The business podcast for brand builders

The Brand Study is a podcast & newsletter about how great consumer brands are built. We dive deep into the strategy, storytelling, and systems behind today’s fastest growing CPG and DTC brands. Subscribe to get practical insights on how to grow your brand, delivered straight to your inbox.

THE BRAND STUDY. THE BRAND STUDY. THE BRAND STUDY. THE BRAND STUDY.

Ep.

20

Ep.

20

Asset: How Chad O’Connell is Turning a Taboo Category Into a Scalable Wellness Brand

Asset is redefining an overlooked category in personal wellness by building a brand around a problem most people experience, but rarely discuss. Founded by Chad O’Connell, the company combines deep product development with disciplined marketing to create solutions that actually work. The result is a brand built for scale, grounded in performance, and positioned to lead a category that has been hiding in plain sight.

Ep.

19

Ep.

19

Indie Lee Skincare: How Indie Lee Expanded the Clean Beauty Movement

Indie Lee Skincare is a clean beauty brand built on transparency, efficacy, and trust. Founded after a life changing health diagnosis, the brand creates high performance skincare using thoughtfully sourced ingredients designed to support both skin health and overall wellness. Today, Indie Lee is carried in over 2,000 retail locations, including Sephora and Nordstrom, and continues to lead the clean beauty movement with a focus on education, sustainability, and products that deliver real results.

Ep.

18

Ep.

18

Curious Elixirs: JW Wiseman on Creating the Non Alcoholic Cocktail Movement

Before the non alcoholic movement gained momentum, JW Wiseman was already experimenting in his kitchen. Frustrated by bland alcohol free options, he began mixing, tinkering, and refining recipes with real depth and complexity. His goal was simple: create a non alcoholic drink that felt as sophisticated and satisfying as a great cocktail.

Ep.

17

Ep.

17

Newton Baby: Aaron Zagha on Redefining Infant Sleep Safety

Newton Baby was built around a simple but urgent idea: babies deserve safer sleep. What began as an effort to rethink the traditional crib mattress evolved into a category-defining brand rooted in science, design, and trust. By engineering a breathable, washable mattress from the ground up, Newton challenged decades of industry assumptions and raised the standard for infant sleep.

Ep.

16

Ep.

16

Cuts Clothing: Steven Borrelli on Scaling a Global Fashion Brand

Steven Borrelli launched Cuts with a Kickstarter campaign and one goal: create the perfect tee. By focusing on a single product line, he bootstrapped the company to nine figures in revenue and built momentum through discipline, financial rigor, and a loyal community. Today, Cuts has expanded into women’s apparel, golf, and outerwear, attracting A-list ambassadors and customers in over 100 countries.

Ep.

15

Ep.

15

Global Healing: Growing a Supplement Brand on Trust

What started in a cancer clinic has grown into a global wellness brand, trusted for nearly three decades by people seeking real healing. Still family-owned and independent, Global Healing sets the standard for purity, testing, and education in natural health.

Ep.

14

Ep.

14

Moom Health: Mili Kale's Mission to Redefining Women’s Wellness

What began as a personal struggle has since grown into one of Singapore’s leading wellness brands, now sold across Asia and trusted by thousands of women seeking natural solutions. Backed by $2.69M in funding, Moom Health is reshaping the conversation around women’s health and building a category that reflects the needs of Asian women everywhere.

Ep.

13

Ep.

13

Langer’s Juice: How Bruce Langer Built a Brand That Reaches Millions

What started at a farmers market in San Diego became Langer’s Juice, a brand built on real fruit, no shortcuts, and a relentless focus on taste. From tropical blends to immune-boosting favorites, Langer’s now sits on shelves at Costco, Walmart, and Amazon, trusted by families across the country.

Ep.

12

Ep.

12

Chlorophyll Water: Matt Levine’s Path from Hospitality to CPG

Matt Levine asked a simple question: if chlorophyll is packed with benefits, why hasn’t anyone bottled it? After giving up coffee, he started mixing liquid chlorophyll into his water and felt the difference. That ritual sparked Chlorophyll Water, now a certified clean-label beverage sold at Alo Yoga, Whole Foods, and Sprouts.

Ep.

11

Ep.

11

Oat Haus: Ali Bonar's Path to Creating a New Food Category

Ali Bonar asked a simple question, if you can make milk from oats, why not a spread? With a blender and some granola, she created granola butter, a new product that grew from her kitchen counter to Costco and Target shelves nationwide.

Ep.

10

Ep.

10

Noon: Building a Performance Wellness Brand

Noon isn’t just another gummy brand, it’s a case study in standing out. Co-founder Kate Jane Wong joins us to share how Noon broke through the wellness noise with intentional design, clean formulations, and a brand that actually earns consumer trust.

Ep.

9

Ep.

9

MìLà : From Restaurant to National Brand

Mila isn’t just a success story, it’s a blueprint for how to scale without compromise. Co-founder Jen Liao joins us to break down how a small restaurant in Bellevue evolved into a nationally distributed brand with $30M in venture funding and a fast-growing retail presence.

Ep.

8

Ep.

8

Maeve Chocolate: A New Era Beyond Seattle Chocolate Co

Maeve Chocolate isn’t just a rebrand, it’s a complete reimagining of what chocolate can be. Formerly known as Seattle Chocolate, the mother-daughter team of Jean and Ellie Thompson have transformed the brand into a storytelling engine with bold flavors, ethical sourcing, and characters that bring each bar to life. Discover how this Pacific Northwest staple is setting a new standard for chocolate with every bite.

Ep.

7

Ep.

7

Kuli Kuli Foods: Turning a Superfood into a Mainstream Category

When Lisa Curtis joined the Peace Corps at 22, she didn’t expect to launch a company that would redefine the American superfood aisle. She just wanted to feel better. Living in a remote African village in Niger and surviving mostly on carbs, Lisa found herself depleted. When she asked the women in her village what could help, they pulled leaves from a tree and stirred them into a local snack called “kuli kuli.” That tree was Moringa. And it changed everything.

Ep.

6

Ep.

6

K2 Clay: Building a Creative Business from Scratch

In this episode, we sit down with Katie Rose Fischer-Price and talk about how she built K2 Clay without sacrificing her creative process, how she structured her brand around community engagement, and how she’s scaling without losing the original spark. If you’re building a creative brand and trying to grow without compromise—this one's for you.

Ep.

5

Ep.

5

Laurel Bath House: Bootstrapping to $31k per Month

In this episode, we sit down with Dave, co-founder and CEO of Laurel Bath House. Dave built a personal care brand from the ground up—bootstrapped, no outside capital—and landed retail partnerships with Goop and Urban Outfitters. Today, the brand is generating over $31K in monthly revenue.

Ep.

4

Ep.

4

Living Alchemy: Creating Value in a Crowded Vitamin Market

Founded in 2016, the Living Alchemy has grown into an international player, with products on shelves across the U.S. and Canada. But this isn’t a story about rapid scale through paid influencers or high-budget ad campaigns. It’s about a company that’s stayed rooted—literally and philosophically—in fermentation, whole plants, and authenticity.

Ep.

3

Ep.

3

Settle: $2.3 Billion in Funding for Consumer Brands

In this episode, we talk with Melissa Cafagna at Settle, a fintech company that’s rethinking how consumer brands access capital. Settle has provided over $2.3 billion in financing to help CPG brands manage cash flow, extend payment terms, and scale without giving up equity.

Ep.

2

Ep.

2

Hale Productions: Producing Content for the World's Best Brands

In this episode, we sit down with Kirk Hensler, founder and CEO of Hale Productions. Kirk built a full-service creative studio that produces premium content for global brands like Barbie, Ninja Kitchen, and Fjällräven. They deliver world-class content while running an efficient studio operation.

Ep.

1

Ep.

1

Nelly's Organics: 0 to 9,000 Retail Doors

Nelly’s Organics is proof that slow, steady growth and a commitment to quality can build a lasting brand. Over 13 years, they expanded from a small operation to being sold nationwide in stores like Whole Foods, Albertsons, Sprouts—without spending a dime on marketing or advertising. Instead, they focused on what mattered most: perfecting their healthy candy bars, optimizing manufacturing, and strengthening their supply chain.

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Why a Virtual Photo Studio Makes Sense for Brands.

By choosing a virtual studio, you’re making a smart, strategic decision that can help your business thrive. It’s a modern approach to photography that gives you the best of both worlds—professional, high-quality images and the flexibility to work on your terms.

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Why Renting a Photography Studio Near Me Might Not Be the Best Option

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Marketing Agency Near Me: Why a Virtual Agency Might Be a Better Option