Eating Glass – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Eating Glass

Will Nitze (IQBAR) + Joe Lemay (Rocketbook)

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/12d. Total Eps: 13

Welcome to Eating Glass! It's a podcast where we ask startup founders the questions no one else will. Our goal? Reveal what it's actually like to start, scale, and exit a company. Hosted by Joe Lemay, who bootstrapped his reusable notebook company Rocketbook to a $50M exit and Will Nitze, Founder/CEO at IQBAR, a nutrition company he's taken to $40M+ in annual revenue.

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
17/02/2026
#94
🇬🇧 Great Britain - marketing
03/02/2026
#79
🇨🇦 Canada - marketing
27/03/2025
#75
🇨🇦 Canada - marketing
01/01/2025
#92
🇨🇦 Canada - marketing
31/12/2024
#58

Spotify

No recent rankings available

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49WJfHWoDLs&amp
19 shares

https://ramp.com/250-signup-bonus?utm_source=podcast&amp
2 shares
https://bodaciousbrands.beehiiv.com/p/introducing-bodacious-brands
2 shares
https://www.annemahlum.com/
1 share

RSS feed quality and score

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 79%

Publication history

Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.

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Latest published episodes

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Tom First (Nantucket Nectars & Culture Pop) | Juicing a $100M Beverage Brand

Episode 13

Wednesday, July 31, 2024 • Duration 01:08:36

We delve into the journey of Tom First, founder of Nantucket Nectars & Culture Pop. Discover the challenges and triumphs of building a beloved brand, the importance of authenticity in product development, and the lessons learned from navigating the beverage industry. Tom shares his experiences from the early days of creating a juice company that redefined the market to the strategic decisions that led to its success. Learn about the critical moments that shaped Nantucket Nectars, the philosophy behind making a product to be proud of, and the personal and professional dynamics of co-founding a business. Tom also discusses his new venture, Culture Pop, and how it continues his passion for creating innovative and healthy beverages.

Sponsors:

Ramp

IQBar - Amazon

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Brand Building Challenges
[00:00:34] Meet the Hosts
[00:02:00] Introducing Sponsors
[00:02:45] Welcome Tom First
[00:04:00] Culture Pop Origins
[00:06:30] Early Business Lessons
[00:08:00] Nantucket Nectars Beginnings
[00:10:45] Defining Soda and Seltzer
[00:15:00] Early Business Challenges
[00:17:30] Competing with Big Brands
[00:20:00] Building a National Brand
[00:21:45] Importance of Storytelling
[00:24:00] Key Decisions in Business
[00:27:00] Impact of Selling Business
[00:31:00] Moving Beyond Nectars
[00:34:00] Investor Dynamics
[00:37:30] Post-Nectars Ventures
[00:43:00] Developing Culture Pop
[00:49:00] Market Positioning
[00:52:30] Raising Capital
[00:54:00] Future of Functional Soda
[01:00:00] Advice for Entrepreneurs
[01:02:00] Building a Strong Team
[01:05:00] Personal Impact of Business
[01:07:00] Defining Success Today

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Will Nitze is the Founder & CEO at IQBAR - America's leading "brain + body" nutrition startup. With minimal funding, Will has taken IQBAR from zero locations and zero in revenue in 2018 to 10,000+ doors and a projected $50 million in sales in 2024.

Joe Lemay founded Rocketbook with business partner Jake Epstein. After being featured on “Shark Tank”, where the sharks passed on a chance to invest – Joe would go on to grow Rocketbook and sell it to BIC for 40 million dollars just three years later.

Connect with Tom:

Culture Pop: https://drinkculturepop.com/
X: https://x.com/drinkculturepop

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-first-532ab55/

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Mike Beckham (Simple Modern) | Missionary turned $225M drink-ware mogul

Episode 12

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 • Duration 01:39:11

Join us as we sit down with Mike Beckham, the co-founder and CEO of Simple Modern, a company that has gone from challenger to incumbent in the drinkware industry with a unique blend of style, quality, and philanthropy. Mike shares his journey from the nonprofit world to building a $250M+ profitable business, emphasizing the importance of mission-driven entrepreneurship. Discover how Simple Modern's commitment to giving away 10% of their profits has not only shaped their company culture but also fueled their remarkable success. This episode is packed with insights on scaling, maintaining a strong organizational ethos, and the real meaning behind business excellence. Don’t miss out on this inspiring conversation that goes beyond business to explore deeper questions of purpose and impact.

Sponsors:

Ramp

IQBar - Amazon

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Scaling and Overstimulation
00:00:25 - Welcome to Eating Glass
00:02:45 - Introduction to Mike Beckham
00:03:45 - Nonprofit World Insights
00:05:45 - Business with Dual Purposes
00:07:45 - Impact of Previous Experiences
00:09:00 - Quality of Life Insights
00:11:00 - Money and Contentment
00:12:00 - Responsibility and Trade-offs
00:13:45 - Rapid Company Growth 00:16:00 - Working with Family 00:17:45 - Business Partnerships 00:19:00 - Product Longevity Surprises 00:21:15 - Breaking Growth Barriers 00:22:30 - Sales Channels Expansion 00:23:00 - Drinkware Market Fragmentation 00:24:45 - Fashion and Trends 00:25:45 - Domestic Manufacturing 00:26:15 - Oreo Principle 00:27:45 - Challenges of Growth 00:29:45 - Entrepreneurship Motivations 00:31:00 - Market Opportunities 00:33:45 - Customer Satisfaction 00:34:45 - Amazon Strategy 00:36:15 - Product Excellence 00:38:00 - Digital Tools Advantage 00:40:00 - Brand Evolution 00:42:00 - Pricing Strategy 00:43:00 - Operational Excellence 00:45:15 - Competitive Advantages 00:47:00 - Challenger Brand Strategies 00:49:00 - Value and Quality 00:51:00 - Growth and Inventory 00:53:00 - Product Trends 00:55:00 - Licensing and Customization 00:57:15 - Focus vs. Variety 00:58:45 - Scaling and Distribution 01:00:15 - Strategic Insights 01:02:15 - Direct Response Marketing 01:04:00 - Business Model and Philanthropy 01:07:00 - Motivating the Team 01:10:00 - Building Organizational Values 01:12:45 - Financial Discipline 01:15:00 - Banking Relationships 01:18:00 - Forecasting and Growth 01:20:00 - Collateral and Credit 01:22:45 - Rapid Fire Questions 01:24:15 - Entrepreneurial Truths 01:25:45 - Startup Myths 01:27:15 - Personal Value Proposition 01:28:45 - Biggest Mistakes 01:30:00 - Personal Life Impact 01:32:45 - Long-Term Impact 01:35:00 - External Validation 01:36:15 - Hiring Strategy 01:37:30 - Cultural and Character Moats 01:39:00 - Wrapping Up

Mike Fata (Manitoba Harvest) | Building a $419M “Hempire”

Episode 3

Monday, April 22, 2024 • Duration 54:22

Mike Fata, founder of Manitoba Harvest, shares his incredible journey from high school dropout to building a $419 million hemp empire. Discover the lessons he learned while navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, from humble beginnings to scaling a business, managing successful exits, and embracing servant leadership. Mike's insights on passion, persistence, and personal growth will inspire and motivate you on your own entrepreneurial path.

Chapter Titles:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:05:16 - Starting Manitoba Harvest
00:07:34 - Early Guerrilla Marketing
00:11:56 - Scaling to $1 Million
00:15:10 - The Path to $10 Million
00:19:05 - Trademark Battles
00:21:25 - Challenges of 24/7 Manufacturing
00:22:18 - Navigating the First Exit
00:27:44 - Life After Partial Exit
00:29:54 - The $419 Million Exit
00:32:14 - Investing Philosophy
00:34:20 - Finding Deals
00:36:10 - The Evolution of CPG - Mike's Portfolio Insights - A Tough Lesson Learned - Rapid Fire Questions - Balancing Entrepreneurship and Single Fatherhood - Servant Leadership - Conclusion

Preston Rutherford (Chubbies Shorts) | Small Shorts, BIG Exit

Episode 2

Sunday, April 21, 2024 • Duration 01:19:13

Welcome to the first episode of Eating Glass!

In this inaugural episode, ho sts Will Nitze and Joe Lemay sit down with founder Preston Rutherford to dive into his journey starting his company ‘Chubbies’ and how he (and his friends) pioneered some of the raddest, most weekend-built gear ever.

From the benefits (and drawbacks) he experienced by having co-founders and being in a niche product category – to how he managed headwinds, tailwinds and ultimately, to how he successfully exited, you’ll get access to every stage of Preston’s startup journey!

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Intro
[00:09:00] The Early Days of Chubbies
[00:12:21] Funding Chubbies
[00:16:00] How Co-Founders Drove Chubbies' Success
[00:22:10] Polarizing Products and Brand Salience
[00:27:36] Expanding Channels, Facing Headwinds
[00:33:26] Adapting to Fashion Trends & Seasonality
[00:40:40] Maintaining the Spark During Growth
[00:50:44] Navigating Multiple Exit Attempts
[00:56:00] Earned Secrets & Regrets
[01:11:00] Priorities After the Acquisition
[01:16:10] Final Thoughts

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Welcome to Eating Glass

Episode 1

Friday, March 8, 2024 • Duration 00:32

Welcome to Eating Glass

Peter Rahal (RXBAR & David Protein) | The $600M Man Gets Back Into Bars

Episode 11

Wednesday, June 26, 2024 • Duration 01:15:54

Joe and Will sit down with Peter Rahal, co-founder of RXBAR, to delve into his journey from a challenging school experience to creating one of the most iconic protein bars on the market. Peter shares how early adversity shaped his relentless drive, the innovative approach behind RXBAR's success, and the pivotal moments that led to a $600 million exit to Kellogg's. Tune in to hear valuable insights on product development, navigating the nutrition bar market, and the importance of embracing failure.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Peter Rahal's early challenges

[00:03:00] Harnessing adversity

[00:08:00] The origin of RXBAR

[00:14:00] The importance of product iteration

[00:23:00] Scaling without external funding

[00:32:00] The legendary rebranding of RXBAR

[00:45:00] The decision to sell

[01:00:00] Launching David

[01:12:00] Rapid fire

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Connect with Peter:

Anne Mahlum (SolidCore) | Non-Profit to $100M+ Fitness Phenom

Episode 10

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 • Duration 01:00:53

In this episode of Eating Glass, we sit down with Anne Mahlum, founder of Back on My Feet and SolidCore. Anne shares her incredible journey from growing up in North Dakota with an addict father, to starting a running club for the homeless, and ultimately building a nationwide fitness empire. Discover how Anne’s personal struggles fueled her drive to create impactful businesses, and learn the secrets behind scaling and maintaining a successful company. Tune in to hear about her unique approach to community building, overcoming challenges, and her vision for the future.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Anne's Early Life and Challenges

[00:00:11] Podcast Introduction

[00:01:40] Ramp Sponsorship

[00:02:40] Anne's Background

[00:04:15] Starting a Running Club

[00:06:00] Scaling Back on My Feet

[00:07:52] Discovering Pilates and SolidCore

[00:09:55] Early Stages of SolidCore

[00:11:00] Building Community in Fitness

[00:12:15] Nonprofits vs. For-Profits

[00:13:30] Marketing and Brand Niches

[00:15:15] Retention and Success Metrics

[00:16:30] Brick and Mortar Challenges

[00:18:45] Scaling and Geographic Expansion

[00:21:00] Vertical Integration and Innovation

[00:23:00] Community Building Strategies

[00:25:30] Trust and Customer Relationships

[00:27:15] Fitness Trends and Resilience

[00:31:00] Selling a Company

[00:35:15] Taking Money Off the Table

Will Nitze (IQBAR) | Blitzscaling Brain Food to $50M+/year

Episode 9

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 • Duration 55:28

We're getting meta as Joe interviews Will!

Will Nitze is the founder and CEO of nutrition company IQBar. He shares his unconventional journey of growing his CPG business. Will discusses the importance of focusing on operational excellence and scaling quickly by taking calculated risks. He also dives into his contrarian approach to hiring, fundraising, and going to market, emphasizing the value of trust and taking advantage of opportunities others may deem too early. Throughout the conversation, Will offers candid insights on the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, the future of IQBar, and his personal aspirations beyond this venture.

[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:03:04] Will's background and starting IQBar
[00:08:45] Early days of product development and manufacturing
[00:14:35] Fundraising strategy and dilution
[00:17:37] Measuring repeat purchase rate and customer retention
[00:18:50] Marketing strategy and growing the business
[00:20:21] Using Kickstarter
[00:24:19] Expanding product lines
[00:29:30] Breaking conventional wisdom
[00:34:50] Building a team and thoughts on nepotism
[00:38:17] LinkedIn strategy
[00:40:39] Thoughts on selling
[00:50:28] Rapid fire questions

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Chris Hunter (Four Loko & Koia) | An Alcohol Icon Hard-Pivots to Health

Episode 8

Wednesday, May 29, 2024 • Duration 01:14:55

Chris Hunter, of Four Loko & Koia, shares his wild entrepreneurial journey. From the meteoric rise and regulatory battles of Four Loko to launching the plant-based protein drink Koia, Chris gets personal about the challenges of building businesses in highly regulated industries. He discusses lessons learned from tumultuous business partnerships, the decision to vertically integrate, and how personal growth and reflection have shaped his leadership style. Chris also opens up about his upbringing and how it instilled the grit and resilience needed to overcome entrepreneurial adversity. Tune in for a candid conversation on the realities of building iconic beverage brands.

Chapters

[00:00:00] - Introduction
[00:02:58] - Chris Hunter's Background and Companies (Phusion Projects and Koia)
[00:05:04] - How Success Has Changed Chris
[00:12:56] - Chris's Early Years and Troubled Past
[00:16:39] - Grit and Resilience in Entrepreneurship
[00:17:46] - Navigating Identity as the "Four Loko Guy"
[00:21:36] - Lessons Learned from Business Partnerships
[00:29:26] - Operating in Highly Regulated Markets
[00:33:57] - Challenges of the Ready-to-Drink Beverage Industry
[00:36:20] - The Decision to Vertically Integrate
[00:40:51] - The Koia Journey: Vision and Evolution
[00:44:51] - Humility, Ego, and Confidence in Entrepreneurship
[00:50:45] - Harnessing Emotions as Entrepreneurial Fuel
[00:58:28] - The Role of Coaches, Peer Groups, and Psychedelics in Personal Growth
[01:03:11] - Writing a Candid and Personal Book
[01:11:17] - Rapid Fire Questions
[01:14:16] - Conclusion

ABOUT THE HOSTS:

Sean Riley (DUDE Wipes) | The $150M+ Man Wiping America’s Asses

Episode 7

Wednesday, May 22, 2024 • Duration 01:05:48

Sean Riley, CEO and co-founder of Dude Wipes, shares the story of how he and his friends started the company from their apartment with the goal of creating a better way to wipe. He discusses the challenges of bootstrapping the business, building the bold and irreverent Dude Wipes brand, and scaling the company to over $150 million in revenue. Sean dives into topics like viral marketing, focus and saying no, hiring, company culture, and his long-term vision for Dude Wipes. An insightful and entertaining look at building an iconic CPG brand.

[00:00:00] - Intro and Origin Story
[00:04:21] - Starting Dude Wipes
[00:08:12] - Bootstrapping Out of Necessity
[00:11:10] - Founder Dynamics and Goals
[00:13:00] - Developing the Dude Wipes Brand
[00:18:25] - Hiring Consultants vs Employees
[00:23:15] - Dude Wipes Company Culture
[00:25:11] - Word of Mouth Marketing
[00:28:46] - Making Butt Wipes Fun
[00:31:13] - Brand Positioning and Moats
[00:33:00] - Evolving Brand and Gender Dynamics
[00:36:56] - Defining the Dude Wipes Enemy
[00:39:30] - Personal Branding Benefits
[00:42:51] - Building to Sell vs Cash Flow
[00:48:00] - Acquisition Interest and Market Trends
[00:52:06] - Focusing on the Core Business
[00:57:45] - Rapid Fire Questions
[01:04:56] - Wrap Up