Date Smarter!

0:00Welcome to the Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. This is the podcast to discover stories behind your new favorite CPG brands. Each episode brings you behind the scenes of the brand and founder story, learn what sets them apart in the marketplace, and their strategy going to market. We talk about plans for growth, practical advice for an emerging brand founder, and where to shop products that are making waves in food, beverage, wellness, beauty, and beyond. You'll also hear from industry experts, brand builders, investors, and operators you should absolutely have on your radar if you're building a CPG brand today.

0:44I'm your host, Kelly Bennett, a Brooklyn-based brand strategist with a front row seat of what makes an emerging CPG brand stand out. Whether you're building a brand of your own or love supporting what's next, you're in the right place. This podcast is brought to you by Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations. They are connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to generate shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in markets that matter the most. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details and let them know I sent you.

1:29Now, let's dive into the new episode.

1:33Grace Finerman:Hi, everyone. Welcome back to a new episode of Emerging Brands Podcast with Kelly Bennett. Today, I have a founder on that I've personally been seeing pop up around New York City. Her product is delicious. She has a great backstory and I'm so stoked that Grace Feinerman, the founder of Date Smarter, is on the podcast today. So Grace, welcome to the show. I'm so glad this is happening. I'm so excited, especially after seeing you out in the wild so many times to come talk. It's so fun. I know. I have been following you. Like I said, I saw you in a pitch competition. I saw you sampling at the Good Smart.

2:13I just see you out and about and I love your genuine passion around what you're building. I could just feel that from certain people and you definitely exude that. So for today, I would love to kick off first how the idea of Date Smarter came together. I know dates have really are having a moment. I personally love dates, but I would love to hear for you, like, how did this idea for Date Smarter come together?

2:42Grace Finerman:Right. So I was working as a TV news anchor reporter and I was traveling throughout the country, living in places like South Dakota and Kentucky. And I've always been a big health nut. I love going to grocery stores and finding all the healthier alternatives and trying them out. And I found that in those places, they weren't as readily accessible as they are in New York City or where some of my family lives in LA. So I decided to just make things myself. And I actually was given a little cooking segment on air on a slow news day, and I got to share healthier recipes. And this was just a recipe that I made.

3:22Grace Finerman:It actually was a kind of Twix situation. And people were like, you know, the caramel is really good. The bar you made is disgusting. So like, just get rid of it. And I'm like, oh, that's a good idea. And I started with that. And then eventually someone said, oh, have you ever thought about selling this? And, you know, how people seem to do these days, you go listen to a few podcasts and see, oh, that's easy, even though it's not at all. And I think I was just one of those people during COVID that had a little bit too much time and started experimenting with it. So cool. So from newscaster to CPG founder, and I know that you recently went full time, right, in the business.

4:06I would love to hear what made you want to start selling them and also taking that leap of a total career change. Yes. Yeah. I want to know all of what was going through your mind when you were like, yeah, let's do this.

4:25Grace Finerman:Right. Well, I have always been someone to go for things. I mean, when I said that I was moving to South Dakota right after college without knowing anyone, I got a similar response of like, really, you're moving so far away without knowing anyone. And, you know, it's just I don't know anyone who's moved there. It was a great, you know, place. And I met so many great people. But I've always just gone for things when I've had, you know, something inside me that wanted to try to do it. So I guess that's just my personality. But I've always also been a really big health nut. And when I was younger, my dream job when I was like nine was to be a baker.

5:07Grace Finerman:I was obsessed. So I've always loved food and cooking and experimenting. So people who know me, they kind of think it's a little on brand, especially the healthier side of things. I really got into my health when I was in college. So it just kind of everything kind of collided. And I didn't know when I launched it that I would be doing it full time. That also happened as well. My TV news contract came up and instead of signing another one, I just thought I would see how it went. And that's how we ended up here. What a cool leap of faith, too, of having the opportunity to keep going still in your career, doing this on the side.

5:50What gave you that confidence to say, no, I'm not going to sign another contract. I'm going to go all in on Date Smarter.

5:57Grace Finerman:yeah I mean I think the confidence is really fake it till you make it um there were good moments where I did feel really confident where you hit a certain milestone and then there were moments where I was feeling kind of in the dumps about my decision just because it is really scary so um I think that I haven't been confident um throughout the whole journey and I probably will lose and gain confidence as it continues and I think that's just part of it you know It's such a good point. I've been in my career for 15 plus years now and I still have moments of like, wait, am I good at this? You just have those moments or weird things happen, but then you're like, wait, no, I am.

6:41And this is possible. And this is what's happening. Right. And so thank you for sharing that because it's easy to forget or make yourself think that you have to feel confident all the time, especially when you're making huge, big leaps of changing careers, going all out on your own. So that's a really great point.

7:00Grace Finerman:I had a friend tell me the rule of thirds and I don't know where they got this, but they were pretty much saying, you know, if you're truly going for it and whatever it is you want to do, a third of the time you should be comfortable, a third of the time you should hate your life, and a third of the time you should be overjoyed. And that kind of means that you're really growing. And I think that's pretty. Okay, that's pretty good. Yeah, that's pretty good. I think I'm pretty much there. So that resonates with me very much. So I would love to hear how you started from selling it to, say, people within your initial network to now me seeing it on some of the coolest retail shelves in New York City?

7:41Grace Finerman:Yeah, I think it's such an opportunity living in New York. There are so many stores to check out. And so when I had my first production run done, I just threw a ton of the date caramels in my backpack and walked around. I am from the tri-state area. So there are a lot of locations that I grew up going to like Butterfield uptown. And I went in and I was just like, Hey, I've been coming here my entire life. My family comes here forever. I came out with this product. I'll give you a discount. Can you just see if anyone buys it? You know? And I was super persistent with that. But yeah, I mean, there are so many opportunities, so many bodegas, spas.

8:22Grace Finerman:You can really think outside the box here, you know, with how to get it. It's so true. I think it's such an advantage of, you know, we pay a lot to live here, but the stores that we have just outside our apartments is just the best of the best. I agree. I agree with you. You were going to stores that you went to personally growing up or frequented yourself. How did you start picking up retailers? What was the thing that they were like, oh, I'll take a chance on this. This sounds interesting. What was like the differentiator that you think was really clicking in for people? Right. Two things. One, I think the product, obviously, the other, the packaging.

9:10Grace Finerman:I mean, the product is really unique because it's unlike any date product I've seen. People who don't like dates, I make them try it and they love it. Even buyers, they've said, I don't want to try it. And I'm like, just try it. And they love it. Our texture is really unlike anything I've seen with a date product. It really tastes like a traditional caramel. It does taste like a caramel. I can say that. I've had it many times. Yeah. But you know, that was, that was a big thing too, was having the product taste good. And the packaging, I wanted to make something that was really unique. And I think that people I've really gravitated to.

9:44Grace Finerman:And I, you know, one of the things that I hear a lot of people say is that they love it. And I really wanted to do something kind of nostalgic, 50s, retro. My dad had this old 50s Coke machine in our house and people loved it. So I think that was kind of in the front of my mind. And I was thinking of the packaging. And I think it was something that's kind of new and kind of nostalgic at the same time. It maybe makes people feel a little familiar with it, even though it looks different than everything else in the shelves. It really stands out. It's, you know, it's tough sometimes when you're coming out with a product because you want to look at what everyone else is doing.

10:19Grace Finerman:And you see that a lot of people have a big image of what the product looks like, or maybe, you know, transparency with the packaging where you can kind of see through it and see what's, you know, inside. And I really get that, but I wanted to do something that just was different, you know. And it's such a fine line to doing different things, but also staying within the periphery of what a consumer is looking for, but also making it stand out. It's such a hard dance. It really takes time to, I think, to find the groove, right? Maybe the first couple of times don't necessarily hit, but then you evolve and change and tweak.

11:01So when was your first production run?

11:03Grace Finerman:Our first production run was about a year ago. um yeah so we launched I would say this time last year I was getting on my first you know store shelves we started with just four stores in New York I would say this time last year I was maybe in one or two of them and uh just really wanted to see what people thought of it um and then went from there so I'd say it's been about six months since we've um expanded in about like four three four months since we've really been in our first bigger chains Incredible. So let's talk about taking that leap of starting from local tri-state area, smaller retailers or more specialty retailers to now being in one of your first big chains.

11:49How did that come together?

11:51Grace Finerman:Yeah, I mean, not in the most quote unquote normal way, actually. I really have been trying to get involved in the community, learn as much from people as I can, as you mentioned, it's such a great thing about being in New York. And naturally, New York, an organization that kind of brings people together in the industry. It's amazing. Amazing. They had a pitch competition called the Fairway Find. So, you know, that person that won that was an emerging brand. They would go, the top 10 would go pitch in person. And then they would get to launch in all fairways in New York and in ShopRite's as well.

12:30Grace Finerman:And ShopRite obviously is as fairway as a huge opportunity. And yeah, I ended up winning that pitch competition. I think my TV news background was really helpful with that. Congratulations. Thank you. Yeah, it was it was really an amazing experience. And I also met a lot of other great founders that I've kept in touch with and done giveaways with. Yeah, that was a really big confidence boost. So we launched in Fairway ShopRite probably around three, four months ago. Yeah, so that's incredible. So what have you learned also to make that leap into saying yes and feeling confident about saying yes to a fair way or shop right?

13:11Grace Finerman:Yeah, I think honestly, you know, winning that competition gave me a lot of confidence because the people there, they know the buyers so well and they just know what's going to do well. So having a ton of other amazing brands there and having them pick Date Smarter made me be like, okay, you know, I feel pretty solid that this is going to work. So cool. Was there any lessons learned as far as gearing up for that production run or just getting the buzz going for that expansion? Yeah. I mean, I think a big lesson I had to learn was actually when I launched in Erwan, which similar, you know, which is also major of like a better for you product.

14:05Grace Finerman:That was the first chain. I guess Erwan's different. It's its own cup of tea, but there are now over 10 stores. I think they're opening four more. So they're going to be 14. And the velocity in there, it's crazy because it's like a tourist attraction. There are so many people that go in and out. And I didn't really realize having, you know, just been in smaller boutique grocery stores, how much product they go through, which is a good thing. But I remember I was really low on inventory and I was like, you know what? I'm just going to send them what I have now and just get started. Right. We sold out really quick, like really, really quick.

14:42Grace Finerman:And it was super stressful. I know everyone's like, oh my God, that's a great issue to have. Yeah. I mean, it's better than not selling but it's also like oh god we just launched and I don't know when our next production run is going to be I had to switch coat packers and I didn't know how long it would be and it turned out to only be like a month or and a half which wasn't horrible but like we were not on shelves for that time and I was really nervous um about that and it ended up working out. But I think I really learned that like, do not launch until you are organized enough with your production and operations to keep that going for more than like three weeks, you know?

15:23Yeah, that's a great piece of advice, because I know so many founders who are early on are just looking at the more doors they could add. But at the same time, you have to make sure that you can create the product, go in those doors and then replenish. So thank you for sharing that. I think that's a very tangible real life example of just something to put on your radar when you're working on that expansion.

15:47Grace Finerman:For sure. For sure. And I know that you're also working on expanding flavors. This is really cool. Can you give us any sneak peeks on that? Yeah. So we have two more flavors coming out in the next two months. One of them I think is going to be great for the holidays. The other one is actually our most asked about flavor. I mean, anytime I ask someone, what flavor would you want to see? They say this flavor. I think it's just going to be a staple. So I'm really excited for people to try them. They're really, really so good. And I started working on this about six months ago, and it was a lot of R &D, and I wanted, I love the original so much.

16:29Grace Finerman:I wanted other flavors that I feel like people would really love as well. And so it's been a long time coming. And it's just been lots of fun, obviously, taste testing. But I have to say, it probably feels like a long time coming. But at the same time, what you've done in a year is incredibly impressive. Thank you so much. I know in entrepreneur years, our year feels like 10 years and it feels so long, but truly just outside looking in, you've done a fantastic job. And to have two new flavors rolling out within six months and just only being in business for a year, awesome job. Thank you so much.

17:09Grace Finerman:You're welcome. It's hard when you kind of look around and everyone's doing such amazing stuff and you're trying to keep up. But I feel like we're all our worst critics, you know? Oh, a thousand percent. But I think it's a good thing to keep in mind of everyone's brand is different. Everyone's business is different. And just finding your own groove and your own lane that you can keep iterating on and evolving and telling the story. Like that's the sweet spot. It really is. Is there any other piece of advice you would share with someone who's pre-launch just getting, you know, their product finalized, their recipes finalized?

17:53they're putting their you know research glasses on of like okay here's where I want to be one day or here's how I want to be launching any advice for them of just something that you learned fairly early on of bringing this brand to life yeah I would say just start you know the recipe

18:13Grace Finerman:that you launch with is not going to be the recipe you'll probably have in a year and definitely not the recipe will have in two years. So I would say really just start in any way that you can, you know, whether that's going to a farmer's market or starting in boutique grocery stores. I mean, some people launch, you know, much bigger if they've raised a ton of money or maybe have been around the block before. So just do anything you can in that moment. You know, I feel like as long as you get 1 % better every day, just move the needle every day, do one thing a day. I mean, And eventually that adds up, you know, I feel like sometimes progress isn't linear, you know, it'll take a couple months to like really see things moving, then a lot will happen in a week.

18:55Grace Finerman:And then you kind of go back to square one, or you're doing a ton of grunt work. So yeah, I would just say just start really, I think that's the hardest part. I totally co-sign on that. And something that I'm personally love seeing the evolution of, of someone just starting with an idea and seeing how that comes to life. And also I'm such a nerd about having this podcast because then I could hear all the backstories because I just personally love hearing how people take an idea and make it a product that I can go and shop. To me, it's like the coolest, most magical process. So that's part of why I have this podcast.

19:36Grace Finerman:It's so fun. It is. It's food, you know? It's not that cute. Exactly. Exactly. Where can people shop Date Smarter? Yeah. So we are in stores throughout the country, mostly independents throughout the country, and then a couple of chains on the East Coast and the West Coast. So if you go on our website, datesmartersnacks.com, we have a store locator. You can type in your zip code, state, town, see if it comes up. If it does not come up, we ship nationwide. Incredible. Well, Grace, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing your story. It was so great. And I loved hearing more of your backstory and just again, congratulations on all your success over the last year.

20:20Grace Finerman:Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate it. You're so welcome. Thank you everyone for listening and I'll see you on the next episode. This podcast is brought to you by Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations. They are connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to generate shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in markets that matter the most. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details and let them know I sent you. If you're new here, hi, I'm Kelly Bennett, a Brooklyn-based brand strategist working with first-time CPG food and beverage founders.

21:06I have a front row seat of what makes an emerging CPG brand stand out because you're not just building a product, you are building a brand. And you want to make sure that is one that consumers love and retailers remember. That's where I come in. I've recently advised brands like Frankly Good Coffee, She's the Sauce, a new non-alcoholic cocktail line that's coming to market soon and a hormone conscious deodorant because food adjacent brands count too. If you are bringing a new product to market, please reach out at withkellybennett.com. Thank you so much for listening and sharing. You can follow me on Instagram at withkellybennett and you can follow the show at Emerging Brands Podcast.

21:54Thank you again and I'll see you on the next episode.

22:00you