On this episode, we’re joined by Hannah Perez, the Co-Founder and Brand Visionary behind SEEQ — the clear protein brand that’s pioneering one of the most refreshing (literally) new categories in sports nutrition.

What started with a college friendship has turned into a rocketship brand that's now stocked nationwide at Target, growing a cult following on TikTok, and giving legacy supplement brands a serious wake-up call. In this episode, Hannah breaks down how she and co-founder Ben Zaver went from blending samples in a Minneapolis apartment to building a vertically integrated DTC and retail business, all while staying true to their vision of “bringing the juice” and making wellness more approachable.

We get tactical on everything from formulation and co-packers to launching new SKUs in retail, hiring a CEO within 18 months, and why she believes storytelling is more important than features when it comes to building in public.

Episode Highlights:
💧 What clear protein actually is — and why it’s not just a gimmick
🧪 The 3 biggest R&D hurdles in clear protein formulation
📦 Why they passed on dozens of co-packers before going back to the first one
📲 The TikTok strategy that sold out 4,000 units in 60 days
🛠️ How they kept building during a 4-month stockout
🚀 Getting into Target via a cold email — and what they did to stand out
🛍️ Why front-of-store placement drove massive velocity
📚 Lessons from launching a new format just for retail
🏗️ How EOS helped them plan, prioritize, and stay focused
👥 Why they hired a President and CEO just 18 months in
🔥 Hannah’s shift from CMO to Brand Visionary — and what she’s building next

⏱️ Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Clear Protein 101
02:30 – Founding Story: From Marketing Agency to CPG Startup
06:00 – The Formulation Process: What Makes Clear Protein Work
11:00 – Viral TikTok Growth, Street Sampling, and Early Sellouts
15:00 – Finding the Right Co-Packer & Building the Product Backbone
17:00 – Landing Target: Cold Emails, Broker Help & Buyer Pitch
21:00 – What It Takes to Succeed in Retail: Velocity, Displays & Education
26:00 – Packaging Lessons for DTC Brands Entering Retail
30:00 – Staying Focused: Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome
32:00 – Operating with EOS & North Star Goal-Setting
34:00 – Hiring a CEO and Letting Go of Ego
38:00 – How Hannah’s Role Evolved & Why Brand is Bigger Than Product
45:00 – Where to Follow Hannah & Try SEEQ

🔗 Links:
SEEQ – https://seeqsupply.com
Follow Hannah on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-perez013
Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Douglas Raggio, the founder of Pass the Honey and author of So You Wanna: Start a Food or Beverage Business.

Douglas spent a decade as an investor reviewing over 12,000 food and beverage deals before launching Pass the Honey — a single-serve honeycomb brand on a mission to combat one of the most pervasive forms of food fraud in the world. Today, the brand is scaling rapidly in Kroger, Albertsons, and Sprouts, all while pushing a regenerative beekeeping agenda that goes far beyond what “organic” can promise.

We go deep on Douglas’s non-traditional approach to CPG - from why he believes in margin over virality, to how he’s building a new category in the produce aisle, not the honey shelf. We also unpack key decision points from his book and why most founders misunderstand what “success” really means in food.

Episode Highlights:
🍯 Why 70% of honey on the shelf is fake
🐝 The problem with “organic” honey, and what regenerative apiculture offers instead
📦 Building a new category in the produce aisle, not the honey set
💸 Margin vs. consumption: the only two numbers that matter
🔁 Why Pass the Honey doubled sales after doubling their price
🔍 Why some products shouldn’t “fit” anywhere in the store
🏪 How dump bins unlocked 50–70 unit weeks at Kroger
📊 Top-down vs bottom-up pricing strategy
🚪 Saying no to accounts that don’t meet minimums
⚖️ How Douglas thinks about store count vs velocity
📉 Why 95% of CPG brands fail, and how to avoid being one of them

⏱️ Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Origin Story
03:00 – Honey Fraud & Broken Standards
08:00 – Building Pass the Honey’s Regenerative Supply Chain
13:00 – Advice for Founders Entering CPG
15:00 – Book Lessons: Endgame Clarity & Critical Decisions
21:00 – What Retailers Want: Profit, Not Just Velocity
28:00 – Managing Margins & Avoiding “Store Count FOMO”
36:00 – Brands & Trends Douglas is Watching
38:00 – Final Thoughts & Where to Find Douglas

Links:
Pass the Honey – https://www.freshhoneycomb.com
Buy the book – https://a.co/d/ibCGJbs
Follow Douglas on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/douglasraggio

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Joe Rotondo and Drew DiSpirito, the co-founders of Smearcase — the world’s first frozen cottage cheese dessert, also known as FroCo.

What started as a post-run craving turned into one of the most disruptive frozen product launches in recent memory. Smearcase packs 40 grams of protein per pint, uses clean-label ingredients (no gums, no seed oils), and is now stocked in over 100 stores including Whole Foods and Sprouts, less than a year after launch.

In this episode, we dive into how Joe and Drew went from first prototype to shelf in six months, what it took to scale with a co-packer from day one, and why they believe “speed over perfection” is their greatest competitive advantage. We also talk product innovation, navigating frozen logistics, why they trademarked “FroCo,” and what’s coming next as they prepare for West Coast expansion.

Episode Highlights:
🍦 From marathon craving to product prototype in 72 hours
🧊 How they scaled straight from a NYC apartment kitchen to a co-packer
⚡ Why they prioritized speed over perfection
💪 Using collagen as a stabilizer (instead of gums)
🚚 The hidden challenges of frozen distribution
🛒 How they cold-pitched their way into early retail traction
📈 Why “velocity > distribution” is their growth philosophy
🏷️ The meaning behind the name Smearcase (and why it works)
🚀 Building a movement — not just a brand — around FroCo

⏱️ Table of Contents
00:00 – Intro & Founding Story
02:30 – From Post-Run Craving to FroCo
05:00 – Product Development & Ingredient Integrity
08:00 – Fast-Tracking to Shelf in 6 Months
12:00 – Scaling With a Co-Packer
16:00 – Cottage Cheese Sourcing Strategy
20:00 – Starting a New Frozen Category: Pros & Cons
23:00 – Velocity vs. Distribution
26:00 – Frozen Logistics & Operational Challenges
29:00 – Category Trends & Competitive Landscape
31:00 – Where to Find Smearcase & What’s Next

Links:
Smearcase – https://www.eatsmearcase.com
Follow Joe – https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephrrotondo
Follow Drew – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-dispirito-pmp/

Follow Adam on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.