Founder Feature: Alison Cayne of Haven's Kitchen
Alison Cayne, founder of Haven's Kitchen, explains her company's pivot from a brick-and-mortar cooking school to a CPG brand after students requested her sauces. She details the strategic decision to launch shelf-stable aiolis to solve distribution and category confusion issues inherent in their fresh sauce line, while emphasizing the importance of sustainable pouch packaging over glass. Cayne also shares insights on cost-efficient marketing, focusing on bottom-of-funnel retail placement and educational content rather than broad awareness campaigns, and discusses the mental toll of founder burnout.