Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods

GP @ConsumerVenture and CEO @AwakenedFoods. Proud to play a small role in helping build great consumer brands and companies.

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

I spent some time this week demoing our new Cybele's Free to Eat Ancient Grain Pops, the latest products by @CybelesFTE and the first products developed in collaboration with @AwakenedFoods.

A 🧵 (1 of 9)

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Who out there has recommendations for AI tools that help you manage keyword campaigns?

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

If anyone can tell me how to get my son’s home location (ie our home address) to show up as a place in maps on his @apple watch I will name my next child after you

The address is setup as his “home” in his contact on his watch and that contact shows up as “me” on his watch, but go to maps and there is no “home” and can’t figure out how to even set as a saved location (it’s a child watch setup as a family member from my phone…he does not have a separate phone)

Basically this summer want to give him a little more freedom but also have him be able to just go to maps on his watch and get directions to go home…but for the life of me can’t figure out a way to get that setup or saved as a location?

[Zach Greenberg @ZachCPG]

The game is still dominated by brands over investing in field merchandising. It's boring, and it's undefeated.

Partnering with agencies that can drop 1,000x 1099 reps into your top banners, ensure your product is merchandised properly with tags, build secondary placements, and keep your product in stock.

Your competitor will go out of stock and nobody touches that set for a week until a store employee gets to it.

Meanwhile your field merch team is in store getting reorders placed and putting your product in front of more consumers.

your brand will always win.

the better field teams today run through execution portals, so you get visibility into:

before pics
after pics
shelf compliance (are the right SKUs in the right places)
Out of Stock alerts
reorders placed
secondary placements built

No amount of Meta spend will ever do that.

Rule of thumb: ~$25 per store visit.

For the best groups, expect at least a 90 day commitment with a few hundred doors commitment a month.

I've seen a few brands try to build field merchandising teams in house, but they just can't compete with the scale of some of the incumbent agencies.

If I’m running a $10M food/bev brand trying to get to $50M, or a $50M brand trying to get to $100M...

field merchandising gets more budget, you’re influencing the shopper within feet of purchase.

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

@cpgwire Amazing! Huge congrats to all involved!!!

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Absolutely hate to see this, but @Fender is putting on a master class on how quickly you can destroy a brand

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

If you are a Sprouts Farmers Market shopper, we've got a great deal for you!

(And if you aren't a Sprouts shopper, why the heck aren't you?)

Be sure to follow @FreeToEatFoods for more news, deals, and some new products coming out soon!!!

[Free To Eat @FreeToEatFoods]

April Showers Bring May Flowers...and discounts on Free To Eat Cookies at Sprouts Farmers Market!!!

@sproutsfm is one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural, and organic food in the United States. Sprouts operates more than 400 stores in 23 states nationwide, employs over 30,000 team members, and is a FANTASTIC supporter of Free To Eat and our mission to bring delicious cookies to the world, especially to those who need gluten-free and allergen-free options.

For a limited time, Free To Eat cookies are ON SALE at participating Sprouts Farmers Market stores and on their website.​

BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES AMAZING SNACKS

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Decided to give @SouthwestAir and their new policies a try

Paid for a premium seat so I could have the flexibility in case I needed to change flights

That allows me to pick a seat, so win/win, right?

WRONG

Flight delayed and in the process I somehow got changed from a window seat (that I paid up for) to a CENTER seat ☹️

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Adding my 2 cents on the @SouthwestAir policy changes. I have almost 1 million miles on TWO different (other) major carriers from my big corp/PE days but I've used Southwest almost exclusively since jumping back into the entrepreneur pool a few years ago. It was a no brainer, and I advised our whole company to do the same.

This will no longer be the case. We will still consider Southwest when making our travel decisions, but it is very disappointing to see them change the policies (like the ability to change flights or jump on an earlier standby flight, plus now they are cancelling flight credits) that truly made them different.

A comparison of their current vs new policies below:

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Get your mom some cookies!

[Free To Eat @FreeToEatFoods]

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms out there! 💐

To help celebrate, enjoy 30% off at https://t.co/aOqg0rI0jh...just use code LOVEMOM30 at checkout to get the best allergen-free, gluten-free snacks on the market (ok, we’re admittedly biased…but that’s our view 😉)

BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES AMAZING SNACKS ❤️

https://t.co/FYHqD8pYoN

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

A month or so after finally updating to the new @Microsoft @Outlook on a Mac and it is just so unbelievably awful that I cannot even describe it

What are people using on a Mac for a single email/calendar platform to consolidate multiple accounts that actually works?

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

For any parents who have gone through this process lately, I salute you! I've gone through this twice now in just the last few years...whew!!!

Great deal on @FreeToEatFoods snacks if anyone is looking to try them or stock up. I'm admittedly biased, but if you have kids with food allergies or looking for gluten-free, vegan, etc. options...these really are the most amazing cookies you can buy (I can't take any credit for that, other than eating a TON of them).

https://t.co/dxmFpHBeTQ

[Free To Eat @FreeToEatFoods]

National College Decision Day is this Friday, May 1 🎓

To those heading off to college next year, CONGRATS!

And to the parents who helped them get there, THANK YOU!

Let’s celebrate the college class of 2030 with 30% OFF Free To Eat, just use code GRADS30 to buy products on the Free To Eat website (valid through decision day)

Special shout out to parents of kids with food allergies, for all you do to keep your children safe (IYKYK, and we know ❤️)

BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES DELICIOUS SNACKS

https://t.co/iNq3Cn42kr

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Not the X content you were looking for today, but the X content you needed today

[Dr. Clown, PhD @DrClownPhD]

This is what AI was made for 🤣

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

NGL I could have used this last night at mini golf (if you have young kids, you know exactly what I’m talking about)

[Community Notes & Violations @CNviolations]

That's why I always carry a bag of clear water

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

@drewfallon12 You should follow me just for my grandpa Simpson takes on pitch decks (do it yourself, keep it simple, and never, ever, ever pay an outside agency)…just tell your story (and learn to be a good storyteller)

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Sell Through > Sell In

That's it. That's the tweet.

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Congrats @DU_Hockey! Go Pioneers!!!

[University of Denver @UofDenver]

"To me, we’re the thing that everybody wants.” — David Carle

Thank you to our fans, alumni, and community for supporting an unforgettable run to a historic 11th NCAA National Championship. We're proud to continue to set the standard for excellence, both on and off the ice.

Congratulations to @DU_Hockey on this incredible achievement! ❤️💛

📸: NCAA Photos
#C11ampions x #UniversityofDenver

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

For kids with food allergies (like my daughter), moments like this aren’t always as simple as they seem

When treats are safe for everyone, no one worries, no one sits out...every kid just gets to be a kid

That’s why we make @FreeToEatFoods cookies

Because everyone deserves to feel like they belong

BECAUSE EVERYONE DESERVES AMAZING SNACKS

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Had to finally upgrade from "Legacy" @Microsoft @Outlook on a Mac to "new" Outlook (because old Outlook kept crashing my computer due to what I must assume was a massive a memory leak)

Just miserable. Stupid, basic stuff still broken or mission. Formatting of signatures is totally messed up. Can't turn on/off hidden paragraph markers when editing email. Can no longer click within an email to see the conversation or related emails (this is a huge loss).

This product has been out since 2020. It has been the default email client since 2022. HOW CAN IT STILL BE THIS BAD!?!

Or do they just hate Mac users that much?

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

@Shwinnabego All good points, but despite those tailwinds there are also a TON of vitamin and supplement brands that either fail or are desperately trying to survive in a category that looks like this (all the more reason why you need to do something different to stand out):

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

KeHE is implementing a variable fuel surcharge as a result of rising gas prices

[Jason Starr, Consumer Ventures, Awakened Foods @JasonStarr]

Way to go @DU_Hockey!!!

[Denver Hockey @DU_Hockey]

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?

#GoPios