Welcome to Eating Glass! It's a podcast where we ask startup founders the questions no one else will. Our goal? Reveal what it's actually like to start, scale, and exit a company. Hosted by Joe Lemay, who bootstrapped his reusable notebook company Rocketbook to a $50M exit and Will Nitze, Founder/CEO at IQBAR, a nutrition company he's taken to $40M+ in annual revenue.
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Tom First (Nantucket Nectars & Culture Pop) | Juicing a $100M Beverage Brand
1:08:36
1:08:36
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1:08:36
We delve into the journey of Tom First, founder of Nantucket Nectars & Culture Pop. Discover the challenges and triumphs of building a beloved brand, the importance of authenticity in product development, and the lessons learned from navigating the beverage industry. Tom shares his experiences from the early days of creating a juice company that re…
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Mike Beckham (Simple Modern) | Missionary turned $225M drink-ware mogul
1:39:11
1:39:11
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1:39:11
Join us as we sit down with Mike Beckham, the co-founder and CEO of Simple Modern, a company that has gone from challenger to incumbent in the drinkware industry with a unique blend of style, quality, and philanthropy. Mike shares his journey from the nonprofit world to building a $250M+ profitable business, emphasizing the importance of mission-dr…
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Peter Rahal (RXBAR & David Protein) | The $600M Man Gets Back Into Bars
1:15:54
1:15:54
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1:15:54
Joe and Will sit down with Peter Rahal, co-founder of RXBAR, to delve into his journey from a challenging school experience to creating one of the most iconic protein bars on the market. Peter shares how early adversity shaped his relentless drive, the innovative approach behind RXBAR's success, and the pivotal moments that led to a $600 million ex…
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Anne Mahlum (SolidCore) | Non-Profit to $100M+ Fitness Phenom
1:00:53
1:00:53
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1:00:53
In this episode of Eating Glass, we sit down with Anne Mahlum, founder of Back on My Feet and SolidCore. Anne shares her incredible journey from growing up in North Dakota with an addict father, to starting a running club for the homeless, and ultimately building a nationwide fitness empire. Discover how Anne’s personal struggles fueled her drive t…
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Will Nitze (IQBAR) | Blitzscaling Brain Food to $50M+/year
55:28
55:28
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55:28
We're getting meta as Joe interviews Will! Will Nitze is the founder and CEO of nutrition company IQBar. He shares his unconventional journey of growing his CPG business. Will discusses the importance of focusing on operational excellence and scaling quickly by taking calculated risks. He also dives into his contrarian approach to hiring, fundraisi…
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Chris Hunter (Four Loko & Koia) | An Alcohol Icon Hard-Pivots to Health
1:14:55
1:14:55
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1:14:55
Chris Hunter, of Four Loko & Koia, shares his wild entrepreneurial journey. From the meteoric rise and regulatory battles of Four Loko to launching the plant-based protein drink Koia, Chris gets personal about the challenges of building businesses in highly regulated industries. He discusses lessons learned from tumultuous business partnerships, th…
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Sean Riley (DUDE Wipes) | The $150M+ Man Wiping America’s Asses
1:05:48
1:05:48
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1:05:48
Sean Riley, CEO and co-founder of Dude Wipes, shares the story of how he and his friends started the company from their apartment with the goal of creating a better way to wipe. He discusses the challenges of bootstrapping the business, building the bold and irreverent Dude Wipes brand, and scaling the company to over $150 million in revenue. Sean …
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Chris Savage (Wistia) | Building a $100M Software Startup from Scratch
1:14:08
1:14:08
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1:14:08
In this episode of Eating Glass, we dive into the rollercoaster journey of Chris Savage, co-founder and CEO of Wistia, as he takes us behind the scenes of building a successful video marketing platform from scratch. From failed viral ideas, living on a shoestring budget to discovering product-market fit and growing a loyal customer base, Chris shar…
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Pete Maldonado (CHOMPS) | From Bankruptcy to Meat Stick Mania
53:42
53:42
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53:42
In this episode of Eating Glass, Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of CHOMPS, shares his entrepreneurial journey from hitting rock bottom to building a successful meat snack brand. From bootstrapping with just $6,500 to navigating existential crises during COVID-19, Pete offers candid insights on focus, innovation, and the importance of people …
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Joe Lemay (Rocketbook) | Microwaving Notebooks to $50M
1:15:10
1:15:10
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1:15:10
Ever dream of taking a wild product idea and turning it into a $50 million exit? Your co-host (and today's guest) Joe Lemay did just that with Rocketbook. His initial idea was an app to digitize whiteboards in real-time. When that didn't pan out, Joe pivoted hard - creating the Rocketbook, a reusable notebook you could literally microwave to erase …
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Mike Fata (Manitoba Harvest) | Building a $419M “Hempire”
54:22
54:22
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54:22
Mike Fata, founder of Manitoba Harvest, shares his incredible journey from high school dropout to building a $419 million hemp empire. Discover the lessons he learned while navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, from humble beginnings to scaling a business, managing successful exits, and embracing servant leadership. Mike's insights on pass…
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Preston Rutherford (Chubbies Shorts) | Small Shorts, BIG Exit
1:19:13
1:19:13
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1:19:13
Welcome to the first episode of Eating Glass! In this inaugural episode, ho sts Will Nitze and Joe Lemay sit down with founder Preston Rutherford to dive into his journey starting his company ‘Chubbies’ and how he (and his friends) pioneered some of the raddest, most weekend-built gear ever. From the benefits (and drawbacks) he experienced by havin…
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Welcome to Eating GlassBy Will Nitze & Joe Lemay
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