The Startup CPG Podcast

In this bonus episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Grace Kennedy chats with Samantha Edwards, founder of the plant-based food brand New Breed. Samantha shares her inspiring journey, rooted in her Caribbean heritage and nonprofit work, which led her to create a line of flavorful, plant-based products like Jamaican Jerk CHICK’N. She opens up about how her mother’s recovery from cancer through a plant-based diet motivated her mission to make healthy eating accessible.

They dive deep into the challenges of building a CPG brand, from product development and logistics to the complexities of scaling a frozen food business. Samantha also shares her excitement for New Breed’s upcoming launches and offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, highlighting the importance of resilience and consumer education.

Tune in now!

Listen in as they share about:

Mission and Origin of New Breed Meats
Product Creation & Nutrition
Retail & Market Challenges
Consumer Education and Outreach
Broker Services and Marketing Needs
Challenges in Founding and Scaling
Frozen vs. Shelf-Stable Products
Proudest Moments and Future Plans
Social Media and Community

Episode Links:

New Breed Meats Website

Samantha Edwards LinkedIn

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

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Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com

Episode music by Super Fantastics

Creators & Guests

Host

Grace Kennedy

What is The Startup CPG Podcast?

The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

 00:09 Samantha We definitely have really strong cultural caribbean roots, and we really didn't see that represented too much in foods and definitely not in plant based foods. And so we really wanted to bring something really clean to the market that can actually reach the masses.
 
00:26 Grace Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the start of CPG podcast. This is Grace, and I am back with another founder feature. Today I'm talking to Samantha, the founder of New Breed. New Breed is a brand dedicated to creating plant based meats that celebrate diversity and empower underrepresented communities. Samantha has been plant based for over 20 years and running new breed for just over five. In this conversation, we talk all about plant based nutrition, New breed's slow and steady growth, and their exciting launch into Arowan this fall. I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, let me know what you think. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the start of CPG podcast. Today I am here with another founder feature. I am so excited to be talking to Samantha, the founder of New Breed, a plant based foods brand.
 
01:21 Grace So, Samantha, I'd love for you to introduce yourself and tell us who is new breed.
 
01:26 Samantha Yeah, sure thing. Thank you so much for having me on this episode. My name is Samantha Edwards. I am the founder and CEO of New Breed, and we are a plant based meat brand where we create an authentic line of nutritiously delicious plant based meats for every meal of the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So we really wanted to make plant based eating really seamless and easy and exciting for everyone.

 01:54 Grace Yeah, I love it. And I've had the opportunity to try some of Samantha's new breed products, and they are really delicious and don't have some of those ingredients that sometimes I'm a little bit put off by in other plant based meats where there's, like, weird fillers and things like that. That kind of, you know, make me feel like, what's the point of eating plant based if it also has these sort of gross ingredients in it? But I'd love to hear a little bit about the origin story of new breed. So why did you create this company, and what's your background leading up to creating new breed?
 
02:29 Samantha Yeah, so I created this company just about five years ago, actually. So it was just pre pandemic period. And really it was as a result of kind of my experiences in nonprofit work. I actually have been living a plant based lifestyle for over 20 years, so it's definitely not a trend for me, but it was just really exciting to see how, you know, it was becoming more and more mainstream in terms of people really being more conscious about what they were eating and how they were living and so on. So, you know, whereas before, you know, it was really niche and specialty and, you know, it was just like a small amount of people that were really interested in this space and just this lifestyle overall.

03:16 Samantha So kind of when I started seeing that transition being made just like a polar shift throughout the world, it was just really exciting for me to see that. And I felt like I can bring something to the table that was different and that could really speak to my cultural background as well from a caribbean background. My parents are from Trinidad and Guyana, and my husband is jamaican. And so we definitely have really strong cultural caribbean roots, and we really didn't see that represented too much in. In foods and definitely not in plant based foods. And so we really wanted to bring something really clean to the market that can actually reach the masses.
 
04:00 Samantha And so my mother actually developed stage four breast cancer about 15 years ago, and I was working with her and kind of sharing with her some principles that I was actually learning and embracing in my own life in terms of her lifestyle and just eating, because, you know, diet is just one thing, but we really take it from a more holistic approach, you know, making sure that we're drinking enough water and we're, you know, exercising and going out in the sun. So it's like a whole lifestyle type of program which we advocate for. And so that's what were teaching. That was part of our nonprofit work that were teaching, because my husband and I became lifestyle educators, we got certified in that, and were traveling, really, around the world, sharing different principles, you know, giving lectures.
 
04:44 Samantha I end up writing a cookbook, like, 15 years ago called the better way. So I would do all these nutrition classes. I got certified in plant based nutrition, so I would do cooking classes and different things like that. And so, you know, we just fully immersed ourselves in this lifestyle and this idea that our bodies were designed to heal. And, you know, as long as we put the right things in it, you know, we could really move the needle in the right direction. And so these are the things I was kind of sharing, you know, with my mother and everyone and really anyone, wherever we got invited to. And she started embracing a lot of the things in which we're sharing and just really blessed to say that here we are 15 years later.
 
05:23 Samantha She is cancer free, super healthy, and is not on any medication of any kind. The cancer never came back, so she is just as healthy as can be. Like I said, it really speaks to the power of this lifestyle. Or what it can really do to change lives.
 
05:40 Grace Absolutely. That's amazing. And congratulations to your mom and to all the work I'm sure she's put in to get to this point. That's so amazing. And so you were seeing all of these benefits from this lifestyle, from eating this way, living this way. When did you decide that you wanted to do more? You wanted to create this product, right? Not just be the educator, which I'm sure you're still doing in many ways, and from your website, it seems like you're still doing. But when did you decide you wanted to actually create this product?
 
06:11 Samantha Yeah, so I wanted to kind of do something more. And so I felt like, you know, if we had a physical product, so, of course, you know, we have the book and we do these lectures, but, you know, there's something to be said about just having something tangible and something practical for people to experience on a regular basis that really helps to make that transition. And so I think that was really the impetus behind us, really pushing forward this brand. I mean, I didn't start out thinking, oh, I'm going to do this brand, I'm going to make these products, because I was always doing nutrition and cooking classes and so on. I was always coming up with different recipes and just unique ways of using whole foods.
 
06:54 Samantha And so it was just natural for me to kind of just tinker around in the kitchen and just kind of come up with things and. And share. And so in the process of doing so, you know, it just occurred to me that, you know, there's so much more that could be done in the market that's not currently being done. And I think that was probably, you know, kind of that green light, you know, that goes off and it's like, oh, wow, maybe I could do something. You know, I didn't know what it was going to end up being. I didn't know how to get there. But, you know, I just figured that, you know, with perseverance and diligence and lots of study and talking with those industry that we can kind of come up with something really unique and special.
 
07:36 Samantha And so, yeah, just about five years ago, were actually living in northern California at the time. And so my husband was working on a university campus, doing a lot of community efforts and that type of work, helping people in their homes and just rallying the students and so on. And so I had a lot of that energy with the young people and having them sample all the different things that were coming up with. So they got super excited about it. So it became this thing, and then it just kind of morphed into what it is currently, which is new breed. And we actually have just want to show just some of the things that we have. We have a jamaican jerk chicken, which is so super unique. There's nothing like it on the market.
 
08:22 Samantha And something more appealing to those who are the home cook. Lightly seasoned so you can season as you want. So it kind of just became this thing that, hey, why don't we create something? What's the number one issue that people have? You know, when we do our seminars, when we do our cooking classes, and when we share, you know, the things that we're sharing, the number one challenge that everyone always says is, well, what am I going to do without meat? What am I going to do for meat? How can I not eat meat? And so that was always, like, the pain point, you know? And so we really wanted to kind of hit that head on because were doing other things, too. We were doing other products, but we just felt like that was like the greatest.
 
08:58 Samantha The area of greatest need is, what am I going to do about protein? What am I going to do about meat? And so we kind of wanted to address that totally.
 
09:05 Grace And our culture, particularly in America, but elsewhere as well, is so obsessed with protein and meat and all of these things, and everyone's always so stressed. And, you know, I was vegetarian for a while. I'm not anymore, but I remember the number one question everyone asked me when I was vegetarian was, well, where do you get your protein? How do you get your protein? And I was like, I get it. It's fine. But, like, I'm fine.
 
09:33 Samantha That's always the thing. I mean, it's always like the number one thing, literally. And so were like, all right, we need to hit this head on. There's a protein issue, period. I think there's just a. A myth that has been cultivated for I don't know how long that you need this massive amount of protein in your diet, which is not true in the least. I mean, you look at the animals that are herbivores and so on, elephants. I mean, there's no basis for 100 to 150 pound cumin feeling like they have to have 100 grams of protein throughout the day. I mean, it's just. It's crazy.
 
10:14 Grace Totally.
 
10:15 Samantha Yeah, totally.
 
10:16 Grace And there's so much sort of miseducation and misinformation out in the market. But I wanted to return to what you. Something you were saying, which is your unique products themselves and then a unique blend, you use to create these plant based meats? Yeah, because I know you use like, pea, brown rice and algae. And so I wanted to hear a little bit more about how you made the decision to use the sort of unique formulation that's in new breeds meats and sort of why you made those decisions to create it this way.
 
10:50 Samantha Yeah. So just kind of leaning off of the nutrition background that I have. I know that from the study of foods, just having an understanding of the chemical composition of foods and kind of the makeup of foods and the science of food, that there are certain combinations of food that work really well together, and that really helps in terms of digestibility of the protein. And so we find that when you combine a, let's say a carbohydrate, like a rice in particular, with, like a legume, like pea, you know, that's a good combination, then you become a complete protein option, and as opposed to just a single source, unless it's from a source that is already a complete protein. Like, for example, Quinoa is already a complete protein, and there's just very few grains that's just like a complete, or pseudo grains.
 
11:48 Samantha That's like a considered like a complete protein. But by and large, you really have to combine two things together in order to have that complete protein. And a lot of people were really having a lot of gut issues just with, you know, in general. But definitely with some of the plant based meat products that's on the market, they feel like it's not digesting, probably. It's just kind of sitting in their system. They don't really feel that great after they're eating it. So we really wanted to ensure that our products, we actually have six skews. We also have burgers, rounds and sausage and other things. We wanted to make sure that there's something called the PDCA score. It gets really technical and scientific, but essentially it's a protein digestibility score.
 
12:29 Samantha And so it kind of tests for how well is this protein going to digest in the body? Because proteins are. The kidney plays a large part in the digestion of the proteins. But anyway, so if you have a PDC score of one, then you're on good footing. And so that means that the item is a complete protein. And so all of that science kind of came together in the formulation, the products. And so that's kind of why we chose the various protein options that we did choose, because they are synergistic and they complement each other in terms of digestibility. That's probably a really long answer for. I hope it wasn't too confusing?
 
13:13 Grace No, I love it. And it sounds like you have a little guest.
 
13:16 Samantha I do.
 
13:17 Grace In the room with you. This is life coming into play. Founder life. It is founder and mom life. And as I'm interviewing you are also nine months pregnant. So kudos to you. You're running a business. You're running a family. I mean, it's impressive. But I will say, returning to what you're saying about the digestibility of the protein a, I think that's amazing that was such a priority because, again, I've tried some of these other products that are, you know, quote unquote high in protein, products that end up giving me, like, you know, not a TMI here on the podcast, but some digestion issues.
 
13:55 Samantha And it's.
 
13:56 Grace Yeah, and it's interesting. And, you know, it's hard when the messaging is like, we'll get all this protein. It's like, we'll also fix your gut health and also fix that. And, you know, I'm just like, I just want to eat something that makes me feel good.
 
14:08 Samantha Yeah. No, I mean, if I were just like a regular consumer that really didn't have any kind of education about these foods, I mean, it is confusing, and there's so much information out there. It's just like, where do I go? And so, you know, you're right.
 
14:24 Grace And how do you, speaking of that, though, like, confusion, how do you work to, like, get your message across to consumers about new breed in a way that's digestible, you know, both mentally and physically, and, you know, entices them to then buy the product itself.
 
14:42 Samantha Yeah. So, you know, it's really great when we have opportunities to get in front of the consumer face to face, whether it be at trade shows, whether it be at different events, consumer events, to really kind of tell that story firsthand. I mean, we try our best online, but you can only do so much digitally. It's always better. Everything is always better in person, of course. So we do quite a bit, and we still do quite a bit of in person meetings. And so we really try to tag along, not just, you know, we're not just simply just trying to push our products. So it's not about, oh, use our products. It's really about education. We started this brand to educate individuals and educate people on how to live a better life just overall.
 
15:31 Samantha And so we're looking at the brand really more so as a vehicle in which to kind of tell that story. And it kind of gives us that platform by which we can share the story. And so we always have different lifestyle meetings. So, for example, my husband might do a talk on disarming diabetes, and how could we prevent diabetes or high blood pressure or a lot of the lifestyle diseases that's really killing America? I mean, you have cancer, you have obesity. I mean, you any number of things. I mean, the top ten list. And so we really kind of address those scientifically and how they could work with their body just biologically to reverse a lot of those issues.
 
16:19 Samantha And what's really great about the whole gamut of the program that we run is we also, as mentioned, we do live in the countryside of eastern Kentucky. We're on just about 500 acres, and we also run a lifestyle, a wellness program, a wellness retreat. And so people actually come from all over to our residential lifestyle program. And, you know, they're here anywhere from, you know, one week to three weeks, you know, just doing a detox and a cleanse. And they're juicing and they're walking and we're doing counseling with them because, again, it's physically, mentally, and spiritually. It's everything all in one. And so, you know, we're addressing all of the whole person, you know, because sometimes you can have issues that manifest itself in a physical sense, but it could because our mental disposition is completely off.
 
17:10 Samantha You know, if we're full of anger and bitterness and so on, you know, that's going to affect the liver, that's going to affect, you know, how our food is digested, you know, so there's so much connections between the mental and the physical and so on. And so we really try to help people to understand that. So when people come to our lifestyle program, they're kind of learning, you know, all the things that they never knew about themselves and why they're having the issues that they're having. And it's really super transformative. We have so much video coverage of testimonials of people that have come and left with that. And, of course, when they come, you know, we show them how to cook and how to eat and how to shop, how to read labels. You know, it's just the whole thing.
 
17:55 Samantha And they're just blown away with all of this knowledge that they had no idea even existed. And it really helps them to come to a place where they can put things in perspective. And all of the conflicting ideas that they may have come with before now becomes there's a place where there is a foundation that's set for them and they can learn to. Okay, well, if it doesn't line up with this and this, then, you know, I can, you know, just basically reject it because we don't have to accept everything that comes our way. Like I said, there's so much out there, and you have to be able to sift through what is truth and what is going to work for your body and what actually makes sense. So help them to kind of see that balance. So, I mean, we.
 
18:47 Samantha So much that we do to kind of get the word out.
 
18:50 Grace Yeah, it sounds like you guys are busy just a little bit.
 
18:54 Samantha Yeah, but I was also gonna say on that side. Yeah, but, yeah.
 
18:58 Grace Oh, that's good. No, I was just gonna say just, yeah, everybody's different as well. You know, not everybody needs this exact same thing. And sometimes we are told, like, here's the right way to do it. And it's like, well, everybody has a different body and a different needs and different concerns, and what we need is the education so we can make our own choices that feel right for us and our bodies. But so thinking again about new breeds products and this idea, you know, you're educating consumers. You're getting out there. You're doing these tastings, you're doing, you know, the programming and things like that. How are you talking to retailers about new breed? And what has been the response, would you say, from retailers as you've sort of got into more stores?
 
19:40 Grace You know, I noticed, you know, you're in a bunch of stores in the regional area that you're in the. So I wanted to hear a little bit more about. Yeah, what are those conversations like with retailers?
 
19:49 Samantha Yeah, so that's a whole different discussion with, on the retail side, we're actually still learning to try to tell that story in an efficient way. I just. Because I don't have that background in CPG, it's harder for me to really kind of tell that story that's super compelling. But I would say that we do. We have, the last few years, attended trade shows. Like, for example, the last two years, were exhibiting at Expo west, which, of course, as we all know, is the holy Grail, CPG natural. And so we really wanted to make sure that we had some kind of a presence there so that we can get in front of retailers to kind of share, of course, our great taste and products. But not only that, but just a story behind what we're doing. What we're doing.
 
20:40 Samantha So representation at really key trade shows. We also went to the restaurant show last year in Chicago, and even on the food service side, we really wanted to have some kind of representation. And then in addition to that, we are still seeking to secure like a broker network and just sales people that can really help with getting the message out, especially those that already have the contacts in the industry that we currently don't have right now. We have a slim team. It's primarily just me kind of doing everything. So I'm already limited in what I could do just period, just because of all the other constraints that I have. But so quite honestly, we really do need to do a better job with reaching out to retailers.
 
21:24 Samantha But I think the main thing for us was a representation at the trade shows and just trying to reach out to people, whether it be on LinkedIn or any other outlet, just trying to get in front of the retailer. So interestingly enough, were really grateful to have just taken on the Airwan account in Southern California. So really super excited about that opportunity to have some kind of representation in Southern California in addition to the midwest region where we are in Meyer, the Meyer chain, which is a really strong brand up here. So we're excited about that. But we are looking to expand and have national distribution, really all throughout, of course, my hometown in the northeast, I'm from Brooklyn, New York. So, you know, it's a whole different animal up there because it's more filled with independence than anything else.
 
22:16 Samantha So that's a completely different reason altogether. But it's really exciting. I'm looking forward to being able to have some kind of representation there. And of course, in the southeast as well. So we are looking at a number of different retailers that we know the products could be really well suited for and that they already have the consumer base that we are targeting. And interestingly enough, another thing that I'll say really quick is were also part of the Target accelerator program last year. So that was really nice. Target selects just a handful of brands to go through their accelerator program.
 
22:51 Samantha So we one of the brands that were selected and went through the whole program, so we under, you know, went through the whole understanding of mass retail and kind of how that all works, and then it kind of leads into a line review with the buyer and so on. And we are just crossing our fingers and praying that sooner, very soon, those doors will open as well for more of a situation. And then were part of a television program, this is right kind off the wall type of experience. Target actually sponsored a competition, well, a television show called Bed on Black. So they brought in like twelve entrepreneurs. So it was just a handful of entrepreneurs, and they were pitching their product and everything to the panel of celebrity judges. So were actually on that show last year, too.
 
23:47 Samantha There was a lot of things that happened, and we actually won the grand prize thing. So it was just totally just could not believe I just had a baby, like, two weeks ago. It was just so crazy. But, you know, were able to win because the judges kind of saw our passion, what were doing, that were really doing it not just for ourselves and just pushing, but really for the health and wellness for. For the world, really. And we're really trying to make a difference. And so it really came across and they gave us. So we ended up winning, like $220,000 from that. So target was super great with that whole situation. And that's amazing. Yes. Judges, we had Pinky Cole there and masterpiece and Remy Ma and all these, like, rap type. Anyway, it was so funny.
 
24:37 Grace That's amazing. I love that.
 
24:39 Samantha Yeah.
 
24:41 Grace As I keep saying, you're really busy. You're a busy person. But do you have. Well, a. Let's put out a call. So you said you're looking for some broker services?
 
24:54 Samantha Yes, desperately. So we, again, we have these products, and we just need that sales representation and also to go along with that marketing as well, to be quite honest, like I said, I'm pretty doing most of the things, and I only could do so much. And so really looking for assistance in those two key areas, sales and marketing. Yeah.
 
25:20 Grace And what regions are you looking for? Sales help.
 
25:23 Samantha Yeah. So I would say currently the strongest regions would be Southern California and also the southeast region, which, interestingly enough, there's, you know, I look at the population and who is going to be more drawn to the product? Southeast. They're just now kind of developing a stronger plant based presence. So it'd be really good to have some kind of a key presence in that market. So Atlanta and, you know, Florida, Miami, you know, those areas, and, of course, Southern California, they're already way ahead of the game in terms of kind of thing, this type of these types of foods. And, you know, then we look for places that are more culturally diverse, you know, places that the consumer appreciates more of a global type cuisine. So we find that those regions work really well for us.
 
26:17 Grace Absolutely. Well, if anybody's listening who has any connections to a sales or broker services in those regions, reach out to Samantha. She's on slack. And, you know, let's make it happen. I was going to say, too, you need to bring your jamaican jerk chicken to Brooklyn because, you know, exactly why.
 
26:35 Samantha Exactly should have been already there.
 
26:37 Grace So many people in Brooklyn need of their jamaican jerk chicken. But plant based.
 
26:43 Samantha That's right.
 
26:44 Grace I love it.
 
26:44 Samantha Exactly.
 
26:45 Grace Oh, my God. Well, so exciting on all of these, you know, target accelerator, target show, air one. I mean, you're a one woman show, but you're like, I keep saying you're doing a lot, and it's really impressive and exciting. But one of the things I wanted to ask as a one woman show, and I always ask this, if all founders, regardless if it's just them or anyone else, but what's been one of the hardest things of running new breed these past five years, and how have you worked to overcome it, or how are you continuing to work to overcome it?
 
27:21 Samantha Yeah, no, that question makes a lot of sense, and I think it really all depends on the stage that we're at the time. So, you know, initially, when I think back, you know, it was all about product development. You know, it was all about trying to actually develop a product that people wanted to eat, you know, and so that everything was kind of, all energies were kind of bent in that direction. So that was a challenge there. And then from there, you're thinking, okay, how am I going to scale this product? How, you know, logistically and. And how do I get suppliers on board? You know, like the raw material suppliers that, you know, we have, we can have some kind of consistency in taste and quality and that type of thing.
 
28:03 Samantha So just learning how to work with commercial raw material suppliers and finding out who they are, where they are, I mean, it's just a whole world that you go to the grocery store and you pick up a product, you have no idea what even goes into that. And then you have to think about packaging and getting an agency on board as far as packaging and branding and design and photography and just really putting your best foot out there so that you actually don't look like some mom and pop situation that actually looks like something legitimate, you know, so totally. There were so many stages to what needed to take place. And, you know, once everything was kind of already developed and, you know, the packaging was done, we brought in an agency and we kind of got all this work done.
 
28:52 Samantha We lined up our raw material suppliers and backup suppliers and just making sure that the inventory was there. Well, inventory management is a whole other situation, too. Logistics. And now it's like, okay, well, how is this thing going to be manufactured? You know, I can't, you know, just be in a commissary kitchen or whatever, just producing a few hundred pounds of product at a time. It needs to be something that you know, could reach the masses. And because we had our sights set on large scale. And so we wanted to really set that foundation from the beginning. And so we didn't just run to Costco or something like that to pick up ingredients and so on. We out the gate was learning about how to get commercial ingredients and working with those type of suppliers.
 
29:43 Samantha So really creating that supplier network took time and education and everything else, and then finding a manufacturing partner that can actually produce something of quality and something that, you know, was consistent and so on. And so were really blessed to be able to bring on a really strong manufacturing partner where they can produce at any scale, which is super amazing because, you know, there are so many different, our product is a little bit specialty, but by and large, there are a number of different, you know, manufacturers that you can go to. But we really wanted someone that can scale with us and that, you know, we can start smaller and then, you know, if needs be, if we get a Po for, you know, 50,000 pounds or something, it wasn't going to be a problem.
 
30:31 Samantha And so were able to find a manufacturing partner that is able to really meet any size po, which, again, super exciting, especially just, and how did you find them?
 
30:42 Grace I think that's a question I get from a lot of founders. They're like, how do you even know who to work with? How did you find these partners?
 
30:48 Samantha You know, it's like this secret network, truly. I mean, the whole thing is just like, and that's why I said the average consumer has no idea. They just go to the grocery store and they're just picking up products. They have no idea what goes into these things. How do we find them? So I think just really having inner workings within the industry and just really having individuals to kind of help guide you along so, you know, you can just pick up things here and there. So I remember when were in California talking with another founder who also has a protein company. And, you know, I was sharing with him that, you know, he was amazed as to how I even, he said, how did you even create this? Are you a food scientist? And I said, well, I'm not a food scientist.
 
31:33 Samantha So he couldn't even believe that. But anyway, so I was kind of sharing with him about the product and how were looking into this command before, but they kind of flaked out. And so now we're kind of in limbo because you really don't want to self manufacture because we can only do so much. And anyway, so just kind of just going through, you know, the challenges basically of founder life and just getting a product on shelf. And he shared with me a couple of other comments that I can look into. And anyway, during the process of time, reached out to them. The timing was great. They were just getting ready to build out their plant based facility and everything kind of just worked out.
 
32:16 Samantha But we had to go and physically visit so many different plants to see, number one, who can actually do this and who's legitimate. There's a lot of sketchiness that goes on, to be honest, and a lot of horror stories. And were just, you know, wanted to kind of weed through that and really choose one that was right for us and that we felt comfortable with and that can, most importantly, grow with us and that understood this industry. So, I mean, our partner, I mean, they have the FDA on board, the USDA, so they are, like, fully up to speed with all of documentation and good manufacturing practices. Like, there's so much that goes into just manufacturing that's a whole base in and of itself. Yeah. Anyway, were able to kind of figure that out.
 
33:12 Samantha But again, I think having key contacts in the industry is really helpful to kind of help guide along, too.
 
33:17 Grace Yeah, absolutely. And I think that's so, I mean, everything you're saying is so important for founders to hear and know is that do your due diligence, do your research, check it out in person. Because I've definitely heard in person.
 
33:32 Samantha But.
 
33:32 Grace As you said, I've heard horror stories. I've heard the same, you know, it's a common refrain. And so I think it's really great. And, you know, to remind people, like, check it out. And also, you know, the more friends you make in the industry, the better. And I think it's easy when you're a founder doing things by yourself to get stuck, like, in a room just working all day. And it's, again, like you were saying, having those connections and contacts in the industry can be the difference between finding a great manufacturer and not. And so getting yourself out there, even when you're just working by yourself all day, is such an important reminder. But thinking about other sort of founder advice, I'm curious.
 
34:15 Grace And again, this is another question I often ask, but if you were to start this all over again five years ago, or if someone was coming to you and saying, samantha, I want to start my own CPG company, and they're starting today. Yeah. What's one piece of advice you've learned over these last four years that you wish someone had told you on, you know, day one day, two?
 
34:37 Samantha Yeah, no, that. I love this question. I really do, because that's actually a question that I get posed quite frequently myself because people know what I do and so on. So they ask me, oh, well, I have this thing, and I want to do this. So I do let them know the realities of the founder life. I mean, it's not for the faint of heart, to be quite honest. I mean, it's a grind every single day, just motivating yourself to just keep on going. I mean, there's so much involved in this product, and there's so much expenses involved in getting these products on the shelf. I mean, it's astronomical. And I don't think people really realize what it takes to, you know, get something out there.
 
35:23 Samantha And so I kind of share with them the realities of, you know, just product development, sourcing, logistics, manufacturing, of course, the sales and the marketing. But just the whole thing, like you, the financial, the accounting, that's a whole nother animal in and of itself, that. Whoo. So there's so much involved in the whole thing, and you're dealing with a product that's one thing, but then also it's the whole business side. So it's just like you become this, you know, I don't know, it's like there's so many different things that you have to learn. So I kind of share with them those types of things. But then really, in addition to that, what I wish I would have known from the onset was the extreme expenses that goes into perishable products. Like, it's insane.
 
36:19 Grace Oh, yeah.
 
36:20 Samantha So our products are frozen, and that in and of itself, that whole supply chain, frozen, it's double the cost for everything that you do. Because we're, you know, we do some DTC things as well as far as selling our products online, but, you know, we have to do overnight shipping and, you know, all the. So. And it's just, I mean, we lose, quite honestly, you know, because the shipping cost is just astronomical. And so I wish that I would have known in the beginning, if we try to encourage people to, if you can do shelf stable, because your life will be so much easier even if you want, because you wanted to do an online thing or if you wanted to Amazon, I mean, there's so many other avenues that you can actually do where the expenses aren't so crazy.
 
37:13 Samantha I mean, like, for example, you know, if I have to send pallets coming from Southern California over to our facility in Kentucky, you know, I have to send it on a frozen truck. I mean, those prices don't even make sense. And so that I think that the future founders, or would be founders should know, hey, if you miss shelf stable, do that. We're actually, you know, thinking about ways which we can be more shelf stable. So we're thinking about how we could kind of reduce our water content and so on, different things like that. And maybe, you know, look into different packaging kinds, just different things to try to see how we could. And then there's other countries that ask us, oh, can this be, you know, here, you know, and as in, you're thinking about, you know, freight.
 
38:04 Samantha You're thinking about how he's going to get there, how's it going to go past customs and stay fresh and frozen for, you know, a week. So, you know, there's so many opportunities that could be had if it were. You didn't have those kind of restraints.
 
38:17 Grace Totally. No, I think that's so good for people to hear. And literally every founder I talked to who's in frozen is like, says the same thing. They're like, frozen is 25 times harder than shelf stable. And, you know, it's, yeah, not for the faint of heart, as you said, to enter into that space, even though, you know, as customers, I love frozen things. So I'm like, great, you know, put it in my freezer. But for the founder, it's. Yeah, it's a million times harder.
 
38:45 Samantha Oh, yeah.
 
38:47 Grace Well, I have two final questions, but one is just what's been, the flip side of the challenge is what's been your proudest moment so far? And then b is, you know, what's to come for new breed throughout the rest of this year.
 
38:59 Samantha Yeah. So, wow, that's a really thought provoking as far as what's been our thing that we're most proud of. You know, honestly, just going back to that whole show and the winnings, I think that was just such a surreal moment, you know, to having been recognized to, you know, as far as what we're doing and how, you know, the global impact that it can have. So that was really something to be said for us. And it was just so much going on around that time. Like I said, I just literally had a baby, like a few weeks before. Like, I think it wasn't even two weeks before, so it was so crazy. So I'm, like, on the set for a week because you never knew when you're going to be called. And it was like this whole secrecy type thing.
 
39:44 Samantha You didn't know who the judges were until you got up there and it's just like, you know, this whole moment and, you know, I was, anyway, it was so having gone through all of that and being able to kind of deliver, you know, this pitch under so much pressure and cameras and light, I mean, it was just the whole production and, yeah, it was really, really special. And so I would say that. And then in terms of the second part of your question that just left me right now, what was it all good?
 
40:16 Grace What's to come? What's coming up next for new breed?
 
40:18 Samantha Yes. So we're super excited about our fall launch in Erewhon. I mean, we are kind of gearing up for that. Interestingly enough, I actually have a call and later on today with the distributor to kind of get things lined up and get in the system and so on. So we're really excited about that and really pushing forth energies kind of in that direction for the socal region. So we're looking forward to that and also bringing on some other key retailers. I think the main thing for us now is really gathering really strong data points that we can tell a really great story to other retailers as well.
 
40:57 Samantha So we're really hoping that this launch and really coming up, a really strong promotional strategy and so on could really push the products in such a way that, you know, we have really great velocities and so on. And that's something that could be shared across the board to all the retailers because we are eyeing whole foods and sprouts and all the rest. So they're also definitely on our radar. So we want to be able to have that data to kind of back up. Hey, we need a space on the shelf. We're bringing something different. We're bringing something unique. Your customers want it. And we could deliver. I mean, we have all of the ducts in order, all of our, you know, everything in, all the foundations already set up. We're already ready to go. So we just need you to take.
 
41:44 Grace A, put you in.
 
41:45 Samantha Yeah, absolutely.
 
41:47 Grace And if anybody, we'll put another call out there. If anybody's got a connection at sprouts or Whole Foods again, hit up Samantha on Slack. Let's get new breed into even more retailers. I'm personally excited. I hope you get into a sprouts or Whole foods near me in Philadelphia at some point. But where can people learn more about new breed if they want to follow along on your journey?
 
42:09 Samantha Yeah, so you can visit our website@eatnewbreed.com, and of course, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook at Eat New breed. So we are there and trying to get our story out. So look for us there, like us, follow us. We are looking to kind of get more exposure and presence in those areas as well. Yeah. Also, if there's a social media person that listen, I can only do so much. If there's a person that can help us out too in terms of, you know, our social channels, that is also a direction of hope that we're looking for. I love the son of CBG community. There's someone for everyone. There's so much out there and it's really a resource. It is just so amazing. I was there from the like the beginning stages and I've just seen how much it has grown.
 
43:05 Samantha I'm just super excited to just be a part of this whole community. But yeah, so that's how people can find out about us at eat new breed.
 
43:15 Grace Awesome. I love it. Well, yeah, everybody who can help Samantha, reach out. Or if you just want to ask Samantha questions about new breed, reach out and follow along and follow their journey. But it was so much fun to chat with you, Samantha, and good luck with everything. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and all the above.
 
43:32 Samantha Thank you.
 
43:35 Grace All right, everyone, thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, it would help us out so much if you left a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I am Grace Kennedy, the editor for startup CPG, so feel free to add me on LinkedIn or reach out to me on slacken. I'm always on the hunt for new and exciting brands to feature. And if you're a potential sponsor that would like to appear on the podcast, please email partnershipsartupcpg.com. And finally, as a reminder for anyone listening, if you haven't already, we would love for you to join our community on Slack and you can sign up via our website, startupcpg.com.

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