Founder Spotlight: From Habit to Healtea: How One Question Sparked a National Brand
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
Release Date: 08/02/2025
Founder Spotlight: From Habit to Healtea: How One Question Sparked a National Brand
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
How do we replace a bad habit with a good one? That single question drove Leila to create Healtea — a refreshing, functional tea brand she co-founded with Francesco. What started as an idea during a car ride became a shelf-stable, better-for-you beverage stocked in 1,500 stores across Canada. In this week’s Founder Spotlight episode of Scaling Your Healthy Food Product, I sit down with Leila to unpack their journey — from bootstrapping beginnings to national growth. 💡 What we covered: – Turning values into a brand mission – Navigating early challenges in formulation – Going...
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ETS Method Series – Step 2: Test & Improve Your Product to Strengthen Your Brand
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
In this week’s episode of the Scaling Your Healthy Food Product podcast, we’re diving into Step 2 of the ETS Method: Test & Improve. If your goal is to bring a consistent, high-quality product to market — one that customers love and retailers trust — testing and improving your product is not optional. It's a critical step that can reveal hidden weaknesses before they show up in distribution, production, or on the shelf. I share how founders I’ve worked with were able to catch costly mistakes early and turn their product into a stronger contender by running the right kinds of...
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E.T.S Method Series: Step 1 — Evaluate Your Product to Scale Profitably
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
] and share your thoughts
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Introducing the ETS Method: A Simple Framework to Scale Your Food Product with Confidence
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
Scaling your food product isn’t about rushing to retail — it’s about building intentionally so you don’t burn cash, compromise quality, or stall your growth. In this episode, I’m introducing the E.T.S. Framework, a 3-step roadmap designed to help early-stage food founders grow with strategy and confidence. Whether you’re still in your kitchen or prepping for co-manufacturing, this framework will help you ask the right questions, run the right tests, and scale at the right time. This episode is for you if: You feel overwhelmed by what it takes to scale your product You’re not...
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3 Local Gems Every Food Founder Should Know About
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
You don’t have to look far to find powerful support for your food business—sometimes, the best resources are right in your backyard. In this episode, I’m sharing 3 local gems that every food founder should know about. These are community-based resources, programs, and partners that can help you grow, scale, and stay inspired—whether you're still making products at home or prepping for retail. If you're building a better-for-you brand and want support that’s accessible, affordable, and aligned with your mission, this episode will help you tap into what’s already around you. ...
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Founder Spotlight: Yohannes Petros on Building a Better-For-You Hummus Brand
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
In this inspiring Founder Spotlight episode, I sit down with Yohannes Petros, founder of Hanes Hummus, to unpack his journey of turning a simple, better-for-you product into a beloved brand. From making small batches at home to building his own manufacturing facility and navigating retail setbacks, Yohannes shares the real behind-the-scenes of scaling a food brand — the wins, the struggles, and the lessons learned along the way. We talk about: ✅ What inspired Yohannes to start Hanes Hummus ✅ How he scaled from home kitchen to manufacturing and co-packing ✅ The importance of shelf-life...
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Before the Plant Trial: 5 Essentials Every Food Founder should Prepare
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
Getting ready for a plant trial? Don’t just wing it. Whether you’re scaling from a commercial kitchen or working with a co-manufacturer for the first time, your plant trial is a critical moment in your food business journey. It’s where your product meets real-world production — and the stakes are high. In this episode, I share 5 essential things every food founder should prepare before stepping into a plant trial. From confirming your batch size and ingredient specs to knowing what to bring (and what to ask), this episode will help you show up confident, clear, and ready to get the...
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You Don’t Have to Do This Alone: The Power of Mentorship for Food Founders
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
Being a food founder can feel lonely — especially when you’re the one making all the decisions. But what if you didn’t have to figure it all out alone? In this episode, we’re talking about the game-changing role of mentors in helping food founders grow with confidence. I’ll share how mentorship has shaped my own journey and why every founder—whether you're just starting or scaling—can benefit from the wisdom of someone who’s been there. Got a question, comment, or just want to say hi? I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a quick voice message — it might even...
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This Podcast is for You- Let me Know what you Need Next.
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
After 20+ episodes supporting food founders, I want to hear from you. What questions are on your mind? What challenges are you facing right now? What topics would help you move your business forward? This podcast was created to support founders like you—those building purpose-driven food brands, navigating growth from the kitchen or Comm ercial kitchensto manufacturing, and doing it all while balancing family, work, and the dream of freedom. In this short episode, I’m opening up the mic to hear your voice. Whether it’s a quick question, a topic suggestion, or feedback on what’s...
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Smart Ingredients, Bigger Margins: How to Optimize Your Recipe and Save
Scaling Your Healthy Food Product
Want to grow your food business without squeezing your profit margins? It starts with your ingredients. In this episode, we’re talking about one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—ways to improve your bottom line: ingredient optimization. Whether you’re scaling up production, sourcing more consistently, or just trying to make your recipe more efficient, the right ingredient strategy can unlock serious savings without compromising on quality. You’ll walk away with clear, actionable steps to help you keep more money in your business and create products that are built to scale....
info_outlineHow do we replace a bad habit with a good one?
That single question drove Leila to create Healtea — a refreshing, functional tea brand she co-founded with Francesco.
What started as an idea during a car ride became a shelf-stable, better-for-you beverage stocked in 1,500 stores across Canada.
In this week’s Founder Spotlight episode of Scaling Your Healthy Food Product, I sit down with Leila to unpack their journey — from bootstrapping beginnings to national growth.
💡 What we covered:
– Turning values into a brand mission
– Navigating early challenges in formulation
– Going shelf-stable without compromising quality
– Finding the right co-manufacturer
– Lessons learned while scaling fast
If you're building a food or beverage brand, this episode will spark fresh ideas and give you a look behind the scenes of scaling a health-focused product.
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https://camaresearch.com/resources to Download resources to help you as you grow your better-for-you food brand.