{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/67d119d61842c480a19b96bf/6ab39716f98781f91dcbc391?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Building a Consumer Brand With $20K | Ryan Black, Founder of Buddy Bites","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/67d119d61842c480a19b96bf/1790216193289-04cd2d90-2702-4848-a3a5-b88db51578e0.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>What does it actually take to build a consumer brand from scratch?</p><p><br></p><p>In 2020, Ryan Black was working in commercial real estate when a dinner with his now co-founder, Chris Lee, sparked an idea.</p><p><br></p><p>That conversation eventually became <strong>Buddy Bites</strong>, a premium pet food brand built around subscription, strong branding and giving back to the community by donating to shelters.</p><p><br></p><p>Ryan and Chris had no background in pet food, they bootstrapped the business before raising funds.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Ryan shares:</p><ul><li>how they went from idea to first customers</li><li>why competing against much bigger brands can actually be an advantage</li><li>the challenge of cash flow and inventory</li><li>how Buddy Bites built a community around its mission</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Timestamps:</h3><p>(00:00) Teaser</p><p>(00:44) Podcast Intro</p><p>(01:47) Ryan Background Podcasts</p><p>(02:17) Dinner Spark Idea</p><p>(04:39) Pet Food Pain Points</p><p>(06:50) Why D2C Works in HK</p><p>(08:55) MBA Career Shift</p><p>(11:45) Beating Big Brands</p><p>(13:38) Uncopyable Experience</p><p>(16:13) From Idea to Launch</p><p>(17:50) Recipe Supplier Setup</p><p>(20:19) First Shelter Orders</p><p>(23:56) Going Full Time Burnout</p><p>(27:16) Meeting The Angel Investor</p><p>(28:34) Founder Identity Shift</p><p>(30:23) Bootstrapping And Cashflow</p><p>(33:08) Raising In Hong Kong</p><p>(34:40) Shelter Giveback Strategy</p><p>(39:52) Supply Chain Crisis</p><p>(43:10) How Founding Changes You</p><p>(44:29) Learning To Lead Teams</p><p>(47:18) Founder Support Systems</p><p>(50:04) Lessons And Advice</p><p><br></p><h3><strong>👉 To find out more: </strong></h3><p>Buddy Bites&#39;s <a href=\"https://theblomstre.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">w</a><a href=\"https://www.buddybites.hk/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=14741642553&amp;gbraid=0AAAAABokAFp63CMlz46oM5otUdZ-z6bym&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw8c3VBhCsARIsAA_xJ911UAPW_TtxMfwdichb0R74uH_40qv4gzeyl3uiKeV3yqsp7m3djvwaAkMOEALw_wcB\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">ebsite</a></p><p>Ryan on <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-black-65906876/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn</a></p><p><br></p><h3><strong>To follow my journey:</strong></h3><p>📲 Find me on<strong> </strong><a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-salameh-705059b1/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn</a></p><p><strong> 💬 </strong>Follow<strong> </strong><a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/abo.pod/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">abo.pod</a></p><p>🎧 Subscribe to Asian Business Owners</p>","author_name":"Carmen Salameh"}