Boom Chicka Mom & Pop! | One Couple’s Road to a $250M Acquisition

In this podcast, we drop you inside a Tony Robbins Business
Mastery seminar for a 1-hour masterclass in how to build a brand
that not only changes the game but empowers your customer base.


You’ll hear Tony Robbins in a dynamic interview with the
co-founders of BOOMCHICKAPOP, a wildly successful natural and
organic popcorn brand that completely disrupted the snack
industry.  


Angie and Dan Bastian were looking to put aside some money for
their kids' college fund when they started a small kettle corn
business out of their garage.  Initially selling popcorn at
outdoor events, including Minnesota Vikings games, the couple
soon took their popcorn to Trader Joe's, Target, and Costco –
gaining a crash course in how to operate a business along the
way.  The real game changer took place when the then-named
Angie's Kettle Corn embraced a bold new identity:
BOOMCHICKAPOP. 


Angie retired from being a nurse practitioner and Dan from a
history teacher and baseball coach to run their company full
time.  And after years of commitment and sacrifice, the
Bastian's sold their business in 2017 to Chicago-based Conagra
Brands for $250 million.


In this candid conversation, the couple reveals how facing their
fears and connecting to their customer base in a fresh and
empowering way led to their ultimate success.


Show Notes:


[1:47] Introduction to Angie and Dan Bastian


[3:42] How Angie and Dan met


[6:48] Angie and Dan attend Tony’s Unleash The Power Within 


[7:41] Facing your fears


[10:14] Starting a business as a couple


[14:37] Being thought of as crazy


[16:07] Gaining proximity to the Minnesota Vikings


[17:13] Importance of building bonds


[20:20] To gain a seat at the table, you must commit everything


[21:35] Say yes to every opportunity


[26:07] There’s always a solution


[30:22] Raising private equity


[32:32] Only 2.5 seconds to capture a consumer’s attention


[33:35] Coming from a position of empowerment


[37:04] Origin of the BoomChickaPop name


[40:39] Talking directly to consumers


[42:56] Dividing labor as a couple


[45:08] Maintaining a relationship despite stress


[47:20] Selling the company


[49:22] How it felt to distribute funds to colleagues


[51:59] Committing to business relationships


[57:33] Audience question from Javier:  What was the process
of selling your company?


[1:00:29] Audience question from Aaron:  What was your goal
for the company?


[1:03:56] Audience question from Kaley: How did you feel when you
sold the business?


[1:06:11] Audience question from Annabelle:  What kept you
going through the tough times?


[1:12:33] Audience question from Ryan: If you (Chris) were to
develop Shazam again today, what would you do differently?


[1:15:16] Audience question from Anjelica: How many times did
your brand evolve?


[1:21:40] Final question from Tony: What’s the single best piece
of advice that you’ve gotten in business?


[1:26:30] Sign off