The Story of a Brand

When I first saw the product from NoNormal, I was intrigued. A coffee paste… in a tube? I’d never seen anything like it. But as someone who loves coffee and spends a lot of time outdoors, I instantly got the appeal. 

In this episode, I chat with Alexander Haberlin, co-founder of NoNormal, about how a backcountry hike in Switzerland sparked a completely new way to experience coffee and how it evolved from a spray-painted tomato pas...

I had a blast sitting down with Dan Schaefer, Founder & CEO of Native Pet. 

We kicked things off with gratitude. Dan shared how his wife was his “first angel investor,” backing his leap from BCG into entrepreneurship while raising a young family. From there, we got into th...

I had the pleasure of sitting down with James Reynolds, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Coco5, and what a conversation it was. 

From the South Side of Chicago to Wall Street to the beverage aisle, James’s journey is packed with powerful lessons on grit, reinvention, and staying true to your purpose. He opened up about a pivotal moment in college that transformed his life — when he walked away from basketball to pursue academics — and how...

In this episode of The Story of a Brand, I sit down with Gary Redmond, co-founder of BusterBox, a subscription box that delivers joy straight to your dog’s doorstep. 

What started as three friends looking to create something fun and meaningful quickly became one of the fastest-growing dog subscription brands in Europe. Gary shares the ups and downs of starting a business from scratch, from packing boxes by hand in a tiny apartment...

On this episode of The Story of a Brand, I sat down with Jeff Boyd, founder of MTE, a wellness brand that’s redefining how we think about energy, recovery, and mood. 

What started as a personal quest to feel better and support the people closest to him turned into a full-spectrum product created with intention, science, and heart. Jeff gets candid about burnout, anxiety, and how most of us are just trying to show up as our best se...

What does it mean to steward a family legacy while completely rethinking how food is raised? 

In this episode, I sat down with Heidi Diestel of Diestel Family Ranch, a fourth-generation turkey farmer who's not afraid to ask hard questions about the food system and make bold changes. Heidi brings a rare mix of tradition, transparency, and a challenger mindset to an industry that often resists change.

We talked about everything fro...

When I think of a product worth buying and a brand worth supporting, Avocado Mattress is at the top of my list.

In this episode, I sat down with Vy Nguyen, Co-CEO of Avocado Mattress, to discuss what it truly takes to build a mission-driven, vertically integrated company in a category dominated by commodity players. 

Vy’s story is rooted in deep gratitude for his family’s immigrant journey, and he brings that same heart and inte...

In this episode, I sit down with Yanika Cordina, the founder and creative mind behind Cordina Hair, a brand built on innovation, determination, and one incredibly clever invention.

What started as a DIY experiment to solve her hairstyling challenge has turned into a viral beauty tool trusted by thousands of women worldwide. Yanika walks us through her journey of turning a homemade prototype into a product featured by media outlets...

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Abbenda and Owen Martinetti, the dynamic duo behind Snoozy, a functional gummy brand that’s reimagining how we think about sleep, stress, and chill. 

What started as a curiosity about CBD quickly evolved into a product line that’s all about helping people wind down without the fuzziness or stigma of traditional solutions. We delve into everything from product formulation to branding, as well ...

In this episode, I sit down with Rose Hamilton, a powerhouse marketing strategist, CPG advisor, and the founder of Compass Rose Ventures. 

Rose shares an honest, insightful look into what it takes to build, grow, and scale a consumer brand in today’s landscape, from digital-first storytelling to the emotional resilience founders need to survive the chaos of retail and fundraising. This conversation is packed with wisdom earned fro...

In this episode, I sit down with C. Vivek Lal, MD, FAAP, a physician-scientist and the founder & CEO of Resbiotic, to explore the incredible connection between our gut microbiome and respiratory health. 

Dr. Lal shares how his clinical work with premature infants inspired a deeper dive into gut-lung science, ultimately leading to the development of Resbiotic—a science-first wellness brand that’s bridging the gap between clinical r...

In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Kemp, the passionate owner of Bare Kind, a brand of bamboo socks that’s on a mission to save endangered animals one step at a time. 

What began with a desire to create a feel-good product has grown into a purpose-driven business that partners with over 30 animal charities, donates 10% of profits, and makes every sock design count.

What I love about this conversation is how grounded Andrew i...

In this episode, I sit down with Isaac LeKach and Lillian Shalom, the creative and entrepreneurial duo behind Flower Shop Perfumes Co., a brand that’s blurring the lines between scent, art, and emotion. 

What struck me most about our conversation is how personal their approach to fragrance is. For them, perfume isn’t just about smelling good; it’s about storytelling, self-expression, and creating a deeply emotional, almost spiritu...

In this episode, I sit down with Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, the visionary duo behind Fresh, one of the most iconic beauty brands of the last three decades. 

What began as a small apothecary shop in Boston evolved into a global brand renowned for blending modern skincare with timeless rituals. Lev and Alina share their journey with such openness—from selling artisanal soaps wrapped in hand-stamped paper to pioneering innovatio...

In this episode, I sit down with Kyle Landry, PhD, a scientist-turned-entrepreneur who’s bringing literal space-age technology to the skincare world. 

As the President and Co-founder of Delavie Sciences, Kyle shares how a partnership with NASA led to the discovery of a one-of-a-kind extremophile—an organism found on the outside of the International Space Station—that now powers their cutting-edge skincare line. This isn’t just abo...

In this episode, I sit down with Darren Litt, the founder of Hiya Health, a mission-driven kids' wellness brand that’s reimagining what it means to raise healthy children. 

Darren shares how a single disappointing Amazon order led him down a path of obsession with better ingredients, smarter packaging, and more meaningful health experiences for kids and families. What started with taste tests from his daughters turned into a natio...

In this episode, I sit down with Lindsey Carter, the Founder and CEO of SET ACTIVE, a brand that has reshaped how women experience athleisure—not just in terms of function, but also in terms of feeling. 

Lindsey shares her raw and powerful journey, from bootstrapping the brand at 25 with zero funding to building a movement rooted in authenticity, storytelling, and unmatched community connection. Her story is one of resilience, vis...

In this episode, I sit down with Jonathan Cornish, the spirited co-founder and “Head Bandit” behind The Froot Thief—a fruit snack brand that’s turning heads and winning lunchboxes. 

Jonathan’s story is one of grit, gratitude, and big flavor. We discuss how a family-run business gave him and his brother their first break over 25 years ago, and how that act of faith continues to shape their approach today. That foundation—combined w...

In this episode, I had a powerful and insightful conversation with Eric Kasper, the founder of 1 Commerce. Eric isn’t just building another ecommerce platform—he’s building from the ground up based on hard-won experience, past failures, and deep empathy for the challenges founders face. 

We discussed how losing everything gave him clarity, how he rebuilt with intention, and how that journey became the foundation of a platform that...