Healing Your Soul Through a Product That’s Now in 5000+ Stores Nationwide, with Ali Bonar, Founder of Oat Haus
Dear FoundHer...Real Founder Stories for Women Small Business Owners
Lindsay Pinchuk
4.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 18 March 2025
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Building a successful brand takes more than a great product. It takes showing up, sharing your story, and earning trust, day after day.
Lindsay Pinchuk sits down with Ali Bonar, the co-founder and the CEO of Oat Haus, to talk about turning personal struggles into a business with real impact. After spending years battling an eating disorder, Ali wanted to change how people experience food. That journey led her to create granola butter, the world’s first oat-based spread. Now, Oat Haus products are stocked in over 5,000 stores, including Target and Whole Foods. But getting there wasn’t easy.
Ali shares what it took to bring a completely new product to market, why consistency matters more than overnight success, and how social media became a powerful tool for connection and credibility. She also reflects on her experience on Shark Tank and why not getting a deal turned out to be a blessing.
What does it really take to grow a business in a crowded industry? How do you build trust with customers before they even try your product? Ali’s story offers answers. If you’re an entrepreneur wondering how to stand out and keep going, this episode is for you.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction
05:30 Ali’s Journey and Inspiration
09:00 Early Challenges and Development
11:00 Bringing on a Culinary Expert
13:00 Initial Production and Scaling Up
15:30 Marketing and Customer Education
17:00 Leveraging Social Media for Growth
19:00 Authenticity and Building Trust
23:00 The Myth of the Big Break
25:00 Importance of Telling Your Story
27:00 Current Scale and Retail Presence
29:00 The Role of Press and PR
31:00 Shark Tank Experience
35:00 Funding and Investment Strategy
37:00 Profitability and Lean Operations
39:00 Challenges and Realities of Being a Founder
41:00 Marketing to Moms and Schools
Connect with Ali Bonar:
https://www.instagram.com/alibonar
http://www.instagram.com/oat.haus
Get on the Marketing Made Simple Waitlist: https://lindsaypinchuk.myflodesk.com/waitlist
Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum
Don't forget to follow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypinchuk
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Transcript
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| 0:00.8 | Hi guys, it's me, Lindsay Pinchuk, host of Dear Founder. And in just a second, you're going to hear me talk to |
| 0:06.7 | Ali Bonner, co-founder of Oathouse. If you've been around here for a while, you may think that |
| 0:12.5 | Ali and I had a conversation about marketing made simple before we hit record. But the truth is, |
| 0:17.8 | as Ali shares her story during today's episode, you're going to hear her share |
| 0:22.0 | with me the steps that she took, many of which are the exact same that I give to all of you |
| 0:26.9 | and my clients, both my consulting clients and those in my small business mentorship, marketing |
| 0:32.7 | made simple for small business. You'll hear Allie talk about how social media has played a key role in building |
| 0:39.1 | the old house brand and how showing up consistently has led to long-term success, but how showing |
| 0:45.5 | up authentically has fostered trust with her customers. Allie also shares with us how strategic |
| 0:51.1 | partnerships played a huge role in getting her company off the ground. |
| 0:55.9 | And at the foundation of it all, it's no surprise. Allie talks about how sharing your story |
| 1:00.9 | can create meaningful connections. I swear I didn't talk to Allie first, but it's no surprise |
| 1:07.2 | that she shares these principles today. Why? Because they work, which is why I share |
| 1:12.9 | them in detail and with step-by-step instructions in my group mentorship, marketing made simple |
| 1:17.5 | for small business. My goal is to save you time and the many headaches that I endured as a founder |
| 1:22.9 | by helping you to build your own business using my strategies, experiences, and 25 years of |
| 1:28.8 | proven success as a marketer. Three cohorts of women entrepreneurs just like you have now |
| 1:34.0 | gone through my mentorship. Each week we have a call. I teach a lesson about marketing made |
| 1:38.8 | simple in order to help you build your business. And I answer your questions. If you need to, |
| 1:44.0 | if you need to ask me something, |
| 1:45.4 | you can drop it in our online forum. If you need something more customized, you can grab some one-on-one |
| 1:50.9 | time. Throughout this year-long program, I teach you the exact simple marketing strategies that I've used |
... |
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