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Why Listen:
I enjoyed this conversation; Abe's honesty, his directness in revealing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, as well as the many pivots that he's experienced in his own life. He started True Made Foods seven years ago when he was 38. He had four kids. It was not necessarily in line with what he did in his background. They are growing rapidly. They were named one of the top 10 most innovative food companies of 2021. In this interview, I appreciated how he talked about how most people get jobs through their network, not the front door. And when you leave the military, you're almost starting with an empty network. He talks about how big-name degrees at big schools don't solve everything. He talks about going to Bulgaria and taking over a plastics company to do turnaround work. He also talks about how his four kids were eating ketchup and he couldn't get them to stop, so he wanted to address a problem around his table. I love what he shares about saying no to growth and being honest about when you're ready to grow.
Additionally, Abe has generously offered a 20% discount for BTU listeners at True Made Foods; use promo code BTU.
About Abe:
Abe is the CEO and Founder at True Made Foods. Prior to True Made Foods, he had an eight-year career as a Naval Aviator, where he deployed around the world and for OIF. Post Navy, Abe lived and worked as an entrepreneur in emerging and frontier markets, including China, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Ghana, Uganda and Lebanon. He launched multiple businesses in difficult environments and helped raise debt and equity capital for SMEs in Africa and China.
Selected Resources:
Abe’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamarck/
True Made Foods: https://www.truemadefoods.com/
Doha Delivery: http://www.doha-delivery.com/
Time Stamps:
Abe’s background [3:00]
True Made Foods [3:39]
Conventional ketchup is straight sugar [4:36]
Being more mindful about what you're putting in your body [7:09]
Abe’s identity shifts [11:36]
Grinding turns vision into reality [21:55]
I made a better ketchup [25:43]
Startups: aviate, navigate, communicate [31:20]
Patience builds a business [36:21]