A Spicy, Sour Candy Combination You've Never Tried Before - Chili Chews (Full Episode)
Channel: Startup to Storefront
Date: 2022-04-12

Remember when we were all making sourdough bread to pass the time during lockdown? Our guests today were also cooking something up in their kitchen, but it was much sweeter and designed to be more of a long-term play than a short-term way to occupy their time. Shant Reganyan and Vicken Kejejian were fulfilling a long time mission to start a business together. And with the coronavirus pandemic upending everyone’s best-laid plans, there really was no better time to take that first step. So the two childhood friends created their own candy. They mixed together a blend of spices, developed a base, put ‘em together and called it Chili Chews. And after testing their recipe on friends and family, they set their sights on making the grocery store candy aisle exciting again.

So listen in as we cover everything from why they chose a name that was purposefully vague, running into discrimination from those who thought they were too young to be taken seriously, and why their candy tastes like the San Fernando Valley — in all the best ways.

#entrepreneurship #businessinterview #podcast #podcasts #startup #startupcompany #losangeles #chili #candy #gummycandy #spicy #spicycandy #candyreview
 
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🌶️ Chili Chews Social Media:
Website: https://chilichews.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chilichews/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chilichews/?hl=en

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🎙️ Startup to Storefront Social Media: 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startuptostorefront/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startuptostorefront
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-to-storefront/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/startuptostore
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67EyhF5DGLPucswOrS7LhK?si=IUPguzApRm6nnhlIHUBJxQ
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-to-storefront/id1477095646 
Website: https://www.startuptostorefront.com/

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😎 Our Team:
Diego Torres-Palma: https://www.instagram.com/diego_ventures/
Nick Conrad: https://www.instagram.com/nickgconrad/
Natalya Cappellini: https://www.instagram.com/natalya_curato/
Lexi Jameson: https://www.instagram.com/lexijamesonyt/
Owen Cappellini: https://www.instagram.com/owencapp/

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🎵 Our Music:
https://www.instagram.com/doubletouchofficial/

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⏱️ Timecodes:
00:00 Intro to Episode with Chili Chews
1:11 About Chili Chews
2:00 What made you want to start Chili Chews?
3:43 What is the market size?
6:29 What was the R&D process like for homemade candy?
7:33 How did you spend the first $500?
9:23 What was the first step to reaching a mass audience?
10:57 LSAT and Business School v. Candy Chews.  The struggle is explained.
12:47 Would you ever get investors?
13:39 Are you going to finish law school or drop out?
14:34 This is an important inflection point
15:13 Do you want to sell Chili Chews in retailers?
16:26 How long did it take to come up with the name?
17:40 Imagine this: Chili Chews Slot Machine
17:54 Building communities around products
19:06 Chili Chews Discord
19:22 Supply Chain Issues
20:52 What's the price for Chili Chews?
21:58 The New Age Entrepreneur
24:00 The CPG industry is cutthroat
27:06 Are you going to go on Shark Tank?
27:21 What marketing is working?
29:48 Shoutout by Shopify CEO, Tobi Lutke
31:51 Are you thinking of creating different products?
33:12 How much money are you raising?
33:35 Have you considered movie theatres?
33:52 How do you view the candy market from the top down?
35:08 What gets you the highest yield?
36:04 Chili Chews Taste Test and Honest Review!
39:50 Closing thoughts with Chili Chews