When I went to visit this rice cake plant, I hadn't realized how the rice cakes were made. As soon as I saw the molds of rice and how the heat pops it like popcorn, the light bulb went off. This is popped. This isn't baked or fried.
I'm definitely a serial entrepreneur and a serial snacker. And when it comes to snacks, I'm more of a salty snacker, though I've been known to have a craving for sweets from time to time.
We focused on getting popchips into the hands of tastemakers and influencers wherever they were, from the fashionistas at Mercedes Benz fashion week to the passengers on Virgin Airlines.
My focus has always been on connecting with consumers in a meaningful way.
You can't rest on your laurels. You have to continue to innovate; you have to continue to be different.
There's a deli around the corner from my office where I'd get a bag of chips with my sandwich, and I was hiding them under my sandwich because I was embarrassed. When I had this epiphany that I was hiding the potato chips from myself, I realized there was an opportunity there.
