Nov 27, 2020
How to Build a Strong Brand Awareness and Effective Company Culture- With PackIt CEO Melissa Kieling
What is more important for a new brand; massive revenue or brand recognition? Brand recognition goes a long way especially for a product-based company with an original product that’s looking to be noticed by retailers.
In this episode of the Page One Podcast, Luke Peters speaks with Melissa Kieing, who is the CEO and founder of PackIt. PackIt is the world’s original freezable lunch bag that grew to become a household name. Melissa came from a humble beginning as a struggling single mom to a CEO of the number one fastest-growing women-owned business in Inc. 500 2014. She explains how she utilized the main stream media to create awareness and recognition around her brand for 2 years straight before she got a retailer.
Listen in to learn why it is important to have an entrepreneurial drive and passion to grow your business since it doesn’t feel like work. You will also learn how you can create a strong and effective company culture that involves employees as a huge part of the company.
Key Takeaways:
- Embracing an entrepreneurship spirit with employees and giving each team member the responsibility of managing their workload.
- The importance of having entrepreneurial drive to enable you to scale your business amid many responsibilities.
- How to be comfortable with taking chances and educating yourself to make the right decisions for your business.
- How to build a brand through media to get the attention of consumers and retailers.
- The power of an effective company culture that involves employees and making them part and parcel of the day to day operations.
Episode Timeline:
- [2:04] Melissa explains how she founded her product- freezable lunch bag- as she was struggling to pack her children healthy food plus where they’re distributed across the US and internationally.
- [3:42] She describes their team; how they operate with an entrepreneurial spirit, their operational model, and manufacturing in China.
- [6:20] How they keep in track with the profitable and nonprofitable sales opportunities.
- [7:57] Melissa explains how she was driven by a passion to keep her business soaring even with the responsibility of being a single mom.
- [9:58] She praises the woman who has been assisting her all these years and explains how she has contributed to her success.
- [11:04] How she learned to be confident as a businesswoman by picking herself and learning from her experiences, not a set roadmap.
- [13:32] The importance of seeking help and asking silly questions especially for women business owners.
- [14:43] The struggles she went through when pitching to many retailers when she first began and how they used the media to get to the consumer.
- [2:18] Why she took on a financial partner to help deal with the massive demand and growth.
- [24:07] How and why they transitioned from a retail business to a wholesale business.
- [25:20] She describes the company culture they have at PackIt that gives employees an excellent work environment and allows them to be part of all company’s operations.
- [28:33] She talks about the product they’re developing working with the eCommerce grocery delivery companies to expand their reach in a renewable and sustainable manner.
Quotes:
- “Once you humble yourself and realize that you can make it happen, you can create your own path.”- Melissa [12:36]