Pili Nut Epiphany with Liz Fisher, Founder and CEO of Lavva
Stairway to CEO
· with Liz Fisher
· December 15, 2020
· 60 min
Summary
Liz Fisher, founder of Lavva, shares her incredible journey of turning personal health adversity into a thriving CPG brand. Learn how her discovery of the Pili nut led to innovative, keto-certified vegan yogurts and plant milks, and gain insights into scaling a specialty food business in major retail, including Whole Foods.
Key takeaways
Focus on a unique, high-value ingredient like the Pili nut to differentiate your product in a crowded market.
Leverage personal experience and dietary trends (e.g., Keto, vegan) to create an authentic brand story and product line.
Prioritize distribution strategies early on, aiming for major retailers to achieve significant scale and market penetration.
Innovate continuously by expanding product lines into related categories, like Lavva's move from yogurts to plant milks and creamers.
Build a resilient brand by effectively communicating the founder's challenging journey and commitment to health.
Themes
brand strategyentrepreneurship journeyfood industry business developmentproduct innovation
Elizabeth Fisher is the Founder and CEO of Lavva. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer and enduring chemotherapy not just once, but unfortunately, twice, Liz decided to follow a strict Keto diet to help heal her body and discovered the world's lowest carb, highest fat nut called the Pili nut. Blown away by the Pili's smooth, delicious, buttery flavor, nutrients, and high fat content, Liz began blending them with coconut milk, which sparked the idea for Lavva. In over 2,000 grocery stores nationwide Lavva currently offers superfood yogurts in six flavors, including best selling vanilla, original, and strawberry. In June 2020, Lavva launched the first ever vegan keto certified yogurt called Molten Lavva, and recently debuted a line of plant milks and creamer exclusively in Whole Foods. In this episode, Liz shares with us her journey from running away from home at age 14 to launching her first business Muffin A Day and building a career working in sales for numerous health food companies before launching Lavva in 2018.
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Focus on a unique, high-value ingredient like the Pili nut to differentiate your product in a crowded market.
What does this episode say about entrepreneurship journey?
Leverage personal experience and dietary trends (e.g., Keto, vegan) to create an authentic brand story and product line.
What does this episode say about food industry business development?
Prioritize distribution strategies early on, aiming for major retailers to achieve significant scale and market penetration.
What does this episode say about product innovation?
Innovate continuously by expanding product lines into related categories, like Lavva's move from yogurts to plant milks and creamers.
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Build a resilient brand by effectively communicating the founder's challenging journey and commitment to health.
