# Founder Feature: Nikki Seaman of Freestyle Snacks

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-01-10
- Length: 26m
- Episode: 110
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-10-founder-feature-nikki-seaman-of-freestyle-snacks
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/a7690957

## Summary

Nikki Seaman, founder and CEO of Freestyle Snacks, explains how she identified a gap in the olive category during the pandemic and built a premium, liquid-free olive snack brand. She details the struggle of securing a co-packer after facing over 200 rejections, her data-driven approach to validating product-market fit through direct-to-consumer sales, and her strategic expansion into retail channels like Whole Foods and Delta Air Lines. Seaman also discusses her marketing philosophy, emphasizing secondary displays in grocery stores and targeted influencer partnerships, such as with reality TV star Paige DeSorbo.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Freestyle Snacks and the Olive Opportunity
2. Product Development and Co-packer Rejections
3. Data-Driven Validation and Retail Expansion
4. Multi-Channel Distribution and Influencer Marketing
5. Grocery Marketing Strategy and Secondary Displays
6. Founder Challenges and 2025 Roadmap

## Topics

- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Freestyle Snacks (product)
- Wisps (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Delta Air Lines (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Erewhon (company)
- Central Market (company)
- Total Wine (company)
- Binny's (company)
- OTG (company)
- Chibo Express (company)
- TikTok (company)
- Front Page Retail (company)
- Social Nature (company)
- Aisle (company)
- Paige DeSorbo (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Simple Mills: Katlin Smith](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-02-15-simple-mills-katlin-smith) (How I Built This)
- [354 - Beyond the dieline with the incomparable Jake Karls from Mid-Day Squares](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-07-22-354-beyond-the-dieline-with-the-incomparable-jake-karls-from-mid-day-squares) (People of Packaging)
- [Advice Line with Sarah Kauss of S'well](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-20-advice-line-with-sarah-kauss-of-swell) (How I Built This)
- [MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business. They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-08-10-madegood-salma-and-nima-fotovat-lost-their-first-business-they-grew-their-next-o) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-09-03-advice-line-with-ben-goodwin-of-olipop) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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