On today’s episode, we have Julie Busha on – she is the Founder of Slawsa, a hybrid cabbage cased relish condiment that uniquely combines a coleslaw and salsa.

It is a 100%  bootstrapped product business set up by Julie from scratch. She has a marketing background that has helped her navigate the murky waters of launching a food brand to grocery stores. Slawsa is currently stocked and sold in 8,000 grocery retail stores all across U.S. and Canada including restaurants and food joints.

Slawsa’s current success has been five years in making and seen its share of setbacks –  In 2013 Julie was unable to secure a Shark Tank investment, but just after a week, her resilience pushed her to launch an Indiegogo campaign that only raised 5% of its target. Her tenacity and momentum she has built have led her to getting Slawsa into numerous TV cooking shows, magazines, grocery chains and restaurants.

Let’s hear the rest straight from her.

In this episode you will hear about:

• How Slawsa started and how Julie booked meetings with buyers that eventually took her product in their shelves.
• The best way to jump in on an opportunity, no matter how small it is.
• How finding a mentor in the same category as your product can help you avoid some expensive mistakes.
• How telling the buyers how wonderful your product is will not work. Find out what the buyers care about when you go call for a meeting.

Guest’s Top Tips:

1. Unique products require you to educate the market about it before you can build a brand for yourself.
2. The channels to which you are reaching out to is important, as you cannot hope to be featured on Oprah or any TV shows when you are just in 200 stores. A lot of people will have a hard time reaching your products.
3. You have to remember that you are not the only product that one particular store is looking at. They may be reviewing a totally different category, so you have to be mindful of that especially when calling and asking for a meeting.
4. When you are in a meeting with a buyer, note that they are not interested in how good your product is. They will want to know how you will market your product because that is how they will sell fast.
5. Be alert and always strive to know everything from the news and any media outlet, once you hear or see a window of opportunity, immediately act on it. Jump in and start your pitch.

Parting Advice – The Lightning Round

Future Plans

• Launching a secondary line. Redefine what relish is.

Hiring People

• She hires people who have assets where she is weaker in. She tries to communicate regularly.

Indispensable Tools

• Calendar
• Positive attitude

Best Mistake

• She regrets that she was too trusting and generous.

Best Advice

• Support small businesses.

Books Or Resources

• Larry Winget Books
• You’re Broke Because You Want To Be

Key Takeaways (with timestamps)

(5:40) The more unique your product is, the more ability it is going to have to attract retailers and eventually succeed.

(9:11) You have a short time on the shelf to prove yourself, so you really have to work on the awareness of people.

(13:19) The buyer will want to know how you will market the brand.

(15:30) You will not immediately be put into the shelves.

(35:16) Getting a mentor in the same industry as you who did what you are trying to do 5-7 years ago, may help you avoid expensive mistakes.