Tardigrades, not unicorns

In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with Laurel Orley, Chief Crunch Officer and co-founder of Daily Crunch Snacks, to talk about what it really takes to build a durable business — not a unicorn.

Laurel shares the origin story of launching a sprouted nut snack company with her aunt Diane during the pandemic, and how a chance question at Expo West ("Where do you see Daily Crunch 100 years from now?") r...

Bobo's CEO TJ McIntyre joins the show to unpack how a self-manufactured, Colorado-based baked goods company grew from $7.5M to over $100M in revenue over the past decade — without formulating to macros or chasing fads.

TJ shares why Bobo's bets everything on taste over trend-chasing nutrition claims, why radical focus on just two categories (nutrition bars and wholesome snacks) has been the company's biggest growth unlock, and...

In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with longtime friend Matt Weiss, founder and CEO of Rind, the better-for-you snacking brand built on whole-fruit nutrition. Matt shares his journey from 19 years as a Wall Street research analyst to building a CPG company from a nights-and-weekends side project into a vertically integrated manufacturing platform, Keep It Real Foods.

Matt and Elliot dig into:

• Leaving a...

In this episode, Elliot Bisnow sits down with Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods — a better-for-you Mexican food brand now in 9,000+ U.S. stores. Miguel shares what it really takes to build from zero when you've spent a career scaling established brands like KIND Bars, Kettle Chips, and Cholula.

This conversation gets real about the emotional weight of entrepreneurship, the discipline required to survive the messy ...

Elliot sits down with Jorge Azevedo, CEO of Fermented Food Holdings (FFH), to talk about what it really takes to build a lasting, scalable food business through acquisition, integration, and relentless operational discipline.

FFH was built through four acquisitions between 2022–2023, making it the largest producer of sauerkraut and kimchi in North America across retail, food service, club, and industrial channels. Jorge shares...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Will Nitze, founder and CEO of IQBAR — a brain and body nutrition platform offering bars, bites, hydration, and mushroom coffee now in over 15,000 retail doors. What starts as an origin story quickly becomes a masterclass in building a resilient, capital-efficient consumer brand through one of the most disruptive decades in recent memory.

Topics covered:

• How a Harvard grad turned a pal...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Sarela Herrada and Matthew Cohen, the husband-and-wife co-founders of SIMPLi— the leading regenerative organic certified pantry staples brand known for their heirloom beans, single-origin grains, and premium olive and avocado oils.

What started with a tent pitched on the border of Peru and Bolivia, a view of Lake Titicaca, and a quinoa harvest has grown into a purpose-driven business span...

In this episode, Elliot sits down with Dr. Mark Atkinson — medical doctor, integrative medicine expert, and human potential teacher — to explore the idea that your inner game is the glass ceiling to your outer success. Dr. Mark shares how he transitioned from medicine to coaching CEOs and entrepreneurial leaders, and unpacks the five dimensions of scaling a business, with a deep focus on energy management and inner evol...

Wayne Wu has spent 18 years at VMG Partners backing some of the most iconic consumer brands in the industry. In this episode, he joins host Elliot to break down what separates the companies that endure from those that don't.

They cover the metrics that actually matter (landed gross margin over vanity revenue), why you can't skip the doer phase as a founder, how to know when it's time to build out your team, and why the biggest limit...

In this episode, Elliot Begoun sits down with Matthew Parry from the Good Crisp Company to discuss their journey and the critical aspects of scaling a business. Recorded in Boulder, Colorado, they reflect on the milestones achieved over the past decade, emphasizing the importance of maintaining discipline, building a strong team, and focusing on core business fundamentals. Matthew Parry speaks candidly about the challenges and rewa...

Finding key talent is a struggle for many companies. As drivers of growth, these people can make or break your business, so it helps to learn the ways we find the right ones for us. Here to impart his insights and experience is Mark Sandler. He is a Managing Partner of Transcend Search Partners, a search firm that offers a hands-on approach to finding key talent. In this episode, he discusses what it is like to bring peop...

Aligning funding with your business goals isn't just about getting capital – it's about ensuring the fuel matches the journey for sustainable success. In this episode, we have Keith Harrington from Novel Capital to discuss the complex world of business funding. He explores the critical importance of aligning funding structures with business models, challenging the "rocket ship" aspirations versus the reliability of a "Toyota"...

Entrepreneurship is groundless because things are always changing. Finding success means learning to stay afloat with what is happening. Join us in this episode as Merril Gilbert from Trace Trust shares how to thrive in an era where change is the only constant. She discusses the changes in entrepreneurship, from raising capital to fostering resilience in uncertain times...

To succeed as an entrepreneur, you don't need to chase the illusion of instant success. It is about persistently and resolutely pursuing continuous growth. Today, Simeon Margolis discusses the raw truths, challenges, and triumphs of building a business from the ground up. He debunks myths and misconceptions surrounding startup success, such as “hockey stick growth.” Simeon also showcases the realities of growth, highlig...

In the world of Consumer Packaged Goods, the key to success is not in following the crowd, but in daring to ask the right questions and charting your own unique path. In this episode, we have special guest David Mesa, the President of WE GROW CPG, a firm that specializes in helping emerging CPG brands succeed in this highly competitive industry. Today, David doesn’t hold back. He discusses the do's and don'ts of the CPG indus...

Should you launch your brand with Costco or not? Bringing us his sales experience with Costco in this episode is Jeremy Smith, the CEO of LaunchPad Group USA, the official home to the entrepreneurs of food brands. Today, Jeremy explores how Costco could build a business owner’s brand or destroy it. He also brings insights into the categories within Costco that are underdeveloped yet are still fully formed. Find ...

Entrepreneurship is the food for growth, and it takes a good meal of business to grow. But what are the key ingredients for a profitable business? In this episode, Sari Kimbell, the Author of Key Ingredients: How to Turn Your Passion Product Into A Profitable Business, reveals the secret behind a profitable business, especially when you’re a startup. As a CEO, you should consider your business as a child and take care of it. ...

Embracing generational differences fuels innovation, harbors success, and creates the ultimate dream team. Join us as our special guest, Erin-Kate Whitcomb, author of “Good Work: How Gen X and Millennials are the Dream Team for Doing Good When Collaborating Well,” explores the fascinating interplay between generations in today's workforce and uncovers the untapped potential of generational differences. She...

How can you be productive in your business? What is the root cause of your problems keeping you from being productive? Today, Arron Mansika, the Founder of Mindful Your Business, explains how awareness and mindfulness push your business toward success. He explains the value of awareness in strategic adaptability. Arron also shares the benefits of investing in time. This conversation provides so much insight to help you grow. So be ...