Interview with TRUFF Co-Founders, Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni
On this episode of The Irresistible Factor, I am joined by “the Nicks,” Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni – Co-Founders of TRUFF – the world’s first luxury hot sauce brand.“There's no limit to things we deal with in terms of like growing the business. I think it's, if anything, potentially a little harder for us because of how unique and custom everything is. So make no mistake that it's not an easy bill. But that's what I feel like being business savvy is, working through all of those things.”Nick and Nick always have had a passion for start-ups and small businesses. Throughout college they liked to collect stand-out usernames on Instagram, and in 2015, they scored the name “sauce” and started posting content that they thought would resonate with the “pop culture foodie.” They wanted to create an account that was the bridge of food, fashion, lifestyle, and pop culture. Once they started to gain some major traction on Instagram, they decided it was time to start a brand – and TRUFF was born.Nick and Nick never really played by the rules. They’ve been doing things their way from the very beginning – making custom caps, custom molds, and custom bottles. Many were convinced their unique (and expensive) approach wasn’t going to work, but they were able to overcome all of the odds and create a unique and successful brand in their own way. You’ll hear how they developed TRUFF’s flavor profile, the intricacies of their brand launch, and how they used social media as a growth track. Nick and Nick offer compelling advice to entrepreneurs on how to overcome adversity and talk about where they see the brand in the future.“We want to create a brand that we never have to step away from. Something where Nick and I are 65 on the golf course, and our grandkids are sending us photos of putting TRUFF on their dino nuggets.” Listen to The Irresistible Factor’s Interview with TRUFF Co-Founders, Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni Here’s what you won’t want to miss from our conversation:
- How they developed the flavor profile of their hot sauce
- Some of the many challenges they faced
- TRUFF’s e-com versus retail split
- A sneak peek at their innovation plan
- An announcement about a TRUFF-Hidden Valley collaboration
Links mentioned in this episode: Nick Guillen on Twitter Nick Guillen on LinkedIn Nick Guillen on Instagram Nick Ajluni on Twitter Nick Ajluni on LinkedIn Nick Ajluni on Instagram TRUFF Last Crumb Hidden Valley The Irresistible Factor Podcast Sawtooth Group Kristi Bridges on LinkedIn Kristi Bridges on Twitter