#0227 - Sweetfin 🐟 - Seth Cohen

Today we sit down with Seth Cohen, the President/co-founder of Sweetfin. Sweetfin is a healthful, chef-driven, California-inspired poke concept that uses local produce, sustainable fish, and innovative ingredients. In 2015, Sweetfin was created with the goal of providing healthy, nutritious and flavorful bowls and a more approachable way for diners to enjoy sushi. Our fine-casual restaurant concept takes all the familiar flavors of sushi and puts them in an easy to eat, portable, customizable, and affordable bowl.
Sweetfin is centered in their “Pole to Bowl” ethos which means that in sourcing they aim to use the highest-quality and most sustainable raw fish they can find while still maintaining a reasonable price point. Approaching 20 locations today we speak to Seth about:

🐟 Pitching investors on a fast-casual restaurant before fast-casual was popular

🐟 When a huge investor dinner turned into a near-dire medical emergency

🐟 Why supermarket sushi sales are the litmus test for the overall health of the industry

#0226 - Le Coupe 🐔 - Chef Craig Walker & Kristen Walker (voted #1 Fried 🐔 in Cali by Yelp)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Craig saw an opportunity to engineer restaurant-style food into a quality take-out dining experience- and Le Coupe was born in a ghost kitchen in Koreatown, Los Angeles. The name Le Coupé came about in a few ways… aside from being all cooped up from quarantine, the name Le Coupé in French translates to “The Cut”. The cut of Chef Craig’s Fried chicken thigh is what makes his fried chicken unique. He used a technique that frenches the meat off the bone allowing for a unique look and flavor profile and aesthetic. Nearly two years after closing down the original ghost kitchen, Le Coupe has opened on the corner of Melrose and Western with the same staple menu items and several new great additions. Today we chat with Chef Craig and Kristen, the founders of Le Coupe about:

🐔 How Chef is bringing a slice of Louisiana to East Hollywood at This Low-Key Fancy Fried Chicken Shack

🐔 Why Yelp ranked them the best friend chicken sandwich in the state of California!

🐔 How they made the most of the pandemic and came out knowing the market was eager for their take on fried chicken!

#0225 - Pantone 294 - Alex Soto 🔵

The legendary Tommy Lasorda coached the LA Dodgers for twenty years, leading them to two World Series Championships during his time at the helm. Part of the reason why he is so revered amongst the Dodger faithful is because of how he wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to his love for the franchise. He best put it into words when he said “cut me and I’ll bleed Dodger Blue.”And with that remark, Dodger Blue became so much more than just a color code. So when Alex Soto was trying to come up with a name for his company, a company that specialized in creating fan travel and experiences to away Dodger games, he knew he had found the winner with Pantone 294, the color code for Dodger Blue. In 2016, Pantone 294 organized a trip to watch the Dodgers play at Yankee Stadium. They sold 1,555 tickets, maxing out 7 planes, 3 hotels, and 2 yachts on the Hudson. They then marched into Yankee Stadium and took over left field.  Pantone 294 made their presence known by stretching an absolutely massive flag across the outfield. The story caught fire, and Pantone 294 was published in nearly every major newspaper publication including the LA Times, NY Times, and ESPN. This game put Pantone 294 on the map, and ironically, it’s why the Yankees refuse to sell them tickets now. Today we chat with Alex, the founder of Pantone 294 about

🔵 The first trip over 10 years ago, way before their infamous Yankee Stadium appearance

🔵 What it’s like booking an entire plane for next years trip to watch the Dodgers play the Padres in South Korea

🔵 The steady growth that has gotten them to where they are today.

#0224 - Cup Board Pro - Kaley and Keira Young (as seen on Shark Tank 🦈)

A while ago, we interviewed Mindy Zemrak, who works as the supervising casting producer from Shark Tank. During our conversation, we asked her what her most memorable moment from the show was. Without hesitation, she said that her most memorable moment was the pitch from the founders of Cup Board Pro that left everyone--Sharks included--in tears. Cup Board Pro was invented by firefighter and 9/11 first responder, Keith Young. He was named a two-time Food Network Chopped Champion, and he invented this product to simplify the cooking prep process which always takes longer than expected. Less time prepping means more time with your family. Before Keith could get serious traction with his new product, tragedy struck. Keith’s wife, Beth, passed away at age 47 from breast cancer, and it understandably crushed the whole family. And then, a couple of years later, Keith passed away from 9/11-related cancer, orphaning his three young children. It was their dad’s dream to get Cup Board Pro into homes worldwide, so to carry on his legacy, Kaley, Christian, and Keira all went on Shark Tank seeking an investment to carry on his legacy. By now, we’re guessing you can see why their pitch had enough raw emotional power to leave the Sharks in tears and create one of the most memorable moments in Shark Tank history. In today’s episode, we chat with Kaley and Keira about:

🦈 How they were manifesting the deal moments before making their pitch in front of the sharks

🦈 Launching the cutting board into Williams-Sonoma

🦈 What they’re all doing now after this life-changing deal

#0223 - REZA 👟 - Mustafa Syed

A few years ago, Mustafa Syed walked out of his house wearing custom, light-up shoes that he’d created. Over the course of that one night, not only were people constantly asking him where he bought them, but everyone wanted to be his friend. The shoes were just a form of self-expression, and they had the power to instantly connect strangers. Realizing this potential, Mus decided to launch his own shoe company, REZA, to build a community for people who--as he puts it--Light Their Own Path. After multiple trips to Asia, years of development, and teetering on the verge of failure, he has created beautiful, exclusive shoes that light up to give everyone the magical feeling he felt that first night out on the town. Today we chat with Mus, the founder of REZA about

👟 An upcoming collab with a huge car manufacturer

👟The insights he learned after locking in the designer of Crocs as his first investor

👟 How the brand exploded in popularity after Steve Aoki wore them while performing at a Vegas club

#0222 - Habiza Hummus - Jonathan Srour

While still in high school, Jonathan Srour first started producing hummus in his garage and selling it every Sunday in the driveway. Following his grandma’s family recipe, he used tahini sourced from the mountains of Lebanon. The hummus is creamy, light, and it embodies a homemade taste. However, what started as a small driveway operation, quickly gained a loyal following as people lined up to get their hummus. But then he had to make a decision. Was he going to go to college, or continue to make his family’s hummus?The tricky part came not in the decision, but in telling his family he wasn’t going to college. In hindsight, with his product on the shelves of both Ralphs and Erewhon, it looks like a no-brainer. But at the time, his family just had to trust in his grit and tenacity. For our part, it’s rare that we interview founders at this stage of entrepreneurship. But much like his family trusting his instincts, once we heard his story, the decision to have him on was also a no-brainer. Today with chat with Jonathan, the founder of Habiza, about:

• How he used his high school friends to help him launch into big grocery chains

• Why he is targeting shelf space instead of social media followers

• The time he convinced his boss at Marco’s Pizza to follow his plan to takedown Dominos Pizza.

#0221 - Stealth Bros & Co. - Braxton Fleming (as seen on Shark 🦈 Tank)

Stealth Bros & Co.Needles are a daily medical necessity for hundreds of millions of people around the world. From insulin to hormone therapy to In Vitro Fertilization, there’s just no better vessel to administer these treatments than a simple needle. Yet with all these legitimate uses for needles, there aren’t a lot of great storage options on the market for injection equipment. That is until Braxton Fleming founded Stealth Bros & Co., which makes beautiful storage solutions for that equipment. Braxton got the idea for the company while undergoing hormone replacement therapy. As both a trans man and a nurse, administering injections was a daily occurrence for him. Upon launch, the product was an instant hit. They quickly sold out of their entire inventory, and Shark Tank reached out to have him come on the show. He ended up closing a deal with Mark Cuban and Barbara Cochran. But unlike so many deals that close on the show but fall through in due diligence, their deal solidified, and it’s been an exciting, nerve wracking ride ever since. Today we chat with Braxton about:

• Breaking the stigma around injections

• How this market is a lot bigger than you may expect

• What it’s like getting investment from Mark Cuban, the founder of Cost Plus Drugs.

#0220 - Unnar Beck Danielsson - Thor's Skyr

For centuries, Vikings have been eating skyr, a thick, creamy yogurt as a source of energy to defeat their opponents and survive in some of the harshest climates known to man. Skyr is full of protein, flavor, and tradition. This is why the world’s strongest man, Hafthor Bjornsson, and Terry Crews both eat it to supplement their workout regiments. So Unnar Beck Danielsson partnered with Hafthor, Terry, and Dylan Sprouse to introduce Thor’s Skyr to the rest of the world. While this may seem like a random collection of celebrities, they’re all very much in touch with the Icelandic culture, and funny enough, Terry actually means Thor in the old Norse language. In today’s episode we chat with the cofounder of Thor’s Skyr, Unnar, about:

• why going into Walmart was a mistake

• The decision to make Terry Crews a founder instead of an ambassador

• How he honed his salesmanship by convincing diners in his restaurant to try fermented shark

#0219 - Chris Tompkins - Broad Street Oyster Co. 🦞

After traveling around the world, Chris Tompkins returned to the United States with a dream. He wanted to open a seafood-centric mobile raw bar in California. This would include world-famous oysters and lobster rolls topped with caviar and uni. They first started at the open-air market known as Smorgasburg in LA and quickly amassed a loyal following. So when they opened their first brick-and-mortar location in Malibu people flocked with excitement. It only took a day and a half after opening for Broad Street to sell all of its inventory. To say they were underprepared would be an understatement, but Chris and the team quickly adapted to the new volume. Now, this fan favorite continues to grow at a rapid pace and is soon to open its 5th and 6th locations in San Francisco and Huntington Beach. Today we chat with Chris, the founder of Broad Street Oyster about:

🦞 Why he needed some tough love from his girlfriend to snap out of his pandemic lockdown funk

🦞 Why he initially thought opening in Malibu was a stupid idea

🦞How Chris has been able to grow the brand so quickly without taking in any outside investment

#0218 - Wes Horbatuck - Driftline (as seen on Shark 🦈 Tank)

According to the late founder of the O’Neill surfing company, the three most important things in life are surf, surf, surf. Though we admit he may have been a little biased. For most surfers worldwide, wearing a wet suit is a seasonal requirement. There are months where you need it, months where you don’t, and some months where the decision gets tough. For example, In San Diego, the average temperature of the ocean in the summer only gets as high as the upper 60s. Meaning, it’s too hot to wear a wetsuit, but it’s too cold to go without it. But this gave Wes Horbatuck an idea. What would happen if he cut up an old wet suit, and sewed it into a pair of board shorts? And just like that, Driftline was born. Today we chat with Wes, the co-founder of Driftline about:

🦈 Why it’s important for them to dominate the market in their own backyard

🦈 What he’d change if he could re-do his pitch on Shark Tank

🦈 How they got their board shorts into the Olympics

#0217 - Joe Nicchi - CVT soft-serve 🍦 moves to CPG

In 1926, Charles Taylor patented the world’s first soft-serve ice cream machine. With the pull of a lever, these machines could dispense the cold yet soft ice cream we all know and love. Since that day, soft serve has been dispensed from those same machines. And if you’ve ever been to a McDonald’s where the ice cream machine is broken, you know the frustration of this aging system. However, 97 years after the first soft-serve machine turned the ice cream eating world upside down, Joe Nicchi has revolutionized how we consume soft-serve ice cream. He has created a way to package soft serve into a pouch, so you can enjoy it whenever, wherever. You no longer need to be Jeff Bezos to enjoy soft-serve ice cream in your house, because now you can grab a few pouches from the grocery store and keep them in your freezer. Or eat them all on the way home. No judgment from us. In today’s episode, we chat with Joe, the founder of CVT Soft Serve about:

🍦 How they are grappling to keep products on the shelves because the demand is so high

🍦 the importance of making his product “LA-mom friendly”

🍦 Why going on Shark Tank is a “hard pass” for him

#0216 - Shaira & Mabel - Luna Magic (as seen on Shark Tank 🦈)

Growing up in New York City, sisters Mabel and Shaira Frías have been working since they were 14. After years of saving, they decided to go all in on their dreams and start Luna Magic. Their first 18 months were a whirlwind. They landed 3 major retail accounts and made it on Shark Tank. And what’s crazy is that it actually wasn’t until the Shark Tank promo aired that their employers found out about their side hustle. They hadn’t yet quit their day jobs, and their bosses had no idea what was going on behind the scenes. But once they found out, it was nothing but love and support. This isn’t a mystery as to why this occurred, as the energy and passion they bring to their endeavors is apparent. By the end of this episode, you’ll likely feel the same way. In today’s episode we chat with Shaira and Mabel about:

🦈 How Craigslist is a secret hack for all small businesses

🦈 How small businesses can have the upper hand when in negotiations with major retailers

🦈 What it takes to become a hero to the kids in their old neighborhood.

#0215 - Rosa Li - Wild Wonder (as seen on Shark Tank 🦈)

The kombucha category grew from $1 million in sales in 2014 to $1.8 billion in 2019. Between being positioned as a better-for-you soda alternative, and the large marketing spend, it’s no wonder kombucha quickly skyrocketed in popularity. But the problem with kombucha is that the flavor is polarizing. For example, Mark Cuban is simply not a fan. To fill this gap, other probiotic drinks fought to capture market share. When today’s guest, Rosa Li, founder of wildwonder, appeared on Shark Tank, the big fruit flavors combined with the pre and probiotics, packed into a can, was a hit. Kombucha skeptic Mark Cuban gulped down the entire drink. Wildwonder is the world’s first sparkling prebiotic & probiotic beverage for gut health. It tastes more like a fresh juice than a fermented drink. Today, we chat with Rosa about:

🦈 Why she left her prestigious finance job to start a consumer packaged good company

🦈 The importance of diversifying everything

🦈 How her Shark Tank appearance couldn’t have worked out more perfectly

#0214 - Sabin Lomac - Cousins Maine Lobster 🦞 (as seen on Shark Tank 🦈)

After an insanely successful first day, the founders of Cousins Maine Lobster knew they had an instant classic on their hands. But what they didn’t know was that some of their early customers were actually Shark Tank producers. Not once, but twice, the producers tried to convince the two founders into appearing but each time, they turned it down. Eventually, the call of the Tank was too powerful to ignore and Cousins Maine Lobster appeared on Season 4 of Shark Tank. Since closing a deal with Barbara Corcoran, they have been able to expand to over 50 trucks and locations across 24 states. In today’s episode, we chat with Sabin Lamac, the co-founder of Cousins Maine Lobster about:

🦈 How this crazy journey all started over a round of drinks

🦈 How his relationship with Barbara has evolved over the years to where they’re now practically family

🦈 The beauty that comes with introducing people to lobster for the first time.