Product Distribution in the USA with The Good Crisp Company's Matthew Parry

0:00
Welcome to the thoughtful entrepreneur Show. I'm Josh Elledge, founder and CEO of UpMyInfluence.com. We turn entrepreneurs into media celebrities, grow their authority, and help them build partnerships with top influencers. We believe that every person has a unique message that can positively impact the world. stick around to the end of the show, where I'll reveal how you can be our next guest on one of the fastest growing daily inspiration podcasts on the planet in 15 to 20 minutes. Let's go. Right Matt Perry, you are the CEO and co-founder of The Good Crisp Company. And what a success story you guys are enjoying right now. I need to point out so when did you launch or when did the good crisp company launch? And we'll just start by saying so your product is a healthier version of like Pringles or chips that come in a canister. Right? That that's, that's exactly right.

1:03
Yep. So we have a product that is certified gluten free, certified non GMO, we don't use MSG or flavor enhancers, we use sustainable oil. So, but most importantly, we taste really good. That's the number one thing we taste good. And then we just take out the nasty stuff out.

1:19
Wow. So I mean, it sounds like a simple idea. Like when you were doing product research, did you ever like scratch your head and go? Why? Why isn't this thing right now?

1:31
Definitely. And there's a, you know, a good reason why. And that's because there's not that many manufacturers in the world that can make that style of product. So Oh, really? Yeah, it's you know, Pringles and other sort of brands have had such a strong hold on the market for the last 40 years that you know, it's not like a path product where there's thousands of different brands and lots of different things and there's not many people so fortunately, my background was in, in food and in launching other brands and knowing other manufacturers so I had a good understanding of the marketing was able to find some good partners. But yeah, I mean, it's also it's not like a, you know, a super jam that you can mix up in your in your kitchen and try different things and take it down to the local sort of market. It is a fairly advanced technology. So I think just happened to be at the right place at the right time, thankfully.

2:19
And so what what is that process, like when you were like, I want to have a healthier chip? And so who do you go to? And especially if Pringles is like now they're working for us now. They're working for us to now they're working. Everybody's working for bring goals?

2:35
Yeah. So there is literally a handful of people around the world. So and none of them in in Australia or none of them in the United States either. So that that made it even more complex. So I had a contact that that had been I'd been buying product and unhealthy snacks from out of out of Malaysia that news, people that manufacture it, so I sort of had, you know, a network there that I was able to find a really amazing manufacturer that really committed to quality and and working with individuals to develop these brands. So had a great relationship right from the start and was able to develop it from there.

3:10
What is that process? Like when you come up with the idea you find you find someone that could produce this product? And then then what? Like how do you? Are you having conversations before you have any prototypes? Or like, yeah, how did you make it before you had somebody else make it? Did you find a way to make it in your kitchen? Or like, what did they I'm just trying to figure out what the timeline was.

3:31
Yeah. So I had a fairly strong idea of what I wanted the product debate or, you know, where the idea came from is, you know, I I was trying to work through some food allergies I had so I was really looking into sort of food trends and food, what was going into it and then I'd had some young kids as well. So we were really looking at what we were feeding them and so, you know, I knew there are some really key things that I didn't want in the product. You know, like we talked about, you know, non GMO had to have natural flavorings Morning MSG or things like that. So I had a fairly clear shopping list of of the things that I wanted. And then, you know, once we worked on this, this flavorings, and it's a back and forth process with the r&d departments and flavoring houses and different ingredients supplies to pull it together, and then that took two years. So it's not, it's not something that, you know, happens overnight, definitely a lot of rounds. And then, you know, I launched it in Australia, but also thought there's a big opportunity in the US. So, in that regards, I just, I just came to a trade show in in Anaheim. It's called the natural products Expo West. It's the largest natural food trade show in the world. And that products on the table and just, you know, wanted to see what people would say, and people were really interested in it. So from there, I knew I was going to be a lot of work to get it here to the US, but I knew that if I could they would be a market for it. So that sort of was the process of how I knew that. You know, there was an opportunity for the product that I'd come up with,

4:57
and who was the first store that you were able to Get on the shelves. 5:00 Yeah, so it was actually Whole Foods in Northern California. So have all the whole food stores there, took the product, which was, which was massive was a really great step for us. And then actually, what's in our two years later, we just went national with whole foods in in all of their stores across the country. But it started with that, that first 40 stores there and working with them and going from there. So they really gave us the foot in the door. And originally, you know, Australia, it's got 25 million people, we're a small sort of country. So I just thought, look, you know, if I could just break into California, you know, that's bigger than the whole of Australia. I'll just start there and see where we go. But, you know, retailers had other plans, but that was sort of the initial idea was let's just get a foothold in California. We've got Whole Foods we can build up from from there and see what we can do.

5:48
So when they put it on the shelves in Northern California, or they just, they just kind of Well, people walking by we want to just know if they respond to this product or not. Are they promoting it to kind of figure out Out of consumers like it? I mean, what is that? Like?

6:02
Yeah, so we definitely have to promote it. So you do discounts per ticket on the show. So people notice us. I mean, thankfully, we're the only canister chip product in in the whole foods and other natural retailers. So now my goodness, we do stand out a little bit better as well. And it's a product that, you know, people have been coming into Whole Foods, looking for a canister product for, you know, 10 years. And now finally, there was one beer, so we had fairly good reception. We did some taste testing, we did some demos to get it into people's mouths that helped to sort of show that hey, look, there's no, you're not sacrificing taste just as good, if not better than what you're already eating. And so they'll happy to buy us instead.

6:42
And so when your product is on the shelves at Whole Foods in Northern California, are you driving up there just to kind of go into a store and go oh my gosh, there it is. Right there.

6:51
Definitely. So yeah, and especially I was still in Australia at the time. So I moved to the US in January. So for the first two years of the business, I was working Out of Australia. And so yeah, it would be really regular trips over here to the US just to sort of check it out and then the buzzers of saying your product there on shelf and seeing, you know, displays of it and seeing it. There are people, you know, walking around eating in at lunchtime, and it's fantastic.

7:17
Wow. Alright, so, so Whole Foods take his takes you nationwide. And meanwhile, you're probably looking at other places to distribute. Are you in other stores right now? Or are you in plans to be in other stores? 7:33 Yes, we're about to be down to 10,000 stores across the country now here after after two and a beat last. So we're

7:42
okay. But just so people understand how quickly this has happened for you. When How long ago? Did you appear in Whole Foods nationwide or in Northern California? So 7:53 just over two years ago? Yeah. Two and a half in my mind, my god. Yes, that's been to put it we've been very lucky.

8:00
So when you're growing that quickly, obviously that's going to cause a lot of drain on organization suppliers, that sort of thing and left already like, like you've already thought all out way in advance, like how do you fill in all of the stuff that you're going to need if you're if you're filling that many orders?

8:22
Yeah, it is, it's a, it's a really big factor. So, once again, it comes back to you know, having the right partner and making sure without a manufacturer that they were, you know, a world class manufacturer that can keep up with demand, they have capacity. And then it also you know, we use a brokerage sales team out there that you know, takes a percentage of sales but you know, gives us access to, you know, over you know, a couple of hundred sales reps that are out there doing that taking orders. We use third party logistics warehouses that can supply across the country. So, you know, sitting those things in place at once you've got in place where you've got, you know, cool Well, you know, 1000 stores or 10,000 stores, it's sort of you can handle those, those sort of volumes where it does become difficult is is cash and and those financial resources of Oh yeah, we launched into 4000 Walmart's across the country earlier this year. And that was a totally new customer for us you know, we're used to dealing with Whole Foods and natural retailers now we're going into Walmart so it was tough. We didn't know court sort of what what our sales were going to be so we had to you know, take on in some investment and purchase you know, nearly a million dollars worth of worth of inventory there. So, and I actually had to place that order before I even had a p o from from Walmart. I was a very nervous couple of weeks while I was waiting for that that purchase order to come through thankfully it did. Okay. But yeah, it is unfortunately it's a it's a cash. You know, it's a cash greedy business to be in in the CPG. Well, definitely,

9:56
right. Yeah, for sure. So Now you're at this point you're in. You're in Walmart now then. You we are Yes.

10:05
Yep. Wow. So, so again, define this product on the shelf. Is it? Do they put it? Do they stock it with regular chips? Or is it kind of in a way? I guess depends on the retailer. You're right. Yeah, it does. So so for example, for Walmart, we're in a gluten free sort of healthy mood section there in the store. For you know, more natural supermarket the whole store is sort of a healthy section. So we're just nearing with the other snacks. wakemans For example, we sort of, you're in a we're in a gluten free set, other grocery stores. We're up against Pringles. So it does depend a little bit, but more and more we're trying to move over to the snack Island and the up against Pringles there because that's really where our customers are shopping. And that's where they want to find us.

10:52
Yeah, we've met What do you spend your days doing now?

10:56
I'm trying not to stop this whole thing up. Really.

11:02
So, um, you know, since I moved over here on the ground, it's now working with a taser. We've got four other employees here in Boulder, Colorado that we work with around sales and marketing and supply, working on new product development, different flavors, different concepts, working with with our finance, working with our investors, and making sure that's going well and we have enough cash to keep doing the business that we want to do. And so there's sort of the key things that I look after and manage.

11:31
Well, what is so if you're already in retail locations, like what do you have to do from a marketing advertising? PR like what are you? Do you are you doing a lot of work on that side as well?

11:46
We do. And to some degree getting on the shelf is is one part of getting off the shelf again from the consumer is the other part, you know, especially, we're in salty snacks, which is a very impulse driven character. agree it's promoted heavily is not much loyalty, you just sort of go there and pick whatever you feel like at the time, whatever strikes you. So it's constantly trying to stay top of mind with consumers trying to make sure that we get good positions on shelves, that we've got good pricing that, that customers know that we exist. So we do a lot of we do a lot of sampling, we give out a lot of product we promote heavily on Instagram and trying to just let people know that, that we're there. And I mean, we're still a very young company, you know, from that regards, and America is a very big place. So it does take us a lot of time and effort to to get the word out there and let people know that we exist and that they can have a product that has all of the taste and none of the guilt. No, well, that's fantastic.

12:44
Well, Matt Perry, you're the co founder and CEO of the good crisp company, and it is on store shelves store shelves right now. It congratulations man on your success. So far, and and it's Good to have be able to get this product in the hands of kids and and people who would like a better alternative rather than just something that's like loaded with all the MSG and all the other stuff.

13:13
Yeah. Now Thank you, you know, we're joining that's that's really what keeps us going the thought that Yeah, we can if people can still have the product but at a slightly better choice. Well that that's great.

13:24
All right. Thank you, Matt Perry, and again, the website is the good crisp company.com Thanks, man. Thank you. Thanks for listening to the thoughtful entrepreneur show. If you are a thoughtful business owner or professional who would like to be on this daily program, please visit up my influence.com slash guest that you got something out of this interview. Would you share this episode on social media? Just do a quick screenshot with your phone and text it to a friend or posted on the socials. A few do that tag us with the hashtag up My influence. Each month we scour Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. We pick one winner from each platform, and you get crowned king or queen of that social media. Now what do you win? We're going to promote you and your business to over 120,000 social media fans totally free. Now, can you also hook us up now in your podcast player right now, please give us a thumbs up or a rating and review. We promise to read it all and take action. We believe that every person has a message that can positively impact the world. Your feedback helps us fulfill that mission. And while you're at it, hit that subscribe button. You know why tomorrow? That's right, seven days a week. You are going to be inspired and motivated to succeed 15 minutes a day. My name is Josh Elledge. Let's connect on the socials. You'll find all the stuff we're doing at up my influence.com Thanks for listening and thank you for being a part of the thoughtful entrepreneur movement.