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How I Built This with Guy Raz

Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible Arrangements

with Tariq Farid

Published November 6, 2025
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About This Episode

This advice-line episode features Edible Arrangements founder Tariq Farid joining host Guy Raz to answer real-time questions from three entrepreneurs. Tariq first shares an update on Edible Arrangements, including generational leadership transition, brand reinvention, and navigating the emerging "edibles" space. Callers then seek advice on educating consumers about Filipino banana ketchup, naming a highly sustainable polar expedition company, and scaling a service-focused screen printing business from $3M to $5M in revenue without losing its culture.

Topics Covered

Entrepreneurship Branding and naming Marketing and customer education Retail distribution Adventure travel Travel and tourism Content creation Customer service Business growth and scaling Sustainability

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Edible Arrangements is undergoing a generational transition with Tariq Farid's daughter Somya taking over as CEO and leading a reinvention of the brand and business model.
  • Launching a new food category like Filipino banana ketchup requires focused education, sampling, a clear hero product, and control over margins and sourcing so others don't simply copy your work once demand is created.
  • For a sustainable polar expedition company, the word "cruise" may feel misaligned with industry culture, but data-driven A/B testing and a strong experiential story are better guides than intuition alone.
  • Service businesses stuck on a revenue plateau can often grow faster by deepening relationships and offerings with existing customers rather than chasing entirely new ones.
  • Founders frequently over-index on details like naming and colors, while customers care most about the actual experience, product quality, and outcomes.
  • Tariq emphasizes treating opportunity as something to pursue and risk as something to mitigate, rather than letting fear of risk block action.
  • Hero products (like banana ketchup for Fila Manila) can serve as the wedge to build a broader brand and category identity in consumers' minds.
  • Codifying culture and process in a "brand bible" or handbook helps service businesses scale without losing their high-touch ethos.
  • Experiential, low-impact travel offerings can command a luxury price point if they deliver a clearly differentiated, immersive experience supported by credible sustainability practices.
  • Respecting the long time horizons of building a brand, Tariq suggests thinking in 10-year arcs and planning leadership transitions rather than trying to personally run everything indefinitely.

Podcast Notes

Introduction to the Advice Line format and guest

Show setup and how listeners can participate

Guy explains the Advice Line concept on How I Built This Lab[2:54]
• This segment is where the host and a legendary founder try to help listeners solve business challenges in real time.
• Listeners can call 1-800-433-1298 and leave a one-minute message describing their business and issues they'd like help with.

Introduction of guest Tariq Farid and recap of his story

Guy welcomes back Tariq Farid, founder of Edible Arrangements[3:23]
• Guy notes that Tariq was first on the show in 2017 and calls it an "awesome episode" with a link in the show notes.
Brief recap of Tariq's immigrant and entrepreneurial background[3:26]
• Tariq emigrated from Pakistan at age 12 and grew up in Connecticut.
• As a teenager he worked in a flower shop and at a McDonald's, helping bring in money for his family.
• His family eventually opened their own flower shop, which he helped run as a kid.
Origin of Edible Arrangements concept[4:23]
• In the late 1990s he decided to move from traditional flowers into arranging fruit into bouquets.
• Guy observes that many people would have laughed at the idea and assumed there was no market, but Tariq clearly believed it would work.
• Edible Arrangements grew to more than 1,300 locations worldwide and has done hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Update on Edible Arrangements and Tariq's current focus

Move to Atlanta and leadership transition to next generation

Relocation of business operations to Atlanta[4:50]
• Tariq says he grew up and started everything in Connecticut but moved everybody down to Atlanta about six months before the pandemic.
Planned generational transition to his daughter Somya[5:12]
• He always planned for the next generation to take over the business.
• His daughter Somya became CEO in the previous year and is now leading a reinvention of the company.
• Tariq notes that after 25 years, they effectively had to take everything apart and put it back together again.

Broadening the brand and new concepts

Acquisition of modern Mediterranean concept Roti[5:19]
• They bought a concept called Roti, described as a modern Mediterranean brand out of Chicago.
Shift toward e-commerce and rethinking stores[5:37]
• During the pandemic Edible Arrangements became a 100% e-commerce company.
• Now they are trying to figure out how to balance physical stores with the e-commerce part.

Navigating the "edibles" trademark and health/wellness

Owning the "edibles" trademark and domain[5:49]
• Tariq explains they own the trademark "edibles" and the domain edibles.com.
• He says they were hit by the phenomenon of "edibles" (in the CBD/THC sense) and are trying to figure out how to respond.
Exploring CBD/THC in health and wellness context[6:08]
• They see a whole health and wellness side to edibles, including CBD and THC products.
• They are opening one of their first units focused on this health and wellness angle.
Creating a trusted marketplace for edibles[6:35]
• They are making an online marketplace with an app where people can shop for these products from a trusted brand.

Tariq's philosophy on opportunity and risk

Differentiating between opportunity and risk[6:20]
• Tariq states his view: "Opportunity is what you go after, risk is what you mitigate."
• He observes that many people seeking advice are so focused on risk that they miss opportunity because they want to figure everything out before acting.

Discussion: Edible Arrangements brand perception and generational evolution

Addressing perception of Edible Arrangements as "granny" or corny

Guy raises the brand image issue[7:20]
• Guy notes that among a certain "chattering class" Edible Arrangements is seen as a bit outdated, corny, or like a "granny brand."
• He argues that tastemakers assume that is bad, but there is actually a massive market for products and services that are not considered "cool" but still have huge audiences.
Tariq's view on making the brand relevant to the next generation[7:37]
• Tariq does not see the issue as the next generation rejecting the product outright.
• He believes the key is to "make it relevant for the next generation," and that is what Somya is doing.
• Somya is 32 years old; Tariq notes he started Edible at 31 and finds it rewarding to see her take the reins early.
• He describes the brand as evolving with their family and says younger kids are excited to come in with unique ideas.
• Tariq describes this as a natural progression for both personal life and brand life.
• He praises Somya's approach and team, and says it is easier going from 60 to 90 than starting from scratch again.

Caller 1: Building and educating a market for Filipino food products

Introduction to Jake and Fila Manila

Jake introduces himself and his business[8:34]
• Caller is Jake DeLeon from Arlington, Virginia.
• He is the founder of Fila Manila, which makes food products inspired by iconic Filipino flavors.
• Products include an award-winning banana ketchup and an ube (purple yam) spread.
Explaining banana ketchup and product line[8:49]
• Banana ketchup is described as a tomato-less ketchup made from bananas, tangy and sweet like tomato ketchup but with a tropical vibe.
• Guy notes Jake also offers ube spread and peanut sauce among other items.

Jake's background and market gap he saw

Personal background and inspiration during COVID[10:06]
• Jake is a first-generation Filipino-American immigrant for whom food was central in his household.
• During COVID he did research and found Filipinos are one of the largest Asian-American groups in the U.S., and the largest in 11 states including California.
• He also found Filipino cuisine is the fastest-growing, yet has almost zero representation in mass retail.
• This lack of representation motivated him to launch Fila Manila to add representation in a delicious way.

Current distribution, sales, and position in the market

Retail presence and channels[10:23]
• Fila Manila products are available in select stores nationwide such as Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger, Meijer, and some independents.
• The products are also sold online via Amazon and Fila Manila's direct-to-consumer site.
Sales performance and competitive landscape[11:09]
• Lifetime sales are about $1.5 million; projected sales for the current year are around $600,000 to $700,000.
• Jake says they are essentially the only brand representing Filipino cuisine on U.S. shelves.
• He clarifies there are national Filipino brands, but most are heritage brands exported from the Philippines, whereas Fila Manila is a Filipino-American brand manufacturing in the U.S. and positioning for the U.S. customer.

Jake's core question: educating an unfamiliar market

Challenge of creating a category while building a brand[12:21]
• Jake observes that many Americans have not experienced Filipino cuisine, so Fila Manila is effectively creating a category while building an emerging brand.
• He asks what has worked for brands that must educate people about something unfamiliar before it can go mainstream.

Tariq's probing on vision and end game

Clarifying long-term objective[12:50]
• Tariq asks about the end game: whether Jake wants to mimic an existing brand, flip the company, get bought out, or scale into a large staple brand.
• Jake replies that in five years he believes Filipino cuisine will be mainstream, and his goal is for Fila Manila to be the first brand Americans think of when they think about Filipino food.
Role models and target customer mix[13:57]
• Jake cites Siete Foods as a role model for reintroducing Mexican-American cuisine with clean labels and modern branding.
• He confirms that Fila Manila targets Americans broadly, not just Filipino-Americans; roughly 80% of customers are non-Filipino.

Positioning Filipino cuisine in the broader food landscape

Comparisons to Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean food adoption[14:38]
• Guy notes that Thai and Vietnamese food have become ubiquitous in the U.S. over the past 10-20 years.
• Jake positions Filipino cuisine today as being where Korean and Vietnamese foods were about five years ago, when items like gochujang and bubble tea were not yet mainstream.
Filipino-Americans as ambassadors[15:15]
• Guy draws a parallel to bubble tea's evolution from a cultural touchstone for Taiwanese and Chinese American kids to a universal product.
• Jake says about 20% of their customers are Filipino and they are strong cheerleaders who may not buy large volumes but enthusiastically share and comment on social media, especially TikTok.

Tariq's advice: margins, sourcing, and education

Warning about tight margins in CPG and sourcing strategy[16:07]
• Tariq notes that CPG margins are tough, especially if you're producing the product yourself.
• He suggests considering importing from the Philippines for a cost advantage unless Jake is making a product that is truly unavailable from abroad.
• He cautions that Jake might successfully introduce banana ketchup to the U.S. but leave room for another brand to copy the taste and undercut him on price if they own cheaper sourcing.
Emphasis on education and owning the brand association[17:02]
• Tariq says Jake's question already contains the answer: he must educate the market via sampling and teaching people about the product.
• He reiterates the need to ensure Fila Manila owns both the brand and the source so that others do not reap the benefits after the category is created.
• He reminds Jake that ketchup is a commodity and many consumers will look closely at price.

Focusing on a hero product and strategic retail partnerships

SKU reduction and focus on banana ketchup and ube[18:28]
• Jake shares that early on they had up to eight SKUs but, after market lessons, narrowed focus to two SKUs: ube and banana ketchup.
Trader Joe's and unique-product retailers[18:48]
• Guy suggests reaching out to Trader Joe's given banana ketchup's unusual nature and the need for consumers to taste it.
• Jake says they have not contacted Trader Joe's yet and notes its reputation as a selective retailer, though he's open to it.
Social media, influencers, and foodservice channels[19:38]
• Jake says they are skewing more toward online sales supported by content marketing and affiliates.
• They are engaging influencers, affiliates, and food lovers to try the banana ketchup and produce content about it.
• He is exploring foodservice partnerships with food trucks and fast casual restaurants, envisioning banana ketchup served with fries or wings similarly to how Chipotle provides Tabasco.

Sampling and leveraging major retailers like Costco

Experience with demos and customer reactions[20:44]
• Jake does demos at Whole Foods; customers' minds are "blown" because it tastes like ketchup but is delicious and different.
• He typically serves it with freshly cooked french fries, which people enjoy.
Targeting Costco and energizing the ketchup category[21:12]
• Jake sees Costco as a strong opportunity because many Asian Americans shop there and are familiar with banana ketchup and ube.
• He believes banana ketchup can reinvigorate what he calls a "sleepy" ketchup category.
Tariq's concrete offer of help and emphasis on patience[21:50]
• Tariq stresses that building this will take time, adding that Jake must go outlet by outlet and customer by customer until it "clicks."
• He offers to send samples and connect Jake with people at Costco, noting Costco likes supporting new brands.
• Guy and Tariq agree banana ketchup should be Jake's hero product-"that's your hot sauce"-even though he sells other items.
• Tariq encourages Jake to write the story behind the ketchup and focus on that single product because everyone already understands what ketchup is.

Post-call reflection on banana ketchup and product design

Guy's curiosity and Tariq's branding ideas

Guy admits he hasn't tried banana ketchup yet[23:00]
• Guy notes he has seen banana ketchup but never tried it and now wants to.
Tariq imagines playful packaging and differentiation[22:40]
• Tariq says Jake can have a lot of fun with banana ketchup if he works with the right, exciting agency.
• He envisions a distinctive, fun-looking bottle that could be uniquely trademarked and help Jake own the category visually.
Historical aside on ketchup[23:32]
• Guy shares that ketchup originally started as a mushroom-based condiment, not tomato-based, and tomato ketchup came later.

Caller 2: Naming and positioning a minimal-impact polar expedition company

Introduction to Heather and Minimal Impact Cruises

Heather's background and company description[28:18]
• Caller is Heather Thorkelson from Gothenburg, Sweden.
• She is the founder of Minimal Impact Cruises, a polar voyage company offering a new style of polar travel on a sustainable 36-passenger expedition vessel.

Business structure and vessel concept

Relationship between Polar Tracks Expeditions and Minimal Impact Cruises[28:26]
• Heather explains she has a "mother company" called Polar Tracks Expeditions, a polar tour agency.
• Minimal Impact Cruises is a division designed to operate expeditions for the English-speaking market on a new vessel.
• The ship is about 60% built, trips are already for sale, and she has about 10 years in the polar travel industry.
Key features of the sustainable vessel[29:47]
• The vessel carries only 36 passengers, which Heather says is beneficial for minimizing environmental impact when going into nature.
• It is entirely fueled by wind and solar energy and features 35-meter-high solar sails covered in solar panels.
• It uses clean electric propulsion, autonomous water production, an organic heating system, and produces zero waste at sea.
• Heather states it is 90% more carbon neutral than any other vessel out there, aside from small sailboats.
• The ship is purpose-built for polar regions and the concept came from an ice captain who is a friend and colleague of Heather.

Timeline, pricing, and target clientele

Launch timing and sales approach[31:24]
• The first cruise is planned for fall 2026, just over a year from the time of recording.
• Trips are already on the market and they also sell private charters, which the ship's size makes ideal.
Price points by destination[31:57]
• Prices vary by location: in northern Norway about 18,000 euros per person; in Svalbard about 40,000-42,000 euros per person depending on trip length; in Greenland about 35,000 euros.
• Guy characterizes the trips as luxury and notes the offering targets a very particular, narrow clientele.

Heather's question about the company name and word "cruise"

Concern about "cruise" versus expedition branding[33:02]
• Heather likes the "Minimal Impact" part of the name because it clearly explains what they are doing.
• She is concerned that in the expedition travel community the word "cruise" is cringe, associated with large ships and sedentary, entertainment-focused experiences.
• They included "cruise" in the name for SEO and memorability, and because "Minimal Impact Cruises" rolls off the tongue.
• Her question is whether having "cruise" in the name is positive, negative, or neutral from a gut-check perspective.

Tariq's questions about mainstream potential and positioning

Will minimal-impact design become mainstream?[33:06]
• Tariq asks if Heather believes her approach will become mainstream, including whether larger cruise ships might adopt similar minimal-impact technology.
• He asks if her offering is like the Mercedes-Benz/BMW of the space, or if all players will gradually move in that direction.
Heather's hope for industry change and cost evolution[34:06]
• Heather believes and hopes minimal-impact technology will become more mainstream over time.
• She draws an analogy to electric cars, which started as exclusive high-end products but later became widely adopted.
• Her company aims to push the envelope, introduce a different way of doing things, and prove the technology is practical so future shipbuilders will adopt it.

Guy's suggestion: A/B test the name and focus on experience

Using data rather than intuition for naming decisions[35:04]
• Guy says using the word "cruise" makes sense for SEO because consumers will search that term.
• He suggests testing different naming options via small ad campaigns-e.g., "Minimal Impact Cruises" vs. "Minimal Impact Expeditions" or "Voyages"-and comparing click-through rates.
• Heather notes they often use both "cruises" and "expeditions" in their copy but haven't run formal A/B tests on the name itself.

Tariq's naming story and advice to focus on mission in practice, not in the name

How Edible Arrangements got its name[36:09]
• Tariq recounts that his original business name was "Delicious Designs," chosen based on aesthetics, but it was too generic.
• While working on a tagline, someone proposed "The Edible Arrangement"; that tagline ended up becoming the company's name.
Encouragement that Heather already has the right essence[36:55]
• Tariq believes Heather already has a strong conceptual name in her brief and argues she doesn't need to wear her mission on her sleeve via the name itself.
• He suggests the real differentiator is the experience, not the label, and encourages her to write a compelling story that justifies the premium price.

Highlighting the experiential and educational aspects of the voyages

Unique onboard experience: silent and immersive[37:29]
• Heather emphasizes that because of the clean propulsion, the ship is silent and vibration-free, making the experience highly immersive compared to typical ships.
• She notes a second identical vessel is already being built, with hopes for an eventual fleet.
Aligning with conservation and scientific education[38:41]
• Guy suggests having explicit connections to environmental and conservation groups, such as those focused on polar bears.
• He recommends lectures or educational talks on board as part of the offering.
• Heather confirms they plan to have affiliations with key conservation organizations, special guests, and a guide team with science backgrounds, as is customary on expedition cruises.

Final guidance on naming anxiety and customer priorities

Cruise vs. expedition may matter less than the audience and product[39:46]
• Guy reiterates that for the type of customer she will attract, the presence of the word "cruise" may not make a big difference compared to the perceived experience and luxury.
• Tariq adds that Heather might be over-struggling to appear authentic; he believes her actions and operations already establish authenticity.
• He predicts she will not have difficulty filling the ship, given the uniqueness of the product.

Post-call reflection: founders' tendency to fixate on small details

Analogy about color choices vs. customer experience

Mentor advice on not overvaluing minor design decisions[40:30]
• Tariq recalls that early in his career he would spend hours debating minor details, like shades of blue, until mentors told him customers wouldn't notice such nuances.
• He was told customers care about the product experience-whether it makes them say "wow"-more than exact brand colors.

Caller 3: Scaling a screen printing business without losing its soul

Introduction to Ryan and Kong Screen Printing

Ryan's business overview[43:01]
• Caller is Ryan Burkhardt from Austin, Texas.
• He founded Kong Screen Printing, a customer-service-focused business manufacturing custom apparel and printable promotional items.
• They produce printed textiles such as t-shirts and hats for various businesses.
Client base and differentiation[43:35]
• Clients include international brands like Coke, Sprite, and Topo Chico, as well as many regional Texas clients.
• They aim to create branded apparel that makes clients' businesses memorable to their customers.
• Ryan describes their approach as concierge-like, guiding customers without jargon and without overwhelming them with too many choices.

Current scale and growth objective

Revenue, team size, and plateau[44:30]
• Kong does about $3 million in annual revenue and has 13 employees.
• The business has hovered around $3 million for about five years, with some irregularities during the pandemic, and has not consistently exceeded that level.
Ryan's growth goal and constraints[44:53]
• He wants to scale revenue from $3 million to $5 million in the next 18-24 months.
• He wants to find new customers and grow without losing the company's soul and hands-on customer approach.
• Additional revenue would allow more for employees, new equipment, and expanding into other services like printed pamphlets, offering more of a one-stop solution.

Existing customer engagement and marketing efforts

Newsletters and highlighting client successes[46:56]
• Ryan says they communicate with existing customers through newsletters about new products and suggestions.
• They produce customer profiles, such as one on St. Elmo's brewery, showing how merchandise became a significant secondary revenue stream.
• These efforts bring appreciation and pats on the back but have not significantly increased overall sales.
Impact on specific clients like the brewery[47:16]
• St. Elmo's now regularly places monthly orders between $2,500 and $5,000.
• Ryan estimates that after these initiatives, the brewery's orders are about 10% larger than before.

Tariq's advice: deepen with existing customers and reframe the business

Focusing growth on current customers rather than entirely new ones[46:46]
• Tariq calls $3 million in revenue for a small business "phenomenal" and suggests the easiest growth path is through existing customers.
• He proposes re-engaging clients to see if there are more products or services Kong can provide, instead of primarily chasing new accounts.
Positioning Kong as a promotion/solutions company[48:44]
• Tariq argues Kong is not just a screen printing company but more of a solutions or promotion company.
• He says Kong helps clients figure out how to re-engage customers and promote products through apparel and printed items.

Outbound sales challenges and opportunities

Ryan's experience with outbound sales[50:06]
• Ryan notes they only started outbound sales in the last year and have not had much success.
• He explains screen printing is a "weird commodity" where customers need it at particular times, making cold outreach difficult.
Tariq's suggestion: proactive design ideas and small runs[51:14]
• Tariq observes some companies hand out the same shirt repeatedly and don't think about seasonal or design refreshes.
• He suggests business development reps show clients new sample designs, prompting them to update their merch.
• He notes Kong can do small print runs that larger printers may not, which could be a competitive advantage.
• He recommends hiring college students as incentivized BD reps to pound the pavement with small sample kits.

Protecting company culture while scaling

Guy's suggestion: codify culture in a brand bible[50:38]
• Guy notes that Kong doesn't want to become just another generic online t-shirt printer.
• He advises preserving culture by building systems: thoughtful onboarding, training, and a brand bible or employee handbook outlining who they are and why they do what they do.
• He says new hires should read and understand this document so growth doesn't erode the firm's high-touch ethos.

Tariq's "brawn to brain" lesson and analogy to old-school printers

Transitioning from physical hustle to leveraging wisdom[53:11]
• Tariq recalls his grandfather's phrase "brawn to brain," meaning one must eventually shift from purely physical work to using accumulated wisdom.
• He says you can't keep up doing everything physically forever; you must bottle your successful practices and systematize them.
Comparing Kong's role to 1980s printing companies[53:32]
• He reminisces about printers in the 1980s who would advise young entrepreneurs on what they needed: creating logos, suggesting colors, and making them look good.
• Tariq sees Kong as playing a similar advisory role and urges them to embrace and formalize that function.

Closing reflections on entrepreneurship and time

Guy's observation that challenges scale with the business

Problems persist, just at different scales[54:35]
• Guy notes that many of the challenges faced early on return later at a larger scale as the business grows.

Tariq's hindsight advice about time horizons and leadership transitions

He wouldn't change much about his early path[55:13]
• Tariq reflects that he could not have done things very differently early on because he had little money and most people dismissed his idea.
• Customers, however, gave positive feedback and drove growth.
Respecting the speed of time and planning 10-year arcs[55:27]
• He says he didn't realize 25 years would pass so quickly and emphasizes "respect of time" as a key lesson.
• He tells his children to think of building in 10-year journeys: work really hard for 10 years, then move into advising the next leader instead of clinging to operational control forever.
• He implies he worked too hard for too long and didn't need to keep pushing at the same intensity once the brand was established.

Clip from original episode: informal focus group with his mother

Tariq's mother as early validator[56:27]
• In the replayed clip, Tariq recalls being asked to do a focus group and saying he already had: he took an arrangement home, put it on the table, and his mother exclaimed it would be big.
• He jokes that if his mom said it would be big, then it must be cool.

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

Treat opportunity as something to pursue actively and risk as something to mitigate, rather than letting fear of risk prevent you from moving on clear opportunities validated by real customers.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What opportunity in front of me right now has clear signals of customer interest, but I've been stalling on because I'm overanalyzing the risks?
  • • How can I separate real, mitigatable risks from vague fears so I can design specific safeguards instead of avoiding action altogether?
  • • What is one concrete step I can take this week to move forward on a promising opportunity while putting a simple risk-mitigation measure in place?
2

In consumer products, especially CPG, it's crucial to control your margins and sourcing so that when you invest in educating the market, you also own the brand and supply advantage rather than paving the way for cheaper imitators.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in my current offering am I most vulnerable to a competitor copying my idea and undercutting me on price or distribution?
  • • How could I adjust my sourcing, manufacturing, or IP strategy so that educating the market also strengthens my defensible position?
  • • What is one part of my product or supply chain I could renegotiate, redesign, or bring under tighter control in the next 90 days to protect my margins?
3

Often the fastest path to growth is deepening relationships with existing customers-expanding what you do for them and proactively bringing them new ideas-rather than chasing entirely new clients.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which of my current customers have untapped potential for additional services or products that I haven't yet proposed to them?
  • • How might proactively bringing fresh ideas or examples to my existing clients change the size and frequency of their orders?
  • • What is one specific experiment I can run this month to offer a new solution or upsell to a current customer based on what I already know about their needs?
4

Founders frequently over-focus on names, colors, and labels while customers care most about the actual experience, outcome, and story-data and testing are better guides than intuition alone for branding decisions.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where am I currently agonizing over a surface-level branding decision that my customers are unlikely to notice or care about?
  • • How could I design a simple A/B test or small-scale experiment to let real customer behavior, not my opinion, guide a branding choice I'm wrestling with?
  • • What change could I make this quarter to shift more of my attention from cosmetics (e.g., exact name or color) toward improving the core experience my customers have?
5

Clarifying and codifying your company's ethos-through processes, training, and a "brand bible"-allows you to scale your team and revenue without losing the high-touch culture that made you successful.

Reflection Questions:

  • • If a new hire joined tomorrow, what three behaviors or principles would I most want them to embody when serving our customers?
  • • How might documenting our origin story, values, and best practices change the way new team members understand and carry our culture forward?
  • • What is one cultural norm or practice I can write down, teach, or systematize this month so it survives even as we add more people?
6

Building a brand is a long game; thinking in 10-year arcs and planning leadership transitions can prevent burnout and create space for the next generation of leaders to modernize and extend what you've built.

Reflection Questions:

  • • If I imagine my business 10 years from now, what role do I ideally want to be playing in it-and what role should someone else be playing?
  • • How could intentionally planning for a gradual handoff of day-to-day control free me to focus more on strategy, mentoring, or new ventures?
  • • What is one step I could take in the next year-such as mentoring a successor, delegating a major responsibility, or formalizing processes-that would make my business less dependent on me personally?

Episode Summary - Notes by Sage

Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible Arrangements
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