In this episode, Jon LaClare sits down with Anderson Schoenrock, founder of Memory Ventures, whose entrepreneurial journey took him from investment banking at Lehman Brothers to nearly two decades of building, buying, and growing ecommerce businesses. Anderson shares how a simple customer problem sparked his first business, Scan Digital, and how that company expanded into printing, Amazon sales, and third-party fulfillment. He explains why moving his business from California

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with David Hewlett, CEO of SmartLabels, to explore why acquiring an existing business can sometimes be a faster, less risky path to success than starting one from scratch. After launching several businesses of his own, David realized how much time and money entrepreneurs can spend before discovering whether genuine product-market fit exists. That experience led him to acquire SmartLabels, a QR-code inventory

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with physician and Sirica Center founder Uli Chettipally to explore how his family’s personal experience with autism inspired a new approach to therapeutic support—and how authentic, mission-driven storytelling helped the center attract immediate interest. Uli’s daughter, Siri, was diagnosed with autism at three years old. As he studied which activities helped her remain regulated, focused, and engaged, he d

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Sylvia Ortiz, founder and CEO of MacroLife Naturals, to share how she transformed 250 bottles, 17 credit cards, and an unwavering belief in her product into a business that has generated millions of dollars in revenue. Sylvia’s entrepreneurial journey began during one of the most difficult periods of her life. After losing her mother and husband while facing a serious health crisis within her family, sh

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Chris and Jason Abboud, co-founders of Pressure on Wounds, to discuss how they developed an entirely new approach to bleeding control—and what it took to bring their patented invention to market. The idea began when a dialysis nurse described having to manually apply pressure to patients’ wounds for at least 15 minutes after treatment. Because these patients are often older, have sensitive skin, and tak

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Carina Hamel, co-founder of Bivo, to reveal how the company transformed a familiar plastic cycling bottle into an innovative stainless steel product—and built a rapidly growing brand around it. Carina shares how Bivo worked with a former NASA engineer to solve one of its biggest product-development challenges: creating a lightweight metal bottle that delivers water quickly without being squeezed. The re

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Robert Strong, co-founder and Head Saucier of Pretty Thai, to uncover how a food truck recipe grew into a successful sauce brand selling more than 5,000 bottles per month on Amazon. Robert shares how Pretty Thai began as an Austin food truck called Pretty Thai for a White Guy, where an unexpected request from a late-night customer inspired Thai nachos that eventually appeared on national television. Mor

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Adria Marshall, founder of Ecoslay, to reveal how an unexpected product idea grew into a multimillion-dollar haircare brand without sacrificing quality, sustainability, or its handmade roots. Ecoslay began when Adria, a software engineer struggling to find the right products for her curly hair, started experimenting with natural ingredients from her local farmers market. After she sent her handmade flax

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Steve Anderson, president of Anderson’s Maple Syrup, to explore how his family transformed a small farming operation into a nationally distributed brand available in nearly 18,000 retail locations. Founded in 1928, Anderson’s Maple Syrup has remained a family-run business for nearly a century. Steve shares how the company expanded from delivering syrup to local stores in a van to working with major reta

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Joan MacIsaac, founder of Effie’s Homemade, to reveal how strategic product sampling, customer feedback, and steady retail expansion helped grow the brand from just 13 stores to more than 5,000 locations. Joan shares how her mother’s traditional Nova Scotia oatcake recipe became the foundation of a nationally distributed food brand. She explains why Effie’s focused on building a distinct product niche,

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Angelica Ford, founder of Fueled by AF, to explore how she transformed homemade protein snacks into a growing food brand with a mission extending far beyond the products themselves. Angelica began making high-protein, low-sugar snacks while training for an Ironman. She combined that passion with her experience as an adaptive personal trainer to create Chicago’s first adaptive manufacturing plant, provid

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Jonathan Packer, co-founder of GOAT Foods—the parent company behind Licorice.com, Pretzels.com, Caramels.com, Chocolate.com, Cashews.com, and other category-defining food brands. Jonathan explains how GOAT Foods turned simple, memorable domain names into powerful brands that instantly communicate what they sell. He shares why customers should understand your product within the first three seconds, how a

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Matt Olen of Grip Spritz to reveal how a struggling product found new life through a smarter target market, relentless content creation, and strategic Amazon optimization. Grip Spritz originally served the golf industry, but the team recognized that the product could solve a much more urgent problem for basketball players: slippery shoes and dusty courts. Matt explains how they repositioned the product

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Victoria Eicher, co-founder and CEO of WeFoods, to explore how product founders can uncover overlooked sales channels, build strong customer relationships, and compete against much larger companies. Victoria shares the story behind Bagelitos, a handheld breakfast product that combines the chewy texture of a bagel with the convenient shape of an empanada. Rather than immediately competing for space in cr

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Jason Carman of Pop Darts and Pretty Dope Games to explore how an entertaining product became a viral social media success—and eventually a nationally televised sport on ESPN. Jason shares the marketing lessons Pop Darts learned through years of testing hundreds of videos, live streams, sales channels, and promotional opportunities. He explains why brands must capture attention within the first few seco

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Chris Salerno, founder and CEO of QC Capital Group, to explore how strategic marketing can help businesses attract investors, raise capital, and build stronger portfolio companies. Chris shares how his fascination with business growth and consumer psychology led him from the real estate industry to founding a private equity company focused on businesses that support people’s essential daily needs. He ex

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Jeff Mroz of Pioneer Pastures to explore how a truly differentiated product can drive growth across Amazon, Target, Sprouts, and beyond. Jeff shares the story behind Pioneer Pastures’ ultrafiltered A2 dairy products and explains why the brand focuses so heavily on gut health, clean ingredients, and products that people can actually feel good drinking. From higher-protein milk to shelf-stable protein sha

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Allie Egan, founder of Veracity, to discuss how she built a science-backed wellness brand by combining product innovation, expert-led marketing, and a deep understanding of the consumer health space. Allie shares how her background in finance, product marketing, eCommerce, and consumer brands helped shape her approach to entrepreneurship. From early experience with companies like Glossier and Estée Laud

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Jim Pathman of Three Lollies, the company behind Preggie Drops and Queasy Drops, to talk about the real-world lessons that come from building a product brand over more than 20 years. Jim shares how the business started as a passion project rooted in helping people, then grew into a nationally recognized brand available through major retailers like Walmart, H-E-B, Meijer, and Amazon. Along the way, he le

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Paul O’Brien, co-founder of AirPhysio, to break down how a respiratory health product grew from a competitive medical device category into a global brand sold in 118 countries. Paul shares how AirPhysio approached product development by studying competitors, identifying gaps, working with medical professionals, and prioritizing safety, testing, and education. He explains why cheaper alternatives can cre