How to Make the Most of Expo West as an Emerging CPG Brand | Little Latke, Gato Dates & Hola Mija Chips

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host and managing editor Caitlin Bricker sits down with three emerging brands to unpack what Expo West really looks like on the ground — from first-time exhibiting to scrappy Alley Rally wins to landing a yes from a buyer on the spot.

First up is Taylor Blue, founder of Little Latke, the first shelf-stable potato crisp inspired by the crispy edges of a traditional potato latke. Taylor shares what it was like to exhibit at Expo West for the first time, why she chose the Startup CPG section, and how she used the show to launch not just a new and improved formula (now non-GMO and seed oil free), but two brand new flavors — Garlic Parmesan and Spicy Honey Dijon. She also opens up about what she'd tell any first-time exhibitor who's on the fence.

Next, Caitlin talks to Gabriella Labi and Tonya Reznikovich, co-founders of Gato Dates — dark chocolate covered, nut butter stuffed Medjool dates in four flavors. Gabriella shares the full emotional story of attending Alley Rally on a shoestring, including a broken washing machine, sample packs that wouldn't open, shirtless models with QR code tattoos at a Venice event the night before, and a vote count that first broke their hearts before ultimately delivering the news that they'd won a free booth at Expo West 2027.

Finally, Jesse Suarez, founder of Hola Mija Chips — one of the first tallow tortilla chips on the market, made with nixtamal corn and beef tallow — breaks down his experience with Startup CPG's one-on-one retailer meetings, including how a meeting at Winter Fancy Food in San Diego helped close a deal with Buy Rite a week later, and how a 10-minute conversation at Expo West ended with a buyer saying yes on the spot.

Listen in as they cover: 

• What it's actually like to exhibit in the Startup CPG section for the first time, from sampling strategy to sample counts to the community energy on the floor
• How Gato Dates went from a washing machine disaster and second place to winning a free Expo West 2027 booth
• Why one-on-one retailer meetings are open to all Startup CPG community members, not just brands exhibiting in the section 
• How Jesse's patience with Sprouts, Buy Rite, and Mother's Market paid off over months and multiple touch points
• Why showing up repeatedly — even when you hear no — is one of the most powerful things a founder can do

Whether you're a first-time exhibitor trying to figure out how to make Expo worth it, a brand who's never heard of Alley Rally, or a founder who keeps getting passed over for one-on-ones and is starting to lose hope, this episode is for you.

Episode Links:
 
Little Latke Website: https://www.littlelatke.com
Little Latke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/little-latke/
Taylor Blue LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-blue-91402199/

Gato Dates Website: http://www.gatodates.com
Gato Dates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gato-dates/
Gabriella Labi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-labi-25a3079b/
Tonya Reznikovich LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonya-reznikovich/

Hola Mija Chips Website: http://www.holamijachips.com
Hola Mija Chips LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hola-mija-chips/
Jesse Suarez LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-suarez-796b55350/
Hola Mija on Faire: https://www.faire.com

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:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (35K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [e-mail]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics
  
  

Creators and Guests

Host

Caitlin Bricker

Managing Editor @ Startup CPG

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.

Caitlin Bricker
Hey, everybody, it's Caitlin Bricker, managing editor at Startup CPG. You are in for a treat today because today we are talking to three different brands who had different but very successful experiences at Expo west and through startup CPG's offerings throughout the Expo west week. So today we are talking to Taylor Blue from Little Latke. She's going to share her experience being part of the Startup CPG section at Expo West. We're going to talk to Gato Dates who's going to share their experience being at Alley Rally and being the winner for the 2027 Startup CPG booth at Expo West. And we're going to talk to Jesse Suarez from Hola Mija Chips, who's going to share his experience taking part in one one meetings with At Expo west and at other shows.

00:57
Caitlin Bricker
I think you all have something to learn from this and my advice to you is keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities from this community. You will not regret it. All right, buckle in, take notes. Let's do this. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast. This is Caitlin and today I'm here with Taylor Blue, founder of Little Latke. Taylor, welcome to the show.

01:22
Taylor Blue
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.

01:24
Caitlin Bricker
I am really happy to have you here. I did not make it to Expo west and I am really having some FOMO about it. It sounded like it was a great time. I feel like this is something that we lead up to the entire year and then it happens and then we start preparing for it again. So I want to hear more about you and your brand. I want to hear about your experience at Expo because this can be the opportunity where brands go from a very small name to a household name. So before we get into it, tell me what Little Latke is.

01:57
Taylor Blue
Yeah. And you were very much missed at Expo. But I am Taylor, the founder of Little Latke and we are the first shelf stable potato crisp that's inspired by a traditional potato latke. So we're truly inspired by the crispy edges that naturally fall off of that traditional potato latke. But yeah, we're just wrapped up into.

02:15
Caitlin Bricker
A crunchy snack and they are so good. I would prefer little vodka over traditional potato chip any day. And I had the OG flavor. And I understand you had some surprises for everyone in store at Expo. Can you tell us what happened on the floor?

02:32
Taylor Blue
Yeah, it was also our first time exhibiting, but we exclusively not only launched our new and improved formula at Expo, but as well as our Two new flavors. So that was super exciting and I think really drew people in. I wanted them to learn more and also allowed them to really provide feedback.

02:49
Caitlin Bricker
What was the feedback that you got on the show for? Can you share some with us?

02:52
Taylor Blue
Yeah, people, our new and improved formula is non GMO and seed oil free and people obviously really loved that were using avocado oil and we're really happy to see that. Honestly, people really love the new flavors. It was very 50, which was awesome.

03:07
Caitlin Bricker
What flavors did you drop?

03:08
Taylor Blue
Garlic Parmesan and spicy honey Dijon.

03:11
Caitlin Bricker
Oh my God, that sounds so good.

03:13
Taylor Blue
Yeah, they were inspired because of how well we do in like the deli scene and people enjoy us on charcuterie boards. So they really cater those flavors, really cater those scenes.

03:21
Caitlin Bricker
Those would go so well in a sandwich too. Not just next to, but in. I'm getting some ideas right now.

03:28
Taylor Blue
I think that's the top way that I enjoy our product is shoving them inside. Specifically my turkey sandwich.

03:36
Caitlin Bricker
That's perfect. Okay, so we know a little bit about your brand now. So tell me why Expo west and why did you choose to be in the startup CPG section?

03:44
Taylor Blue
Yeah, we spent what we thought was going to be six months, but it ended up being a year improving our formula and just overall our production process. And Expo west was necessary to really build that momentum back up that after being paused for a bit. And it really truly set the tone for our year as well as not only showcasing the new formula, but the new flavors and specifically the startup CBG section. Because I really find that the energy that comes through the startup CBG section that I've witnessed before is really different. Buyers. Anyone that's walking the show floor just is excited to see what's new coming to market and they just, yeah, is more excited energy.

04:25
Caitlin Bricker
I love it. And what is your after Expo life look like right now?

04:31
Taylor Blue
Busy in the best way possible. I can confidently say we secured some really awesome accounts because of Expo. Again, it truly set the tone for our year and I couldn't have been more excited and confident that we showcased.

04:47
Caitlin Bricker
Did you feel like you were getting very targeted people approaching your booth? Like, did it feel like it was very heavy with buyers, people walking by your booth? I know you kind of, not you specifically, but I know a lot of people are looking for that specific color on the badge. They're looking for those retailer badges. Did you feel like there were a lot of retailers coming by versus other exhibitors, service providers, et cetera?

05:11
Taylor Blue
Yeah, I feel like buyers, especially in the first two Days were really heavily walking there. I think they again felt like it was a breath of fresh air. I think some of the other areas of the show can be very chaotic and still great. But because our floor and specifically our section were new upcoming products that just hit the market, I think buyers just had a, a great energy about them and they came by. It wasn't just a sample grab and go. I think going into Expo I thought there was just in general, anyone walking the floor, there was going to be that energy of a sample and go. But I love that people wanted to stick around and not just learn more about what is this product, but learn more about the brand and where we're at right now in our journey.

05:52
Caitlin Bricker
I think a question that we hear often from Found especially first time founders for Expo because it's the biggest show in the industry. I don't know exactly how many people attended this year, but I want to say it was like 70,000 and it could have been more than that but I feel like that's the baseline. How many samples did you bring for Little Latke?

06:11
Taylor Blue
I brought around like 10,000 samples because I was like safe than sorry. And I'm so glad I did because there was people that were circling back after the show was closing on the last day and we're like, hey, I came back specifically because I want to take some home. So I was really glad that I was, I had enough to be able to do that. There were some people that were coming from out of the country and they were like, I can't get these back home, I want to take them with me. So that's how many I brought. And it definitely ended up being probably a little too much. But yeah, I was glad I did.

06:42
Caitlin Bricker
I'm so curious when I asked that question to people because it's hard to give answer and I think it is very dependent on where you are on the show floor as well. But I think we're very well positioned. So thank you. New Hope for our section.

06:56
Taylor Blue
Yeah, that was one of the things that I think, you know, going into Expo there's so many uncertainties, especially as a first time exhibitor. And that was one of them. It's all over the board. Like you said, brands do something differently. I think it just really comes down to how you're sampling your product totally.

07:11
Caitlin Bricker
And anything that you had a hesitation about as a first time Expo exhibitor that now you feel like, oh, I didn't have to worry about that or I would do this differently next year.

07:21
Taylor Blue
I think going into Expo. It's definitely a big investment as a new brand and there were certain things that you're like, okay, is this one worth it? There's so many things that can add up with Expo and I think like as a new brand, you really just have to pick and choose which things are more important to you. And the items that we chose ended up being totally worth it. I don't think you would leave Exo being like, I wish I didn't do that.

07:43
Caitlin Bricker
That's good, that's great to hear. No regrets.

07:45
Taylor Blue
Yeah, no regrets. Always my saying regret.

07:49
Caitlin Bricker
Any feedback or advice that you'd want to give to brands who are considering being at Expo and exhibiting for the first time?

07:56
Taylor Blue
Yeah, I think that if you're going to exhibit at Expo, you absolutely need to be ready for the traction that can come from it. That was a big thing for us. We needed to be ready. And I can confidently say that the year prior we wouldn't have been ready. So there's a lot of awesome conversations and again, the momentum the Expo brings, you wanna be able to keep up with that. So yeah, I would definitely, yeah.

08:21
Caitlin Bricker
I also know that some brands walk out of this and they're like, oh, I have my new best friend in cpg. Because the section usually brings in these brands that are like minded. Of course everyone's there at Expo Natural Products. Did you walk away feeling like you had any new best friends or people that you can lean on for resources or just to ask questions?

08:41
Taylor Blue
Yeah, absolutely. I think I left with a lot of founder friends for sure. Specifically in our startup CBG section. I think most of the brands were all kind of in the same stage and there was a lot to learn from others too that are maybe a little bit more ahead. But we all kind of were supporting each other. If someone ran out of sample cups or had a question on how this works, were all supporting each other and I think that was really good energy, especially as being a first time brand exhibiting it just felt comforting and not as isolating that I think other parts of the show can feel. As a new brand, I love that.

09:15
Caitlin Bricker
Community really is everything. I mean, you know, being part of the startup CPG community, that anytime you have a question 9.99 times out of 10, somebody has answer for you. So being able to actually connect with people in real life is a huge plus.

09:32
Taylor Blue
Yeah, no, a hundred percent. I agree. Anytime I ask a question to the star of CPG community, I get more answers than I ever expected. It's amazing.

09:41
Caitlin Bricker
All right, so what's next for Little Latke. Are you thinking about Expo 2027? Is that on your radar? Are you taking a beat? What are you feeling?

09:50
Taylor Blue
Yeah, I think I'm going to see how the next few months play out and kind of then decide, is Expo really going to be worth it for next year as far as are we happy with the accounts we secured and just want to focus on those versus on taking on more? Definitely want to exhibit again at Expo though.

10:07
Caitlin Bricker
That's totally understandable. And I think it speaks volumes to the ROI that brands are getting from Expo because you go in there, you really don't know what to expect. But once those retailers start coming through and the buyers taste your product, it could be a total game changer for your brand. And you're like, okay, actually I'm good. I'm now going to get inbound requests and I don't need any new business. It's a very good thing.

10:32
Taylor Blue
Yeah, exactly. I think sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. That's my favorite saying. And I think, yeah, just kind of seeing what really comes through from our expo this year will help us decide.

10:43
Caitlin Bricker
Cool. Well, I'm excited. I need to get my hands on your new flavors and the OG is perfect as well. But I also want to get other people in front of Little Latke. So can you tell us where we can find you online and on social media?

10:58
Taylor Blue
Yeah, you can find us on our website and bundles of 3 and [e-mail] Our new flavors are going to be launching in select stores early May, so you'll be able to get your hands on them in stores if they're near you soon.

11:12
Caitlin Bricker
Great. Taylor, this was awesome. I'm so glad that you were part of our section. I'm bummed that I missed you, but.

11:19
Taylor Blue
Maybe next year, Maybe next year. You never know.

11:21
Caitlin Bricker
That would be ideal. All right, well, thank you. I'm sure we're going to see you around. I have no doubt that I'll be seeing you in retailers near me soon, hopefully.

11:29
Taylor Blue
Oh, plan. Thank you so much.

11:30
Caitlin Bricker
Talk to you soon. Gabby and Tonya, co founders of Gatto Dates. We are here to talk about Alley Rally and we have some pretty big news to share. So before we do that, Gabby, can you tell us what gato dates is?

11:48
Gabriella Labi
Gato dates are dark chocolate covered nut butter, stuffed medjool dates in four different flavors. Pistachio butter, almond butter, cashew butter and walnut and then peanut butter with more flavors to come.

12:02
Caitlin Bricker
So exciting. I'm on the edge of my Seat. All right, we have some pretty big news to share. You won the free booth for Expo West 2027 and the Startup CPG section because you got the most votes at our alley rally event. How does that feel?

12:18
Gabriella Labi
I cried. I get an email from your team, Patricia, who I'm now deeply obsessed with every single one of you and consider you all like my best mates. And I get an email saying that were this close to winning, that were just second. We were so close. And I was like, that's a dagger to the heart. I'd rather be fifth place, 10th place, 40th place. I know there was like 40 brands that were sampling than that close. So I messaged Tonya and I'm like, we didn't get it. And just to give some context, I'd flown back from London on the Monday arrived Monday night was jet lagged.

13:05
Gabriella Labi
We did a huge event with snack shot and Misfits market on the Tuesday night in Venice where we had shirtless models serving gato dates on platters that had tattoos on their chest with our QR code and our logo and saying want to date on them. And we had a real viral moment and it was so exciting. We drive out to Anaheim Wednesday morning. We had backpacks filled with hundreds of date samples with gel packs in them. We walk the trade show floor all day long from the minute it opens 10:30 until 5 o'. Clock. We finally go to our hotel, drop those dates off, pick up everything for the sampling at alley rally and we're there from 5:45 until 9pm when it shot, I think it was. And we're talking at nauseam about gatto, about the brand, telling everyone.

14:00
Gabriella Labi
And we had this QR code on our table and we're like, please, if you love us, please do us a favor and vote for us. And when I got the email from Patricia saying that after all of those efforts we'd come second, I was devastated. The next day we get an email through saying, gabby, we got the counting wrong. There was an issue with the thing, whatever, you guys won. And I read that email and I burst into tears. It's the second time I've cried doing this business and this was the second time. And I messaged Tonya and I was like, we're going to Expo us for free. We got the free booth. We are so thrilled. I am such an advocate for what you guys do at startup cpg.

14:51
Gabriella Labi
I mean, I made an entire reel about it after the San Diego grocery run. The people that we've managed to Meet from the buyers to distribution companies, to media, whoever it is. The people that we've managed to come across at these different events that you guys host, whether it's a grocery run, whether it's a dinner, whether it's a sampling, whatever it is, have been more impactful than any trade show we've ever walked. And I'm such an advocate for what you guys do and the way that you guys champion brands like us that maybe don't have the budget to be going to Expo west and spending $10,000 to do a booth like that. So we are so thrilled and we cannot wait for next year and we are going to make sure that our booth is incredible.

15:42
Gabriella Labi
We're going to come up with the next sort of viral idea for Expos next year. It'll be amazing. It'll be a mystery string budget, always cheap and cheerful. But yeah, we're so excited to be in the space because we know that people are always coming to the startup CPG area to find what's next and what's cool that's happening in cpg.

16:02
Caitlin Bricker
I am so excited for you guys. I mean, if you don't blow up before expos 2027, I think it's going to be your year. I've said this. I did a blog. You saw it, the Date blog. I think this year is going to be the year of discovery for dates in date focused brands. And then 2027, it is just going to be exploding for dates, I think. So you and Whole Foods are on the same page about this.

16:32
Tonya Reznikovich
They released their 2026 report and they. Said dates are the gateway drug for natural sweeteners.

16:35
Caitlin Bricker
So welcome. They are. We're ready. I'm so excited for you. Congratulations. Can you just tell us a little bit about your experience at Alley Rally and what that was like for you?

16:44
Gabriella Labi
Yeah, I mean, listen, we didn't have any expectation. We've never been to Alley Rally. We've never been to Expo West. Like were sort of going, were pitching up a table in the way that we would at like stores when we're doing a demo, for instance. And we had a table. We didn't even have our custom tablecloth with us because I put it in the washing machine and obviously my washing machine decided to break down and it was filled to the brim with soap. So we didn't even have a custom tablecloth. I printed something using vistaprint that was like a board that had our four pouches and then we had two of our flavors to sample in these little individual Sampling packs that you couldn't even open, people stand at the booth so that we could cut them for them and open them.

17:36
Gabriella Labi
But I think in terms of sort of the reach and the people that we got to meet there were the buyers from Woodlands Market, which we're already in. But for any brand that wasn't in there, Woodlands Market is such a great space up in sf. We love them, we love Trey, we love Steve. They're amazing. The Misfits Market team were there. We know them very well and it was great to be able to see them again. And whether it was meeting new buyers or distributors in the space or getting to re engage with people that were already either on their platform or in their store is so important as well. Because staying top of mind for any of these buyers or any of these like retail accounts is really important. Like especially in these grocery channels. They have thousands of products.

18:27
Gabriella Labi
And how do you set yourself apart? It's by having those real relationships with these buyers. And you can do that when you are seeing them at these different events that you guys host. So even if it's not landing a new account, just being able to like go up and give a buyer a hug and like tell them about a new exciting flavor or for instance, we're launching a new product, like being able to tell them about that product and get them excited about it is so important and so meaningful. And I think people in this space, you have to really put time and effort into fostering those relationships because those are the people that are going to make or break your brand.

19:09
Caitlin Bricker
Absolutely. It sounds like you took full advantage of this opportunity. You went scrappy, you went dedicated and it paid off in a $0 booth for next year. What's better than that? Thank you guys both so much for sharing your experience. So excited to have you in the section next year. Can never be not excited about an endless supply of gateau samples. Right next to me.

19:33
Gabriella Labi
Utopia. Now in the section, I just got the floor plan. So we've got a good little spot. We're right next to the startup CPG table, so.

19:42
Caitlin Bricker
Perfect. So you know where I will be the entire time? Grazing. Exactly. That's a gentle way to describe it. All right, next up, we're going to talk to another brand that took advantage of one one meetings at Expo west and we can hear about their experience. Thanks, ladies.

19:59
Gabriella Labi
Thank you.

20:03
Caitlin Bricker
All right, and now I'm here with Jesse Suarez, founder of Hola, Mija Chips. Jesse, how you doing?

20:09
Jesse Suarez
Doing well. Hola.

20:11
Caitlin Bricker
I definitely don't have the accent Down. We can just get that out of the way now so everyone can flame me later for mispronouncing your brand.

20:18
Jesse Suarez
I'm sure a lot of people say ola nija.

20:20
Caitlin Bricker
Okay, cool. All right, we're off to a good start then. All right, before we get into it, I want to talk to you about the one one meetings that you attended at the startup CPG booth at Expo. But before we go there, tell everybody who's listening. What? Hola Mija is.

20:35
Jesse Suarez
Well, Hola Mija is one of the first tallow tortilla chips in the market. We deep fry our nistamal corn tortillas and beef tallow and sprinkle Celtic salt. And that's it. That's our original.

20:47
Caitlin Bricker
And what does nixtamal mean?

20:49
Jesse Suarez
So nixtamal is the original process of making a tortilla. So it's actually. It's corn and it's grind in a specific stone. And that's how you make the masa, which is how you make a tortilla. That's the traditional Mayan way of making a tortilla.

21:04
Caitlin Bricker
Wow. Yeah, Very cool. We love authenticity, don't we?

21:08
Jesse Suarez
Yeah. I mean, yeah, it goes back to literally the Mayans. Like, this is how they would make it. So while we're doing is just defrying it. And beef towel.

21:15
Caitlin Bricker
Now, not to go off track, but I'm gonna go off track for a second. I did catch a social media video of yours recently where you were saying from the start you used beef towel. This wasn't just like you jumping on a trend. This was something authentic to you.

21:29
Jesse Suarez
Yes. If you ask a lot of Latinos, like wheat. I grew up with like block of lard, which was from pork, but it's always been like that. Like this. That was like the thing we used to like if we would deep fry tortilla chip or deep fry anything. It was enlarged. And so it's the same concept. And so back in 2021, I was starting to do this. It's been a challenge. We were pioneers to the tallow before it was a trend. So finding someone at deep fire tortilla chips was a big challenge. Now it's a little bit easier, but definitely a big challenge.

22:02
Caitlin Bricker
And it sounds like retailers that you spoke with at Expo were picking up on that and understanding that you were pioneering in the space or with this ingredient. I should. And so tell us, what was your experience like with the one one meetings?

22:17
Jesse Suarez
The one one was great. I mean, thanks to startup cpg, like, setting up these Meeting for us was really a good way to start off the expo and for me it was one of our highlights. It was meeting up with one of the buyers there and that was a good experience. I think the experience where you get to meet someone in person versus an email, like emails is just, it's back and forth and just can't connect. And having that personal connection there was what really can sometimes like close up those deals because you're able to really express your passion for the brand and the excitement that you have being at Expo West. And there's just so much that goes into these meetings, not only the brands, but it helps the buyers to really understand why we want our product in their stores.

23:04
Jesse Suarez
That's my experience. That connection in person is just never gets old.

23:09
Caitlin Bricker
I understand that you got a yes on the spot too. I know you can't say the retailer just yet, but that is pretty cool. What did that feel like to you?

23:16
Jesse Suarez
I was shocked. Most buyers, it's usually we'll email you. And I think what also helped us is that were. Our booth was really close and I think it just speaks volumes when you're there. But it was a yes. And they wanted to place an order. Not there on the spot. But they said they were going to contact our distributor that they work with. And so that was pretty exciting to just hear yes. Right away. I was like, I remember running back and I was like telling the team, I'm like, they said yes, but that was a cool experience.

23:44
Caitlin Bricker
Congrats. That is so cool.

23:46
Jesse Suarez
Yeah. And again, thanks to startup CPG and setting up that those meetings and setting up that platform is what really just brings it to a different level for.

23:55
Caitlin Bricker
Anybody who's listening right now. And it has not applied for a one one meeting. And you're thinking, well, what the hell are you talking about? The one one meetings are held at the startup CPG booth. So a brand like Oha Miha Jesse could sign up for the retailers that he was interested in. Basically pitch your product in writing, tell a little bit about your product, a little bit about your brand and then the buyers would comb through and they would bet the brands and choose who they'd want to have a one one meeting with. Jesse was one of those brands, so he got to meet with the buyer face to face. Tell me how long your meeting was because we do have like father and mother time with the clocks and you have a set amount of time depending on the retailer's allotment.

24:36
Caitlin Bricker
And once the time's up, you're done pitching.

24:38
Jesse Suarez
I mean it wasn't tracking time, but I think it felt like maybe like a 10 minute meeting.

24:42
Caitlin Bricker
Very nice.

24:43
Jesse Suarez
That's because we had conversations about tallow in general and it wasn't just specifically about selling the product, but it was about the tallow and how it's becoming a trend and how we became a trend and how we started before it was a trend. There's a lot of connection that goes into these meetings as well. Not just selling your product, you're really building relationship with the buyer and that's really what were doing at the one one. But also this wasn't my first time actually, so I actually had a few one one meetings back in San Diego. I didn't have a booth that time, but I did attend that expo in San Diego. I was at the Winter Fancy and I had meetings with two others. So I had Buy Right and I also had a meeting with Sprouts.

25:25
Jesse Suarez
I had a meeting at buyright there and it wasn't a yes. But at Expo west because of that San Diego meeting, I was able to close another deal which was a week later with Buy Right. So Buy Rite also took us as well. But because of the San Diego meeting. So.

25:40
Caitlin Bricker
And Sprouts, we're still waiting on you.

25:42
Jesse Suarez
Yes, exactly. And Sprout is still waiting. They want us to release another flavor which we are working on. Chili lime.

25:48
Caitlin Bricker
Ooh, that sounds good.

25:50
Jesse Suarez
Actually, it's one of my favorite. I like my original, but I like my chili lime. And everybody loves a chili lime. I had my friend here yesterday and he literally just finished the whole bag in like three minutes.

26:00
Caitlin Bricker
I totally believe that when you got a good bag of chips in front of you, it's hard to stop yourself.

26:06
Jesse Suarez
It's pretty hard. Especially if it's real corn.

26:08
Caitlin Bricker
And I really like what you just added too because this is another layer for everyone who's listening. When we host these one one meetings at the trade shows, they are not just for the brands exhibiting in our section. They are open to everyone attending the show. So anyone who's part of the startup CPG community can apply for these one one retailer meetings. They are not just restricted to the brands in our section. So keep your eyes peeled for the next trade show.

26:34
Jesse Suarez
And I would say those people that are applying for these and they just don't get answer back. Be patient with startup cpg. Like I done it many times. Just because it's a no doesn't mean it's no forever. It's just that there's so many other brands you guys are working with. I just keep applying even to this day. So if you see a no today doesn't mean it's a no tomorrow. It's just that there's so many brands out there applying. But if you do get a chance, take advantage of it because it's helped us a lot for Olme Headships.

27:00
Caitlin Bricker
Thank you. I appreciate you saying that. And it's hard for us too because of course we want to say yes to everyone. We have a good problem right now where our community is growing so fast, literally exponentially daily and we are overwhelmed with applicants. It's a very good thing. It is so hard to say no to people. We don't want to feel like we're crushing anyone's dreams. But that said, the one one meetings, great opportunity for people to go and apply if you're not in the section. The other events that we host, we encourage everyone. Even if you're not an official sampling brand, bring your product with you always. Like you are a walking billboard.

27:39
Jesse Suarez
Always. When I started I found startup cpg. I was walking Expo west last year and I was like, what the heck is this? And I connected with somebody and I was able to just, they said go online and substack. Was it not substack Slack? Yes. And I was like, okay, what is that? And so I started doing it and I just started seeing all your stuff and I just started joining everything. And to this day, because you guys are actually one of the best. You guys throw the best parties and the best collaborations and you guys are doing so much and I think, I don't even know if people would be on the fence about this, but if they are, like just go for it. Like it's. If you want your brand to succeed, like this is a good platform.

28:19
Caitlin Bricker
You heard it here first. Any advice that you would give to any brands who are considering applying for a one one meeting? Aside from the fantastic advice that you.

28:28
Jesse Suarez
Just gave, just keep applying. I mean, I still get discouraged when I hear a no. But you just have to keep applying and you go for it. Like if you do see a store that really fits your brand, like apply. And again, if you hear that no, like apply the next time. Like it's just a matter of you guys saying yes. I get it. There's just so many brands out there. I mean if you go to Expo west, like you just see how many brands, that just gives you an idea why it's so hard to give a slot to somebody. But yeah, just Keep applying and really just share your heart when you meet with people at the one one and why you're so passionate about the brand.

29:04
Caitlin Bricker
That's great advice. And I gotta say too, every time you apply, that is another moment where you're getting your brand in front of somebody. Maybe the first time, somebody behind an application, ourselves or retailers might be like, okay, never seen this brand before, not coming across on paper. But you do it a second time, third time, fourth time, fifth time, endless times. That's just another touch point and another opportunity for you to get your brand name out there. Even if it's a no.

29:32
Jesse Suarez
Yes. And it's not about just selling your product is really building relationship. It's like you want to get to know. So like that buyer, it's just like a dating type of thing. You want to know the buyer and it's just because it's a no that day doesn't mean it's a no the next week or the next meeting. It has happened to us with Buy. Right. It's happened to us with Mother's Market. Like we got into Mother's Market because of you guys and it was just because I met one of the buyers and I was able to just connect and it wasn't a yes. It wasn't any of that. She sent me her email and were able to connect. And then like seven months later were able to connect again. And she's like, let's bring the product in most of the times too.

30:16
Jesse Suarez
If you're a pioneer to things, you have to be patient with your brand. So especially these buyers, they don't know if these, the products are going to work like for us, Tallow. When we started with mothers, they were so cautious about Tallow. The other brands were out there, but they're still very cautious. And now that it's a trend, it's like, okay, we'll see that it's working. So be patient with the buyers, be patient with your meetings and time will tell.

30:40
Caitlin Bricker
That is great advice. Patience and perseverance. Definitely two things that founders should keep in mind. All right, Jesse, we gotta get Hola mija in more people's mouths. So where can they find you online? What's your website? What's your social handle?

30:54
Jesse Suarez
Yes, olamyheadships.com. We will be joining Thrive in a couple weeks. We've been working again Thrive because of you guys. I want Thrive through startup cpg. Thrive is coming soon. We just got an account with Good Eggs again through Expo West. So Good Eggs is coming and also if you are a wholesaler, you can find us on fair.

31:14
Caitlin Bricker
Perfect. Congratulations on all your wins and thank you for sharing your experience with the one one meetings. Thank you so much, Jesse. It's been great talking to you and I'm sure I'll see you again soon.

31:25
Jesse Suarez
Likewise. Tell your team I owe everybody a hat. I know that expo. Everybody was like, can we have all let me hatch a hat. So now I have them. They're coming in next week so I'll be sending them.

31:34
Caitlin Bricker
And now you just said it on a recording so you have to send them now. You got to follow through.

31:39
Jesse Suarez
You guys know my email, so.

31:41
Caitlin Bricker
All right, cool. I'll be waiting for mine.

31:43
Jesse Suarez
Yeah, send me to see you later. Talk to you soon. Bye.

31:48
Caitlin Bricker
CPG BFFs we've now arrived together at the end of another episode of the Startup CPG podcast. As you may know, we're not just the top globally ranked CPG podcast. We're a community of tens of thousands of CPG founders and experts. And you should join us if you haven't already. Head to startupcpg.com to sign up. You'll get an invite to our Slack community, hear about events near you, and get access to opportunities that connect you with buyers, investors and other brands. It's free. So what are you waiting for? I'll see you in Slack and in real life. Thanks for listening.