In this episode of From Vision to Creation, Alexander sits down with Joe Nicchi, founder of CVT Soft Serve, for a funny, honest, and deeply insightful conversation about entrepreneurship, risk, creativity, and what it really takes to turn a simple idea into a national brand. Joe’s journey did not begin with ice cream. He moved to Los Angeles at 18 to study theater at USC and pursue a career in film and television. But after realizing that the soft serve he grew up loving in upstate New York was almost impossible to find in LA, he decided to create it himself. What started as frustration turned into a 1961 Mister Softee truck, a simple menu of chocolate, vanilla, and twist, and eventually a brand now found in thousands of stores, stadiums, universities, theme parks, and concert venues across the country. In this conversation, Joe shares how CVT Soft Serve grew from one truck in Los Angeles into a national CPG brand. He opens up about the early challenges of getting an old food truck up to code, making only $60 on his first day in business, and learning everything as he went. Without a traditional business plan, Joe built CVT through persistence, momentum, trial and error, and a deep belief in the product. We also dive into some of the wild moments that helped shape the brand’s growth, including catering for Hollywood productions, taking on influencer culture with his viral “Influencers Pay Double” sign, getting CVT into Jeff Bezos’s kitchen, and realizing that soft serve could become something much bigger than a truck. Joe shares how that realization eventually led him to the idea of putting soft serve in a pouch—an innovation that began with empty breast milk storage bags at home and turned into a patented process that helped bring CVT to grocery stores nationwide. Joe speaks candidly about the reality behind entrepreneurship: the fires, failures, manufacturing challenges, self-doubt, luck, and long days that people rarely see. He talks about why social media is only the highlight reel, why people need to be willing to fail and look foolish, and why the biggest lessons often come from the moments that feel like disasters at the time. At a time when many people want instant success, Joe makes a powerful case for patience, persistence, and doing the unglamorous work. From sweeping sprinkles off a broken ice cream truck floor to seeing CVT sold at major venues like SoFi Stadium, Gillette Stadium, LEGOLAND, Live Nation amphitheaters, and the Indy 500, his story is a reminder that nothing meaningful happens overnight. This episode is for anyone building a business, launching a product, chasing an unconventional idea, or trying to keep going through the messy early stages of a dream. 🎙️ Hosted by Alexander Schmieding In this interview, you’ll learn: How Joe Nicchi went from studying theater to founding CVT Soft Serve Why he started a soft serve truck in health-conscious Los Angeles What made CVT’s simple chocolate, vanilla, and twist concept stand out How his “Influencers Pay Double” sign became an international viral story How CVT ended up in Jeff Bezos’s kitchen Why Joe says the business grew through momentum, not a formal plan How breast milk storage bags inspired the original soft serve pouch idea What it took to turn soft serve into a portable grocery product How CVT grew from 27 stores to 6,000 stores Why getting on the shelf is easier than getting customers to buy How demos, word of mouth, and Live Nation helped grow brand awareness Why Joe believes entrepreneurs should be more honest about luck What his $60 first day in business taught him Why failure, persistence, and looking foolish are part of building something real How he thinks about patents, manufacturing, and protecting a product idea Why nothing worthwhile is easy What advice he would give to young entrepreneurs afraid to start Why Joe wishes he had enjoyed the highs more along the way Episode Resources: https://cvtsoftserve.com/ https://www.instagram.com/cvtsoftserve https://www.instagram.com/fromvisiontocreation https://www.tiktok.com/@fromvisiontocreation https://www.instagram.com/alexschmieding Subscribe for more conversations with visionaries turning ideas into reality. This podcast is brought to you by Proper Placement — a full-service marketing agency helping businesses grow through social media, paid advertising, website design, email campaigns, and more. Learn more at www.properplacement.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
