Actual Veggies

0:00Welcome to the Emerging Brands podcast. Sharing the stories behind brands you'll want to shop next. I'm your host, Kelly Bennett. I am a New York City-based brand strategist for CPG Food and Beverage Brands. In each episode, I'll take you behind the scenes of founders that are building better-for-you products and bringing them to market. it. Also, I talk to brand builders, retailers, industry experts, and tastemakers who help bring those cool products to your shopping cart. You will hear stories of real-life founders, their launch strategies, and practical advice you could use to grow your own brand or simply discover what's next on shelf.

0:42And the best part is you could shop all the brands featured on the show. This podcast is brought to you by Glimpse. Glimpse is an AI powered deduction management tool that disputes and recovers invalid deductions, winning brands, thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours back to founders so that they can focus on what really matters most. If you're a brand selling in retail, go to tryglimpse.com backslash trial for 30 days free and let them know I sent you. Now let's dive into the new episode. Hi everyone. Welcome back to a new episode of Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. Today I have Haley Schwartz.

1:29She's the co-CEO and co-founder of Actual Veggies and had such a cool booth at Expo West. We were just saying before hitting record. We're both recuperating after the amazing showing at Expo West. And Haley, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today and talking all things actual veggies. Of course. Thank you for having me. You're so welcome. So I wanted to first kick off with what is actual veggies, the white space that you are really carving out. I know that you launched in 2021, which really isn't that long ago. I know in entrepreneur years, it probably feels like 10 years ago, but that really isn't that long.

2:14And you guys have done such an incredible job. To be honest, I thought you've been around for much longer. I would love to hear what was that initial concept in that white space in the market that you saw? Sure. So my co-founder, Jason, had stopped eating meat at the end of 2020 for health reasons and was looking to replace the meat burger. He saw a lot of things out there that tasted like meat, um, that were manufactured, that didn't taste that good. And then on the other side, really no true innovation in the veggie burger space. Um, I personally do eat meat. Um, I was really like thrown off by products that were trying to mimic meat.

2:52Um, it just for me, but I do love to eat vegetables. I try to eat a really clean diet. And it seems so obvious that there wasn't really a restaurant style veggie burger at the grocery store. You know, something we, you know, everyone loves a good veggie burger, but really we wanted to bring the ones that you could get at a restaurant to the grocery store. So that's how we started. We launched these naturally colorful veggie burgers that all tasted and celebrated the veggies that were in them. And, you know, since then we've just grown to be a platform to help people eat veggies in a different way and just eat more of them.

3:27So we're really proud of all of our products. They have no fillers, no preservatives, no allergens. We've now expanded from the burger format to fries and tots and now a new kids line that I'm sure we're going to get into. Yes. I want to get into that. So that is very cool. I was vegan for 15 years, so I pretty much have had every veggie burger under the sun. And I really like your veggie burgers because to your point, you could see that it's real veggies. It's not like weird, fake meat. And I really appreciate that because I, too, like real whole foods. And so I like how you all are bringing that quality and real vegetables into the burger.

4:14Yeah, no, it's amazing. That's like the best response that I get because you hear it all the time. And so obviously we all want real whole foods and there isn't a lot of that in the freezer. I mean, it's definitely becoming a trend and you see more and more brands. We're all working together to imagine that what you can get in the freezer, but it's really cool to see, yeah, you could get this packaged product and it is something that you would make at home. So what was your background prior to co-founding the brand? Nothing like this. Um, but well, I, I should say my last, I was always in product and tech.

4:51Um, I worked, my first job was at AOL and then, but the most, yeah, I know it was, it was wild. It was a fun time, but then my most recent job was at Alibaba. Um, and what we were doing was helping, um, small businesses source from China. So I did get to meet a lot of entrepreneurs through that, um, who are using Alibaba as a platform to, um, build products, um, and build, yeah, I guess build products. So I, I sort of got the itch to be an entrepreneur from, from that experience. Um, but yeah, I was always on the tech side and I would say like the thing that's the most rewarding is getting to have a physical product, um, and seeing people, it brings so much joy to me personally, selfishly.

5:33And then like everyone, like it's just such a wonderful tasting product. Yes. And what made you want to make the leap to go into a totally different direction? I mean, CPG, food and beverage, and then frozen on top of that. I mean, there's so much nuance. So as I mentioned at the beginning, this is a product created for my co-founder and we were friends and he brought me the idea. and the funny thing is neither of us had been in CPG but um we were both really along with my brother who also joined as a co-founder we were all really like passionate about doing it and like having two other co-founders it it made it like you know it's it's it's I think it was really valuable because we would push each other forward um but yeah we just learned as we went along and it I think in certain ways like not having the background it like kept us from realizing how hard it was going to be.

6:28And we were a little naive when we went into it. Now it's really important that everyone we hire and bring on the team has CPG experience because you do learn that, I guess, as you go further along in the process, it gets more, I would say, technical. It gets more, you know, we're just trying to finesse our process and make sure we continue to bring the best product to market and then distribute in a way that is strategic and make sense as we partner with the retailers. Something that you were talking about and what I saw at Expo West is that now you are going into a new category. So you started as veggie burger, you do tots as well and fries, right?

7:10And now we have dino nuggets that were so cute. They were like so nostalgic, brought back a lot of good memories growing up in the nineties. I would love to hear how you are now expanding on the product line and what was the inspiration behind expanding, especially into the dino nuggets? Yeah. So, you know, like I said, we're trying to make, make it easier to eat as many veggies as possible and just celebrate those veggies. And what that means is thinking about formats that are important to families. And what we know is that kids, when we talk to parents, like the number one thing that they have trouble getting their kids to eat is veggies.

7:54And we tried to think about a product that could taste really good. Number one, because that's the most important when you talk to parents, it's number one, getting their kids to eat, you know, and then making sure it's healthy and it, and it will, number one is getting their kids eat. And by doing that, it has to taste good, but then number two, the nutrients of the product. So, um, it just made sense as we, you know, heard that parents were feeding our kids, um, their veggie burgers. And then the next step is like, what's a product that just appeals directly to them. And the dino nuggets are so fun because I mean, you saw them, they're so cute and they're so cute.

8:29And what we, you know, we know that we were making these with the kids in mind, but the, the amount of people who came up to us at Expo West that were just so excited about the nostalgia of the dinosaur shape. Um, something that's easy to snack on. That's also like, it's just as clean and nutrient as any of our other products. So we're just really, really proud about it and excited for it to launch like super soon. So is it essentially this is similar recipe as the veggie burgers, but in a dino shape, it's a little bit different of a recipe, you know, also like appealing to kids, like not like, like more hiding and blending those veggies is a piece of it.

9:10Um, you know, um, they are, um, yeah. So that's pretty much it is the big difference is like blending the veggies, but in a slightly different recipe, toned down spaces to appeal to the kids. And then, um, yeah, just all that. Very cool. And how are you finding it in the freezer section in building in retail and expanding on your product SKUs. I would love to hear how you're approaching the freezer section. Well, to be honest, that's the only section I I've known. And I will say like the challenge is that we can't hand, hand out samples all the time. So I get invited to events and they're like, bring samples.

9:51I'm like, you don't understand. It's not just like bringing a box of samples. It's like, we have to cook them up. We have to like, that's a really good point. That's really hard. And sometimes I'm like, Oh, I just wish we had a self-stable chip or bar so we could just hand them out everywhere. But there are some interesting things. I mean, I feel grateful for the freezer, like in the sense that like, you know, it's a section of the grocery store that's not going away. I think people are shopping. Like I said, a bunch of us brands, this better for you cohort of brands is really re-imagining what the freezer is.

10:24And that's something the free store is excited about because they need people to shop the freezer too. And they need people to be aware that you can get healthy foods in the freezer. And that's what we're helping them do. Also, and I'm sure you've heard of this trend, like up to in certain grocery stores, up to 50 % of people are shopping through Instacart. So it doesn't necessarily matter where in the grocery store products are. So especially with kids products, those like really over index, you know, I talked to a mom who was like, I have three kids, I can load them up into the car, go to the grocery store, have them all running around screen, or I can just get my groceries in bed and like, you know, pay like a little service charge for a piece of mind and have all my groceries delivered.

11:09That's a really good point. I didn't think about that of just how much online grocery shopping people are doing that it's really not going out of their way. They could still just order it all in the same spot. And that lets us say, you know, that that takes away the barrier of getting people to walk to the freezer, which is really great. Like now it's like you're just searching for what you want and you're like, okay, veggie product, we can target that veggie product word. And then all of a sudden we have a new customer coming to try our product. And so that's been a really big game changer, I think for the frozen industry.

11:46And like, like, so I can't imagine what it was like. It must've been a lot harder when there wasn't that, that online piece of it as well. What is your perspective in the year ahead and what you all are excited about just keep iterating and expanding. And I would just love to hear what your, I know you have a big launch coming out with the Dino Nuggets coming to market, but I would love to hear what's catching your attention or getting you excited about growing the brand. Yeah. I mean, like we've just talked about the Dino Nuggets are our biggest launch of the year, all hands on deck. And that's launching with huge retailers.

12:25We'll have them nationwide in June of this year, I think in probably 3 ,000 retail outdoors to start and just seeing over like excitement everywhere from every partner that we have. So that's, that's our big launch. But I think, you know, as we grow and as you grow as a emerging brand, you really need to be tight on what you're thinking of innovation. I think one of the saddest things that I've learned along the process is that, you know, when we first launched, they want to come up with these crazy different veggie burger types. Like, I don't know, like a French onion soup veggie burger and I don't know, a pizza burger and all these things.

13:06And what happens is that people like what they like and they don't want things that are way out of the lines. So really like studying what people expect from a veggie burger. And that's usually just like a black bean veggie burger, a California garden veggie burger, a mushroom veggie burger. And so helping us like really stick, like being tight on what innovation means, um, and not going too far out of the lines, um, is, is, is, is like what we're doing now. Um, and then continuing just to like optimize our, our current products to make them just taste better and better. Do you think that the kids line to like expanding on that is something you'd probably be doing?

13:48I think, yeah, the kids line is really important to us. Um, we know that this is, there's a problem to solve, which is helping parents get their kids to eat veggies and yeah, just like starting with these nuggets and seeing, you know, what happens there. Um, and yeah, just different formats of our burgers, you know, there's just so much opportunity and it's making sure that we don't do too much as at once is more. I'm sure that's really hard too, of like, you want to do all these things out of the gate, but it's like, you have to be strategic with what you launch. That totally makes sense. Yeah.

14:25So, I mean, like I said, the dino nuggets are where we're starting with kids. We'll see how they go. We'll review what flavors work, which flavors don't work. Cause I'm sure there will be one that doesn't unfortunately. And yeah. And then we'll just grow from there. Very cool. Is there any piece of advice you would share with a founder who's in the really early stages? So I'm a brand strategist for pre-launch CPG, a food and beverage brand. So I'm always thinking of my clients who are usually even before formulation of their product and they're really getting into the trenches of a product idea and starting to research.

15:04What advice would you share with them as they're starting to come up with a concept and a product and a brand? Yeah. I mean, I think going back to what I was just saying, you can't go too far out of the lines. So people are very, are much more stubborn, I guess, and unwilling to try crazy things or maybe they'll try crazy things, but to get that, like that repeat, it's like, it can't go too far of the line. So whether it's like, you can only like innovate on, like, I think on one factor for us, it was like using really clean whole ingredients and celebrating those veggies and letting people see them.

15:43But, um, you know, like the packaging can't be too different from your, your competitors. The product can't be too different from your competitors. Um, when you do something too much, then it really isn't going to appeal to a wide enough consumer base. And I think you just have to do what's familiar. People like familiar. It's boring, but it's true. And you really need to think about a way from a pricing, a packaging, a product perspective that it fits. If you really want to scale this to be a nationwide company, that it fits into the grocery store in a meaningful way and not just your local, very expensive grocery store.

16:21that's a very good point because usually when someone's just starting out they're so excited and want to innovate on every single aspect and something that I always remind people of is that you still have to make sense within your set yeah like you still have to play within the scope of reality of like what else is already on the shelf and to your point maybe one one to two things that you're innovating on, but it still makes sense with where you're going to live in the grocery store. Exactly. Yeah. And I think also making sure there's a true white space for it because, you know, sometimes there isn't and there's, you know, grocery category managers and buyers have a real hard time with space and unless it's differentiated or, you know, there's a real need for it, like at mass, then they're going to say no.

17:16Um, I think like the most tangible advice I could give is find a category manager at a grocery store that will talk to you pre product and give them, tell them what you're thinking about doing and see what their thoughts are immediately. Um, so, because for example, if whole foods, at least for us, if whole foods, wasn't going to take our products, then like, we wouldn't have a brand. Um, so it's like, who's your key partners, see if you could talk to them and ask them what they think immediately. Don't be wed to your idea. I think being wed to your own idea is like really one of the biggest dangers.

17:53Yeah. What was it that Whole Foods really took to actual veggies? Like what got their ears perked about it? It's funny. So they actually are big unlock. We used to have our burgers in a tray. Like we wanted to be in the meat set. Oh, okay. And Whole Foods wanted to put us in the freezer and they're like, trays don't work in the freezer. You need to be in a box like the other frozen foods. And so that was us innovating too far out of the lines for the set they were trying to be in. Um, and, um, so when we switched the box, that was a very big unlock. And what they were so excited about is at the time it was 2021, all their, the competitors were, were trying to make products that mimicked meat and like, Oh my gosh, they were, they were so fatigued by just reviewing product after product.

18:47That was a different beyond a different impossible. And, you know, we were like, actually like those, like other, that one competitor, that's the true veggie burger. That's what we're innovating off of. And they're like, that was like such a breath of fresh air for them to see. It's almost like you went back to the basics and just made it better. And that's what made it stand out. Exactly. So that was, that was it. And it was like, I just remember them just being like, Oh, it's colorful. It's not, you know, like everything else is their own and they were, they were fatigued by that. So cool. So interesting.

19:21So I know that you're in Whole Foods, which is so great. Is there any other retailers that people could keep an eye out for, for your products? Yeah. I mean, we're in 15 ,000 retail doors now. So we're basically in every retailer, I would say, um, Kroger, Albertson, Sprouts, Wegmans, um, obviously Whole Foods, uh, where else we have some products and targets, um, HEB. So we're basically nationwide now, um, which is really exciting. We work with most online retailers, ButcherBox, Hungry Root, Purple Carrot, Misfits. So it's great. It's really fun. That's so impressive. Again, 2021 was not that long ago.

20:05I know in entrepreneurial years, it was like 20 years ago, but it really hasn't. To be that far along and have scaled that much. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. We're excited. so amazing and when can we keep an eye out for the dino nuggets you said june yeah okay cool well thank you so much i again really appreciate you coming on especially fresh out of expo yeah same i'm just coming back to life um your booth was outstanding it was so exciting and just congratulations on everything. That means a lot. You're welcome. Thank you so much, everyone, for listening. Keep your eye out for actual veggies in the frozen section at your local grocery store.

20:54And I'll see you on the next episode. Bye. This episode was brought to you by Glimpse. As we know, building a brand is not as sexy and glamorous as it looks on social media at times. A lot of those unsexy problems come into play when brands start to scale in retail distribution. Founders are always incredibly excited to see their products on shelves at major retail chains, but they don't realize all the hard work that starts to begin. Retailers and distributors are known for their processes of deducting amounts from invoices. Most of the time, those are totally valid. Promos, slotting fees, free fills, and all the things that brands agree to to be part of the retail experience.

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22:42You'll recover money that you never should have had leaked in the first place. If you're a brand selling in retail, go to tryglimpse.com backslash trial for 30 days free and let them know I sent you. Thank you again for listening to this episode of the Emerging Brands Podcast. It really means so much to me that you listen to this show, share it with your friends and support it. If you are a CPG food and beverage founder and you're ready to launch a brand, people want to shop, head to withkellybennett.com for the details. And as always, thank you so much for listening, shopping the brands featured on the show and following brands I'm working with.

23:27It means so much. See you on the next episode.