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My parents met in medical school. My grandparents met in medical school. Up until…
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisTime to shout out your favorite food, beverage or wellness brand! And a bonus if you can tag the founder or CEO. I plan to turn up the heat going into 27, and getting back to at least one to two interviews per week with Let's Eat with Mark Samuel. I appreciate your suggestions! 🙏🏽
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisI am looking for an SBA loan specialist to join me on the Strictly From Nowhere Podcast. Founders do not understand what their options are outside of fundraising, venture debt or short term gap loans for blood money interest rates. I once took a bridge loan at 42% on $80,000, because payroll was in 48 hours and I felt we have no other option. 😳 While already carrying an SBA loan of 300k… 🤯 😮 I didn’t know a damn thing about the structured debt industry and it almost killed us. 4 times. But all those moves, led to a masterclass in business, an insatiable curiously about business and personal finances, tax planning, debt structure, an obsession with my numbers and forecasting (so much so that we built FIN Forecasting to manage our agency finances and eventually got to a very cash flow positive, extremely profitable, and *nearly* debt free business that is flourishing in the age of Ai. Who do I need to speak to? I’m looking for senior operators or founders in the hard money, SBA, venture debt, high interest, or bridge/gap loan game. I am also interested in founders who have navigated these options to successful ventures. All in search of wisdom, with the goal of sharing it with all of you. 🫵🏻 Speak to me all mighty LinkedIn. Jimmy Feeman Hank Watt (got you fellas 💪)
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisCPG X is growing, and we’re officially accepting applications for TWO new positions. We’ve got a lot happening heading into 2027. More trade shows. More brand opportunities. The growth of the CPG X Community. Our new Bootcamp. New partnerships. And of course, The Xperience in Savannah. It’s time to grow the team. We’re hiring: Head of Growth / Business Development Looking for someone who can build relationships, manage a pipeline, follow up with brands and partners, and most importantly, CLOSE. CPG experience is a major plus. This isn’t traditional sales. You need to understand founders, emerging brands, retail and the CPG ecosystem. Community & Marketing Manager Looking for someone who can help us take everything happening at CPG X and tell the story. Community engagement, email marketing, social media, webinars, event promotion, content, partnerships and helping us continue building an active community for emerging brands. For both positions, I care a lot more about the person, their work ethic and what they can actually accomplish than a perfect resume. We move fast. We try things. We build relationships. We create opportunities. And there is A LOT of room to grow with us. Interested? Send me a DM or email me your resume and a little about yourself. And if someone immediately came to mind while reading this, tag them or send this their way. #hiring #community #team Darren Viscount
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisWe’re looking for brands, founders, and experts to join the conversation on The CPG X xchange, our new webinar series. I’ve spent years on the retail side of the table, and I know how many questions founders have before they ever get in front of a buyer. Let’s talk about the practical stuff: • How to prepare for a category review • Deductions and other hidden retail costs • What buyers look for in a sell sheet and pitch • Moving from local to regional retail • Packaging and shelf communication • Founder burnout and building the right support team Have experience or a perspective that could help other CPG founders? I’d love to hear from you. And if there’s a topic you want us to cover, tell me that too. DM me or comment “Xchange”. #CPGX #CPGFounders #RetailReady #TheCPGXxchange Shannon Peffley
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisOnly 5 brands will be accepted. We’re launching the CPG X 8-Week Bootcamp, and this isn’t an open enrollment program. You must apply, interview, and be accepted. Why only five? Because we want to actually work with each brand. Not put you into a group of 50 founders and hope you figure it out. Over 8 weeks, we’re bringing together hands-on 1:1 support, small-group sessions, industry specialists, retail and channel education, and access to the relationships we’ve built across the CPG industry. You’ll also walk away with over $20,000 worth of value, including buyer contacts specifically within the channels your brand is focused on. Grocery. Convenience. Foodservice. College & University. Hospitality. Travel. Specialty. And more. This isn’t about handing you a massive generic contact list. It’s about helping you identify who actually makes sense for your brand, how to approach them, and what you need to be ready when the opportunity comes. The goal is simple: Finish 2026 strong and walk into 2027 with better tools, stronger relationships, the right contacts, more knowledge, and a clear plan for growth. 5 brands. 8 weeks. $20K+ in value. Ready to put in the work? Comment Bootcamp below #founders #cpgbrands #emergingbrands CPG X Darren Viscount
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisLET'S GO! Applications are officially OPEN for Brands with Heart, 7-Eleven’s emerging brands open call! We're looking for innovative brands across: 🚀 Functional & Next-Gen Beverages 🦾 Modern Protein & Nutrition 🍦 Treats & Indulgence 🍭 Better-For-You Snacks & Candy 🌏 International Flavors 🥗 Fresh Snacks & On-The-Go Meals Selected finalists will receive: - Virtual programming with 7-Ventures and the 7-Eleven Emerging Brands team - A live pitch opportunity at 7-Eleven HQ - Consideration for testing and launch opportunities Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gW2bT6WS Applications close October 13, 2026. #BrandsWithHeart #7Eleven #EmergingBrands #CPG #RetailInnovation Danny Stepper, Trevor Drinkwater, Sabrina Crum, Michelle Embody, Wayne Wu
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted this🚨 FINAL CALL FOR BRANDS! 🚨 Applications for the CPG X Pavilion at Winter FancyFaire close this week! Shannon Peffley and I are bringing an incredible group of emerging brands together in San Francisco for one of the specialty food industry’s most exciting events. The CPG X Pavilion gives brands the opportunity to showcase their products, meet buyers, build relationships and experience the energy of a major trade show without doing it alone. 📍 San Francisco 📅 January 17–19, 2027 If your brand is ready to be discovered, this is your opportunity. We only have a few spots remaining. Message me today for details or to apply. Let’s create an unforgettable Xperience together! #CPGX #WinterFancyFaire #SpecialtyFood
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Hank Watt shared thisI was 31 when I discovered the miracle berry. It was strictly from nowhere then it was in my daily routine. Listening to Justin gives the same energy. His show could be your new go-to!Hank Watt shared thisThere is a berry that rewires your tongue. Eat one, then bite a lemon, and the lemon tastes like lemonade. Vinegar turns sweet. Hot sauce goes fruity. Nothing about the food changed. Your receptors just got temporarily reprogrammed. That is the entire product Hank Watt built a company on. Nature's Wild Berry does not sell a flavor. It sells a few minutes where familiar things taste like something else entirely. I have interviewed a lot of software founders. This one stuck with me because it is the most literal version of a thing every founder is actually trying to do. You are not changing the world. You are changing what people can taste in it. We got into the unglamorous parts. Product market fit in consumer packaged goods, where you cannot ship a patch on Tuesday. Customer feedback that tells you your favorite idea is wrong. The endless trials before anything triumphs. And Hank said something I keep returning to. Passion develops from the opportunities that arise. That is the second time in a month a guest has told me passion is downstream, not upstream. You do not find the thing you love and then chase it. You take the strange opportunity, get good, and the love shows up later, after you have earned it. Nobody sat down and decided to be passionate about a berry that scrambles your taste buds. He found it, understood it, and built something nobody else had. Here is the part I actually want you to hear. The lemon never changed. You did. Most of what looks sour in your business right now is a receptor problem, not a lemon problem. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eTH_3qW6
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Hank Watt reposted thisHank Watt reposted thisI can share about my new SKU launch but I choose to share about my reason for launching it these days. My hero product was Tahini. I literally know of ppl who have my number under Tal Tahini😂. I wanted to bring the thing that is missing in the deli aisles in its purest authentic form. And I’m glad to say I did and still do. But since day 1 we have been compared with the Hummus of the world- volocity-SRP even consistency of the product…(NOT THE SAME PRODUCT). So here we go- you want Hummus?!?! I’ll give you the most common Hummus (dish- not dip) in the Middle East! Some called in Mashawsha some Masabacha but for the #American consumer- I give you CHUNKY HUMMUS.
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Hank Watt liked thisHank Watt liked thisthe first ever look inside the Final Boss Sour factory big sour been REAL quiet lately...
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisI've 100% found my calling. Never been so fulfilled. To the dozens of founders giving me the opportunity to help them get unstuck. I am so grateful. Thank you for the kind and public words - Rick #founderjourney
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisHere’s how I make money. And why I give so much advice away for free. I create content to help you grow as an entrepreneur and grow your business. What worked. What didn’t. Advice you can actually put to work today. If you want my help applying it to your business, I offer coaching by the hour and advisory support on annual retainers. I also invest my own capital into businesses and founders I believe in. Mid-Day Squares. Blume. Mitsoh. Nuts for Cheese. Purplesful Snacking… Then we get to work growing those businesses, and eventually selling them. I’ve been through that journey with Manitoba Harvest and Sol Cuisine. Different roles, same obsession with growth. Those experiences give me more lessons to share and more capital to invest. So it comes full circle: Share what I know. Help entrepreneurs grow. Invest alongside them. Build, grow and sell businesses. Bring the lessons right back here. My real point here is: Give your best stuff away for free. Share what you know. Make the introduction. Help someone get past a problem you’ve already figured out. What feels obvious to you could be a breakthrough for someone else. Trust me. It comes full circle. You can build a pretty incredible life helping other people build theirs.
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisI knew CPG. I had worked on the retail side. I had worked for large brands that invested heavily in training me. I understood sales, category management, brand strategy, shoppers, data and execution. Then I became a founder. And I discovered there was an entirely different education waiting for me. I learned it the expensive way. I put my consulting practice on hold. I invested my savings and retirement money. Eventually, I used credit cards. I was all in. Then a financing decision I opposed moved forward without my approval or signature. My ownership went from roughly 47% to less than 8%. I had spent years learning how to build brands, sell to retailers and make good CPG decisions. What I had not learned nearly enough about was what happens after yes. After the investor writes the check. After the retailer gives you the stores. After the broker or distributor comes aboard. After the people sitting around the table no longer want exactly the same thing. That experience changed how I think about runway. Runway isn't simply cash in the bank. Runway is options. Another month gives you options. Better margins give you options. A retailer that values what you bring gives you options. Understanding why your business is working gives you options. It also changed the questions I ask. I had the resume. What I didn't have yet was the scar tissue. And sometimes that is where the most valuable lessons come from. For years, I didn't tell this story publicly. I finally did because I don't want another founder to have to pay the same tuition just to learn the lesson. This week's newsletter is probably the most personal thing I have written: I Knew CPG. I Still Lost Almost Everything. If you are building a CPG brand, I hope you'll read it. And before your next big yes, ask yourself one more question: What could change after I say yes that I need to understand today? Share what you would change in the comments and help the next founder who this resonates with. #CPG #CPGFounders #RetailStrategy #RetailSolved
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisToday ONOIN officially turns 1 On this day last year I announced that I had left my previous role in the CPG industry to launch my own brand in the convenient cooking space. There are no words to describe all the emotions I have felt this past year: excitement, anticipation, anxiety, frustration, just to name a few. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows is pretty much a daily occurrence as an entrepreneur. Being a Founder is easily the most rewarding, yet toughest challenge I have faced (maybe other than being a Dad to two rambunctious young boys, IYKYK) However, getting to build this company with my wife and children along for the ride is something I will always be grateful for. Their love and support gives me the motivation and encouragement to keep building and to show them what is possible with perseverance, dedication, and hard work. The same goes for my parents, who have supported my vision from day one (and spend countless hours driving from store to store to support ONOIN in the field with merchandising and demo support) -- it means more to me than you will ever know. Being in the trenches day in and day out is taxing both mentally and physically -- which is why it is so important to pause and reflect on the journey and how far you have come. In one single year, I took ONOIN from a bootstrapped brand with no "pre-launch hype" or celebrity backer into over 800+ retail locations across many different stores, now stretching coast to coast. Thank you to all of our earliest retail partners for taking a chance on us. Seeing those empty shelves, re-orders, and spectacular demo results means we are building something real, that helps solve an unmet need in consumer's lives. Recognition from Food Network, Bon Appetit, Yes Chef Group, and winning a Shelfie Startup CPG ain't too shabby either. I cannot wait for this next chapter of ONOIN's growth as we continue to expand our retail and Food Service footprint (more to come on that later) -- and to show everyone there is an easier way to cook delicious, easy, healthy meals at home without the effort or tears!! Last but not least -- to all the friends, colleagues, peers, that have supported me with a purchase, conversation, advice, introductions, it is beyond appreciated. Please know I truly cannot thank you enough for all the likes, shares, comments etc. PLEASE go pick some up today if you still have not tried it; I promise you won't be disappointed -- Check our store locator for a location near you!! Pictured: A small snapshot of the behind-the-scenes of ONOIN. And asking for a friend, but is child labor illegal if they are your kids? 😉 🧅 🚀
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisTonight, I'm trading my usual seat for one in the Tank. 🦈 I’m excited to share that I'll be joining Jimmy Donaldson Donaldson as a guest Shark on the Season 18 premiere of Shark Tank on ABC. Getting to sit alongside legends like Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Daniel Lubetsky and Lori Greiner and evaluate entrepreneurs pitching their businesses was a genuinely surreal experience. It's a reminder of why I love what we do at Beast Industries — backing bold ideas and the people behind them. Tune in tonight at 9pm ET/PT on ABC or check it out on Hulu https://lnkd.in/gFv6W_yc
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Hank Watt liked thisHank Watt liked thisNYC friends! I’ll be in the city tomorrow for an evening event and have some time beforehand to connect. I’d love to grab a coffee, catch up, or meet someone new. Send me a DM if you’re around! Let’s turn a little free time into a great conversation. Shannon Peffley CPG X
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Hank Watt reacted on thisHank Watt reacted on thisCostco Wholesale HERE WE COME!!!!!!!😭🍪 Madi said it best, but from my literal kitchen home recipe I was mixing by hand with a wooden spoon in the thick of Crohn's disease, to create something that I could have, to bring joy and comfort in a time where that felt impossible to find.... to COSTCO!!!!!!!!! I have so many thoughts swirling right now, but this is the one that feels most true, for whoever needs it: the thing you feared would ruin everything might be exactly what carries you to it. I really was convinced that all of my health issues would be the thing to hold me back from getting to experience the kind of life I always dreamed of, but it reality, Toto, and everything else I have in my life now, would have never existed without it. Every single hard thing I have ever gone through in my life has always been the path to something incredible. When it seems there is no reason, there is ALWAYS a reason. Always, always, always. And all of you, thank you for every cookie you've ever purchased, every comment of support, every single thing that this community has done to life me & Toto up to make this dream a reality. You are the reason this is possible. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! Lastly, to Bennett, my cookie king (and our incredible team), thank you for believing in this crazy dream with me & giving your whole heart to this mission of changing the world of food with me, one cookie at a time. We’re doing it. 🥲❤️ COSTCO HERE WE COME!!!! 🍪✨ #costco
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From Laughed At to Backed by Shark Tank
mbnews.live
Wellness Founder Shares How to Turn Your Story into a Mission-Driven Brand that Investors Believe In
Other authorsSee publication -
Shark Tank US | Nature Wild's Berry's Product Can Make Anything Sour Taste Sweet!
Sony Pictures Television
See publicationHank Watt and Juliano Bonanni are seeking $80k for a 15% stake in their company Nature's Wild Berry
From Season 14 Episode 21 -
Strange berry attracts sharks during TV pitch
Santa Monica Daily Press
See publicationNature's Wild Berry, based in Santa Monica, California, gets four offers from the panel of investors and leaves with a two-shark deal!
Projects
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Are you a service provider and have a solution you want to pitch?
I’d love to hear about it. I have a simple process for intro calls and you can book time with me: https://intro.co/hankwatt
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