ForceForward: BluePrint’s Erica Huss and Zoë Sakoutis On Their Next Big Venture in CPG

Erica Huss and Zoë Sakoutis weren’t on the hunt for the next big trend in CPG. Category trailblazers with BluePrint cold pressed juice, which was acquired by Hain Celestial in 2012, both entrepreneurs were busy producing their wellness podcast Highway To Well when the idea to start a new venture presented itself.

“We weren’t necessarily searching for the next superfood or healthy lifestyle habit,” Sakoutis told ForceBrands. “It was sort of a moment where Erica and I were both users of a product.”

And that product, functional mushrooms, is what inspired them to launch Earth & Star. We caught up with them to learn more about the company and their journey back into CPG.

Check out some highlights below:

On Finding What Works
“We do feel like we have a knack for finding what works, and more importantly, I think what translates to a broad audience.”

On the Biggest Brand Building Learnings
“Find your audience, speak to them, and know that they’re there.”

On Starting Earth & Star
“What we were looking for does not exist in the way we want it to exist, and that is the motivating factor for most founders. I think you see the white space — you solve your own problem.”

Watch the full episode here.