BevNET is delighted to present a talk with Janie Hoffman, the founder and CEO of Mamma Chia, on what happens when a brand and its founder are inextricably linked in the consciousness of the public and of the industry.
Ms. Hoffman has turned Mamma Chia into one of the most talked-about brands in the beverage world in recent years — and was selected as BevNET’s Person of the Year for 2012.
It’s not easy being the face of the brand, but when you’re an entrepreneur without a huge marketing budget, and you’re aiming to shake up the market, it happens: the founder’s story becomes the key window into the product and its larger meaning. In effect, the founder becomes the brand.
That’s been Hoffman’s experience at Mamma Chia, a platform company based initially on her true belief and experiences around that key ingredient. While promoting the chia seed via Mamma Chia, Hoffman has effectively become the heart, soul, and face of the company (and to a smaller extent, the ingredient itself). Despite what she stresses was her initial — and ongoing — reluctance, she’s deployed that position well, using her visibility to raise the brand’s public profile while reinforcing it through authorship and speaking engagements.
Hoffman’s presentation at BevNET Live will discuss her experiences as a leading example of “The Entrepreneur as Brand,” while offering advice on how beverage entrepreneurs can navigate that particular set of challenges and turn them to their advantage.
About Janie Hoffman
Janie Hoffman is the founder and CEO of Mamma Chia, the creator of the first-to-market, organic chia seed beverages. Mamma Chia’s mission is to share the magic of chia and lead in its renaissance. The company is dedicated to offering the highest quality organic chia-based foods and beverages that provide vitality, energy and strength. Mamma Chia is a conscious and sustainable company that honors and uplifts both the soul of humanity and the soul of the planet. Ms. Hoffman is a founding member of Slow Money, the company is a Certified B Corporation, and a member of 1% For the Planet. Ms. Hoffman lives with her husband, Lance, in San Diego. Determined to share the magic of chia with as many people as possible, Janie’s first book, Chia Vitality: 30 Days to Better Health, Greater Vibrancy, and a More Meaningful and Purposeful Life, was published in April 2014 by Harmony Books.
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live Manhattan will be held on May 14 and 15 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. It is a two-day conference for beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to gather, speak, exchange ideas through interactive panels and lectures, and enhance their marketing and product development strategies through our Beverage School. Attendees can tap the expertise of investment professionals who can help groom them to attract money, business owners with inspiring success stories, and the BevNET.com community, which has spent a decade dedicating itself to careful reporting on the fast-moving beverage industry. More than just a conference, BevNET Live includes numerous networking options: the BevNET Live Expo, beverage breaks, cocktail receptions and more.