On this episode, we’re joined by Brandon Castaneda, Co-founder and CEO of EZ Bombs - a breakout Hispanic food brand that went from zero to $20 million in just one year by turning traditional Mexican recipes into viral “bath bombs” - and Ben Amaya, the brand’s Director of Marketing.

What started in Brandon’s mom’s kitchen exploded on TikTok Shop, where EZ Bombs quickly became the #1 food brand on the platform. Built on an authentic birria recipe, a family-first ethos, and a network of over 10,000 affiliate creators, the brand has rewritten the playbook on viral food and modern CPG growth.

Brandon and Ben share the full blueprint behind EZ Bombs’ rocketship trajectory - from finding and scaling with the right co-packer to managing 245,000 monthly orders, building a creator army, and preparing for national retail. We dig into packaging strategy, flavor formulation, TikTok algorithms, and the biggest mistakes brands make when they try to scale without a community.

Episode Highlights:

🌮 The viral origin story behind EZ Bombs
📦 What Brandon looks for in a great co-packer
📱 TikTok Shop mechanics that still work today
🎯 How to get creator content that actually converts
🔥 Designing for retail and the feed
🥘 Flavor formulation & CPG product dev 101
🛒 Winning the shelf: where EZ Bombs fits in-store
💸 Fundraising strategy and brand positioning
🧠 Mistakes most food founders make on TikTok

Table of Contents:

00:00 – Intro
00:54 – EZ Bombs Intro and launch story
03:21 – Family business dynamics
10:37 – Exploding on TikTok Shop
12:59 – Scaling up with a co-packer
15:39 – Seeing the TikTok Shop opportunity early
17:25 – Recommendations for launching via TikTok Shop today
22:53 – Product dev and formulation
27:27 – Nailing down a co-packer
31:57 – Packaging design
38:20 – Expanding into retail
42:51 – Fitting into the right aisle
45:12 – Fundraising

Links:

EZ Bombs – https://www.ezbombs.com
Follow Brandon on LinkedIn – Brandon Castaneda
Follow Ben on LinkedIn – Ben Amaya
Follow me on LinkedIn – Adam Steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Kyle Peters, the Senior Director of Emerging Brands at Jack Link’s, where he leads brand strategy, P&L, and innovation across a portfolio of growth-stage and incubation brands - including Golden Island, Jack Link’s Chili, and more.

Kyle brings a unique lens to scaling emerging brands within a legacy organization, drawing on his experience as a founder of a high-protein ice cream startup and as a former growth leader at Nestlé’s R&D Accelerator.

We dive into navigating the post-founder journey, how to be a good partner to a distributor, and what makes for a truly scalable product strategy. We dive deep into COGS, margin planning, and when (if ever) it makes sense to vertically integrate. Plus: emerging CPG trends from the guy leading the emerging trends at Jack Link’s.

Episode Highlights:

🥩 Inside Jack Link’s emerging brand strategy
🧊 The post-founder handoff playbook
🏭 Copacker sourcing tips + trusted directories
📉 Tradeoffs when moving from self-manufacturing
📦 Packaging design lessons + rebrand advice
🚚 How to work with your distributor, not against them
💸 What C-store buyers expect, and how to deliver
📊 Forecasting margin erosion the right way
🔥 Trends Kyle is watching in protein and beyond

Table of Contents:

01:00 – Jack Links’ emerging brands portfolio
08:54 – The post-founder journey
21:29 – Copackers
24:18 – Where to find copackers
27:23 – Moving from self-manufacturing, tradeoffs in scaling
31:37 – If/when to vertically integrate
33:36 – Product mix strategy
39:23 – Being a good partner to distributors
43:18 – A distributor’s expected hit to your margin
44:43 – Projecting COGS and margins
46:51 – The C-store channel
50:47 – Packaging design: what matters
53:48 – When to rebrand
56:40 – Emerging trends from the emerging trends guy
57:46 – Why protein is exploding right now

Links:

Jack Link’s – https://www.jacklinks.com
Follow Kyle on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylempeters/
Follow me 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 Chris Bauer, CFO at Catapult Commercialization Services, the product development and commercialization “fixer” for the CPG industry - from R&D and formulation to supply chain setup, manufacturing, co-packers, and go-to-market strategy.

Chris provides a masterclass on the world of co-packers. He breaks down how to actually pick the right co-packer, how to structure the agreement, why so many brand-owner expectations go sideways, and what good looks like when it comes to transparency, contracts, and operational readiness.

We talk about why most brands are over-optimistic about production timelines, what co-mans won’t tell you, and how to spot the red flags before you sign. Plus: whether it’s better to use a single turnkey partner or build a modular supply chain with separate vendors for R&D, production, and fulfillment.

Episode Highlights:

🏗️ What Catapult Commercialization Services actually does
🔍 How to find and approach the right co-packer
💬 Getting a co-manufacturer to take you seriously
🧪 Vetting co-packers without relying on vibes
📝 What should (and shouldn’t) be in your co-man agreement
🔒 How to protect your IP before you scale
📉 Avoiding runaway COGs before it's too late
⚠️ “Take or Pay” clauses and how to negotiate around them
👩‍🍳 Going from kitchen-made to co-manufactured
📊 What KPIs you should track with your co-man

Table of Contents:

00:05:30 – Sourcing co-packers
00:10:44 – How to properly vet co-packers
00:13:30 – Structuring a co-packer agreement
00:16:58 – Protecting your IP
00:21:03 – How to avoid runaway COGs
00:30:13 – Tracking co-packer KPIs
00:33:38 – Risk planning

Links:

Catapult Commercialization – https://www.catapultservices.com
Follow Chris on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-bauer-4623b55a/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/
Check out https://www.kitprint.co for CPG production design support