When Angie Bastian studied the snack aisle in the grocery store, she noticed an important omission: No representation of women except for foods geared toward weight loss.

That led to an aha moment: “We’re going to celebrate the feminine,” says Bastian, entrepreneur, co-founder, and the namesake of Angie’s Boomchickapop. “We’re going to be loud and proud and come from a position of empowerment.”

This episode of the CUNA News Podcast features conversations with these business leaders:

Angie Bastian

Gian Paul Gonzalez

Antonio Neves

• Bastian, who transformed a garage popcorn business into one of the nation’s fastest-growing brands of natural popcorn, shares lessons in effective branding and how she cut through marketplace clutter with an emphasis on female leadership and empowerment.
• Gonzalez discusses his philosophy of being “All In” and the power of commitment.
• Neves describes how finding your edge drives personal and professional growth.

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.

In this episode:

1:29: How Angie Bastian started making popcorn

4:22: Bastian’s on-the-job education in marketing

7:11: The story behind the Boomchickapop name

10:42: How to know when it’s time to rebrand

11:53: Having a “rich internal environment”

13:38: Be patient with entrepreneurs and startups

15:27: Why Gian Paul Gonzalez recommends “going to jail”

16:11: How Gonzalez started the “All In” philosophy

17:32: Applying the philosophy to his own life

20:18: The biggest barriers to commitment

23:41: What Gonzalez does to stay motivated

25:50: Antonio Neves on “finding the edge”

27:52: What to do if you’ve lost your “edge”