytelling and direct consumer engagement through in-store demos. Kaui’s focus on sustainability and food waste reduction resonated with consumers. By educating customers on the ethical sourcing of their dried bananas and collaborating with indigenous communities, Barnana built a brand that stands for both taste and social responsibility.

“It was a combination of the product, the packaging and the story and a lot of research.” (07:06)

Navigating Challenges: Supply Chain Setbacks and Misinformation

Becca Milstein – Fishwife

In the first year, Fishwife faced a significant setback when their Oregon cannery became backlogged, threatening product availability. Becca learned the importance of supply chain redundancy by partnering with another cannery in Washington state, ensuring continuous production despite unforeseen disruptions.

“That was the first time that I learned the lesson of redundancy in supply chain and why it is so important.” (09:27)

Brian Rudolph – Bonza

Brian recounts a recent crisis where misinformation about harmful chemicals in their chickpea pasta threatened Bonza’s reputation. Responding swiftly, Bonza addressed the allegations transparently by publishing accurate testing results, reaffirming their commitment to product safety.

“We published a statement very quickly on our website that not only acknowledged historical testing results… and even tested the same lot is 97% lower than what was being claimed.” (23:18)

He acknowledges the difficulty in managing misinformation in the digital age but underscores the importance of honesty and transparency in maintaining consumer trust.

Kaui Suplisi – Barnana

Kaui shares experiences with unwanted litigation and regulatory challenges, such as discrepancies in nutritional labeling. These hurdles taught him that unexpected issues are inevitable in the food industry, emphasizing the need for patience and resilience.

“Things always go wrong. … things will take longer, usually three times longer. They always will cost a lot more as well.” (26:07)

Strategic Growth: Focused Expansion and Customer Segmentation

Becca Milstein – Fishwife

Becca emphasizes the principle of focusing on the core business rather than diversifying too early. Fishwife aims to redefine the tinned fish category by becoming synonymous with high-quality, sustainable products. Their strategy includes robust brand marketing, numerous collaborations, and exceptional customer service to build a loyal customer base willing to pay a premium for their offerings.

“Focus is the ultimate value, and growing from the core is really the best way to do it.” (10:39)

Brian Rudolph – Bonza

Bonza’s mission is to increase bean consumption for health and environmental benefits. Brian explains their deliberate product expansion within the chickpea pasta category, exploring various shapes and applications to cater to diverse consumer preferences. This focused approach ensures Bonza remains a leader in their niche.

“Our mission is to get people to eat more beans… and we want to be the best company when it comes to chickpeas.” (12:17)

Kaui Suplisi – Barnana

Barnana’s growth is driven by expanding their product line in alignment with their mission to reduce food waste and support indigenous communities. Kaui highlights their introduction of plantain chips and cassava products, which not only diversify their offerings but also enhance their social and environmental impact.

“We are focusing on things that people have been eating for thousands of years… our bodies absorb these items really well. They’re good for the environment.” (34:39)

Overcoming Internal Challenges: Founder Dynamics and Vision Alignment

Becca Milstein – Fishwife

Becca opens up about her challenging experience with a co-founder separation, offering valuable lessons on the importance of selecting the right partner. She advises founders to ensure alignment in vision and work ethic, suggesting that solo founding may sometimes be more effective to maintain a clear, unified direction.

“Co-founder relationships are really challenging… being a solo founder, I would very much recommend it.” (19:16)

Kaui Suplisi – Barnana

Kaui underscores the significance of having thorough, upfront conversations with co-founders about vision and responsibilities. His experience highlights the ease of collaboration when roles are clearly defined and aligned with the company’s mission.

“We did. … it was a little easier because I was the one that grew up eating this product and I brought it here.” (22:27)

Vision of Success: Transformative Impact and Market Leadership

Becca Milstein – Fishwife

Becca envisions Fishwife as a staple in every American kitchen, transforming the perception of tinned fish from a mundane commodity to a premium, versatile ingredient. Success for Fishwife means widespread behavior change towards sustainable and diverse seafood consumption.

“Success to me looks like achieving that behavior change… always having that in their cupboard.” (33:11)

Brian Rudolph – Bonza

Brian aspires for Bonza to inspire a nationwide increase in bean consumption, similar to how Chobani revolutionized the yogurt industry. He aims for Bonza to become a daily staple that contributes significantly to both individual health and environmental sustainability.

“If we can help fill that gap in consumption of beans… we've inspired the consumption of more beans. That’s a win.” (34:48)

Kaui Suplisi – Barnana

Kaui’s vision for Barnana centers on maximizing environmental impact and community support. By expanding product lines that aid in food waste reduction and empower indigenous communities, Barnana aims to increase its positive footprint with every sale.

“The bigger we get, the more impact we have… introducing more products and growing, because every time we sell a bag, we are helping someone or helping the environment.” (34:15)

Conclusion

Guy Raz’s conversation with Becca Milstein, Brian Rudolph, and Kaui Suplisi offers a comprehensive exploration of what it takes to build and sustain a successful food business. From innovative marketing strategies and overcoming supply chain challenges to maintaining internal harmony and defining clear visions of success, these entrepreneurs provide valuable lessons for aspiring founders in the CPG industry. Their stories underscore the importance of resilience, focused growth, and a deep commitment to mission-driven business practices.

This summary was produced based on the transcript provided and aims to encapsulate the key discussions, insights, and conclusions shared by the entrepreneurs during the episode.