Yeah, I don't want anyone listening to be discouraged by, oh, it sounds so easy and they're doing such a good job.

Like, it's messier than, you know, one can describe on a quick podcast, and it's really hard.

So cut yourself some slack.

Every person is so different in the way that they want to be managed.

Welcome to the Startup CPG podcast. I'm your host, Jesse Freytag.

Today is our sixth episode in the first hire series where we've so far covered making

first hires in marketing, finance, operations, and retail and food service sales.

Today I thought it would be helpful to talk more cross-functionally

with one of our community member brands about their experience of making first hires,

being a first hire, and what they've learned in the process. And I immediately thought of Sweet

Nothings, who makes ready to eat superfood snacks that I think are absolutely incredible, as you'll

hear. We'll talk with both Jake Neller, the CEO and co-founder of Sweet Nothings,

and Lucy King, their VP of Marketing.

I met Jake and Lucy in 2021 via Slack and have continued to see them post jobs,

questions, and responses all in the Startup CPG Slack channel,

so it's great to catch up and hear what they've learned

about hiring in the past few years.

Listen in as Jake and Lucy share about Sweet Nothing's hiring trajectories so far, including

their very first hire and how the team has grown to now over 10 people.

Lucy's experience of being the first marketing hire and now making additional marketing

hires for her own team,

how Jake thinks about leadership and hiring and his helpful goal setting tips, both Lucy and

...