In this bonus episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Grace Kennedy is joined by Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà, a brand renowned for its delicious frozen Chinese soup dumplings. Jen reveals the fascinating journey of transforming MìLà from a local restaurant into a thriving direct-to-consumer brand amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of developing recipes for freezing, the complexities of shipping frozen products, and the ongoing process of product refinement.
Jen also delves into the strategic moves that have fueled MìLà’s growth, including successful fundraising, high-profile collaborations with celebrities like Simu Liu, and expansion into major retailers such as Whole Foods and Costco. She shares invaluable insights on navigating both business and personal obstacles, including managing a significant facility relocation and balancing work with family life.
Don’t miss out on this engaging conversation full of entrepreneurial wisdom and behind-the-scenes stories. Tune in now!
Listen in as they share about:
Background of Miele
Transition from Restaurant to DTC Frozen Products
Recipe Development
Challenges in Frozen Food Logistics
Advice for Other Frozen Brands
Scaling and Planning
Celebrity Endorsement and Fundraising Strategy
Retail Expansion and Future Plans
Episode Links:
MìLà Website
MìLà Instagram: @eat.mila
Jennifer Liao LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jentingliao/
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Show Links:
* Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcasthere ( https://startupcpg.transistor.fm/ ) (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
* Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
* Follow @startupcpg ( https://www.instagram.com/startupcpg)
* Visit host Daniel’s Linkedin ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/danscharff )
* Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
* Episode music bySuper Fantastics
( https://open.spotify.com/artist/1vDD0emrDKZUXnHmmLJ6IF )