Cutting Crusts Instead of Corners
About this episode
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In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
• [00:02:48] Where Dillon calls home now, about his hometown, some childhood memories, siblings, and what he was into as a kid.
• [00:04:15] What sparked his competitive mindset, his first exposure to entrepreneurship, early jobs, and what he aspired to be when he grew up.
• [00:06:00] Dillon’s childhood challenges, being cut from his first sport, his struggle through tough formative high school years, and why he tattooed his SAT score on his body.
• [00:08:40] His college story, dropping out of state school, switching his mindset, viewing community college as a business opportunity, and a life-changing moment he experienced.
• [00:10:35] Gaining confidence in who he was, the track he was on for his career, and looking at college and his degree as a stepping stone in his life’s trajectory.
• [00:12:40] The journey behind what inspired him to get into entrepreneurship, how he created his first app and started his first company.
• [00:17:30] His evolving journey from a digital marketer and landing on performance marketing for e-commerce brands.
• [00:18:45] How he came up with the idea for Chubby Snacks and shifted gears from e-commerce to food and beverage.
• [00:21:28] What it was like being hit with a cease-and-desist from Smuckers, how they navigated the entire situation, and why they decided on a cloud-shaped sandwich.
• [00:25:21] How they came up with the name Chubby Snacks and how their operations have been the differentiator for their product.
• [00:32:30] He talks about fundraising and finding investors by showcasing their story, work ethic, and vision.
• [00:34:10] The challenges they’ve overcome, dealing with B.S., and maintaining perseverance.
• [00:36:08] What it was like getting into retail, focusing on moving products already on the shelf, and why they’re all moving to San Diego.
• [00:40:52] Dillon’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and what’s next for Chubby Snacks!
To Find Out More:
Quotes:
“My mom was a personal trainer and spin instructor as a kid, so I got to see firsthand what it meant to be in the best shape of your life at a very early age, and I thank my mom a lot for instilling very healthy habits for me.” [0:03:20]
“[Being an athlete growing up] ultimately created this competitive mindset for me, which I think I carry very closely to me at this point in my life.” [0:04:17]
“I actually have my SAT score tattooed on me because I did terribly on my SATs — as a constant reminder that it didn’t mean anything.”[0:07:13]
“What sticks with me the most is that it doesn’t matter where you start; it matters where you finish.” [0:08:16]
“I looked at junior college [or] community college, as a business opportunity.” [0:08:50]
“I saw [college] as more of a stepping stone, I didn’t necessarily go to college with the expectation that whatever my degree was, I was going to end up in that field after — it was another one of the building blocks that ultimately led to gaining more confidence.” [0:11:55]
“I have the ability to think differently and think logically, so why can’t I come up with an idea that can ultimately be turned from an idea into a reality?” [0:13:41]
“With a name like Chubby Snacks, the cloud-shaped sandwich, we think we’ve done a really good job at ultimately putting our sandwich at the forefront of grocery stores.” [0:24:47]
“You hear a name like Chubby Snacks and you’re going to remember that. It doesn’t matter in what capacity, but when you think of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you’re either going to think about the Uncrustable or you’re going to think about Chubby Snacks!” [0:25:27]
“I can’t possibly take myself too seriously, I sell peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a living, right? Why not have fun with this!” [0:26:18]
“We laugh and joke and say that we are the Albert Einsteins of peanut butter and jelly manufacturing. There’s not joke, we are. We’ve tried 100 different ways to make these things and we cracked the code time and time again!” [0:29:46]
“We constantly showcased our abilities to be good problem solvers, and I think that carries a lot of weight in order to be able to get people to really buy into what it is that we are doing.” [0:33:26]
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