Slow Up for Fast Growth with Leland Whitehouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Slow Up
Stairway to CEO
· with Leland Whitehouse
· September 14, 2021
· 62 min
Summary
Leland Whitehouse, Co-Founder and CEO of Slow Up, shares his unique journey to creating a new category in the refrigerated food bar space. This episode offers valuable lessons on how a diverse background, thoughtful decision-making, and a commitment to quality can lead to disruptive innovation, especially amidst challenging circumstances like a global pandemic. Entrepreneurs will learn how to approach strategic pivots and define unique brand positioning for long-term growth.
Key takeaways
Leverage diverse past experiences, even seemingly unrelated ones, to inform your entrepreneurial journey and product development. Leland's experience from a salmon fishery informed his understanding of supply chains and ingredient quality.
Be prepared to pivot your business strategy in response to external factors like a pandemic; agility can unlock new opportunities and categories, as Slow Up did in the refrigerated food bar market.
Focus on creating a new product category rather than competing head-on in existing saturated markets. This allows for greater market share ownership and brand differentiation.
Build a brand identity around core philosophies like 'deliberate growth and quality' to resonate with specific customer segments and stand out from fast-paced competitors.
Prioritize exceptional ingredient quality and unique flavor profiles (e.g., chef-crafted spices) to establish a premium position and drive customer loyalty in the CPG space.
Leland Whitehouse is the Co-Founder and CEO of Slow Up. Based in Brooklyn, Slow Up is the first chef-crafted fresh food bar made with healthy whole food ingredients and delicious spices. In this episode, Leland shares with us his journey from growing up as a kid being able to identify spices by their scent at just three years old, to studying at Yale, to working as a buyer for Fresh Direct, to moving to Alaska, where he worked at a salmon fishery, to working at a food startup where he got the entrepreneur bug to venture off and start his own company. Leland talks with us about how he debated getting an MBA, how the pandemic changed the direction of his business, and how he's creating a new category in the refrigerated food bar space.
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Leverage diverse past experiences, even seemingly unrelated ones, to inform your entrepreneurial journey and product development. Leland's experience from a salmon fishery informed his understanding of supply chains and ingredient quality.
What does this episode say about entrepreneurial journey?
Be prepared to pivot your business strategy in response to external factors like a pandemic; agility can unlock new opportunities and categories, as Slow Up did in the refrigerated food bar market.
What does this episode say about product innovation?
Focus on creating a new product category rather than competing head-on in existing saturated markets. This allows for greater market share ownership and brand differentiation.
What does this episode say about supply chain & sourcing?
Build a brand identity around core philosophies like 'deliberate growth and quality' to resonate with specific customer segments and stand out from fast-paced competitors.
What does this episode say about brand strategy?
Prioritize exceptional ingredient quality and unique flavor profiles (e.g., chef-crafted spices) to establish a premium position and drive customer loyalty in the CPG space.
