The Irresistible Factor

Hosted by Kristi Bridges

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193

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Irresistible Factor Podcast focuses on brands in the health and wellness space that want to become irresistible to consumers, investors and retailers. Kristi Bridges is the President and CEO of The Sawtooth Group where she has worked for over 20 years to create innovative, relevant strategies to bring brands and their consumers closer together. She is one of the creators of I-Factor®, the first and only research tool designed to understand today's digital consumer's relationship to brands.

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June 10, 202647 min

Choulie with Alison Cayne

She had the distribution.She had the buyers.She had the product.And she shut it down anyway.This week on The Irresistible Factor, I welcomed back Alison Cayne.A few years ago, she came on the podcast to talk about building Haven's Kitchen.This time, she came back to talk about something founders rarely discuss publicly:How she knew it was time to walk away.What struck me most was that this wasn't a failed business.The brand was loved.The products were loved.Retailers were still asking for it.Buyers were still calling.But Alison saw something many founders refuse to see:A great brand and a great product aren't enough if the business model doesn't work. One line from the conversation stayed with me:"A business is a three-legged stool: product, brand, and business."She had two of the three.And she was honest enough to admit it.That takes courage.But the reason I wanted her back wasn't just to talk about what ended.It was to talk about what comes next.Because after shutting down Haven's Kitchen, Alison didn't disappear.She spent time unpacking what worked, what didn't, and what she wanted her next chapter to look like.The result is Choulie.A fragrance-infused body oil brand built for women who are tired of being told they have a problem to solve.What fascinated me was how intentionally she approached this next business.A channel she controls.Better margins.Less operational complexity.A customer she knows intimately because she is the customer. In many ways, Choulie feels like the product of everything she learned building Haven's Kitchen.Not a pivot. An evolution.There was another part of the conversation I couldn't stop thinking about.Alison talked about interviewing dozens of women in midlife and realizing there was a false choice being presented:Either fight aging with everything you've got.Or stop caring altogether.Her belief?Most women are somewhere in the middle.They want products that make them feel good.Look good.Smell good.Without being told they're broken, aging incorrectly, or in need of fixing. That's a much bigger insight than fragrance.It's a perspective on how an entire generation of women wants to be seen.The whole conversation is packed with founder lessons, but my favorite may have been this:"The standards you accept become your standards."That's true in business.It's true in leadership.And it's true in life.We spend a lot of time celebrating founders who never quit.Maybe we should spend a little more time celebrating founders who know when to stop, learn, and build something better.

May 28, 202645 min

Harmony Baby Nutrition with Del Afonso

“We’re Not Building for Scale. We’re Building for Disruption.”I’ve interviewed a lot of founders, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say that before.And, it completely changed the way I thought about this conversation with Del Alfonso, founder of Harmony Baby Nutrition.Because most founders talk about scale as the goal: More stores.More distribution.More volume.Del talked about changing an industry that hasn’t meaningfully evolved in 100 years.When you really think about that, it’s kind of shocking. We’ve reinvented almost everything: beverages, functional nutrition, supplements, and snacks.And yet infant formula, one of the most emotionally charged, scientifically important products in the world, is still largely dominated by the same few companies, using the same approaches, and the same outdated systems.That’s wild. Especially when one out of five babies using traditional cow’s milk formula experiences some form of allergic reaction.Del started this company because his daughter needed help. And he had a realization: There really weren’t good alternatives. Not modern ones. Not science-forward ones.Not products designed around what we now know about infant nutrition. So he decided to build one.It’s not just better science. It’s better to have empathy. And that is real disruption. What I loved about Del’s perspective is that he’s not trying to out-scale the incumbents. He openly said they can’t compete on scale.But what they can do matters. Harmony can innovate faster, support parents better, and rethink the category from the ground up. That’s a very different mindset than most founders have (and maybe a healthier one too).Probably a healthier one. Because scale without innovation is really maintenance. And Real disruption changes industries. And this category is overdue. Have a listen.

May 20, 202647 min

Altar Native with Yasmin Crystal Santos

“Let It Be Easy.”“Let it be easy.”That was one of my favorite moments from my conversation with Yasmin Crystal Santos, founder of Altar Native.Not because building a company is easy.Clearly, it’s not. She’s dealing with:inventory shortageschanging manufacturersregulatory hurdlesfundraising decisionsinternational expansionAnd somehow… she still feels calm.Not passive.Not naive.Calm.And that felt almost more disruptive than the category she’s building in.Yasmin created a line of herbal alcohol alternatives after realizing alcohol no longer gave her what she was actually looking for: relief, regulation, a state shift.What started as personal survival eventually became a brand. But the bigger idea underneath it is what stayed with me:People are overwhelmed.And most of us are trying to regulate ourselves with the wrong tools.What also struck me: She doesn’t sound like most founders.No frantic “crush it at all costs” energy.No obsession with scaling as fast as possible. In fact, she openly talks about staying lean and avoiding over-raising.And yet:two social posts went viralinventory sold outinternational demand started pouring inShe used this metaphor I loved: Bamboo spends years building roots underground before it suddenly shoots up into the sky.Most founders want the growth part. Very few have the patience for the roots.The biggest takeaway for me wasn’t really about herbalism or functional beverages.It was this: You can build something ambitious without believing you have to destroy yourself in the process.And I think more founders need to hear that.This episode stayed with me long after we stopped recording.

May 14, 202641 min

Brutus Broth with Kim Hehir

“If Someone Slams the Front Door in Your Face, Go to the Back Door.”That was one of my favorite lines from my conversation with Kim Hehir, co-founder of Brutus Broth.And honestly? It might be one of the best descriptions of entrepreneurship I’ve heard in a while.Because Brutus Broth didn’t grow into a 20,000-store brand by following the traditional playbook. They grew because they kept asking.Kept testing.Kept pushing.Kept finding another way in.Even when people told them that’s “not how it works.”One of the stories I LOVED was about an early Petco meeting. Kim asked when they could get on the shelf. Their broker was horrified because apparently, you’re not supposed to ask that question.But Kim didn’t know, and so she asked anyway. And guess what? They got the placement. And that mindset shows up throughout the entire story.Target said no at first. Brutus found another way in.Walmart approached them too early. They had the discipline to say no because they weren’t ready. And guess what? Walmart came back later with a completely different vision for the pet aisle and became a major partnership for the brand. That’s not luck. That’s founder energy paired with conviction.What’s also interesting is that they didn’t build like a typical pet brand. Most brands in the category start DTC. Brutus didn’t.Their hero product was a 32-ounce liquid broth—heavy and expensive to ship. So instead, they beta tested through retail with Wegmans and Big Y before scaling. And they weren’t just looking at velocity.They paid attention to all the things retailers care about:Did the product bring new shoppers into the aisle?Did it increase basket size?Was it incremental to existing purchases?That’s a really smart lesson for emerging brands. Retailers care if your product sells. And they also care about other things, like what your product does for the store at large?And the other big tension, building awareness.Brutus Broth is now in 20,000 stores. They have strong retail relationships.New products. Momentum. But still, Kim kept coming back to the same challenge:More people need to know who they are.I think that’s one of the hardest transitions for emerging brands.Getting distribution is hard. But creating sustained consumer demand at scale?That’s a completely different challenge that EVERY brand has to tackle at some point. And that takes something most founders are in short supply of, time and patience.My biggest takeaway from this conversation:The founders who win are not always the ones following the category playbook most perfectly.Sometimes they’re the ones willing to:ask the uncomfortable questionchallenge assumptionsuse the data differentlykeep going after hearing “no”And maybe most importantly:They don’t confuse “that’s how it’s usually done” with “that’s the only way it gets done.”As marketers, we spend a lot of time talking about innovation, disruption, and growth strategy.But a surprising amount of entrepreneurship is still this simple:Ask. Follow up. Ask again. Find another way. Definitely worth a listen!

May 6, 202649 min

Vine to Bar with Ed Klein and Scott Forsberg

Sold a Little. Learned a Lot.Most brands try to skip this part.They go straight to scale.More distribution.More spend.More everything. And then wonder why nothing sticks.I interviewed Scott Forsberg and Ed Klein on the podcast this week, the founders behind a chocolate brand called Vine to Bar.On the surface, it’s already a great story: Upcycled Chardonnay grapesScience-backed benefitsBetter-for-you chocolateBut that’s not the most interesting part.The most compelling part Is what they didn’t doThey had everything you could want in a brand:TasteHealthSustainabilityA strong founder storyReal science (not marketing fluff)Most brands would take that…and try to say all of it. They did that too—at first. And it didn’t work.So They Did What Most Founders Don’t. They slowed down.They tested. They paid attention. They sold a little and learned a lot.And what they learned changed everything.The ShiftThey had multiple directions they could go: Wine + chocolate lifestyle. General “better for you”. Cardiovascular healthAll valid. None of them landed.But one did. Gut health. That shift didn’t change the product. It changed the focus. And it unlocked the business.Most founders think more is better. More SKUs. More claims. More messagingThis brand isn’t growing because it has more. It’s growing because it’s focused enough for people to care.A Final ThoughtYou don’t need more ideas.You need to figure out:What people understand instantlyWhat they actually care aboutWhat makes them come backAnd then stay there long enough for it to work.Most brands won’t do that.Because it feels slower. But it’s the way things stick.If you’re building something right now, this one’s worth a listen.

April 29, 202646 min

Quinta Marugo with Ugo Uberti Foppa

You Don’t Have to Build the Biggest Thing. You Just Have to Build the Right Thing.Most of the conversations I have on this podcast are about growth.Scaling.Raising capital.Winning in crowded categories.This one isn’t. And that’s exactly why I love it.I sat down with Ugo Urberti Foppa, founder of a retreat center in Portugal called Quinta Marugo.On paper, Ugo’s not my typical guest. No big brand. No massive exit. No “how I scaled to $100M” story.But the deeper we got into the conversation, the more it hit me. This is what so many founders say they want, but almost no one builds.This Wasn’t an Exit Strategy. It Was a Life Decision.Ugo didn’t set out to build a wellness brand.He left Italy.Worked in oil and gas.Moved to Hong Kong.Built a food business.And then… decided he didn’t want that life anymore.What he wanted was simple: A piece of land. A slower life.Something that actually felt like his. So he built it.This Business Is the LifeThis is the part that stuck with me. Most founders separate the two: Build the business, then live. Hugo did the opposite.He built a business that is the life. How inspiring is that?He lives on the propertyHe works every dayThere’s no “off” switchBut it is not something he’s trying to escapeThat’s a very different model than what most people (me included) are chasing. And it raises a question worth asking:Are you building something to eventually get out of…or something you actually want to live in every day. The Discipline Most Brands Don’t HaveThere’s a moment in the conversation where he talks about decisions they made that most businesses wouldn’t.No Wi-Fi in the rooms.No air conditioning.No push toward scale.On paper, those might look like “bad business decisions.” They limit demand.They turn people away. But they also did something more important:They made the experience real.Because the goal was never to serve everyone.It was to serve the right people. For the first 7 months after opening it was a tough go.No customers, Bookings that canceled.So what changed?A few people came.They loved it.They told others.Word of mouth took over. It’s the least sexy growth strategy, and the one most brands say they want but don’t have the patience for.The Part Most Founders Won’t AdmitThere’s a moment where he talks about how hard it actually was.Three years of building.Costs doubling during COVID.Constant problem-solving.So I asked him: “If you knew how hard it would be… would you have done it?”His answer: Probably not. That’s the truth behind almost every business.My TakeawayThere are a lot of ways to build something. You can scale fast. Raise money. Chase growth. Or you can build something that actually fits your life. Hugo chose the second. And it’s working. It made me wonder, though, could you do both? We spend a lot of time talking about how to grow. We don’t spend enough time asking:What are we actually trying to build?Not just the business. But also the life.It’s a different kind of episode, but an important one. It’s worth a listen.

April 22, 202642 min

How Rudy Aldana Built PARCH Differently

The brands that win in crowded categories aren’t chasing trends.They’re built from something real.In this episode, I sit down with Rudy Aldana (Co-Founder & CEO of PARCH) to break down what’s actually happening in non-alcoholic—and why most brands are missing it.What we get into: • Why non-alc isn’t about health—it’s about identity • The real reason consumers feel “off” when they’re not drinking • Where most brands go wrong (they keep adding) • Why PARCH launched with 4 SKUs—and stayed there • The difference between traction and just more ideasThe Takeaway:Go stand in front of the shelf and ask:Why would someone actually pick this?Because in a category full of noise—the brands that win aren’t doing more.They’re doing the right things, better, for longer.

March 18, 202636 min

Interview with Michael Ramsey – Co-founder and Co-CEO of Strong Pilates

There are some categories where it feels like the world does not need one more brand.Fitness is one of them, especially Pilates.So when I sat down with Michael Ramsey, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Strong Pilates, I wanted to understand how they’re breaking through in spite of that.This was the line that stayed with me:The problem wasn’t Pilates. It was everything else people still needed. That’s the insight behind Strong.People love Pilates. They believe in it. But they also want strength, cardio, progress, and results, and they don’t want to have to piece that together across multiple studios and memberships.So instead of launching another Pilates concept, they built something different.In this episode, we talk about:What it actually takes to stand out in a saturated categoryWhy differentiation has to live in the business, not just in the brandingHow founder conviction shows up in real decisions (and real risk)What’s changed in marketing and why content now has to carry more weight than everHow to scale without losing the thing that made people care in the first placeOne thing I kept thinking about after:- Winning in a crowded market isn’t about being louder.- It’s about being clearer.- This is a really good one if you’re building anything right now.

January 7, 202652 min

The Future of At-Home Diagnostics with Nanowear CEO & Co-Founder Venk Varadan

Most wearables track one thing at a time: steps, sleep, heart rate. Nanowear is building something entirely new: a single piece of fabric that acts like a full physical exam whenever you wear it.CEO and co-founder Venk Varadan started the company nearly ten years ago with his father, Dr. Vijay Varadan, after discovering a breakthrough textile that can read the body without adhesives or multiple devices. One fabric-based sensor captures heart, lungs, blood pressure, respiration, and metabolic signals all at once; nothing on the market can do that today.Rather than rushing a consumer launch, Venk spent years doing the hard part: FDA clearances, clinical validation, and building the infrastructure so Nanowear’s technology could plug into virtual care platforms, employer health plans, and connected devices people already use.The long-term vision? Over-the-counter diagnostic kits anyone can use at home, real, clinical-grade data you can take straight to your doctor.The path has been long: years of R&D, tough fundraising cycles, and a market that wasn’t ready for a category this big. But Venk never lost sight of the mission.“If we don’t build this, it’s not going to happen.”Next up: a 2026 rollout, employer-led prevention programs, and eventually global access, especially for people far from consistent medical care.A decade in, Nanowear remains a rare founder story: slow, disciplined, and quietly building the future of diagnostics.

November 19, 202547 min

Mothering the Mothers with Arisa Katayama of For Her by Arisa

When Arisa Katayama had her daughter in LA during COVID, she did what most first-time moms do: focused on the birth and the baby, not herself. Then the fourth trimester hit. Sleep-deprived, still breastfeeding late into the night, she kept opening a half-empty fridge filled with leftovers and frozen pizza, realizing there was nothing truly nourishing or postpartum-safe for her.That moment became the seed for For Her by Arisa, a Japanese-born brand now launching in the U.S. with postpartum recovery soups rooted in yakuzan, a traditional philosophy where TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) meets Japanese home cooking.Arisa’s mission: “We’re here to mother women, because women spend their lives mothering everyone else.”Key takeaways from our conversation:Postpartum first, women’s health always:From supporting new moms to addressing hormones across periods, fertility, miscarriage, postpartum, and menopause.Traditional wisdom, modern format:Japanese and TCM-inspired soups that blend comforting, grandma-style recipes with functional, clinical intention.Built on cross-cultural insight:Started in Japan with shelf-stable pouches; adapted to U.S. preferences with frozen, handmade Orange County–produced soups.Growing slowly, on purpose:Bootstrapped and intentionally rolling out through doulas, practitioners, and sampling before broader retail.Explore more at forherbyarisa.com or on Instagram @forherbyarisa.