Founder Feature: Jia Liao, Hotpot Queen
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 31 May 2024
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Join Grace Kennedy in this bonus episode of the Startup CPG Podcast as she speaks with Jia Liao, the founder of Hotpot Queen, to explore her remarkable journey in the CPG industry. Discover how Jia’s brand brings the authentic, bold flavors of Sichuan cuisine to life with high-quality ingredients like wild mushrooms and fermented sauces. Hot Pot Queen’s products are not only bursting with the distinctive taste of málà but are also gluten-free, vegan, and MSG-free, making them a hit among spicy food enthusiasts.
Learn about the legacy behind the brand name, inspired by Jia’s family’s rich history in Chinese hot pot restaurants, and how her mother’s innovative spirit has influenced her mission to popularize her regional cuisine worldwide. Jia shares her experiences overcoming challenges in product packaging and manufacturing, emphasizing the crucial role of community support and strategic focus on specific sales channels for success.
Ready to spice up your culinary experience? Tune in now!
Listen in as they share about:
- Origin of the Name "Hotpot Queen"
- Launch at Expo West
- Retail Strategy and Growth
- Challenges and Resilience
- Product Differentiation
- Marketing and Growth Strategies
- Funding and Business Structure
- Future Plans and Challenges
- Advice for Aspiring Founders
Episode Links:
Hotpot Queen’s Website
Jia Liao’s LinkedIn
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
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- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey friends, inventory management can be a major pain, keeping track of all your ingredients, |
| 0:07.0 | your inventory across warehouses and comands, your retail and e-com orders, and tying all of that together. |
| 0:14.0 | When your Excel spreadsheet breaks, check out our friends at Syn7Core, our inventory management software partner. |
| 0:21.6 | You can track everything you make and sell, and as the leading tool for early CPG brands, |
| 0:27.6 | it integrates with all the major software like QuickBooks, Shopify, Amazon, and whatever your warehouse and commands are using. |
| 0:34.6 | Through startup CPG, you get a free month trial and then 50% off |
| 0:39.9 | the three months after that. To get started, check out sin7.com slash startup CPG. That's |
| 0:48.5 | sinc-in, like the first three letters in Cincinnati, and the number seven. So sin7.com slash startup CPG. |
| 1:16.6 | It's like a two generation of entrepreneurs in our family. So to me, I always wanted to run my own business. |
| 1:19.6 | You know, I really wanted to use the authentic family recipe from Chitron from my hometown |
| 1:26.6 | and without doing too much alteration. |
| 1:30.3 | So I really want to give everyone the authentic experience. |
| 1:33.2 | And our product is actually the largest jar that all of our competitors. |
| 1:40.8 | Hi, everyone. |
| 1:42.2 | We are back with another founder feature. And this week, I am joined by |
| 1:47.0 | Gia, the founder of Hot Pop Queen. Gia is not only one of the nicest people in the CPG space, |
| 1:54.0 | but she also makes truly delicious chili oils, chili crunches, and hot pot noodles. I'm so excited for you to hear her story. It's |
| 2:03.8 | truly a beautiful one going back many generations. And I hope you guys enjoy this episode. |
| 2:09.2 | And as always, let me know what you think. Hello and welcome back to the Startup CPG |
| 2:17.4 | podcast. This is Grace, the Startup CPG podcast. |
| 2:18.3 | This is Grace, the Startup CPG editor. |
| 2:20.9 | And I am here with Gia, who is the founder of Hot Pop Queen. |
... |
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