{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders","title":"Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker, Mid-Day Squares – Bittersweet Victory: Showcasing challenges and successes in the entrepreneurial journey","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1993,"description":"Introducing a new product into the extremely competitive snack market is not for the faint of heart. To succeed, you need more than a unique product; you need energy, creativity, and a bold approach. Today’s guest has all that in spades. We're sitting down with Jake Karls, who is the first to admit that he's a different kind of business leader, unapologetically authentic, refreshingly relatable, and completely free of bullshit. Jake is the Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, the good-for-you chocolate brand that turned a kitchen table dream into a global household name.Mid-Day Squares is leading the disruption of an extremely competitive vertical with a winning team, innovative marketing and a fearless spirit. Jake is recognized as a rising star in the business world, was a finalist for Ian Wise Entrepreneur of the Year Award, was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 List for food and beverage, and has featured as a regular contributor to media outlets across North America.Jake has also nicknamed the ICR conference The House of Capital, and we love him for that. He’s officially a “FOICR” which stands for Friend of ICR.Highlights:Jake discusses his path into the business sector (3:57)Jake and Tom talk about their favorite Shark Tank Shark (6:51)Jake talks about failure, finding work purpose, and skill sets (7:35)Finding your niche in a competitive market, and Mid-Day Squares' social media approach to branding, and (9:57)Building a brand with emotional connection, and modernized marketing (12:10)Mid-Day Squares' conception and the idea behind the product (14:15) Jake and the team's experience with manufacturing and building their own facility (16:12)Best-selling products (19:02)Mid-Day Squares' retail connections and their proudest deal (19:45)Refrigerated snacking, and how Mid-Day Squares target their audiences (21:00)How the team balances retail and direct channels (22:55)Goal and mission of Mid-Day Squares (24:00)Jake explains the complexity and...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/VPbFZOgoHk78hrWlplrfMSrQROUNxI8jcZ2Gv-hyKm4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mYmFh/NWFlNGJjY2Y0NGFk/YmM2NWJiMTI4NmVh/OWQ4Yi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}