September box brands making moves!

Welcome to our 38 new subscribers since our last newsletter 👋. Everyone say "hiiiii"

Happy Holidays fam! 

Does anyone else feel like 2022 was two very different years combined into one? The year started out great, then we realized the economy had been running too hot for too long. Sentiment plunged in spring, and since then, things have been slowly unwinding as valuations and all things financial go into correction mode. Not fun! 

This is a good time for a reminder that we are all very emotional beings, both collectively and individually. This year felt odd to me as it felt like many of us stopped listening to each other. I miss the days where people could disagree with one another, but still be friends. 

We all have our own sets of beliefs. Not everything is as concrete as 2+2=4. I hope for 2023 and beyond that we can get back to listening to each other, and not just going on the offense with our replies. The key is remembering there is a real person on the other side of that table/tweet/post who is in a different part of the algorithm, and thus is being served different information than we are. They're also probably super stressed. 

Let's make 2023 the year we bring back the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. This starts with listening to each other.

In other news, all is relatively good at FirstLook. Here are a few things that are top of mind and or in the works:

Some Wins

• We've continued to grow organically almost 100% through word-of-mouth. Thank you to everyone who helped spread the good word for us. I appreciate you!

• 6 (yes 6!) FirstLook Founders made Forbes' 30-Under-30 for 2023! A great testament to their hard work, and the caliber of founders we work with.

• The recent Investor Holiday Party I co-hosted with Bluestein Ventures and Chicago Seed Co was a smash hit. Who else wants to throw a party? Let's do it.

• I got engaged to this little lady in July! She is 100% the reason I'm able to build FirstLook, and I love her so much. This tweet is a very real glimpse into the challenges I and many founders deal with. It helps a ton to have a strong partner by your side

• I recently become a Techstars Mentor for their Atlanta Program. I'm excited to help founders craft their stories and decks. I also launched another company with my bff Chase which we will be announcing soon.

Top of Mind

• I'm loving being back home in Cleveland! The CPG community is tiny, but there is so much potential. My goal is to make Cleveland the next Austin. I nonetheless dearly miss NYC and seeing my bffs Nate (now CoS at Adgile!) and Safi (now at Store no. 8!)

• I'm launching a new newsletter - Founder Horror Stories! There is no shortage of crazy things that unfold while launching brands. All founders have the battle scars as proof. FHS will be the first time founders can share their stories of struggle and perseverance. Have a story of your own? Submit it here.

• I'm keeping an eye out for a Co-Founder to lead our marketing efforts.

Alrighty let's get into the rest of this newsletter....

Founder Pro Tip of the Month 💡

With markets and the future looking so hazy right now, now is a GREAT time to really double down on bolstering the team slide(s) in your pitch decks. 

I don't have the answers yet on how to nail this, but nonetheless as markets tank it's more important than ever for investors to "bet on the jockey, not the horse." 

One easy move here is to include a founder video in decks explaining why you're passionate about the problem you're solving, and how everything in your life has perfectly prepared you to get your brand over the finish line. 

Did a friend forward you this email, and now you want to join? 

September Box Brands 🚀

Investors Shipped to: 35   |‏‏‎‎   Number of Brands: 7‏‏‎   |‏‏‎   Intros Made: 44

Interested in joining? → Brand Signup / Investor Signup

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BEHAVE

Founded by Mayssa Chehata & Emily Gu  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎‎‏‏‎  Site + IG |‏‏‎  📍 NYC

What made them stand out: Everyone loves to snack, but finding healthy options can be tough. Lucky for us Mayssa has rolled out some great tasting, low-sugar, clean label gummies. On top of a great product, she has a TON of great support in her corner including investors like music manager Troy Carter, Blank Street Coffee's Vinay Menda, and Jen Rubio of Away, among so many others. When you bring on big time investors, they help open up doors and make key connections that truly move the needle. 

Cusa Tea & Coffee

Founded by Jim Lamancusa  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎‎‏‏‎  Site +  ‎IG + TikTok |‏‏‎  📍 Boulder, CO

What made them stand out: On top of having very tasty instant coffees and teas, what I really like is how Cusa invented a new technology (with 30+ patents) using botanical-extraction to make their coffees and teas. Seldom do brands have an IP moat. In Cusa's case, they do, which makes them much more attractive to strategics as they grow. They still have a ways to go before acquisition term sheets show up in their inbox, but nonetheless they are on the right path.

Esker Beauty

Founded by‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ Shannon Davenport |‏‏‎  Site +  ‎IG + TikTok |  📍 Austin, TX

What made them stand out: Esker is filling a unique white space in prestige beauty through building a bodycare brand that touches on wellness, skincare, and mental health. They're stocked at Anthropologie, Free People Movement, and Bluemercury, among other independent boutiques and online retailers. What I love most is Shannon's background. She started her career in trend forecasting working with global consumer brands and retailers across consumer categories for over 12 years. Having this special skill gives her a better glimpse into the future which will help Esker stay steps ahead of the competition. ‏‏‎

FUL Foods

Founded by‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ Julia Streuli, Cristina Prat Taranilla, & Sara Guaglio |‏‏   Site + IG |‏‏‎ 📍 Amsterdam / Los Angeles

What made them stand out: Is it just me or is that not the most beautiful shade of teal you've ever seen?! Great colors aside, I like FUL because of their compelling IP which includes a proprietary spirulina cultivation & biorefinery process which addresses the key issues preventing spirulina from entering mainstream (such as removing fishy taste and stabilizing nutrients). FUL is still very early, and are just entering the US (from the Netherlands) starting in SoCal. I'm excited to watch them grow. 

hiyo

Founded by‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ Evan Quinn, George Youmans, & Cygne Cooper  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎  Site +‎‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‎IG + TikTok‏‏‎  ‎‏‎|‏‏‏‏‎ 📍 Venice, CA

What made them stand out: The non-alc category is quite hot. And hiyo is set to crush it in the social tonics category. Their beautifully designed cans are crafted with organic adaptogens, natural nootropics, and functional botanicals which provides a stress-relieving, mood-boosting lift that hiyo calls "the float." What stood out to me was how operationally efficient and disciplined they are. Under the hood their numbers and metrics really measure up well. When you're in the top 1% of execution, you'll go far. Add some strong tailwinds into the mix, and it's off to the races.

MANTRA Labs

Founded by‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ Paul Janowitz  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎  Site +‎‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‎IG‏‏‎   ‎‏‎|‏‏‏‏‎  📍 Austin, TX

What made them stand out: Body optimization is very in right now. Many things seem to be working against us including diets, stress, and well...life. Fortunately, Paul and team created no-BS, science-backed, cutting edge plant-based nutrition solutions that help you move more, recover faster and sleep better. What stood out for me is Paul himself. He's a lifetime entrepreneur with experience founding, building, scaling, investing in, and selling CPG brands. He helped found the SKU Accelerator, and helped fund and take to market brands like Siete, Epic, Dude Wipes and more. Remember what I said earlier? "We bet on the jockey, not the horse." 

Scent Lab

Founded by‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ Ariana Silvestro  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎Site + ‎IG  ‎‏‎|‏‏‎ ‎‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎‏‏‎📍 NYC

What made them stand out: Meet the first digital platform for fragrance that curates scents perfect for you & your home. Love it! Scent Lab, a recent graduate of XRC Labs (where I worked before launching FirstLook), is leaning heavy into data and science to drive growth. Similar to Care/of, users complete a questionnaire to determine the perfect candle for them. This gives SL a treasure trove of data to learn from. I also really love Ariana's background which includes scaling CityMD from 30 to 150 locations, and Head of Strategy & Marketing for DNTL bar where she was employee #1 and built the brand from idea to 5 locations in NYC. It's safe to say Ariana understands scaling. 

That's a wrap! Hope your holidays are magical and full of quality time with loved ones. October box is next. Let's make 2023 📈 despite the markets and economy!

If you're a brand, sign up here to jump in our boxes. If you're an investor, sign up here to get a box! 

Thanks from the FirstLook Team- Brian, James, and Mahdi