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Founders Unplugged is a web series capturing long-form conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world.
The Final Chapter: Why Daniya Stewart Closed Her Food Startup - Part Two
Founders Unplugged
58 minutes 56 seconds
4 months ago
The Final Chapter: Why Daniya Stewart Closed Her Food Startup - Part Two
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Making the Difficult Decision to Shut Down Your Business w/ Daniya Stewart – Part Two
What does it really feel like to walk away from a business you built from scratch?
In this powerful Part Two episode, Greg McCallum sits down with Daniya Stewart to unpack the emotional, strategic, and financial layers behind closing her food startup, PHOMO. From pitching at Selfridges to managing product recalls, Daniya shares an unfiltered look at the pressure to scale, the packaging challenges that became insurmountable, and why shutting down was ultimately the bravest—and most difficult—decision.
🎧 In this episode:
Navigating the realities of retail, margins, and growth
Why omnichannel and PR strategies only go so far
How a perfect storm of challenges forced a tough call
The emotional weight of letting go of your business
How to talk about failure without shame
What Daniya would (and wouldn’t) do again
If you're in the thick of building—or deciding whether to stop—this is a must-listen.
