ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Adam Hiner, CEO of Pacha, shares insights on product innovation, sustainable practices, and the journey of building a healthy and regenerative food brand. We talk about the happy accidents and consumer feedback that lead to making new and better products, like their new gluten-free, sourdough buckwheat tortillas! Adam then shares why Pacha joined the Purpose Pledge, the challenges of building a CPG brand (like cashflow), the benefits of self-manufacturing, and why passion is essential for success in this industry. Tune in to get advice from a leader who’s built multiple successful brands while leading with integrity.
Key topics
- Product innovation driven by consumer insights and feedback
- Strategic experimentation with new products
- The benefits of self manufacturing
- Purpose-driven business and sustainability commitments
- Purpose Pledge, what it means, and how it works
- The importance of focusing on core SKUs and honing recipes
- Profitability and cash flow challenges
- The importance of passion for success
- Inner peace to bring about world peace
Sound bites
- “I pulled a batch of crackers out of the oven and they were floppy like little tortillas. Then I started experimenting with tortillas and just said, yeah, the market really needs a better tortilla right now.”
- “We had our buckwheat buns, but we rebranded them as English muffins because all of our customers were saying, hey, this isn't a bun, this is an English muffin.”
- "Our bread tastes like real bread. It doesn't taste like this thing that was modified to try to imitate the texture of white bread.“
- “We've always had a plan to do something more than just be a company that's making money.”
- “When we saw Purpose Pledge coming forward, felt like it felt like an opportunity to do something that felt maybe more impactful and less just numbers driven.”
- “It's nice to have really great mentors who have been doing it and have done it before.”
- “We were really grateful for our DTC channel because we've had so much direct feedback from customers, which we wouldn't have had with just being a retail brand.”
- “One of the biggest challenges is just financing the company, you know, just keeping the lights on. 30%-50% of my job is just keeping cash coming in.”
- “Sometimes adding more SKUs does generate more revenue immediately, like if Whole Foods puts out six SKUs versus four, but the trade off is the velocity of all the SKUs is now lower.”
- “Peace really does start within us and maybe the most impactful thing we can do is to just like to start here and have and find peace with ourselves.”
Chapters
03:00 Introduction to Pacha and Product Evolution
05:57 Innovative Product Development and Consumer Feedback
09:08 Special Releases and Creative Experimentation
11:59 Joining the Purpose Pledge: A Commitment to Impact
14:59 Understanding the Purpose Pledge's Roadmap and Commitments
18:00 Customer Insights: What Consumers Love About Pacha's Products
34:31 The Benefits of Fermentation and Buckwheat
37:07 The Challenges of Regenerative Agriculture
40:02 Navigating the Food Industry: Profitability and Challenges
46:00 The Importance of Focus in Product Development
52:59 Personal Insights and Recommendations for a Better World
Links
Adam Hiner on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/adamhiner
Pacha - https://pachabread.com
Pacha on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/live-pacha/
Pacha on Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/live_pacha/
Pacha on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@livepacha
Pacha on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/livepacha
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Purpose Pledge - https://purposepledge.org/
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Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/
Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/
Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/
Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/
Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/
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Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/
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Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/
Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/
Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetwork
Heritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_Radio
Heritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/
Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio
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The Food Institute - https://foodinstitute.com/
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