Hardware Podcasts

Advice Line with Isaac Larian of MGA Entertainment

How I Built This · 31 Jul 2025 · 42m

What this episode covers

Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment (Bratz, LOL Surprise), joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on marketing, growth, and branding. He advises Meghan Foster of T is for Todd to raise prices and target grandparents rather than moms, Libby Mochan of Fulton to avoid VC dilution and seek partners with retail connections for Target expansion, and Robin Hall of Town Hall Outdoor Co. to consider rebranding and using bank loans over private equity. Larian also discusses the impact of tariffs on the toy industry and the importance of embracing failure to achieve viral success.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up and early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MGA Entertainment, T is for Todd, Fulton, Town Hall Outdoor Co., Target, Walmart, REI, Title 9, Smartwool, Dr. Scholl's, Vjori, Aviator Nation
Products
Bratz, LOL Surprise, Birkenstock
Also
Nickelodeon, YouTube, TikTok, Meta

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 1h 00m

    Founder Fundraising Journey: Craig Dubitsky, Happy Products

    Craig Dubitsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Happy Products, discusses his journey building brands like eos, hello, and Method, and his current venture, Happy, which partners with NAMI. He explains that Happy is in the 'Happy business' with coffee as the delivery system, and details how NAMI holds equity on the cap table from day zero. Dubitsky shares fundraising strategies, emphasizing the importance of an advisory board, identifying manufacturers, and managing expectations that projects will cost more and take longer than anticipated. He also reflects on the acquisition of hello by Colgate, framing it as an 'entrance' rather than an exit, and highlights the critical role of product-market fit, repeat sales, and cross-channel distribution.

    Fundraising & investorsIndustrial & consumer product design
    6 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 33m

    #232 - 2026 Brand Resolutions

    Host Daniel Scharff interviews Rebecca Styn of Blind Tiger Spirit Free Cocktails, Dava Guthmiller of A Dash of, and Andrew Schundler of CH Matcha about their 2026 brand resolutions. Rebecca resolves to eliminate noise by saying no to unaligned opportunities like expensive celebrity gifting, focusing instead on strategic regional growth. Dava aims to step into the spotlight by sharing her personal story and passion for salt terroir to build authenticity, rather than just curating others' products. Andrew plans to double down on retail execution and in-person tastings for his canned matcha brand, learning from early data to avoid stretching the business too thin.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceMarketing & brand
    6 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 1h 10m

    #83 Trade Spend & Retail Promotions 101 with Jake Huber (+ Niramaya)

    Jake Huber, US Sales Director for St Pierre, explains how emerging CPG brands can navigate trade spend and promotions, distinguishing between off-invoice, manufacturer chargebacks (MCB), and scan-backs to drive trial without devaluing the brand. He advises founders to pitch retailers directly to create demand before engaging distributors, ensuring they maintain a healthy trade rate (15-30%) and monitor purchase orders to avoid costly inventory loading. Huber also discusses the strategic use of displays, shippers, and free fills, emphasizing that premium brands should avoid BOGOs and instead focus on building relationships with store-level staff and buyers. The episode concludes with a segment on Niramaya, founder Mehek Khera, who shares her journey from health coaching to launching shelf-stable Indian sauces, highlighting the challenges of scaling production and securing retail placement.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsRetail, wholesale & distribution
    9 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 37m

    Investor Spotlight: Hayden Williams, BrandProject

    Hayden Williams, Partner at BrandProject, discusses the firm's pre-launch investing strategy and the recent P&G acquisition of portfolio company Wonderbelly. He details how founders Noah and Lucas built a clean-label antacid brand from the idea stage, leveraging explicit customer personas and humor to disrupt the stagnant gut health aisle. Williams explains that strategic acquirers value authentic consumer trust and master brand potential over mere distribution, highlighting the importance of founder-market fit and category timing in early-stage conviction.

    Fundraising & investorsValidation & product-market fit
    7 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 50m

    Investor Spotlight: Liz Myslik of Loft Growth Partners

    Liz Myslik, Managing Partner at Loft Growth Partners, explains that her firm invests in purpose-driven CPG brands with $5-20M in revenue that have achieved product-market fit and strong unit economics. She highlights Back to the Roots as a portfolio example of a brand that successfully pivoted from mushroom growing to organic gardening supplies through resilience and market adaptation. Myslik warns founders about the misalignment between long-term brand building and the short time horizons of traditional investment funds, advocating instead for angel networks and early profitability. She emphasizes that execution, focus on core products, and strong margins are non-negotiable for sustainable growth in the current CPG landscape.

    Fundraising & investorsPricing, margins & unit economics
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.