In this episode of Founders in Full, I talk with Lauren Cain, founder of Elm Dirt, a company reinventing the way we care for lawns, gardens, and soil health—using the power of microbes, composting worms, and a lot of trial and error.
Lauren’s path started in chemical engineering, took her through a high-pressure career at ExxonMobil, and eventually led to launching an e-commerce business with her husband. After years of freelancing and experimenting with product ideas, it was a dirt-loving toddler—and the desire for a safer, chemical-free backyard—that sparked the idea for Elm Dirt.
What started as a small Etsy shop during the early days of the pandemic has now grown into a rapidly scaling business with patented fertilizer formulas, a national customer base, and B2B partnerships with landscapers, retailers, and farmers.
We dive into:
✔️ How a backyard problem turned into a product with wide market appeal
✔️ What it takes to develop and scale a microbe-based fertilizer (hint: a lot of exploding bottles)
✔️ The transition from DTC to retail—and what they had to unlearn along the way
✔️ What happened when they outsourced fulfillment—and how it nearly broke the business
✔️ The marketing message evolution that helped them stand out in a crowded space
If you’re building a product-led brand, navigating early-stage growth, or trying to make organic products that actually work, this episode is for you.
About Elm Dirt:
Elm Dirt is a family-owned company creating natural, microbe-rich fertilizers and soil products made from worm castings. With a mission to make backyards safer and gardens more vibrant, Elm Dirt is helping customers rethink what healthy soil looks like—one plant at a time.
👉 Learn more about Elm Dirt: https://www.elmdirt.com
👉 Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkcain/
Connect with me (Dan Ritzke):
I’m a Fractional CMO who helps FamTech companies position their brand, sharpen their messaging, create marketing strategies that drive growth, and oversee execution to make sure those plans turn into results.
👉 Visit my website: www.danritzke.com
👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritzke
Apply to be on the podcast or nominate a founder:
👉 Visit my website: www.danritzke.com/podcast
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