Will Nitze

Founder, IQBAR (iqbar.com) 🍫+💧+☕️

🍫 Founder/CEO, IQBAR (iqbar.com)
🎙️ Co-Host, "Eating Glass" Podcast
🎓 Harvard BA

Founder/CEO

We make superior brain + body fuel. IQBAR® plant protein bars, IQMIX® hydration sticks, and IQJOE® instant coffees are packed with the functional compounds you need to win your day.

On the Costco [dot] com homepage for the first time ever.

Pretty rad.

Today I witnessed a non-negligible cohort of folks walk out of Natural Products Expo West and immediately light up a cig.

Humans are an interesting bunch.

Short-term focus? Bet on products.

Long-term focus? Bet on people.

I've made the difficult decision to age in reverse.

Compete with me if you'd like. But I wouldn't recommend it.

You know the clunky aspects of CPG you hate?

They're protecting you against AI.

Which means clunk is now a feature, not a bug.

Embrace it.

"Mainstream weird" is the best brand positioning.

If you're too mainstream, you'll get knocked-off into oblivion.

If you're too weird, you'll never achieve major scale.

Mainstream weird is juuusssttt right.

If you like your brain, drink coffee.

(IQJOE in particular ☕️🚀)

- - -

New JAMA study: “2-4 cups of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to reduced dementia risk and modest improvements in cognitive outcomes.”

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Extremely niche Expo observation…

Lithuania goes hard in the paint.

Must’ve dropped a milly on 100 feet of booth space plus an army of people.

Never forget - you aren’t just competing with rival cookie / chip / bar startups.

You’re competing with entire Baltic states.

Optionality is the desired end state.

But FLEXIBILITY is how you get there.

Create maximally flexible products. And positioning. And teams.

Heck, ensure your OWN BRAIN is maximally flexible. (Can you learn new stuff quickly? Can you change your mind quickly in light of new data?)

In today's environment where the chess board is violently shaken up on an annual basis, the most flexible player adapts best.

And...over time...wins.

Matt Cotton

After leading Foodservice sales for three brands and hiring more than 15 brokers, ranging from large national firms to regional and specialty groups, I realized the industry often lacked the fire, drive, and modern approach needed to truly move business forward.

In early 2020, I decided to build something different and Rooted Food Sales was born. A Foodservice brokerage representing premium, best-in-class brands. Our team is grounded in integrity, thoughtfulness, and tenacity, and I couldn’t imagine a more passionate group to grow with. Through my work, I have had the privilege of serving as a keynote speaker alongside some of the most influential leaders in the Foodservice industry.

Outside of Rooted, I’m driven by family and adventure. My wife and I spent a year traveling through Africa and India after getting married, and later I went back to school in my mid-20s to become a certified health coach. I’m a big fan of competitive racket sports, recently trading my tennis racket for a pickleball paddle.

Founder and CEO

Helping natural food brands grow their Foodservice business.

Most Foodservice prospecting tools make big promises, but not many change how teams actually work.

About 18 months ago, we found one that really helped our team.

🔥That is when we started working with First Bite, a platform built just for Foodservice 🔥

Sales still depends on the person doing the work, but the right tool can make things more robust and effective.

Founder and CEO Reed McCord and our contact Emilie Wood care about their partners and want to help them win.

What tools have helped your Foodservice prospecting the most?

Founder & CEO | Foodservice Keynote Speaker | Passion for Health | Racket Sports Enthusiast

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The Battle

Will Nitze

Matt Cotton

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The Battle

Will Nitze

Matt Cotton

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Will Nitze's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreWill Nitze's LinkedIn Performance