episode 0031- capitalizing on the carnivore craze and building an empire with carnivore snax ceo mark ritz

In this episode, we get a close-up look at the story behind Carnivore Snax, and the entrepreneurial journey of co-founder Mark Ritz.

When Mark was approached by Sylwia with a unique meat snack, they got to work at making the product great, and turning it into a thriving business that brings in tens of millions of dollars each year. Hear how Mark's prior work experience at Costco, as well as his prior entrepreneurial experience, gave rise to the opportunity, and how the carnivore diet craze fueled the early success of the company.

More than that, this is a story of overcoming obstacles, learning to scale, brand evolution, and growing beyond carnivore diet enthusiasts. Whether you love meat, or you're a new entrepreneur looking for wisdom, or you're an aspiring entrepreneur looking for inspiration, you're sure to find what you need in this interview!

Show Highlights:
1- How working at Costco ultimately led to Carnivore Snax, including other businesses Mark created along the way. (6:45)
2- How Mark went about networking to further his business. (10:00)
3- Where did the idea for Carnivore Snax originate? (13:00)
4- Mark explains what exactly the product is. (16:55)
5- We talk about the carnivore diet, and their ideal customer in the early days. (18:20)
6- How did you secure relationships with farmers across the country to source your products? (23:35)
7- Learning how different animals on different diets from different states impact the finished product. (29:00)
8- The issues the team encountered in building the business, including the details of their first Kickstarter campaign. (30:55)
9- The process of finding a manufacturing facility when the amount of orders became too much for one person to handle, including how they raised cash to handle a 5-month shutdown as they transitioned to a new facility. (35:25)
10- Hitting 50+ employees and tackling HR, employee benefits, etc. (38:30)
11- Without a lot of capital to get started, what were the priorities for where to spend money in the early days? (40:00)
12- What is your customer base / how is business going today? (43:00)
13- Mark explains his lack of interest in going retail. (45:15 & 49:15)
14- Mark discusses the membership model and offering 5% cash back to members. (46:35)
15- What are your aspirations for the company from here? (51:30)
16- How much does a bag cost, and where can we find your product and learn more? (52:45)
17- Listener question: What is your advice to someone who wants to go to market with a food product but is afraid to navigate the laws of selling food? (53:55)

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