May 9, 2020
Kristi knows that the company needs a rebrand if they are going
to battle international food giants for market share. Mother
Raw is born, and the legacy of the Founder, and her mission of
'Good on Good' is woven across every consumer, retailer, and
employee touchpoint. Kristi chooses to manufacture in Canada.
Mother Raw continues to innovate into a lineup of plant-based,
organic salad dressings, and condiments. 80% of new products
fail in the grocery store, but Kristi ignores the odds. In
just over a year, Mother Raw is in 5000 locations, including
Target in the USA and Walmart in Canada.
Can Kristi finance this growth? Can she get the attention she
feels Mother Raw deserves? Is Food Service a new opportunity?
What role does Manufactured in Canada play?
We ask Jane, Darryl and Nancy to weigh in.
Small Business Matters series, presented by RBC.
From corporate
veteran to entrepreneur (01:20)
After 25 years working for a multinational, a venture capital firm
invites Kristi to work with the founder of Raw Foods. Then tragedy
strikes. The founder, Michelle, passes away. Kristi bravely decides
to rebrand but ensures that she still remains true the founders'
wishes.
Mother Raw is
born (03:42)
With a new name and 21 different organic plant-based products,
their mission “put
good on good” is the golden thread running through the entire
business. Pursued with vigour and without compromise, Mother Raw is
proving that plant-based foods are not a fad.
Against the
odds - taking on the international food giants
(06:32)
Kristi’s inventive and tenacious leadership, combined with Mother
Raw’s compelling vision and the power of offering locally produced
products, is paying dividends. Now in over 5000 retail locations,
Mother Raw is challenging many of the entrenched international
players. Kristi, ignored all the odds, zigged while others zagged
and reinvented a dusty category.
The experts
share their advice (12:04)
Daryl Jones, CEO of Save on
Foods, believes product sampling is key and when getting your
products on shelf, high quality, locally produced products will win
over international products.
Nancy Rooney, V.P. of marketing for PepsiCo, North America, encourages Kristi to expand through partnerships, aggregators and food trucks and that Mother Raws products are a perfect complement to increase basket size.
Jane Henderson, VP, Commercial Banking, RBC, advises Kristi to finance her growth through debt versus giving away her hard-earned equity.
Tonys closing
thoughts (21:27)
Kristi kept true to the founders' mission, “good on good”, ensuring
that her legacy is felt across the entire business. Keep building
your company from the foundation up and continue to make the
consumer your hero and your purpose. Finally, think of food service
as a place for consumers to experience your brand and hold onto
your hard-earned equity.
Links and
References
Kristi Knowles - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiknowles/
Website - https://motherraw.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/motherraw/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/motherraw
Twitter - https://twitter.com/motherraw
Nancy Rooney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-rooney-769a581/
Pepsico - https://www.pepsico.com
Darrell Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrell-jones-a17ba271
Save-On-Foods - http://saveonfoods.com
Jane Henderson, VP, Commercial Banking, RBC
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-henderson-30080a11/
To get specialized support for your business, visit
https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/advice/industry-expertise.html
RBC Go Global support
https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/business/international-trade/index.html
RBC Global Connect rbc.com/globalconnect
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