The Pour Decisions Podcast

What does it take for an emerging food brand to get noticed by Sprouts—and what trends will shape the next generation of better-for-you products? On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti and Danny Stepper, Co-Founders of L.A. Libations, we sit down with Sean Lyons, Foraging Manager at Sprouts Farmers Market, at the Better Bites Food Forum to talk about emerging brands, retail innovation, and the future of food. After 13 years at Sprouts and experience across multiple roles, Sean now focuses on discovering promising brands and helping entrepreneurs bring innovative products to market. He shares why Sprouts’ foraging program has become such an important resource for founders, what he learned from judging emerging brands at Better Bites, and how retailers are identifying the next big opportunities in food. We also explore the trends Sean is watching—from protein and fiber to creatine, innovative snacks, fermented nuts, and alternative cooking oils—and discuss why transparency and product quality matter to today's consumers.

Can pea protein compete with whey? And why is taste the key to winning over consumers? On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder at L.A. Libations, we sit down with Tyler Lorenzen, CEO of PURIS, to discuss the evolution of plant-based protein, the science behind pea protein, and the challenges of creating products consumers actually want to eat and drink. Tyler shares the story of PURIS, the family business that grew into a leading North American pea protein manufacturer, and his journey from playing in the NFL to helping lead the company. We explore why taste and functionality are essential to protein innovation, how pea protein compares with whey, and why ingredient sourcing and transparency matter. We also discuss the lessons the industry learned from the plant-based meat boom, the truth about protein labels, and how PURIS is developing new products and gathering direct feedback from consumers.

What happens when generations of family recipes meet the world of consumer packaged goods? For Jocelyn Delk Adams, founder of Grandbaby Cakes, it’s the beginning of a whole new chapter—taking the flavors and traditions she grew up with and bringing them to grocery store shelves. On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, Dan Weisbach, Vice President of SIP at L.A. Libations, sits down with Jocelyn to talk about her journey from sharing her grandmother-inspired recipes online to building a food brand with major retail ambitions. Jocelyn shares how her family’s Southern cooking traditions inspired Grandbaby Cakes, the challenges of turning homemade recipes into products that can be manufactured at scale, and the lessons she’s learning as she enters the CPG world. From unique pound cake flavors to authentic Southern cornbread and an anticipated Walmart launch, this conversation explores what it really takes to turn a beloved food concept into a retail-ready brand.

What happens when you take beef and turn it into a puffed snack that looks like a Cheeto? For George Zhou, Beckett (Chief Marketing Officer), and Cooper Kitaen of Buffs, the answer is a whole new approach to meat snacks—and a startup journey filled with product challenges, hard-earned lessons, and big ambitions. In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Danny Stepper, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, we sit down with George Zhou (Co-Founder), Beckett (Chief Marketing Officer), and Cooper Kitaen (Marketing) of Buffs to discuss how they went from bringing product samples to Expo West in Ziploc bags to launching their own beef puff brand.

What happens when an entrepreneur discovers a whole new use for one of California's most valuable crops? On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations sits down with Tommy Tickenoff, founder of Fresh Vintage Farms, to talk about the unexpected journey from agricultural byproducts to innovative food products—and the almond oil mayonnaise that's helping his brand stand out in a crowded market. Tommy shares how cold-pressing almonds for research and development led to a culinary discovery, why he believes almond oil deserves more attention in the kitchen, and what consumers should know about the controversy surrounding avocado oil authenticity. The conversation also dives into the realities of building a food brand, getting products onto retail shelves, winning over customers, and expanding into new markets without losing sight of the company's roots.

What does it really take to build a successful CPG brand? In a world where brands can launch overnight and retailers want products to scale fast, the biggest challenge may be knowing when to slow down.At the Talent Commerce Summit in West Hollywood, Danny Stepper, Co-Founder of L.A.Libations, sits down with Sarah Brooks, Josh Wand, and Jess Windell, for a candid conversation about the realities of building consumer brands, investing in founders, finding product-market fit, and creating products that genuinely resonate with customers.From founder communities and early-stage funding to consumer feedback, sleep innovation, and a potentially game-changing can lid, this conversation explores what it takes to build brands that last.

What happens when a 70-year-old salt company enters the booming electrolyte market—and builds a loyal following before going big in retail? For Josh Preator of Redmond, Utah, the answer starts deep underground in a salt mine and leads all the way to Walmart shelves. On this episode of Poor Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, Dino sits down with Josh Preator of Redmond to uncover the story behind Real Salt and Re-Lyte, the electrolyte brand that has earned a passionate following among athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers. Josh shares how Redmond evolved from its agricultural roots into a growing player in sports nutrition, why the company took a deliberate approach to building Re-Lyte, and how consumer demand for cleaner electrolyte products is creating new opportunities in retail. From the history of Redmond’s Utah salt mine to the future of ready-to-drink hydration, this conversation explores what it takes to turn a trusted legacy ingredient into a modern consumer brand.

In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, sits down with Dressi founders Kendall Toole and Alexander Brzozowski, alongside Don Clark, Chief Merchandising Officer at Sprouts Farmers Market, for a candid conversation about building better-for-you products, earning consumer trust and bringing emerging brands to shelf. Kendall and Alexander share the story behind Dressi, a protein-forward salad dressing and drizzle with four grams of protein per two-tablespoon serving. They reveal how the product evolved through months of formulation work, why they chose 100% olive oil and what it took to receive Non-GMO Project verification just days before their labels went to print. Don pulls back the curtain on how Sprouts discovers, develops and scales emerging brands. He explains why the retailer is comfortable working with lean, early-stage founders, how its foraging and merchandising teams collaborate and why taking calculated risks is essential to discovering the next major food trend. The group also explores the responsibility that comes with influence, the difference between an authentic founder and a celebrity endorsement, the growing demand for protein and the importance of separating science-backed nutrition from short-lived wellness trends.

What if the future of cake mix meant going back to the grains we've been eating for thousands of years? Meet Alyssa Fernandez, founder of OLLIN (All In Y’all), the Texas-born baking brand on a mission to rethink the traditional boxed cake mix with ancient grains, a simpler ingredient philosophy, and a whole lot of Lone Star spirit. In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, Alyssa shares how she went from journalism, teaching, and Google to building a food startup from scratch. After turning her own wedding cake recipe into a commercial product, she's working to prove that consumers shouldn't have to choose between gluten-free alternatives and conventional cake mixes with long ingredient lists. From her Pitch Slam experience to landing Texas retail partners, navigating manufacturing, and raising capital, Alyssa gets candid about the realities of building a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand—and why she believes OLLIN can become the next iconic Texas legacy brand.

What happens when AI starts running behind the scenes of your grocery store—and eventually decides what ends up in your shopping cart? On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, we sit down with Evan Naylor, VP of AI Transformation at Sprouts Farmers Market, and Max from RELEX Solutions, who leads AI development, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping grocery retail, supply chains, and the future of commerce. From making it easier for emerging brands to get on store shelves to preparing for a world where AI agents shop on our behalf, this conversation gets into what AI transformation actually looks like inside a growing retail business—and what it means for brands, employees, and consumers.