Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business

How I Built This · 9 Mar 2026 · 58m

What this episode covers

Beryl Stafford, founder of Bobo's, explains how she turned a divorce-induced need for income into a $100M snack bar brand, starting with scrappy home baking and selling to local Boulder coffee shops. She details the operational challenges of scaling, including sharing a kitchen with Justin's Nut Butters, securing a $25,000 packaging machine, and navigating the strict requirements of Whole Foods and UNFI distributors. Stafford also discusses the strategic pivot to hiring CEO TJ McIntyre, raising $17M in outside capital, and managing the high-volume, low-margin pressures of Costco distribution.

Mentioned

Companies
Justin's Nut Butters, Whole Foods, UNFI, Costco, General Mills, PepsiCo
Products
Bobo's, Larabar, RX Bar, Clif Bar

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