In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Chris Cage, CEO and creator of Greenbelly Meals, the backpacking food brand known for ready-to-eat, high-calorie meal bars made for hikers, thru-hikers, bikepackers, climbers, and outdoor adventurers. Chris did not start out in the food world. After college, he worked as an accountant, realized it was not the path he wanted long-term, saved up money, quit, and spent nearly two years traveling, volunteering in Asia, bicycle touring through New Zealand, and eventually thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. After all of that, he came home with very little money left, moved back in with his parents, and started experimenting with backpacking food ideas in his mom’s kitchen. The first concept was a high-calorie “gloop” made with peanut butter, honey, and anything else he could pack calories into. Eventually, that idea turned into Greenbelly Meals. We also dive into: • Why Chris left accounting and chose adventure instead • How the Appalachian Trail inspired Greenbelly • Why early Greenbelly recipes started in his mom’s kitchen • What it was like working with a food scientist • The stress of making food, shipping orders, and doing everything himself • How Kickstarter helped Greenbelly get off the ground • Why Joe Rogan gave the brand a major bump • How SEO helped Greenbelly grow in the early years • Why Chris started putting his face behind the brand • The pros and cons of direct-to-consumer vs retail • Why YouTube became a major marketing channel for Greenbelly This episode is full of founder lessons, trail food talk, business mistakes, marketing strategy, and honest insight into what it actually takes to build an outdoor food brand. If you’ve ever eaten something terrible on trail and thought, “There has to be a better way,” this one is for you. Connect with Greenbelly Meals Website: https://www.greenbelly.co YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Greenbelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenbellymeal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenbellyMeals
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