Baby Steps to Big Bucks with Ben Lewis, Founder and CEO of Little Spoon

Description: What does it look like to bring innovation to a static industry? A lifelong love for entrepreneurship and the food and beverage industry led Ben Lewis to take a massive risk to disrupt the baby food industry, and with $90 million raised to date, it certainly paid off! In this episode of Stairway to CEO, Ben shares the story of continuing his dad’s legacy in business, finding out-of-the-box solutions to the complex problem of manufacturing his product, and much more! Exclusive Deals from Our Sponsors: AWESOME CX by Transcom provides high-touch, personalized customer experience services to consumer brands of any size! Email Lee at lee@stairwaytoceo.com to learn more about their award-winning services and Awesome Coffee Chats In This Episode You’ll Hear About: •   [01:05] Ben Lewis’s first taste of entrepreneurship as a child and how he continued his father’s legacy, starting with a bottled water start-up. •   [12:00] His exposure to the food and beverage industry by developing a Greek yogurt brand. •   [15:50] Learning essential lessons through bootstrapping a food distribution company. •   [20:45] Ben's involvement in angel investment in the food and beverage space. •   [21:48] Founding Little Spoon with the motivation to disrupt a static industry, naming the product, and developing the product and packaging. •   [28:46] Product expansion and the philosophy of growing with the customer that underpins Little Spoon’s growth. •   [34:30] Surprises on the road to building a D2C business, including an unlikely partnership with a tamale company. •   [40:25] How Ben’s role has evolved with the company and Little Spoon’s approach to talent. •   [42:29] Fundraising in the baby food industry, finding a new approach to return on investment, and what’s next for Little Spoon. To Find Out More: Little Spoon Ben Lewis on X Ben Lewis on LinkedIn The Equity Studio Kairos HQ Lee Greene on LinkedIn Stairway to CEO Stairway to CEO on Instagram Awesome CX Quotes: “You could have the best product in the world, the best brand in the world, and even the right team and the right capital – but ultimately so much of it, especially in the traditional retail space, depends on the distribution and what happens at the point of sale.” [0:15:14] “For the right brand and the right product, having a direct relationship with your customer is so critically important.” [0:19:17] “Being detached from your ultimate customer is a real hindrance to building a brand.” [0:20:01] “There’s a big opportunity for us, not just within that baby stage with the baby blends, but for Little Spoon as a brand to be the go-to as that kid is growing up and as the family is growing.” [0:31:32] “[We’ve grown our business] largely through growing with our customers.” [0:31:48] “That was how we started. We turned this manufacturing roadblock into a very unlikely partnership.” [0:39:29] “One of the things I’m most proud of at Little Spoon is that we’ve had extremely low attrition, so our retention is literally best in class.” [0:40:58] “Optics matter, but at the end of the day, you need to do what’s right.” [0:44:35] “For us, it’s about listening to our customers and finding where those pockets of opportunity are.” [0:46:59] “We’re building a brand for a new generation of parents.” [0:47:42] “As an entrepreneur, you’re often having to choose between speed, quality, and cost.” [0:47:54] “Don’t aim for perfection.” [0:48:46]