From Tech to Cheese: How to Engineer a Plant-Based Business That Disrupts a Legacy Industry with Kirsten Maitland

Entrepreneurs on Fire

John Lee Dumas

Content, Passive, Entrepreneuronfire, Podcast, Money, Entrepreneurs, Income, Success, Business, On, John, Marketing, Eofire, Entrepreneurship, Online, Dumas, Niche, Fire, Careers, Media, Lee, Internet, Mobile, Interview, Entrepreneur, Seo, Finance, Social

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kirsten Maitland is the founder of Rebel Cheese, pioneering artisan plant-based cheeses and scaling a national brand by turning viral moments into lasting growth through bold innovation and relentless customer focus.

Top 3 Value Bombs

1. You don't need to be an expert to disrupt an industry. Beginner's eyes create fresh opportunities.

2. Never compromise on quality, even when faced with explosive demand. You only get one chance to win skeptics.

3. Owning your vertical, obsessing over R&D, and listening relentlessly to customers fuels long-term innovation.

Check out Kirsten's website. First-time customers get two free wheels with their order - Rebel Cheese

Transcript

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0:00.0	Boom. Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire, brought to you by
0:08.3	high level, the all-on-one sales and marketing platform. Today we'll be breaking down how to go from
0:13.8	tech to cheese, how to engineer a plant-based business that disrupts a legacy industry.
0:19.8	And to drop these value bombs, I brought
0:21.0	Kirsten, Maitland, and the Eofire Studios. Kirsten is the founder of Rebel Cheese, pioneering
0:26.0	artisan plant-based cheeses, and scaling a national brand by turning viral moments into lasting
0:31.6	growth through bold innovation and relentless customer focus. And today we'll talk about disrupting
0:37.1	a traditional industry.
0:38.5	We'll also talk about translating tech into food, owning the vertical lessons from overnight success, and oh, so much more.
0:44.4	And a big thing for sponsoring our episode goes to Kirsten and our sponsors.
0:49.4	Fire Nation, if you love stories that entertain and educate, you've got to grab the book,
0:53.9	The Deal Makers Will by Walker Thrash.
0:56.0	It reads like a novel, but teaches like a masterclass, packed with timeless lessons on power, leverage, and
1:01.1	negotiation. Whether you're raising capital or closing deals, this book will change how you play the game.
1:06.0	Get it now on Amazon. Are you ready for the ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches,
1:12.9	and agencies, build funnels, automate follow-ups, manage clients, and even white-label
1:18.4	your own software, say hello to our featured partner High Level.
1:23.3	And visit High LevelFire.com to start your free trial today.
1:31.1	Kirsten, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming
1:36.5	successful that most people disagree with. Yes, so this is something I have dealt with my entire career, and that is you don't have to be an
1:49.8	expert in your field. This was something I fought against before I started Rebel Cheese in my
1:57.3	IT career, continued to deal with this as an entrepreneur too.
	...

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