Time To Grow

Will Ntize is the founder of IQBAR, which has two product lines: IQBAR protein bars and IQMIX hydration mixes. 

Throughout this conversation, Will talks about starting IQBAR on Kickstarter, what differentiates IQBAR in the bar category, challenges he faced early on, how big the company is today, advantages of launching on ecommerce, writing on LinkedIn, working with his wife, and so much more. 

Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-nitze/

Check out IQBAR: https://www.eatiqbar.com/

Scott Currie is the CEO of WakeWater Beverage Company, a brand redefining the energy drink category. WakeWater is flavoured naturally and uses green tea caffeine paired with L-Theanine to ensure consumers have long-lasting energy without the crash.

In this conversation, Scott talks about the competition WakeWater is up against in the energy drink category, how the business has evolved since it launched, what areas of the business Scott is currently focusing on, his experience at Procter and Gamble and so much more!

Aaron Skelton is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Canadian Health Food Association, Canada’s largest national trade association dedicated to the natural health and organic products industry. CHFA represents the manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, growers, and importers of natural and organic products that contributes $3.5 billion to the Canadian economy.

In this episode, Aaron talks about all things CHFA, when he joined, what he has learned since being a part of CHFA, nurturing a good company culture, qualities of a successful leader, understanding the Canadian consumer, the upcoming conference, his role leading Natural Value with Canada's largest grocery Loblaw Companies Limited and so much more. 

Joining me in this episode is Ruth Elnekave, Founder and CEO of JOYÀ. JOYÀ is reimagining wellness supplements by turning them into a joyful daily ritual. Their Superblends and Functional Chocolates are created by chefs for an amazing taste that is easy to incorporate into your daily routine. JOYÀ products are expertly-formulated using 100% pure, time-tested botanicals. Ruth and her team are on a mission to help people feel and live their best so that they can do the things they love with joy, each and every day.

In this episode, Ruth talks about her career as a corporate lawyer, her personal health challenges, how she began prioritizing her health and wellness, what the inspiration for JOYÀ was, challenges from the early stages of the brand, growing the company, adapting to the changing marketing landscape, and so much more. 

Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-elnekave/

Check Out JOYÀ: https://www.thejoyalife.com/

Leila Keshavjee launched Happy Pops, a brand of all-natural ice pops made with real fruit and sweetened with a hint of organic cane sugar, in 2016 after graduating with a degree from the University of Toronto. With her kinesiology education and experience as an athlete and coach, Leila was inspired to create ice pops that were both healthy and delicious as a snack on the go, post-workout, or any other moment throughout the day. Incorporating flavors from her South Asian heritage, Happy Pops are handcrafted in small batches without artificial ingredients and are sold at retail stores, farmers markets and festivals across the country.

In this episode, Leila talks about what pushed her to start a brand, the inspiration behind Happy Pops flavors, challenges building the business, the increase in women CPG leaders, how she’s executed unique elements of Happy Pops, how she has stayed connected to Happy Pops consumers throughout building the brand, mentors in her life, and so much more. 

Growing up, Sasha Rajamani’s favorite snack was his mother’s recipe for “Ribbon Pakoda”; a crunchy, spicy, South Indian inspired chip mix. As he began making it himself and friends, famiy members, and colleagues wanted to buy it from him, Sasha knew there was potential to turn his favorite nostalgic snack into a business. Sasha founded Pokko in 2021 and has since grown the business to be in retailers and online. Both Pokko’s Original and Spicy chips are filled with turmeric, chickpeas, asafetida, and kashmiri chilis. Once you start eating Pokko, you won’t be able to stop! 

In this episode, Sasha shares the early days of founding Pokko, his “why” for starting the business, how being a father has changed him, advice for new entrepreneurs, how his perspective of the CPG industry has changed, and so much more. 

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Lauren Bensadoun, co-founder of BUZZD Nutrition. Lauren and her partner Alex saw a gap in the market and created a superfood coffee creamer, leading them to building the BUZZD together. Throughout this episode, Lauren talks about how BUZZD came to be, the highs and lows she’s experienced as an entrepreneur, what she’s learned along the way, her experience running a business with a partner, and so much more. Lauren’s journey building BUZZD is one that all entrepreneurs can learn from, enjoy! Shop BUZZD Products Follow Lauren on LinkedIn  Follow BUZZD on Instagram Follow Lauren on Instagram Kyle Marsham’s Instagram Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review! Produced by GreenFresh Media.

Discount Code: TTG20 - 20% off at Check 

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by the one and only Mike Fata. After dropping out of school at just 13 years old, Mike joined the workforce earlier than most. When he found himself weighing upwards of 300 pounds at 18 years old, Mike began a weight loss journey that would spark his passion for the health industry and lead him to founding Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods in 1998. With Mike as Chairman & CEO, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods became massively successful and was sold in 2019 for $419 million dollars. Throughout this conversation, Mike describes the lessons that dropping out of school at 13 years old taught him, his current focus on mentorship, the qualities of a great founder, and more. Mike’s entrepreneurial story is unlike any other and his wealth of knowledge is valuable for all!

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Alex Simonelli, founder and CEO of Daydream, a lifestyle brand that is changing the beverage industry. Daydream drinks have no sugar, no caffeine, and contain a mix of powerful adaptogens and hemp extracts that work with the body’s endocrine system to increase focus and find calm. Without any prior brand building experience, Alex’s success with Daydream has been remarkable as more and more consumers are turning to plant based beverages. Tune in to learn how Alex caught the entrepreneurial bug, how he grew Daydream during a global pandemic, his process for raising money, what his advice is for young entrepreneurs, and more!

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Stella Vanstone, CEO and founder of Stellar Eats. Stella has always believed that choosing healthy foods shouldn’t restrict the great flavors that you love. She is on a mission to make “healthy eats taste like treats” through Stellar Eats variety of baking mixes that pack a nutritional punch. Throughout this episode you will learn Stella’s journey as an entrepreneur, how she experienced disordered eating through diet culture, what she envisions for Stellar Eats future, and so much more.

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Jonathan Brill, author of the book Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change. After spending 25 years running product innovation firms and working for HP as a global futurist, Jonathan began to ask the question: how do you survive and profit from radical change? This became the foundation for his book, Rogue Waves. Throughout this episode, Jonathan talks about the concept of a rogue wave, the steps needed to create a system that is resilient to change, the current rogue waves going on in the world, the undercurrents that will impact the CPG industry, and so much more. Tune in to learn how to turn resiliency into your new strategy for growth!

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Monica Walker, the head of Food and Grocery for Healthy Planet. Unlike the past guests we’ve had on the show who have their own business, products, and services that they sell, Monica is the first on the show that sits on the other end of the transaction where she decides what products and brands get to go on the shelf. Coming from the UK with a vast sales experience at Xerox to coming to Canada and having her own business to holding a role at Marsham International and more career successes, she has racked up so much wisdom and experience in the sales industry, which she shares on this episode. If you want to grow in the sales industry or want to learn how to get your products listed in stores, this episode is a must-listen! 

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by David Sorbara, the founder of Barkley HQ. Barkley HQ is a software platform designed for pet groomers to automate some of their daily tasks so they can focus more on grooming. David shares his journey as an entrepreneur and how he has launched and scaled a software company. Find out his tips for starting a company, his take on the future of technology, and more!

In this week’s episode, Kyle is joined by Josh and Amar, the founders of Brüst protein coffee. After meeting during their MBA course at Western University, Josh and Amar found a gap within the Canadian CPG market and decided to create protein coffee that tastes amazing. This episode shares their experiences and tips on starting a business, navigating their business strategies during COVID times, and more. Learn how Josh and Amar are making an impact within the Canadian market.

Join Kyle and Mitchell Stern, Co-Founder of Station Cold Brew, to discuss navigating the Canadian CPG space drawing from his experience of over 12 years. He is also the Co-Founder of Darling Mimosa, Canada's first canned mimosa drink sold in over 100 LCBO stores in Ontario. Mitch is very invested in building community, developing meaningful relationships, and is passionate about helping out other entrepreneurs. Join them as they give an insight into the day-to-day activities of an entrepreneur and tips on embracing every part of the entrepreneurial journey! 

In this week's episode, Kyle is joined by Samantha E Cutler (@thefitfatale). From content creator and tech start-up founder to podcast host and meditation guide, Samantha discusses her incredible achievements in the marketing industry and creator economy. She not only built her own brand from the ground up but co-founded her company Clout Jam with the goal of helping other creators manage their work. Find out her top tips and advice for starting your own brand and the power of meditation to stay grounded through it all!

This week join Kyle and Andrew Maida, Founder of Flourish Pancakes, as they dive into Andrew's impressive e-commerce background and the strategies he continues to use to grow his protein pancake mix business. Whether promoting his products in-store or online, his simple and successful digital marketing funnel has led to rapid growth over the past few years. Learn how Flourish is crushing it in the natural foods industry! 

This week Joseph Anderson, Co-Founder of Mighty Scout joins Kyle to discuss everything you need to know about influencer marketing. From budget and content, to reaching target audiences, this episode provides the template your brand needs to get started with influencers. Find out how Joe used his tech background to start Mighty Scout, a leading influencer marketing platform, from the ground up. Learn from the tips, tricks, and experiences that one of the industry’s top influencer experts has to share.

Energize your day with everything coffee from Kyle and David Schneiderman, Founder of Two Bears Coffee. The two discuss David’s love for coffee and travelling, leading him to become a coffee expert by visiting coffee farms in Columbia (and even learning Spanish!). The two discuss his passion for flash brewing, oat milk, and the impact social media has had on growing Two Bears.

Today's episode is sponsored by Tight Knit Clothing 

In this episode, Kyle is joined by Andrew Miller, Co-Founder of Purple Frog Products to discuss everything from natural hand sanitizers to how to avoid harmful chemicals in everyday products. Andrew touches on how his childhood experiences sparked an interest in the natural and plant-based wellness industry. Join them as they follow Andrew’s incredible entrepreneurial journey.

Purple Frog coupon code: GROW20 at checkout