Keith Belling — Building Successful Brands in a Saturated Industry
The I Have Cool Friends podcast, hosted by Samantha Peszek, is a show that sparks inspirational conversations with experts about business, wellness, and personal development.
INTRODUCING KEITH BELLING:
Sam welcomes founder and CEO of Right Rice, Keith Belling. RightRice is a next generation rice brand that launched in February 2019. Keith is known for his experience as a founder, leader, and entrepreneur of several innovative consumer companies. He is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of PopChips, a leading, better-for-you snack food business launched in 2007 and has launched other businesses, including an e-commerce company. In this episode, Sam and Keith talk about Keith’s entrepreneurial journey, what it takes to create a successful company, and how to stand out in a saturated industry. They discuss how to maintain a healthy work-life balance and what advice Keith would give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make their mark.
THIS EPISODE FEATURES INSIGHTS ON ENTREPRENUERSHIP, INNOVATION & BEING FEARLESS:
- Keith shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship, his experience as a founder, and his natural curiosity
- The origins of PopChips and why it was such a successful product
- What to look for when partnering with another business
- How Keith’s creativity became his expertise
- The importance of innovation in the companies he’s built
- Evaluating the progress of RightRice as a new brand
- Remaining a leader in the retail space for so long and Keith’s favorite RightRice flavor
- Maintaining work-life balance
- Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
- Where to follow Keith and RightRice
WHAT DID KEITH SAY?
“Failing isn’t the end of the world. Everybody is going to try new things and you’re going to be some degree right and some degree wrong. You just hope you’re more right than wrong. I think, at the end of the day, you just have to realize that you’re going to try something and if you fail, you do it better the next time.”
“I think what’s really important is to make sure the customer that shops at that store is the customer that will want your product.”
“I love creating things. I love building things. I definitely have always been creative and not afraid to try new things or do something different.”
“When you have people who really like a product and tell you that, there’s really no better feeling. It still gives me goosebumps today.”
“If you rest on your laurels, and just rely on what you were doing, everyone’s going to copy you. And we like to be a step ahead by the time they catch up to us.”
“At the end of the day, surrounding yourself with smart people is just really an advantage. You don’t have to do what they say, but you want to listen to their point of view and get the benefit of their experience.”
