Impellent Ventures’ Post

I launched Jacob Bars on May 11, and the reception was incredible. We sold out in 2 days, and I did everything I could to get back in stock asap... the struggles of bootstrapping! In my last post, I discussed the why behind the company. Now, I'll discuss the how. Product-wise, Jacob bars are special because we use real ingredients AND have high protein. We don't use gums, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners. Yet, we still have 20g of grass-fed whey protein. However, I think what really makes us special is the brand (aka, how people FEEL when they interact with us at ANY touchpoint). I've been meticulous about who I seed product to and collaborate with. I'm careful about the copy and visuals I use. Organic TikTok and Instagram are my primary sales channels, so building a brand first is essential: traditionally, food products are meant to be sampled, so selling a 9pk for $55+ online is tough without someone believing in the underlying brand/mission FIRST. Overall, I see success (so far) on organic media because I focus on the person on the other side of the screen more than anything. And when they get an incredible product in the mail, that's a customer for life. Just the start!

From apple cider vinegar to a potential Coca-Cola acquisition 👀 Here’s how poppi is a testament to persistence in DTC and entrepreneurship: → Poppi began as the brainchild of Allison Ellsworth — after trying out different methods to improve her health, she found that apple cider vinegar was helping her the most. Of course, the taste was awful, so she decided to do something about it. A few months of toying around with vinegars and fruits, she found a soda taste that would go on to become Poppi. → Allison and her husband/co-founder Stephen Ellsworth took the drink to farmers’ markets, and it smashed. 3 weeks later, Whole Foods was hitting her up to distribute! Then, after the early popularity surge of Poppi and an appearance on Shark Tank, Allison had an investor in Rohan Oza. But wait, isn’t this a DTC story? Here’s the thing… → Poppi was set to launch in March 2020. Yeah, talk about bad timing. The Poppi product was manufactured and ready to go out nationally, but then the pandemic hit, leaving Allison and her team sitting on product with no backup plan. Until she made one… → Poppi started moving its sodas DTC. Their marketing was working well on Facebook and Instagram to sustain the business, but not at the level Allison knew it could be at. She believed in her vision at Poppi and knew her story was important, so she took a chance and filmed her founding story and put it on TikTok. It went bonkers — $100K in overnight sales on Amazon bonkers. From there, Poppi has surged in popularity. → National retail rollouts. Super Bowl commercials. And now, a potential acquisition down the line, with interested parties like Coca-Cola looking to diversify into healthier product offerings. I’m keeping my eyes on the Poppi headlines — Allison has a true “roll your sleeves up and make something good” story as a DTC founder, and I respect what the brand has done so far. What are your thoughts on Poppi?

Today was a good day. We moved 50k of inventory in 2 hours. Literally. Lifted and shifted 200 boxes. With groceries for food-insecure New Yorkers. The event was co-hosted by Creator Economy NYC, founded by Brett Dashevsky, and Wellfare, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the National Day of Service. The Better Box from Wellfare is a first-of-its-kind free monthly grocery subscription service that delivers premium, nutritious and convenient packaged groceries like low-sugar beverages, functional snack bars and protein-packed pasta directly to NYC food-insecure families every month. Long story short: we've put together 200 boxes full of groceries. Damian and I were taking the boxes off the production line and putting them on pallets at the very end of the line. This way we could see the end-result of a 100+ people working towards a shared objective. It was awesome! What I've learned today: + working with a bunch of positive people gives you such a great buzz + everyone needs to specialize in one task only + after 15 minutes you get really efficient doing it + everyone on the production line needs to be very detail-oriented + so they're not holding up the entire line + that's why you need backup people to keep the production going While working, we've had a lot of interesting conversations with creators, startup founders, creator economy facilitators and just team mates for the day. What a gratifying day! 👋 I'm Mike, co-founder of Vendo. I'll help you unlock eCommerce revenue in a multi-brand marketplace model, paying 3-5x more than affiliate links. Keep your customers & get repeat sales. 👍 Interested in #marketplace opportunities and case studies? Click my name + Follow + 🔔

😜 Being a brand and spending money in any category is difficult, but spending money, especially during #AprilFools , is more of a miscellaneous expense to a brand. Think about all the time and work that goes into the strategy and the design for this one day, that as a joke.  😜 I’ve seen a lot of founders either say this is the worst day or that they’re really excited about what they saw on this day. This mixed sentiment among founders highlights the complexity of participating in April Fools' Day promotions for CPG brands. My favorite highlight 💚 from yesterday was seeing collaborations between brands which was some of the most interesting aspects this year, showcasing how brands can come together for creative and engaging campaigns. Some highlights from yesterday: ⬇ Grillo's Pickles x Califia Farms Graza x Gushers OLIPOP PBC x Pringles Nathans Hot Dogs x JetBlue (Ew) What is your take?

Have you ever wished that you could check out another business’ social media metrics? Here is a behind look at a post I did for my husband's adult beverage sales startup company. This particular Instagram Reel organically picked up over 12,000 views. #behindthescenes #socialmediamarketing #algorithmsecrets #socialmediametrics #socialmediamanagement #craftbeer #breweries

I had the chance to sit down with Popcorn GTM and chat with Paul Molinari and Chad Horn (catch you next time around Michael Beck) about "Scrappy Marketing Tactics for Restaurant Tech Startups." During this episode of the 'Morning Sam, Morning Ralph' podcast we did a deep dive on effective marketing strategies for restaurant tech startups from $1-$10M and beyond. Over the course of 50 minutes, we cover how to sequence marketing tactics, getting the first marketing hire right, sales alignment, budget considerations, and pitfalls to avoid around: ✅ Demand & lead gen ✅ Branding ✅ PR ✅ Case studies & testimonials ✅Trade shows ✅ Advertising in trade pubs & PPC ✅ CRM & data sources ✅ Transition from founder-led sales to the sales team ✅ When to use an agency & when to hire a FTE

Hey LinkedIn Fam, I got a secret to spill! Alright, lean in close because I’ve got a secret... Or maybe I’m just super late to the LinkedIn posting party 🤣. Either way, here it is: Pulp Habits has officially been ACQUIRED! 🎉🥂 Cue the confetti, right? But, I know what you're thinking: "Sabrina, WHAT?! Why?! It’s still so new!" Well, let me tell you my latest tale of my entrepreneurial journey. So, let’s rewind to the crazy launch of Pulp Habits. Within just 3 months, we went from zero to hero with national distribution in place, a presence in North American pet subscription boxes, listings in independent grocery and pet specialty stores, and a booming D2C market. We even pitched and landed direct vendor agreements with 4 out of the 5 largest pet retailers in North America, securing spots in 667 stores. 🚀 (Yeah, it was a wild ride!) Now, why on earth would I sell this rocket ship of a business so soon? Good question! After building four CPG businesses, you learn a thing or two—or twenty. You get pretty darn good at laying a solid foundation for profitability, scalability, and long-term success. And boy, do I LOVE that part! I’m all about the innovation, the storytelling, the systems, and yes, even the mathing (when it all adds up). But here’s the thing: I realized something along the way that took me a while to admit even to myself. As much as I thrive on building businesses, I don’t love operating them. There, I said it! 😅 I started my entrepreneurial journey at 25. I’ve evolved a lot over the past 8 years. My first business was all about the hustle—sleeping on floors, making pickups and deliveries at all hours, endless demo and production days. It was exhilarating, and each business I’ve built has marked a different chapter of my life, embedding pieces of my identity into each brand. But as I sat with my thoughts over the years, I realized what I truly love (and whats I am good at) vs. what doesn’t spark joy anymore. The opportunity came knocking to have Pulp Habits acquired, and I took it! I of course couldn’t have built Pulp Habits alone. Christopher Creatura and Kenn Manzerolle were pivotal in building and successfully exiting Pulp Habits. So, was this a stroke of divine intervention or just a well-timed opportunity? Who knows! But I’m absolutely thrilled to dive into the next phase of my journey, focusing on what I absolutely love—coaching early-stage founders build their CPG businesses to scalable and profitable success. I will be doing this with pre-selected early-stage founders through NUDE Collective. *ppstt Courses too* 😉 So, here it is friends. Cheers to the thrill of entrepreneurship, the build out of amazing businesses, new beginnings, and aligning with what you truly love. xx -S.

It’s been nearly a year since I left my job with Mauro Auzinger to go and make healthy iced tea at Marna, and these are my reflections: The Awesome Bits: 1. 2024 was the year we went viral on TikTok. Since February, using just our phones, we have managed to grow an amazing community of nearly 15,000 people on a platform that up until recently we weren't entirely sure how to use. From day 1, we’ve focused on telling our story, bringing people along in real-time with everything that we do and we have seen first-hand the reward of being authentic in our approach. 2. We landed our first retail listing with Fortnum & Mason! This was an incredibly special one for us given their deep relationship with tea, and its testament to the drinks that we have set out to create that they were selected to be a part of the range. 3. As of yesterday, we have now surpassed the number of cans sold in the whole of last year, in just over 4 months. We have set out to forge great relationships with all that we work with, and it is thanks to these that we are able to give our iced tea the chance to be shared with everyone. The Tougher Moments: 1. Courier nightmares. We saw a massive increase in orders after our first TikTok post, and with that came the issues of cans arriving to our customers damaged. This was really frustrating for us, as we take special care in the fulfilment and presentation of our cans. And so, for the last month, we have spent real time and energy to find a solution, and we now have a better-designed box that protects what we work so hard to create. 2. Making sure that the highs don’t get too high, and the lows get too low. This was something my old boss told me when I left Lazard, and boy were they right. It can be draining at times, but its those harder days, which make the great ones feel awesome. 3. Distribution challenges. The food and beverage industry is a complex web of different supply chains and key individuals, and making progress can be slow going sometimes. We are learning everyday and slowly but surely, we are getting the hang of it all. It is an exciting time, and although there are many hurdles ahead, we can feel the support from everyone, which means a lot. #makingmarna #startuplife #icedtea

Okay, imagine your website is like a lemonade stand and the landing page is like the big sign that says Yummy Lemonade Here! If the sign is really clear and colourful, more people will stop by to get some lemonade. But if the sign is confusing or boring, they might just walk right by without even trying your yummy lemonade! So, having a good landing page on your website is important because it helps people decide if they want to stay and look around or just leave right away. If lots of people leave right away, it's called a high bounce rate, which means they bounced off your website like a bouncy ball! We want to keep them bouncing around our website like happy little bunnies instead. So let's make sure our landing page is super fun and easy to understand, so everyone wants to stay and play! https://lnkd.in/eB_MuQrY #SEM #ConversionOptimization #LandingPages #startupbusinessuk #startupcompany #ukstartup #digitalmarketingagency #startupbusinessowners #digitalmarketingstrategist #startupbusinesssupport #startupbusinesstips #digitalmarketingconsultant #digitalmarketingcompany #ukbusinessowner