with Stacey Madison, Sam Cagle, Alex Hildebrandt, Stephanie Stucky
In this Advice Line episode of How I Built This Lab, host Guy Raz and guest co-host Stacey Madison, founder of Stacey's Pita Chips, answer questions from three entrepreneurs about scaling personality-driven brands, positioning a little-known spirit, and reviving a heritage snack company. Stacey also briefly reflects on her own journey, including her pivot from a food cart to pita chips, burnout from a pandemic-hit energy bar business, and the importance of listening to customers. Callers include the founder of a fast-growing pizza steel and content brand, the co-founder of a Peruvian pisco label, and the fourth-generation leader of Stucky's pecan snacks seeking to modernize while honoring legacy.
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Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.
Customer behavior is your most reliable guide for when a side project should become your main business: listen for repeated requests, willingness to pay, and enthusiasm beyond your initial context before you pivot.
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For creator-led brands, the founder often is the primary value early on, so the smart move is to stay visible while systematically delegating everything that doesn't require your unique voice or presence.
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When building an unfamiliar product category, it is usually more effective to lead with a distinctive brand and one or two simple signature uses than to rely on abstract education about the category as a whole.
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Heritage and nostalgic brands can grow fastest by first serving their core loyal demographic extremely well, then layering in selective experiments to attract new generations without betraying what existing fans love.
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Chasing every trend-whether it's protein claims, new channels, or social platforms-can dilute a product's authenticity; instead, anchor innovation in your existing strengths and what your products are naturally great at.
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Episode Summary - Notes by Skylar