DAVE ZILKO :: GARDEN FRESH GOURMET + THE SKINNY BUTCHER

ContenderCast with Justin Honaman

First it was salsa! Now it is chicken! Dave Zilko has been a food entrepreneur for over 25 years, most prominently at Metro Detroit-based Garden Fresh Gourmet. He succeeded in taking the company from $4.6 million in annual revenue to just over $110 million prior to engineering a sale to the Campbell’s Soup Company for close to a quarter billion dollars. From his Garden Fresh experience, Dave wrote the book, “Irrational Persistence; Seven Secrets That Turned A Bankrupt Startup Into A $231,000,000 Business.” Now Dave has a new endeavor – The Skinny Butcher – that is growing rapidly with plant-powered protein! Dave joins Justin to discuss the keys to launching and growing a successful food brand.