by Jeff Slater | Jun 21, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
The Surprising Origin Story Behind One of Specialty Retail’s Favorite Popcorn Brands Some of the best brand origin stories start with a memory, not a business plan. For Ginger Frank, it was popcorn. Growing up, popcorn wasn’t a snack. It was a...
by Jeff Slater | Jun 14, 2026 | Foodpreneurs
How the founder of Nana Joes Granola learned to trust her own instincts and quiet confidence as she built something. There is a black-and-white photograph on every bag of Nana Joes Granola. It shows two young people laughing after a home-cooked meal, taken in...
by Jeff Slater | May 10, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
Venmathy McMahan has a PhD in chemical engineering from Rice University. She spent years at Intel optimizing semiconductor processes. And then, in 2020, she bought a granola company. Not as a side project. Not as a passive investment. She bought Little Red Wagon...
by Jeff Slater | Apr 26, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
Every founder I work with can tell me why their brand matters. They have a story. A cause. A conviction about what’s wrong with the category and why they’re the ones to fix it. That clarity of purpose is real, and it’s valuable. But here’s what...
by Jeff Slater | Apr 12, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
Why food and beverage brands should take foodservice seriously Most food and beverage brands treat retail as the finish line. Get on a shelf at Whole Foods or land a regional chain, and you’ve made it. Foodservice, if it comes up at all, gets dismissed as...
by Jeff Slater | Mar 29, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
When founder Joelle Weinand decided to build a better-for-you chocolate milk, she wasn’t just chasing another wellness trend. She was chasing permission. Permission for adults to enjoy something they loved as kids without guilt. Permission to be a little weird...
