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The Secret Spicy Sauce to Getting on Shelves with Hotpot Queen’s founder, Jia Liao
Description
In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Jia Liao, the founder of HotPot Queen, a brand that brings the rich tradition of hot pot to American homes. Gia shares her journey from growing up in a family restaurant to launching her own CPG brand, emphasizing the importance of family legacy, product development, and the challenges of entering the retail market.
The conversation highlights the significance of branding, market research, and the impactful experience at Expo West, where Gia successfully engaged with retailers and received positive feedback on her products.
In this conversation, Jia shares her journey of launching her CPG brand, Hot Pot Queen, detailing the challenges faced in inventory management, navigating the retail landscape, and crafting effective pitches to retailers. She discusses the importance of patience in the industry, the learning curve she experienced, and the strategies she employed to engage customers and drive sales. Jia also highlights her future plans for product innovation and expansion into new markets. In this conversation, Jia shares her journey as an entrepreneur in the food industry, detailing the challenges she faced with product packaging, leakage issues, and the lessons learned from her first year of launching her brand. She emphasizes the importance of thorough testing and preparation before launching products, as well as the strategies for succeeding in retail environments. Jia's experiences highlight the resilience required in entrepreneurship and the value of learning from mistakes.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hot Pot Queen and Gia's Journey
02:40 Family Legacy and Early Influences
05:30 Transitioning to CPG: The Birth of Hot Pot Queen
07:58 Product Development and Branding Strategy
10:37 Launch Experience at Expo West
13:15 Retailer Engagement and Market Response
24:20 Navigating Retail Challenges
28:43 Learning the CPG Landscape
32:58 Crafting the Perfect Pitch
36:28 Sales Strategies and Customer Engagement
42:29 Future Plans and Product Innovations
48:46 Navigating Product Packaging Challenges
56:19 Lessons Learned from Product Launches
01:06:18 Retail Strategies and Insights
Hotpot Queen Website: https://hotpotqueen.com/
Hotpot Queen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queenofhotpot/?hl=en
Jia Liao LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weijia-liao/
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