Business
Andrew Suzuka is the Founder of Otamot Foods, a brand that makes organic and veggie-filled tomato sauces. Otamot Foods was launched in 2019 after adding some veggies to a pizza sauce he was making for his daughter, Evelyn. The brand's sauce is now sold in over 1,000 stores, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Fresh Thyme Market, and others. If the name looks familiar, that’s because it is: “Otamot” is “Tomato” spelled backwards. Andrew is a results-driven entrepreneur focused on building meaningful brands with the help of amazing people. He joined the food industry with 20 years of experience in advertising. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: How Andrew Suzuka came up with the idea for launching a CPG product Andrew talks about his agency background and what he learned after moving to the CPG world How Andrew started his business, his co-packer search, and the types of ingredients used to make his sauces The distribution strategies Andrew used to enter retail stores and his approach for driving direct-to-consumer sales How appearing on QVC has impacted Otamot Foods and how the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the brand Andrew explains how he works with agencies to build his brand and how he balances his day job with growing the company Andrew’s future expansion plans for Otamot Foods and how they plan to raise funds for the business Andrew shares his advice for growing a successful CPG brand and explains how he came up with the name, Otamot Foods Where to find Otamot Foods online and in retail In this episode… To grow a successful CPG brand, founders have to work smart and ensure that they are scaling the right way. What does this mean for you? Simple: you have to work with the right employees, partners, and agencies. Andrew Suzuka has been growing his CPG brand over the last couple of years by ensuring that he works with the right partners and agencies. He works with a PR agency, a social media agency, and brokers. He finds people with experience who will guide him and provide good feedback on the decisions he makes. Andrew Suzuka, the Founder of Otamot Foods, joins Steve Cleere in this episode of the NexxtLevel Podcast, to talk about how he has been growing an organic, veggie-filled tomato sauce brand. Andrew also explains how he works with different agencies and brokers to build his brand, how his QVC appearances have had a positive impact on his business, and his future expansion plans. Subscribe and Listen on: iTunes Spotify Stitcher Google Play Deezer iHeartRadio TuneIn Radio Public Amazon Music Resources Mentioned in this episode Kitchen2Shelf NexxtLevel Marketing Andrew Suzuka on LinkedIn Otamot Foods Otamot Foods at Whole Foods Expo East Fancy Food Show “The Frozen Little Pie with the Big Homemade Taste! - Mamie's Pies on the NexxtLevel Podcast!” with Kara Romanik, the Founder of Mamie’s Pies Sponsor for this episode... Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow. Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.