In this episode of Tardigrades, Not Unicorns, Elliot sits down with longtime friend Matt Weiss, founder and CEO of Rind, the better-for-you snacking brand built on whole-fruit nutrition. Matt shares his journey from 19 years as a Wall Street research analyst to building a CPG company from a nights-and-weekends side project into a vertically integrated manufacturing platform, Keep It Real Foods.

Matt and Elliot dig into:

• Leaving a stable career on Wall Street for the "riskier" path of staying safe, and the mentor conversation that gave him the confidence to jump
• Why discomfort and groundlessness are signals of growth, not warning signs
• Building tailwinds into the business model from day one (convenience, sustainability, food waste reduction) to survive unpredictable headwinds like COVID
• The strategic case for vertical integration — acquiring a Vermont manufacturing facility and how one deal snowballed into a broader platforming strategy
• Shifting from "grow at all costs" to building a durable, EBITDA-positive business focused on optionality rather than a predetermined exit
• Balancing focus and diversification: competing internally for manufacturing capacity and making trade-offs on where Rind shows up
• Evolving from "doer" to "architect" to "builder of capacity" as a leader, and what that shift required
• Why human judgment, discernment, and relationship-building are the edge that AI can't replicate
• Parenting, boundaries, and blending family with business-building
• Advice for founders chasing "lightning in a bottle": build for relevance past year three, not just fast traction

Connect with Matt Weiss and learn more about Rind and Keep It Real Foods.

Learn more about Tardigrades, Not Unicorns at tigbrands.com.

In this episode, Elliot Bisnow sits down with Miguel Leal, co-founder and CEO of Somos Foods — a better-for-you Mexican food brand now in 9,000+ U.S. stores. Miguel shares what it really takes to build from zero when you've spent a career scaling established brands like KIND Bars, Kettle Chips, and Cholula.

This conversation gets real about the emotional weight of entrepreneurship, the discipline required to survive the messy middle, and what it means to build a company that lasts.

Topics covered:

• Building Somos from a pandemic side project to a retail staple
• Why Miguel pivoted from D2C to retail — and what almost broke the business
• The "50/50 Rule": how chasing 50% repeat rate + 50% margin became their north star
• Cutting SKUs, tightening focus, and the power of saying no
• Managing energy — his own and his team's — as a founder
• Meditation, faith, and why Miguel credits his morning routine with getting through the hardest years
• The Doer → Architect → Capacity Builder leadership arc
• Why 80% of board conversations are about people, not numbers
• The founder dinner group that kept Miguel from quitting
• Why everyone else is crying too — and the danger of LinkedIn veneers

Resources mentioned:

• Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (Pixar)
• Numerator / SPINS for repeat rate tracking

Connect with Miguel:

• miguel@somosfoods.com
• LinkedIn: Miguel Leal

Learn more: tigbrands.com

Elliot sits down with Jorge Azevedo, CEO of Fermented Food Holdings (FFH), to talk about what it really takes to build a lasting, scalable food business through acquisition, integration, and relentless operational discipline.

FFH was built through four acquisitions between 2022–2023, making it the largest producer of sauerkraut and kimchi in North America across retail, food service, club, and industrial channels. Jorge shares hard-won lessons from integrating founder-led and multi-generational family businesses — including a fifth-generation farm in Bear Creek, Wisconsin.

Topics covered:

• Integration & culture change — Why you can't force culture, and how FFH earned buy-in from a tight-knit community and the family farmers they rely on
• Operating discipline — Building financial visibility first, then ownership of the numbers, then driving results
• The CEO's three roles — Doer, architect, and builder of capacity — and how to know which one to be
• Energy management — Transparency as the antidote to burnout, and why "creative abrasion" keeps teams sharp
• Innovation vs. incrementality — Why FFH had to say no to dozens of ideas to successfully launch Fermented Beans at Whole Foods
• Inner evolution as a leader — The learner's mindset, working toward your own obsolescence, and keeping family as the foundation that grounds everything

Connect with FFH: Look for their brands at Whole Foods and natural grocery retailers nationwide. FFH's mission: double the number of Americans eating fermented foods in the next five years.