Innovator Insights

Innovator Insights
  • 5.0 (3)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This podcast celebrates the visionaries, the risk-takers, and the disruptors who are shaping the future of consumer product innovation and e-commerce. We love to spotlight consumer product entrepreneurs, e-commerce titans, and sustainability champions to share their insights and expertise. Think you'd be a great guest on our show? Apply at https://podcast.gembah.com/podcast-guest-home-page.

  1. 21H AGO

    35 - From Kitchen Table Idea to "Shoes for RVs": Devon Wilson's Journey with RV Snap Pads

    What happens when a father-son conversation at the kitchen table resurfaces an old invention and accidentally creates an entirely new product category? In this episode of Innovator Insights, Henrik Johansson sits down with Devon Wilson, Founder and CEO of RV Snap Pads, a Calgary-based company that makes what Devon calls "shoes for your RV." These snap-on pads, made from recycled semi-truck tires, provide grip, stability, and protection for RV leveling systems, replacing the old solution of wood blocks and loose plastic. Devon shares how the idea started with his father, one of the original inventors of the iconic orange leveling blocks that RVers have used for over 30 years. After a rough experience that pushed the family out of that original venture, a kitchen table conversation reignited the idea, and Devon ran with it. The first prototype was built on a shoestring budget just to see if, as Devon puts it, "anybody quite frankly gave a damn." They did. Feedback from early RV owner groups was overwhelmingly positive, revealing unexpected benefits like vibration dampening that stabilized entire motorhomes. From there, Devon built the product line almost entirely by listening to customers, adding new SKUs only when waitlists hit critical mass. But the road hasn't been smooth. Devon is candid about cycling through six or seven contract manufacturers, the whiplash of COVID-era demand they couldn't fulfill, over-correcting with too much inventory, and the constant tension between growth and operational stability. Now, with two strong manufacturing partners and nearly 6 million pounds of recycled rubber kept out of landfills, the company is finally ready to hit the gas, with big-box retail conversations on the horizon. Whether you're bootstrapping a physical product, navigating supply chain chaos, or wondering how to build a brand that customers genuinely love (they have a customer on their seventh set of Snap Pads), this episode is packed with real-world lessons on resilience, customer obsession, and knowing when to push forward versus when to stabilize.

    38 min

  2. JAN 29

    34 - Bootstrapping to $180M: Maxed Credit Cards, SEO Hacks, and The "Dishwasher Moment" with Mathias Ihlenfeld

    How do you go from selling 13 bikes in year one to building a global brand with over $180 million in revenue? Mathias Ihlenfeld, founder of Woom Bikes, didn’t start with a massive VC check. He started with a side hustle while working as a consultant, building the business at night and on weekends. In this episode, Matthias reveals the unvarnished truth about scaling a physical product company—from the terrifying cash flow crunches that left him unable to fix his own dishwasher, to the "zero to one" SEO marketing hack that exploded his sales. In this episode, we cover: The Side Hustle Strategy: How Matthias managed a consulting career by day and built a global bike brand by night to extend his runway.The "Dishwasher Moment": The reality of 300% YoY growth, where revenue is high but cash is gone—leading to maxed-out credit cards and liquidated retirement funds.The SEO Growth Hack: How Matthias went from 13 sales to 1,500 by reverse-engineering what "concerned parents" typed into Google.Brand vs. Amazon: Why avoiding Amazon early on and focusing on fanatical customer service (including founder cell phone calls) created a "love brand".Navigating Risk: Lessons from a product recall and why entrepreneurs should "over engineer" safety compliance. Tune in for a masterclass on bootstrapping, resilience, and customer obsession.

    52 min

  3. JAN 15

    33 - Mission Over Money: How Kevin Broderick Built a Global Safety Brand and Exited After 15 Years

    What does it take to turn a scientific concern into a household name? Join us as we sit down with Kevin Broderick, the entrepreneur behind Think Baby and Think Sport. Raised in a household of scientists and inventors, Kevin combined his background in biophysics and epidemiology with a passion for entrepreneurship to solve a massive consumer problem: toxic chemicals in everyday products. In this episode, we discuss: The Power of Experience: Why a mentor advised Kevin to work at startups, mid-sized firms, and major corporations like Dell before launching his own enterprise.The "Little Black Book": Kevin’s method of recording every idea, from digitized bathtubs to parachutes for planes, and how it shaped his thinking.Mission-Driven Growth: How focusing on the safety mission—specifically creating BPA-free baby bottles—accidentally led to building a great company.Guerilla Sales Tactics: The "West Coast Tour" where Kevin and his head of sales drove from San Diego to Vancouver, averaging 6 to 10 meetings a day to get products on shelves.Navigating the Exit: Why Kevin chose a lower acquisition offer to ensure his brand’s mission and product safety remained intact under new ownership.The Next Frontier: Kevin’s current work with Trixie (sustainable, waterless beauty) and Atomico (vitamin-infused water with a STEM-education focus). "We were on a mission... we weren't going to worry about building a great company or selling it down the road... if we stayed focused on the mission, we might accidentally build a great company."

    59 min

  4. JAN 1

    32 - He Built a Circular Economy Business 23 Years Before It Was Cool

    What does it take to build a profitable, purpose-driven company without venture capital? In this episode of Innovator Insights, Henrik Johansson sits down with Dan Dicker, Founder & CEO of Circular, to unpack a 23-year journey of building a design-led business rooted in sustainability, long before the circular economy became mainstream. Dan shares how his background at Dyson shaped his approach to product design, why dyslexia became a hidden entrepreneurial advantage, and how Circular grew organically from a backyard shed into a global leader in reusable and returnable drinkware. You’ll also hear a deep dive into Circular’s Tap & Reuse system, an RFID-powered platform designed to eliminate single-use cups by making reuse seamless, habit-forming, and measurable. From consumer psychology to return-rate data, Dan explains why systems, not guilt, drive real behavior change. Key themes covered:Why organic growth beat venture funding for Circular Designing products from waste materials, before it was trendyHow constraints fuel innovationThe psychology behind reuse vs. depositsBuilding technology around physical products to unlock scaleWhy failure isn’t just acceptable, it’s essentialIf you care about product innovation, sustainability, or building a business that lasts, this episode is packed with insight. If you care about product innovation, sustainability, or building a business that lasts, this episode is packed with insight.

    39 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    31 - From Agave Straws to AI: Rethinking the Restaurant Supply Chain

    Patrick Bishop didn’t start with a pitch deck. He started with a truckload of agave straws, and a decision to bet on himself.   In this episode, Patrick, Founder & CEO of Reroute Americas and Reroute AI, shares how a sustainability insight turned into a fast-growing hospitality supply business, and why inefficiencies in restaurant inventory management pushed him to build an AI platform from scratch.   We talk about: Why sustainable products don’t have to cost moreHow a hurricane wiped out 40% of the business, and forced a pivotWhat hospitality gets wrong about inventory, forecasting, and wasteHow AI can reduce over-ordering while improving ESG reportingThe moment Reroute shifted from distribution company to tech company A candid look at building in a legacy industry, and redesigning systems most people accept as “just how it works."

    35 min

  6. 11/20/2025

    30 - Making “Unsexy” Products Stand Out: The Power of Experience-Led Marketing

    Patrika Alis Cheston joins Innovator Insights to break down a topic every founder needs but few talk about: how to market products that aren’t naturally “sexy.”   From legal tech to compliance tools to infrastructure no one ever sees, Patricia has built a career turning complex, overlooked, or “boring” offerings into memorable, experience-driven campaigns. In this conversation, she shares how brands can stand out by focusing less on funnels and more on how people feel when they interact with you.   We dig into: Why experiential marketing works even for the driest industriesHow to create emotional relevance for technical productsThe danger of over-focusing on features instead of the human problemThe rise of authentic, human-led marketing in an AI-saturated landscapePatricia’s journey through startups, agency life, and women in techHow democratized entrepreneurship is reshaping access and opportunity Whether you're building a tech platform, a hardware product, or a service company, Patricia’s insights will help you rethink how your brand shows up, and why the experience around your product might matter more than the product itself.

    31 min

  7. 11/06/2025

    29 - From Restaurants to Retail: How Jeff Norling Built Henning Lee on Relationships, Not Algorithms

    Jeff Norling’s entrepreneurial path didn’t start in a boardroom, it started in the kitchen.   After years of running family-named cafés across Minnesota, Jeff took the leap into consumer goods, launching Outset, a brand that redefined grilling accessories for specialty retailers. Today, as founder of Henning Lee, he’s building a product company rooted in craftsmanship, personal connection, and staying small by design.   In this episode, we explore: How Jeff transitioned from hospitality to hard goods, and found his nicheWhy deep factory relationships are a competitive advantage in modern manufacturingThe hard truth about tariffs and the unpredictability they bring to small businessWhy he believes founders shouldn’t build brands on “rented land” A story of reinvention, resilience, and the art of relationship-driven growth.

    37 min

  8. 10/23/2025

    28 - Building Society Brands: Data, Grit, and the Future of Entrepreneurship

    From dropping out of music school to building a multi-brand powerhouse, Michael Sirpilla’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. In this episode of Innovator Insights, Michael shares how Society Brands scaled through disciplined execution, smart acquisitions, and an unshakable focus on data-driven decisions. We discuss: Why obsession (not balance) fuels successThe mindset shift from employee to founderHow to build long-term brand equity beyond AmazonWhat it means to “let the results decide”Why consistency beats talent in entrepreneurship A candid look at what it really takes to build, scale, and sustain in today’s competitive consumer space.

    41 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

This podcast celebrates the visionaries, the risk-takers, and the disruptors who are shaping the future of consumer product innovation and e-commerce. We love to spotlight consumer product entrepreneurs, e-commerce titans, and sustainability champions to share their insights and expertise. Think you'd be a great guest on our show? Apply at https://podcast.gembah.com/podcast-guest-home-page.

Information

  • Creator
    Innovator Insights
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Innovator Insights
  • Show Website
    Innovator Insights