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Most founders won’t do this.
They’ll hold onto their first product… even when it’s clearly not working.
In this episode, Mike sits down with Michelle Razavi, Founder & CEO of Elavi, the fast-growing better-for-you snack brand known for its protein brownies and desserts.
Michelle shares how she went from working 16-hour days at Sephora and Equinox to building a breakout CPG brand, why her first product line failed, and how a bold pivot into a completely different category unlocked massive growth.
From protein bars → dessert spreads → protein brownies, this is a story of constant iteration, brutal decision-making, and understanding what consumers actually want.
The conversation also dives deep into retail strategy, why Costco can completely change a business overnight, and how to build a profitable CPG company in a market where “growth at all costs” no longer works.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why your first product is probably wrong
✅ When to kill a product (and why most founders don’t)
✅ How one retail partnership can change everything
✅ The real economics behind retail, margins, and cash flow
✅ Why profitability matters more than hype growth today
✅ How to use in-store demos to understand your customer
✅ Why simple packaging outperforms “good branding”
✅ The biggest mistakes founders make when fundraising
✅ How AI is becoming a real operator inside CPG companies
✅ Why building in public is now a competitive advantage
👉 If you’re building a consumer brand, this episode is a raw, honest look at what actually works.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Working 16-hour days before starting
03:00 The problem with protein snacks
05:00 Building products at home
07:00 Launching right before COVID
10:00 Losing in-person sampling overnight
14:00 Why the first product didn’t scale
18:00 Finding product-market fit with a new category
22:00 Killing the original product line
27:00 The “permissible indulgence” thesis
31:00 Launching protein brownies
35:00 Getting into Costco
39:00 How Costco changed the business
43:00 Retail strategy: profitability first
47:00 The dangers of bad retail deals
51:00 Channel strategy & cash flow realities
55:00 Cold outreach that actually worked
59:00 Why demos matter more than you think
01:03:00 Packaging that converts instantly
01:07:00 Fundraising mistakes founders make
01:11:00 Why chasing investors doesn’t work
01:15:00 Building a profitable vs hype-driven business
01:19:00 Founder-led brands and social media
01:23:00 Using AI as an operator
01:27:00 Burnout and founder resilience
01:32:00 Final lessons
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