“Together Talks” #103: Luvafoodie with Michelle Mazzara, Founder.

Some Background on Luvafoodie

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to speak with Luvafoodie and Founder, Michelle Mazzara. Luvafoodie is a fast growing foodie brand for people who love to eat and drink. It is a brand for people who are passionate about food and beverage. Luvafoodie brand connects all people together who share a love for food and beverage. Luvafoodie is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. Luvafoodie was a vendor at Super Bowl 52, VIP Tail Gaiting Event on Super Bowl Sunday.

Dating site?

While Luvafoodie is an emerging, clean, CPG brand it originated as a dating site. Michelle told us that she woke up at 3 A.M. and wondered, what if I created a dating site. She pondered what she would call it and advised us it came right to her. She then pursued creating a social website for singles who are foodies, Luvafoodie. She created a platform to connect people who share a passion and could have an instant connection.

The company launched on TV on FoxNews. While there was some real traction, Michelle was realizing the uphill battle she was facing. A few short months later she had come to the realization that her creation would not be feasible due to the amount of resources it would require. Michelle was at a crossroads contemplating what she would do next. Prior to creating her dating platform she had worked in CPG her entire life. She bet on herself with her next move. She decided that the brand had a cool name and logo. Michelle decided she would create a product and transition Luvafoodie to a CPG company.

Health event

The company just hit 10 years in August! Circling back to after the transition from the dating site to her food company, Michelle began with a line of gourmet homemade caramels. Michelle told us that she was receiving great feedback and reception. A mere year after exiting the category of dating, she had morphed her company into a consumable brand and a successful pivot.

In 2016, Michelle found out she had heart disease. She had been misdiagnosed and it was discovered she had a 90% blockage. She was treated and had a stent put in, but during the recovery she had a heart attack. Michelle was able to overcome and properly heal, but with her life-threatening situation she ended up becoming a brand ambassador for the American Heart Association. She once again was at a crossroad and decided she wanted to fully embrace her brand and have the mission of the company evolve. January 2017, it was a full transition to all natural products only. Michelle debuted 4 salt-free spices and made the commitment to tell her story.

Starting with the spices, Michelle was fully invested in good for you products. In 2018 her dog was not doing well, she began doing research. She quickly developed a spice for dogs and a spice for cats to help stimulate appetite in the animals. Fun fact, the dog on the can was her dog, Lucy! 2020 was the next iteration of creativity from Michelle. During the Pandemic she debuted all natural cold brew iced tea with 4 flavors. All are naturally flavored, no chemicals, and sugar-free. The final creation for Luvafoodie was in 2023 which Michelle released 2 salad dry seasoning mixes with plans to release one more this year. Michelle shared with us, "Our brand is so enriched in me. We are creating salt-free lines that are a solution to a problem I was having, but so many others can benefit from."

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Good for you

Transitioning to a clean and healthy brand made it even easier for Michelle to believe in growing the brand. She was able to pair the incredible product lines with her own personal story. Her story resonates with people it was a unique situation that propelled her to create solutions. And as a result she developed products that burst with flavor and taste while remaining good for you. Michelle was adamant that it is not just a brand, but a lifestyle. Luvafoodie is focused on enjoying what you are eating and drinking.

Michelle shared with us that one of the most difficult periods for her company was during the Pandemic. She couldn't demo in stores due to restrictions which severely impacted her ability to grow and reach new consumers and markets. Once again she was faced with a tough decision. She realized she needed to pivot and grow her ecom business. This new arm of her company would provide the biggest accomplishment in Michelle's opinion.

She reached out to the VP of Merchandising for Lowes.com. In charge of the grilling section, Michelle explained the benefit of her spice line and also shared her story. Remarkably she was told yes and her spice line is now available for purchase online with Lowes. She said this is not only proof of concept, but such a fulfilling moment for her. "Getting an opportunity with them opened so many doors for other retailers for Luvafoodie. Not being a national company yet, but getting accepted in this manner brought a lot of validity for us and helped our reputation."

As evidence by their multiple product lines, Michelle stated her favorite aspect is creating and developing new ideas and products. Prior to creating her company she had won cooking contests, painted, always doing some form of creativity to scratch that itch. Initially creating a site for fellow foodies to find love and then evolving into a CPG brand allowed her to create while zeroing in on her true mission of Luvafoodie. She also attributed to engaging with customers that help build the organic brand support as a huge component. One aspect of building a brand that Michelle suggested as paramount is doing as much press as possible, she is constantly on local TV to get the awareness out. She shared with us that her goals for this year are to take the brand national while partnering with investors.

Creating the switch

We asked Michelle why she kept the name and created a second company after she exited the dating platform, "There was such support and love from the community. I had to keep it. I knew once I changed my mindset I could rely on my past experience to get our new products into various markets. Then I was diagnosed with heart disease and the portfolio had to match my mission and the mission of the company." This was the pivot from the gourmet caramels as Michelle believed that shelf-stable was the right move for her numerous product lines over perishable items.

3 years ago was the moment that Michelle felt she could breathe finally. She got into a DC and calls it her AHA moment. Getting that level of distribution had the brand perceived in a new light. She said it was a pivotal moment for her and the company and she specifically celebrated her partnership with Hy-Vee. Michelle said they have been an exceptional partner and has laid the foundation for other retailers to observe how successful the Luvafoodie line can be. Another big moment was getting into Molly Stones in Northern California, Michelle elaborated to us.

Running a company as a solopreneur is exhausting and extremely challenging. We asked Michelle to reflect on a moment that brings her immense joy. She told us about in 2017 she was able to be involved with Super Bowl 52. After 10 months of applying, she was chosen as part of a number of local vendors. Considering she had only had her company for 3 years, she was amazed at the opportunity. She said it wasn't just that opportunity, but that period of her life as a whole she is most proud of. When things get tough she remembers who companies believed in her, "Between working the Super Bowl, being a brand ambassador for American Heart Association which included having billboards up of just me across the city, when ever will this happen again?!", Michelle explained. She told us that there was fear of quitting after the dating platform ended and then again transitioning to hosting product lines. Michelle mentioned that the feat of the brand being sustainable is gone, now the feat is will she be able to take it national. She closed with her ultimate goal is to publish the book she has been writing for the last 10 years. The last chapter is already titled, "Brand went national". Michelle will continue to create clean eating and drinking products and possibly cobrand with other brands in the future.

Piece of Advice

The conversation with Michelle ended with her sharing her piece of advice.

"If you have an idea and are an entrepreneur-spirited person, go for it. But you have to have a huge drive and passion for what it is. Everyone fails, so don’t be afraid to fail. My past experience and knowledge has helped propel me to succeed in growing the brand. Huge passion is required because more days that aren’t rewarding, then days that are. I've realized I have to be my biggest cheerleader."

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In Closing

KLS wants to thank Michelle Mazzara, Founder, of?Luvafoodie. for today's "Together Talks" feature. Check out their blog here. Follow along for their journey with their social handles below!

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