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In This Episode You’ll Hear About:

• [1:31] More about Blake’s Seed Based, created due to a deathly nut allergy, and realizing the need for safe snack options. Blake created Blake's seed-based as a way to provide gluten-free and allergy-friendly snacks that everyone can enjoy.
• [3:10] What it was like growing up in Minneapolis as the youngest of four brothers with dreams of being a pro athlete in the NFL
• [7:40] How he learned to recover from the small identity crisis of no longer being able to reach his dream of being in the NFL, and focusing on new dreams
• [10:15] How he learned what entrepreneurship was by working at a startup, and it encouraged him to go to business school
• [12:20] The moment he knew he needed to start Blake’s Seed Based and how it all started due to a social entrepreneurship class he was taking
• [17:20] How he went about launching a Kickstarter campaign, raising $20,000 on the first day, and the three-month process it took to get there
• [31:00] What some of the most challenging moments have been, and how creating new products saved the company
• [34:00] What he’s learned in being a leader and how to manage a team
• [37:00] What’s next for the company, with new products and more expansion into retail, and the final advice he has for other entrepreneurs

To Find Out More:

 https://www.blakesseedbased.com/ 

Quotes:

“Setting goals and being very regimented was a blessing in disguise.”

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“My biggest takeaway was if I don't really have passion for that space I'm not gonna do as best a job as I could.”

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“It was a light bulb moment for me.”

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“The next three months were essentially putting together every different concoction, having classmates try it out, bringing bins to people, and just trying to put together something that tasted good, was free of nuts and the other major allergens and, and that it was something people liked.”

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“I didn't start the company to make a buck, it was really solving my own need and realizing that other people also had this problem.”

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“We aim to solve your snack need for every occasion.”

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“A lot of the great ideas for me happen when I'm not in the workday, it's when I'd be on a walk or doing something totally different where things would kind of pop in my head.”

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“The biggest unlock ast a leader is bringing on the right people and giving them leeway and letting them do their thing.”

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“You have to have the passion for the product.”

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“If you have that idea just take that next step. I was shocked by how many people are willing to help you out. Reach out on LinkedIn, reaching out to friends, getting feedback, and just sharing ideas with people in your network have been super powerful for our story.”