#8: Primal Kitchen’s Morgan Zanotti: Scrappy Startups, Motherhood & Clean Eating

Morgan Zanotti is not your typical startup CEO – she’s a mother of three, a romance novel enthusiast, and the co-founder of Primal Kitchen. In this episode of Nourished with Nora, Morgan shares how she helped build a $200M real-food brand while staying true to herself and prioritizing what matters most.

In this warm and insightful conversation, Nora (CEO of Eat Real) and Morgan discuss everything from unconventional self-care (why Morgan swears by romance novels to boost her leadership skills) to scrappy startup strategies. Morgan opens up about balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship and doing business differently – including creating a company culture where “work-life balance” isn’t just a buzzword. She also reveals how mission-driven leadership can spark real change, like Primal Kitchen’s $1M pledge to bring healthier meals to schools through Nora’s nonprofit, Eat Real. Whether you’re a budding founder, a wellness enthusiast, or a working parent seeking inspiration, this episode offers an honest, uplifting look at building a business and life you love.

Listen now to discover:

• Unconventional leadership hacks: Why Morgan believes reading romance novels can make hyper-achieving entrepreneurs better leaders (yes, really!).

• Mompreneur balance: How this mom of three sets boundaries – from limiting work travel to stepping away for a fish funeral – and juggles family life with running a company.

• Scrappy startup culture: The inside story of co-founding Primal Kitchen – hiring friends over “perfect” resumes, keeping the team fully remote (way before it was cool), and fostering a fun, mission-aligned culture of paleo enthusiasts.

• Mission over margin: How Morgan and co-founder Mark Sisson “walked the talk” on values, including donating $1M to help Nora’s organization Eat Real bring real food to school cafeterias across the country.

• Designing life on your terms: Morgan’s approach to avoiding burnout – from structuring her summers in Wisconsin off the grid to embracing rest and play (surf trips included) so she can grind when it counts.

• Future-forward insights: Morgan’s take on emerging trends – hear how she’s leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT as a 24/7 “therapist” and business assistant, and why she believes technology could transform work and wellness in the years ahead.

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