346 | Transforming Problems Into Product Opportunities | with Joelle Weinand

Joelle Weinand is the Founder of Nutcase Milk, the cashew-based chocolate milk brand taking on Nesquik with a cleaner, more sophisticated option built for adults. What started as a boredom-fueled kitchen experiment during COVID: blending cashews, cocoa, and dates in her Vitamix, quickly evolved into a business. A chance brunch in Las Vegas with old poker friends turned into a pre-seed round when investors tried and liked her “ChocoMilk”. Soon, big names like Ninja and Steve Aoki came on board, and an ops expert from Mezcla Bars helped Joelle scale. Joelle’s path blends relentless scrappiness with an instinct for spotting white space in crowded categories. From shelving the idea when no co-packers picked up the phone, to saying yes when opportunity appeared in unexpected rooms, to relaunching her formula based on real customer feedback, she’s showing how a so-called “nutcase” idea can capture the market’s imagination. Whether you’re trying to break into CPG, find your first investors, or take a product from Instagram post to retail shelf, Joelle shares a candid look at how to move fast, embrace serendipity, and build a brand people are proud to carry. In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:42] Intro[00:57] Launching nostalgia as a premium product[01:24] Testing a concept with friends at brunch[07:02] Highlighting the power of simple ideas[08:13] Running small tests before scaling up[09:10] Connecting with ops partners through luck[12:46] Episode Sponsors: Electric Eye, Heatmap, Grow[15:59] Meeting investors at random events[17:23] Building trust with passion and clarity[18:23] Raising a pre-seed with friends[22:18] Asking founders for advice directly[25:04] Reducing friction in early startups[26:55] Gathering feedback to guide reformulation Resources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeDelicious, healthy and nostalgic cashew milk https://drinknutcase.com/Follow Joelle Weinand https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelledSchedule an intro call with one of our experts https://electriceye.io/connectClear, real-time data built for ecommerce optimization https://www.heatmap.com/honestThe Premier Conference for Ecommerce Operators https://www.joingrow.com If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!