Episode 199: If you typically find yourself shopping at any of the major grocery stores like Whole Foods, Publix, Walmart, or Costco (just to name a few), it's highly likely that you're already very familiar with Kevin’s Natural Foods. After almost a decade of business, there’s no denying the name they’ve made for themselves and the reliable reputation they’ve cultivated... and on today’s episode, Natalie has the honor of connecting with Kevin himself! As a co-founder and COO, Kevin McCray has definitely learned a thing or two over the years, and today he’s (literally) dishing out all the behind-the-scenes, nitty-gritty details of building a business from the ground up. From the autoimmune disorder and lifestyle shift that inspired his products to his thought process as an entrepreneur and everything that’s contributed to his success in the consumer food space, this episode is rich with the ingredients necessary to take your ideas to the next level. Today’s episode dives into: Why some of the best products never actually make it into the consumer space The power of persistence and other traits that make a successful founder Kevin’s autoimmune disorder and the major diet and overall lifestyle shift that came along with the diagnoses The lightbulb moment that led him to create Kevin’s Natural Foods A breakdown of their product development and the integral role of focus groups Sous vide style cooking and why Kevin swears by it for his products The decision to use his name in the branding and the importance of story-telling How he landed his products at major retailers like Costco and Walmart Thank you so much for being a part of our podcast community! Please be sure to rate, follow, review, and of course, post to your highlight reel. Follow your host Natalie on Instagram @nataliebarbu and @therealreelpodcast. Follow @kevins.natural.foods Thank you to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Check out these deals just for you: The Farmers Dog - Get 50% off and free shipping on your first box of fresh, healthy food at thefarmersdog.com/REALREEL Supergut - Head over to Supergut.com and use code REALREEL to save 20% off your order Apostrophe - Get your first visit for only five dollars at Apostrophe.com/REALREEL when you use our code: REALREEL Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/realreel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices