The Pour Decisions Podcast

TikTok is no longer just a content platform. For CPG brands, it is quickly becoming one of the most powerful places to build community, learn from consumers, and drive measurable sales. In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti sits down with Harley Sutton, Founder of Thanks Naturals and H&H Studios, to unpack how she went from launching a wellness brand while completing her JD/MBA to building a vertically integrated CPG business and a TikTok operation that now livestreams up to 12 hours a day. She breaks down why TikTok Live should feel more like FaceTime than QVC, why connection comes before the sale, and how live conversations can generate consumer insights that traditional e-commerce simply cannot. If you’re building, marketing, or selling a consumer brand, this episode is a practical look at how social commerce is changing the CPG playbook in real time.

Building a brand consumers actually care about takes more than a great product — and Marsh Mokhtari has the exit to prove it. In this conversation, Dino Sarti sits down with Gray Whale Gin Co-Founder and Make Waves Ventures Co-Founder Marsh Mokhtari to unpack how he and his wife went all-in on an idea, sold their house, built Gray Whale into a nationally distributed spirits brand, and ultimately exited the company. Marsh dives deep into the fundamentals he believes every winning brand needs: great liquid, a great story, and a great pack — plus a compelling answer to the much harder question of why should the consumer care? He shares how ocean conservation became integral to Gray Whale’s reason for being, why relentless in-store tastings helped create pull-through, and how the brand went from launching in 2018 to selling 50% of the business shortly after launch and eventually completing its exit. If you’re building, scaling, investing in, or hoping to eventually sell a consumer brand — this episode is a masterclass in creating something people actually want to buy.

Leaving an 18-year banking career to launch a beverage brand from scratch is one thing — doing it as a solo founder while reconnecting with your culture is another. In this conversation, Dino Sarti sits down with Kampeon founder Chris Galang to unpack how a personal search for better sparkling water flavors turned into a Filipino-inspired beverage brand built around culture, community, and thoughtful growth. Chris dives into the realities of building Kampeon from the ground up — finding a formulator and co-packer, developing packaging that can stand out on shelf, introducing flavors like calamansi to a broader audience, and building early traction through retail, direct sales, and community. They also get into one of the biggest challenges for emerging beverage brands: knowing when to scale, where to focus, and why being everywhere can sometimes be less valuable than building real density in one market. If you’re building, scaling, or thinking about launching a beverage brand — this episode is a practical look at what the early-stage journey actually takes.

Most companies never reach their 100th anniversary. Jel Sert is reaching that milestone while making some of its biggest investments yet. In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti, Co-Founder at LA Libations, sits down with Ken Wegner, third-generation owner and President of Jel Sert, to explore how a family business founded in a Chicago kitchen grew into a national food and beverage company with approximately 850 SKUs, 1,400 employees and products sold in more than 100,000 retail doors. Ken shares the history behind Jel Sert’s first gelatin dessert, the launch of Flavor Aid during the Great Depression and the company’s expansion into freezer pops, powdered drink mixes, functional hydration and licensed products. He also explains why Jel Sert believes the stick-pack category is still at the beginning of its growth curve and how the company is building toward annual capacity of more than 4 billion sticks. The conversation also covers the enduring appeal of Otter Pops, the strategy behind licensing brands such as Skittles, Jolly Rancher, Starburst and Margaritaville, Jel Sert’s acquisition and growth of All Sport, the opportunity in industrial hydration and what it takes to successfully lead a multigenerational family business.

What does it take to build one of the largest sales and marketing agencies in consumer products without taking outside investment? In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, Dino Sarti sits down with Tyler Lowell, Managing Partner & CEO of CA Fortune, to discuss how the company grew from a small regional brokerage into a national organization with 1,500 employees, serving brands from early-stage startups to enterprise companies. Tyler shares his journey from working at Aldi to leading one of the industry's fastest-growing firms, why CA Fortune has remained privately owned, the importance of hiring "corporate athletes," and how emerging brands can successfully navigate retail growth. Whether you're launching your first product or scaling nationally, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on leadership, retail strategy, brokerage, merchandising, acquisitions, and building sustainable businesses.

What does it take to transform a regional barbecue sauce brand into one of the most recognizable names in flavor? In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti sits down with Greg Lansing, Director of Business Development at Kinders, to discuss the brand’s incredible growth story, the evolution from sauces to seasonings and frozen foods, and how innovation, packaging, and persistence helped Kinders become a household name. Greg shares his personal journey from architecture to the grocery business, the lessons learned from years as a broker, and why Kinders continues to find new ways to win with consumers and retailers alike.

Most people don't fail because they aren't capable—they fail because they talk themselves out of opportunities before they ever begin. In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti sits down with confidence expert, keynote speaker, author, and leadership coach Juan Bendana to explore what confidence really is, why comparison is killing ambition, and how top performers build the mindset needed to take action despite uncertainty. Juan shares his journey from speaking to high school students at age 20 to coaching CEOs, professional athletes, Olympians, and leadership teams across North America. Along the way, he reveals the habits, frameworks, and lessons that have helped thousands of people develop confidence and perform at a higher level.

What happens when a life-threatening health crisis becomes the catalyst for building a purpose-driven brand? In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, Dino Sarti and Danny Stepper sit down with Mari Fassett, Founder & CEO of MariMix, alongside her husband and co-founder Scott Fassett. Mari shares her incredible journey from making homemade snack mixes as a child to building a fast-growing snack brand now found in nearly 1,000 stores. After surviving a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2017, Mari reimagined both her life and her business—creating a better-for-you snack line focused on whole grains, fiber, clean ingredients, and inclusivity. The conversation covers retail growth, product innovation, Costco roadshows, fundraising, retailer relationships, and the lessons learned from scaling a family-owned business.

What happens when a Hollywood editor, songwriter, and lifelong coffee lover discovers mushroom coffee—and decides to build a better version? In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, Dino Sarti sits down with Mark Merthe, Founder of La Republica, to discuss the rise of mushroom coffee, the science behind functional mushrooms, building a wellness brand from scratch, and expanding into major retail accounts. Mark shares how a TED Talk and personal experience with mushroom coffee inspired him to launch La Republica, why he chose seven functional mushrooms instead of one, and how the brand has grown from an Amazon startup to placement in Erewhon, Gelson’s, HomeGoods, Natural Grocers, and more. They also dive into entrepreneurship, grocery distribution, longevity trends, health optimization, and the changing consumer demand for functional wellness products.

For nearly three decades, Mark Olejnik, Director of National Accounts at C&H Sugar / ASR Group, has helped build relationships across some of the largest retailers in North America while becoming deeply involved in one of the grocery industry's most influential organizations—the Illuminators. In this episode of Pour Decisions, host Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of LA Libations, sits down with Mark to discuss leadership, loyalty, retail relationships, the power of industry networking, and how organizations like WAFC and the Illuminators continue to develop the next generation of grocery leaders. From managing national retail accounts to mentoring emerging brands, Mark shares lessons from a 30-year career in grocery, plus unexpected insights from endurance horseback riding and mountain biking that have shaped his leadership philosophy.