Episode 80 | How Hippeas Landed In 18,000 Stores by Telling the Right Story
with Hippeas CEO Livio Bisterzo
Livio Bisterzo tried something different.
What if, he wondered, instead of starting with a product, you started with a brand proposition? What if you first built a story that your audience believed in? A big, powerful story, one that resonated with consumers, retailers – anyone who came across it? Something more akin to a tribe or a movement? What would happen?
Big things, it turns out.
This week our guest is Livio Bisterzo, the founder and CEO of Green Park Holdings, makers of the super popular Hippeas brand organic chick pea puffs. (If you’ve ever been to a Starbucks, you’ve likely seen their bright yellow, smiling packaging.) In just a year’s time, the brand has launched in 18,000 retailers – and the number is growing virtually every day.
Livio joined us in the Awesome Office / SnackNation HQ for a live interview in front of the team there. In the episode, Livio discusses the process of building the Hippeas brand from the ground up, and why a focus on story has made all the difference. He also explores the lessons he learned from his working class roots, why he believes there are no 9 to 5 entrepreneurs, and the link between brand and culture.
Key Takeaways
- Livio takes us back to his roots in Milan, describing his working class background and sharing the top lessons he learned from his hardworking parents. 1:57
- Livio describes the culture shock he experienced moving from Italy to England to attend University, and why he believes high-growth companies don’t happen in Italy 5:04
- The difference between “sales” and “hustling.” 6:56
- The traits that helped Livo survive and become a successful entrepreneur after early failures. 7:46
- Why Livio decided to build a brand story rather than sell a food product. 9:14
- Why it’s so important to focus on story and aspirational fit. 11:24
- How Livio and his team built the Hippeas brand. 15:00
- Why having a competitor or “nemesis” can both help or hurt a startup CPG brand, and why innovation in the natural foods ecosystem is always consumer led. 21:20
- Why we’re currently experiencing the greatest change in the food supply since the 1950s. 23:20
- The habits that most contributed to Livio’s success. 25:30
- Livio’s biggest failures, and what he learned from them. 26:35
- Why there are no 9-5 entrepreneurs. 28:30
- How Livio’s changed since the lean years. 32:57
- The importance of culture in the Hippeas brand. 35:20
Links
Introducing SnackNation Market.
For the past few years SnackNation has only been available to businesses, but now it’s available for homes and awesome individuals too.
SnackNation Market brings health- and taste-conscious folks expertly curated boxes of the most delicious, innovative and healthier snacks right to your doorstep. With SnackNation there is no more worrying about having a weak, unhealthy and tasteless snack game.
We’ve secured a special offer for the listeners of this show: you can try SnackNation for FREE.
Just visit SnackNation.com/AO right now, and get your first box free (just cover shipping and handling).
That’s SnackNation.com/AO.
[…] can choose Hippeas in six flavors that range from pepper power and maple haze to vegan white cheddar and sriracha […]
[…] and “do good” philosophies into their products. Aside from being a delicious snack, HIPPEAS is actually helping people in Africa by partnering with Farm Africa, a charity that aims to put an […]
[…] of food brands that are “better for you”. The first brand the company launched was Hippeas in […]
[…] towards millennials who are attracted to trendy products but also want to lead healthy lifestyles. Made of puffed chickpeas, Hippeas are completely organic and gluten free. They come in a variety of trendy flavors like […]
[…] flavor and clear health credentials that have made it ready to shake-up the snacking market. Hippeas was designed by Green Park to appeal to the increasing number of socially and health conscious […]
[…] Livio Bisterzo said that he had to work extra hard to come up with a snack that was reliable that was going to suit the health conscious and socially consumer. He has been in the natural and health industry for over seven years. Bisterzo is considered to be one of the people with lots of expertise in the industry of food. Bisterzo is of Italian descent and lives in L.A., CA. He is an entrepreneur and a family man, married with three kids. […]
[…] company produces foods, such as organic chickpea puffs branded as HIPPEAS that have taken over the market. The brand launched recently in stores across the United Kingdom […]
[…] not join Green Park Brands CEO Livio Bisterzo and say “No to […]
[…] healthy food products with positive impact in the society. In 2016, the company unveiled its HIPPEAS brand focusing on chickpeas […]
[…] with something new. In 2016, the company came up with its “HIPPEAS” as its first snack brand. HIPPEAS purposes to change the snack world. It has a strong powerful and emotional storyline that is an […]
[…] brand continues to show consistent growth in the United Kingdom and the United States. Mr. Livio Bisterzo believes his new partners are an excellent fit with the values and vision of the company and is […]
[…] later saw the investor win various awards to amend his excellent work. Bisterzo has continued to bring much innovation in the field of entrepreneurship and focuses on providing quality products that cater to all customer needs and […]
[…] star’s investment in Hippeas should not affect his acting schedule. Event though the star remains as down-to-Earth as he he […]
[…] Partners look forward to partnering and working with Livio Bisterzo and HIPPEAS management team. HIPPEAS and its partners are working towards leading the next evolution of ‘better for you’ […]
[…] Bisterzo is the CEO of Green Park Brands. He has a vision to make the company one of the best in the industry in the […]
[…] Livio Bisterzo is hoping that consumer spending in this market will translate to increased profits for Green Park Holdings, and he’s relying on Hippeas to drive consumer traffic. […]
[…] HIPPEAS is a high growth brand that combines great flavor, nutrition, and a unique flavor profile. For each package sold the company will donate money to Farm Africa a charity that works to end hunger in rural Eastern Africa. The product is sold in over 20,000 stores in the US and UK. Some of the vendor that carry the product are Starbucks, Whole Foods, Safeway, Waitrose and others. […]
[…] HIPPEAS implies calling people to try peas. The product is light, crunchy and is rich in protein and fiber, therefore perfect solutions to those seeking to control their weights safely. […]
[…] HIPPEAS implies calling people to try peas. The product is light, crunchy and is rich in protein and fiber, therefore perfect solutions to those seeking to control their weights safely. […]
[…] Following a modified hippie inspiration he launched the company’s first brand, Hippeas, in 2016. Hippeas offers different flavors of chickpea puffs to […]
[…] Hippeas has achieved its testament because of its high profile flavors. Green Park Brands will grow more after partnering with the two investors. Livio Bisterzo is an Italian Entrepreneur. He is married and has three children. He was the founder of Alvaro Group. Alvaro Group started in September 2006 and ended in January 2012. […]
[…] Livio Bisterzo is hoping that consumer spending in this market will translate to increased profits for Green Park Holdings, and he’s relying on Hippeas to drive consumer traffic. […]
[…] for growth due to the specifics of the brand. He believes the nutrition, flavor, and uniqueness of HIPPEAS will generate even more growth in the future and is excited about a snack with so many health […]
[…] Livio Bisterzo is the CEO and founder of a company known as Green Park Holdings. His new product HIPPEAS appears to be taking the U.S. by storm. Together with his partners, Livio […]
[…] is the latest addition to the investor family of a Hippeas brand, a company that manufactures chickpea puff snacks. DiCaprio alongside his investment ship, Strand Equity partners pumped an undisclosed amount into […]
[…] modern day consumer wants products which are healthier and organic. Livio Bisterzo has paid close attention to this fact. He collaborates with farmers to ensure that […]
[…] Everyone has heard the name of Leonardo DiCaprio, but not everyone recognizes the name, Livio Bisterzo. Who is he and what does Leonardo DiCaprio have in common with him? Livio Bisterzo is the CEO of a vegan snack brand called Hippeas. […]
[…] fans across America are rejoicing that these healthy snacks are available in so many places like Starbucks, Amazon and Whole Foods. At $1.95 for an ounce in […]
[…] A little while ago, Leonardo DiCaprio decided to put some of his fortunes behind the Hippeas brand of chickpeas snacks. Hippeas is one of the companies under the Green Park Brands umbrella that are creating a […]
[…] the year 2015, Livio came up with an idea of providing healthy snacks to vegans. He founded Green Park Holdings and was ready to roll out a line of chickpeas puff snacks that are […]
[…] is Livio Bisterzo’s chick pea puffs that are a healthy, delicious, and animal-free snack that many are enjoying throughout the country. How did Livio Bisterzo make this product so popular […]
[…] Holdings, Bisterzo has changed the game in the health industry by providing a healthy affordable chickpea puff snack brand. It is low in calories but high in fiber and protein with the additional benefits of being organic, […]
[…] as an advisor and investor for the company, a position he has held delinquently and helped the snack company grow […]
[…] A little while ago, Leonardo DiCaprio decided to put some of his fortunes behind the Hippeas brand of chickpeas snacks. Hippeas is one of the companies under the Green Park Brands umbrella that are creating a […]
[…] 2015 Livio Bisterzo, an Italian entrepreneur, founded Green Park Holdings. The mission of Green Park is to bring healthier for you food brands […]
[…] had invested in Love the Wild, a sustainable seafood brand that markets farm raised fish. Now, the award winning actor has invested in Bisterzo because he is thrilled that this company makes plant-based snacks instead snacks high in sugar, […]
[…] This article will explore actor Livio Bisterzo and his investment in a snack company Green Park. He did this with Livio Bisterzo the Chief Executive and Co-founder of Green Park. […]
[…] internationally. It is sold in the United States and the United Kingdom as well. Some of major big-name distributors to carry the product are Starbucks and Vons with other names such as Target and blah blah to come […]
[…] Holy Grail leading to success is acceptance from Starbucks as a sales outlet. The Hippeas brand of puffed chickpea snacks achieved the almost unthinkable when Starbucks accepted its six flavors of snacks priced at $1.95 […]
[…] investment companies as already growing and estimated to continue to grow across the coming years; chickpea snacks have grown by a large level in recent years to grow across the last year by 153 percent in total […]
[…] of investment and growth has been the development of snacks with alternative ingredients, such as Green Park Holdings new snack product, Hippeas; this chickpea based puffed snack has been launched in the U.K. and U.S. to take advantage […]
[…] From 2015 to 2016, the market for alternative snacks and healthier options grew by seven percent to become an industry with more than $1.1 billion in sales reported across […]
[…] Hippeas brand is available at many U.S. market chains, including Albertsons and Vons, also at Starbucks, and soon to be in Krogers Markets and Target, as […]
[…] huge number of calories and don’t have any Genetically Modified Organisms. They are likewise certified organic, kosher and gluten-free. In particular, these snacks are exceptionally […]
[…] nitrogen back to the soil giving back to the earth. Hippeas comes in six flavors which include far out fajita, Vegan white cheddar, maple haze, pepper power, sriracha and happeni’ hickory. The product has gone through a lot of testing to get the crunchy product that appealed to the […]
[…] things inspired Bisterzo’s choice of chickpeas. First, chickpeas help in soil fertility, and therefore farming chickpeas is a way of making […]
[…] founder and CEO of Livio Bisterzo, the Italian marketing specialist who has taken his own brand of puffed chickpeas into an estimated 22,000 retail outlets since its launch in […]
[…] famous organic chickpea puffs which are available in six different ingenious tastes. The creative chickpea flavors include Far out Fajita, Vegan White Cheddar, Sriracha Sunrise, Pepper Power and Hap…. The natural food snacks are designed to attract the healthy and socially conscious consumer. […]
[…] The Green Park Holdings’ founder’s purpose is to have an impact on society by offering healthy foods that are better for your […]
[…] 2015 by entrepreneur Livio Bisterzo. The brand has been the talk of the town lately because of its organic chickpea snack, Hippeas. Although Bisterzo refrained from disclosing the amount his two latest partners brought, […]
[…] knew beforehand that innovation of products was a very sensible move. They aimed to come up with snacks that were healthy and covered all current big trends. The brand, Hippeas, is available in Vons, Starbucks and Albertsons in the United States and shall […]
[…] Hippeas is a natural snack made from chickpeas. Green Park Brands launched the product last year, just a year after the company was founded. Hippeas come in many flavors including cheese & love, in herbs we trust, far out fajita, and sweet & smokin’ among many other mouthwatering flavors. Beginning in March last year, Hippeas was available in Albertsons, Vons, and Starbucks. Bisterzo is constantly seeking to increase the number of stores selling Hippies, and as this year ends, he promises that Hippeas will be available in more stores including Kroger Co. and Target stores. In Starbucks, a sachet of Hippeas retails at $1.95. […]
[…] balances came from Angel investors. Also, Livio Bisterzo said that Hippeas has sold through retailers since March of last year and has managed to raise $ 2.5 million above the 2016 […]
Game LIFE 遊戲情報 http://gamelife.tw/portal.php
Vfhjnij
mquinnplastering@yahoo.co.uk
: