Creating sustainable products + building online communities (with Courtney Boyd Myers, Founder of AKUA)

1. “I love the idea of crowdfunding. I'm a huge community builder, super connector, and I love the idea of building an army of people who are fighting for us to succeed.” @cbm #DTCPOD
2. “Our products can create a lot more intimacy and conversation. And I think it's a beautiful thing in a world that's increasingly digital to be in the physical product space.” @cbm #DTCPOD
3. “And I think building interesting networks and online communities allow you to move a bit faster, even if the industry does not move at that pace.” @cbm #DTCPOD
4. “There's an initial boom when you launch and then waves of booms with periods to mellow out. That’s how we've done a pretty good job at keeping that momentum going.” @cbm #DTCPOD
5. “We post every day on Instagram. We're commenting on other people's posts. And I think that engagement is really important.” @cbm #DTCPOD

We Speak About:

• [01:20] About Courtney and AKUA
• [03:20] AKUA’s history in crowdfunding
• [07:15] Developing the initial Kelp Jerky product
• [10:55] The sustainability of using kelp
• [13:45] Courtney’s transition from tech to food
• [15:35] Building a community with your brand
• [19:40] Richard Branson’s testimony for AKUA
• [23:50] Advice for other founders
• [25:45] What’s next for AKUA

Product lines can be both sustainable and successful.

Courtney Boyd Myers, CEO and co-founder of AKUA, joins the POD to talk about AKUA’s dedication to sustainable meat alternatives in the form of ocean-farmed Kelp.

Courtney first learned about kelp through a friend, who runs a nonprofit dedicated to growing kelp farms, which started her interest in kelp.

AKUA utilized crowdfunding to expose their product and build an online community surrounding their brand.

Kelp is both a sustainable source of food, but it is extremely high in nutritional value.

The Kelp Jerky was their first product. Courtney wanted to create a dried, shelf-stable product for her customers. After nailing Kelp Jerky, she decided to expand into meat alternatives.

Building an online community is important in developing your brand.

The transition from the tech industry to the food industry for Courtney.

One of the biggest challenges was the differences in pace between tech and food, but building a community was essential to Courtney’s success.

Creating a product was difficult for Courtney and she underestimated the product development timeline.

She created a Facebook group to foster growth and build the community for her brand.

Maintaining momentum with content is important to keep your community engaged and invested in your product.

Stay tuned as Courtney shares her experience launching her sustainable meat alternative using kelp as well as building a community through crowdfunding and creating meaningful content.

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Mentioned Links:

Follow Courtney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbm/

AKUA’s website: https://akua.co/

AKUA’s Republic Page: https://republic.co/akua

Follow AKUA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeakua/

Follow AKUA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifeakua

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