Treyd Secrets: Supply, Sales and Scaling Treyd.io

The plant-based food industry is booming, and we caught up with Sara Berger, CEO of Sproud, “the alternative to the alternative” in dairy alternatives. Discover Sproud's relentless commitment to taste, health, and sustainability while navigating the challenges of scaling a new brand in a fiercely competitive market. Sara explains the ins and outs of the food industry, from distribution to branding, and how young consumers are driving innovation in the space.


Timestamps:


00:55 Sara’s background and the Sproud story03:30 2022 wins and Sproud’s European playbook04:25 +30 country expansion and operation 07:30 Scaling a food brand in a world of giants15:00 Young consumers and next gen plant-based 19:30 Planetary boundaries and food innovation22:40 From Big Corp to mission-driven scaleup25:25 The customer feedback-loop challenge for wholesale29:45 Why the Pea protein is the hero of the product 31:00 Sparking brand emotion 33:50 Achieving profitability in the food space 38:08 Sara’s number one trade secret: Keep it simple 

Mantle has achieved cult status in the skincare industry, but like every success story, the journey to getting there was filled with challenges, grit, and a keen ear for customer feedback. We sat down with Josefin Landgård, CEO and co-founder of Mantle, to hear about her entrepreneurial journey, which also includes co-founding the healthcare unicorn Kry. The episode dives into the success of Mantle, from tech-inspired product development, to building a love brand to securing VC funding in trying times. 


Timestamps:


01:15 Josefin’s entrepreneurial journey04:45 Disrupting healthcare at unicorn Kry06:40 The Mantle story and mission09:20 The pandemic inception of Mantle16:05 Sprint to skin: tech-inspired skincare development21:00 Building loyalty and a love brand23:40 Sourcing the right ingredients 26:40 Finding the right suppliers27:39 The diverse Mantle channel mix30:00 Nailing VC funding against all odds34:30 The future of Mantle35:20 Josefin’s number one trade secret 

The episode features Stuart Worgan, fractional CFO and co-founder of eClarity. Peter and Stuart discuss the intricacies of financial management in e-commerce. Stuart shares some juicy benchmarks for the most important financial KPI:s for e-commerce and explains the importance of deeply understanding unit economics and setting up a robust financial framework. From the significance of product market fit and founder qualities to the complex dynamics of channel mix, inventory management, and customer acquisition costs, Stuart emphasizes the necessity of financial clarity and foresight. The conversation highlights strategies for negotiating with suppliers, optimizing cash flow, and the potential benefits and challenges of going multi-channel. 


00:10 Meet Stuart Worgen: The financial Godfather of e-commerce02:47 Building a world-class finance team for e-commerce04:47 Decoding the financial success formula for e-commerce brands06:13 The art of product market fit and customer experience07:57 Diving deep into e-commerce unit economics12:27 Strategies for optimizing e-commerce margins19:46 The importance of understanding your marketing metrics26:47 Exploring the marketing mix and customer retention27:54 The shift to multi-channel strategies32:01 Navigating the complexities of multi-channel sales38:08 Understanding the financials: Balance sheets and more42:40 Optimizing supply chain and production46:43 Achieving financial clarity in e-commerce50:42 Stuart’s number one trade secret

In this episode of Treyd Secrets, host Peter Beckman interviews Alicia Shaffer, the self-taught e-commerce expert, and founder of Three Bird Nest, a bohemian-style apparel brand. Alicia shares her journey to success from losing everything and almost being a million dollars in debt to becoming one of the top-selling brands on Etsy.


Alicia attributes her achievement to her relentless hard work and the incessant desire to continually learn more about e-commerce, from algorithms and SEO. Adapting to her customers' preferences and tailoring the brand to reflect their desires has been key success factors. Alicia underscores the importance of creating and applying systems to every aspect of a business to track growth effectively and diagnose issues promptly. She emphasized the need for strategic product pricing and understanding the true cost of offering a product or service.


01:13 Alicia Shaffer’s journey to founding Three Bird Nest02:58 The birth of Three Bird Nest and its initial success04:19 The Importance of an exit strategy 08:27 The growth of Three Bird Nest and overcoming challenges16:45 The power of A/B Testing and listening to your customers20:43 The reality of success and the importance of hard work26:18 The transition from Etsy to independent retail28:02 The art of risk management and trust building28:38 The power of relationships in business31:38 The importance of asking for help32:21 Understanding unit economics and pricing33:06 The journey from debt to orofit43:17 Transitioning from Etsy to D2C45:29 The future of Three Bird Nest
Got questions? Please contact secrets@treyd.io or visit www.treyd.io 

In this episode, Peter Beckman sits down with Jacob and Victor Eriksson, brothers and co-founders of the viral TikTok sensation and growth phenomenon, Boxbollen. The innovative duo share their incredible journey from 0 to 30 million USD revenue in 5 years. The episode covers the full journey from the conception of their unique head tethered boxing ball game, to achieving global stardom and venturing into the US market in 2022 and doubling sales in 2023. Dive into the discussion to uncover the secrets behind their skyrocketing sales, the supply chain behind extreme Christmas sales peas and building a successful influencer marketing strategy with top tier profiles. 


Jacob and Victor also share their future vision, underpinned by their overarching mission to bring joy and movement to people's lives. Packed with valuable insights, this episode is a must-listen for anyone keen on entrepreneurship, marketing, and scaling startups.

Timestamps:


01:39 Starting out and developing the core product 03:30 The DTC and influencer strategy 07:00 How Christmas became the Boxbollen specialty09:13 Signing John Terry, their first big influencer name12:33 Going big in the US 14:40 The liquidity issue of for a Christmas centric sales cycle15:39 The 2023 US launch thriller19:08 Securing and launching an influencer collaboration23:00 Supply chain challenges and being local25:40 Growing production from 3,000 to 1,4 million units29:40 Channel strategy, DTC vs retail and local variations33:00 The future, the mission and the community sport40:00 The next product launch 41:40 2024 goal: 2 x selling 3 million balls45:23 Beverly Hills hustle48:34 Hyper growth and hyper focus50:50 Balancing business obsession and personal health 53:53 Jacob and Victor’s number one trade secrets

This Treyd Secrets features an insightful conversation with e-commerce and marketing veteran and thought leader Chloë Thomas. The discussion covers the power of ensuring  well connected marketing and inventory strategies. Chloe also dives into tackling overstock issues, highlighting the significance of strategic discounting to maintain business profitability and sustainability. The second half of the episode is focused around the increasing trend of e-commerce brands venturing into wholesale and the challenges around wholesale as a sales channel. 

Time stamps:



00:50 Chloë Thomas's Journey in e-commerce03:46 Fundamental marketing principles and the evolution of e-commerce and marketing05:53 The importance of stock management in E-commerce07:48 The interplay of marketing and inventory management13:42 The challenge of overstock and its impact on marketing17:45 Strategies for balancing brand promotion and overstock clearance24:47 The importance of seasonal stock management25:39 Understanding the cash flow in business26:16 Shifting from abundance to scarcity mindset27:12 Leveraging marketing strategies for stock management29:42 The shift to wholesale and its implications32:09 The role of wholesale in E-commerce37:27 The future of E-commerce and wholesale40:34 The challenges and strategies in managing wholesale40:58 The evolution of e-commerce businesses43:52 Chloë’s number one Trade Secrets


Got questions? Please contact secrets@treyd.io or visit www.treyd.io