Three stories of failure, three stories of resilience. As a CPG founder, challenges and obstacles are around every corner. At times, it can feel overwhelming and isolating. I want to share three unique stories to offer perspectives on overcoming business hurdles and personal setbacks. My hope is that these stories give you both inspiration and comfort in knowing that no matter what happens along your journey, it’s all experience for what comes next.

Keith Kohler: Building Resilience from Building a Gluten-Free Manufacturer

Keith co-founded a gluten-free manufacturing business after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Over the journey he faced obstacles and learned crucial lessons in resilience and financial management. From that journey he learned:

• Create an operating agreement with your co-founders from the start. Be as clear as possible as to who is responsible for what parts of the business, how decisions are made, and what to do if someone isn’t fully contributing.
• Be involved with Investor deal making. If you have a business partner or co-founder who’s leading the investment deals, you should be involved as much as possible so you understand what all the terms are and build relationships with the investors.
• Communicate early with your investors if there’s a problem. Always keep your investors in the loop of what’s going well and any issues that come up. They should never be surprised by a major event.

Keith has now taken all those learnings and supports CPG founders through Financing Man and his Making the Numbers Work For You retreat. He works with founders to build a strong financial foundation for their business so they don’t experience the same things he went through. Keith also leads a retreat with founders to have open and honest conversations on the limiting beliefs that hold us back from feeling financially empowered.

Kristoffer Quiaoit: From Keto Cookies to Bankruptcy and a Renewed Purpose

Kristoffer co-founded Nui Foods, a brand specializing in ketogenic-friendly cookies inspired by the diet’s impact on his own life. Kristoffer’s time on Shark Tank brought Nui Foods into the spotlight, but it also amplified the pressure and challenges.

• Make product quality and food safety a top priority. After fulfilling thousands of orders through Shark Tank, Nui started receiving customer complains about mold in our products. Our product wasn’t safe to eat, and we had to make the very difficult decision to recall all the product… and their customer’s money. That manufacturing run cost us all the money the business had, and forced us into debt.
• Having a failure does not make YOU a failure. As founders, we are usually personally liable for the debt the business takes on. I was forced to file for personal bankruptcy protection from the debt of the business. After enduring these challenges, Kristoffer realized the importance of not defining himself solely by his business role or successes.
• Build a business aligned with your personal journey. Every business is hard, but you can control how you decide to do business. Design your journey in a way that aligns with your purpose so the business can be more balanced and sustainable.

Kristoffer’s new venture, Good Journey is a line of low sugar donuts. He’s building the business to be much more sustainable and the name is a reminder that the journey should be a good one.

Jordan Buckner: Turning Personal Struggles into a Platform for Helping Others

My journey in the CPG world began with TeaSquares, a line of energy bars to help you stay focused. The challenges I faced with TeaSquares were not just about business strategy or market penetration; they were deeply personal and profoundly impactful on my sense of self and my approach to business.

• You are not defined by your company. As the CEO of TeaSquares, I was the face of the company, participating in pitch competitions, industry events, trade shows, and demos. I realized that my personal identity was deeply intertwined with my role as a founder. This blending of personal and professional identity led to significant internal struggles, especially as the business faced challenges. The fear of losing my identity if TeaSquares failed was a constant worry.
• Take care of yourself, as the emotional toll is real. I was the reluctance to share the full extent of the struggles I faced as a founder. There was a sense of needing to figure everything out on my own, to be the ‘smart one’ who could handle it all. At my lowest point, one night I found myself so stressed that I had a panic attack. I fell to the floor, hyper-ventilating, and overwhelmed. This was the first time it had every happened to me. I had reached my breaking point.
• A sustainable business is a successful business. I used to think that growth and scale were the main drivers of business. I now believe that a profitable business with strong fundamentals equal a successful business.

Emerging from these experiences, I embarked on a new journey with Foodbevy. This venture represents not just a business but a shift in my approach to entrepreneurship. Foodbevy is grounded in the lessons learned from TeaSquares – it’s about building a community, supporting other entrepreneurs, and fostering a space where sharing, learning, and growing together is paramount.

Rethinking Finance: A Key to CPG Success

Each story shared is a testament to the fact that failures, setbacks, and challenges are not just hurdles but opportunities for learning, growth, and reinvention. Whether it was navigating financial complexities, scaling product development, or balancing personal well-being with professional goals, the key to enduring success was a resilient mindset.

As we continue on our paths in the CPG landscape, let these stories of resilience inspire us to approach challenges with a renewed perspective. Let’s take these lessons to heart, apply them in our businesses, and collectively build a more resilient and successful community.