Jackalo - Designing Clothes That Grow With Kids, Not Landfills
Release Date: 01/27/2026
PawCo & Genius Dog - Your Dog is Like Family. Feed them Like it.
The Story of a Brand Show
sits down with , PhD, Founder & CEO of , for a conversation that's as much about love and purpose as it is about pet nutrition. Mahsa didn't set out to disrupt the pet food industry — she set out to take better care of her dog, Paco. What follows is a story of science, conviction, and a growing movement of pet parents who believe their dogs deserve a whole lot more than a bowl of kibble. * A founder story that starts with a dog named Paco. After her PhD in nanoscience and time as an early scientist at Impossible Foods, Mahsa couldn't find a single pet food she felt good about. ...
info_outline
Cloud Water Filters - Clean Water Isn't a Given Anymore
The Story of a Brand Show
, CEO of and co-host of , sits down with , Founder & CEO of , for a conversation that cuts right to the heart of one of the most overlooked categories in consumer wellness. isn't just a better water filter, it's a second-act founder's bet that the water sitting quietly under your kitchen sink is the next major frontier in the modern health-conscious home. * A second-act founder who chose harder, on purpose. After selling to , Ben applied everything he learned about recurring revenue and brand trust to tackle a far bigger, more complex problem: a water filtration category that...
info_outline
Acely - He Scaled AllTrails. Now He's Coming for the SAT.
The Story of a Brand Show
sits down with , CEO of , for a conversation that spans two decades of startup building, a category-defining exit, and a brand-new mission to help high school students conquer the SAT and ACT. Ron is the kind of founder who doesn't just build companies he transforms categories. From scaling from a six-person team to a household name, to launching with his daughter as his first inspiration, this is a story about pattern recognition, relentless optimism, and knowing when it's time to go again. * AllTrails: the pivot that changed everything. Ron took over a struggling six-person app in...
info_outline
Naturepedic - What's Inside Your Mattress and Why You Probably Don't Want to Know
The Story of a Brand Show
Ramon Vela sits down with , Chief Growth Officer at , to dig into one of the most quietly compelling brand stories in the sleep and wellness space. isn't just another wellness brand riding the organic wave — it's a company built from genuine conviction, founded by engineers who refused to compromise long before "clean" was cool. From a river that caught on fire in 1969 to one of the most trusted names in organic sleep, this is a brand story worth knowing. * Origin story rooted in purpose. was born in 2003 when co-founder Barry — an environmental engineer — went to buy a crib mattress...
info_outline
Dutch Pet, Inc. - Pet Healthcare Is Broken. Dutch is Rebuilding it
The Story of a Brand Show
Scaling a company is hard. Changing behavior is harder—and that’s exactly what this business is doing. In this episode of , host , CEO of , sits down with , Founder and CEO of , for a fascinating conversation about building not just a company—but a completely new consumer behavior. Joe had already built a billion-dollar company with . But instead of staying, he chose to start over—this time in pet healthcare. What he’s building with isn’t just scale—it’s a shift in how pet parents access care, think about affordability, and engage with veterinarians. Key moments from the...
info_outline
Aware House - What Etsy Got Wrong and How She's Fixing It
The Story of a Brand Show
In this episode, sits down with , Founder and CEO of — a curated online marketplace built exclusively to support independent, small-batch makers. shares how frustration with overcrowded platforms like Etsy led her to build something better: a discovery destination where quality, craftsmanship, and transparency come first. * From frustration to founder. After watching get flooded with factory drop-shipped knockoffs, Lauren saw a gap and built Aware House to fill it — launching in 2023 with one clear mission: make shopping small easy and enjoyable. * Curation is everything....
info_outline
SATHI - Affiliate marketing is broken, Yash Chavan built the fix
The Story of a Brand Show
Returning guest , Founder and CEO of , joins Ramon Vela to announce the launch of (mysathi.io) — a new affiliate marketing platform designed to eliminate the fraud, attribution failures, and operational chaos that quietly kill brand affiliate programs. * The recruitment treadmill is real. Last-click attribution ignores every affiliate who nurtured and introduced customers — leaving top performers uncompensated and brands stuck constantly recruiting replacements. * Multi-touch + cookie-less tracking. reveals the full customer journey across every affiliate touchpoint and tracks...
info_outline
A-Frame Brands - Why Getting Into Retail Might Be Your Biggest Mistake
The Story of a Brand Show
Most Brands Don't Fail Because They Can't Get Into Retail — They Fail Because They Got There Too Soon. In this episode of , host sits down with , Founder & CEO of — the strategic operator behind multiple consumer brands built across 10,000+ retail doors. Ari has spent his career building brands from the inside out, and this conversation pulls back the curtain on what really happens after you land that big retail moment — and why that moment might be the beginning of your biggest problem. * Retail isn't the finish line — it's the test. Getting into 3,000 stores sounds...
info_outline
Vitaminis - The Problem With Vitamins No One Talks About
The Story of a Brand Show
Building a brand in the wellness space is one thing—reimagining how consumers experience vitamins entirely is another. In this episode of , sits down with , Founder at , to explore how she’s doing exactly that. From challenging traditional formats to creating a more joyful, design-forward approach to daily health, Leslie shares how is carving out a unique position in a crowded market. The conversation highlights the intersection of product innovation, brand storytelling, and consumer connection—all through the lens of building something truly different. * Leslie Danford shares...
info_outline
Dame - Building a Brand in a Taboo Industry
The Story of a Brand Show
What if one of the biggest barriers to building a successful brand isn’t the product—but the stigma around it? In this episode, I sit down with , Founder and CEO of , for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about building a brand in a taboo category, challenging societal norms, and redefining what leadership and wellness can look like. What stood out to me most is how Alexandra blends conviction with vulnerability—sharing both the mission behind and the real, often difficult journey of building a business in a space that still faces systemic barriers. Key Moments from...
info_outlineI’ve always believed that behind every meaningful brand is a deeply personal story, and my conversation with Marianna Sachse, founder of Jackalo, is a perfect example of that.
What stood out immediately was how her journey is rooted in gratitude, craft, and family—particularly the skills passed down from her mother and grandmother. That foundation shaped not only how Marianna sees clothing, but how she sees responsibility, longevity, and care across generations.
As we talked, it became clear that Jackalo isn’t just about kids’ clothing—it’s about rethinking the entire system. From durability and timeless design to circularity and ease for parents, Marianna has intentionally built a brand that removes compromise.
She shared how her background in nonprofit communications, combined with her experience as a mother and maker, pushed her to solve a problem she saw firsthand: kids’ clothes that don’t last, don’t get handed down, and too often end up in landfills.
In this episode, we discuss:
* How learning to sew, mend, and value craft across generations became the foundation of Jackalo
* Why kids’ clothing is uniquely positioned for circular design and reuse
* The trade-up model that allows parents to return outgrown clothes for store credit or recycling
* How natural fibers, durability, and thoughtful design reduce waste and support kids’ comfort
* Why making the sustainable choice easy is essential for busy families
Join me, Ramon Vela, in listening to the episode to hear how Marianna is building a product worth buying and a brand worth supporting—and how reimagining kids’ clothing can make life easier for families while keeping clothes out of landfills.
For more on Jackalo, visit: https://hellojackalo.com/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave The Story of a Brand Show a rating and review.
Plus, don’t forget to follow us on Apple and Spotify.
Your support helps us bring you more content like this!
*
Today’s Sponsors:
Saral - The Influencer OS: https://www.getsaral.com/demo
SARAL is the all-in-one influencer platform that finds brand-aligned creators, automates outreach, and manages everything in one place. Request a live demo today. Let the SARAL team know you're a The Story of a Brand Show podcast listener to get an extended free trial! Visit the link above.