In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker speaks with Fane He and Kyle Nguyen, co-founders of The Lucky Ox, a Vietnamese-inspired beverage company. They share the story behind their flagship salted lemonade, the cultural roots and personal meaning behind the brand, and how their backgrounds in fashion and design have shaped a product that stands out both on shelves and online.
From launching with glass bottles and navigating DTC logistics, to building a wholesale business one account at a time—often hand-delivering orders across New York City—Fane and Kyle discuss the challenges and unexpected wins of growing a beverage brand with limited resources but unlimited creativity.
They also explore how The Lucky Ox is resonating across diverse culinary spaces and why authenticity has been their strongest differentiator.
So, what are you waiting for–listen now!
Listen in as they share about:
- Authenticity Over Trend-Chasing
- Unique Brand Identity & Design
- Bootstrapped Hustle & Grassroots Growth
- Distribution & DTC Challenges
- Retail and Sales Strategy
- Mentorship and Startup CPG Support
- Community, Mentorship, and Startup CPG
Episode Links:
Website: https://luckyox.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fane-he/
LinkedIn:
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
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