1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: You're listening to Math and Magic, a production I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: To stand in a store at a Whole Foods and 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: do a demo in the freezer aisle, and to have 4 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: people walk right past you and not even want to 5 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: stop and try it. And you're standing there so eager 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: with your cute little T shirt on, and you're like, 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: smile pictures on the back of the box. For two 8 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: and a half years. You've been working on that, and 9 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: they don't want to try it. This is everything. I've 10 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: risked everything for this, and then you realize I gotta 11 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: change it all. I am Bob Pittman. Welcome to this 12 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: episode of Math and Magic Stories from the Frontiers and Marketing, 13 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: where we dig into the stories of the people who 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: create marketing and business successes through that special blend of 15 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: analytics and creativity. Today, our guest is one of those 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: folks actually try in both art and business, the creator 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: and founder of the number one organic baby food company 18 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: in the world, which you might know as Happy Baby. 19 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: Chassi Vishram Chausi was born in Canada, grew up in 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: her parents motel and Alabama. The family had two adjoining 21 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: rooms one and she got a great education as a kid, 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 1: went onto the Ivy League, studied art and history at Columbia, 23 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: and later came back for an NBA. At first, it 24 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: looked like she might go the math route through media buying, 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: first at the media buying Powerhouse Horizon Media, and then 26 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: her own shop, but she found her calling in healthy 27 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: organic baby food, eventually creating the leader in the category, 28 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: but not without a lot of twists, turns and pivots. 29 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: She's won numerous well deserved awards, and by some strange 30 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: twist of fate, she's actually a childhood friend of our producer, 31 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: Mangesh Chasi, also happens to be a great storyteller. We'll 32 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: get ready for some good tales and useful insights. Welcome, Chassi, 33 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. We're going to 34 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: dig into all these stories, but first I want to 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: do you in sixty seconds. Okay, are you ready? Do 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: you prefer phone call or text? Text? Cats or dogs, 37 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: Cats and Dugs? Birmingham or Toronto, Birmingham to Ham, New 38 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: York or Connecticut? New York? Copper Cone Cone yoga or running, 39 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: running room or roun? What's your favorite city? Prague, secret talent, 40 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: my memory, greatest motivator, my kids, smartest person you know? 41 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 1: My dad, childhood hero, my dad, historical idol Muhammad Ali 42 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: quote to live by never give up. What book are 43 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: you reading right now? I am not reading a book. 44 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: Favorite of vacation always Jamaica. Favorite happy baby product, spinish 45 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: mango peer. What did you want to be when you 46 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: were growing up? A neuroscientist? If you could have one superpower, 47 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: what would it be? I love to learn how to fly? 48 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: What topic can you talk about forever? Children's health? What 49 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: was your first job? Popcorn and girl at the movie 50 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: theater in Birmingham Get free popcorn? Too much? Okay, let's 51 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: jump into the real stuff. Usually we start with a 52 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: business story, but your childhood is so fascinating I'd like 53 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: to start there, if you don't mind. I can't imagine 54 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,839 Speaker 1: a more inspiring immigrant story than what we're getting ready 55 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: to talk about. Your dad grew up in Tanzania, moved 56 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: to Pakistan, marriage your mom, who was a doctor there, 57 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: and then moved to England and then on to Toronto 58 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: where you were born. What was their dream? What were 59 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: they chasing? They were chasing the idea of pure freedom 60 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: and true opportunity. And I think they were thinking always, always, 61 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: always about how do we do better so that our 62 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: kids can have a better life than us. They both 63 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:03,880 Speaker 1: grew up with dirt floor. The motivation was almost inborn. 64 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: If you live with the dirt floor und your feet 65 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: and you've ever seen a place that doesn't have a 66 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: dirt floor, you know there's something better, you know, And 67 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: I think that's what it was. So they moved to London, Toronto. 68 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: It's interesting that your mom was a doctor in Pakistan, right, 69 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: So she was basically a doctor Pakistan, as you know, 70 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: is a Muslim. She's a family of ten brothers and sisters. 71 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: She was quote unquote just a girl. Every year when 72 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: she was in high school, they would say, we probably 73 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: don't have enough money to send you to school. This year, 74 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: only the boys would get to go. The last year, 75 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: when she was about to graduate, they said, I'm sorry, 76 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: we don't have the money. My grandfather sold rugs on 77 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: his back. That's how they lived hand to mouth. And 78 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: she got a scholarship at this St. Mary's School and Pakistan, 79 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: and the deal was they would pay for her to 80 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: finish school, go to college and to start as a nurse, 81 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: and then after that she would have to do two 82 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: years of service as a nurse in a village of 83 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: their choice, and they put her in this small village 84 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: in Pakistan and she worked in this clinic. There's something 85 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: about her which is unique. She had these like healing hands. 86 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: Everybody in the town would come to the clinic and 87 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: only ask for her. After her two years was up, 88 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: she said, let me start my own, so she started 89 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: her own clinic. She was one of the first women 90 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: in all of Pakistan to have her own medical practice. 91 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: Everybody flocked to it because she had a reputation of 92 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: having these sort of healing hands. The first time her 93 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: family had furniture in their home, it's because she bought 94 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 1: it for them. My mom and dad were arranged. They'd 95 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: never met each other. All of a sudden, her family 96 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: back in Hydrobad gets this letter from like a cousin 97 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,279 Speaker 1: who's looking for a match for this man who was 98 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: like forty and super charming and very handsome and hadn't 99 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: yet settled down. I think that family was my dad's 100 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: family and there in Tanzania. So they literally come to 101 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: Pakistan and they're thinking, Hey, we're gonna get this woman 102 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: to you know, cook and clean for my dad. And 103 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: I got my mom, which is funny oops, because she's 104 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: actually really terrible at cleaning. She's a really good cook, 105 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,239 Speaker 1: but I don't think she's ever actually washed a dish. 106 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: My dad did all of that ironically. But anyway, they 107 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: see each other and within ten days they were married. 108 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: My dad said, my brother has a little shop in 109 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: London and he needs my help, so we're going to London. 110 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 1: They packed all of her stuff and within like twelve 111 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 1: days she left all of that and moved to London 112 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: to basically when she got there, she didn't know, but 113 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: she was basically going to be a maid. That's the 114 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: beginning of her journey kind of in the West. And 115 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: then they made the move to Toronto. What was that about? 116 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 1: You know, I think everybody's dreams to move to America, 117 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: and Canada is kind of like almost America almost, And 118 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: my dad had a sister in Canada. They moved to 119 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: Toronto in seventy My brother was born in seventy three, 120 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: and I was born there in seventy six. Year of 121 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: the Dragon. My mom was thinking, I will find a 122 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: better job because part of why she didn't want to 123 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: be in London, and she's like being treated like a maid, 124 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: and she's so much more than that, so they moved 125 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: to Toronto. My mom looked for jobs in the medical 126 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: field and the only thing they said she was qualified 127 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: to do was basically be a nurse that would change 128 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: out bed pants, and she did that initially. You can 129 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: imagine like being transplanted from like a tropical climate to 130 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: London to then Toronto and like battling the snow and 131 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: commuting for three hours to clean dead pants for a 132 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: couple of dollars an hour. That's basically what her life became. 133 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: My dad got a job at IBM. He was really 134 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: really charming and super good looking and just had this 135 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: way about him. He was a kind of person like 136 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: at his funeral, I've met people who only met him 137 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: once and travel six or twelve hours to come to 138 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: his funeral to pay their respects. He was just that 139 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: kind of guy. He had this letter from this lady 140 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: who would come into the cash and carry shop in 141 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: London where they were living above and she wrote this 142 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: letter of recommendation for my dad. He used that to 143 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: get a part time job at IBM, working the docks 144 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: because he had no education. So the letter like literally said, 145 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: you know, his school burned down and there are no records. 146 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: It worked and he gets this job. And my dad 147 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: didn't even have a third grade education, but he has 148 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: a photographic memory that proved to be really helpful because 149 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: we had to like go find the boxes and then 150 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: go log into the computer and say where they are. 151 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: Because this is a massive warehouse. He always knew where 152 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: everything was. So the job evolved to become full time. 153 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: And meanwhile, my mom was so fed up cleaning bed 154 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: pants that she then started working on the line at IBM, 155 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: assembling motherboards, and they would meet for lunch in the cafeteria. 156 00:08:57,559 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: They did that for a few years, and they saved 157 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: up an money to buy a little store in Toronto. 158 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:03,959 Speaker 1: I don't know what it is, but this is like 159 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 1: part of my blood, like you don't work for someone 160 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: else all that time, they're biding time to get to 161 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: a point where they can be self sufficient. So they 162 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: bought this little store. And for some reason, my parents 163 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: just couldn't get over how much they loved Americans. Even 164 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: Canada wasn't America. Their dream was to move to America. 165 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: It took them from Toronto to Orlando. We drove down 166 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: and we met with this man. My brother and I 167 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: played in this playground in Orlando, and the man had 168 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 1: sold my parents this motel in Birmingham, Alabama. Fultondale, Alabama. 169 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 1: Town less people, yeah, very tiny. I think in those 170 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: towns you know everybody. And we were like the Indian 171 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,599 Speaker 1: family that lived in the motel. I mean, this is 172 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: a big jump. And they knew nothing about hotels, no, 173 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: nothing about Alabama, nothing about Birmingham, nothing about the history 174 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: of the South, and like nothing about it. I mean, 175 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: this is just like a giant leap faith. And by 176 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: the way, this must have been all the money they had. 177 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and they thought they were buying a franchised location. 178 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: What was the franchise. I think they thought they were 179 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: buying a Ramada in And they got there and literally 180 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: within the first week they came and took the sign down. 181 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: And then they had to make up a motel name. 182 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: And it was named my nickname from my brother is Heman. 183 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: His real name is Raheem, but when I was a baby, 184 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: I called him Heman, and so it was Hem and ink. 185 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: The hotel's name was hamman In and they made it 186 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: look like a Hampton. So if you think like royal 187 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,720 Speaker 1: blue and this sort of like gold border and the 188 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: same kind of shape. That was basically so they were 189 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: good marketers. You know, I hain't the picture of that time. 190 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: I mean, got these incredibly entrepreneurial, risk taking parents. They 191 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 1: come to this small Alabama town living in a motel, 192 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,199 Speaker 1: immigrants from another culture, another country. What did it feel 193 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: like at that moment? When you just say it, it 194 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: sounds sad and like, oh, you must have been so poor, 195 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: stuck in a tiny little room. But it really wasn't 196 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: like that. The South is actually really magical. As you know, 197 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 1: I love Birmingham. When you asked Birmingham versus Toronto, I mean, 198 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: hands down the ham Growing up was weird and fun 199 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,119 Speaker 1: and kind of quirky, and there were all these different characters. 200 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: If I were to make a movie of what it's 201 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: like to grow up in a motel, it would almost 202 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: be this funny, mystical comedy because it wasn't sad. Remember 203 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: I had this duck named Peeper. It was a baby duck, 204 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: and I convinced my parents to let me keep this 205 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: baby duck. I didn't realize people was not going to 206 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 1: stay like yellow and fuzzy. There was one day the 207 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:48,959 Speaker 1: health inspector was literally inspecting the restaurant and people walked 208 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: into the restaurant while the health inspector was there so 209 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: you could Eventually, we failed, and my mom and dad 210 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: were so sad about it. But if you think about 211 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,200 Speaker 1: it's like hilarious. On the one hand, it was a 212 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: unique and different experience than my peers were having. But 213 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: on the other hand, I almost felt like I got 214 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: to see the world in a different way. How did 215 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: it shape you? You've been very successful in business, also 216 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: very entrepreneurial. How does that relate to that childhood? Dealing 217 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: with unique challenges almost on a daily basis, and seeing 218 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: your parents at the dinner table, whatever conversation you're having 219 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: was always about business, and it was always about a 220 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: problem and then finding a solution. That was something that 221 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: has become part of my DNA. I have a really 222 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: hard time being around something that's broken because I want 223 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: to fix it. You go from small town Alabama to 224 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,880 Speaker 1: Columbia University Ivy League, New York City. That looks like 225 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: a really big jump. What was behind that and how 226 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: did that jump feel? The number one goal was to 227 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: be in New York City, and that meant I had 228 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: to go to the school that was the best in 229 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: New York City to justify that to my parents, you know, 230 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: when you're talking me about dirt floor immigrants. But still 231 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: Harvard is like the goal. And so I had to 232 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: be in New York and then I had to go 233 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: to Columbia because that meant that I was at an 234 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: Ivy League school and then they would be proud. So 235 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: you grew up with very determined, smart, hardworking, entrepreneurial parents 236 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: and you decide to study art. What did your parents 237 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: feel about that and why that choice? In high school, 238 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: I was a painter. I always thought that business robbed 239 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: me from a life of deep interaction and connection with 240 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: my family. And I was a little bit resentful of 241 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: it because it was the focus, not me, not my brother. 242 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: I didn't want to follow in their footsteps. I wanted 243 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 1: to be expressive and creative. I wanted to do something meaningful, 244 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: and to me, that was going to be painting pictures. 245 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: Did you live the life of an artist after college 246 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 1: for a little bit, until I realized that that wasn't 247 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,200 Speaker 1: why they went through all that. Let's just be honest. 248 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: I'm not like a Picasso or even close. I was okay, 249 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: good idea is not great at the execution Ultimately, I 250 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: realized that I could do more for the world if 251 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: I jumped into a place where I could help people. 252 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: So in after college, you joined our friend Bill Kohningsberg's 253 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,960 Speaker 1: Horizon Media as the first person in digital media. Then 254 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: you're off the Glimmer Media, this time in content creation sales, 255 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: and then you start your own media buying firm, Maven Marketing, 256 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: all before returning to Columbia in two thousand two to 257 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: get your m b A. Y the n b A. 258 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: It was a journey. So before Horizon, I was actually 259 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: at a nonprofit teaching kids and teachers how to use 260 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: the Internet because at that time there was very little 261 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: knowledge or access if you can imagine what that was like. 262 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: But seeing kids experience for the first time was really special. 263 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: That's what led me to Horizon as I was working 264 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: a nonprofit for a few dollars an hour I think twelve, 265 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: and the Horizon was an opportunity to say, you know what, 266 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: I'm kind of smarter than this. I don't see myself 267 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: being a meaningful contribute or in a nonprofit. I was 268 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: twenty two, but I'm thinking I should lead this thing. 269 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: I get this opportunity to basically start the interactive division 270 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: at this very well known media buying agency. I jumped 271 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: on it and it was exciting because it was bringing 272 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 1: this whole world of this new media to a whole 273 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: group of advertisers who didn't know how to use the medium, 274 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 1: and that was really cool. And I did that for 275 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: a little while, and then I kind of realized why 276 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: I don't really love some of the work the product. 277 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: Where do you take the value of the work that 278 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: you've done, who gets to benefit from it? And does 279 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: it match your set of values? And ultimately I felt like, 280 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 1: let me go and try to do this on my 281 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 1: own and see if I could market other people's products, 282 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: but I was the one that was the beneficiary of 283 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: heading my own shop. And then that was like, whoa 284 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: wait a second, Hey, Chassy, you can do this and 285 00:15:57,520 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: you can make money doing it, but do you feel 286 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: like super excited about selling subscriptions and creating cost per 287 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: acquisition models? And so, to answer your question in a 288 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: long winded way, I went to Columbia to get my 289 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: m b A because I needed tools in my toolbox 290 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: to take the desire to do something meaningful for myself 291 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: and to go big with it and not be a 292 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: mom and pop operation like I saw my parents struggle 293 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: with for so long. Just hold on a second, because 294 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: we've got so much more to talk about. We'll be 295 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: back after a quick break. Welcome back to math and Magic. 296 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: Now let's get back to my conversation with Shausi Vitram. 297 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: Let's jump to the big story. Let's come to Happy Baby, which, 298 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: by the way, I have to disclose I was one 299 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 1: of your investors, so I was also an outside observer 300 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: of your journey building that amazing business. As I understand 301 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: that it was a mom guilt conversation that gave you 302 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: the initial idea. It was catching up with a friend 303 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: who had two ends and she just was berating herself 304 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,280 Speaker 1: the entire time about not being good enough. One of 305 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:07,959 Speaker 1: the things she mentioned was how she wasn't making all 306 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: of their food fresh from all the produce at the 307 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: farmer's market, and that's like how she always imagined she 308 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: would be as a mom. I said, wait a second, 309 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:19,200 Speaker 1: you mean there's nothing fresh to feed your baby that's 310 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,800 Speaker 1: already made, and she said, no, there's these jars baby 311 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: food and they're really gross and I feel guilty every 312 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: time I open one, but that's what we do. And 313 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: It kind of just dawned on me. Our bodies have 314 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: the ability to heal themselves, but we put in things 315 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: like processed foods and medications and antibiotics and so many 316 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: other things that get in the way of our ability 317 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 1: to heal. And I thought, that's crazy. We're starting babies 318 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: off with uber processed food and we don't scratch our 319 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: head and wonder why literally of children develop adult onset 320 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,640 Speaker 1: diabetes if they eat the standard American diet, And why 321 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: sixtent of toddlers were obese and children were obese, not overweight, 322 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: but obese kids as young at twelve, we're getting put 323 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: on lipator for life rather than being counseled to work 324 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: on diet and exercise. I just saw it all in 325 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: that one moment. Well, it starts in the beginning. What 326 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,439 Speaker 1: if we could change the very first few bites, What 327 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 1: if we could change the very initial experience of food 328 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: and health? Couldn't make a difference, and could I do 329 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 1: it better than what there was? So that was the idea, 330 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: was that who helped you start it? Inside and outside? 331 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: So many people. For almost two years I worked on 332 00:18:34,359 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: the business plan. My mentor at Columbia, Cliff Shore who's 333 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: still a best friend of mine today. He's an advisor 334 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: in my next company, Healthy Nest. He is just one 335 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: of those people that helps you chart away forward. He 336 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,240 Speaker 1: taught a program called the Greenhouse, which is actually how 337 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: I became connected to you. And the Greenhouse is like 338 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: an incubator for students at the school, and Cliff really 339 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: helped me with the business plan and all the ideas 340 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 1: and access to people who could pave the way. I've 341 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: basically left Columbia with a business plan but no funding. 342 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: I started talking to the investment community. I didn't have 343 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: any stripes. I was just this unknown girl without a 344 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,199 Speaker 1: rich uncle, using the network as best I could to 345 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: be introduced to people like Andy, who then introduced me 346 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: to someone like you. And I remember, Actually I don't 347 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:31,679 Speaker 1: know you remember, but can I say the amount that 348 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: you invested Pilot. You invested three and I'm pretty sure 349 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,159 Speaker 1: at one point I gave you a check back for 350 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: like ten or twelve million dollars at the end of it. 351 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: Sometimes things take a while, and you were very patient 352 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: and it worked out. Thank you for your support. But Andy, 353 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: who was on your team, said well, we want to 354 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: do this, we want to invest Bob just hasn't given 355 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: the final green light. He needs to see everything. I 356 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 1: need to sit down with him. And I'm like, well, 357 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: when are you going to sit down with him? And 358 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: he's like, well, he's going to be in the office tomorrow. 359 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to do it. And so I think 360 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,199 Speaker 1: I showed up at like nine o'clock. I asked, your 361 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 1: assistant is Bobb and yet and this is like in 362 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: the old days. I don't think I would ever do 363 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: this now, and she's like, no, you know, he's going 364 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: to be gone most of the day. He's coming later, 365 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: and I don't know that he has time on his 366 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,400 Speaker 1: schedule to meet. And I was like, it's okay, I'll 367 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 1: just wait. I don't know if you remember, but I 368 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,520 Speaker 1: sat there for like six hours. I probably didn't know 369 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: you sat there for six hours. Well I did, and 370 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: I'm glad I did. You finally come in and Andy 371 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:34,439 Speaker 1: knew I was there, and he sat you down and 372 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: he met and then afterwards you gave us the green light. 373 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 1: It was such a pivotal moment. We were literally on 374 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: the verge of running out of money, and so that 375 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: bought me like six months. Let's talk about money. Very 376 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: early on you rejected a big investment from a venture 377 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: capital group. Why did you do that? Money was tight? 378 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:58,719 Speaker 1: What's the lesson in that? The lesson is go with 379 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 1: your gut and the easy way is not always the 380 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: best way. I had gotten this interest from this group. 381 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: They were very well funded. They wined and dined me, 382 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: and I was naive and totally broke. And you know 383 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: what it feels like when you're broken. You're scared. Everything 384 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: I would buy, like groceries or anything, was on an 385 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: American Express that I wouldn't have money to pay for 386 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: it later. And I was thinking, we'll figure it out 387 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: by the end of the month. It was like living 388 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: that way, and so all of a sudden I had 389 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: this offer for five thousand dollars as the seed investor. 390 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: I was so excited about it. Basically on a handshake, 391 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 1: I said yes. But then when I actually saw the 392 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: terms from the get go to lose control of the 393 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,160 Speaker 1: vision and the mission, which, as you and I know, 394 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: the mission never changed and the vision never changed, but 395 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,639 Speaker 1: the path to get their changes so much. You have 396 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:50,840 Speaker 1: to be adaptable. You have to be ready to pivot 397 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: at any moment. If you don't have somebody behind you 398 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: that sees that. Or if you're not in the driver's 399 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 1: seat and you can just make the turns as you 400 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: choose to see the force and react, then you're hamstrong 401 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: and you can't do it by committee. No people in 402 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: an organization today think that all decisions need to be 403 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: made by committee. Ultimately, this is not a democracy. I 404 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: have a vision and we have a mission. I have 405 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: to be the captain right now. You guys have to 406 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: trust me, and usually you have the right team. Everyone does. 407 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 1: We all trust. I had to walk away from that 408 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: because it wasn't right. Even though it was so desperate, 409 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: it was really hard to walk away from. In retrospect, 410 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: that was the best thing that could have ever happened. 411 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,880 Speaker 1: So let's talk about product. You don't know anything about food, 412 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: nothing about baby food. You've got an idea. Talk about 413 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: how you take that idea the intangible and turn into 414 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: the tangible. How did you find out how to make 415 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: the food, where to make the food, how to package it, 416 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:51,959 Speaker 1: how you sell stuff in the food business. Did you 417 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: have all that when you were at Columbia and did 418 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: that as part of the business plan? Where did that 419 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: come from? Hands on? After you had really committed to 420 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: this idea. I think it was both. When you're doing 421 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: a business plan, you're basically making up how you hope 422 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: things will be and what you think things will look 423 00:23:09,119 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: like based on kind of BS projections in a way 424 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 1: because nobody knows. But at the same token, you can 425 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: do enough research to put together a decent plan and 426 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: then go live it and change it all the time. 427 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,040 Speaker 1: Part of the beginning was finding everyone in my life 428 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: that knew about food, knew about production, knew about all 429 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,480 Speaker 1: of the rigors of quality control that one would need 430 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: to know about to have a microbiologist as an advisor, 431 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: to have an entrepreneur like Seth Goldman from Honest Ty 432 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: as an advisor. I found a really good partner and 433 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: a woman named Jessica Rolf who became my CEO and 434 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: was a wonderful partner who really dedicated herself to understanding 435 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: QA and production of food. Along the way, I've just 436 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: learned so much, But at the same token, I still 437 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 1: would say I know very little about any one thing 438 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 1: because there's such a specialty in each category, and it's 439 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: about assembling all the smartest people in the world around 440 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:10,680 Speaker 1: the areas where you need help to get their expertise 441 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: and to put it into developing something you're really proud 442 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: of and feel good about and you know, want to 443 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: scream from the mountain tops. And that's where I think 444 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: my ability comes in. I love to develop something, make 445 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: something tangible, and because I know it's so good, I 446 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,159 Speaker 1: like to talk about it and share it, because I 447 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,359 Speaker 1: don't think that's marketing. I think that's giving a gift 448 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: to someone who needs it. You start out as frozen 449 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 1: baby food, you get going, you get distribution, you get 450 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: in Whole Food, you get in babies or us, and 451 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:43,520 Speaker 1: then you realize it's not going to get you there. 452 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,199 Speaker 1: How did you come to that conclusion? How did you 453 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: realize it? And how did you admit to yourself that 454 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: you weren't hitting the goal? Two and a half years 455 00:24:54,359 --> 00:24:58,920 Speaker 1: in against this business plan, we're making frozen baby food 456 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: and this little ice c trays and they're beautiful. The 457 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: food tasted amazing, like this palette of all these beautiful colors. 458 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 1: The peas were so green, and the carrots were just 459 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: like neon orange, and it was just so fresh and alive. 460 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 1: It was like literally art, you know, to stand in 461 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 1: a store at a Whole Foods and do a demo 462 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: in the freezer aisle, and they have people walk right 463 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: past you and not even want to stop and try it. 464 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: And you're standing there so eager with your cute little 465 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,600 Speaker 1: T shirt on, and you're like, smile pictures on the 466 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: back of the box. For two and a half years, 467 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: You've been working on that, and they don't want to 468 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,200 Speaker 1: try it. And then you realize, okay, wait a second, 469 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: am I talking to the wrong people. You're just standing 470 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: there waiting for a mom to come in with a baby. 471 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,080 Speaker 1: She would be like, but where where would I find? 472 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: You know, I never come down this aisle. I only 473 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: stopped because you were here, and sudden realizing, wow, we 474 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: have to create a whole new category of grocery called 475 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,199 Speaker 1: frozen baby food. That's an uphill battle. All all the 476 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:01,840 Speaker 1: moms who are walking into the store of the baby 477 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:04,400 Speaker 1: right now are going straight to the baby food aisle. 478 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: I mean it took me two or three demos. I 479 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: mean really literally, after two and a half years, there's 480 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: like two weeks of a few data points, just real 481 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 1: experiences that I didn't want to admit to myself because 482 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: you're kind of in denial. You're thinking, oh, this is 483 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:24,200 Speaker 1: just a one off. So committed. This is everything. I've 484 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 1: risked everything for this, and then you realize, I gotta 485 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,199 Speaker 1: change it all. We gotta change it all, but you 486 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:34,399 Speaker 1: can't change it all. Drop the Happy Baby Frozen line. 487 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: It's what everyone's invested in, it's what you invested in. Meanwhile, 488 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: I'm thinking, we gotta get in the baby food aisle 489 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,959 Speaker 1: stat We've got to create something enlightened and differentiated and 490 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: meaningful that still matches the mission to create sustainable, organic 491 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 1: options for everybody and to have babies start from day 492 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: one of eating with the healthiest start in life. A 493 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 1: very first product that met those high standards was there, 494 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: Happy Bellies Baby cereal with probiotics and got you what 495 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: two or three times the sales of the two years 496 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:12,200 Speaker 1: of the frozen Yeah, so we went from one sixteen 497 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: to five twenty and then five to two point one, 498 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,679 Speaker 1: and between five twenty and two point one was the cereal. 499 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: So then you jumped to the one that I think 500 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: people really go, wow, this was genius. Your plastic squeeze 501 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:29,119 Speaker 1: pouches a purade baby food. That was really the game changer, 502 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 1: wasn't it? One thousand percent? And where did that idea 503 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: come from? That clearly wasn't in your business plan back 504 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 1: at Columbia. No. What was in the business plan was 505 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: to create an alternative to the jar of baby food. 506 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: And the original idea for that alternative was frozen. And 507 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: what I realized is frozen is not the alternative to 508 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 1: the jar. We created all these other wonderful products, but 509 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 1: we still had yet to find the alternative to the jar, 510 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,080 Speaker 1: and that pouch was the alternative to the jar. In 511 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: a heartbeat, the world changed back then. If you walk 512 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: down the baby food aisle, there's always one or two 513 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 1: broken glass jars of baby food. And it was nine 514 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: nine jars of baby food and that's it. And now 515 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: walk down a baby food aisle, it is a sea 516 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: of pouches. We're not the only ones by far, but 517 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: we were one of the very first. And the first 518 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: pouch I ever saw was in Australia. There was one 519 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: apple sauce and I thought, this is it. This is 520 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: the alternative to the jar. We came home and started 521 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 1: working on it right away. By the way, your sales 522 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: then took another multiple jump based on this. But every 523 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: great business usually has some external X factor, that unexpected 524 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: catalyst for growth. America Online in the nineteen nineties. It 525 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: was Nora Efron's movie You've Got Mail. At MTV. It 526 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: was Michael Jackson's thriller for You. It was an American 527 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: Express commercial tell us the story two thousand nine, I'm pregnant. 528 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: We just launched our pouches. One sent me a link 529 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 1: to a competition called Shina Light, which was to shine 530 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: a light on what would be America's most inspiring business 531 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: and I thought, you know what the hell? The application 532 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: had how do you help the community, how are you 533 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 1: a force for good? A number of things that I 534 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: felt like we really lived up to, so it wasn't 535 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: hard to fill out the application. Then we had to 536 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 1: get fifty people to endorse it very quickly, which we did, 537 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: and it's literally due at midnight, right almost at the 538 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 1: stroke of midnight. I had sent on this thing I 539 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: had sent and I forgot about it. And a few 540 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,240 Speaker 1: weeks later, I'm in California. I'm getting ready to come 541 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: to Boston to do a big trade show in the 542 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: food world called Expo East, and I get a call 543 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,680 Speaker 1: from somebody at NBC Universal. I think she set. Out 544 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: of more than entries, you've been selected as one of 545 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: the top three most inspiring businesses in the country. Where 546 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: are you tomorrow because we need to film a commercial 547 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: that needs to air next week. And I said, well, 548 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:59,080 Speaker 1: I'm in Boston tomorrow, I'm in California right now, I'm pregnant. 549 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: Let's do it, and so we filmed this commercial. Had 550 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: a little health food store in Boston. So I walked 551 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: past this cool mural that says eat local, and I 552 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: go into the store and really like bright and excited, 553 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: talking about how proud I am of our products, standing 554 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 1: in front of the produce aisle. It was what I 555 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: thought was going to be the biggest moment of our 556 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:21,480 Speaker 1: entire life. And then we lost the competition, so we 557 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: came in second, which was okay, but they played that 558 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,200 Speaker 1: commercial before the office. They played it on TV so much. 559 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 1: Nine months later, I get another call and it's from 560 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,360 Speaker 1: someone at amm X and they say, we saw your 561 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: shine a Light commercial and we're doing a new campaign 562 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: called Business is Booming, and we want to show people 563 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: how important small businesses in America. We like to highlight 564 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: your story with an online video. Can we come film 565 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: me for a few days? Yeah, of course, I just 566 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: had a baby. Let's make it happen. And this time 567 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 1: we were able to really showcase the story of Happy Baby. 568 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: We're in New York, our office. We had this little 569 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: baby food truck that we drive around the city. We 570 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 1: parked it in front of the Natural History Museum. They 571 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: filmed this spot and I didn't get to see it. 572 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: I thought we would talk about how we would roll 573 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,000 Speaker 1: it out online. And then a couple of months later, 574 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: I took my parents to Africa, and I wanted my 575 00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: dad to see what life was like in Africa without 576 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: dirt floors, because I was winning an award in Cape Town, 577 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: and so I take my mom and dad and my 578 00:31:26,080 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 1: husband and my little baby son to Africa. We go 579 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: to Cape Town and we stay in these beautiful places, 580 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: and then we went on this incredible safari and my 581 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: dad had a heart attack in the middle of the bush. 582 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,680 Speaker 1: And um, we didn't know he had a heart attack. 583 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 1: We just thought he was really sick. We were on 584 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: a plane from Johannesburg back to New York, but it 585 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: stopped in Abu Dhabi and on the plane he almost died. 586 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: So they wheeled him off in a gurney and we 587 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 1: went straight to a hospital. They were using the you know, yeah, 588 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,040 Speaker 1: the defibrillator to bring him back to life. And by 589 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:08,520 Speaker 1: the way, he made it great news. Yeah, yeah, he 590 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,479 Speaker 1: made it. So they saved his life. And we were 591 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: stuck there for like three weeks. Months before we left, 592 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 1: we had started the process of realizing the pouches are 593 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: taking off. We need to raise a big round. This 594 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 1: is not something I can do with individual investors. And 595 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: I started talking to a number of different funds that 596 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: was only going to be gone for eight or ten 597 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: days and end up being on for almost four weeks. 598 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: And while I'm in Abu Dhabi, the first few pouches 599 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 1: rolled into Target on shelf. Within the first two weeks, 600 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: they were in the top items in all of Baby 601 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: in all of Target. In two weeks, it was like 602 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: unheard of. People were buying them like crazy. I'm thinking, 603 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,480 Speaker 1: oh my god, we need money so badly. We're about 604 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 1: to drown, drowned in demand. Because we had to prepay 605 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,600 Speaker 1: for everything. We had nothing. And I'm like in Abu 606 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: Dhabi in this hotel near a hospital with a baby boy, 607 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: and I was worried about my dad, and I was 608 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,000 Speaker 1: worried about the business. And then I get an email 609 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: from American Express saying the video we shot is actually 610 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: not for online. Your story has turned out so well. 611 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: We're going to put about fifty million dollars behind this commercial. 612 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 1: They sent a clip of what it looked like, and 613 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,760 Speaker 1: I sent it to all of you guys. I think 614 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: we raised I want to say it was eight million dollars. 615 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: In like two or three weeks, American Express ended up 616 00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: coming through and that was like the equivalent of what 617 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:38,280 Speaker 1: I would consider an Oprah moment. So piece after piece 618 00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: fell in place, after some big worries and pivots in 619 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: the beginning, and in two thousand thirteen you sold of 620 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: the company. Why did you come to that decision, Well, 621 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: a curveball was thrown my way. In April of two 622 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: thousand twelve, my son, Saying was diagnosed with not to 623 00:33:56,760 --> 00:34:00,280 Speaker 1: sum this is a baby boy. He was right there 624 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: with you, super connected. Go watch the commercial. He's in it, 625 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden started losing milestones and 626 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: losing the ability to communicate and just went into this 627 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: little bubble. It's not like he was born this way. 628 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,839 Speaker 1: I knew him, and I knew something was going on, 629 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: and I couldn't find the answers, and I was terrified. 630 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,080 Speaker 1: I was also terrified that this business that had really 631 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,799 Speaker 1: become something big, we still didn't have any money. If 632 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: you ask me what my bank balance was, it might 633 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: have been like fourteen thousand dollars, and I would have 634 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: been happy that I had that much money in the bank, 635 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 1: because it used to be like seven dollars. I literally 636 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,319 Speaker 1: spent my life savings on that trip to Africa. I 637 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:45,400 Speaker 1: sold the business because I thought that I needed to 638 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:50,800 Speaker 1: have access to capital to save my kid, and in 639 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:55,480 Speaker 1: so doing, irony is that I lost control of that baby. 640 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: But I had to do it for the all the 641 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 1: right reasons, the right reason. What you did well financially, 642 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: it was a great return for every investor, great return 643 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: for you. And and two thousand seventeen you stepped down 644 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:11,439 Speaker 1: a CEO. How was that feeling of stepping away from 645 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:15,120 Speaker 1: the company. I mean, it's bitter sweet. It was actually 646 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:18,840 Speaker 1: January of two thousand eighteen, and I left after we 647 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,800 Speaker 1: had the data that we were the number one organic 648 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,919 Speaker 1: baby food company in the country and that we were 649 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: the number two baby brand in the entire country. And 650 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,760 Speaker 1: in a way, that's a good time to walk away, 651 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: because at some point you want to keep learning and 652 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: challenging yourself too. I had bigger and more important things 653 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 1: to do. While I had focused for so many years 654 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: on taking chemicals and pesticides out of our children's body 655 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: and creating a brand that allowed everybody to have access, 656 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 1: my own personal experience showed me that I needed to 657 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: do more. And it started with my son. And then 658 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: I realized I had to do something else, like I 659 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,239 Speaker 1: had unfinished business. So while it was bitter sweet, it 660 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: was almost like seeing your child graduate from high school 661 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:11,960 Speaker 1: and kind of get accepted into Harvard and feel like 662 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: they were in a good place, and it doesn't have 663 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: to be Harvard, it could be anywhere they wanted to go. 664 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,480 Speaker 1: I felt like the business is in good hands. I've 665 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 1: done my duty and it's time to move on. It's 666 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:25,400 Speaker 1: always going to be my baby, and I'm always going 667 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: to be so proud of everything that we've done and accomplished. 668 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:30,880 Speaker 1: I'm still the chair mo home of the board, so 669 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:33,800 Speaker 1: I'm still connected to some degree. Let's do some advice. 670 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:36,759 Speaker 1: If you could give some advice to your eighteen year 671 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: old self, what would it be. The first thing I 672 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:44,320 Speaker 1: would say is you are so freaking resilient and smart 673 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 1: and strong that no matter what comes your way. You're 674 00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:51,839 Speaker 1: gonna figure it out, So stop second guessing yourself because 675 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,480 Speaker 1: it's a waste of time. Focus your time on making 676 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: things because you're good at it. So for people thinking 677 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:00,160 Speaker 1: about leaving the corporate world to start their own business us, 678 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: what insights or advice would you have for them? If 679 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 1: you're going to leave and it puts you at a 680 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:11,360 Speaker 1: financial risk where your risks, make sure that your assumptions 681 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: are tested. The biggest failure is the failure to try. 682 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: But that doesn't mean to do it without intelligence and 683 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: analytics and a lot of research before you make the 684 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: big jump. For people whose business is stalled like yours 685 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: was with the frozen baby food, what advice do you 686 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: have for them? My advice to anybody who's struggling is 687 00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,960 Speaker 1: to take a minute, try to distress so that your 688 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,319 Speaker 1: brain is working, because your brain works a lot better 689 00:37:40,360 --> 00:37:43,680 Speaker 1: when you're not operating out of fear, and call ten 690 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 1: of the smartest people you know and just have conversations. 691 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: Because when you care so much about something, if there 692 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: is a way to attack the challenge, I think you 693 00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:03,879 Speaker 1: will find a creative solution. Rooms to where you are 694 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: today and that incredible journey you've been on you ever 695 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: sit back and reflect and say, how on earth did 696 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 1: that happen? Every time I drive through the gate at 697 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: my house, I think I can't believe I live here. 698 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 1: I'm very grateful. I literally think that anything is possible 699 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: in this life. I think about my mom and dad. 700 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: I think about how nice it would be if my 701 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:31,680 Speaker 1: dad could see my house right now. We end each 702 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,320 Speaker 1: episode with a shout out. This is mathe and magic, 703 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:38,320 Speaker 1: after all, mathematicians and the magicians. Who's the person you 704 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: want to give the shout out to? Is the best 705 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 1: of those mathematicians, the person who sees the world through 706 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,799 Speaker 1: the numbers. I read a book called small Data. I 707 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:48,759 Speaker 1: would give a huge shout out to the author of 708 00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:54,560 Speaker 1: that book. It's about taking small insights and recognizing how 709 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 1: the world works, and then you can use big data 710 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:02,280 Speaker 1: to confirm those insights. Who the most creative the magician? 711 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:05,799 Speaker 1: I would say Malcolm Gladwell, one of the great chas. 712 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 1: This is an amazing story, amazing journey you've been on 713 00:39:09,680 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: and it's still going. Congratulations, thanks for sharing it with us. 714 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:16,200 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for having me. It's such an 715 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:18,759 Speaker 1: honor and so much fun to see you again after 716 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: all these years. Here are a few things I picked 717 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,960 Speaker 1: up in my conversation with Chazi. One, match your values 718 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,720 Speaker 1: to the value of your work. Jazi created a company 719 00:39:31,719 --> 00:39:34,839 Speaker 1: that matched her core beliefs. Not only was it fulfilling, 720 00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: it was a business success too. To trust your gut. 721 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:40,879 Speaker 1: When Chassi turned down an investment offer because the terms 722 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 1: didn't feel right, she kept control of her company and 723 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:47,680 Speaker 1: ultimately let it down a more profitable path. Three. Identify 724 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:51,279 Speaker 1: problems and find solutions. After many years of developing the 725 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:55,080 Speaker 1: idea for frozen baby food, Shazi learned very quickly through 726 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: live demos that she needed a different product to reach 727 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:06,319 Speaker 1: the right people. I'm Bob Pittman. Thanks for listening. That's 728 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:08,759 Speaker 1: it for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening to 729 00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: Math and Magic, a production of I Heart Radio. This 730 00:40:11,680 --> 00:40:14,640 Speaker 1: show is hosted by Bob Pittman. Special thanks to Sue 731 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 1: Schillinger for booking and wrangling our wonderful talent, which is 732 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,440 Speaker 1: no small feat Nikkiatore for pulling research bill plaques, and 733 00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:24,760 Speaker 1: Michael Asar for their recording help, our editor Ryan Murdoch, 734 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:28,480 Speaker 1: and of course Gayle Raoul, Eric Angel, Noel Mango and 735 00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 1: everyone who helped bring this show to your ears until 736 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 1: next time