Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

Episode 144: When Everything Goes Wrong with Sadrah Schadel of No Evil Foods

160 - Eat Your Nutrients with Sara Cullen of GEM

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

07/19/24 • 58 min

Are you worried about the nutritional benefits of the food you eat? Do you lack the energy you need to get through the day, despite healthy eating habits? In this episode, we sit down with Sara Cullen, Founder and CEO of GEM, to discuss why so many people suffer from nutrient deficiencies and how her company delivers delicious, effective, and holistic solutions. GEM is a nutrition company dedicated to transforming human and planetary health through the power of food. It is on a mission to deliver delicious nutrition to everyone while building a healthier food system. In our conversation, we discuss how she developed the first-ever real food multivitamin, the origins of her scientific advisement board, the transformative health benefits experienced by GEM’s customers, why food is medicine, and much more. Tune in to uncover the secrets of nutrition rooted in real food and how GEM is improving diets and revolutionizing the food system with Sara Cullen!

Key Points From This Episode:

Problems and gaps in the food system and how GEM is providing solutions.
How Sara’s health issues led her to GEM and fixing the current food system.
The product development process and why she chose bit-sized food as the form factor.
Learn about the importance of product innovation in achieving GEM’s mission.
GEM’s multifaceted approach to improving human and planetary health.
Challenges and hurdles of creating the first-ever real food multivitamin.
Unique packaging problems of storing and transporting a food multivitamin.
Why evidence-based approaches to product development are vital to GEM.
How Sara created a scientific advisor panel for GEM and why.
The exciting results of GEM’s consumer perception study.
Sara’s entrepreneurial roots and hard lessons from her career journey.
What GEM is currently focusing on and its plans for the future.
Final takeaways for listeners and our round of rapid-fire questions with Sara!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sara Cullen on LinkedIn

Sara Cullen on Instagram

The One Thing

Let My People Go Surfing

Patagonia

Brand Pollinators on Instagram

095 - Impact-Driven Holiday Shopping Guide with Kate Fosson of Brand Pollinators

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

11/09/22 • 54 min

Supporting brands and companies that are impact driven is essential for driving change on a larger scale. With so many options for consumers, it is often hard to find the company to suit your needs while creating positive change, particularly for gift-giving! Today, we highlight the top 16 brands that we think are impact-driven and leave customers happy in this special holiday shopping guide. Helping us through this guide is Kate Fosson, CEO and Co-Founder of Brand Pollinators; a company focused on helping emerging, impact-driven brands grow. If you are looking for a gift for someone then we have you covered. In this episode, we learn about all kinds of products ranging from world-changing sprinkles to sustainable camping lunchboxes. Discover how to give the gift of sleep and relaxation, the perfect gifts for kids, brands for outdoor lovers, and much more! Eliminate the shopping stress and tune in to learn how to give with intention this holiday season with Kate Fosson!

Key Points From This Episode:

A brief background about Kate and her company, Brand Pollinators.
Kate explains how she decided on which brands to feature for this episode.
She outlines the concept of gift-giving with intention.
Discover a brand for kids that is driven by nature.
A company that makes alternative baking ingredients with no artificial dyes.
Learn about some impact-driven gifts for outdoor enthusiasts.
What the ‘hard-workers’ category of the guide is focused on.
Gifts for people who are in desperate need of relaxation and sleep.
The gifts for people who love hosting parties and for the host themselves.
Hear about indulgent and sustainable gifts to help you make new friends.
Find out about some fun and interesting collaborations.
How the behavior of gift buying has shifted in recent years.
Find out how the buying guide has been structured for customers.
Learn how the buying guide for kids has been designed and why.
Why you should trust our choice of brands.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kate Fosson

Kate Fosson on LinkedIn

Kate Fosson on Facebook

Kate Fosson on Twitter

Kate Fosson on Behance

Brand Pollinators

Brand Pollinators on YouTube

Brand Pollinators on LinkedIn

Brand Pollinators on Facebook

Impact-Driven Holiday Guide 2022

Episode 63: Mompreneur on a Mission with Pallavi Pande of Dtocs

Michelle Hirons on LinkedIn

Evolve CPG Community

Evolve CPG on YouTube

Evolve CPG email

049 - It All Starts with The People with Michelle Hirons of Higher Ring

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

12/22/21 • 48 min

Michelle Hirons was introduced to the business world at a very young age; by 6 years old she was helping with pricing and customer service in her family’s pharmacy, and by 12 she was accompanying her parents on buying trips. When she entered the working world in her own capacity, she became acutely aware of the discrepancies that exist between how people are treated at different rungs on the business ladder, and this drove her desire to found a business that puts employee wellbeing at the forefront. This desire became HigherRing, a customer service outsourcing company that focuses as much on its people and the planet as it does on making a profit. In today’s episode you’ll hear about how HigherRing helps their partner companies grow through their variety of offerings, some important learnings Michelle has had since founding HigherRing 5 years ago, how the company is planning to evolve in the coming years, and why treating people like people makes good business sense!

Key Points From This Episode:

Michelle’s early introduction to business, and what she learned from this experience.
How Michelle’s family’s business has evolved over the years.
Advantages that come with caring for your employees' wellbeing.
Wisdom that Michelle brought back with her to the US after the year she spent studying in Europe.
Some of the big retailers that Michelle worked for in the past.
Discrepancies between the way customer-facing staff and headquarter-based staff are treated by many major brands.
Michelle’s journey of founding HigherRing, and what the company does.
Types of companies that HigherRing partners with.
The process of becoming a Certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet.
Two main learnings that Michelle took from the 10,000 Small Businesses Programme.
Examples of how HigherRing helps their clients grow.
Why HigherRing has been so successful in attracting employees.
The value of giving feedback in the moment.
Growth that Michelle is planning for HigherRing in the future.

Tweetables:

“There is a strategic advantage in treating people well and making sure that they’re cared for, and in running your business in a sustainable and holistic way.” — @michelle_hirons [0:07:03]

“We’re aiming to be that fire under the growth of all of our partner companies.” — @michelle_hirons [0:20:36]

“We’re trying to create great jobs. That’s our mission.” — @michelle_hirons [0:25:03]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

HigherRing

Certified B Corporation

1% for the Planet

Kayla Castañeda on LinkedIn

047 - Nailing The Pitch with Kayla Castañeda of Agua Bonita

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

12/08/21 • 33 min

“When life gives you lemons, make aguas frescas!” As was the case for many people, 2020 started off on a difficult note for Kayla Castañeda, with a young child and no job. Instead of letting this knock her down, Kayla kicked into gear and put the skills she acquired after many years of working in the food and beverage industry to good use; the co-founding of Agua Bonita. Agua Bonita boasts the first line of better-for-you, ready-to-drink aguas frescas, which come in eco-friendly cans that are branded by Kayla’s co-founder, Erin. The quality of the product combined with the authenticity and transparency of the brand, and the relationship-building approach that Kayla adopted from week one, have led to her winning every pitch competition she has entered! That’s not to say that the past year has been easy for them, and in today’s episode, you’ll hear about the ups and downs, the lessons learned along the way, their plans for the future, and some valuable advice for nailing your pitch!

Key Points From This Episode:

What the past year has looked like for Kayla and her business.
Kayla shares what she learned from working in the hospitality industry.
Experience that Kayla had working for Coca Cola, and why she decided to leave the company and start consulting.
Circumstances which motivated Kayla to found Agua Bonita.
The approach that Kayla and her cofounder, Erin, took to funding their business.
A goal that Kayla and Erin set when they founded the company.
Challenges of balancing work and family life and how this impacted the decision to make Agua Bonita a full-time job.
When Kayla and Erin were able to start drawing salaries.
How pitching and pitch competitions have benefited Agua Bonita.
Why fundraising is a difficult task, and the importance of relationship building early on.
Qualities that make Agua Bonita attractive to investors.
Valuable tips for going into pitch competitions.
Erin’s background, and how her skillset complements Kayla’s.
The biggest challenge that Kayla and Erin have been faced with over the past year.
Flavors of Agua Bonita that are currently available.
Exciting plans that Kayla and Erin have for the future of Agua Bonita.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Agua Bonita

Agua Bonita on Instagram

Fata & Fleishmann Mentorship

042 - From Founder to Mentor with Mike Fata of Manitoba Harvest

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

11/03/21 • 41 min

Feeling constantly sick, tired, and weighing 300 pounds at 18 years old, Michael Fata embarked on a pursuit of health, which, after much experimentation, led him to the discovery of the benefits of hemp.

Hemp, though often confused with marijuana, has no mind-altering properties and is a great source of essential fatty acids. When Michael founded his company, Manitoba Harvest, not only did he have zero high school or college education, but he was also faced with the challenges of hemp being a product with a brand-new supply chain, laden with numerous regulatory challenges.

However, Michael’s passion for his products, his sound business ethics, and his decision to focus solely on hemp culminated in a hugely successful business. In today’s episode, you’ll hear about the learnings Michael had along his journey with Manitoba Harvest, some key insights from the experience he has had as an investor since he sold his company, and the various other ways he is helping entrepreneurs to succeed in the business world.

Key Points From This Episode:

The motivation that sparked Michael’s health journey.
How Michael became interested in hemp.
Examples of some of the major learnings Michael had when he entered the world of business.
Confusion relating to hemp and marijuana that made things challenging for ManitobaHarvest when it was starting out.
The goals of the Canadian Hemp Trade Association that Michael founded.
Why Manitoba Harvest chose to focus solely on hemp.
Michael’s concern with entrepreneurs who put a lot of emphasis on selling their businesses from the beginning.
Advice that Michael gives to entrepreneurs from an investor standpoint.
How Michael and his partner are helping other entrepreneurs to succeed in the business world.
Why Michael is a fan of social audio platforms like Clubhouse.
How Michael maintains his commitment to his own health and wellbeing.
The stage of a business’s lifecycle when Michael likes to invest, and why.

Tweetables:

“I always took the high road and built the brand known for the best quality and a great company to do business with, and that’s how we really outcompeted all the competitors.” — Michael Fata [0:12:29]

“Our mission was to become the experts in hemp, right from the genetics and the farming operation all the way through to the consumer.” — Michael Fata [0:13:27]

“If you grow a good business and become a leader in your space, and you get to the right scale, you’ll likely have a good opportunity to sell the business. If you overly focus on selling the business it could create the wrong culture and lead to failure.” — Michael Fata [0:14:59]

“I feel grateful that I found my health when I was 18,19 years old, so I too want to make this world a healthier place and I want to help founders make sure that their vision and mission is realized.” — Michael Fata [0:38:16]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mike Fata on LinkedIn

Mike Fata on Clubhouse

Manitoba Harvest

Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill

The Promise of Sleep

035 - Reaching Green Consumers with Carolyn Parrs of Mind Over Markets

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

09/15/21 • 54 min

So many businesses struggle to find the right words to market their sustainable and social impact products. Today’s guest is Carolyn Parrs, CEO of Mind Over Markets, and she joins us to talk about the green consumer and the best ways to market sustainability.

One of the big themes in today’s conversation is how to get people to adopt your sustainable product. People fall into different tiers according to their devotion to buying green products and this begs the question of which group to target so that you can make the most impact.

Also, she talks about how she helps her clients find their main message by listening to their customer’s needs, whatever they may be – a tactic that ultimately wins people over more effectively at the end of the day!

Key Points From This Episode:

Carolyn’s love of nature, skill in copywriting, and how she got interested in sustainability marketing.
Different tiers of the green consumer and what their buying habits look like.
How to tap into what already motivates people to convince them to buy your product.
The services around distilling a marketing message that Mind Over Markets provides clients.
Online marketing tips for keeping the messaging on your website clear and collecting emails.
How to inform leads about the rest of your services after you hook them with the main problem you solve.
Early adopters who help champion a cause and shift the opinions of less concerned groups.
Big mistakes that brands often make when trying to market themselves.
Digging into the problem you solve for your clients and building your story around that.
The challenge of working out which group on the green spectrum to tailor your message to.
Examples of how Carolyn has reframed her clients’ messaging to better suit their customers.
The reality that it is often economic reasons that motivate people rather than green reasons.
Big life incidents that make people more concerned about health.
How unbalanced the American diet is and the need to eat more vegetables.
Where on the green spectrum the LOHAS group exists.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Carolyn Parrs on LinkedIn

Carolyn Parrs on Twitter

Mind Over Markets

StoryBrand

Start With WhyClimify Podcast

029 - Know Your Customer with Eric Pierce of New Hope Network

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

08/04/21 • 51 min

Growth without a sense of responsibility is a recipe that can lead to many problems further down the road. Whether it be for a business or for a wider-reaching area of impact, sustainability and principle-led scaling of businesses should be a higher priority as we move into the future. Here on the show today to talk about this mission and how it is embodied at New Hope Network is Eric Pierce! Eric is the Vice President of Business Insights at New Hope and his passion for the intersection of marketing, psychology, and creativity, coupled with a desire to build a better future has manifested itself perfectly in this role, at this company. In our conversation, Eric unpacks some common mistakes from the world of marketing, how he managed to maneuver his weaknesses into becoming strengths, and how to really listen and understand the sectors of the market you want to serve. Listeners will come away with a newfound clarity on the responsibility attached to growing a business of the future, as well as how to avoid the common pitfalls of scaling an organization.

Key Points From This Episode:

The roots of Eric's passion for ideas and creativity, working at a local store and at college.
Building a company culture that values and listening to consumers with a strong email list.
The specific services that New Hope provides for brands and how best to connect with them.
Landing at New Hope and the life choices and events that informed this career move for Eric.
Better research practices for brands; Eric weighs in on how companies can up their game.
The goal of greater health and responsible growth for companies as they scale.
Eric's style of learning and how he managed to play to his particular strengths for conceptually solving puzzles.
Eric's thoughts on the future of natural products and his big-picture perspective on the present.
A few of the jobs that Eric had in marketing research and the important lessons he started learning.
Eric's time at the Wisconsin School of Business and his family connection to the area.
Consulting and advisor work that Eric has done with other companies and organizations.
The power of testing hypotheses for solving business problems and making decisions.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

New Hope Network

Eric Pierce on LinkedIn

Eric Pierce on Twitter

Avril Tomlin-Hood on LinkedIn

162 - Decarbonize Media with Avril Tomlin-Hood of boa

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

08/05/24 • 56 min

While many businesses and individuals are answering the call to be more impact-driven and sustainably conscious, few understand just how damaging their digital footprint is to their endeavors. Today we are joined by Avril Tomlin-Hood, the Founder and CEO of boa - a Vancouver, BC-based media buying agency focused on elevating sustainably-conscious brands. Avril is here to speak about our digital carbon footprints, particularly regarding media and advertising, and how we can band together to decarbonize our online world. We discover how our online exploits impact the real world, how small and simple adjustments can make a big difference, the platforms and campaign styles that promote a low digital footprint, and the importance of being B Corp certified if sustainability is one of your priorities. Be sure to tune in to discover how Avril and her team at boa are making big strides in decarbonizing our media, and how she has made it her personal mission to create a better world for all.

Key Points From This Episode:

How what we do online impacts the real world; finding the carbon footprint of digital media.
The smaller things that impact digital footprints (file size, page brightness, auto-refresh, etc.).
How making invisible systems, visible will lead to better decisions on sustainability.
What Avril means by “decarbonize media”, and how she and her team go about it.
Why it’s important to pay attention to where and how your ads are targeted.
A closer look at how boa audits its clients to determine the work that needs to be done.
Simple adjustments that make a big difference.
Avril details all the good things that are happening in sustainable, impact-driven marketing.
Understanding how consumers rank sustainability on their list of priorities.
Effective platforms and campaign styles for reducing your digital footprint.
How Avril developed her passion for sustainability, and how she integrated it into her career.
The modern importance of a B Corp certification.
Ad Net Zero, Purpose Disruptors, Poshmark, Value Village, Solitaire Townsend, and more!
Avril’s vision for a better world.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Avril Tomlin-Hood on Instagram

MyBacon | MyForest Foods

Solitaire Townsend on LinkedIn

Karin Hibma Cronan on LinkedIn

165 - Ask Great Questions with Karin Hibma Cronan of Cronan

Brands for a Better World (formerly Evolve CPG)

08/27/24 • 81 min

What’s in a brand name? Everything, according to today’s guest, Karin Hibma Cronan, a renowned brand strategist, and co-founder of Cronan, as we explore the role of questions in the art of naming and branding. Cronan is known for creating iconic brand identities and names that resonate with audiences. Their work has helped shape the success of major corporations, non-profits, and startups alike, making them a trusted partner in the world of strategic design. In our conversation, we discuss how the name of a brand or product sets the tone of the experience, the common attributes of a good name, how Karin is the inspiration behind the names of many well-known brands, and the importance of asking great questions when forming strategy. Gain insights into her interactive approach to working with clients, what strategic intent is, how a brand’s identity can evolve, and more. Tune in to learn how you can harness the magic of a name and the power of great questions with Karin Hibma Cronan!

Key Points From This Episode:

The fundamentals of a name and her approach to finding a brand’s identity.
Explore the differences between brand identity and strategic identity.
Learn about the secret sauce to making a compelling brand name.
Challenges of designing a name and the limitations trademarks impose.
Hear about the common pitfalls to avoid when creating a brand name.
Discover why a holistic approach to branding and identity is vital.
Insights into the power a name has in communicating a brand experience.
How a brand name can evolve with a company’s product or service.
Asking good questions to identify problems and create solutions.
Karin shares her method of developing the right questions to ask.
Examine examples of bad questions and the impact they can have.
Uncover how to understand the ‘why’ behind a person’s answer.
She explains what a better world means to her.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Right Question Changes Everything

Walking Man