Podcast Summary: The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show
Episode: From Stable Career To Creator: What It Really Takes To Build A Brand From Scratch Ft. Matt & Nora Kramer Of Sunny Fine Foods
Hosts: Lauryn Evarts Bosstick & Michael Bosstick
Guests: Matt & Nora Kramer, Co-founders of Sunny Fine Foods
Date: December 29, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features an intimate and insightful conversation with Matt and Nora Kramer, the husband-and-wife duo behind Sunny Fine Foods, a clean-label refrigerated sauce and dressing brand. The episode explores their journey leaving stable jobs—Matt notably from Dear Media—to pursue entrepreneurship, the realities of building a brand from scratch, the challenges of working together as spouses, and how becoming parents reshaped their approach to work and life. The hosts, having a personal connection to Matt, create a candid and supportive atmosphere, resulting in actionable advice and candid moments for anyone contemplating a leap into entrepreneurship.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origin Story of Sunny Fine Foods
[03:13–05:12]
- Nora’s Passion for Food: Nora describes herself as a lifelong ‘sauce girl,’ obsessed with transforming simple meals at home with flavorful, homemade sauces.
- Solving a Personal Pain Point: She was dissatisfied with the unhealthy, preservative-laden sauces available at supermarkets:
"They were all full of canola oil and sugar and preservatives and ingredient lists so long you couldn't even believe. Or they just tasted awful." — Nora [04:19]
- Homemade Beginnings: Making three or four jars each Sunday helped their week run smoother and sparked the idea for the business.
- Matt Observes an Opportunity:
“These sauces were just so great… we should dig into this a little bit more and see if there's a there there.” — Matt [05:12]
2. The Leap: From Stable Job to Startup
[05:44–07:37]
- Approach to Risk: Nora admits she took the plunge first because Matt had a stable job, allowing her more flexibility.
- Making the Leap: Critical moment came when they landed Whole Foods and simultaneously learned Nora was pregnant:
“...in the same month we found out we got into Whole Foods and then also that I was pregnant.” — Nora [06:37]
- On Timing:
"There’s never a perfect time... you just have to take the plunge." — Michael [07:12]
3. Lessons from Past Jobs Applied to Entrepreneurship
[08:27–09:48]
- Value of Community: Matt credits Dear Media for showing him the power of audience and community.
- Operational Foundation: Early exposure to business operations and deal evaluations gave Matt confidence and practical skills.
4. Building a Brand as Industry Outsiders
[10:30–12:44]
- Staying True to Ingredients: Their outsider perspective kept them focused on real food and avoiding industry shortcuts.
"We have been offered the craziest things along the way...and as outsiders, it's shocking to hear those options." — Nora [10:30]
- Gross Ingredients to Avoid:
- Titanium dioxide (for whiteness in ranch) [11:29]
- Excess sugar in ketchup and across many dressings [11:59]
- Preservatives and “natural flavors”
- They use dates for sweetness instead
5. Navigating Entrepreneurial Challenges
[13:04–14:17]
- Emotional Rollercoaster: Entrepreneurship involves high highs and low lows, often at the same time.
- Compartmentalizing:
"I've had to really develop a skill around compartmentalizing...not let setbacks that are inevitable...derail you." — Matt [13:08]
6. Work-Life Balance & Parenting as Co-Founders
[22:12–26:12]
-
Setting Boundaries: They learned to divide responsibilities after an intense period of trying to do everything together.
-
Becoming Parents:
- Having a child made them more productive and focused:
“You become more productive with the time that you have, and you get this amazing grounding perspective of, like, what really matters.” — Nora [24:01]
- Children give additional drive and clarity to their business goals:
"When you have a kid, not only do you have to focus your time…you go into overdrive, to work even harder, to, like, build a future for them." — Michael [25:14]
- Having a child made them more productive and focused:
-
On Balance:
"I haven't found that to be true, that there's this, like, golden standard of balance...It's just kind of chaotic." — Nora [29:08]
-
Anecdotal Wisdom:
“When I lay my head on the pillow, I either thought I was an amazing businesswoman today or I was an amazing mom. ...it’s usually not both.” — Quote referenced from Jamie O’Banion [30:16]
7. Launch Strategy & Growth
[26:36–27:50]
- Focused Launch: Started with a single refrigerated product, which encouraged mindful, intentional growth and allowed for customer feedback loops.
- Scaling (without trends): They focus on timeless, real ingredients rather than chasing health trends.
“Not chasing trends and instead having this more balanced approach has always been our instinct.” — Nora [55:21]
8. Effective Roles & Delegation as Co-Founders
[31:46–33:49]
- Knowing When To Let Go: Nora realized the need for Matt to take over as CEO for business scale.
- Division of Labor:
- Nora: Product development, branding, recipe content, creative.
- Matt: Operations, sales, growth, structure—“Swiss army knife” approach.
- Importance of Decisiveness in Leadership:
“The biggest thing for a CEO, there's a few things, but one is decisiveness. Right or wrong, by the way...” — Michael [34:38]
9. Building Culture: The Value of Scrappiness
[37:07–37:56]
- Startup Employees:
“What makes a good employee is someone who's willing to get super scrappy, try on a bunch of different hats.” — Nora [37:07]
- Matt: Even senior hires at Dollar Shave Club did customer service to stay connected to the customer [47:09–48:33]
10. The Power of Direct Customer Engagement
[43:30–44:46]
- Sampling in stores, feedback loops with real customers, and “getting in the weeds” as founders keeps them humble & motivated.
"We want to have that direct one to one engagement with consumers and shoppers... it keeps you energized to know that you're fitting into a small part of their routine." — Matt [43:30]
11. Taste Test & Product Details
[48:34–55:21]
- Live Tasting: The group samples each dressing, discussing ingredients and suggested serving ideas (bowl of meat with lemon, carrot and ginger, etc.).
- All Dressings: Whole-food based, avocado or olive oil, sweetened with dates, no seed oils or sugar, always refrigerated.
- Fun, Relatable Moment:
“This is how I do my bowl of meat...” — Lauryn, enthusiastically explaining her go-to recipe with Sunny’s dressings [49:18–50:49]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On When to Start:
"There’s never a perfect time... you just have to take the plunge." — Michael [07:12]
-
On Scrappiness:
“What makes a good employee is someone who's willing to get super scrappy, try on a bunch of different hats...it’s almost like for us right now, I feel like the employees also also have some sort of an entrepreneurial spirit.” — Nora [37:07]
-
On Creating with Integrity:
"For us, it's always all products are really grounded in that less is more. And using ingredients you would find in your kitchen at home." — Nora [55:21]
-
Balancing Parenthood & Entrepreneurship:
"You become more productive with the time that you have, and you get this amazing grounding perspective of, like, what really matters. And now it's just like everything we do is laddering up to our family." — Nora [24:01]
-
The Product Philosophy:
“Not chasing trends and instead having this more balanced approach has always been our instinct. …the way that we make our products is timeless.” — Nora [55:21]
Highlighted Timestamps
- [03:13] Nora explains the beginnings of Sunny Fine Foods
- [06:37] Critical moment: landing Whole Foods and learning about pregnancy
- [10:30] Industry outsider advantages in staying committed to product quality
- [13:08] Matt describes the need for compartmentalization in leadership
- [24:01] Nora on how becoming parents changed their mindset and productivity
- [26:36] The importance of launching with a focused offering
- [31:46] How the couple divides roles and responsibilities
- [43:30] Matt discusses the power of in-store sampling and direct feedback
- [48:34–55:21] Live taste test and discussion of signature products/recipes
Additional Insights
- Industry Trends: The conversation reveals how consumer expectations are shifting to demand transparency and real ingredients—and how Sunny is poised to capitalize on this.
- Real-Life Hacks: Lauryn shares her “bowl of meat” recipe hacks (with laughter), illustrating practical, audience-applicable advice [49:18–50:33].
- Iteration over Perfection: Both couples stress testing, adjusting, and learning on the go as more important than waiting for “the right moment” or “perfect product.”
Where to Find Sunny Fine Foods
“You can find our products in all Sprouts nationwide and Whole Foods on the West Coast, and many, many more stores on our website, sunnyfoods.us.” — Matt [57:37]
Closing Thoughts
This episode is a goldmine for aspiring entrepreneurs, couples considering working together, or anyone curious about the realities of building a mission-driven CPG brand. The Krames’ authenticity provides both encouragement and real-world lessons—balancing vision with practicality, business with family, and values with growth. The lively rapport among friends adds humor and vulnerability, making the journey both relatable and inspiring.