What if the future of social connection isn’t about what’s in your glass, but how it makes you feel?

In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with J.W. Wiseman, founder of Curious Elixirs, to unpack a deceptively simple idea: the most powerful businesses don’t just solve a problem, they reimagine a behavior.

Curious Elixirs isn’t just a non-alcoholic beverage company. It’s a cultural intervention steeped in presence, intentionality, and the belief that rituals matter more than substances.

For founders, operators, creators, and marketers, this conversation is a masterclass in building something that doesn’t just compete but reframes the category entirely.

The Throughline: Build for How People Want to Feel

J.W.’s journey didn’t start with a market gap. It started with a personal inflection point: after a night of 20 drinks and no hangover, something felt off, not physically, but existentially.

That moment sparked a question that would define the business:

“What if drinking could feel just as meaningful, without the alcohol?”

That question became the foundation of Curious Elixirs, and it reveals the deeper throughline of this episode:

The best brands don’t just deliver a product. They design a feeling.

Curious isn’t selling beverages. It’s selling:

• Presence over numbness

• Ritual over routine

• Inclusion over exclusion — hello, thriving community

And that shift, from product to feeling, is where the opportunity lives for any builder.

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What Makes Curious Elixirs Different

J.W. didn’t set out to replicate alcohol. He rejected that premise entirely.

Instead, Curious Elixirs is built on three core principles:

1. Stack, Don’t Subtract
They don’t remove alcohol from existing drinks. They build from the ground up using botanicals, adaptogens, and flavor layering.

2. Occasion-Based Design
Each drink maps to a moment:

• A Negroni alternative for aperitivo hour

• A “beer” for post-workout refresh

• A red wine for unwinding

3. Flavor + Function
Every product is designed not just to taste good, but to do something:

• Calm focus

• Relaxation

• Social ease

This is a blueprint for modern CPG: utility meets experience.

Then vs. Now: Category Creation in Real Time

In 2015, the non-alcoholic category was essentially:

• Soda

• Water

• Juice

No menus. No rituals. No identity.

Today, it’s a movement.

But as J.W. points out, we’re still early:

“Maybe we’re 10% of the way there.”

That’s the opportunity—and the challenge.

Lessons for Founders, Operators, and Creators

1. Start With Personal Truth, Not Market Trends

The best ideas don’t come from spreadsheets. They come from lived experience. Jeff Boyd, Co-Founder, MTE, created the original formula out of his need to find a natural energy supplement without the negative effects of caffeine or stimulants.

J.W. didn’t ask:

• “Is there a market for this?”

He asked:

• “Why doesn’t this exist for me?”

That’s a more powerful starting point.

2. Design for the Occasion, Not the Category

People don’t buy products. They buy moments. Remember Eliza Blank, Founder, The Sill, who realized that ‘plants make people happy?’

Ask:

• Where does this show up in someone’s life?

• What replaces the habit you’re disrupting?

Curious wins because it understands the ritual of drinking, not just the act.

3. Build Culture, Not Just Distribution

From 100-city cocktail parties to community-driven events, Curious invests in belonging. Mark your calendar: May 13th is the Great Curious Cocktail Party.

Because in the end:

People don’t just want better products. They want places to belong.

4. Iterate Relentlessly (and Publicly)

J.W. openly admits the latest batch isn’t perfect.

That’s not a weakness, it’s a strategy.

• Listen deeply

• Adjust or iterate quickly

• Improve continuously

Perfection isn’t the goal. Progress is.

5. Ask Better Questions

For early-stage founders, J.W. offers a simple framework:

• What flavors do you love?

• What feels underserved?

• What already exists, and can it be better?

Curiosity isn’t branding. It’s operating discipline.

6. Community Is the Moat

Products can be copied. Community cannot.

Whether it’s:

• A sober bar

• A dinner party

• A shared experience

The real value is in the people, not the product.

“The community focus is what people are most thirsty for… you build it one customer at a time, one bar stool at a time.” - JW Wiseman

The Bigger Shift: From Consumption to Consciousness

This episode taps into something larger than beverages.

It’s about a generational shift:

• From excess → intention

• From escape → presence

• From isolation → connection

And that shift is opening entirely new categories.

Actionable Takeaways

If you’re building something, or contemplating, start here:

1. Run the “Feeling Test”
What does your product make people feel, and is that clear?

2. Map the Ritual
Where does your product live in someone’s day or life?

3. Build With Your Early Community
Your first 100 customers are your co-creators.

4. Start With Subtraction
What can your audience remove from their life—and what replaces it?

5. Stay Curious, Not Certain
The best founders aren’t the ones with answers.
They’re the ones asking better questions.

Closing Thought

Curious Elixirs isn’t trying to eliminate alcohol.

It’s offering something more interesting:

a choice.

And in that choice lies a powerful idea for any builder:

You don’t have to fight the old system.
You can create something people would rather choose.

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In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Sapreet Saluja, Executive Director of New York Cares, to discuss what it really takes to turn compassion into action at scale.

New York Cares is the largest volunteer organization in New York City, and Sapreet leads efforts to connect everyday New Yorkers with urgent community needs across the city, from winter coats and meals to tutoring, tax prep, senior support, and more. What made me think most was not just the size of the impact, but the operating system behind it: a thoughtful, human, and highly organized approach to service that any founder or operator can learn from.

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Sapreet’s background spans the private sector, civil rights, education, youth leadership, and community service, and that mix gives her a uniquely useful lens on leadership. We talked about how purpose is not something that belongs only in the nonprofit world. It can show up inside a startup, a brand, a team, or a business model, if you build it intentionally. That idea reminded me of the kind of leadership we’ve seen from entrepreneurs like Yvon Chouinard at Patagonia or Whitney Wolfe Herd at Bumble: leaders who’ve demonstrated that mission and business performance are not mutually exclusive paths. The best organizations, whether for-profit or nonprofit, make it easy for people to participate in something bigger than themselves.

Sapreet also broke down how New York Cares creates meaningful volunteer experiences by removing friction, designing for accessibility, and making sure there is a true fit between the need and the person showing up to help. As a quick reference, Sapreet and her team work with over 400 nonprofits, schools, and city agencies that support these vital causes! That part especially resonated with me because it applies far beyond volunteerism. The same principle is true when building a company, a podcast, or a team: if you want people to engage, you need to make it simple, clear, and emotionally rewarding to do so. In other words, impact is not just about having good intentions; it’s about building the infrastructure that helps those intentions move.

We also discussed what impact measurement really means. It’s easy to count inputs, but much harder to understand outcomes. That’s true in business, too. Are you just tracking activity, or are you actually changing someone’s life, work, or day-to-day reality? Sapreet’s perspective was a compelling reminder that meaningful leadership requires both heart and rigor. If you want to do good while doing well, you have to measure what matters, listen closely to the people you serve, and stay open to learning from the private sector without losing your values.

For me, one of the biggest takeaways was this: people are hungry to feel connected, useful, and part of something larger than themselves. Especially in a world with increased automation, and Ai becomes louder and louder by each passing minute.

That is true in New York City, and it is true in business. Whether you’re building a company, launching a project, or simply trying to be more intentional with your time, you can take a page from New York Cares by making service easier to access, more human, and more joyful. Start small, remove friction, invite others in, and keep asking whether your work is really creating the kind of impact you want to be known for. Or better yet, the world around you is reflective of your values.

🔑 Takeaways

• Make your mission easy to understand and easy to join.

• Measure outcomes, not just activity.

• Build for belonging, not just conversion.

• Look for ways your daily work can create real human connections.

• Borrow the best systems from business without losing the heart of your mission.

Daily Application

If you want to apply what Sapreet shared, start with one simple question: What is one way I can make it easier for someone to participate, contribute, or feel seen today? That could mean simplifying a process at work, checking in on someone outside your usual circle, volunteering a few hours, or making your own product or service more accessible. The point is not to do everything, it’s to build or create systems that make an impact on your everyday life.

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For decades, financial products have trained us to think in straight lines: save now, access later. Protection today, payout tomorrow. But Craig and his co-founder are challenging something deeper. Why is so much of our financial value locked in the future when real life is happening right now?

The origin of Kaleido Life comes from a deeply human moment, a sudden loss that exposed just how transactional and delayed traditional life insurance can feel. That spark led to a bigger question: what if the same system designed to protect your family after you’re gone could actually support you while you’re here?

And that’s where this episode becomes bigger than life insurance.

The Real Insight: Value Isn’t the Problem, Access Is

Craig reframes the entire category with a simple but powerful idea: most people’s wealth isn’t behind them, it’s ahead of them.

Traditional finance looks backward:

• Credit scores

• Income history

• Assets already accumulated

But Kaleido Life is asking: what if we underwrote people based on their future earning potential, not just their past?

That shift, from backward-looking to forward-looking, isn’t just relevant to insurance. It’s already reshaping multiple industries:

• Education → Income share agreements (betting on future earnings instead of upfront tuition)

• Creator economy → Platforms advancing cash based on projected revenue

• Housing → Shared equity models replacing traditional mortgages

• Fintech → Companies like Affirm are redefining how consumers access purchasing power

Kaleido Life is applying that same logic to one of the oldest, most untouched categories in finance.

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A Familiar Pattern: New Models Feel Obvious… After They Work

Craig’s comparison to Uber is more than a metaphor; it’s a blueprint.

At first:

• “Why would I get into a stranger’s car?”

• “Why would I trust an app with my transportation?”

Now:

• It’s second nature.

The pattern is consistent across disruptive businesses:

1. Skepticism

2. Early adopters

3. Evangelists

4. Normalization

Craig’s insight is that education often follows experience, not the other way around.

In other words: don’t wait for people to understand—give them something worth experiencing.

Practical Takeaways for Business Leaders

If you’re building, scaling, or trying to disrupt a legacy space or category, this episode is filled with applicable lessons:

1. Find trapped value
Every industry has it: capital, data, time, or access that’s sitting idle.
Your opportunity is to unlock it.

👉 Ask yourself: Where is value being underutilized in my industry?

2. Reframe the category, don’t just improve it
Kaleido Life isn’t making life insurance “better,” they’re reframing what it’s for.

👉 Instead of optimizing features, ask: What is this product actually meant to do, and is that still true?

3. Build for a different entry point
Traditional insurers target people looking for life insurance.
Kaleido Life targets people who need liquidity.

👉 Growth often comes from changing who you’re speaking to, not just what you’re offering.

4. Design for evangelism, not just adoption
Craig isn’t chasing millions of users on day one; he wants thousands who tell others.

This mirrors ideas popularized by author Seth Godin: small groups of believers can move markets.

👉 Ask: Would someone tell a friend about this tomorrow? If not, why?

5. Don’t over-index on skeptics
Every breakthrough sounds wrong at first:

• Cars replacing horses

• Streaming replacing cable

• Remote work replacing offices

👉 If your idea makes everyone comfortable, it’s probably not that new.

The Deeper Shift: From Protection to Possibility

What makes this conversation compelling isn’t just the product; it’s the philosophy.

Traditional life insurance is about protection against worst-case scenarios.

Kaleido Life is betting on something different:

• Funding a wedding

• Paying down debt

• Taking a dream trip

• Starting a new chapter

It moves the narrative from “What happens if I die?” to “What becomes possible while I’m alive?”

Why This Matters Now

We’re in a moment where people expect more flexibility from everything:

• Work is flexible

• Money is flexible

• Ownership is flexible

Financial products that don’t evolve toward access + optionality risk becoming irrelevant.

Kaleido Life could be an early signal of where that shift is heading.

Final Thought

The most interesting companies don’t just build new products; they challenge assumptions or long-held beliefs we didn’t even realize we had.

This episode is a reminder that sometimes the biggest opportunity isn’t creating something new…

…it’s unlocking new utility.

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That’s the quandary that sits at the center of the conversation I had with Jeff Boyd, Co-Founder, MTE (More than Energy). He is someone who has lived on both sides of the equation.

Before co-founding MTE, he helped scale a logistics company across 100+ countries, saying “yes” to opportunity before knowing how it would work. It’s the kind of scrappy, figure-it-out-as-you-go mindset you see in companies like Airbnb in its early days, say yes, then figure it out afterwards. That line of thinking worked. The company grew, thrived, and ultimately exited.

But here’s the twist: success didn’t feel like success.

Behind the scenes, Jeff was running on fumes powered by stress, caffeine, and the cultural belief that burnout is just the cost of ambition.

15% off Your MTE Purchase

And that realization became the basis for something entirely different, where obsession became a business.

From “Say Yes” to “Something’s Off”

In his first company, Jeff helped build a global operation by refusing to say no. A call from North Carolina? Yes. A shipment to France? Yes. Cape Verde? Sure—then figure out where it is.

That relentless bias toward action is something you’ll recognize in companies like Amazon, which obsess over the customer and then build the infrastructure to support them.

But while the business scaled, something else quietly broke: his energy.

Not the hustle. Not the drive. The foundation underneath it.

It’s a familiar story for high performers. You win externally while losing internally—and you don’t even notice until you stop.

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The Real Problem: Not Lack of Energy, But How We Get It

What Jeff discovered wasn’t just personal; it was systemic.

We’ve built an entire culture around stimulation over sustainability.

Coffee → energy drink → afternoon crash → repeat.

It’s a loop. A flywheel. And not the good kind.

Think about how Starbucks became a global staple, not just by selling coffee, but by embedding itself into daily ritual. Now layer in modern hustle culture, and suddenly energy isn’t optional; it’s survival.

But Jeff saw the gap:
What if energy didn’t have to come with a crash?

Building MTE: A Product That Starts With “No”

Where most brands begin with price points and margins, Jeff started somewhere else entirely:

“I just wanted to build the perfect product for myself.”

That meant saying no a lot.

• No caffeine

• No sugar

• No artificial sweeteners

• No cutting corners on ingredients (even expensive ones like saffron)

This is where the story starts to mirror brands like Patagonia, build with conviction first, optimize later. The product becomes the marketing.

And it worked.

Instead of chasing trends, MTE built something fundamentally different:

• Energy without spikes

• Focus without jitters

• Recovery is built into the experience

Not a quick fix, rather a system upgrade.

15% Off Your MTE Purchase

The Founder Advantage: Not Knowing the Rules

One of the most powerful threads in this conversation is Jeff’s “outsider advantage.” Sound familiar? Marcin and Amit from Mission Craft Cocktails also had the same epiphany and stance.

He didn’t come from the supplement industry. He didn’t know the “right” way to do things.

Which meant he didn’t inherit the same limitations.

It’s the same pattern we saw with Warby Parker disrupting eyewear or Dollar Shave Club rethinking grooming—fresh eyes create better questions.

And better questions lead to better products.

While others asked:

“How do we make this cheaper?”

Jeff thought:

“I didn’t start with price. I just wanted to build the perfect product for myself, and then we’d figure the rest out.”

That shift changes everything.

The Lesson Most Founders Miss

There’s a moment in the conversation that deeply resonates:

Jeff and his team did extensive research. Thousands of surveys.

Customers said:

“If it works, I don’t care how it tastes.”

Reality?
They absolutely cared.

It’s a classic founder lesson, one that companies like Netflix learned early when user behavior contradicted stated preferences.

People don’t always tell you the truth. Their actions do.

Instead of resisting that insight, Jeff leaned into it.
Made the product taste great.
Turned a weakness into a strength.

That’s the difference between a product people try—and one they stick with.

Redefining Energy (and Success)

Zoom out, and this isn’t just a story about supplements.

It’s about identity.

Who are you when you’re not running on stress?

What happens when your baseline isn’t burnout, but balance?

Jeff’s vision for MTE isn’t to win shelf space.
It’s to reshape how we think about energy altogether.

Not:

“How do I get through the day?”

But:

“How do I feel good while doing it?”

That’s a much bigger game.

So…Where Do You Start?

If you’re building something, or even just trying to rebuild your own energy, Jeff’s philosophy is surprisingly simple:

1. Stop Borrowing From Tomorrow

If your current system creates crashes, it’s not sustainable.
Whether it’s your business model or your daily routine—fix the foundation first.

2. Build (or Choose) for How You Want to Feel

Not just output, but experience.
Energy, focus, clarity, and recovery should work symbiotically, not against each other.

3. Start, Then Learn Fast

You don’t need a perfect plan. You need momentum.
Clarity comes from action, not overthinking.

At its core, this episode is a reminder:

You can scale a business.
You can win the game.

But if you’re not careful, you might build it on a system that can’t sustain you or isn’t authentic to you or aligned with your core fundamental values.

Jeff Boyd chose to rebuild that system, from the inside out.

And that might be the most valuable kind of entrepreneurship there is.

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In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Elizabeth Sobol, CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like catching up with a wise friend who’s lived a few lifetimes and learned and gained from each one.

Elizabeth’s story doesn’t begin in the C-suite. It started when she was a 13-year-old leaving home to follow her classical piano dream, chasing excellence with everything she had, until she made a realization that changed everything. Hearing peers who surpassed her technically, she made a decision that many high-achievers struggle to make:

She let go.

But instead of walking away from music, she moved closer to its impact, shifting from performer to champion of artists. That pivot led her to a decades-long career at IMG Artists and later Universal Music Group, where she helped shape the careers of world-class talent.

And yet, her most meaningful chapter may have started when she thought she was done.

From Achievement to Alignment

Four days into “retirement,” living in Florida, Elizabeth got a call about leading SPAC. Her initial reaction? Hard no.

But something nudged her to visit.

And that’s where the story changes.

She describes arriving in Saratoga Springs and feeling something click: a natural sense of belonging. Not ambition. Not a strategy. Something deeper.

That moment echoes a similar theme we’ve seen in leaders like Howard Schultz returning to Starbucks or Satya Nadella reshaping Microsoft, the shift from scaling success to stewarding purpose.

For Elizabeth, SPAC wasn’t just a role. It was a return to nature, to community, to service.

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Leadership as Service (Not Just Results)

One of the most striking throughlines in this conversation is how Elizabeth defines leadership:

Service first. Results second.

That wasn’t always the case. Early in her career, the language of business was about performance, metrics, and outcomes. Words like “gratitude” and “compassion” weren’t part of the vocabulary.

“Service is the word. It’s the lens through which I now understand everything I’ve done—and everything I try to do.” - Elizabeth Sobol

Today, they’re foundational.

And it shows up in the smallest details.

She shares a moment when a guest approached her on the SPAC grounds and said every single employee she encountered from the box office to ushers exuded kindness.

That’s not training. That’s culture.

It’s reminiscent of what Danny Meyer built at Union Square Hospitality Group: the idea that if you take care of your people, they take care of everyone else.

At SPAC, kindness isn’t a tactic. It’s the product.

Reinvention Is a Skill

Elizabeth calls herself “restless” in the best way.

Over 35 years at IMG, she continuously reinvented her role, expanding beyond classical music into broader cultural programming. She didn’t wait for permission; she followed curiosity.

That instinct, to evolve from within, is something we’re seeing across sectors today.

Think about Reed Hastings shifting Netflix from DVDs to streaming to content creation. Or nonprofit leaders rethinking delivery models post-pandemic.

The takeaway?

Longevity isn’t about staying put, it’s about staying in motion.

Access Is the Mission

If leadership is service, then access is the strategy.

Under Elizabeth’s leadership, SPAC has expanded from serving 5,000 students to over 60,000 annually. That includes:

• Free tickets for veterans and underserved communities

• Partnerships with over 100 local organizations

• Programs for individuals with disabilities

• Taking the arts into communities, not just asking communities to come to them

• In partnership with Skidmore College, SPAC creates immersive, intergenerational arts experiences like pairing students with older adults in community-based dance programs to combat isolation, foster connection, and measure the deeper social impact of the arts

This isn’t just programming, it’s equity in action.

And it aligns with a broader movement across institutions, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art expanding free access initiatives to leaders like Darren Walker pushing for cultural institutions to become more inclusive and community-centered.

Elizabeth puts it simply: “Those stages belong to everyone.”

The Business Case for Human Connection

In a world increasingly driven by automation and AI, SPAC is doubling down on something analog:

Human connection.

(Side bar: my personal thesis is we’ll see the automation pendulum swing back to more human connection — watch the micro!)

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Elizabeth points to emerging research showing that engagement with the arts activates empathy and compassion. In other words, experiences like concerts, dance, and storytelling don’t just entertain—they heal.

That idea is gaining traction across industries. Companies are investing in experiences, not just products. Communities are prioritizing spaces that bring people together.

SPAC sits at a unique intersection of nature, art, and community, all designed to create moments of awe.

And in Elizabeth’s words, what could be more important than that?

Building for the Next Chapter

Looking ahead, Elizabeth is focused on transforming SPAC into a fully year-round institution, anchored by a newly renovated 500-seat theater and expanded programming across culinary, literary, and healing arts.

It’s a reminder that even legacy institutions can and must evolve. Just like us as individuals.

Because stewardship isn’t about preserving the past.

It’s about making it relevant for the future.

Final Thought

There’s a moment in the conversation where Elizabeth reflects on luck vs. hard work. Her answer?

It’s both, but luck favors those willing to jump before they have all the answers.

For mission-driven leaders, that might be the takeaway:

Follow the pull. Do the work. Stay open to reinvention. And build something that serves more than just yourself.

Listen to the full conversation on your favorite podcast platform.

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On this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Amy Bett, co-founder and CEO of Melo, a non-alcoholic sparkling kava brand helping people unwind without the hangover, sugar crash, or regret.

What struck me most wasn’t just the product.

It was the posture.

Amy moved to Los Angeles without her family for a year to get Melo off the ground. She also recently slept in her Tesla for 15 days to personally demo product across three states when Melo launched into Sprouts Farmers Market, knowing she landed on the bottom shelf, and went store by store to make sure the product actually made it onto the floor.

These are just a couple of incredible examples of her determination and focus.

This isn’t a story about glamour.

It’s about grit.

The Insight: Replace, Don’t Remove

Amy didn’t set out to build a beverage empire.

She was a mom of three in her 30s who realized alcohol was slowing her down. She didn’t want to quit drinking entirely; she just wanted something that could “take the edge off” without ruining the next day.

That insight is powerful and very present.

We’re living in the era of:

• The rise of non-alcoholic spirits

• Functional beverages going mainstream

• Younger consumers redefining “social drinking”

• Retailers carving out space for better-for-you alternatives; functional beverages

Think about the explosion of brands like Athletic Brewing Company or the creator-led retail dominance of Feastables. They didn’t shame old categories. They created alternatives that felt culturally relevant.

Amy’s takeaway?

If you’re asking someone to give something up, you better offer something better.

That’s not just true for beverages.
It’s true for any startup disrupting an incumbent.

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Actionable Lessons for Founders

1. Stop Over-Strategizing. Start Shipping.

Amy admitted they got stuck in strategy early; tagline debates, positioning tweaks, endless refinements.

Her biggest hindsight lesson?

It’s all a hypothesis until the customer speaks.

Action step:

• Launch sooner than you’re comfortable.

• Talk to 100 real people.

• Adapt fast.

• Repeat.

You can’t A/B test your way to conviction in a vacuum. If you’re not embarrassed by your first version, then you launched too late.

2. Go Big Earlier (If You Believe in the Product)

Most emerging CPG brands grind through independents first.

Amy would do it differently.

She’d go straight for major retail because scale unlocks:

• Purchase order financing

• Credibility

• Better data

• Faster feedback loops

The risk? You'd better be confident in your product.

This mirrors what we’ve seen from brands that bet early on national chains instead of slow regional rollouts. Big swings create big data.

If your product converts when sampled, consider pitching higher up the food chain (no pun intended) sooner than you think you’re “ready.”

3. Demo Like Your Life Depends On It

Amy’s Tesla road trip wasn’t scrappy theater.

It was data acquisition.

She:

• She sometimes introduced herself as the founder.

• Watched real reactions.

• Listened to objections.

• Observed what flavors moved fastest.

• Verified repeat purchase behavior.

Via DTC, she’d even call abandoned cart customers directly.

That’s founder-level obsession.

In a world obsessed with paid ads and CAC dashboards, she went analog — do the unscalable things well.

Ask yourself:

• When was the last time I personally watched someone use my product?

• Do I know why someone didn’t buy?

• Have I asked what stopped them?

Your most valuable growth lever may not be another paid ads campaign; it may be one uncomfortable conversation with a consumer.

4. Product > Marketing (But Shelf Placement Matters)

Amy said it plainly:

Marketing can spark trial. Only product earns repeat.

This echoes what we’ve seen across contemporary brands: the ones that stick don’t just win on branding. They win by making a great product.

But here’s the nuance she highlighted:

Placement plays a huge part in brick-and-mortar retail.

Launching on the bottom shelf isn’t a death sentence but it demands hustle.

Think about the MrBeast story of walking into Walmart stores to make sure Feastables were actually on shelves.

Distribution isn’t the finish line.
It’s the starting gun.

Action for founders:

• Visit your stores.

• Meet managers.

• Check inventory.

• Don’t assume execution.

Retail is a living organism. Stay close to it.

5. Obsession Is Required. Loneliness Is Real.

When I asked Amy what she wishes people would ask her, she didn’t say:

“How did you scale?”
“What’s your revenue?”
“What’s your next retailer?”

She said:

“I wish people would really ask how I’m doing.”

Founding is disorienting.

You can be winning in business and feel like you’re failing at home. You can land retail and still lie awake at night questioning everything.

We talk a lot about resilience.

We don’t talk enough about emotional cost.

If you’re a founder:

• Build your circle intentionally.

• Find people who understand the weight.

• Don’t confuse momentum with mental stability.

And if you’re supporting a founder?

Ask the second-level question.
Not “How’s business?”
But “How are you, really?”

The Bigger Conversation

We’re watching consumer behavior shift in real time.

Alcohol consumption trends are changing. Functional beverages are rising. Retailers are more open to innovation. Distribution models are evolving.

But none of it matters without:

• Courage to launch

• Speed to adapt

• Willingness to be embarrassed

• Relentless customer proximity

Amy didn’t just build a drink.

She built proximity.

And proximity compounds.

If you’re a current or aspiring entrepreneur, here’s your challenge:

1. Identify the tension in your own life.

2. Build the replacement, not just the disruption.

3. When your product is in the market, talk to 25 customers per month (at least).

4. Ask what’s stopping them from buying.

5. Move faster than feels comfortable.

The mountain gets built one can and one conversation at a time.

And sometimes… one night in a Tesla at a time.

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It’s a masterclass in how founders move markets.

Primi is redefining convenience with Italian-made pasta cups that are non-GMO, preservative-free, under 300 calories, and ready in minutes. But as Janine makes clear, this isn’t about “instant food.” It’s about modernizing a legacy category without compromising values.

And that distinction changes everything.

The Real Innovation: A Point of View

One of the biggest unlocks from this conversation is Janine’s perspective on innovation:

“Don’t lead with features. Lead with a point of view.” - Janine Shea

Too many founders try to educate customers with specs, attributes, and bullet points. But transformation doesn’t happen through explanation; it happens through reframing. (Sounds familiar to my conversation with Eliza Blank, Co-Founder, The Sill. ‘Plants Make People Happy.’)

Janine shares how early on, Primi could have leaned into the word “instant.” It would have been easier. Familiar. Search-friendly.

Instead, they rejected it. Not them and what they’re building.

Why? Because “instant” belongs to yesterday’s category, associated with low quality and compromise. By refusing that label, they forced a new mental model: traditional pasta, redesigned for modern life.

It’s the same playbook used by companies like:

• Liquid Death — who didn’t sell “water in a can,” but reframed single-use plastic as absurd.

• Apple — who didn’t just improve MP3 players, but made CDs feel obsolete.

• Salesforce — who didn’t sell software features, but made on-premise servers look antiquated.

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The Psychology of Category Change

Primi operates in a $600B convenience food ecosystem. Pasta alone is a $9B category that’s largely unchanged for decades.

Ready-to-eat meals are growing. Traditional boxed pasta is stagnant.

That gap is where opportunity lives.

Janine breaks down the tension every founder faces:

• Honor the past.

• Build for the future.

• Don’t alienate the customer.

• But don’t stay trapped in legacy thinking.

Her insight is incisive: your job as a founder is to usher people into a new world. That requires courage, especially when entrenched incumbents dominate shelf space and mindshare.

This is classic innovator’s dilemma territory. Incumbents optimize. Founders reimagine.

Values Aren’t Marketing. They’re Operational.

Primi’s non-negotiables: non-GMO, no artificial preservatives, ingredient sourcing from Italy, continuous improvement aren’t branding decisions. They’re operational ones.

Janine details how even replacing sunflower oil with coconut oil (without increasing cost of goods) was an easy call. If there’s a better way, do it.

This hits upon a broader shift in modern entrepreneurship:
Consumers are educated. Social media has accelerated ingredient literacy. Distrust in legacy brands is rising. Transparency isn’t optional anymore; it’s expected.

For founders and change-makers, the takeaway is clear:

You can’t bolt values onto a product. They must be embedded in the supply chain, sourcing, and decision-making. It must permeate every facet of your business!

Happiness, Autonomy, and Leadership

Perhaps the most unexpected thread in the episode is Janine’s study of human happiness during COVID.

Quick factoid: Janine is also a certified meditation teacher, which quietly shapes how she leads, builds, and handles the pressure of early‑stage entrepreneurship.

Her conclusion?

People are happier when they are doing good, when their actions positively affect others.

That philosophy shapes how she leads:

• Giving team members autonomy.

• Avoiding micromanagement.

• Distinguishing clearly between her skillset and her co-founder’s.

It’s a reminder that culture is strategy.

When founders understand their strengths and hire or partner accordingly, they create momentum instead of friction.

Three Big Lessons for Builders

If you’re an entrepreneur or operator listening to this episode, here are three concepts to come back to:

1. Make the old way feel obsolete.
If customers can comfortably return to legacy behavior, you haven’t gone far enough.

2. Lead with perspective, not product specs.
Features support the story. They don’t drive it.

3. Operationalize your values.
Modern consumers reward integrity — and they can smell shortcuts.

This conversation with Janine Shea isn’t about pasta.

It’s about how founders reframe categories, earn trust in skeptical markets, and build businesses that uplift rather than exploit.

If you’re building the “new way” in your industry, this episode will challenge you and sharpen you.

Listen in, and ask yourself:

What old assumption in your category or industry needs to be made obsolete?

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In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Tom Leigh, the UK-born brand builder and fundraiser turned food entrepreneur behind Tommy Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn brand designed to give popcorn its long-overdue “craft moment.”

Tommy Popcorn isn’t built around health badges, macros, or functional claims. Instead, it’s built around bold nostalgic flavors, cinematic storytelling, and data-driven market insight tethered to a mysterious fictional character named Tommy, a popcorn-obsessed Brooklyn filmmaker from the 1950s who funded his film career through a side hustle selling popcorn.

Tom walks through how his experience in data-led marketing helped him uncover unmet demand in the U.S. snack market (whiskey-flavored and pizza-flavored popcorn), how he and his co-founders resisted the urge to rush to market, and why they chose to obsess over taste, quality, and narrative from day one.

The conversation crosses flavor development, brand world-building, fundraising realities in CPG, and why Tommy Popcorn purposely sits in the white space between indulgence and health-washed snacks. Along the way, Tom shares how experiential activations, consumer feedback, and community-driven storytelling are shaping not just the brand but its future roadmap.

This episode is a masterclass in how modern brands can use data to uncover opportunity, storytelling to build emotional connection to consumers, and discipline to scale without diluting the core values of the brand.

Real-World Business Case Studies Embedded in the Episode

• Data → Demand Creation (Amazon Search Insights)
  Tommy Popcorn originated from analyzing high-intent search data for flavors consumers wanted but couldn’t find, substantiating that discovery doesn’t have to start with intuition alone.

• Experiential Marketing Over Shelf Placement
  The ‘Berry Hot’ flavor activation (password-protected popcorn giveaways tied to Tommy’s backstory) shows how brands can “take over spaces” instead of competing passively on shelves.

• Brand as IP, Not Just Packaging
  By not having Tommy’s face on the packaging, the brand invited consumers to co-create the character, flipping storytelling on its head. Turning it into a feedback loop rather than a fixed narrative.

• Fundraising Discipline in Early-Stage CPG
  Tom’s anecdotes on advising other founders and restructuring raises to avoid losing control provide a candid look at capital strategy before seed and Series A. It’s part of his ‘give back’ ethos.

5 Actionable Takeaways for Founders & Operators

1. Let Data Tell You Where to Play Not Just What to Build

Tommy Popcorn didn’t start with “we want a popcorn brand.” It started with search intent, unmet demand, and whitespace analysis.
Action: Before building, validate who is searching, what’s missing, and how saturated the category really is.

2. Don’t Rush to Market, Win on Taste First

The team spent months testing flavors, including hundreds (if not thousands) of taste tests, before launch.
Action: If your product doesn’t over-deliver on the core experience, no amount of branding will save it.

3. Storytelling Works Best When Consumers Help Write It

By leaving Tommy intentionally undefined, the brand encourages customers to project their own ideas, creating emotional ownership.
Action: Design brand narratives that are open-ended, not over-explained.

4. Choose a Strategic Middle Ground in Crowded Categories

Tommy Popcorn avoids both extremes: ultra-indulgent junk snacks and hyper-functional “better-for-you” products.
Action: Look for the ignored middle where consumer demand exists, but brand leadership doesn’t.

5. Guard Your Non-Negotiables as You Scale

From in-house production to values-aligned investors, Tom is clear about what won’t change even at 100 million bags sold.
Action: Define your non-negotiables early, before growth pressures force reactive decisions.

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation isn’t just about popcorn. It’s about how modern brands are built where data sparks ideas, storytelling creates loyalty, and discipline sustains growth.

If you’re building in CPG, consumer tech, or any crowded category, this episode offers a blueprint for turning insight into impact without losing your soul or north star along the way.

🎧 Listen in, take notes, and then ask yourself: where is the white space you’re not seeing yet?

In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Eliza Blank, CEO of The Farmlink Project and founder of The Sill, for a grounded and timely conversation about what it really means to commit to impact in the new year. Rather than chasing shiny new efforts, Eliza offers a powerful counterpoint: real impact comes from resilience, focus, and the ability to deliver consistently, when people need you most.

Remember my conversation with Rachel Doyle at Glamour Gals? Service to others is key!

As organizations face economic uncertainty, shifting donor priorities, and growing demand, this conversation feels especially relevant for anyone setting intentions for the year ahead.

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Eliza shares how Farmlink is approaching 2026 with clarity and discipline, doubling down on its core mission of delivering fresh, healthy produce to food banks through the charitable food network. There are 40 million Americans, Eliza mentioned, who are food insecure. They don’t know where or when their next meal will come.

In 2025 alone, Farmlink helped distribute 150 million pounds of surplus produce to food banks across the US, serving as a reliable safety net for communities.

The Farmlink Project is a nonprofit that connects farmers with communities facing food insecurity by rescuing fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste. They move surplus food from farms to food banks and meal programs, getting nutritious food to people who need it most

What stands out most is Eliza’s emphasis on operational reliability as a form of impact. Growth matters, but only when it’s sustainable, scalable, and built on trust. This episode challenges listeners to rethink what success looks like in the year ahead and how personal and organizational goals can translate into measurable good.

5 Actionable Takeaways to Shape Your 2026 Impact

1. Make “being dependable” part of your mission

Farmlink’s focus mirrors organizations like Feeding America, where consistency and infrastructure matter as much as expansion. Eliza is a hired gun who knows how to build scalable operational systems from her time as the day-to-day CEO at The Sill.
Action: Identify where your work, whether a business or nonprofit, needs stronger systems to deliver reliably before it grows bigger.

2. Optimize before you expand

Instead of reinventing the wheel, Farmlink refined what already worked and scaled it thoughtfully. This echoes companies like Patagonia, which deepened its environmental impact by strengthening supply chains before launching new initiatives.
Action: Audit your core offering. What’s already working and how could you make it more efficient, strategic, or sustainable?

3. Set goals that can be counted, not just admired

The Farmlink Project’s north star of getting to “150 million pounds of fresh produce delivered” is also a measurable outcome, not a vague aspiration.
Action: Translate your 2026 goals into a number, metric, or milestone that people can latch on to. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage or share it.

4. Build partnerships that increase scale and sustainability

Farmlink’s success is rooted in collaboration across farmers, nonprofits, and logistics partners similar to models used by organizations like World Central Kitchen.
Action: Look beyond solo wins. Collaborations amplify impact!

5. Treat resilience as a long-term advantage

Eliza frames resilience not as a reaction to crisis, but as a strategic choice.
Action: Ask yourself: If demand doubled tomorrow, would we break or rise to the moment?

Why This Conversation Is Worth(y) to Share!

If your New Year’s resolutions include making your work more intentional and impact-focused or aligning success with service, this episode provides a rare mix of inspiration and execution. It’s a reminder that impact doesn’t always come from doing something new. Sometimes, it comes from doing the right thing better, longer, and together.

If this conversation resonated, share it with someone who’s building, leading, or rethinking with intention in 2026.

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As we head into a new year, there’s a familiar pressure to optimize everything: bigger goals, grandiose ambition, lofty promises, and perhaps faster execution. This conversation with my dear friend, Jeff Ragovin, is a clear reminder that the work that lasts for posterity doesn’t start with perfection. It begins with people.

Jeff—founder, builder, storyteller, and the creative force behind his new show, Bounty Uncharted—joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about building in public, letting go of ego, and creating experiences that live far beyond the moment.

It’s vulnerability and self-awareness on steroids from one of the best in the business. From launching a show on the open ocean to cultivating community around a dinner table, Jeff’s work sits at the intersection of ambition and humanity. Or as we say on the show, doing good while doing well.

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Bounty Uncharted is a cinematic storytelling series where fishing, food, and human connection collide. It celebrates the people, our cherished waterways, and the shared moments that bring community to life.

This episode feels like the right way to kick off 2026: humble yet hungry, curious, and deeply intentional.

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5 Takeaways to Carry Forward

1. Start Before You’re Ready

What we talked about:
Jeff didn’t wait to become an expert filmmaker before launching Bounty Uncharted. He learned on the fly by doing, whether on the water, in the edit room, or in real-time with his guests.

Why it matters:
Many founders stall because they’re chasing readiness. In reality, readiness is earned through motion.

Real-world parallel:
Airbnb’s first listings were far from polished. The founders learned what mattered by shipping early and iterating fast, way before they became the ubiquitous brand we know.

How to implement:

• Identify the minimum viable product (MVP) of the idea you’ve been sitting on

• Commit to one imperfect launch in Q1

• Treat feedback as fuel, not failure

2. Build Around People, Not Just Outcomes

What we talked about:
Whether it’s Jeff’s closed-door dinner series (10-15 people max), The Digital Fork, or a day at sea, Jeff designs experiences where the human connection is the value, not an afterthought.

Why it matters:
Community compounds. Transactions don’t.

Real-world parallel:
Patagonia didn’t build loyalty by chasing growth alone; they built it by standing for something (protecting the environment) and inviting customers into a shared mission.

How to implement:

• Ask: Where do people naturally gather around my work?

• Invest in one intimate, high-touch experience (dinner, roundtable, small event)

• Optimize for depth over reach

3. Let Go of Ego, Keep the Vision

What we talked about:
Jeff’s original idea for Bounty Uncharted evolved as the right stories showed up. Instead of forcing the concept, he let it breathe.

Why it matters:
Rigidity kills resonance. Flexibility strengthens it.

Real-world parallel:
Slack started as an internal tool for a gaming company. The founders paid attention when the tool, not the game, became the thing people loved.

How to implement:

• Revisit your original vision and ask what’s changed

• Listen closely to what’s working unexpectedly

• Be willing to pivot without abandoning your core values

4. Treat Creative Work Like a Business and a Business Like a Craft

What we talked about:
Producing a show on the ocean requires systems, teams, and contingency planning, but also trust, intuition, and taste.

Why it matters:
Sustainable creativity needs structure. Scalable businesses need soul.

Real-world parallel:
Nike’s success lives at the intersection of operational excellence and cultural storytelling; one doesn’t exist without the other.

How to implement:

• Identify where you’re an A-player vs. where you need outside help

• Build repeatable systems for the unsexy parts

• Protect space for creativity, even as you scale

5. Create Experiences People Will Never Forget

What we talked about:
First tuna catches. Shared meals. Unexpected moments. These aren’t “content,” they’re core memories.

Why it matters:
People don’t remember metrics. They remember how you made them feel.

Real-world parallel:
Apple Stores became cultural landmarks not because of square footage, but because of how people felt inside them.

How to implement:

• Look for moments of “firsts” in your work (first customer win, first launch, first event)

• Slow those moments down

• Document or label them not just for marketing, but for meaning and understanding. How can you use those moments to clue you into the continued evolution of your work?

A Thought to Carry Into 2026

We’re all building something: companies, communities, creative work, relationships. The question isn’t how big it gets. It’s how deeply it’s felt; depth vs. breadth. Feelings are the connective tissue that binds people together.

As Jeff reminded us, time accelerates. The only real leverage we have is intention: who we invite in and spend time with, what we pay attention to, and whether we choose to start, right now, without asking.

Here’s to a year of building boldly, leading generously, and creating work that stands the test of time.

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📲 Stay Connected
Follow Worthy for Thirty on Instagram for episode clips, reflections, and conversations that explore purpose-driven work.

🎧 Listen & Share
Find Worthy for Thirty on all major podcast platforms, and if this episode resonated, share it with someone who’s building something new this year.

🥂Here’s to 2026 🥂 and the work worth doing.

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In this episode of the Worthy for Thirty podcast, I sat down with Blake Niemann, the founder of Levels Protein. From humble beginnings in his Jersey City, NJ apartment in 2016 to becoming a trusted name in the supplement industry, Blake shares his insights on building a brand that prioritizes transparency and the consumer experience.

Discover how his commitment to purpose over shortcuts has led to success and learn actionable strategies for your entrepreneurial journey.

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Quick bio on Levels Protein:

• Founded in 2016, Levels Nutrition, LLC (“Levels”) built its name on one thing: whey protein done right. No artificial sweeteners. No fake flavors. No fillers. Just clean, high-quality ingredients you can trust. That same standard carries through everything we make—from our best-selling whey to collagen, casein, and plant-based proteins.

• Levels has a multi-channel presence across Amazon, our direct-to-consumer website, and brick-and-mortar retailers including, but not limited to, Walmart, Target, and Costco.com.

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✍️ down these key takeaways:

1. Transparency Builds Trust — and Trust Is the Real Moat

Blake’s perspective:
From its founding, Levels was built on the notion that consumers are smarter than brands give them credit for. Blake didn’t just remove artificial ingredients, he removed anything that felt or sounded artificial. Ingredient names, packaging cues, and even regulatory choices (like using a Nutrition Facts Panel instead of a Supplement Facts Panel) were all intentional signals of honesty.

For Blake, transparency isn’t marketing it’s operational discipline. When you’re clear about what’s in the product, what it does, and what it doesn’t do, you reduce friction everywhere: customer service, reviews, returns, and long-term trust.

Relevant brand case: Patagonia
Patagonia didn’t win loyalty by saying they’re sustainable—they won it by showing receipts: supply chain disclosures, environmental tradeoffs, and even encouraging customers not to buy new gear. That radical honesty built trust that competitors can’t copy overnight.

How to implement:

• Audit your product or service for “hidden friction” or vague claims. If you can’t clearly explain it to a customer, it’s a liability.

• Replace marketing language with factual language. Blake avoided flashy performance claims and stuck to what was scientifically and legally defensible.

• Transparency compounds: fewer complaints, fewer returns, and stronger word-of-mouth over time.

2. Consumer Experience Is the Product

Blake’s perspective:
Blake views experience as everything surrounding the product, not just what’s inside the canister. From the way the seal peels off the lid cleanly, to how quickly customer service responds, to even how an email sounds, Levels is “in the weeds” of consumer feedback.

The clean-peel induction seal is a perfect example. No one was loudly asking for it, but Blake and his team knew the frustration of paper residue, messy lids, and downstream complaints. Fixing a small annoyance preemptively removed an entire slew of issues before customers had a chance to complain.

Brand case: Apple
Apple’s obsession with experience isn’t about specs, it’s about removing friction you didn’t even know existed. Packaging, setup, in-store help, and ecosystem design all reinforce trust and ease.

How to implement:

• Put your consumer ‘hat’ on. Walk through your product like a first-time customer. Where do they pause, get annoyed, or feel confused?

• Fix “quiet frustrations,” not just loud complaints. Blake didn’t wait for outrage, he prevented it.

• Treat customer service as a profit-protector, not cost center. Fast, human responses are remembered and reviewed.

3. Entrepreneurship Is a Long-Term Commitment

Blake’s perspective:
Blake is upfront: building a real business takes a long time. The myth of overnight success is not just wrong, it’s harmful. Levels grew brick by brick, fueled by frugality, patience, and founder accountability; no outside capital. Because it was Blake’s money on the line, every decision was intentional.

He embraces suffering as part of the deal, not as a badge of honor, but as the cost of building something durable.

Brand case: Amazon
Amazon took years to become profitable, prioritizing infrastructure, customer trust, and long-term scale over short-term optics. That patience is now its biggest advantage.

How to implement:

• Plan your business as a 10-year project, not a 10-month sprint.

• Build for survivability before optimization. Blake focused first on supply chain, operations, and unit economics, not hype.

• Ignore curated social media timelines showing the perceived glitz and glamour of entrepreneurship. Keep your head down. If it feels slow, you’re probably doing it right.

4. Innovation Must Serve Real Consumer Needs

Blake’s perspective:
Blake resisted chasing trends, whether it was exotic flavors, flashy ingredients, or the latest supplement fad. Instead, he focused on what consumers actually wanted: clean whey, great taste, and a fair price.

Innovation at Levels isn’t about novelty it’s about relevance. If consumers didn’t care about bag-in-a-box packaging or fruit-and-vegetable flavors, Blake cut them, no matter how “differentiated” they seemed on paper.

Brand case: Tesla
Tesla didn’t win by adding gimmicks it won by solving real pain points: performance, charging infrastructure, and user experience, all aligned with consumer demand.

How to implement:

• Kill ideas that excite you but aren’t want the consumer actually wants. Again, put yourself in your consumers’ shoes.

• Use minimum-viable-product (MVP) thinking: launch small, learn fast, and adjust based on real behavior not internal opinions. As an old boss once said ‘spend a little, earn a little, learn a lot!’

• Innovation should simplify life for the customer, not complicate it. Innovation should never add friction to the CX.

5. Iterate Relentlessly, but Only on Meaningful Signals

Blake’s perspective:
Blake doesn’t chase every piece of feedback, but he pays close attention to patterns. One-off opinions don’t drive change; consistent signals do. That mindset allowed Levels to refine pricing, packaging, flavors, and even communication tone without losing focus.

Iteration, for Blake, is humility and self-awareness in action: saying when something doesn’t work and fixing it quickly.

Brand case: Netflix
Netflix continuously adapts: content, UI, recommendations based on viewer behavior, not executive taste. Data-driven iteration keeps them relevant.

How to implement:

• Separate noise from signal. Look for repeat feedback across channels.

• Build fast feedback loops (reviews, customer service tickets, trial formats).

• Treat iteration as ongoing, not episodic. Blake still refines Levels years after launch.

The Big Idea for the Audience

Blake’s playbook isn’t flashy, but it’s long-lasting:

• Be frank.

• Obsess over the consumer, not competitors.

• Commit for the long haul.

• Innovate only where it matters.

• Improve constantly, leave your ego at the door.

That’s how you build a brand people trust and keep coming back to. Transparency.

Join the Worthy for Thirty community as we dive into these themes and more, offering valuable lessons for entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in any industry. Tune in to hear Blake’s story and gain inspiration for your own business endeavors.

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Need gift ideas? I highly recommend buying Gustus Vitae seasonings for Christmas or Hanukkah. They have the perfect gift sets!

This conversation is filled with lessons for founders at every stage, especially those navigating the complex transition between the energy of a scrappy startup and sustainable growth.

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💡 Big Lessons & Key Takeaways

1. Get Uncomfortably Close to Your Customers

When Frankie talked about how Gustus Vitae was created by being face-to-face with customers at farmers’ markets, it echoed a truth every founder learns. You can’t innovate from inside an office.

This isn’t new, but most founders still avoid the inconvenient truth. Look at:

• Airbnb, whose breakthrough came from founders literally staying in hosts’ homes.

• Figma, which built early versions by watching designers struggle in real time.

Practical takeaway:
Spend 30 minutes this week listening without defending. Ask your customers:
“If you could change one thing about our product or service, what would it be?”

And don’t correct them. Just record.

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2. Innovation Happens When Teams Feel Ownership

Frankie empowers his team to experiment; new blends, new packaging ideas, new messaging. That “open kitchen” approach is why their products feel fresh and alive.

Compare this to:

• Netflix, which famously encourages radical candor and decentralized decision-making.

• Duolingo, where small autonomous squads launch experiments constantly.

When people feel trusted, they stop waiting for permission and start building. Hire for talent and get out of the way!

Practical takeaway:
Give one team member a “run with it” project this week—something small, but fully theirs.

3. Purpose Isn’t a Tagline. It’s an Operating System

Gustus Vitae is deeply connected to the community they serve in East LA: local creators, farmers’ markets, and food insecurity initiatives. Purpose isn’t a layer; it’s integral to the business model.

Think of:

• Patagonia, where environmental activism drives product and policy.

• Bomba’s One-for-One, which turned giving into a scalable business engine.

Customers can feel the difference between purposeful storytelling and actual purpose.

Practical takeaway:
Identify a cause that intersects naturally with your business and commit to one measurable action over the next 90 days.

4. Hire for Attitude and Aptitude, Not Résumés

Frankie said it plainly: You can train skill; you can’t teach hunger, curiosity, or heart.

Founders often default to formal credentials when what they really need is:

• Someone who takes ownership like an owner.

• Someone who asks “why” more than “what.”

• Someone who wants to build, not just perform tasks.

Companies that embrace this—like Tesla, Stripe, and Notion—often outperform competitors overloaded with pedigree but lacking initiative.

Practical takeaway:
In your next interview, ask:
“Tell me about a time you taught yourself something difficult.”
Their answer will reveal everything.

5. Optimism Is a Business Strategy

Frankie calls it “irrational optimism.”
The ability to believe in your future despite the daily setbacks is what keeps momentum alive.

Calling Kass & Mike!

Founders who scaled big, whether it’s Ben Chestnut at Mailchimp, Tristan Walker, or Sara Blakely they talk about holding onto unreasonable faith long before outcomes were guaranteed.

Optimism doesn’t ignore reality; it propels you through it.

Practical takeaway:
Write down the biggest challenge you’re facing. Then list three possibilities, not solutions, just possibilities.
Reopening possibility is often the first step toward progress. As Luminary’s Founder, Cate Luzio famously poses, ‘What is the worst that can happen?’

🔥 Final Thought

Frankie’s journey is a reflection of most early-stage founders: start small, listen deeply, experiment often, empower your people, and stay grounded in your community.

You don’t need perfection.
You need humility, curiosity, and a willingness to keep walking.

If you’re building something mission-driven—or want to—this episode is your reminder that purpose and performance don’t compete. They compound together.

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In this episode of Worthy for Thirty, I sat down with Rachel Doyle, Founder and CEO of Glamour Gals, a nonprofit that’s been changing lives for nearly 25 years. What started as Rachel’s way of honoring her late grandmother has grown into a national movement that connects teens with seniors through beauty makeovers and conversation.

What makes this conversation special is how real it is. It’s not just the startup story of a long-standing nonprofit; it’s about leadership, reinvention, community, and how kindness becomes a strategic advantage. It’s the kind of talk you have with a friend who reminds you that doing good doesn’t have to be complicated, and growth doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your values. Doing good can coexist with doing well!

Rachel breaks down how she built Glamour Gals from a single idea into an intergenerational network with national and global reach, powered by teen volunteers and strengthened through corporate partnerships. Oh did I mention breakthrough storytelling?

And throughout the episode, she gives a masterclass in leading with empathy and operational excellence, a combo we need more of in a world that often celebrates either heart or hustle, but not both.

Why This Episode Hits Different Right Now

If you’ve been paying attention to the world of business lately whether it’s how companies responded post-COVID, the rise of employee-engagement burnout, or the pressure on brands to “do good” in a way that’s actually real, you’ll hear echoes of those conversations throughout this episode.

• Loneliness is at an all-time high, both among aging adults and among younger workers. Glamour Gals is a reminder that connection is still one of our most powerful tools.

• Companies are looking for ways to engage employees in meaningful service, not box-checking volunteer hours. Glamour Gals’ turnkey programs are a blueprint for what real engagement looks like.

• As tech continues to automate everything, leaders are realizing the biggest differentiator is human connection; Gary Vaynerchuk says he’s ‘long’ human connection in an impending tidal wave of automation. Glamour Gals has been leaning into that since day one.

• And in a time when many brands struggle with authentic storytelling, Rachel shows exactly how storytelling built her movement—and continues to fuel its growth. I met Rachel through SixDegrees.org’s Stacy Huston. GlamourGal is one of the non-profits that won a spot in their ‘Purpose, Produced’ campaign.

This episode is a reminder that doing meaningful work isn’t about the perfect plan. It’s about consistent action, community, and the courage to start. Create the parachute on the way down or build the plane — either way, you’re going to find a way to land.

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Top Takeaways

1. Kindness is scalable when you design for it.

Glamour Gals succeeds because it gives teens a clear, structured way to make an impact. Kindness becomes repeatable when there’s a plan.

2. Intergenerational connection solves real problems.

Loneliness is an epidemic among seniors, employees, founders, everyone. Glamour Gals’ approach is a model for how simple rituals can create deep connection for everyone.

3. Corporate partnerships aren’t just about funding they’re about culture.

Companies want meaningful employee engagement, and nonprofits need sustainable support. The best partnerships treat service as a culture builder, not a photo op. There are human resource metrics to back it up, too!

4. Technology doesn’t replace humanity, it enables it.

From COVID pivots to scaling chapters, Glamour Gals used tech to deepen connection, not dilute it. It’s a reminder to build tech around human needs, not instead of them.

5. Leadership is a series of calculated risks.

Rachel’s story shows that great leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions—they move, adapt, and build community as they go.

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Action Steps for the Listener

Whether you’re a founder, employee, parent, or someone trying to make your corner of the world a little better, here are ways to take this episode from inspiration to action:

1. Do one small thing to reduce loneliness this week.

Call an older relative. Visit someone in care. Text a friend you haven’t checked in on. It counts.

2. If you’re part of a company, pitch a service program.

Use Glamour Gals as an example: turnkey, structured, high-impact. Propose a pilot program or volunteer day that actually builds connection. Rachel has a tons of ancedotes from Glamour Gal alumni who are making a difference at Fortune 1000 companies TODAY!

3. Audit your culture for connection gaps.

Ask yourself: Where is my team or community feeling isolated? Then create one ritual—weekly check-ins, peer mentors, shared stories—to strengthen bonds.

4. Use technology to free up time for human moments.

Look for one task you can automate or streamline so you can use that energy toward relationships, creativity, or service.

5. Send one bold email.

A partnership ask. A mentor request. A “here’s what I’m building, can you help?” moment. Rachel built a movement by sending that email again and again. Again ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’

Why This Episode Matters

At its core, this conversation is a reminder of something we all need:
People need people. Community is a strategy. And kindness is not soft—it’s powerful.

In a business world obsessed with scale, efficiency, and metrics, Rachel reminds us that connection is still the highest-leverage play—for nonprofits, companies, and individuals alike.

This episode is for anyone trying to build something with purpose. Anyone trying to make their team feel more human. And anyone who just needs a reminder that the things we do with heart and passion are the things that are set up to last.

If you found value in this conversation, share the episode with someone you think would love it—or someone who might need a reminder that small acts really do create big change.

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🚀 Introduction

Welcome back to the Worthy for Thirty podcast. If this is your first time here, welcome! I am your host, Eric Tash.

We talk a lot about scaling, funding, and product-market fit, but what about the core “why” that truly sustains a business through the inevitable challenges? Today, we’re diving deep into the story of a brand that defines doing good while doing well: The ANDI Brand, founded by Andrea Weinberg.

The ANDI Brand isn’t just about beautifully designed, functional bags; it’s a masterclass in purposeful iteration and building a company on the bedrock of human connection and sustainability.

Andrea’s journey, spanning over a decade, offers concrete lessons on how to stop chasing fleeting trends and instead, focus on creating products that truly serve a purpose and last. If you’re wrestling with balancing your mission with your bottom line, this episode is your blueprint.

I. The Birth of a Purpose: Chasing Adventure, Not Immediate ROI

• The Problem/Opportunity: Andrea didn’t start with a spreadsheet; she started with a desire to create a genuinely purposeful product. Her goal was to design for adventure and functionality. Versatility meets fashionable, meets durability. (Say that 3x fast).

• Actionable Insight for Founders: A key piece of advice from her mentors was not to expect immediate financial success. This reframed her journey from a sprint to a marathon of exploration.

• Case Study Connection: This echoes the early days of Patagonia. Founder Yvon Chouinard initially focused on making the absolute best climbing gear, driven by a passion for the environment, allowing purpose and quality to lead the way before aggressive scaling.

• The First Hurdle (Actionable Challenge): Finding a manufacturing partner who would collaborate on a novel vision, like her initial waterproof handbag, required persistence. Andrea’s takeaway: Don’t be afraid to knock on 100 doors; you only need one to open.

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II. The Discipline of Purposeful Iteration: Quality as the Core Mission

• The ANDI Brand Example: The signature tote bag went through 68 iterations over 10 years. This is the non-glamorous, high-discipline work that underpins “doing well.”

• Actionable Insight: Prototype to Learn, Not to Launch. Since Andrea didn’t know design, she used tactile experimentation (e.g., duct tape prototypes) to immediately translate her functional vision into a tangible object. This allowed her to get physical feedback from potential users and manufacturers long before committing to a final design. For non-designer founders, your prototype is your most essential research tool.

• The Founder’s Advantage: A lack of formal training often comes with a lack of preconceived suggestions. Andrea was free to approach factories with a unique, user-driven concept rather than being held back by traditional industry practices or design dogma. Your “outsider” perspective can be a powerful source of innovation if you validate it relentlessly through iteration. Reminds me of my conversation with Marcin & Amit at Mission Craft Cocktails :).

• The Tension Point: Andrea’s belief is crucial: Mission matters, but quality is the core. If your product doesn’t meet a need effectively, the mission is irrelevant to the customer.

• Case Study Connection: Think of Tesla’s early focus. Their mission is sustainability, but the reason people buy the cars is because they are high-performance, quality vehicles. Quality validates the mission. Founders, never let your mission be an excuse for a mediocre product.

III. Human Connection: Your Most Valuable Business Asset

• The Counterintuitive Insight: Andrea emphasizes overcoming the fear of reaching out. Meaningful collaborations and opportunities often come from unexpected places—from a cold email to a chance encounter.

• Real-World Example: Andrea’s year of “van life” reinforced the profound insights and enriching relationships that come from engaging with strangers. This translates directly into market research and authentic brand building.

• Actionable Tip: Schedule “Reach Out” time. Make a list of three people you admire (mentors, potential partners, customers) and send them a brief, thoughtful email or LinkedIn message this week.

• Case Study Connection: This aligns with the “Community First” models of brands like Lululemon (building a brand through yoga instructors and ambassadors) or Airtable (growing by empowering individual users and developers to evangelize the product). Your network is your advisory board and your early market.

IV. The Sustainability Pivot: From Afterthought to Cornerstone

• The Evolution: Sustainability was not her primary focus at the start. It became a non-negotiable commitment as she recognized the environmental impacts of consumerism.

• The Mission Alignment: The philosophy of “doing more with less” became central. This translates into products designed for longevity and versatility, fighting fast fashion/disposable culture.

• The Deeper Dive: Her commitment deepened through collaborations with scientists and a focus on textile waste and upcycling. Sustainability is now a source of innovation, not just a cost center.

• Case Study Connection: Look at Allbirds. They didn’t just use one sustainable material; they made sustainable innovation their core differentiator (wool, eucalyptus, sugarcane) to disrupt a massive industry. How can your mission drive radical innovation in your product?

V. Navigating Uncertainty: The COVID Re-evaluation

• The Challenge: Like many founders, Andrea faced significant shifts like consignment deals, supply chain shocks, and the pandemic. She had to pivot quickly without losing sight of the business and its objective of producing a great, long-lasting product that can be used for multiple occasions.

• The Actionable Response: The period of uncertainty forced her to step back and re-focus on the brand’s core mission and the evolving needs of her customers. This wasn’t a time for panic; it was a time for strategic recalibration.

• Key Takeaway: Adversity doesn’t define your mission; it tests it. If your purpose is genuine, it provides the North Star needed to pivot successfully.

🎯 Conclusion & Key Takeaways

The journey of Andrea Weinberg and the ANDI Brand offers compelling and actionable lessons for every founder: The path to doing good is the path to doing well, but it demands discipline, connection, and a relentless focus on quality.

Here are the Three Core Action Items to implement this week:

1. Embrace Iteration: Don’t chase perfection; embrace continuous improvement. What is the “duct tape prototype” you can build today?

2. Activate Your Network: Reach out to someone you admire or a potential collaborator. Human connections are your cheapest and most valuable growth hack.

3. Validate Your Mission with Quality: Ensure your product’s performance is so exceptional that your mission becomes the bonus.

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In a crowded market full of fleeting trends and artificial flavors, how do you build a product that commands premium quality, which correlates with deep, immediate customer loyalty?

Meet Amit and Marcin, the founders of Mission Craft Cocktails. They aren’t career bartenders or spirits industry veterans; they are simply two friends who saw a massive quality gap in the $1.8 billion Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktail category. Their solution wasn’t just to make a better product—it was to build a better business model, making social impact a core financial pillar of their company.

In this powerful episode on the Worthy for Thirty podcast we dive deep with the Mission Craft Cocktails founders to uncover the non-negotiable business strategies that scaled their award-winning, quality-first, and mission-driven brand. This isn’t just a story about cocktails; it’s a masterclass in market disruption and building a sustainable give-back model. Make this clear and concise

The founders ‘why’ is more impactful than the ‘how.’ Marcin and Amit’s upbringing and being immigrants to the U.S. made this mission even more intrinsic to the brand.

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1. The ‘5% Revenue’ Strategy: Turning Purpose into a Non-Negotiable COGS

Most companies that donate use a percentage of profit—a figure that fluctuates and can be easily zeroed out in lean times. Mission Craft Cocktails flipped the script by dedicating 5% of all top-line revenue to local food banks.

• The How: By baking the 5% donation into their pricing and financial model from day one, they treated “impact” as a fixed, non-negotiable Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). This provided immediate transparency and confidence to their supply chain, partners, and customers.

• 🔑 Takeaway: Do not treat your social mission as a marketing budget or a variable expense. Integrate your purpose into your financial structure. This approach drastically increases the trust currency of your brand, as customers know their purchase guarantees a tangible result (e.g., they provided over 26,000 meals in 2023 and have now exceeded over 600K meals donated in partnership with Feeding America. 🤯

• Relatable Example: Similar to Patagonia dedicating 1% of its sales to environmental causes, making the commitment public and fixed creates an unparalleled competitive moat based on ethics.

2. The Outsider Advantage: Using Maniacal Focus to Disrupt Quality

Amit and Marcin are self-proclaimed “outsiders” to the spirits world. Instead of learning industry shortcuts, they focused relentlessly on solving the consumer pain point: poor quality in RTD cocktails.

• The How: They benchmarked their products not against other bottled drinks, but against the gold standard of high-end bar cocktails. This required two years of R&D to perfect using only locally-sourced California ingredients and authentic spirits (like Tequila from Jalisco, Mexico), refusing to use artificial stabilizers or flavors.

• 🔑 Takeaway: When entering a competitive, entrenched market, don’t just innovate on price or packaging—innovate on core quality that competitors have neglected due to legacy processes or institutional inertia. An outsider’s perspective often sees the simplest, yet most critical, area for improvement.

• Relatable Example: Think of Warby Parker (optical industry) or Dollar Shave Club (razor industry). They weren’t constrained by established distribution or manufacturing methods, allowing them to deliver superior value and convenience where incumbents were comfortable.

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3. Proceduralizing Authenticity for Scale

The challenge of any artisanal product is maintaining integrity when scaling from a small kitchen batch to large-volume bottling. Mission Craft Cocktails had to ensure the complex flavor profile of a cocktail like the Mai Tai remained perfect in a 5,000-liter vat.

• The How: They invested significant time in reverse-engineering their complex recipes into repeatable, industrial processes that strictly preserved the integrity of the fresh ingredients (like lime juice and locally-sourced orange liqueur). This required intense vendor vetting and a deep understanding of preservation science.

• 🔑 Takeaway: Successful scaling is predicated on turning art into science. For executives, this means proceduralizing your core differentiator (be it service, quality, or speed) so that it survives the transition to mass market. Authenticity must be defined by process, not just intent.

• Relatable Example: The entire history of Starbucks is a lesson in scaling an artisanal “third place” coffee experience globally while attempting to maintain procedural quality standards for the perfect espresso shot.

4. Leveraging Third-Party Validation to De-Risk Partnership

When entering a market without existing brand recognition, external validation—like winning major industry awards—is crucial for accelerating trust among retailers and distributors.

• The How: Marcin & Amit secured prestigious Double Gold awards for multiple products (Margarita, Mai Tai, Old Fashioned) early in Mission Craft Cocktail’s launch phase. They then use this objective critical acclaim, combined with their strong give-back mission, to secure immediate deals with major national retailers (like Total Wine & More).

• 🔑 Takeaway: For a disruptive product, awards and endorsements are not just for marketing; they are essential due diligence tools for your partners. Invest in seeking high-status validation to drastically reduce the perceived risk of stocking or distributing your novel product.

• Relatable Example: The early success of YETI coolers was driven less by direct-to-consumer marketing and more by winning endorsements from professional fishermen and outdoor guides, lending instant, credible authority to a premium-priced product.

5. The Dual-Customer Focus: Serving the Consumer and the Community

A purpose-driven business successfully recognizes and markets to two distinct “customers”: the individual consumer making the purchase and the community benefiting from the purchase.

• The How: Mission Craft Cocktails’ marketing effectively speaks to both needs: convenience and quality for the drinker, and direct social impact (meals funded) for the socially-conscious shopper. This dual narrative completely changes a discretionary, transactional purchase into a values-based, repeatable act of giving.

• 🔑 Takeaway: Design your product experience and marketing to explicitly communicate the impact metric (meals funded, trees planted, etc.) rather than just the donation percentage. This engages the customer as a collaborator in the mission, drastically improving retention and word-of-mouth growth.

• Relatable Example: Bombas socks, with their “one pair purchased = one pair donated” model, built an enormous brand around the dual satisfaction of receiving a high-quality product while actively addressing homelessness.

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But for Cate Luzio, the founder and CEO of Luminary, it was simply the next logical step. Luminary is a gender-inclusive community and platform that has grown from a single 25,000 sq ft physical space in New York into a global network with members in over 30 countries.

In a frank interview on the Worthy for Thirty podcast, Cate shared the vital mindset shifts, non-negotiable business principles, and leadership strategies that allowed her to make the leap and build a thriving, impactful business.

If you’re standing on the precipice of leaving your stable job to pursue your big idea, or if you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow your impact, these takeaways from Cate are indispensable.

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1. The Power of the Mentor’s Challenge: “Why Not Me?”

Cate’s pivot didn’t start with a burning entrepreneurial vision; it started with a powerful conversation. A mentor challenged her to define what she wanted to do next after nearly two decades in finance. This moment of reflection shattered the myth that an entrepreneur must always be born, not made.

The mentor’s advice served as a blueprint for minimizing risk and reframing the unknown:

• “What’s the worst that can happen?” (You can always go back.)

• “You always have your reputation, relationships, and resume to lean back on.” (Your past experience is your safety net.)

• “You’re going to learn a hell of a lot in the process.” (The experience is the ultimate reward.)

Cate realized that if she could build or rebuild businesses inside massive corporations (which she did at JP Morgan and HSBC) aka being an ‘intraprenuer’, she could certainly build her own. Entrepreneurship, in this context, is simply taking an intrapreneurial spirit and applying it to your own company.

“I think I kind of approach so much of my life professionally, what’s the worst that can happen? I’m going to take the jump, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ve learned a lot in the process.” - Cate Luzio

2. Your Business Plan is Your North Star

Many founders get obsessed with a product idea but fail to do the foundational work. For Cate, a sound, strategic business plan is non-negotiable. She stresses that if you want to build a sustainable, scalable, and profitable business, you must lock down these fundamentals:

Salient & Actionable Takeaways for Aspiring Founders

• Focus on the Market You’re Capturing, Not the Total Size: Don’t just brag about a “$10 billion market.” Detail the specific customer segment you are going after, the problem you are solving, and the revenue you can realistically attract.

• Master Your Financials from Day One: Your financials are your key to success. You must have a fundamental understanding of when you will break even and become profitable. If you need to raise capital, know exactly how you will deploy those funds. Hint: watch ‘Shark Tank’ to know what I mean.

• Conduct a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats): This one-page exercise is crucial. It forces you to look at the potential headwinds and tailwinds of your business, ensuring you have a realistic perspective before you launch.

• Identify Your Competitors (They Exist): Do not assume you have no competitors. If you have the best product or service, you will quickly have copycats. Be aware of your landscape and plan for “co-opetition.”

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3. The Path to Scale: Leadership by Delegation and Debate

You can’t scale an enterprise by being everywhere at once. Cate’s key to scaling herself from a single founder to a leader impacting thousands was a focused approach to team building and innovation.

• Make Your A’s A+s, and Delegate the C’s: Cate’s “superpower” is her memory and sales ability. She focuses on her strengths (sales, people leadership, B2B enterprise) and strategically hires team members to handle areas where she not as great, such as digital marketing or operations.

• Challenge Your Team to Challenge You: The founder should not be the sole source of ideas and innovation. Cate has created an environment where team members know they are encouraged to debate decisions and push back. Luminary Live, the company’s successful on-the-road experience, was an idea that came directly from her team.

• Prioritize Impact as a Daily Win (The Small W’s): While financials matter, the headline success for Luminary is impact—the number of lives touched and businesses served. Success isn’t just a massive revenue swing; it’s the smaller, cumulative wins:

  • A great meeting leading to an enterprise client renewal.

  • Connecting one member to their future co-founder.

  • Providing community to someone navigating a major career change.

4. Building the Future: Luminary’s Roadmap

Cate’s mission is to keep creating space at the table for everyone. This includes a forward-looking roadmap that leverages strategic partnerships to amplify impact:

• Fellowship Programs: The recent launch of a fellowship program with Marshalls, offering grants and full Luminary membership with no strings attached, shows a commitment to directly funding and supporting entrepreneurs.

• New Areas of Impact: A partnership with Under Armour aims to prepare collegiate athletes for their professional lives, underscoring the value of athletic skills (teamwork, leadership, resilience) in the workforce.

5. Creating Space: The Golden Rule of Community Building

Luminary’s core mission goes beyond a physical office or digital content; it’s about solving a universal human discomfort: the feeling of not belonging. Cate shared a profound insight that many people, especially in new environments, worry there isn’t “room at the table” for them. Luminary’s success is built on intentionally eliminating that barrier through a culture of radical inclusion.

• Eliminate Application Barriers for Self-Selection: Luminary is open to all genders and requires no application to join. This approach is based on the philosophy that true community should be self-selected and welcomes those who are actively seeking connection, reinforcing the “what’s the worst that can happen?” mindset. A community that aligns to Cate and her team’s vision and core, fundamental values.

• Make Inclusion Your Core Tagline: The company’s original tagline, “Come sit at our table,” directly addressed the fear of exclusion. Your mission statement should clearly communicate that your business is a safe, welcoming place, setting the expectation for how members should treat each other (the Golden Rule).

• Empower Your Employees as Community Equals: Treat your team members and your paying members as equals. When employees feel fulfilled, challenged, and supported, they naturally mirror that supportive culture back to the community, strengthening the foundation of the entire ecosystem.

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Cate Luzio’s story is a reminder that entrepreneurship is an act of execution, not just ideation. It’s about tying and using your professional experiences to make your vision a reality, getting ruthlessly candid about your business plan, and assembling a team that pushes you to be better.

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In a recent episode of the Worthy for Thirty Podcast, I sat down with Fierce Foundry’s co-founders, Melissa Wallace and Katie Schuele. Their conversation uncovered not just a compelling business model, but a movement committed to giving the means to female entrepreneurs and solving critical health gaps for women globally.

(And this was the 2nd attempt to record. 1st time was marred by technical difficulties.)

If you’re an aspiring founder, an investor looking for impact, or simply passionate about the future of women’s health and entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Takeaways & Actionable Insights from my conversation with Melissa & Katie:

• The Power of the Venture Studio Model for De-Risking Innovation:

  • Fierce Foundry isn’t just an investor; it’s a co-founder. They operate as a venture studio, meaning they ideate, build, and launch companies alongside founders from “idea to exit.” This hands-on approach provides deep operational support, significantly de-risking early-stage ventures.

  • Actionable for Founders: If you’re struggling to find the right co-founder or need more than just capital, explore venture studio models in your industry. These partners bring expertise, network, and infrastructure, allowing you to focus on your core innovation. Think of it like a highly specialized accelerator combined with a co-founder.

  • Contemporary Reference: Companies like Idealab (a classic venture studio) or newer models like Atomic (which has launched multiple successful tech companies) demonstrate the power of this build-and-scale approach, reducing the typical startup failure rate by embedding expertise from day one.

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• Addressing the “Warm Intro” Disadvantage:

  • Melissa and Katie highlighted how traditional VC often relies on warm introductions, which disproportionately disadvantages female and underrepresented founders who may not have access to existing networks. Fierce Foundry actively breaks down these barriers.

  • Actionable for Founders: Don’t wait for the “warm intro.” Be proactive. Attend industry events (virtual and in-person), engage on LinkedIn, and genuinely connect with people who can offer advice or open doors. Your network is built, not found. Fierce Foundry offers regular bootcamps and co-working events specifically to foster these connections—seek out similar opportunities.

  • Contemporary Reference: The rise of platforms like Built In or even niche Slack communities for founders shows that “cold outreach” done strategically can be incredibly effective when combined with genuine value and clear communication.

• “Zero to One” – The Unsexy but Critical Work of Building:

  • The co-founders stressed the immense effort required to get a company from “zero to one”—the foundational work before scaling. This involves everything from market validation and regulatory navigation to team building and initial product development.

  • Actionable for Founders: Embrace the grind. Don’t skip foundational steps. Test your assumptions rigorously, talk to potential customers constantly, and be prepared for iterative learning. As Eric Ries preaches in “The Lean Startup,” validated learning is paramount.

  • Contemporary Reference: Even massively successful companies like Airbnb famously went door-to-door to photograph listings in their early days, proving that successful “zero to one” isn’t always glamorous, but it’s essential. Do the unscalable well!

• Defining and Dominating a Niche (FemTech):

  • Fierce Foundry’s laser focus on FemTech allows them to build deep expertise, identify overlooked opportunities, and leverage a powerful network specific to women’s health.

  • Actionable for Founders: Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, identify your specific niche. Who are you serving? What unique problem are you solving? Deep expertise in a smaller market can lead to outsized returns and clearer competitive advantages.

  • Contemporary Reference: Look at the explosion of “vertical SaaS” (Software as a Service) companies—like Toast for restaurants or Veeva for life sciences—which proves that specializing in a specific industry’s pain points can lead to billion-dollar valuations.

• “No, Not a VC!” – The Strategic Capital Advantage:

  • Melissa and Katie clarify that Fierce Foundry is not a traditional VC firm. While they do invest, their model is about providing strategic capital and operational support. They seek investors who understand this long-term, hands-on approach.

  • Actionable for Investors: Consider models beyond traditional venture capital. Venture studios offer a different risk/reward profile, often with a more active role and a focus on building robust companies from the ground up, rather than simply writing checks. This can be particularly appealing for family offices or impact investors.

  • Contemporary Reference: The growth of “smart money” investors who bring more than just capital (e.g., industry expertise, strategic partnerships, operational guidance) reflects a broader trend of valuing comprehensive support over just financial injection.

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• Reversing Medical Data Bias

  • The Statistic: Women spend an average of 25% more of their lives in poor health or with a disability compared to men, which translates to a potential loss of $1 trillion in global GDP annually by 2040 (as cited by McKinsey and the World Economic Forum, and reflected in Fierce Foundry’s mission). This disparity is largely due to historical exclusion from research and gender bias in medicine.

  • The Fierce Foundry Example: Fierce Foundry is tackling this by building companies like Dove, which is developing an AI-driven tool to provide better, more personalized early diagnostics for diseases, particularly focusing on conditions like dementia, which affects women at a significantly higher rate than men.

• Building a Network and Asking for Help:

  • A recurring theme was the importance of outreach and asking for assistance. “If you ask for help, people will help you.”

  • Actionable for Everyone: Don’t be afraid to reach out! Whether you’re a founder seeking advice, an investor looking for deals, or just trying to expand your professional circle, genuine curiosity and a clear “ask” can open many doors.

  • Contemporary Reference: LinkedIn isn’t just for job searching; it’s a powerful tool for professional networking. Personalize your messages, demonstrate you’ve done your homework, and clearly state why you’re reaching out. The worst they can say is no. Or why not try Boardy.Ai?!

The Future is Female (and Fierce)

The work Fierce Foundry is doing is not just about financial returns; it’s about social impact and rebalancing a historically imbalanced ecosystem. By building and scaling solutions for women’s health, they are addressing critical needs and proving that investing in female founders isn’t just good for women—it’s good for business, and it’s good for the world.

This episode is available on all podcast listening platforms!

A New Model for Corporate Social Responsibility

Stacy talked about how the non-profit world is moving beyond the traditional "check-in-the-box" approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and into something much more powerful: a model of "hyper-local philanthropy." It’s not just about donating a lump sum to a national charity. It's about empowering businesses to make a real, tangible impact in their own communities. The ‘pie’ of money is not getting bigger year over year — more non-profits are being launched while the donation dollars stay stagnant or declining.

How can you break through the noise?

Think of it like this:

• Beyond the "Big Brand" Mentality: Instead of a company like Starbucks simply donating to a large, global foundation, Stacy and her team work with brands to create tailored, local initiatives. Imagine a Starbucks store in a specific neighborhood partnering directly with a local youth center, not just financially, but by having employees volunteer, host events, and become part of the community fabric.

• The Power of Storytelling: A key part of SixDegrees.org's strategy is helping non-profits tell their stories. This isn't just fluffy marketing; it's about making the impact visible and emotional and breaking through the media algorithms. Businesses like Bell Bank have partnered with Six Degrees to create content that highlights the good their CSR efforts are doing on the ground. This not only inspires other businesses, but it also creates a strong, authentic brand story that resonates with customers far more than a generic ad campaign.

• Advertising Week and the Power of Purpose: Stacey highlighted the work SixDegrees.org is doing with Advertising Week on a new initiative called "Purpose, Produced." It’s a groundbreaking program where they've paired a group of deserving non-profits with some of the world's top advertising agencies to create full-scale, pro-bono marketing campaigns. The goal is to give these small organizations the kind of high-level brand exposure that's typically reserved for major corporations.

• Amplifying Grassroots Causes: Sixdegrees.org focuses its efforts on small, community-based non-profits, specifically those with less than $3 million in revenue. Their mission is to empower these organizations that are often overlooked by larger funders and to help them scale their impact by giving them a powerful platform. Their focus is on four key areas: youth empowerment, justice and equality, sustainable environments, and emergent issues.

• Purpose as a Product: Stacy mentioned how businesses are starting to realize that their core product or service can be a tool for good. This is similar to what we're seeing from companies like Patagonia, where environmental leadership is built into the business model itself, or TOMS, which birthed the "buy one, give one" model. SixDegrees.org helps companies find that unique way their business can be a force for positive change. Again, doing good WHILE doing well :).

The Six Degrees Origin Story

If you're wondering where the name comes from, it's all thanks to Hollywood icon Kevin Bacon. He founded SixDegrees.org in 2007 on the principle that everyone is in need of human connection and that we can all be "celebrities for our own causes." The idea, of course, plays on the popular "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game. Kevin reframed the game and turned it into a powerful, global movement for good. He's still actively involved as the organization's chair, using his unique platform and celebrity to champion the work of grassroots non-profits.

This episode was a total wake-up call. It's not about being a giant corporation to make an impact; it's about being strategic, authentic, and connected to your local community. I left the episode feeling so motivated to think differently about how my own work can contribute. You should definitely check it out and see what you think.

To learn more about their mission and programs, visit SixDegrees.org

For any entrepreneur or investor, the story of O2 Hydration is a masterclass in building a brand with both purpose and a powerful market strategy.

In a recent interview I had with co-founder Dave Colina, he shared the unfiltered journey from a side project born of personal necessity to a thriving CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brand. His story is a powerful reminder that a strong "why" and a deep connection with your community can be one of the most valuable assets a company can have.

Key Takeaways for Entrepreneurs and Investors

• The Power of a "Why": O2 Hydration was founded on a personal need for a healthier alternative to sugary sports drinks. This authentic origin story created a mission-driven brand from day one, which resonated deeply with a specific audience—the CrossFit community. The lesson here is that a business built on a genuine need or passion is often more resilient and relatable than one built on a trend.

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• Community is Your Moat: While many brands focus on product differentiation, O2 Hydration found its true competitive advantage in its community. By adopting a "channel-first" marketing strategy, the brand's early growth was fueled by partnerships with local gyms. This allowed them to build a loyal customer base and drive online sales through a powerful word-of-mouth network, proving that a dedicated community can be a more effective barrier to entry than any single product feature.

• Values Are Your North Star: Dave shared that O2 Hydration's core principles—honesty, humility, and hustle—are more than just buzzwords; they are printed on every can and guide major business decisions. This commitment to values was most apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic when they launched the "Stay for May" campaign, offering gift cards to gym members who kept their memberships active. This act of "doing good" not only helped their community but also led to a significant boost in online sales, demonstrating that a commitment to positive social impact can be a powerful business driver.

• The Path to Retail is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: A common mistake for early-stage CPG brands is entering the retail market too soon. Dave advises that a brand should aim for strong brand awareness and at least $10 million in revenue before making this leap. His experience highlights the importance of mastering product marketing, positioning, and packaging before scaling to a wider audience, ensuring that your brand is ready to compete on a larger stage.

• Positioning is the Real Differentiator: While O2 Hydration’s initial product was differentiated by its oxygen-infusion technology, the company found more success by leaning into its clean, low-sugar, and great-tasting qualities. Dave emphasizes that a brand's moat is often created through marketing and positioning, not just the product itself. The ability to tell a compelling story and position your product correctly is what truly sets you apart in a crowded market. We live in a fragmented world — how will you break through?

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• Learn and Adapt Quickly: The entrepreneurial journey is full of unknowns. Dave's advice to new entrepreneurs is to learn as fast as possible, seek out mentors, and surround yourself with a peer network. He co-founded CPG FastTrack, an online community that helps early-stage entrepreneurs get qualified advice and build their networks. This reinforces the idea that an agile mindset and a willingness to learn are crucial for navigating the challenges of building a successful business. It also reinforces the ethos of ‘doing good while doing well.’

The full episode is available on your favorite podcast listening platform.

Let me know what insight, tip, or advice Dave shared resonated with you.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to lead with courage and clarity is more critical than ever. WeGotThis.org’s Founder (show friend and supporter) Elissa Kalver and I recently sat down with Ryan Berman (part of my ‘Worthy for Thirty is in LA’ series), founder of Courageous, a consultancy that helps Fortune 500 companies unlock their "courageous quotient," to extract vital lessons for leaders like you.

Check out and pre-order Ryan’s upcoming book, Headamentals.

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This episode is a must-listen primer for anyone looking to build resilient teams, foster genuine connections, and drive meaningful impact.

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Found below, I’m breaking out what I believe are salient takeaways from our conversation, complete with contemporary examples and concrete action steps to help you lead more courageously:

1. Cultivate a Shared Purpose Beyond Profit

In an era where employees, especially the younger generation, seek more than just a paycheck, a clear, shared organizational purpose is your North Star. As Ryan emphasizes, this purpose unites your team and fuels their passion.

• Contemporary Example: Patagonia's unwavering commitment to environmental activism isn't just a marketing ploy; it pervades its business model and resonates profoundly with its customer base and employees, making it a purpose-driven powerhouse.

• Action Step: Beyond your mission statement, clearly articulate the "why" behind your organization's existence. In your next all-hands meeting or ELT meeting, dedicate time to discuss how each team's work contributes to this larger purpose, making it tangible and personal for everyone.

2. Build Transparent Teams that Embrace "Tough Love"

Courageous leadership demands clear and honest communication, even when it's uncomfortable. Creating an environment where constructive feedback is not only accepted but encouraged is vital for growth and problem-solving.

• Contemporary Example: Netflix's culture of "radical candor" is a well-known example. While sometimes intense, this direct feedback loop is designed to accelerate individual and organizational learning, ensuring issues are addressed swiftly and effectively.

• Action Step: Implement a "feedback Friday" or a dedicated "courageous conversations" slot in your weekly leadership meetings. Encourage leaders to share one piece of constructive feedback they've received and one they've given, modeling the behavior for their teams. And make sure the feedback is shared throughout the company.

3. Strategically Invest Your "Courage Currency"

You can't be courageous all the time, nor should you try. Ryan advises identifying a few critical moments where leaning into discomfort and making a bold decision will yield the most significant impact.

• Contemporary Example: When Satya Nadella took the helm at Microsoft, he made the courageous decision to pivot away from a "Windows-first" mentality to a "cloud-first, mobile-first" strategy, alienating some traditionalists but ultimately revitalizing the company's growth. This was a strategic investment of courage in a key moment.

• Action Step: Identify one major strategic decision or challenge your organization faces this quarter. As a leadership team, pinpoint where a courageous, unconventional approach might break through stagnation, then allocate your focus and resources to that specific "courageous moment."

4. Lead with Authenticity to Avoid Transactional Relationships

In a world increasingly fatigued by corporate speak, genuine leadership stands out. If employees don't trust their leaders, the relationship quickly reduces to a purely transactional exchange, stifling innovation and loyalty.

• Contemporary Example: Many admired tech leaders, like HubSpot's co-founders, are known for their transparent communication, often sharing personal struggles and learnings, which fosters a deep sense of trust and loyalty among their employees.

• Action Step: Share a personal learning or challenge you've recently overcome in a team communication or leadership meeting. Demonstrate vulnerability and authenticity, inviting others to connect with you on a human level rather than just a professional one. EQ > IQ!

5. Embrace Continuous Adaptability and Evolution

The only constant in business is change. Leaders must act as "detectives," constantly examining and re-examining strategies, remaining flexible, and adapting swiftly to new information and market shifts.

• Contemporary Example: Companies like Amazon exemplify continuous adaptation, constantly experimenting with new services and technologies (from e-commerce to cloud computing, and now AI) and quickly pivoting away from what doesn't work, maintaining their market leadership.

• Action Step: Dedicate 15 minutes weekly to scan industry trends or disruptors outside your immediate niche. Challenge your team to identify one potential future shift that could impact your business and brainstorm proactive steps, fostering a mindset of continuous vigilance and adaptation. Set up Google Alerts, or use Perplexity.Ai for deep research

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This is just a glimpse into the profound insights Ryan Berman shares in the full episode. To truly grasp the nuances of courageous leadership and equip yourself with the tools to inspire and innovate, I highly recommend listening to the complete conversation wherever you enjoy podcasts.

Listen to the full episode here