Episode 101 | How KRAVE Sparked a Modern CPG Revolution
with KRAVE & Sonoma Brands Founder Jon Sebastiani
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We’ve interviewed a lot of great jerky brands on Brand Builder: Country Archer, Field Trip, Chomps, all progressive brands who have helped people see the category in a whole new light. But every single one of these companies give props to another that did it first and paved the way for the rest – KRAVE.
So of course, we’ve been dying to get Jon Sebastiani, the founder of KRAVE jerky on the podcast for a while now. The wait is over, as Jon joined us in the Brand Builder studio for this incredible interview.
Jon founded KRAVE way back in 2007. At the time, the brand was revolutionary – an elevated jerky that had more in common with gourmet foods or fine wine than the typical gas-station fare that existed at the time.
In fact, what Jon created with KRAVE is pretty remarkable when you think about it – a market big enough where all of these brands can coexist and be successful.
Jon walked us through his career path which has been marked with milestone accomplishments, including the founding of KRAVE.
What you might not know – Jon also founded Smashmallow, sits on the board of brands like Dang, and is now an investor through Sonoma Brands, his consumer products incubator and venture fund.
Takeaways
- What it’s like to be a first-mover, and the importance of speed in today’s CPG landscape.
- The emotional toll of entrepreneurship. Jon gives tips for dealing with self-doubt, anxiety, and gives you tips to stay focused.
Links
- Sonoma Brands
- KRAVE Jerky
- Smashmallow
- Connect with Jon on LinkedIn.
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Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.
