Join Hayden Thomson as he hosts The Pack Heavy Podcast, a must-listen show for business owners and operators competing in the CPG and food processing industries. Featuring insightful interviews with industry leaders and special guests, this podcast shares valuable knowledge on the challenges, failures and successful strategies that have shaped their businesses. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, tune in weekly to help prioritize what matters most and take your business to the next level.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
Tuesday Jan 25, 2022
The vast majority of you may already be familiar with Suzie and Love Good Fats - A quick Google or LinkedIn search will render some fantastic in-depth articles and interviews on her hyper growth business, leadership, marketing and professional career for you to digest.
Because of this, I decided to take a different approach for this interview and reached out to LinkedIn with a question: "If you had the chance to sit down with a food based CPG founder who had grown their business to $100 Million of revenue in 3 Years and closed well over 10M in financing - what would you most want to know?"
In this episode, Suzie generously provides us with some really insightful and in depth answers to 8 questions from real food based CPG founders and people embedded in the industry just like you!
Suzie York has arguably built one of the most interesting businesses to dissect and learn from in recent food based GPG history, and it was an honor to have had the opportunity to sit down with and share a drink with Suzie over the course of this interview.
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Web: https://www.lovegoodfats.ca/
LinkedIn: Suzie Yorke
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Futurpreneur Canada : http://www.futurpreneur.ca/packheavy
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
In June, 2021 I was fortunate enough to interview Natalie Schneck (episode 29) where we touched on the state of the Canadian printing industry & marketplace, a little on what the market is demanding from printers & how they are accommodating these demands.
Today's episode with Kelly provided a great refresher for us all on the direction that the print industry in flexible packaging space is heading in 2022 - what we can expect to see, how it will impact your business and the decisions that you can make for your packaging project.
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Canflexographics President and CEO, Kelly Roberts has been with the corporation for over 20 years and is responsible for new technology and product research, supplier recruitment, as well as selection of key industry partners. Kelly’s extensive education and experience in the printing field enables him to provide practical knowledge and key insight within all aspects of the industry.
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LinkedIn: Kelly Roberts
Email : kelly@canflexo.com
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Futurpreneur Canada : http://www.futurpreneur.ca/packheavy
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Monday Jan 10, 2022
Monday Jan 10, 2022
I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to interview such a wide variety of skilled, confident and highly regarded entrepreneurs so willing to share their stories on this show - and this interview is no different.
Lori gives us all the inside scoop (what?) on her childhood, the impact and value that exposing her youngest son to the business has provided, and most importantly for us all.. the ins and outs of Betterwith.
Lori discusses the current Frontfundr, equity crowdfunding campaign that is currently underway at Betterwith (the why and benefits of crowdfunding), some brand building and marketing tips (hint: get out of your own way and get into the spotlight), as well as what she wanted / didn’t want to build into Betterwith after what was learned from the experience of her first business - the famous ‘Cupcakes’ (co-founded with best friend Heather White) of which the hit reality TV Show 'The Cupcake Girls' was born.
There’s a lot in this show for you all - but there was so much more that we needed to discuss so hold onto your spoon.. a second helping of Betterwith will be coming very soon
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Founded in 2016 and with 6 SKUs in the freezer, Betterwith Ice Cream is made the Old-World way - with full-fat cream and simple ingredients without tons of sugar or any gums.
The team at Betterwith is a small group of super-smart, ice cream obsessed, industry experts that were first introduced to Betterwith as customers. Today, collectively they’re on a mission to become Canada's premium ice cream company.
Betterwith Ice Cream can be found in the Western Canadian grocery market (Whole Foods, Safeway, Nesters, Choices and Thrifty’s to name but a few) - Post raise, their target is to reach 500+ locations by the end of 2022 and $1M in revenue.
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Web: https://www.betterwith.com/
LinkedIn: Lori Joyce
Email : lori@betterwith.com
Equity crowdfunding campaign @ FrontFundr : Invest here
Dr. James Richardson : Ramping Your Brand: How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Futurpreneur Canada : http://www.futurpreneur.ca/packheavy
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
On today’s show Aaron and I kick off 2022 with a great conversation focused on the CHFA’s past, present and future. A really great episode for those of you who are in need of an industry network refresh, or are new to the food based CPG world and sitting on the fence about becoming a CHFA member and all of the benefits and programs that you can leverage to further accelerate your business.
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Formed in 1964 from a grassroots community of health food pioneers, the Canadian Health Food Association is Canada’s largest national trade association dedicated to the natural health and organic products industry.
The association represents manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, growers and importers of natural and organic products, including foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal products, homeopathics, sports nutrition products, fibers and health and beauty aids.
The CHFA represents more than 1,000 business owners and operators within an industry that contributes $3.5 billion to the Canadian economy.
Vancouver
- Conference : April 21-22, 2022
- CHFA Now trade show : April 23-24, 2022
Toronto
- Conference : Sep 15-16, 2022
- CHFA East trade show : Sep 17-18, 2022
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Web: https://chfa.ca/
LinkedIn: Aaron Skelton
Email : askelton@chfa.ca
Become a CHFA Member : here
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Futurpreneur Canada : http://www.futurpreneur.ca/packheavy
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Tuesday Dec 21, 2021
Located in Kelowna, BC and along with business partner and COO Martin McDermott, Babz was launched in January 2021 with two Gluten-Free Flatbread mixes and more recently 5 new Plant-based Meat Alternative SKUs.
Their mission is to provide high-quality, easy-to-prepare plant-based foods. Their products consist of seeds and grains, are high in protein and fibre and are incredibly easy to prepare - just add water, beer or wine.
In this episode we cover Myrna’s startup story at Babz from the lightbulb moment right through to where the business is today. We discuss Myrna’s approach to obstacles, early sales and marketing, along with some great discussion on leadership and workplace culture.
Myrna has owned and operated successful real estate brokerages and consulted for over 20 years in the areas of communication, leadership, and entrepreneurship. It's with this unique and specific skill set that Mynra has been able to develop Babz into the fast moving startup that we are witnessing today.
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LinkedIn: Myrna Selzler Park
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Futurpreneur Canada : http://www.futurpreneur.ca/packheavy
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Thursday Dec 09, 2021
Richard generously shares an hour of his time with us to discuss his entrepreneurial story / itch that emerged as a young child and followed him right through to the development of the idea and execution behind Ener-C towards the end of 2013.
Among many things we cover Richards immensely intimate knowledge of Vitamin C (its history and the science behind its benefit to our health and wellbeing), Richards strong founding team and the impact that they have had to the brands early and continued success, their strategy to compete against a dominant and resource rich competitor, their promotion and marketing strategy AND approach to market research and the key criteria required before a new flavour hits the shelves.
It was a pleasure and honor having the opportunity to chat with Richard for an hour. His level of knowledge, real world experience and willingness to share on this episode puts it right up there as one of the best conversations to date for us all to learn from.
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Pauling Labs is a Canadian company who manufactures a range of natural wellness consumer brands including Ener-C. They pride themselves on their high quality and unique products that are committed to the health and the well-being of their consumers.
Ener-C is produced with pure, non-GMO and bioavailable vitamins, minerals and real fruit and vegetable powders that dissolve easily in water for maximum absorption. The production of Ener-C involves a rigorous testing process to ensure quality and purity (including the absence of any heavy metals or pesticides)
Their brands are distributed globally in North America, Central America, UK, Asia, and Australia.
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Web: https://www.tryenerc.com/
LinkedIn: Richard Pollock
The Forum : https://www.theforum.ca/
DL Chicken : https://www.dlchickenshack.ca/
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsor
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
Thursday Dec 02, 2021
On this week's episode Rebecca and I have a great chat about packaging design, brand identity and strategy, knowing your market and the fundamentals that need to be baked into a successful product launch & marketing campaign. We dig into budget (where $$ can be typically spent & saved), trends that come and go and how iconic & established brands manage to evolve their aesthetic to stay relevant without diminishing their roots.
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Launched in 2015, Rebecca along with co-founder Alejandro and the team at Pivot and Pilot are a collective of visual communicators and strategists that use a blend of design, animation and illustration to create engaging and unique brand experiences.
Their primary focus is helping brands in the food, fashion, beauty and wellness industries stand out and capitalize on their first impression.
Definitely check out their Youtube channel for some genuinely insightful and fun content on Branding, Packaging and E-Commerce all built for a business owner / operator just like you!
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Web: https://pivotandpilot.com/
Youtube: Here
Email : rebecca@pivotandpilot.com
One Night Stand Up Comedy Youtube Channel
ST ALi Coffee - Brand Identity
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsor
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Marc generously gives us the inside scoop on the Susgrainable startup story covering early market testing and validation, the unique process of collecting and working with spent Barley grains, their current sales strategy, approach to scaling, hunting for the right investors and much more!
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Susgrainable is redefining what it means to have a sustainable business model within the food industry by specifically leveraging technology and partnerships to create an Upcycled Barley Flour from what was previously considered waste in the beer industry.
Founded in June 2018 - Marc & co-founder Clinton Bishop currently operate out of East Vancouver and have partnered with local craft breweries to create Upcycled Barley Flour from brewers' spent grain. The Upcycled Barley Flour is used to produce a variety of baking mixes (you must check out their new Banana Bread Mix) and premium baked goods available in select retailers in the Vancouver market.
For 20% off at the Susgrainable checkout use the promo code: PACKHEAVY20 until December 6th
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Web: https://susgrainable.com/
Email : hello@susgrainable.ca
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsor
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com
Friday Nov 19, 2021
Friday Nov 19, 2021
On today’s milestone episode, what better person to share a recap with than with a great friend of mine Brad Bodnarchuk.
We discuss some key takeaways and common themes that have cropped up, some personal growth that has occurred and what I have planned for The Pack Heavy Podcast.
If you would like to support the show a rating & review would mean the world, as well as feedback on a few things:
- Who has an amazing business and life story that needs to be told?
- What key topics would you like to see highlighted or more of?
- What grinds your gears and needs to stop? (my accent is an asset.. Jerk)
Thank you for all of your continued support. I hope that the podcast has brought as much value to your life and business as it has to mine - I love bringing something to you each week and plan on continuing to do so for some time yet!
Hayd
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Brad helps individuals and businesses create what he calls a culture of excellence by focusing on the systems, habits and most importantly the mindset required to dominate their lives and businesses.
Brad's coaching program is called “Life, the recipe” and it’s for you if you:
- Lack follow through on your vision, goals, or mission
- Wake up each and every day without a plan
- Are frustrated / overwhelmed / anxious / stressed / confused
- Know what “needs” to be done but can’t seem to do it on your own
So, if you're willing and able to invest time and energy into the work that is necessary to create a recipe just for your life, I recommend that you click right here and book a free strategy session with Brad to see if this is for you.
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Web: https://www.bradbodnarchuk.com/
Email : brad@bradbodnarchuk.com
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsor
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
Thursday Nov 11, 2021
Operating out of Fisherman's Wharf, False Creek and the fishing docks in Steveston, BC Organic Ocean is a direct from the source supplier that primarily offers Pacific Northwest seafood caught from either their own fleet or partner vessels.
They sell to many high-end restaurants within North America and Asia, either direct or through a small premium distributor network.
Sparked by the pandemic in April 2020, Organic Ocean launched their online “Organic Ocean at Home” program delivering fresh seafood to homes in and around the Greater Vancouver Area.
In early 2021, they extended their reach to include Quebec and every province west of Quebec through the launch of an overnight / next day delivery service - providing seafood lovers across the country with access to the same great fish that has been largely exclusive to those who live on the west coast.
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Guy graduated from University of British Columbia with a degree in Marine Zoology and has been involved in the seafood Industry for over 30 years in many roles including farmer, harvester, fisher, processor and distributor.
He started his seafood career involved in helping operate an independent salmon farm and hatchery on the West Coast of Vancouver Island and has worked on fishing vessels in Canada and Australia as well as a commercial diver and harvester in Japan.
He worked for over 15 years in the Primary Processing side of the West Coast seafood industry – including stints in production, sales and management.
Guy is passionate about supporting and promoting the consumption of sustainable seafood and particularly the long-term viability of the seafood industry.
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Web: https://organicocean.com/
LinkedIn: Guy Dean
Chris Voss - Author of Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
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Please support this podcast by checking out our show sponsors
FoodPak: https://www.foodpak.com/
Brad Bodnarchuk : https://www.bradbodnarchuk.com/new-strategy-session
Leave a review, rate the show and if you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear from you : hayden@thepackheavypodcast.com