PRIVACY NOTICE | TERMS OF USE
Interested in being a guest on Entrepreneurs on Fire? Click here to learn more!

Entrepreneurs on Fire with John Lee Dumas

Daily business podcast interviews

« Previous | Next »

Building a High Growth Brand in CPG with Bryan Freeman: An EOFire Classic from 2022

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL’s in these archive episodes are still relevant.

Bryan Freeman led Real Good Foods from startup in 2017 to IPO in 2021, listing with a $300+ million market cap. Bryan has built and sold three other CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) brands to large publicly traded firms.

Subscribe

Apple | Spotify | iHeart

Guest Resource

Real Good Foods Instagram – Follow Real Good Foods on Instagram!

3 Value Bombs

1) Stay curious and keep learning from others.

2) When investors see you’re committed, they will invest.

3) Be very intentional, be constantly look for people with new ideas and experiences.

Sponsors

HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think! Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host.

Public: Build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and more. Go to Public.com/fire to fund your account in five minutes or less!

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. *Rate as of 6/24/25. APY is variable and subject to change. **Terms and Conditions apply.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: Building a High Growth Brand in CPG

[1:16] – Bryan shares something that he believes about becoming successful that most people disagree with.

  • No matter how successful or how big your business gets, continue to ask for help and help those who are asking you for help.
  • Stay curious and keep learning from others.

[3:06] – What is your background in the Food Industry?

  • Bryan has been in the frozen manufacturing business for 20 years now.
  • Bryan is very curious about redesigning food to be healthy for everyone.

[4:29] – How can we still get started in CPG with limited resources?

  • If you can get to proof of concept – or at least get through your prototyping and show you are committed – the money will come.
  • When investors see you’re committed, they will invest.

[5:25] – What is the right path to raising money?

  • First is proof of concept.
  • Go to friends and family, but bring one outsider in who will help provide the valuation and expectations.

[6:26] – What are common mistakes entrepreneurs make when starting a CPG brand or company?

  • Bryan’s mistake was that he was solely focused on getting distribution and revenue before building the brand.
  • The folks that you attract to work with you in the early years may not have the skill set needed to take you the next level in the future, and that’s why a lot of businesses get stuck.
  • Be very intentional, be constantly looking for people with new ideas and experiences.

[8:50] – Where did the idea for Real Good Foods come from?

  • The idea came from being curious.

[11:23] – A timeout to thank our sponsors!

  • Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think! Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host.
  • HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!
  • Public: Build a multi-asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto, and more. Go to Public.com/fire to fund your account in five minutes or less!
    • All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. *Rate as of 6/24/25. APY is variable and subject to change. **Terms and Conditions apply.

[14:55] – Purpose and Mission – what role do they play in this process?

  • Bryan’s early career was more transactional and just about making money; now it is much more about the foundational aspects.

[15:21] – How are brands being built differently today?

  • Bryan built this brand through community and through authentic conversation.
  • With Real Good Foods, what matters is what the food is actually doing for your body.

[17:21] – Real Good Foods has one of largest & most engaged social communities. How did you guys accomplish this?

  • You’ve got to do it yourself brick by brick. It takes time, effort, and you have to be very intentional about it.

[19:54] – Bryan’s key take away and call to action.

[22:07] – Thank you to our Sponsor!

  • HighLevel: The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies! Learn more at HighLevelFire.com!

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

Subscribe

« Previous | Next »