How do you build a consumer packaged goods business that’s breaking through $100 million in gross sales, entirely bootstrapped, with no outside investment?
My guest today is Scott Mendelsohn, founder of Raw C, Australia’s leading coconut brand. I first interviewed Scott back in October 2023 (link in show notes), and this is the follow up so many of you have been asking for, what does the business actually look like now, a few years on.
The numbers are staggering. Coconut water as a category is up 99 per cent in supermarkets in two years. Household penetration has gone from around 13 per cent to 34 per cent. Raw C has doubled in that time. But Scott doesn’t just talk top line, he gets real about what that kind of growth actually costs behind the scenes, and the moments he’s wanted to throw it all in.
You’ll hear:
😬 What Scott admits he still feels, even at this level of success
🤝 How Scott decides which brand collabs to say yes to, and which to walk away from
🥥 The story behind the Woolworths pistachio collab launch, the biggest first week of any coconut product in Australian retail history
🛒 What’s really happening with private label in the coconut category, and whether it’s a genuine threat or a distraction
📺 The cost of Natural Raw C’s first ever TVC campaign
🇺🇸 What’s next for Natural Raw C, including a US Target launch
If you want a real look at what it takes to build a category leading, independently owned brand in a genuinely tough market, this episode is for you.
Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC, a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods like nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more for emerging food and beverage brands.
