Breezy Griffith is the Co-founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, a better-for-you snack brand reinventing treats with big flavor, less sugar, and real ingredients. She and her mom launched the company from their kitchen table after a family tragedy inspired them to build something meaningful together. Breezy has guided SkinnyDipped from door-to-door sales to national retail growth and leads strategy, innovation, sales, marketing, and expansion while building a family-rooted team and philanthropic work supporting women entrepreneurs.

Building a food brand takes more than a good idea; it requires sharp instincts, constant problem-solving, and the willingness to keep moving even when the path is messy, expensive, or uncertain. How does a founder turn a simple unmet craving into a nationally recognized brand without losing the heart behind it?

The answer starts with staying close to the original reason for building in the first place. Breezy Griffith, a CPG founder and leader in better-for-you snacking, shares how food, family, and consumer needs shaped her approach to growth. Rather than overcomplicating early decisions, Breezy leaned into making something people genuinely want to eat, then used sampling, retail learning, and brand storytelling to create momentum. She also points to the importance of defined roles, trusted collaborators, and building a team that feels like an extension of the founding values. Her perspective offers a reminder that growth is often built through small, consistent decisions that stack into something much bigger.

In this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf sits down with Breezy Griffith, Co-founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, to discuss building a family-founded snack brand rooted in flavor, grit, and purpose. Breezy shares why sampling drove early traction, how Target became a turning point, and what guides innovation. She also touches on philanthropy, women founders, team culture, and telling the story behind the brand.

Taja Dockendorf is the Founder and Creative Director of Pulp+Wire, a female-founded, full-service CPG branding and marketing agency. With over 18 years of experience, she has helped build, launch, and scale hundreds of brands across the natural and organic foods, cannabis, hemp, and lifestyle categories. She has led brand strategy and creative campaigns for notable companies, including Ryan Snacks, Allagash Brewing, and Ocean Spray. A seasoned brand strategist, creative leader, and investor in emerging brands, Taja is known for blending strategy, storytelling, and design to create brands that stand out in competitive markets.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping creative work, leaving many creatives torn between excitement and anxiety. While AI promises speed and efficiency, it also raises concerns about originality, emotional depth, and the loss of human intuition in branding and storytelling. How can creatives embrace AI without sacrificing the soul of their work?

A brand strategist and creative director with deep expertise in CPG branding and storytelling, Taja Dockendorf explains that AI works best as a supportive tool rather than a creative replacement. She emphasizes the importance of intentional prompting, iteration, and leveraging AI as a thought partner to organize ideas and refine direction. Taja encourages creatives to protect their intuition, lived experience, and emotional intelligence — focusing on big ideas, cultural nuance, and human connection while letting AI handle efficiency and execution support.

In this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf, Founder and Creative Director of Pulp+Wire, explores creative intelligence versus artificial intelligence. Taja discusses using AI as a junior assistant, why prompts shape outcomes, how human intuition drives great branding, and what AI still can't replicate in emotionally resonant creative work.

Camillo Franchi Scarselli is the Co-founder of Libellula, a collective supporting small family olive farms in Italy's Sabina region, north of Rome. Based near Montelibretti, he works closely with local growers to preserve traditional groves while connecting them to international markets. Through Libellula, Camillo helps farmers share resources, maintain sustainable agricultural practices, and bring high-quality extra-virgin olive oil to consumers around the world.

Pepper Gross is the Chief Marketing Officer for Libellula, the Italian olive oil collective connecting family farmers in the Sabina hills with customers in the United States and beyond. Originally from Brunswick, Maine, Pepper helped establish the company's first US distribution hub there and focuses on storytelling, partnerships, and community engagement that highlight Libellula's mission of supporting small farmers and sustainable agriculture.

The story behind many food brands begins with a place, a tradition, or a problem that needs solving. Long-standing agricultural practices are meeting modern environmental challenges and shifting markets. How do founders turn that tension between heritage and innovation into a brand that can grow while staying true to the land?

Camillo Scarselli and Pepper Gross say the answer begins with restoring value to what already exists. By bringing together small farmers and reviving neglected groves, they focus on regenerative methods that improve soil health and avoid chemical inputs. Camillo explains that long-term quality comes from patience — testing soil, adapting harvest timing, and letting nature lead the process. Pepper adds that emerging brands grow best through community by cultivating partnerships, building relationships with customers, and expanding thoughtfully rather than chasing scale too quickly. Together, their approach shows how transparency, collaboration, and respect for tradition can shape and grow a sustainable brand.

In this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, host Taja Dockendorf sits down with Camillo Scarselli, Co-founder, and Pepper Gross, CMO of Libellula, to discuss building an emerging olive oil brand rooted in regenerative farming. Camillo and Pepper explore restoring abandoned groves, scaling a collective of farmers, and balancing artisanal production with brand growth. They also discuss biodiversity in olive varieties, community partnerships, and connecting Italian agriculture with US markets.