Taste Radio BevNET Inc.

The New York Times recently hailed Graza’s “sizzle” variety as “the best all around olive oil that you can buy in a store.” It’s the latest high-profile praise for the brand, which launched in 2022 and is beloved for its chef-inspired, squeezable green bottles. While acclaim for Graza has become commonplace, its popularity among influencers has led some to mock it as “the Instagram olive oil.” 
Occasional derision, however, is fine with co-founder and CEO Andrew Benin. Being aligned with one of the world’s most popular social media platforms is a good thing, he says, and should be celebrated.
Since its debut, Graza, which markets extra virgin olive oil sold in “sizzle” and “drizzle” varieties, has been a constant presence in the pantries and kitchens of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok influencers. Virality has helped the brand generate millions of dollars in direct-to-consumer sales and supported its presence at national retailers, including Whole Foods, Target and Walmart. According to a recent CNBC report, Graza expects to bring in over $48 million in gross sales by the end of 2024.
We sat down with Andrew for a conversation about how Graza has inspired authentic and fervent enthusiasm for its products on social media, how the company has maintained relationships with influencers “at scale” and how taking a bet on the upside has guided its demand planning strategy. He also explains why he describes Graza as an “early team-led company” versus a founder-led one and shares his nuanced perspective on profitability.
Show notes:
0:35: Interview: Andrew Benin, Co-Founder & CEO, Graza —Andrew and Taste Radio editor Ray Latif recall their first conversation as part of an episode of BevNET & NOSH’s Elevator Talk and discuss The New York Times’ coverage of Graza. Andrew talks about the impact of creating a “memorable action,” how his lightbulb moment occurred in the shower, why he describes working for other entrepreneurs as part appreciation and part envy, and why he views Graza as a “best supporting actor.” He also explains why social media needs to be “a part of your brand’s DNA at inception, how the company’s social media strategy and team have evolved, the importance of hiring people that are motivated and nimble, why the development of Graza’s refill cans addressed several consumer and operational challenges, and his belief that “ you shouldn't get too much credit for being profitable and not knocked for being unprofitable.”
Brands in this episode: Graza, Dr. Bronner’s, Magic Spoon 

It’s rare for a five-month-old CPG brand to be featured in the checkout aisles of one of the world’s largest retailers. But Katie Lefkowitz, the founder and CEO of Harken Sweets, an upstart brand of plant-based, better-for-you candy bars, made it happen.
Prior to launching Harken, Katie was the chief operating officer of Caulipower, helping the cauliflower-centric brand generate $100 million in sales annually within four years of its launch.
In 2022, she set her sights on the confectionery space with the goal of creating a brand that rivaled legacy players like Snickers in terms of taste and texture, but made with significantly less calories and sugar and enhanced with functional ingredients. Harken was the result. The brand debuted earlier this year and comes in three varieties: the Crunchy One, the Gooey One and the Nutty One. 
Last month, Walmart added Harken’s Crunchy and Nutty varieties to 3,500 of its locations across the U.S. The retailer merchandises the candy bars in the cash register aisles of its stores next to category stalwarts like Twix and Payday.
In this episode, we speak with Katie about how a personal crisis led her to create Harken, how she drew upon her professional experience to develop the candy bars, and how she secured and prepared for a pitch meeting with Walmart. She also explains why the category buyer said “yes” almost immediately, balancing a healthy margin with a reasonable everyday price and how the company is supporting sales growth at Walmart.
Show notes:
0:42: Is That My Daughter In There? CPG Heroine (Check The Spelling). Aye, Poppi. – A local brand feeds the beast(s) just before the staff lunch, which, for some, becomes unnecessary. The hosts reveal their favorite moments of BevNET Live (the pen of judgment!) and discuss the ramifications of a high-profile class-action lawsuit. They also binge on boba (not popping) pearls.
22:43: Interview: Katie Lefkowitz, Founder & CEO, Harken Sweets – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif professes his passion for Harken; Katie talks about how cancer impacted her dietary habits and her perspective of “food as medicine.” She also discusses the challenges of developing a candy bar that can compare to ones like Snickers, why it’s imperative for entrepreneurs to be honest with themselves about taste and how package design influences retail strategy. Katie also talks about how Walmart buyers are empowered to “own their sets,” why understanding how the retailer operates was valuable information, how the popularity of GLP-1 drugs factored into Walmart’s decision and how a minor degree in consumer psychology helps guide her assessment of the CPG landscape.
Brands in this episode: Dumpling Daughter, Poppi, Twrl Milk Tea, Heath-Ade, Bai, Harken Sweets, Caulipower

Jocko Willink admits that he made mistakes during his time in the military. The retired Navy SEAL lieutenant commander, author and entrepreneur says that, in some cases, his errors led to circumstances in which “things went terribly wrong.”
Certainly, it’s difficult to compare the experiences of leading soldiers on the battlefield and running a CPG company. But Jocko, who is the founder of better-for-you beverage and supplement brand Jocko Fuel, believes that in any situation when mistakes occur, it’s important for the person in charge to take ownership, figure out a solution and find a way to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again.
That perspective is a core tenet of Jocko’s leadership style, which guides Jocko Fuel. Born as Jocko Tea in 2018, the brand has evolved into a CPG platform that markets several product lines, including energy drinks, protein shakes, greens powder and hydration beverages. Jocko Fuel has a nationwide retail footprint and is carried at grocery chains H-E-B, Meijer and Wegmans along with GNC, The Vitamin Shoppe and 7-Eleven.
We sat down with Jocko for a conversation about the development of Jocko Fuel, including why having a “military mindset” means more than you might think and how his personality and beliefs are embedded into every aspect of the brand. He also talks about empowering his team to navigate the complexities of running a modern consumer brand and its alignment with private equity firm Goode Partners, which invested $30 million in Jocko Fuel in 2022.
Show notes:
0:35: Interview: Jocko Willink, Founder, Jocko Fuel – Jocko explains his daily reading habit, why he wakes at 4:30 AM each morning and how that routine has benefited him as a soldier and entrepreneur. He also explains how his military experience taught him to approach every situation with an open mind and to listen to feedback, the reason that Jocko Fuel energy drinks contain less caffeine than competing products, and why he isn’t managing the brand’s retail strategy. Jocko also explains what he means by “extreme ownership,” why he believes that the buck always stops with him, his perspective on competition, the influence of company investors on management decisions,his role in the promotion of Jocko Fuel, and the brand’s pricing strategy.
Brands in this episode: Jocko Fuel

Have non-alcoholic cocktail menus gone the way of the BlackBerry? Milan Martin thinks so, and he has good reason to believe it.
Milan is the founder and CEO of The Free Spirits Company, a brand of hand-crafted, non-alcoholic spirits and RTD cocktails. Founded in 2020, the company markets zero-proof bourbon, gin, tequila, amaro and vermouth, along with a canned margarita and Kentucky mule. Milan’s vision is not to replace spirits from consumers’ drinking occasions, but to empower them – and bartenders – with the optionality to create no- or low-proof cocktails, depending on their mood and setting. 
Free Spirits products are produced using a process it describes as “distillate reconstruction.” The company sources natural ingredients – American white oak, European juniper, and Mexican blue agave, to name a few – and distills their essences while reconstructing the nose, flavor notes and mouthfeel of traditional spirits. Vitamins B3 and B6 are also added to enhance the consumption experience.
In our interview, Milan talks about the “aha” moment that led him to create The Free Spirits Co., why flavor improvement is a process, how to convince someone who didn’t like a product the first time to give it a second try, and why he’s bullish on the brand’s RTD cocktails.
Show notes:
0:35: Community, Class, Clouds and Cookies – BevNET’s director of community Melissa Traverse joins the show and chats about recent and upcoming episodes of Community Call and the hosts collectively talk about valuable content for early-stage founders at BevNET Live Summer 2024. They also munch on mood-boosting, freshly baked cookies (and some crispy ones, too) and highlight Cloud Water’s new look energy drinks along with a new flavor variety for a sparkling tea brand.
22:20: Interview: Milan Martin, Founder & CEO, The Free Spirits Co. – Milan shares recommendations for Philadelphia restaurants, before Taste Radio editor Ray Latif shares an anecdote about the popularity of non-alcoholic cocktails in Boston. Milan explains why he undertook “zero” market research when developing Free Spirits, why cocktails generate irrational behavior (but not in the way you’re thinking) and the most common reasons that people buy his products. He also quotes Netflix founder Reid Hoffman when discussing flavor development, why niche retailers are a big part of the brand’s consumer trial strategy and why building strong relationships with the hospitality industry has helped the company compete with deep-pocketed brands
Brands in this episode: The Free Spirits Co., Fancypants Baking Co., Doughpamine, Bang, Oathaus, Honey Mama’s, Cloud Water, Sarilla, Seedlip, Ritual Zero

Despite major strides taken by a new generation of bold entrepreneurs and brands, Black-owned food and beverage companies still face persistent headwinds getting on the shelves of mainstream supermarkets, finding significant investment,and scaling long-term.
From a consumer and an equity standpoint, this is untenable. A significant slice – 14% – of American consumers are Black. We know that there are Black founders out there but they are not necessarily making their way into our consciousness or on the radar of much of the established CPG structure. 
As a resource for all founders, Taste Radio, in collaboration with Quentin Vennie, the co-founder and CEO of beverage brand Equitea, has developed a special series that highlights conversations on various aspects of the challenges felt by all entrepreneurs filtered through the experience of Black founders. We also discuss the ways that the environment has changed, and how it has not, as well as identifying resources that our founders may not yet realize exist. 
In this first edition of the series, we sat down with Quentin, Partake Foods founder Denise Woodard and Ibraheem Basir, the founder of A Dozen Cousins, for a roundtable discussion that explores the foundational reasons that each started their brands, how modern Black-owned brands are extending a legacy of Black entrepreneurship, ways in which they are building their companies’ culture to reflect their own, and the impact of Black-owned and ethnic-themed brands in expanding the audience for natural and organic foods.
Show notes:
0:35: Quentin Vennie, Equitea; Denise Woodard, Partake Foods; Ibraheem Basir, A Dozen Cousins – Quentin discusses the origins of the special series and the goals he hopes to achieve; Ibraheem and Denise talk about their respective families history in entrepreneurship, before Quentin explains how the creation of Equitea is partly rooted in his inability to find products that represented him or his culture. Ibraheem and Denise discuss the impact of their experience in corporate CPG companies in the development of their brands; they also explain what gave investors and retailers confidence to “place a bet” on their brands. The trio also talk about how the ebb and flow in how the CPG industry supports Black founders via diversity initiatives and why Quentin was unable to benefit from an initiative intended to support BIPOC entrepreneurship. Ibraheem explains how culture influences all aspects of A Dozen Cousins; Denise talks about incorporating a holistic perspective on culture into Partake Foods; Quentin discusses how black founders in food & beverage can collectively and independently help each other be successful. Ibraheem talks about “the sticky part” of racism and how it affects fundraising; Denise highlights the challenges faced by investment funds that are focused on women- and minority-owned businesses and the trickle down effect on brands like hers; and all three founders explain what they hope to leave as a legacy.
Brands in this episode: Equitea, Partake Foods, A Dozen Cousins

If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a retail buyer or merchandiser, this episode, in which we sit down with key executives representing mass, specialty and natural grocery retail chains, is required listening.
Will McDonald, the Vice President DMM - Beverages for Walmart; Kristin Alas, a Category Manager for Gelson's; and Brian Albert, a Sr. Category Manager for Sprouts, reveal how each retailer evaluates emerging brands, assesses innovation and trendy ingredients, and cultivates successful relationships with founders.
Show notes:
1:10: Interview: Will McDonald, VP DMM - Beverages, Walmart – Will talks about how he cut his teeth at Walmart in the retailer’s gift card section, why “being choiceful” in managing assortment is “the bedrock of what we do,” and why Walmart is interested in meeting with as many potential suppliers as possible. He also explains why he prefers in-person introductions to emails, how long it takes from an initial meeting to getting product on-shelf and the value of working with brands that are sold in a limited number of Walmart locations. Will also engages in some category word association (RTD coffee, energy drinks, mid-calorie soda, RTD cocktails, functional beverages, kombucha/chilled beverages, kids’ beverages) and answers a question about Walmart’s ability to influence how kids’ beverage brands formulate their products.
23:35: Interview: Kristin Alas, Category Manager, Gelson's – Kristin explains why Gelson’s wants to be known as a place for discovery of new brands and novel concepts, why uniqueness is key to her buying strategy, and her interest in products made with adaptogens and added functionality. She also discusses her interest in adding new products to Gelson’s stores on a monthly basis, the reason brands stay on shelf and best practices for enhancing trial and awareness. Kristin also talks about why she urges founders to email her and not send unsolicited samples, what she covets in package design and why she encourages brands to launch at Gelson’s.
35:20: Interview: Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Sprouts – Brian talks about how Sprouts has become a hub for new and innovative brands and how he defines innovation, while sharing an example of a brand that captured his attention and why it was given placement in all Sprouts stores. He also explains how the retailer assesses taste, why organic ingredients are a “table stakes” attribute, what to highlight and what you shouldn't say in a pitch meeting. He also shares the lead time to get into Sprouts’ innovation center and what makes for a great working relationship between founder and retail buyer.
Brands in this episode: Good Dirt, Juni, Happy