In this episode, we sit down with the incredible founders behind Taft and Tuff Pops to discuss their entrepreneurial journey, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. From starting with men's no-show socks to transitioning into high-quality shoes, and now venturing into the world of protein popsicles, their story is nothing short of inspiring. 00:00 - Introduction 00:18 - Silicon Slopes COVID Town Halls 01:21 - Utah's Unique Community and Investment Appeal 02:00 - Challenges of Entering the Utah Market 02:34 - Starting Taft: From Socks to Shoes 03:27 - Lessons Learned from Taft 05:10 - Mental Health and Entrepreneurship 08:22 - Identity and Work-Life Balance 10:06 - Transition from Socks to Shoes 16:17 - Exiting Taft and Personal Challenges 19:34 - Starting Tuff Pops: The Idea and Development 25:09 - Branding and Market Positioning 28:57 - Distribution and Growth Strategy 35:47 - Utah's Consumer Product Ecosystem 38:58 - Community Support and Networking 40:04 - Entrepreneurial Fun and Challenges
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Our website: <a href="https://www.siliconslopes.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://www.siliconslopes.com</a> Show Links: <a href="https://tuffpops.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://tuffpops.com</a>
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Tuff Pops Founder & CEO Mallory Stevens

In this episode, we sit down with the incredible founders behind Taft and Tuff Pops to discuss their entrepreneurial journey, the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. From starting with men's no-show socks to transitioning into high-quality shoes, and now venturing into the world of protein popsicles, their story is [&hellip;]