ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

Hosted by ContenderCast

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

669

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Welcome to the ContenderCast with Justin Honaman, a leadership and Consumer Industries entrepreneurship conversation centered on shining a light on bright ideas. The ContenderCast is the top global Consumer Industries entrepreneurship podcast. Justin is a digital commerce leader, author, communicator, and Consumer Products / Retail industry thought-leader based in Atlanta, Georgia. For additional information and guest access, visit contendercast.com. Every winner started as a contender!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 14, 202622 min

SUPERTEAMS: THE SCIENCE AND SECRETS OF HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS

Ron Friedman, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist who helps leaders build high-performing teams. He is the bestselling author of The Best Place to Work and Decoding Greatness. His new book, Superteams: The Science and Secrets of High-Performing Teams, reveals what the best teams do differently. Superteams reveals what the best teams do differently, based on the most comprehensive study of elite groups ever conducted. After surveying thousands of teams, award-winning social psychologist Ron Friedman found that the most successful teams aren't the ones that collaborate most, get along best, or put in the longest hours. What really sets them apart is the way they manage their energy and attention, bring out the best in one another, and keep improving over time. Ron joins Justin to dive deep into Superteams.

June 8, 202626 min

COCO5 :: WHAT COCONUT WATER WISHES IT TASTED LIKE

Made with real ingredients, 5 electrolytes, and a natural taste you'll love, Coco5 is perfect for at the gym, on the go—and even the morning after a long night out. Treat yourself to active hydration that's actually good. Real good. That's Coco5. Jim Reynolds joins Justin to discuss this high-growth brand!

June 1, 202614 min

SNAKKIDZ

Snakkidz was born out of a simple yet powerful eureka moment: Why should parents have to choose between a snack that's healthy and one that's fun and tasty? They decided it was high time to blend the best of both worlds into every bite, making snack time the highlight of the day, not just another hurdle to overcome. They are all about making 'healthy' the new 'happy' for snack time for kids and parents alike! CEO and co-founder Steve Weiss joins Justin to unpack this fast-growing food brand.

May 25, 202630 min

LENSDIRECT :: YOUR VISION YOUR WAY

LensDirect is a family-owned, New York-based online retailer specializing in contact lenses, eyeglasses, and specialized lens replacements for existing frames. Operating for over 30 years, they offer major brand contacts, LensDirect branded eyewear, and a popular mail-in service that replaces old lenses with new prescriptions. CEO, Ryan Alovis joins Justin to share the LensDirect story!

May 18, 202632 min

ZICO COCONUT WATER, GROUNDFORCE CAPITAL & AN ENTREPRENEUR'S GUIDE TO FREEDOM

Mark Rampolla built ZICO Coconut Water over nine years and sold it to Coca-Cola for over $200M. Then seven years later, bought it back. Now he's rebuilding it bigger than ever, going for $1B+, and documenting the entire process. Mark also leads GroundForce Capital, a $600M firm investing in companies like Liquid Death, Bobbie, and Humm Kombucha. And he's using this rebuilt operating system—FreedomOS—to take ZICO past where it was when he sold it the first time. Not with more grind. With more clarity, more ease, and more fun. Mark joins Justin to discuss beverage, entrepreneurship and more.

May 8, 202633 min

EVERBOWL

Everbowl is a Southern California-based fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in customizable superfood bowls and smoothies aimed at promoting a healthy, "unevolved" lifestyle. Founded in 2016, it features fruit-based bases like acai, pitaya, and graviola topped with fresh fruit, granola, and nuts. Founder Jeff Fenster joins Justin to discuss this fast-growing brand!

May 4, 202625 min

ALAFFIA :: CLEAN, GREEN, FAIR TRADE BEAUTY

Olowo-n'djo Tchala (Olo) is the founder of Alaffia, the fair-trade beauty brand he built for two decades. Olo joins Justin to discuss launching and growing this clean, green, fair-trade brand!

April 26, 202614 min

PAKING DUCK :: CUSTOM PACKAGING FOR CPG BRANDS

Jason Wong is the award-winning Founder and CEO of Paking Duck, a revolutionary packaging manufacturing company that's redefining how consumer brands bring products to market. Born in Hong Kong and immigrating to America at age 8, Jason combines his bicultural perspective with serial entrepreneurial success—starting his first business at age 14 and achieving his first major win at 23 with Doe Lashes, building it to a $15 million valuation in one year from a $500 investment after solving his girlfriend's struggle with uncomfortable false lashes. Through Paking Duck's award-winning Packaging Network Model and proprietary AI-powered tools, Jason has created a strategically-partnered manufacturing business that serves everyone from Fiji Water to emerging beauty brands, delivering the speed, flexibility, and creative freedom that traditional factories cannot provide. His approach embodies innovation, transparency, and founder empowerment, turning packaging from an operational headache into a strategic advantage for scaling consumer brands. Jason joins Justin to unpack Paking Duck products and services!

April 20, 202622 min

LOONEN :: STILL & SPARKLING SPRING-SOURCED PURIFIED WATER

When Clara Sieg was pregnant with her daughter, she became acutely aware of what she was putting in and on her body. She focused on avoiding toxins and plastics, and there seemed to be thoughtful alternatives in nearly every category - from food to personal care to home cleaning. But when it came to water, things got murky. She couldn't make sense of what was actually in tap water, and the more she learned about bottled water, the more she becamse interested in developing a new better-for-you product. What started as an effort to protect her growing family quickly became an interest in creating something better. That's how Loonen was born. Co-founder Clara Sieg joins Justin to unpack the Loonen story.

April 13, 202623 min

AMERICAN VINEGAR WORKS

Boston-based American Vinegar Works is bringing artisanal vinegar back to the US, reviving a centuries-old fermentation process from the 1820s, transforming it into a modern craft brand that meets growing consumer demand for authentic, clean-label, premium pantry staples. The vinegar market is a $10.8B global industry, and specialty vinegars are among the fastest-growing categories, projected to expand nearly 7% annually. Founder Rodrigo Vargas joins Justin to share how artisanal vinegar is not just a culinary trend, but a growing landscape of consumer demand and what it takes to reimagine a historic American industry in 2026.