How Phil Kosak Built a Snack Empire by Hiring Differently

Phil Kosak, founder of Carolina Fine Snacks, shares his decades-long journey from frying pork skins in a 1,500 sq ft bay to building Wicked Crisp into a nationally recognized brand. Learn how hiring employees with disabilities transformed his company, why e-commerce and TikTok shops are critical today, and how AI solves operational headaches for small teams.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:02 – Phil’s start: Frito-Lay dropout to bootstrapping with pork skins.
04:00 – The Weight Watchers lifeline that saved his business.
06:00– Hiring employees with disabilities: “They either got better or quit.”
12:30 – Adapting to e-commerce: “My daughter hasn’t been in a grocery store in 5 years.”
19:00 – Willie Nelson’s birthday order and organic brand advocacy.
29:00 – AI as a “physical tool” for operations: “It’s saved us tons.”

🔗 Connect with Phil Kosak:
💼 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-kosak-53a56724/

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