Episodes

July 31, 2023

ARCHER ROOSE :: LUXURY WINE IN A CAN

Founded in 2015 by Marian Leitner-Waldman and her husband, David, Archer Roose is dedicated to producing affordable luxury wines with minimal intervention. How? Marian and David created the concept of a traveling vineyard. Instead of building a winery and committing to a specific geography and varietal, they wanted to offer wines from the most-renowned regions around the world. So, they fostered personal relationships with small, adventurous winemakers who preserve terroir, and approach viticult...
July 24, 2023

THE CARBONAUTS

The Carbonauts host live, virtual workshops that help people optimize their lifestyles so that we can build a greener future. A natural sequel to TreeHugger.com, The Carbonauts inspires and guides people towards compelling, low-footprint ways of living and working by offering them live, time-efficient zoom courses that make it easy for them to slash their footprints at home and work while saving money and influencing others. Founder and CEO Graham Hill joins Justin to discuss this climate-friend...
July 17, 2023

SHUG'S BAGELS

First things first: the bagels. Shug's "Store 1," just steps from SMU, smells exactly like a bagel store should smell, which is not a surprise as every day they make all of their dough from scratch, in-house, then make their bagels the artisanal, old-fashioned way – including a necessary fermentation period, kettle-boiling them, then baking them in a massive, revolving tray oven. Founder Justin Shugrue works at Shug's every day, in his apron and baseball cap and joins Justin to discuss this grow...
July 10, 2023

CLUTCH COFFEE

Clutch Coffee was born in the Carolinas in 2018. With 20+ years of drive-thru coffee experience, combined with a burning desire to revitalize the lost art of customer service, they set out on a quest to build the best drive-thru beverage experience on the planet. They are passionate about people, providing opportunities, and creating a culture that is second to none. They are equally inspired to provide the best coffees, energy drinks and other specialty beverages that you've ever tasted. Co-fou...
July 3, 2023

HOLISTIC ROASTERS :: COFFEE

Holistic Roasters is certified by Demeter USA. They source coffee directly from family-run, Regenerative Organic / Biodynamic farms and cooperatives. Holistic Roasters is certified by Demeter USA. They source coffee directly from family-run, Regenerative Organic / Biodynamic farms and cooperatives. Co-founder Gregory Kalinin joins Justin to discuss this growing coffee brand.

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June 29, 2023

T-SWIRL CREPE

The story of T-swirl Crepe starts thousands of miles away on the shores of Japan. The Japanese Crepe borrows from a western concept and modernized it into new level of versatility that you can gobble on the go. Building on this new concept, T-swirl started to research and have perfected the 100% gluten free rice flour batter, to craft a crispy thin chewy layer that embraces all the decadent condiments. T-swirl is synonymous with using the finest ingredients to construct a trendy/artistic crepe t...
June 26, 2023

LATE JULY SNACKS + NIXIE SPARKLING WATER

Nicole (Nikki) Dawes is the CEO and Founder of Nixie Sparking Water and also the Founder of Late July Organic Snacks. Founded in 2018, Nixie Sparkling Water is a brand that delivers exceptional taste without synthetic solvents, carriers or artificial preservatives. Founded in 2003, Late July Snacks offers tortilla chips and crackers made of organic, non-GMO ingredients that the whole family can enjoy. Nikki joins Justin to discuss launching and growing two successful CPG brands.

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June 19, 2023

GOOD FOOD FOR GOOD

At Good Food for Good, their products are certified organic and free of refined sugar, soy, corn syrup, gluten, dairy, or preservatives. Basically, if you wouldn't add it when cooking from scratch, you won't find it in their products. Unlike most store-bought sauces you can find, they don't believe in relying on sugar and artificial additives for flavor. All of their organic sauces are Keto, Paleo, Vegan, and Whole30 Approved, because putting your health first should not have to mean sticking to...
June 12, 2023

BUCHI KOMBUCHA

From a small kitchen in Asheville, NC, two mothers with a purpose and passion for fermentation began making kombucha as a healthy alternative for their kids. From gifting jars to friends, families, neighbors and eventually selling through farmers markets—their shelves and countertops were quickly overflowing with kombucha. So they took a big leap—a leap that sparks fear, curiosity and can alter a person's life forever. Buchi took their small-batch home production to a warehouse on a 180-acre far...
June 5, 2023

DESIGNER DRAM :: CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOM BOTTLE OF WHISKEY

Designer Dram began when one of the founders set about to create his own whiskey. He quickly discovered that the only way he could do this was by going through the process of creating an entire barrel of whiskey. As exciting as this was, this process takes a minimum of two years and costs upwards of $5,000 if aged well. Now each of us can create our own via Designer Dram. Co-founder Chintan Dhanji joins Justin to discuss this unique alcoholic-beverage experience brand!
May 29, 2023

DAVE ZILKO :: GARDEN FRESH GOURMET + THE SKINNY BUTCHER

First it was salsa! Now it is chicken! Dave Zilko has been a food entrepreneur for over 25 years, most prominently at Metro Detroit-based Garden Fresh Gourmet. He succeeded in taking the company from $4.6 million in annual revenue to just over $110 million prior to engineering a sale to the Campbell's Soup Company for close to a quarter billion dollars. From his Garden Fresh experience, Dave wrote the book, "Irrational Persistence; Seven Secrets That Turned A Bankrupt Startup Into A $231,000,000...
May 25, 2023

CHILLY MOUTH :: TOOTHPASTE

Only 69% of Americans brush twice per day. A clear indicator that brushing is a chore, rather than a joy. And yet, a healthy mouth promotes a health life. At Chilly, they are on a mission to make brushing something we look forward to. They have re-imagined toothpaste – in fact, spicing it up! Founder and CEO Rainer Agles joins Justin to discuss this hot new brand!
May 22, 2023

CATALINA CRUNCH :: CEREAL, COOKIES, & SNACKS

Like many kids, mainstream snacks and cereals were a memorable part of Krishna Kaliannan's childhood. There's nothing he loved more than chocolate puffs for breakfast or a delicious sandwich cookie dunked in a glass of cold milk. Unfortunately, when he turned 17, he was diagnosed with T1 diabetes and had to give up many of his favorite snacks since they are typically loaded with sugar and empty carbs. He started eating low carb to help manage his blood sugar, but the few healthy options availabl...
May 18, 2023

CAVU CONSUMER PARTNERS :: BUILDING BRANDS FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD

Deliciously different, with a refreshing approach to building a brand. Made the "Old fashioned way," reaching consumers in an entirely new way. CAVU works with brands like Beyond Meat, Bai, Vital Proteins, Jennifer Garner's Once Upon a Farm, ONE bars, Oat-ly, Skinny Dipped, and Bulletproof. Chief Brand Architect Stevie Clements joins Justin to discuss how CAVU helps consumer brands accelerate growth.
May 15, 2023

INNOVIOM :: GLOBAL FOOD & BEVERAGE PLATFORM

Innoviom is a global innovative food and beverage platform that builds on new trends and takes them to scale. Innoviom uncovers new emerging trends for food and beverages bringing value-added healthy propositions to consumers. Imagine a world full of delicious healthy beverage and snacks that make us feel better. Ahmed ElAzizi, CEO, joins Justin to discuss this innovative new food and beverage platform.
May 8, 2023

FLAVRS :: WATCH. SHOP. EAT.

flavrs provides foodies with the first shoppable-video platform that merges premium food content and commerce. The platform connects high-quality food videos to shopping, starting with groceries, through an industry-first Instacart integration. flavrs gives users access to premium recipe tutorials with a commerce-driven component allowing foodies to discover and replicate the meals they watch at home by purchasing ingredients through a custom integration with Instacart. flavrs is designed for pa...
May 1, 2023

WANDER + IVY :: SINGLE-SERVE WINE

Elevated single serve wine! Each bottle contains 6.3 ounces of premium wine, packaged in an elegant and easy-to-open glass bottle. Perfect for every moment when you want to enjoy one great glass of wine. Founder and CEO Dana Spaulding joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing wine brand!
April 24, 2023

ADOBE ROAD WINERY

Uniquely tied to the exciting world of professional sports car racing and garnering wins from racing around a track at 180 miles per hour at the highest levels of professional competition takes extreme focus, attention, and a drive for perfection. To professional race car driver and team owner, Kevin Buckler so does winemaking. Following the legendary success of his professional race team The Racers Group (TRG), Kevin and his wife Debra opened Adobe Road Winery in the heart of Sonoma County in 2...
April 17, 2023

BABA'S HUMMUS

Meet Rana and Khalid. Their baba, Jamal, humbly brought an authentic flavor of his home Jerusalem to America in the late 1970's. His creamy and bold hummus was created in the kitchen of his restaurant, The Mediterranean Cruise Café in Minnesota in 1979 when Middle Eastern food was practically non-existent. It quickly became their most requested dish and remains so four decades later! In 2018, they launched Baba's! Today, Baba's offers a variety of hummus flavors, g'noosh, tzatziki, falafel and p...
April 13, 2023

GOBBLE :: 15 MINUTE MEAL KITS

Gobble prepares farm fresh 15-minute gourmet meal kits with 3-step instructions delivered to your door. The weekly dinner service offers busy professionals the convenience associated with takeout along with the health and satisfaction of a fresh homemade meal! Founder and CEO Ooshma Garg joins Justin to discuss launching, growing, selling and evolving this dynamic food brand!
April 10, 2023

FAST PENNY SPIRITS :: AMARO AMARICANO

Fast Penny Spirits is a distillery in Seattle, Washington focusing on creating high-quality amaro using organic and wild-crafted ingredients under the Amaricano brand. A mostly Seattle native, Jamie Hunt is known for launching innovative digital products and experiences for global companies as well as seeking out delicious food and cocktails at home and on the road. In creating Fast Penny Spirits, she digs deep into her Sicilian heritage and love of amaro for a new American take on the spirit. J...
April 3, 2023

CHAMBERLAIN COFFEE

Coffee without the pretentiousness. Coffee without all the extra packaging. Coffee without the bland, the beige, the boring. Say hello to coffee without the crap. Say hello to Chamberlain Coffee. CEO Chris Gallant joins Justin to discuss this growing coffee brand!
March 30, 2023

JACK & FRIENDS PLANT-BASED JERKY

Jack & Friends® believes in inclusivity—especially when it comes to food. That's why they're on a mission to make snacks you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet. Their plant-based jerky is carefully crafted to ensure as many people as possible not only can consume their product, but also enjoy it. Who said you have to choose between function and flavor? Not them! Founder and CEO Jessica Kwong joins Justin to discuss launching and growing a jerky brand!
March 27, 2023

ENDANGERED SPECIES CHOCOLATE :: THIS CHOCOLATE DOES GOOD!

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Endangered Species Chocolate has been crafting premium chocolate for three decades. ESC is passionate about redeeming typical business practices into "doing good better" that leaves a positive and lasting ripple in their wake. They love the truly delicious product they create, and are on a mission to seed joy through abundant giving. By donating 10% of net profits to impactful organizations and initiatives, they can continue in their amazing work to improv...