#0173 - Sundays - Barbora & Noah

Imagine this. It’s a beautiful Sunday morning. There’s a warm breeze, the birds are chirping in tune, and you feel effortlessly relaxed.

Sundays work to capture that feeling of bliss.

And no, I’m not talking about the day the of the week, I am referring to Sundays furniture.

Sundays is a curated type collection with outstanding quality and beautiful design.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk with Noah, and Barbora, two of the co-founders of Sundays. We discuss:

• What it’s like sourcing materials from all over the world

• If sales are higher on Sundays

• & The steps they took to ultimately recover the hacked Sundays Instagram account

So, kick back and relax for this week’s episode.

#0172 - Waldo - Ashleigh Hinde

The eyes are the second most complex organ in the body, beaten only by the brain. Thus, it’s no surprise that eye care - specifically daily contact lenses - are expensive. In this, Waldo recognized an opportunity to disrupt the eye care industry. Waldo helps consumers “refocus” by:

1. Saving them money by removing the added distribution costs and

2. Adding B-12 to reduce dryness by up to 30%

In short, this means consumers get great contacts, without paying over-the-top prices. Listen in as we talk with Ashleigh Hinde, the founder of Waldo, about:

• How a little white lie led her to start Waldo

• Why it’s important to talk with your customers like you’re sitting around a dinner table

• How they Partnered with Walmart to become the first exclusive retailer to offer Waldo

And before you ask us where’s Waldo, I think it’s better if we just roll the episode.

#0171 - Sweet Loren's - Loren Brill

The best part about making cookies is eating the raw dough off the mixers. High risk, high reward. This can make you seriously ill. Between the flour and eggs, salmonella is a real threat. Sweet Loren’s, the #1 natural cookie dough company in the United States, has created the solution we all needed. They make gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and nut-free cookie dough. It comes in pre-cut portions, bakes in minutes, and can even be eaten raw. Sweet Lorens is transforming what it means to be convenient and delicious. In this episode, we talk with Sweet Loren herself, Loren Brill.

Listen in as we cover how a cancer diagnosis shifted her priorities at a time when most of her peers were living a carefree life, how she got into the major grocery retailers, and how staying scrappy in the early days hindered the company’s growth. Pull up a chair, and take a seat at our table because everyone’s welcome to this cookie party of an episode.

#0170 - Stowed Home - Elissia Sigalow

Stowed was founded on a vision. A vision for a more beautiful living space filled with modern, sophisticated, and luxurious furniture that stands the test of time. Founded in 2017, Stowed harnessed the power of Instagram to build a loyal following. Through a beautifully curated aesthetic on their social media pages, it becomes easy for a customer to see how Stowed’s collection can transform their home. However, in an effort to compete with TikTok, Instagram recently rewrote its entire algorithm. Instead of favoring a meticulously crafted grid like Stowed’s, the algorithm now prioritizes Reels. Short form videos have completely flipped the platform on its head, and many companies, like Stowed, are not happy about it. In this episode, we spoke with Elissia Sigalow, the founder of Stowed, and Megan Scofield, the Director of Creative Operations. We discuss the Instagram algorithm changes, what that means for small businesses, and how companies and individuals can finally get their engagement back.

#0169 - Villas Tacos - Victor Villas

Between all the Mexican restaurants, food trucks, and street vendors, Los Angeles is the place to be when it comes to getting authentic, mouth-watering tacos. Thus, winning the award for the best tacos in LA is quite the feat. Villas Tacos did the unthinkable. They were crowned as the best tacos in LA, two years in a row. These back-to-back champions serve their tacos on hand-made blue, corn tortillas with guac that never costs extra, and a drizzle of their family salsa. These will blow your mind.

This week on the podcast we are speaking with Victor Villa, the founder of Villas Tacos about how he got his start throwing house parties in high school, why he wants Villas Tacos to be the In N Out of taco franchises, and how life is easy, but people make it harder than it needs to be. And on that note, Villas Tacos is in the building.

#0168 - Lettuce Grow - Jacob Pechenik

It’s no secret that America’s food supply has been compromised. 52% of produce is wasted. For food to survive the current supply chain, it has to be processed and then sprayed with chemicals. Not everyone has a green thumb, and if you live in a city, it can be hard to find the space to have your own personal garden. From Farmstand to the table, Lettuce Grow makes growing your own groceries easy. They ship you the starter plants, and then you drop them into the Farmstand. The system is self-watering and self-fertilizing. You just have to come back for the harvest. Grow outdoors, indoors, and year-round. In this episode, we spoke with Jacob Pechenik, the co-founder of Lettuce Grow. We talked about why he would’ve been more successful running a Krispy Kreme franchise, his 10-year vision for Lettuce Grow, and why it’s better to be an outsider.

#0167 - LiveMore Organics - Julia Klein

I am willing to bet you don’t drink smoothies because they are too much of a hassle. You have to purchase multiple bags of frozen fruit from the grocery store, portion it out, blend it all together, and then pour it all into a separate cup that I suspect is not built for travel. It’s just too complicated. With 80 years of family fruit expertise, LiveMore Organics has created the world’s first 100% Organic Certified Smoothie Cup that can be delivered right to your doorstep. These high-quality smoothie cups can be ready to drink in 90 seconds, making them ideal for those of us on the go. In this episode, we spoke with Julia Klein, the cofounder of LiveMore Organics about why frozen bags of fruit are the problem, how fruit improves digestion, and why you don’t need 1 million followers on Instagram to make an impact.

#0166 - Soona - Liz Giorgi

Picture this, you’re looking to launch a Shopify store for your new product. You sign onto Shopify to set things up, only to realize you have a huge problem you have 0 photos. That’s where Soona comes in. Instead of having to do it yourself, Soona takes the stress away. You ship your products to their studio, you join a remote video call, and you only have to buy the assets you like. Photos, videos, and gifs. They’ve got you covered. In today’s episode we are talking with Liz Giorgi, the co-founder of Soona about how they have a waitlist of over 3,000 photographers ready to work with them, the similarity between Soona and Goop, and why she secretly considers herself a witch.

#0165 - UFC Champ - Carla "Cookie Monster" Esparza

Carla Esparza is a two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion and became the current title holder when she defeated Rose Namjunas. Typically a fighter’s career only lasts a couple of years, and when they have a huge win, they have to stretch the money until their next fight. The pay is not consistent, and after one fight, their career could be completely over.

Competitors in the UFC are also required to become ultimate entrepreneurs, as their longevity is directly tied to their audience. In this episode we discuss what it was like winning the Ultimate Fighter, her mindset going into the ring, and how it felt walking down the aisle on her wedding day wearing her UFC title Belt.

#0164 - Alpha A - Manu Seve

Alpha’a is the Squarespace of blockchain. Right now, If you want to utilize the blockchain, you would need to hire a development team to do the coding for the project. It takes time, money, and resources to just find the right dev team, and you haven’t even started coding. Manuela Seve, the founder of Alpha’a, is on a mission to remove the friction, and make this process much, much easier. In the same way that Squarespace simplified website creation through customizable templates, Alpha’a simplifies working on the blockchain through customizable, plug-and-play templates. No code. No stress. and significantly less time.

Listen in as we cover how this tech can be used to authenticate commonly forged luxury items, how they almost went under when an investor over-promised, and under-delivered, and why blockchain tech is here to stay in this crypto winter.

#0163 - Apothékary - Shizu Okusa

Welcome to Mother Nature’s Farmacy. Today’s guest is Shizu Okusa, the founder of Apothékary. Backed by 5,000 years of science, Apothékary provides Natural Alternatives To Synthetic Skincare And Drugs. The goal is to stay Healthy So You Don’t Have To Get Healthy. Apothékary is at the forefront of the rising adaptogen market, and what’s interesting is it’s really trailing behind the CBD market. So if you’re into CBD, but it’s a little too taboo for you, then adaptogens become the perfect fit. Not sure what adaptogens mean, or what you’re supposed to do, or how you’re supposed to consume them? Make sure to watch the full episode because we will pose the questions we know everyone’s thinking, but are too afraid to ask.

#0162 - XCJ - Jen Liao

You don’t have to look hard to find a national brand that started from a single-family-owned restaurant. There’s In-N-Out: started by the Snyder family, McDonald’s: started by the McDonald brothers, and Chick-fil-A: started by the Cathy family. While we’re on the topic, go ahead and add Xiao Chi Jie into the mix (or XCJ for short). But unlike the previous three brands that spread primarily through new brick & mortar locations, our guest today started with a single restaurant and expanded into a CPG brand. Jen Liao and her then-boyfriend Caleb Wang (now husband) started the business as a way of connecting with their family’s history since they’re both second-generation Chinese Americans. Their modern take on Chinese street food was an immediate hit with the locals of Bellevue, WA, and they knew that their recipes were destined for a much bigger audience. So just like those other family-owned brands that came before her, Jen has her sights set on national recognition. Her goal is for XCJ to become the default Chinese food company in America.

Listen in as we cover everything from why most of her customers live in an Asian-food desert, why hiring someone to handle XCJ’s marketing was low on her priority list, and what it means to be a third culture kid.

#0161 - Arushi Gallery - Arushi Kapoor

When it comes to the art world, you have artists, dealers, and collectors. Dealers have been around almost as long as humans have been selling art, linking buyers and artists together all over the globe. The relationship between an artist and a dealer was originally based on commerce, but eventually evolved into one that included sincere advocacy and patronage. The art dealers of today are often just as much talent managers as they are brokers. This is very much the case for our guest today, Arushi Kapoor. Arushi has been involved in the art world since her teenage years, starting with an internship at Sotheby’s and launching from there into opening up her own galleries all over the world. She’s a champion of artists both upcoming and established, and she’s here today to talk with us about the contemporary art world, both analog and digital.

Listen in as we cover everything from why an artist needs around a thousand pieces before they have a recognizable style, the frustrations of being a financial coach to artists, and why you don’t need to have a great business mindset to get represented as an artist; you just need to be better than the most awkward person in the room.

#0160 - Drink Renude - Brandon Mizrahie

Want to spice up your morning latte? Try adding some mushrooms to it. And not just any mushrooms, but a specific species that only grows on a small percentage of birch trees in cold weather climates. Seems a bit extreme, right? To Brandon Mizrahie it seemed like the perfect idea for a business. Chaga mushrooms are known to have a long list of health benefits, so Brandon set out to find the ideal delivery system. After offering several varieties of Chaga beverages at a local farmer’s market, the one that was far and above the best seller was the chagaccino. But success at one farmer’s market can only get you so far, and Brandon knew this product had much more significant potential.

Listen in as we cover everything from why he didn’t want his branding to be associated with hippies, why humans are closer to the fungi kingdom than the plant kingdom, and why adaptogens are more of a re-discovery than a new trend.

For our Listeners: Use promo code STS15 for 15% Off your next order at Drink Renude!