Ep143- Finding the White Space - Mikey's

The Food Startups Podcast

He started Mikey's Muffins as a side hustle to pay the rent. As of today, his products are in more than 4500 retailers nationwide.

Michael Tierney began working in professional kitchens at the age of 13 and followed his passion to The Culinary Institute of America, where he earned his degree in Culinary Arts Management. He went on to work in the kitchens of world-renowned restaurants, including 3 michelin star The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California and Eleven Madison Park in New York.

Not happy with his future prospects in the restaurant industry, he left it all behind and ended up in the food CPG space. Mikey's started out with paleo, gluten-free english muffins and they are growing their product offerings. We cover a diverse set of topics:

• How he decided to leave the restaurant industry
• The skills he picked up grinding away in top restaurant kitchens
• His proprietary candy product that will launch this summer
• How Mikey revised his strategy for investment / fundraising tips
• The keys to scaling quickly
• Understanding the long-term effects of margins
• On having a lean staff
• The two types of white space in the marketplace
• Integration of your fans in social media
• Book recommendations (linked below)