The $600K Pivot That Built Talenti

"I left that Friday thinking...how is this gonna work? It's an important day of the week, Saturdays...but I will have faith...it really helped our home life tremendously."

• Set boundaries to prioritize family.
• Trust your team in your absence.
• Personal well-being enhances leadership.

"Unilever actually came to us...They said, 'We want to buy your business,' and we're like, 'Well, it's not for sale.' That started this year and a half back and forth."

• Evaluate offers carefully.
• Consider long-term goals.
• Be patient during negotiations.

"The end of '08 till through '09...was the period of needing to live to see another day...Those two gentlemen for the most part funding that."

• Secure financial backing to weather downturns.
• Maintain strong investor relationships.
• Adapt strategies to survive tough times.

"He said, 'We're going to do radio.'...We ended up getting the business after that meeting and Steve calls me and says, 'Good news, bad news. Good news is I got us in...bad news is we've got to come up with $500,000 to pay for radio.'"

• Bold marketing can secure big accounts.
• Invest in marketing to drive sales.
• Creative strategies differentiate your brand.

"I really wanted smart money...I met with Steve Gill and Eddie Phillips...They liked the ideas I had. They put in a million bucks into the business."

• Seek partners with experience.
• Align with investors who share your vision.
• Partnerships can accelerate growth.

"It was getting close to Christmas time and I was completely out of money, didn't know how to make payroll...I said, 'I'm gonna go to the bank and try to get more money...They spoke amongst themselves and then came back and said, we trust you.'"

• Be transparent with your team.
• Explore all financing options.
• Trust and communication retain staff.

"I came up with the pack that was pretty early on...the concept of not being in a cardboard when there was a sea of cardboard and coming out with something completely different that would hopefully generate trial."

• Used clear jars to showcase product quality.
• Innovative packaging attracts customers.
• Differentiation is key.

"We wanted to get into Publix...Steve said, 'Call the buyer and tell him, I just want 30 minutes with the guy.'...He gets there, puts on a suit, makes it to the meeting, tells the guys, 'You've got to give us a chance.'"

• Pursue key accounts persistently.
• Personal meetings can sway decisions.
• Go the extra mile to secure deals.

"We were losing money and there's one chef from a very popular steakhouse...said, 'Look, we love your product. Would you now put it in the container that we can set inside this little specialty supermarket and we'll sell it there.'"

• Josh realized the retail model wasn't working.
• Pivoted to wholesale based on customer feedback.
• Be open to changing direction.

"I made a list of people to speak to, friends and family, and I went and met with them one by one. It was about 110 people, and I think my goal was $600,000 and I think I got close to it."

• Josh approached over 100 contacts to raise funds.
• Personal networks can be valuable for seed funding.
• Persistence is key when seeking investment.