Profits on Purpose

Nate Littlewood
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BUSINESS

Welcome to the Profits on Purpose Podcast! New episodes weekly.

  1. 2D AGO

    SE01E35 What $600M in Growth Equity Looks For in a Consumer Brand | Prelude Growth Partners | William Quartner

    William Quartner is a Partner at Prelude Growth Partners — one of the most active growth equity firms in consumer, with a $600M fund and exits including a $400M sale of Bachans. In this conversation, Nate and Will get into what investors at this level are actually looking for: how they screen founders, why they take a category-first approach to identifying opportunities, and what makes a brand scalable vs. a cash-burning trap. If you've ever wondered how the investment world works — or whether your brand is the kind of thing that could attract serious capital — this episode will give you a clear-eyed view from someone writing the cheques. Connect with William: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamquartner/Company Website: https://preludegrowth.com I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    48 min

  2. MAR 4

    SE01E34 A $2M Seed Round, 1,000 Retail Doors, and the BevNet Pitch That Made Him Cry | Bear Maple Farms | Brian Bethke

    Brian Bethke has done this before. He built and exited a music industry brand — Supro and Pigtronics — before pivoting into the beverage space with Bear Maple Farms, a clean soda brand now in nearly 1,000 retail stores and backed by a $2M seed round. But success on paper hasn't made the journey any easier. In this conversation, Brian shares the unfiltered story behind Bear Maple Farms: the BevNet pitch contest he lost despite months of preparation, two complete brand repositioning pivots, the data-driven decision to walk away from Whole Foods and build a grassroots retail story first, and the tension between investor expectations and a founder's instinct to extend runway and build sustainably.As a second-time founder, Brian also gets candid about what he wishes he'd understood earlier — and why getting financial help years sooner would have saved him five years on his first business. Key Topics:Two brand pivots: from sparkling ginseng elixir to clean soda — and how customer feedback drove the final positioningLosing the BevNet pitch contest and rebuilding from scratchWhy chasing Whole Foods early can be a trap — and the independent retail strategy that got Bear Maple to 1,000 storesThe real cost of trade spend at large retail chainsSeed round strategy: raise as little as needed, extend runway, and don't get on the VC treadmill before you're readyWhat a fractional CFO actually does — from a founder who knows the difference between building with and without one Guest Bio: Brian Bethke is the founder of Bear Maple Farms, a clean soda brand featuring ginseng for focus and clarity. A second-time founder, Brian previously built and exited Supro and Pigtronics — a music industry brand sold in 2020. Bear Maple Farms launched during the pandemic after Brian relocated to the CatskillMountains, where tapping maple trees with his daughter sparked the idea. The brand has since grown to nearly 1,000 retail stores across the Northeast and raised a $2 million seed round. LinkedIn: Company Website: https://www.bearmapledrinks.com@drinkbearmaple Amazon discount code PROFITS25 I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    42 min

  3. FEB 25

    SE01E33 Depth over Premature Scale | Black Leaf Vodka | Kevin Larkai and Monté Burrow

    Kevin Larkai and Monté Burrow are the co-founders of Black Leaf Vodka, the first French organic vodka company in the United States. Their journey from a chance meeting in Cognac, France to building an award- winning spirits brand is a masterclass in resourcefulness, strategic focus, and the power of complementarypartnerships. In this episode, we dive deep into the realities of scaling a capital-intensive business with limited resources.Kevin and Monté share candid insights on navigating the three-tier distribution system, managing inventory with long lead times, and making tough prioritization decisions when opportunities far exceed available capital. We explore their current fundraising journey—raising a $2M seed round—and the surprising lessons they've learned about investor relations (hint: it's a numbers game that requires 500+ conversations). They reveal creative tactics like leveraging "influencer investors" with survey tools to generate warm intros and how bringing investors into their "brand world" over cocktails drives better conversations than traditional pitch decks. Kevin brings a finance background while Monté has hands-on spirits industry experience, creating a partnership they describe as "organic" and perfectly aligned. Their philosophy of "controlled depth versus premature scale" offers valuable wisdom for any founder facing the tension between growth ambitions and resource constraints.  Conntect with Kevin and Monté:Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klarkai/Monté: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monteburrow/ I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    36 min

  4. FEB 18

    SE01E32 - The Real Costs of Retail Expansion | Cali FoodStar, Inc. | Michael Salman

    Michael Salman went from managing tours for Usher and LL Cool J to the cannabis industry, and now he's disrupting the fresh salsa category in major retailers. As Co-Founder and COO of Cali FoodStar, Inc., Michael has landed his fresh salsa brand in over 200 doors in just six months, with major chains on the horizon.In this episode, Michael pulls back the curtain on the real economics of retail expansion. He shares how produce prices can triple overnight (peeled garlic went from $42 to $120 per case in six weeks), why slotting fees can cost $40,000 before selling a single unit, and how buyer relationships can take 4-6 months to mature—or require waiting another year for the next category review. But beyond the challenges, Michael reveals the strategic thinking that's driving his rapid growth: starting with a geographic nucleus instead of going nationwide, using sales data to dial in margins before scaling, and leveraging relationships built across music, cannabis, and CPG to open doors others can't access. Whether you're launching a CPG brand or scaling an existing one, Michael's boots-on-the-ground insights into commodity pricing volatility, production planning with perishables, and creative financing strategies will give you a realistic roadmap for retail success. Key Topics:Transferable skills across unregulated (cannabis) vs regulated (CPG) marketsManaging commodity pricing volatility in fresh food productionThe true costs of retail: slotting fees, trade spend, and marketing dollarsStrategic geographic expansion: nucleus approach vs shotgun strategyBuilding buyer relationships without being pushyFinancing options: PO financing vs invoice factoringProduction planning and demand forecasting with limited shelf lifeBootstrapping to 200 stores in 6 months Guest: Michael Salman, Co-Founder & COO, Cali FoodStar, Inc.Website: www.califoodstar.com I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    51 min

  5. FEB 11

    SE01E31 - What Investors Actually Want to See | Dawnbreaker Oats | Scott Turner and Nick Lagonia

    After raising $300K and spending two years building a CPG brand called Misery & Mayhem, Scott Turner and Nick Lagonia made a bold decision: scrap everything and rebrand in seven weeks on a $2,500 budget. In this raw conversation, the Dawnbreaker Oats co-founders share expensive lessons about influencer marketing, the honest feedback that changed their company, and what it's really like to run a business for 2.5 years withoutpaying yourself. We dive into the shift in fundraising expectations (the "golden age of CPG" is over), the unit economics of their subscription oatmeal business, and why sometimes the thing you think is your brand strength is actually holding you back. This is an unusually honest look at the unglamorous reality of building a CPG brand—from patient capital allocation to user testing that revealed a 10% to 65% preference shift. Key Topics:Why their original brand name (Misery & Mayhem) became a distraction instead of an advantageThe 7-week, $2,500 rebrand process that tested 50+ conceptsUser testing results: from 10% to 65% brand preferenceReal talk on not paying yourself for 2.5 years while raising young familiesWhat investors actually want to see now vs. the "golden age of CPG"D2C unit economics: $7 trials, $25-30 CAC, 50%+ retention on subscriptionsThe discipline of proving small bets before scaling Why they chose e-commerce over retail (and the cash flow reasons behind it) Guest Bios:Scott Turner and Nick Lagonia are the co-founders of Dawnbreaker Oats, a high-protein instant oatmeal brand.They met in 2016 while working at Peloton and launched their first brand in February 2024. After realizing theiroriginal positioning wasn't resonating with customers, they completed a full rebrand in seven weeks,relaunching as Dawnbreaker Oats in September 2024. They're currently in the middle of raising their secondround of funding while building an e-commerce-first CPG business. I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    55 min

  6. FEB 4

    SE01E30 - Why everything lives in the founder's head - and how to fix it | AE&Co | Aveline Elfar

    Most founders think their bottleneck is marketing or sales. It's not. It's operations. Aveline Elfar spent six years managing franchise operations before discovering that online businesses were drowning in even more operational chaos. Now, as a fractional COO specializing in health and wellness brands, she helps six and seven-figure founders reclaim 10+ hours per week through strategic automation and process optimization. Her philosophy? "Clarity is kindness." Whether it's customer journeys, SOP databases, or team communication, unclear systems create friction, missed deadlines, and founder burnout. In this episode, we explore:The top 3 operational problems in 7-figure e-comm brands (and how to fix them)Why "everything lives in the founder's head" is killing your growthThe House Analogy: Operations as piping, sales as waterProcess documentation vs. process automation (and when you need each)How to maintain SOPs without them becoming obsolete in 6 monthsThe "definition of done"—why your team isn't failing, they just don't know what complete looks likeA shocking example: A founder doing 6 figures per month still answering Slack messagesHow to test your processes "under pressure" before rolling them outWhy building your own process database might be doing yourself a disserviceHer favorite tech tools: ClickUp, ActiveCampaign, and ZapierClient retention rate as the ultimate operations metricWhether you're drowning in customer service tickets, constantly pulled into the weeds, or building systems thatnever get used, this conversation offers a clear path to operational clarity Connect with Aveline Here: Website: avelineelfar.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aveline-elfar-479aa767/Instagram: @avelineelfar.co I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    42 min

  7. JAN 28

    SE01E29 - Why this founder invested $1M in his own production line | FigBrew | Andy Whitehead

    Andy Whitehead traded physics research for a technology company, sold that to Samsung, and then decided to jump into the food and beverage space with FigBrew - a coffee alternative made from roasted figs. Unlike most early-stage CPG founders who work with co-packers, Andy has invested over $1 million into building his own production facility. He's even started his own fig farm, creating a vertically integrated operation from soil to shelf. In this episode, we explore:Why Andy chose to build his own production line instead of using co-packers (and when this makes sense)The shocking sustainability statistics behind coffee (spoiler: your daily cup requires 20 trees per year)How fig coffee uses 1/8th the water and 1/13th the carbon footprint of traditional coffeeWhy "nobody pulls out their wallet for sustainability" - and what actually drives purchasesLessons from selling his previous company to Samsung and building for acquisition from day oneHow to transition from hard science thinking to the qualitative world of consumer insightsHis favorite metric for measuring business health (hint: it's not what you think) Whether you're considering in-house manufacturing, building a sustainable brand, or navigating an unconventional path into CPG, Andy's story offers a refreshing perspective on what it takes to build something lasting. Guest Links:FigBrew: figbrew.comAndy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-whitehead-7653146 I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    51 min

  8. JAN 21

    SE01E28 - Should You Still Be CEO? | WOO More Play | Mackie Swan

    Most founders avoid this question until it's too late: Should you still be the CEO of your own company? Mackie Swan was brought in by the three original founders of WOO More Play—a sexual wellness brand sold in Anthropologie, Nordstrom, and Revolve—to scale a business they realized they shouldn't be running day-to-day. Three years later, she's taken the business to profitability while navigating the complex world of "vice categories." This isn't a conversation about sexual wellness products. It's about a decision many founders will eventually face: Am I the right person to be running the company I founded? In this episode, we explore:The "Capacity vs. Desire" framework: How to know if you've outgrown the CEO roleWhat the transition process actually looks like when bringing in an outside CEOHow to structure compensation and equity to align incentivesWhy procrastination might be telling you you're in the wrong roleHow to hire people who will actually tell you when you're wrongWhat "vice categories" means and the hidden operational challenges (PayPal froze $50K+ of their funds overnight)Why Mackie tracks EBITDA daily instead of typical vanity metricsThe difference between being a founder and being a CEO—and why they're not the same thing Whether you're a founder questioning your role, considering bringing in outside leadership, or an operator thinking about joining an early-stage brand, this conversation offers rare insight into a transition most founders don't talk about until it's too late. Guest Links:WOO More Play: woomoreplay.comInstagram: @woomoreplayLinkedIn: Mackie Swan I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Nate and the Profits on Purpose podcast team Connect with Nathan Littlewood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/Visit the Future Ready CFO website here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/Join the Future Ready Newsletter here: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/newsletter Listen to Profits on Purpose on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1h3U1cG0zhaSwqa8f2UFXIApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087Amazon Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profits-on-purpose/id1826982087 #profitsonpurpose #nathanlittlewood #futurereadycfo #financeleadership #cfoinsights #purposeledbusiness #scalingforimpact #financialstrategy #purposeledprofit #missiondrivengrowth #sustainablebusiness #businessleaders #entrepreneurmindset #financialclarity #scalingbusinesses #ethicalentrepreneurship #businessstrategy #impactfulleadership #cforole #executivethinkingWelcome to the Profits on Purpose podcast, where we explore the journeys of purpose-led founders and the financial strategies that help them survive and thrive. Host Nate Littlewood sits down with eCommerce and CPG founders to unpack the real-life tension between a brand's mission and the practical realities of generating profit.

    54 min
See All (35)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Profits on Purpose Podcast! New episodes weekly.

Information

  • Creator
    Nate Littlewood
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Nate Littlewood

You Might Also Like