# Tallow, Trust, and Testing: Inside My Neighbor's Rapid Growth

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-09-11
- Length: 30m
- Episode: 366
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-09-11-tallow-trust-and-testing-inside-my-neighbors-rapid-growth
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/6dd5a0d6

## Summary

Harri Magaldi, founder of My Neighbor's, explains how she transitioned from Wall Street to creating a regenerative tallow skincare brand in the Hudson Valley after her daughter developed eczema. She details the brand's rapid growth from selling $4,000 on day one at the Hudson Farmer's Market to securing wholesale partnerships with Anthropologie, Terrain, and QVC, reaching over 500 retailers. Magaldi emphasizes the importance of sourcing grass-fed, grass-finished suet from 12 local farms and investing $30,000 in unprompted microbial, stability, and heavy metal testing to ensure safety and meet retailer standards. The episode highlights her strategy of transparency, naming specific farms, and leveraging community relationships to scale production and distribution nationally.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Harri Magaldi and My Neighbor's Origin Story
2. Sourcing Suet: Grass-Fed vs. Grass-Finished and Local Rendering
3. The $30,000 Investment in Safety, Stability, and Heavy Metal Testing
4. Retail Partnerships: Anthropologie, Terrain, and QVC Requirements
5. Expo West Breakthrough and Meeting Major Buyers
6. Scaling Production and UNFI Distribution Goals

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- My Neighbor's (company)
- Anthropologie (company)
- Terrain (company)
- QVC (company)
- UNFI (company)
- AirGoods (company)
- Fair (tool)
- Shopify (company)
- Wovenstar Farms (company)
- Liberty Farm (company)
- Dirty Dog Farms (company)
- Blue Tansy (product)
- Sea Buckthorn (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Advice Line with Susan Griffin-Black of EO Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-06-25-advice-line-with-susan-griffin-black-of-eo-products) (How I Built This)
- [Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020) (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)
- [The Lip Bar (TLB): Melissa Butler (2020)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-07-03-the-lip-bar-tlb-melissa-butler-2020) (How I Built This)
- [Tarte Cosmetics: Maureen Kelly](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-23-tarte-cosmetics-maureen-kelly) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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