NexxtLevel Brands

Always Follow-up!

Were words to grow by – and that idea – that you should follow up – always – I thought was just great, practical advice. It's so easy (and I’ve had it happen…) where you get all excited about meeting someone or getting someone to agree to what you need to be done – and you go out and just drop the ball. You get busy, you forget – and then it’s too late. Whether it’s a buyer or store manager or new supplier – remember to always ‘follow up’ Thanks, Lindsay!

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

You can catch the original episode right here https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/2da9c96e/going-green-the-tasty-way-rollingreens-on-the-nexxt-level-podcast and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Have Self Awareness!

Early in the show’s days, I had the chance to interview one of the many great foodie entrepreneurs out of the Austin, Texas market, Hemma Reddy of The Crafty Counter. Like many Founders, she created her awesome Wondernugget snacks originally for her own kids – and then other kids wanted them too! She brought a little Zen to the proceedings –her words of advice:

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

It’s not all about you – no really, it’s not. It’s about all of us – your family, the tribe, your consumers, co-packers, brokers, retailers – the entire ‘community’ that is your growing business – and the role it plays in our ‘industry’ – Hemma has a great perspective!

You can catch the original episode right here https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/4ebb5beb/best-of-wundernuggets-and-crafty-counter-with-hema-reddy-original-june-2019 and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Think and Act Long Term!

One of my high-energy shows was my interview of Ryne O'Donnell O’Donnel of the beverage company: Sol Ti. He has a unique perspective in that he founded and built the company originally and then lost control to investors. Of course, the investors didn’t really understand the brand or the loyal consumers – and he ended up buying it back!!

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

It’s really easy to not think long term. There are fires every day – the phone, texts – crises –production, sales, PO’s – but if we’re going to build a successful business for the long term – we have to orient ourselves that way – thus Ryne’s advice.

You can catch the original episode right here https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/211e575e/filling-the-gap-for-glass-bottled-living-beverages-sol-ti-on-the-nexxt-level-podcast and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’

Be Resilient!

If there ever was a time, this is it – Resiliency must be at the core of every entrepreneur out there. This advice came from Katherine Harvey of Bare Bones. She went on to say that you will need “Grit, determination and humor” to build the kind of business you want. And remember, she said “There are no books or manuals out there for business building”

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

You must certainly have the ability to ‘bounce back’ – as there will be setbacks, mistakes and a lot of hard knocks –but it is all part of the Founder’s world – and it’s one we have to embrace – not just the great parts!!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YnbHOIUSww7cAE-MmtU4vn1evOq844q2/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Never Stop Running!

This week, we’re going to step back to last Fall, when Marc Siden, Co-founder and CEO of Cloud Water Brands shared his advice with us. He put it rather simply.

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

And he wasn’t talking Peleoton (SP?) here either – he meant that you start out – you launch and you are ‘hustling’ 24/7 – and frankly, that’s what you should keep doing – until someday when you cash that check from General Mills and hit the beach.

Marc also spoke about the challenges of scaling and how one way to overcome them is to bring ‘strategic’ partners to your team – in his case, his co-manufacturer!!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oq6iAazW3NldKcTbM94LHJhcJIoZ3Po0/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Have Empathy!

As the Pandemic began to overtake us in early 2020, I called upon my friend Elliot Begoun of TIG Brands to jump on a last-minute show with me – and talk to founders and staff of smaller brands about getting through the pandemic and the coming paradigm shift.

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

As ever, Elliot’s experience in counseling growing companies provided a show full of great advice – but he also touched on a human side to this business. “Have Empathy’ – there were (and are…) issues with Buyers, Co-Mans, Distributors, supply chain – and general issues abounding. If we all just put ourselves in the other guy’s and gal’s shoes for a couple of minutes, we can all get through this a lot easier

It was a very good piece of advice at that time – and even more so today. Thanks, Eliot!!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VKIAd-mwg9Sm4E36o-KPqHdCP7woeHI-/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

“A Worthy Leader Has A Desire to Serve”

Sam Madani and his co-founders were the nightmare of parents everywhere. The parents worked hard, sent their kids to the right schools; kids got jobs on Wall Street – and then decided to chuck it all in to make an alcohol-infused coffee drink BOMANI – the American Dream, right?

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

Well, that’s what they did and Sam’s show is a great learning experience for fellow entrepreneurs. Now, Sam had an advantage, sure – because in his ‘day’ job in investment banking, he knew the challenges and more importantly, the capital it was going to take to launch and grow a new beverage! He also knew it would take a ‘team’ and that is where his ‘Words 2 Grow By’ emanate!

You can catch the original episode right here https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/201690eb/get-a-buzz-with-your-belt-bomani-on-the-nexxtlevel-brands-podcast and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Never Give Up!

In building her wonderful brand Outer Aisle Aisle, food brand, Jeanne David faced a whole host of challenges. Prior to launch, there were manufacturing issues – she insisted (and still does) that she needed to be in control of her tasty cauliflower-based products – even though everyone told her that she needed a co-man. She had the tenacity to hang in there, knowing that many times that’s what separates the winners and the others.

In the end, you have to trust your judgment and sometimes go against the common wisdom, even family and friends, to really make a difference. Building any brand is a challenge, but that’s why we do it, isn’t it? Thanks, Jeanne, for sharing the counsel and also some other great advice on the show!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F7yp1tI4sr2kUgazqpTX6RKIfP1qZUCv/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

“Be Scrappy, Fast and Nimble”

We often forget that one of smaller brand’s greatest strengths is that we ‘turn on a dime’ – pivot and react before the Big Guys even know what is going on. That was Howard Kaufman’s advice referring to how ORL oral care products took on some of the biggest CPG companies in the world!

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

It’s not that you can have a plan – you need one – but Howard also thought that you have to deviate – and to accept that you are going to have to right from the beginning – because that is how entrepreneurship works. But at all times, use your size (or lack of it) as an asset!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cv32le6baHoTUjd_oJaQdJ02d45sK9AH/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

Coping with Co-Packers…

Of all the issues and topics that we get Founders reaching out about – finding and working with a co-packer (or co-manufacturer) ranks second only to ‘financing’. The industry of co-manufacturing has exploded in the last decade and more and more companies are turning to them as a partner because of efficiencies and convenience.

This week, on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, we’re doing another great ‘encore’ show with Jamie Valenti-Jordan, the Founder of Catapult Commercialization Services – and they help growing companies find and work with Co-mans! Trying to take Grandma’s Brownie recipe and turn it into the next Little Debbies?? That’s what Jamie and his crew tackle!! From morphing recipes into formulas to finding co-manufacturers to building the plant, Jamie has done it all – and there’s some great info! - Listen Here! https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/27db5ccb/encore-going-over-the-production-wall-catapult-on-the-nexxtlevel-podcast

Also, if you’re looking for even more inspiration, join us at Words 2 Grow By – our mini blog of ‘words, phrases and quotes’, taken from the advice and counsel of our awesome podcast guests. You will also have a link to the original broadcast if you’d like to listen!

Just to let you in on the latest – we are getting ready to make some changes here at NexxtLevel Brands. We’ve been running our Podcast ENCORES for over a year now – and while the advice and counsel is still relevant, it is getting long in the tooth – so, we’re whipping up some new content for you – and we are going to continue (and add to!!) our well-received Words 2 Grow By. More info coming soon! Cheers!

“Raise Money”

No sitting around, singing ‘Kumbaya’ here!!! One of our best early shows –is in fact, an episode I still refer people to today – for advice on how to build a CPG Brand today. The financial counsel came from Jim Simon, Founder and CEO of JiMMYBAR! still one of the hottest growing energy and snack bars in the category!

Welcome to Words 2 Grow By – where we take a look back at advice and counsel from interviews of leading CPG Founders and industry professionals who’ve appeared on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.

One of the great tactics that Jim used to build his business was to go after an alternate channel strategy – and it worked. But he also was very direct about that fact that if you are going to grow a CPG, you will need access to capital and lots of it – be sure to take a listen!

You can catch the original episode right here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1duwP6cZH0tp7X9T_NYVN6IOxaQDaI7Qz/view and thanks to our sponsor, NexxtLevel Brands for production assistance. Join us every Thursday for the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast and look for your ‘Words 2 Grow By’ every Wednesday!

In going back thru the NexxtLevel Podcast archives, there are some stories that I really appreciate – and I try to use them in classes and workshops because they struck a chord with me – and I think they would with you!

This week, we’re featuring an ENCORE broadcast with Ryne O’Donnell, Founder and CEO of Sol ti . Ryne is an ex-Tech Sales refugee – who developed his ‘living beverage’ to help him survive his business travel regimin. There are a lot of pieces of wisdom here – particularly if someone is trying to talk you out of your ‘glass’ bottles –but I’ll let him clue you in! -

Take a listen here! https://www.nexxtlevelbrands.com/podcast/episode/211e575e/filling-the-gap-for-glass-bottled-living-beverages-sol-ti-on-the-nexxt-level-podcast

Also, if you’re looking for even more inspiration, join us at Words 2 Grow By – our mini blog of weekly ‘words, phrases and quotes’, taken from the advice and counsel of our awesome podcast guests. We’ll now be mailing and posting (LinkedIn) every-other Thursday, alternating with the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast.