In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Adam Tash, CEO of GT Water Products, to explore how he is modernizing a family business built on more than 50 years of product innovation. Adam shares the remarkable origin of the Drain King, which his father invented in 1970 using a bicycle tube, a curling iron, and a hose fitting after repeatedly dealing with a clogged drain. That simple solution grew into a successful American-made product line that

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Chris Bodnar, Managing Partner at Impact Advisors, to explain how eCommerce and consumer product business owners can prepare for a successful sale and maximize the value of everything they’ve built. Chris explains why exit planning should begin two to three years before a potential transaction. From reducing the company’s dependence on its founder to evaluating inventory, intellectual property, licensin

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Patrick Harriman and Lucrecia Jovel, co-founders of The Root Project, to explore how they applied years of big-brand beauty and agency experience to building a premium hair care startup with a lean team and a limited budget. Patrick and Lucrecia share how The Root Project simplifies complicated hair care routines through scalp-focused products designed to support the entire hair ecosystem from root to t

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Kim Castellano, founder of Fashion First Aid and Fun Delivery, to explore how she built two very different product brands—and adapted when a major sales channel failed. Kim began Fashion First Aid with a simple solution to a problem she faced herself: disposable underarm shields that helped protect her clothes. Nordstrom picked up the product, and she went on to develop more practical fashion accessorie

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Robert Watson, founder of Crown Quality Products, to share the story behind one of the most unique premium hair care brands in the market. Robert explains how his journey began with a simple but powerful product idea: a better hairbrush designed to solve a real grooming problem. After struggling to manufacture the product in America, he traveled to China, faced repeated rejection, and eventually found a

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Melissa Donohoe, founder of Send It Team, to break down the email marketing strategies that help direct-to-consumer brands convert more subscribers, build stronger customer relationships, and generate repeat sales. Melissa explains why an email list is one of the few marketing assets a brand truly owns—and why relying entirely on platforms like Amazon, Meta, or organic social can put growth at risk. She

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Tal Moore, founder and CEO of PopSmith, to break down how a premium stovetop popcorn brand went from a new product concept to a rapidly growing direct-to-consumer business approaching $9 million in annual revenue. Tal shares the behind-the-scenes story of developing PopSmith’s premium stovetop popcorn popper, including nearly three years of branding, engineering, product development, and testing before

What do you do when your product solves a real problem, but your advertising isn’t generating the growth you need? For Kevin Cost, founder of Mudplugz, the breakthrough came from an influencer demonstration that helped turn an unfamiliar product into something homeowners around the world wanted to try. In this episode of The Harvest Growth Podcast, host Jon LaClare sits down with Kevin to explore how a Christmas Eve idea became an innovative drywall repair product and a growi

What does it take to build a seven-figure product business without paid advertising—and how do you know when it’s time to change your growth strategy? In this episode of The Harvest Growth Podcast, host Jon LaClare sits down with Bill Carney, founder of ProPlugger, to explore how he turned a frustrating yardwork problem into a thriving lawn and garden tool business. After losing his commercial finance job during the Great Recession, Bill began experimenting with steel tubes i

In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare sits down with Whitney Glum, co-founder and COO of Farmers Defense, to explore how finding the right audience, testing ad creative, and listening to customers helped build a successful consumer brand. What started as protective sleeves for cannabis growers evolved into an outdoor apparel brand serving gardeners, cyclists, hikers, and even dog groomers. Whitney shares how early advertising challenges pushed the company

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,