Are You Expo Experienced? Insiders Share Tips for the Best Expo West
By Steven Hoffman
Natural Products Expo West, first launched in 1981 and held every year since, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, is the world’s largest natural and organic products trade show. Spread across five days, this year’s event, held March 12th to 16th, is expected to attract more than 65,000 trade visitors and over 3,000 exhibiting companies.
For business leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, retailers and others in the natural channel, attending Expo West is considered essential. However, as it can be costly, time consuming and a bit overwhelming, we asked industry insiders and colleagues their favorite tips to make the most of the show. Read on for some helpful hacks to maximize your Expo experience.
Karen Farrell, VP of Brand Services, PRESENCE
First, be sure to visit PRESENCE’s Hospitality Room at Expo West, Room 210A, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Trade members are welcome to visit during show hours for snacks, beverages, a place to meet or take a break, and to catch up with Presence Marketing team members.
On a self-care level, realize that all the restaurants and coffee shops are going to be crowded, for breakfast, in particular. Consider putting together a Whole Foods Market (or other) order with some basics for your hotel room to be delivered the night you get there. That way, you can get some nourishment and avoid long lines. Also, throw a healthy snack in your bag for nourishment during the day. This helps avoid ‘trade show stomach.’ I only sample things I haven’t tried before — samples are meant to be samples, not lunch! Also, make restaurant reservations well in advance of the show, preferably within walking distance, if possible. And if you can, consider making hotel reservations for next year’s (2025) event as soon as possible, as hotel space near the convention center fills up fast and is always in demand.
Leanne Thorsson, Director of Health and Natural Foods, Traditional Medicinals
Set appointments in advance; everyone’s time is tight at Expo West, so if you’re not on the calendar, you may not get the meeting. There’s always excitement and an extra level of engagement at the show. Plan in advance what you wish to accomplish — if it’s to visit booths, make a plan of what you want to see. We schedule meetings with account executives, regional managers, and major retail, distributor, and other key partners. This year, we are meeting with two new export partners for the first time; the event gives us an opportunity to meet with them in person and say hello. The show is a great way to get that human interaction, make the connections, talk about some of the larger items, and then set the stage for future conversations. Also, be sure to make unplanned time to walk the show and let some magic happen.
Stacy Gangestad, Director of Sales Management, Gimme Seaweed
Working as an exhibitor on the brand side, none of us in sales ever want to leave the booth, so that makes for long days. Taking a walk each day and getting some fresh air beforehand helps set the stage for the rest of the day. Wear comfortable shoes and get the extra padding under the carpet for your booth. We’ve learned over the years that a lot of initial conversations happen, but not a lot of business decisions are made at the show. It’s all about the follow up from there.
Also, consider after hours networking opportunities at Expo West: Go out to dinner with brokers and retail partners; attend events where there may be opportunities to connect with key buyers and other decision makers. Sometimes, you might run into a key contact just by going to the Hilton and Marriott lobbies, where many gather after each day of the show. We exhibit in Hall E — it’s a great location and the days go by fast because of all the positive energy and great vibes down there.
Jonathan Lawrence, VP of Center Store, Fresh Thyme Market
I’m a huge fan of Expo West. It’s very impressive, but can be very intimidating, not only to retailers and new buyers but also to brands (especially new brands). Tip number one is to capture the retailer’s attention. First thing you want to do is share the highlights around your brand strategy, specifically, why did you create this product and what makes it different from other products currently on shelf.
Have a positive and open-minded attitude. Be open to having conversations with people at all levels. When you’re talking about your brand, your product, talk to everyone that will listen, because everyone’s a consumer. Your product could be the next new product they tell people about. They might be able to give you great feedback, they might be able to make a great connection for you. Talk to the other brands when you’re at your booth. Some of those best connections are the people right next to you. The natural foods community is all connected.
Be efficient with your time. There are thousands of brands out there, so you don’t get a lot of time. Make sure you’re prepared. Have your elevator pitch ready, have maybe a sell sheet and product samples ready. Make sure you’re engaging. Don’t be sitting back behind your booth. Don’t be on your phone, looking down. Act like you want to be there, enjoy it, enjoy the fact that you’re in front of all these people at the biggest trade show.
I would focus on new retailers or new people that you don’t have current relationships with. And then keep conversations going. Not everything happens on the trade floor – great connections can be made in hallways, in passing on the show floor, off the show floor and at dinner. Utilize all the time that you have. While you’re there, you’ll have plenty of time to rest when you get home.
As a retailer, once we get home, we’re exhausted. But then Monday comes around and it’s back to work. Take a little time, but then make sure you’re following up. I would say a personalized note, don’t just send a canned email, that’s not very personal, it doesn’t show that you took the time to connect after. Send samples, I would say between a week to two weeks after. If it goes further than that, it might not be top of mind anymore. So, make sure you act fast.
Benji Fitts, Director of Growth Strategy, SPINS
So, you’re at your booth, spent a lot of money to get to Expo West, you’re meeting people, shaking hands, all that sort of fun stuff. And you’re going to need this little piece of paper, your sell sheet, to talk about your product.
There are just some simple things that you can do to make sure that your sell sheet looks good. First of all, it’s usually a piece of paper, 8½” by 11”, usually double-sided. You don’t have a lot of visual real estate so really, this has to be an amalgamation of the best things that you could possibly say about your product. Be brief, be succinct, and get the message across. Second, if you have the sell sheet in front of you, squint your eyes at it and if the biggest, most unique thing about your product, or whatever message you’re trying to convey, isn’t immediately apparent, then it needs to be fixed.
These shows are really all about discovery, finding out what’s new, what’s next. If this is what’s driving your product, is what is differentiated, innovative, what’s new and fresh about whatever you’re making, make sure that’s the primary message that a user is going to receive whenever they pick up one of these pieces of paper.
The storytelling element is really what drives a lot of the passion behind things. It’s a very passionate group of buyers, it’s a passionate industry, so lean into that a little bit, right? Make sure you’re highlighting sustainability and the key differences between you and the competition. It’s also smart to sometimes talk about your distribution partners or other people who you are already partnered with … and don’t forget to put your contact info and a call to action. Don’t just put a name and a phone number on there, but say, ‘Give me a call and let’s do business together.’
Allison Salvati, VP, Compass Natural; Former Marketing Lead for Bhakti Chai and noosa yoghurt
If you’re an exhibitor, you’ll want to collect contact information from as many people as you can who visit your booth. It’s up to you to collect that data; New Hope won’t share attendee or exhibitor contact lists. As such, it is recommended to purchase one or more seats on Expo West’s lead retrieval app. With it, you can scan badges using your smartphone camera, and at the end of the show, download contact info for every individual you and/or your team scanned. Also, consider cost-effective opportunities to amplify your brand at the show, including applying for a NEXTY Award for your new products, displaying in the New Products Showcase, and considering some of the more budget-minded sponsor opportunities for brands at Expo West, such as the Retailer’s Early Access Box. Check in to your Expo West Exhibitor Hub dashboard often so you don’t miss important deadlines, such as shipping to the show. Take advantage of Expo West social media tools, too, to promote your exhibit at the show.
Jim Slama, Managing Director, Naturally Chicago
Expo West is the big kahuna of trade shows in the natural products industry. Last year 65,000 attendees came to visit the booths of 3,000 vendors showing their wares. For brands, there is no better place to connect with retail buyers.
Michael Movitz, Co-Founder, Brandjectory; Managing Partner, The Movitz Group
My advice would be to attend as many social events as possible to network, network, network! I also suggest using a digital business card like Blinq or Flowpage. They’re easy to use, environmentally friendly and, in addition to contact information, can include links to your website, social media profiles and other online resources. Also, don’t forget to fully charge your devices and bring a portable phone charger – trade shows can be draining on your device’s battery, and having a backup charger can be a lifesaver.
Kelly Miano, Brand Strategy, Innovation and Launch Leader
Follow up. All of those connections you made are great but all that is forgotten if you don’t follow up in the weeks/months following Expo. Be selective in your sampling — try not to go back and forth between savory and sweet, your stomach will thank you. Drink more water than you think you need. It will help with headaches and you won’t be so tempted to try every sample. It’s easy to get sensory overload; it’s OK to take a break when you need it. Expo can be stressful — we’re on little sleep, excited, nervous, under pressure to land a sale. Everyone is trying to pack in as much as possible into a few short days. Assume positive intent, be gracious and kind. This is our industry, we are what we make it.
This article is based on personal interviews with industry leaders; a seminar hosted on Feb. 7, 2024, by New Hope Network and Naturally Boulder entitled “Beyond the Booth: A Blueprint for Creating Unforgettable Tradeshow Experiences”; and a Feb. 15, 2024, webinar hosted by Naturally Chicago, “Master Your Retailer Sell Story for Expo West.” You can access the Naturally Chicago webinar recording here.
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.
In Memoriam: Dale Kamibayashi, May 4, 1951 – Nov. 4, 2023
This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s November 2023 newsletter.
By Steven Hoffman
Longtime natural products industry veteran and former Presence Marketing team member Dale Kenji Kamibayashi passed away on Nov. 4, 2023, at age 72. A beloved husband, father and family man, Dale was a valued community member, a friend to all, and a highly respected and admired colleague to many in the natural and organic products industry. Dale was an important member of our community and will be deeply missed.
From his roots in the late 1970s as the co-owner with his wife, Lisa, of a small natural foods retail store in the mountain town of Nederland, just west of Boulder, to serving as manager and purchasing director for the iconic Alfalfa’s Market, plus leadership roles in Cascadian Farm, Ceres, Rapunzel Organics and other leading companies, Dale was a strong advocate for healthy lifestyles. In 2019, Naturally Boulder honored Dale with the “Industry Leader/Community Champion” award for his vast contributions to the natural products industry and Boulder community.
Steven Hoffman (left) and Dale Kamibayashi.
Read on, below, for some shared memories of Dale Kamibayashi from some industry members and colleagues who knew and loved him best. To read more tributes and to share your memories of Dale, visit Dale’s memorial web page here, and please consider donating to his family’s GoFundMe page.
Lani Kamibayashi (Dale’s daughter, on behalf of the Kamibayashi family)
Our father was the hardest worker I knew, and our family grew up and lived for my dad’s passion. My brother Kenji and I grew up in Alfalfa’s Market; we ran around that store like we owned it. I loved it — I have so many great childhood memories of that store and the people who worked with my parents. Dad instilled our love of food and healthier eating styles that remain with us today. I am so proud of what he did and accomplished within the industry and am so fortunate to be his daughter. My family is overwhelmed with the support and generosity from all. Dale (Dad) was a remarkable leader, husband, and father for us and it’s just not going to be the same without him. We would be forever grateful if you ever had the chance to meet or know our father to keep a memory in your heart, thank you.
Chris Lobo, EVP, Presence Marketing
I worked at Alfalfa’s in the early ‘90s, mostly while I was completing grad school at the University of Colorado. During my time at Alfalfa’s, I worked in the Grocery Department and Dale K. was the Store Manager. For a time, I worked the opening shift, which meant assuring shelves were stocked and faced, and topping off the bulk bins – all before the doors opened.
That is also the period I met Michelle, my wife, who started as a cashier and also was on the opening shift. During the days Michelle and I dated, I would be in the back of the store trying to sweep up about a hundred different beans and grains that had spilled, before the “opening bell.” Michelle would often sneak back and we would quickly make out (I have no idea how dated that term is, but that is how we started a handful of mornings).
One particular morning the GM at that time, who was an uptight sort, caught us and threatened a write up. Well…that write up never came my way. I have no paper trail of who intervened, but it had to have been Dale, who was on site that day and who smilingly turned a blind eye many times to our very human practice.
I honored, respected, and cared a great deal for Dale K. as a colleague…but much more as a warm and wonderful human. RIP Dale.
Mark Retzloff, Co-Founder and Former CEO and Chair, Alfalfa’s Market and Horizon Organic Dairy, and Co-Founder of Greenmont Capital Partners
Like so many, I am shocked and grieving Dale’s passing. Dale was a brother, best friend, confidant, partner, and an example to me. I am heartbroken, as is my wife, Terry. However, I want to ensure we honor Dale appropriately. We must all remember and appreciate Dale’s legacy of treating everyone with respect, kindness, and always giving his full attention. His style of leadership should continue to be an inspiration to us all.
I have been fortunate to have known Dale for 43 years. I hired Dale in 1982 to manage our first Alfalfa’s Market store in Boulder. Dale was quickly beloved by all Alfalfa’s employees and hundreds in the community. A hallmark of Dale’s was how well-liked he was in the natural and organic movement and industry as well as on a local, state and national level.
In 2019 when Dale received Naturally Boulder’s “Industry Leader/Community Champion” award, Joan Boykin had this to say about her old friend and coworker: “Dale is a prince among men, a person of inestimable value to the community. He is known for his fair, diplomatic, understated, and generous leadership style and admired by all who know him.”
The last two times I saw Dale was at my 75th birthday in September and at our Naturally Boulder Legacy gathering. He was so Dale – that generous smile, that immediate warmth, and that always caring communication. Dale was a gem and his many life lessons will now shine through the hundreds he has touched.
I write this tribute from Kauai where I am grieving big time. I took a long walk on the beach to consider what is really important in life. Ultimately, we are all just grains of sand, and we each count ourselves tremendously grateful for friends like Dale in our lives. Too briefly, but beautifully gracing our lives.
While many of us will be absorbing this profound loss to our community, I implore each of us to send love and support to Dale’s wife, Lisa, and his children Lani and Kenji. Please consider supporting Dale’s family through their GoFundMe.
Joan Boykin, President, Boykin Consulting, Former Executive Director, The Organic Center, and Former Director of Marketing for Alfalfa’s Market, Celestial Seasonings, New Hope Network and Fresh Produce Sportswear
Dale was a consummate professional, an expert in retail operations and merchandising, and with a keen eye and mind for marketing, too. Yet, as I reflect on Dale’s contributions to the industry, it wasn’t so much about all he did, but about the manner in which he did it. He was calm and unruffled in every imaginable situation — always finding solutions to vexing problems — and I never heard a harsh word from him. I’ll remember him always for his kindness and warmth and will miss him dearly, as will countless others in our community.
Lyle Davis and Sylvia Tawse, Veterans of Alfalfa’s Market and Founders of the Fresh Ideas Group and Pastures of Plenty
When asked to describe Dale K. (everyone called him that!), Lyle Davis, who worked with Dale for nearly 18 years, said, “Sweet and steady – that was Dale I never once saw him angry or agitated.” Sylvia R. Tawse, who also worked with Dale at Alfalfa’s Markets and remained friends beyond the Alfalfa’s era, remembered working as a Marketing Manager at the Boulder store and being overwhelmed with local nonprofit requests for donations. She went to Dale to seek solutions to a tidal wave of requests. “I’ll always remember Dale’s calm and wise response. He said, ‘We just always find a way to say yes to our community.’ This lesson in generosity and inclusion has inspired and guided my decisions for three+ decades.”
Sylvia also remembers working on a ‘Healthy Choices’ newsletter story with Dale to share his family’s New Year’s recipes and traditions. Dale teared up respectfully when unveiling his grandparents’ story – a challenging time when they were interned up near Fort Collins. The recipe? A most generous New Year’s Eve soup with generous and warming ingredients. Just like Dale.
The last time Sylvia saw Dale K. was at a Naturally Boulder gathering in early October. She is forever thankful to have seen him with his iconic warm smile, and to have a big bear hug with him. All of the Alfalfa’s family and our natural and organic products industry benefitted from Dale K., and we still do. His legacy of managing through calm kindness lives on.
John Hay, Co-Founder, Celestial Seasonings
Having worked with Dale on and off over the past 40 years, I can truly say he was a very special human being. He knew all about the natural and organic food industry and had key relationships with most all of the folks in that world. Dale was a people person, and his positive and gracious personality was his greatest strength. He genuinely cared about your product, your business, but most of all about you, and that is why he was so successful throughout his long career.
Blair Kellison, Former CEO, Traditional Medicinals*
The natural foods industry’s culture of kindness and respect was set early in its inception by exceptional individuals like Dale. He embodies everything about the culture that makes our industry so special. He had a way of making each of us feel we were his favorite. I am lucky to be one of those people. The enduring nature of the HNF industry’s culture is the greatest testament to Dale’s memory. Godspeed Dale.
Bill Capsalis, Natural Products Industry Veteran and Former Executive Director, Naturally Boulder
Dale K. was a friend of mine … actually he was a friend to everyone he met. I had the pleasure of knowing him for more than 20 years as a member of the Naturally Boulder community. He would always make time for me or any of the new brands I was helping (including one I was running) to review the products and provide feedback and support. He never turned anyone away from his door while at Alfalfa’s and later at Presence Marketing. He was always kind and positive every time we saw each other. A few years back we recognized Dale with Naturally Boulder’s Community Hero Award, which was well deserved. He will be missed by so many people here and across the industry.
Debbie Wildrick, President, Frey Farms, Former Strategic Advisor, Beyond Brands, and Former CEO, BAZI Inc.*
To Dale’s family, I was deeply saddened to read today about Dale’s passing. My deepest condolences. Dale worked for me for several months when we were building a source water from Brazil. I was just speaking to my business partner the other day (just a couple of weeks ago). And, he said, “Do you remember when we all in Naples for a meeting and went to have sushi and Dale taught us how to properly eat with chopsticks?” I later moved to Denver and saw Dale often at events, especially Naturally Boulder. A very wonderful man.
JJ Rademaekers, Founder, Cocomels*
Dale was such an amazing introduction to this industry for me. When I started Cocomels at the Farmers Market, Dale was the first local buyer to express interest. Not only did he bring Cocomels into the store but he offered his time and insights so that I could understand what I was getting into and how to do it. After that, we’d meet occasionally and I’d ask a barrage of questions and he’d always give me his attention and time. He became a friend and ally in the industry and I always enjoyed bumping into him at events or shows. I’m so sorry to hear of his passing. He was a great guy who really showed interest and support for me and my journey. I will always be appreciative. Much love to his family and friends.
Steve Ehli, Natural Products Industry Veteran and Former Team Member, Presence Marketing
I met Dale in the late ‘70s and we stayed in touch through the decades. I was so pleased we got to spend several years working for the same company at Presence Marketing until I retired at the end of 2021. A kind soul and a consummate professional who dedicated his life’s work in service to grow our industry. Dale will be missed by many. The world needs more like him! My thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Kelly Shea, CEO, Shea & Associates, Former SVP of Government & Corporate Affairs, Charlotte’s Web and White Wave Foods, and Former VP of Sustainability, Sales & Trade Relations for Danone
I often saw Dale outside of his day job. His passion for “giving back” was legendary. His decade-plus volunteering on the Organic Trade Association’s annual campaign, and his passion for Boulder’s Community Food share showed Dale’s big-hearted spirit of charity. What a man! The world was better for Dale Kamibayashi in it. I went to university in Japan and spoke a little Japanese. I shared with Dale that I thought his last name must mean “bridge of God.” I imagine him walking that now.
Steve Terre, Natural Industry Veteran and Former VP of Sales, Traditional Medicinals
Sayonara Dale-San
We mourn the premature departure of a beautiful human being
His countenance
Was calmness
His bearing beneficent
His mode passionate and considerate
His smile luminous
His greeting warm and generous of spirit
Godspeed my brother on your next journey
You will be sorely missed
Too soon gone!!!
* Source: Dignity Memorial. Read more shared memories of Dale Kamibayashi by his family, colleagues, friends and community at Dignity Memorial.
Oct. 19: Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk to Feature Annie Ryu, CEO and Founder of Jack & Annie’s and The Jackfruit Company
Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk, a popular live webinar series featuring conversations with top business leaders in the natural, organic and sustainable products industry, is also pleased to announce its new primary sponsor, Compass Coffee, an independently owned coffee roaster and cafe company based in Washington, D.C.
What: Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk
When: Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, 8 am PT; 9 am MT; 10 am CT; 11 am ET
Presented by: Compass Natural, Connecting Media and Markets in Natural and Organic Products
Sponsored by: Compass Coffee, Presence Marketing, Naturally Boulder, Naturally New York and Naturally San Diego
Register: Register for free here
BOULDER, Colo. (Sept. 14, 2023) – Annie Ryu, CEO and founder of Jack & Annie’s and The Jackfruit Company, producing delicious meat substitutes made from jackfruit, will appear Oct. 19, 2023, on Compass Natural’s popular Coffee Talk podcast, which features lively conversations with natural products industry leaders, innovators and experts designed to guide entrepreneurs and businesses to succeed in the market.
Annie Ryu discovered jackfruit in 2011 while working in India to implement a maternal and child health care program as part of her Harvard pre-med studies. Annie saw an opportunity to convert an underutilized crop to nutritious, delicious food and to create income and opportunity for Indian farming families. The company introduced jackfruit to retailers nationwide in 2015, and Annie left medical school later that year to focus on expanding the company.
Annie Ryu
While Annie’s passion for jackfruit was immediate, the path to creating Jack & Annie’s took a decade. Annie worked relentlessly to help popularize jackfruit, nature's meatiest plant, as an ideal innovation and to build a supply chain to transport jackfruit from India to the U.S. Today, Jack & Annie’s offers a wide selection of nutritious meat alternatives made primarily from jackfruit, the fruit of the jack tree, and the company operates the farm-to-fork supply chain, supporting over 1,500 farming families in India.
Hosted by natural and organic products industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading public relations, branding and business development agency serving the natural, organic, eco-friendly and hemp products industries. Capsalis and Hoffman will interview Annie Ryu to learn more about her and her company.
From India to the U.S.
The jackfruit trees, native to India, require no fertilizers or inputs and are the highest-yielding tree crop in the world. Since Jack & Annie's harvests from existing trees, and uses the most carbon-efficient transport to bring its jackfruit from India to North America, a Life Cycle Assessment showed that the company's jackfruit has a 94% lower Global Warming Potential vs. beef. Further, partnering directly with farmers enables Jack & Annie's to ensure that their farmers earn 10-40% incremental income annually from jackfruit sales.
About Our New Sponsor, Compass Coffee
Compass Natural is proud to announce Washington, D.C.-based Compass Coffee as the primary sponsor for Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk podcast. The independently owned coffee roaster and cafe company was founded in 2014 by two former Marines, who were looking for the perfect cup after years of drinking terrible coffee on deployment. Working with a global network of farmers, Compass Coffee is committed to ethical sourcing, masterful blending and peak roasting in small batches.
Register for Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk With Annie Ryu
Register here for free to participate in Compass Natural's Coffee Talk podcast, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023, 11-11:30 am ET.
About Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry.
Previous Episodes of Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk
View the entire library of Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk episodes on YouTube. Co-hosted by natural products industry veterans Steven Hoffman and Bill Capsalis, Compass Natural’s Coffee Talk has featured notable professionals such as Jared Polis, governor of Colorado; Steve Hughes, co-founder of Sunrise Strategic Partners; John Mackey, CEO and co-founder, Whole Foods Market; Miyoko Schinner, CEO and founder, Miyoko’s Kitchen; John Foraker, CEO of Once Upon a Farm; Emerald-Jane Hunter, founder of the MyWhy Agency; Heather Terry, CEO of GoodSAM; Milton Zimmerman, executive vice president, Presence Marketing; Jennifer Maxwell, founder and CEO of JAMBAR®, and more.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
New Cutting-Edge Software Tool for Nutritional & Dietary Supplement Brands Streamlines Marketing Content Review, Reduces Regulatory Risk
BOULDER, Colo. (July 6, 2023) – More often than not, marketers of nutritional products, dietary supplements and functional foods are faced with multiple hurdles and confusing regulations about what they can say about their products. Now, an innovative, easy-to-use software program can help brands solve this problem, reduce costs and reduce hassle with the click of a button.
Developed by regulatory expert and nutritional products industry veteran Asa Waldstein, Apex Compliance™ finds risky terms and phrases and suggests lower-risk alternatives on websites, YouTube videos and in uploaded content. Apex Compliance™ is a user-friendly software tool designed for brands, marketing agencies, law firms, consultants, investors and banks that serve the dietary supplement, conventional and functional food and cannabis industries.
Apex Compliance™ focuses on three areas of regulatory risk, including websites, YouTube videos and content review before publishing. It provides a detailed report showing the exact URL location of each keyword, the paragraph it is used in, the risk rating, lower-risk alternatives and notes. This provides a line-by-line playbook on how to reduce website and YouTube regulatory risk. Apex Compliance™ also reviews uploaded blogs and social content before posting, and it streamlines the process by flagging keywords and simplifies swapping high-risk phrases for lower-risk alternatives.
Apex Compliance™ is keyword-based and allows the user to easily add their keywords, risk rating, lower-risk alternative words and notes to help with future regulatory reviews. The application enables users to compile searchable keyword lists such as Top Sustainability Lawsuit Phrases or Common FDA/FTC Trigger Words. Apex Compliance™ comes preloaded with 50 common phrases in warning letters and plaintiff lawsuits, such as lowers cholesterol, anxiety, depression and pain. Each phrase has a risk rating and, when applicable, possible lower-risk alternative language is provided.
“Regulatory reviews that used to take hours can now be conducted in seconds,” said Apex Compliance founder Asa Waldstein. “Apex Compliance was developed as a tool for my consulting company, Supplement Advisory Group, and it became so useful industry colleagues started asking to use it. Apex Compliance saves time when reviewing marketing content and is a teaching tool that helps build in-house regulatory expertise.”
“Apex Compliance is truly a game-changing technology to help you keep pace in a challenging and ever-changing regulatory world. It’s affordable and perfect, especially for small and medium-sized startups that can’t afford a full regulatory department,” said Tim Gerke, president of leading supplement maker Allergy Research Group, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Apex Compliance™ is a monthly subscription service that offers steep discounts for one-year commitments. Learn more, sign up or schedule a free demo here.
For inquiries, contact support@ApexComplianceProgram.com.
About Supplement Advisory Group
Apex Compliance™ is a patent-pending software application that is a subsidiary of Supplement Advisory Group, a consulting company founded in Boulder County, Colorado, in 2020 by industry veteran Asa Waldstein. Supplement Advisory Group takes a preventative approach to regulatory risk and specializes in practical regulatory support for dietary supplement marketers. The Group focuses on finding marketing risks and providing practical lower-risk solutions on the web, social media and product labels. This includes compliant marketing strategy review and claims risk analysis. Learn more about Supplement Advisory Group’s services here.
For consulting and speaking inquiries, contact Assistant@AsaWaldstein.com.
About Asa Waldstein
Asa Waldstein is a Certified Clinical Herbalist and a 20-year dietary supplement executive who is principal of the consulting company Supplement Advisory Group, a boutique group focusing on marketing risk analysis and practical marketing solutions for the web and social media. He writes the weekly Warning Letter Wednesday post, exploring interesting enforcement trends and marketing best practices. He chairs the American Herbal Products Association's (AHPA) Cannabis Committee and sits on the Naturally Boulder board of directors.
Follow Asa Waldstein on LinkedIn, Twitter and Warning Letter Wednesday blog.
Creating the Silicon Valley of Natural Food: Q&A With Entrepreneur Steve Hughes
In 1997, Steve Hughes was named CEO of Boulder, Colo.-based Celestial Seasonings tea company. Although he came from a conventional food background, Hughes quickly saw the potential of the natural foods movement—and he realized that Boulder was one of its epicenters. Along with local first-generation natural products company founders like Steve Demos and Mark Retzloff, Hughes was instrumental in turning Boulder into what he calls “the Silicon Valley of natural and organic food.”
For more than 25 years, Hughes has helped build some of the natural products industry’s iconic brands. After leaving Celestial Seasonings, Hughes moved on to serve as CEO of Frontier Natural Products. He then built Boulder Brands, which launched EVOL Foods, Udi’s, Smart Balance, Earth Balance and other brands. Seven years ago, Hughes founded Sunrise Strategic Partners, which is now one of the leading investment firms in the natural channel.
Steve Hughes, CEO & co-founder of Sunrise Strategic Partners.
At Sunrise, Hughes identifies and invests in brands in trending categories that are transforming the healthy, active and sustainable-living space. Sunrise recently merged two companies in its portfolio—Teton Waters Ranch and Sun Fed Ranch—to create the industry’s leading grass-fed/finished-beef platform dedicated to regenerative agriculture. Other Sunrise investments include Maple Hill Creamery, which produces 100% grass-fed, organic dairy products, and Kodiak Cakes, which produces whole-grain, high-protein pancake and waffle mixes.
Hughes recently reminisced about his experience in the natural products industry and shared his predictions about the future on the podcast Compass Coffee Talk, co-hosted by industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steven Hoffman and sponsored by PRESENCE Marketing, Naturally Boulder, Naturally San Diego and Naturally New York.
Read on to learn more about Hughes’ perspectives on brand building, hot investments in the natural products space, regenerative agriculture, the top components of a good business model and more.
Q: Over the years, you’ve really kept your eye on how to build brands, how to consolidate and scale, and how investments and economics affect the natural products marketplace. How is all of that going so far in 2023?
For 25 years, there was nothing but capital, increasing almost every year. If you had a good idea, you could probably get some funding to get started. But what happened last spring was that the pendulum kind of swung back the other way. People were less prepared to invest in companies that maybe had a great idea but not a great business model.
There are a couple of reasons why this happened. First of all, the Fed started making money more expensive. And then there was a lineup of natural brands that went public, like Beyond Meat, Oatly, Tattooed Chef. They came out of the box trading well above their IPO price, but they were businesses that had great top lines without very good business models. They were losing money, and they’re now trading 95%, 90% below their IPO price. That has really cooled off investors looking to take the big swing at high-growth, not-great-business-model kind of companies.
Before, this capital was pretty patient. They’d invest in a company, and if that company was losing money but the business was growing, they’d keep funding the business. But that changed pretty dramatically pretty quickly. I think there’s a little bit of retrenchment now, and I think it’s going to be with us for a while because interest rates are not going down anytime soon. They’re probably going up.
Q: What does that mean for natural products companies looking for investors currently or in the near future?
I think when you look at the lineup of companies that went public in 2020 and 2021 and how they’ve performed in the public space, it’s given investors a real pause about, OK, what are the rules? What has to happen for a company to be successful today? I think the answer is a bit different than it was a year or two or three years ago.
If you’re a company that’s got some scale and making money, I would just be really prudent now and be patient and grow and protect your bottom line. But if you’re a smaller company that isn’t cash-flow positive, you’ve got to get cash-flow positive. You’re not going to get funded, or if you do get funded, you’re not going to like the terms of that funding.
I think what we did with Teton and SunFed Ranch is a good example. These are two pretty good-sized companies, at about $60 million each. They had just turned profitable, but we figured if we put the two of them together and created Grass Fed Foods, we’d end up with a $120 million business growing 30% plus, making good money.
That’s one model. The other model I call “safety in numbers.” If you're a smaller company that’s underfunded, is losing money and can’t get funding, think about other brands in your category that are complementary and are facing the exact same issue. Could they or should they be trying to merge? I think that’s going to be the theme over the next 18 months—call it the mini-merger, where you get two or three small companies in the same category that together are profitable.
Q: Grass Fed Foods just recently launched. Can you tell us more about how it came about?
We invested in Teton Waters Ranch, which was grass-fed hot dogs and dinner sausages, six years ago. They were sourcing most of their raw material out of Tasmania, which is the ideal place in the world to get grass-fed meat. We built that business, got it to $60 million. But there was nobody to scale in the grass-fed space.
One of the challenges for regenerative agriculture companies like Teton is for the company to get the scale, so the retailers and food-service operators can really have confidence they can lean into it and get the product supplied properly and professionally. My partner, Vince, kept knocking on doors, saying, “If we could get two of these companies together, we could clear the field and be the largest.”
Then, I met Chris and Matt from SunFed five years ago at Expo. They’re sixth-generation ranchers in Northern California that do fresh grass-fed meat—what goes in the butcher case, what goes on the table at the restaurant. They had gotten SunFed to $60, $70 million at that time.
So, we had these two beautifully complementary companies—one doing prepared meat with an international source, one doing fresh meat with a domestic source. The big challenge was this was going to require somebody who really knew what they were doing to put these two together. We brought in Jeff Tripician, who had spent 15 years in premium protein with Niman Ranch and Coleman Natural Foods and had successful exits on both. So now we’ve got a scaled business with a guy who’s been there, done that—a guy with a playbook.
We invested in Teton when it was a $3 million business and today, it’s part of a $120 million platform. This is the largest grass-fed beef platform in the space, and I think it’s going to ramp and grow very quickly. This is really going to be a rocket ship. This could be the biggest outcome in Sunrise history.
Q: Can you talk a little bit more about the regenerative agriculture you’re promoting with Grass Fed Foods and other companies?
At Sunrise, we really felt six years ago that regen agriculture is going to be perhaps the biggest fundamental mega trend of the next 20 years—because, basically, it’s back to the future. It’s how we did it 100 years ago before we industrialized our meat supply and dairy industry. It’s better for the earth. So, we’ve put about probably 40% of our capital into this space.
One of the companies we invested in is Maple Hill Creamery, which is America’s first and only 100% grass-fed organic dairy milkshed, with over 150 farms. There are so many great positives to their regen agriculture business model.
First of all, they rotate the cows around the milkshed every three days. This makes the grass look like you haven’t cut it in three years—like how it used to be on dairy farms. The cows are also productive until they’re 14 years old, whereas an organic cow might be productive only until age 4.
A calf never gets an ounce of the mother’s milk on an organic farm. They get their own formula. But we incentivize Maple Hill farmers to wean, to have the calves on the mom for eight months. That makes the chemistry of the milk different, and better for the consumer. Cows are naturally wired to eat grass—they have four stomachs for that reason—and their grass-fed milk is a different chemistry than the milk from cows fed grain.
We launched Maple Hill Milk into Whole Foods. Our best item at Boulder Brands, Earth Balance margarine, sold $85 a week per store at Whole Foods. But after just 90 days, half gallons of whole milk from Maple Hill were going $600 a week per store. So, the consumer gets it. A challenge for us is to get the products there in an economical way that they can afford.
We were smaller, later-term investors in Vital Farms, which produces eggs, butter and ghee in the regen agriculture space, and it’s really exciting to see what’s happened with that business. It’s one of those that came out in the class of 2020 IPOs that traded way up, but is now normalized back to a pretty good place. It’s $15-a-share stock, and I think they've got nothing but white space in front of them.
Q: Speaking about brand development, we have a question from a listener: “What are the basic three to five general components of a great business model?”
Well, the first ideal is a highly differentiated, meaningful point of difference, ideally attaching an untapped consumer need. You’re looking for something the consumer’s ready for but isn’t on the market yet, like Maple Hill milk.
The second thing is margin. If you're a 50% gross-margin business, your ability to get the cash flow to break even quickly is there. But if you’re a 20% gross-margin business, you’ve got a long road to go and a lot of wood to chop.
The third is talent. To get to a business of $10, $15 million, you’ve got to almost be manic, right? You’re spending your own money. You’re spending nickels like manhole covers. You make every decision, because you’re on the line. But when your business starts to scale, you need to have the ability to bring in the “been-there, done-that” talent and be able to manage that talent. And that’s a challenge, because people that have been successful, that have been with bigger businesses and then come to smaller businesses, have a different business-management model.
Once we get the right CEO in place, the folks across our businesses see that, really, almost overnight, they start making the kind of progress and traction they need to get to scale the business.
Q: Can you give us an example, like how that applies to Kodiak Cakes? We know this is a story you’re really proud of personally, and there’s even a “How I Built This” podcast on NPR about Kodiak.
Kodiak is probably my favorite business experience. I got a call from my partner Jamie Manges at Trilantic Capital Partners, and he said he knew somebody who knew Kodiak co-founder Joel Clark, and Joel was getting ready to take in capital. So, I went on the internet, and they had the hokiest video of a trailer, which is their office, and a bear breaking into it, right? I thought, “This is something. OK, I’m just doing Jamie a favor. OK, I'm that kind of guy.”
Kodiak’s point of difference was a whole-wheat, high-protein alternative to white refined flour, which meant it could play in any category white refined flour is in. When Joel came to see me, Kodiak was at $15 million. It was at Costco and Target.
Joel showed me his deck, and when I got to the second page, I went, “Holy smokes, Joel, this is a billion-dollar brand.” He went, “What are you talking about?” I said, “Joel, you have got a 20 share of pancake-mix business at Target, and the category's up 20%. The category nationally is up 2%. You’re bringing millennial moms with money to Target to buy pancake mixes.”
So, we partnered up with Joel, and it was fascinating. It was just a great collaboration. Joel has got such great business and brand instincts. His business IQ is off the charts.
We came up with what we call the Kodiak Cabin. The foundation of the cabin is pancake mixes in 25,000 doors. The first floor is baking mixes in 25,000 doors. The second floor is all of that in a cup you can microwave in a minute. Then, the third floor is frozen waffles.
Kodiak went from $20 million to $200 million when we sold the majority of the control to Catterton 18 months ago. When I spoke to Joel recently, he was at $350 million.
Two years before he met us, Joel and Cam, his partner, were on “Shark Tank.” They were told all the reasons they weren’t going to be successful. I think they offered Joel $500,000 for half of the company. And, he said no, wisely.
I’m kind of a brand junkie and a trend junkie. I’ve been on some of the great rides in this industry. But working with Joel on this one was so special because it was so personal. All of his family had equity in the business, and he got to an extraordinary outcome. To have a small part in helping him do that is so great.
Q: Finally, what’s on the horizon for you personally? What kind of work is exciting for you right now?
I love looking for the next new thing. As I said earlier, I think products that revert us back to the basics are an untapped consumer need, whether it’s grass-fed meat and dairy or heirloom grains.
I’ve been talking with one company that’s doing stone-ground milling the old way. This company has just gotten started. They’re in the Northeast in Whole Foods, and they’re outselling Dave’s Killer Bagels by 50%, 75%. So, the consumer gets it, right? But one of the big challenges companies like this have is capital.
I also like resolving the disconnect between what a company founder says their unique point of difference is and what their product package says. One of the things we learned at Sunrise over the years is that you have your story, your concept statement. You want that to be 40%, 50% top-box resonating with your target consumer. But you want to make sure your package reflects that concept too. Because the reality is that for these small, emerging companies, 99.9% of their marketing budgets are package.
This industry is so dynamic, and while it’s going to go through different peaks and cycles, I think it’s just fascinating to see how many brilliant and caring people are in this industry. I think a young founder can reach out to anybody in this town and get a cup of coffee. I think that’s something we need to continue to nurture and build on, because there are tougher days ahead.
I've gotten a lot of great things out of this industry, a lot of great friends, a lot of great experiences. I’ve done well. It’s been great for my family, and I want to give back a little bit, and not necessarily with a price tag to it—just to help out where I can.
Elevating an Industry — Leaders of Naturally Network Join Compass Coffee Talk, August 17, 2022, 11:30am EST
Elevating an Industry — Leaders of Naturally Network Join Compass Coffee Talk, August 17, 2022, 11:30am EST
Leading Podcast Compass Coffee Talk Welcomes Naturally Network Leaders Eric Schnell, Katrina Tolentino, Jim Slama and Ari Raz for an Overview of the Nation’s Largest Community of Natural Products Industry Business Leaders, August 17, 2022, 11:30am EST.
Wednesday, August 17, 11:30am – 12:00pm EST
Zoom, Admission is Free
(L) Eric Schnell, Co-Chair, Naturally New York, (LC) Katrina Tolentino, Executive Director, Naturally Network, (RC) Jim Slama, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Naturally Chicago, (R) Ari Raz, President and Board Member, Naturally San Diego
Compass Coffee Talk™ continues its series with a panel of leaders from Naturally Network, a collaborative community that advances and champions the wide-ranging ecosystem that makes up the natural and organic products industry. Alongside Co-Host Steve Hoffman, Compass Coffee Talk Co-Host Bill Capsalis, Executive Director of Naturally Boulder, is joined by his Naturally Network colleagues Eric Schnell, Co-Chair, Naturally New York; Katrina Tolentino, Executive Director, Naturally Network; Jim Slama, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Naturally Chicago; and Ari Raz, President and Board Member, Naturally San Diego.
Originating in Boulder, CO, known to many as the epicenter of the natural products industry, the community grew naturally by the number of innovative companies operating in the area. From an initial seed grant from the city of Boulder, the organization has helped entrepreneurs pursue their dreams and business success thanks to their many networking events, mentorship programs and educational resources available to all in the community. Today, Naturally Network holds chapters in Austin, Bay Area, Boulder, Chicago, North Bay, New York, San Diego and Los Angeles, and continues to grow.
About Eric Schnell
From startup to exit, Eric is a Visionary Disruptor with 25-years experience creating mission-based and purpose-driven products. Eric is the recipient of New Hope Media's 2007 "Sustainable Business of the Year Award" and 6X winner of their Expo NEXTY Awards, 4X annual winner BevNET.com, 2X winner of the Beverage Digest "Best Product of the Year Awards" - and awarded Top 50 Beverage World Magazine "Disruptor".
Since 2012, Eric has served as a Nutrition Capital Network Selection Committee Member & Cornerstone Investor. In 2002, he Co-Founded Steaz, world's first USDA Organic RTD tea brand and positioned it to be a leader today in the beverage category, while establishing a Triple Bottom-Line business model founded on People, Planet & ethical Profitability. In 2015, Eric co-founded mood33, pioneering this new beverage category marketing cannabis infused products to consumers seeking the benefits of this healing plant as well as Good Catch, the first Plant-Based seafood brand to scale globally. ln early 2016, Eric launched the strategic consulting agency BeyondBrands, together with his wife, Eco-Fashion pioneer, Marci Zaroff. BeyondBrands is a "Conscious Products" incubator and accelerator which focuses its Super-Tribe of experts on advising entrepreneurs, CPG brands and VCs in need of developing better-for-you, products in Food, Beverage, Fashion, Beauty, Plant Medicine & Nutraceuticals.
About Katrina Tolentino
Katrina is an award winning executive director and has successfully led and scaled multiple innovative nonprofits. She recently became the Executive Director of the Naturally Network, the national industry hub for the better for you consumer goods community. The Naturally Network has 8 affiliate communities across the country - Austin, Bay Area, Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, North Bay, and San Diego. Prior to the Naturally Network, Katrina was the Executive Director at Naturally Austin where she launched the M/O Fellowship, a 6-month program that accelerates diverse founders, and the Women in CPG Summit, which became a national Network program in 2022. She was nominated for Startup Leader of the year as part of DivInc's Champions of Change Awards this year and was recognized as a Community Builder honoree on Austin Inno's 50 on Fire in 2021. She is bringing 17 years of experience and expertise in community building and engagement, program development, events, fundraising, and partnerships.
About Jim Slama
Jim Slama is a Solutions-driven leader, early innovator, and connector in the natural products industry. Co-founded Naturally Chicago with CEO’s of industry leaders KeHE, SPINS, and Presence Marketing. Created the Good Food Accelerator, in partnership with Whole Foods Market and worked with numerous early-stage companies to help them grow. Is part of the management team of Fantastic Fungi, Go Grocer, and Tiny But Mighty Foods. Founded FamilyFarmed, a leading non-profit supporting the growth of sustainable food systems.
About Ari Raz
Ari grew up in a household that taught him the value of eating minimally processed food from a young age and decided to make it his life’s mission to make this style of eating more accessible to families across the country. He got his start in CPG in 2015 when he, along with his co-founder Cassandra Curtis, launched Once Upon a Farm, the first cold-pressed refrigerated kids nutrition pouch on the market. In late 2017, Ari and Cassandra joined forces with the powerhouse duo of former Annie's Organic CEO John Foraker and actress Jennifer Garner to launch Once Upon a Farm onto the national stage. From 2017-2021, Ari served as president through its growth from annual sales of +$1mm through +$50mm. In 2021, the cofounders of The Coconut Cult reached out to Ari for strategic advice, and over time asked him to join the team as CEO. Finding the mission, products, and promise of the brand to be aligned with his values, Ari jumped in with both feet and hasn’t looked back since.
About Compass Coffee Talk™
Take a 30-minute virtual coffee break with Compass Coffee Talk™. Hosted by natural industry veterans Bill Capsalis and Steve Hoffman, Coffee Talk features lively interactive conversations with industry leaders and experts designed to help guide entrepreneurs and businesses of any size succeed in the market for natural, organic, regenerative, hemp-derived and other eco-friendly products.
Compass Coffee Talk™ is produced by Compass Natural Marketing, a leading PR, branding and business development agency serving the natural and organic products industry. Learn more.
