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The ERic RIES Show
Curated conversations
At the Long-Term Stock Exchange, we are dedicated to creating a world where businesses are empowered to achieve lasting impact and long-term prosperity.
To foster meaningful conversations, we curate conversations from an ecosystem of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.
The Eric Ries Show, a podcast produced by Founder and Chair of LTSE Services, Eric Ries, reflects our mission.
The show features thought-provoking conversations with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others who are working to create a new ecosystem of organizations committed to growth with purpose.
To foster meaningful conversations, we curate conversations from an ecosystem of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.
The Eric Ries Show, a podcast produced by Founder and Chair of LTSE Services, Eric Ries, reflects our mission.
The show features thought-provoking conversations with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others who are working to create a new ecosystem of organizations committed to growth with purpose.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this podcast was obtained in part from publicly available sources (including the Eric Ries Show) and not independently verified. The Long-Term Stock Exchange and its affiliated companies do not make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and do not sponsor, approve, or endorse any of the content herein, all of which is presented solely for informational and educational purposes. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy any security, or a recommendation of any security or trading practice.
Some portions of the podcast may have been edited for the purpose of length or clarity.
From the Eric Ries Show:
The Ultimate Guide for Creating Products People Trust | Seth Goldman (Honest Tea)
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Most companies scale by cutting corners. Seth Goldman built a brand by refusing to.
Seth is one of the founders of Honest Tea, a longtime chair at Beyond Meat, and the cofounder of Just Iced Tea. His career has been defined by a belief that business can be a force for human and environmental good. From a thermos of tea brewed in his kitchen to national distribution and acquisition by Coca-Cola, he has spent decades exploring how values can live inside systems built for profit.
In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Seth to talk about the full story of Honest Tea, from its founding to its sale and eventual shutdown, and how those experiences shaped his approach to building again. We discuss how trust and long-term relationships helped him rebuild quickly, what it takes to embed purpose in supply chains, and why he believes even B Corp standards do not go far enough.
—
Brought to you by:
Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/design Use code "ERIC"
—
Where to find Seth Goldman:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-goldman-234bb7124
—
Where to find Eric:
• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/
—
In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:03) Seth’s early career in politics and how he saw business as a faster path to change
(07:40) The early ideas he explored before landing on tea
(11:30) How Seth connected tea to an ethical, fair-trade mission
(14:31) How Honest Tea aligned profit with purpose
(17:56) Honest Tea’s role in expanding organic and fair-trade sourcing
(18:50) How Seth got Whole Foods on board
(21:40) The next steps in scaling the business
(22:27) The value of the in-person pitch
(24:20) When Whole Foods’ local buyers could still take a chance on new brands
(25:46) The case for mission transmission
(27:05) How Honest Tea raised money from friends and family to major corporations
(29:15) How the Coca-Cola deal came together
(32:27) How a kids’ juice box carried Honest Tea’s mission forward
(34:51) The end of Honest Tea and the start of Just Iced Tea
(41:03) How existing relationships and lean habits helped Just Iced Tea move faster
(44:30) The magnetic power of a shared mission to attract teams, partners, and customers
(48:42) Why trust is the most valuable asset a company can build
(51:15) What the Purpose Pledge is and how it raises the bar for ethical business
(53:42) Why great products and purpose are not mutually exclusive
(58:29) The story of Tony’s Chocolonely and Seth’s role as a mission guardian
(1:01:40) Seth’s parting advice
—
Referenced:
- Michael Dukakis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dukakis
- Lloyd Bentsen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Bentsen
- Americorps: https://www.americorps.gov
- Ben and Jerry ice-cream (case study), How Value Led Organization Integrated with Social Beneficial Action Increases the Social Stature of Organization: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ben-jerry-ice-cream-case-study-how-value-led-social-ramanidoss
- Net Impact: https://www.netimpact.org
- Calvert: https://www.calvert.com
- Honest Tea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honest_Tea
- Just Ice Tea: https://justicetea.com
- The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Story-Adventures-Love-Capitalism/dp/1637745125
- Stonyfield Farm: https://www.stonyfield.com
- Gary Hirshberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-hirshberg-hei
- Snapple: https://www.snapple.com
- Honest Kids: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/honest
- Beyond Meat: https://www.beyondmeat.com
- Seth’s LinkedIn post about Coca-Cola shutting down Honest Tea: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/seth-goldman-234bb7124_todays-announcement-by-the-coca-cola-company-activity-6934615975606566912-BsC9/
- Barry Nalebuff on X: https://x.com/barrynalebuff
- Spike Mendelsohn’s website: https://www.chefspike.com
- Melanie Knitzer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-knitzer-9505b02
- B Corporation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Corporation_(certification)
- Purpose Pledge: https://www.purposepledge.org
- Tony’s Chocolonely: https://us.tonyschocolonely.com
- Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently: https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Bottle-Business-Differently-Succeeding/dp/0770437494
—
Production and marketing by Pen Name.
Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Show Notes
Most companies scale by cutting corners. Seth Goldman built a brand by refusing to.
Seth is one of the founders of Honest Tea, a longtime chair at Beyond Meat, and the cofounder of Just Iced Tea. His career has been defined by a belief that business can be a force for human and environmental good. From a thermos of tea brewed in his kitchen to national distribution and acquisition by Coca-Cola, he has spent decades exploring how values can live inside systems built for profit.
In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Seth to talk about the full story of Honest Tea, from its founding to its sale and eventual shutdown, and how those experiences shaped his approach to building again. We discuss how trust and long-term relationships helped him rebuild quickly, what it takes to embed purpose in supply chains, and why he believes even B Corp standards do not go far enough.
—
Brought to you by:
Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/design Use code "ERIC"
—
Where to find Seth Goldman:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-goldman-234bb7124
—
Where to find Eric:
• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/
—
In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:03) Seth’s early career in politics and how he saw business as a faster path to change
(07:40) The early ideas he explored before landing on tea
(11:30) How Seth connected tea to an ethical, fair-trade mission
(14:31) How Honest Tea aligned profit with purpose
(17:56) Honest Tea’s role in expanding organic and fair-trade sourcing
(18:50) How Seth got Whole Foods on board
(21:40) The next steps in scaling the business
(22:27) The value of the in-person pitch
(24:20) When Whole Foods’ local buyers could still take a chance on new brands
(25:46) The case for mission transmission
(27:05) How Honest Tea raised money from friends and family to major corporations
(29:15) How the Coca-Cola deal came together
(32:27) How a kids’ juice box carried Honest Tea’s mission forward
(34:51) The end of Honest Tea and the start of Just Iced Tea
(41:03) How existing relationships and lean habits helped Just Iced Tea move faster
(44:30) The magnetic power of a shared mission to attract teams, partners, and customers
(48:42) Why trust is the most valuable asset a company can build
(51:15) What the Purpose Pledge is and how it raises the bar for ethical business
(53:42) Why great products and purpose are not mutually exclusive
(58:29) The story of Tony’s Chocolonely and Seth’s role as a mission guardian
(1:01:40) Seth’s parting advice
—
Referenced:
- Michael Dukakis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dukakis
- Lloyd Bentsen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Bentsen
- Americorps: https://www.americorps.gov
- Ben and Jerry ice-cream (case study), How Value Led Organization Integrated with Social Beneficial Action Increases the Social Stature of Organization: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ben-jerry-ice-cream-case-study-how-value-led-social-ramanidoss
- Net Impact: https://www.netimpact.org
- Calvert: https://www.calvert.com
- Honest Tea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honest_Tea
- Just Ice Tea: https://justicetea.com
- The Whole Story: Adventures in Love, Life, and Capitalism: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Story-Adventures-Love-Capitalism/dp/1637745125
- Stonyfield Farm: https://www.stonyfield.com
- Gary Hirshberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-hirshberg-hei
- Snapple: https://www.snapple.com
- Honest Kids: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/honest
- Beyond Meat: https://www.beyondmeat.com
- Seth’s LinkedIn post about Coca-Cola shutting down Honest Tea: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/seth-goldman-234bb7124_todays-announcement-by-the-coca-cola-company-activity-6934615975606566912-BsC9/
- Barry Nalebuff on X: https://x.com/barrynalebuff
- Spike Mendelsohn’s website: https://www.chefspike.com
- Melanie Knitzer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-knitzer-9505b02
- B Corporation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_Corporation_(certification)
- Purpose Pledge: https://www.purposepledge.org
- Tony’s Chocolonely: https://us.tonyschocolonely.com
- Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently: https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Bottle-Business-Differently-Succeeding/dp/0770437494
—
Production and marketing by Pen Name.
Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Disclaimer
The information is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Information about the company is provided by the company, or comes from the companies’ public filings and is not independently verified by LTSE. Neither LTSE nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding LTSE-listed companies are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. Advice from a securities professional is strongly advised.
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