In this episode, Bora chats with immigrant entrepreneurs Luis Gramajo and Hans Schrei and shares their remarkable journey from selling cookies at Austin farmers markets to building Wunderkeks, a million-dollar cookie brand that caught the attention of celebrities and landed them features in Vanity Fair and Wall Street Journal.
Learn how they:
- Transformed a pandemic crisis of 25,000 unsold cookies into a viral social media sensation
- Scaled from zero online presence to $1.7M in e-commerce sales in just 9 months
- Used farmers markets as a testing ground for product development, pricing, and brand messaging
- Discovered unexpected customer demographics that shaped their marketing strategy
- Built powerful brand storytelling that attracted celebrity partnerships and national media attention
- Navigated the challenges of scaling rapidly while maintaining product quality and customer experience
- Dealt with a devastating investor situation that led to losing their beloved brand
But the story doesn't end there. Luis and Hans reveal how they rose from the ashes to create The Sunday Afternoon Project, helping other entrepreneurs harness the power of authentic storytelling through AI-powered narrative analysis.
Perfect for: Brand builders, entrepreneurs, especially immigrant founders looking to stand out in competitive markets through authentic storytelling and brand building. This episode offers practical insights on testing products, scaling operations, and using personal narrative to create deeper connections with customers.
A must-listen for anyone interested in how to build a brand that goes beyond just selling products to creating meaningful customer experiences and lasting impact.