What’s involved in launching a new type of food to the US? Quite a bit! That’s what this week’s podcast guest, Emily Griffith, is doing with Lil Bucks! Episode #21 of the Wild Business Growth podcast has DROPPED and features the founder of the line of sprouted buckwheat seeds, who also rocks out as a surfer chick and digital nomad. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and your other favorite audio platforms – subscribe and leave a 5-star review if you’re ready for the buckwheat revolution in the US!

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Hear how entrepreneurs & innovators unleash creativity to grow bigger and better businesses. Hear from an exciting new guest every single week who’s turning wild ideas into wild growth. Guests include startup founders, product inventors, social media influencers, and much more. Hosted by our digital marketing dude Max Branstetter – that’s me!

Episode #21: Emily Griffith – Digital Nomad Surfer Chick, Founder of Lil Bucks

Emily Griffith, the Digital Nomad, Surfer Chick, and Founder of Lil Bucks joins the show to share how she’s bringing the buckwheat revolution to the US after finding inspiration in Australia. Emily and I are friends from college where we both studied at the Kelley School of Business. She’s a Kelley Scholar, which is an extremely high honor, and her career path has been very different than the majority of business school grads. She’s an awesome person who’s a ton of fun and striving to make the world a better and more friendly place. Her personality 100% funnels into her business, which you can quickly tell from the Lil Bucks branding. This episode covers everything from how she created her superfood line of sprouted buckwheat seeds to the benefits of working and living in different countries. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

  • The differences in work culture between the USA and Australia
  • How to travel the world and launch a brand at the same time
  • The benefits of buckwheat as a food and crop
  • How to change up your routine to avoid burnout
  • The pros and cons of launching a food brand
  • How different hobbies fuel creativity
  • What happens when your get your product on Amazon Prime
  • The future of text message marketing

Connect with Emily at emigriff.com and on Instagram at @emigriff, and buy Lil Bucks at lovelilbucks.com and on Amazon!

Enjoy the show and keep an ear out for Emily’s close call surfing with sharks! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

  • Intro
  • The Lil Bucks Story
    • [10:59] Where the Lil Bucks idea came from
    • [11:39] Bondi Beach
    • [11:44] Acaí bowl
    • [11:53] Sprouted buckwheat
    • [12:21] Why Emily fell in love with buckwheat
    • [13:10] How expensive a pound of buckwheat was in Australia
    • [13:48] Why Emily decided to turn her passion for buckwheat into a business
    • [14:03] When she started experimenting with different flavors
    • [14:09] Her “aha” moment
    • [14:37] Google
    • [15:07] When Emily knew she’d be an entrepreneur
    • [15:29] Her family and friends’ initial reactions to her buckwheat obsession
    • [16:07] White space opportunity
    • [16:24] Lil Bucks new packaging
    • [16:40] Seems legit
    • [16:42] Lil Bucks on Amazon Prime as Amazon’s Choice
    • [17:02] Cacao
    • [17:16] Why people spend so much money on Amazon Prime
    • [18:16] What is Lil Bucks and why buckwheat
    • [18:53] Maca Root Powder
    • [19:01] The benefits of buckwheat
    • [19:18] Magnesium, So hot right now
    • [19:29] Vogue
    • [19:31] How much salad you’d have to eat to get the Magnesium from buckwheat
    • [20:24] Why buckwheat is a good crop for soil
    • [20:57] Rotating crop
    • [21:58] Antioxidants
    • [22:29] The biggest challenge with Lil Bucks
    • [22:42] The pros and cons of starting a food line
    • [23:02] Food & Drug Administration
    • [23:29] Lil Bucks is the only sprouted buckwheat brand in the country
    • [23:50] Energy balls
    • [24:46] Why you’re asking people to fire something else when they adopt your product or service
    • [25:20] Appletini
    • [25:40] Emily’s big goals with Lil Bucks
    • [25:59] Let’s get Lil Bucks into Whole Foods!
    • [26:06] Health-Ade Kombucha, Vital Proteins Collagen, RXBAR
    • [26:13] Kellogg’s
    • [26:14] Wild Business Growth Podcast Episode #9: Tom Casano – World’s Best SEO Expert, Founder of Sure Oak
    • [27:09] What Emily’s focusing on right now with Lil Bucks
  • Digital Freelancing & World Travel
    • [28:02] Digital Nomad
    • [28:30] How to travel the world and launch a brand at the same time
    • [28:55] Bali
    • [29:26] Nicaragua Waterslide Sesh
    • [29:51] What keeps you personally motivated
    • [30:10] How surfing helps Emily stay motivated
    • [30:43] Her family and friends’ reaction to her lifestyle
    • [31:15] Type A and Type B Personality
    • [32:29] Successes in Emily’s digital freelancing work
    • [32:53] Why her mom now brags to her friends
    • [33:41] Kelley Scholar
    • [34:27] The reaction from fellow Kelley students about her career path and lifestyle
    • [34:52] McKinsey & Company, Accenture, Bain & Company
    • [35:11] Why Emily had a lot of doubts the first 2 years
    • [35:19] Patagonia
    • [35:47] Why Emily’s international experience was a blessing
    • [37:05] How people change jobs their first few years out of college
    • [38:07] Emily’s favorite part of traveling the world
    • [38:25] Why you can still have your routine on the other side of the world
    • [39:12] Chiang Mai, Thailand
    • [39:27] My study abroad semester in London
    • [39:43] Wild Business Growth Podcast Episode #18: Greg Branstetter – President and Founder of Hippo Direct, Our Family Business
    • [40:14] How international travel changes the way you think
  • Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
    • [41:46] Emily’s biggest business influences
    • [41:51] How I Built This with Guy Raz by NPR
    • [42:28] Simple Mills, Founder Katlin Smith
    • [43:28] Why starting a business is like having a baby
    • [42:44] What happens to your free time when you start a business
    • [44:00] Amanda Chantal Bacon, Moon Juice
    • [44:40] How your personality becomes your brand
    • [45:01] Searching for podcasts in iTunes, Apple Podcasts
    • [45:14] When Emily got into podcasts
    • [45:42] Amazon podcasts, Food startup podcasts
    • [46:32] Wild Business Growth Podcast Episode #12: Ann Bastianelli – Legendary Marketing Professor at the Kelley School of Business
    • [46:51] Emily’s favorite hobbies
    • [47:12] How to change up your routine to avoid burnout
    • [47:28] Flow activities
    • [47:59] How Emily is so into surfing and snowboarding while living in Chicago
    • [48:09] Lake Michigan surfing
    • [48:37] Climbing gym
    • [49:19] Finding healthy versions of unhealthy things
    • [49:25] Lil Bucks fudge
    • [50:18] Emily’s biggest wins converting customers
  • Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
    • [51:45] Verb Energy Bars
    • [52:31] The importance of ease of experience
    • [52:33] Instagram Stories Ads
    • [52:59] Texting vs. Email for subscriptions
    • [54:06] Email marketing open rates
    • [54:40] Dirty Lemon
    • [55:08] The importance of a personal touch
    • [55:41] Trend from Snapchat Stories to Instagram Stories
    • [56:04] What caught Emily’s attention in the Verb ad
    • [57:15] Why people will be split on using text messages for marketing
    • [58:24] Marketing Texter or Text Message Copywriter as a job opportunity
    • [58:47] Dirty Lemon’s bots
    • [59:46] Most Valuable Texters
  • Rapid-Fire Q&A
    • [1:00:14] What Emily loves about Sydney, Australia
    • [1:00:23] Where the Lil Bucks design is inspired from
    • [1:00:56] Encinitas, CA, Beacon’s Beach
    • [1:01:15] Emily’s close call surfing with sharks!
    • [1:01:28] Freediving
    • [1:01:58] Why the ocean is humbling
    • [1:02:33] Why Emily didn’t play soccer in college
    • [1:02:43] Indiana University Waterski and Wakeboard Club
    • [1:03:15] Emily’s biggest pet peeve
    • [1:04:04] Slack
    • [1:04:17] Working from Mars
    • [1:04:45] Emily’s weird talents
    • [1:05:53] Purchase Lil Bucks at lovelilbucks.com or on Amazon!
    • [1:06:27] Let’s get Lil Bucks into Whole Foods!
    • [1:06:45] Follow Emily on Instagram at @emigriff
    • [1:06:55] Visit her personal website at emigriff.com
    • [1:07:29] Emily’s final thoughts
    • [1:07:54] Rumi quote: “Respond to every call that excites your spirit”
    • [1:08:52] Support Emily’s launch and buy Lil Bucks!
    • [1:08:58] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth podcast and leave a 5-star review on iTunes (Apple Podcasts) and more!
    • [1:09:06] Connect with Hippo Direct at HippoDirect.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
    • [1:09:13] Connect with me on Instagram and Twitter at @MaxBranstetter
    • [1:09:16] Email max@hippodirect.com for help starting and building your own podcast
    • [1:09:18] Sign up for the Hippo Digest – your Weekly Recap of Creative Marketing
    • [1:09:34] Connect with Hippo Direct at HippoDirect.com for all your mailing list, email list, and digital marketing needs
    • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do I start a podcast?

Email max@hippodirect.com if you need help with any part of the podcasting process:

  • Podcast Planning
  • Podcast Production
  • Podcast Promotion
  • More!

We’ll start out with a free 30-minute consultation and provide some helpful resources that have been instrumental in getting the Wild Business Growth Podcast up and rolling and connecting with high-quality guests. We are committed to making your podcast the best it can be. Let your podcast Run Wild!

Aaaaaaand that’s all folks! Stay stoked for a new super fun guest every single week! Let us know any guests you’d like to see on the show and follow along for your favorite marketing tips, business tips, and podcasts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Sign up for the Hippo Digest email newsletter for your weekly recap of creative marketing. Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!