3 things to do when no one picks up the CEO’s calls

Brad Charron is CEO at ALOHA.

I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur, I had to earn it. It wasn’t easy or glamorous. Hearing “no” is humbling, whether in fundraising, sales, or marketing. A lot of small companies feel unnoticed—I know because I was right there.

When I started at ALOHA, we didn’t have the luxury of trying a bunch of new ideas and making a big splash. We were focused on sustaining, trying to survive for the next day. The product line was too broad, talent wouldn’t come onboard because we weren’t proven, and no one would take my calls because they had other options.

At Under Armour and Kind, I was used to being someone who could get noticed. When I started at ALOHA, no one was interested and I was forced to prioritize because we had no size or scale. I felt inadequate, unheard, under-resourced, and scared to death. Until I turned things around.

Business leaders can learn a lot from the “dark days” of entrepreneurship—a common but rarely talked-about phenomenon. Here are three important lessons that have helped propel my success as a CEO:

1. Don’t be afraid to kill a product (or a whole product line). At ALOHA, I burned it all down and started from scratch, with an extreme level of focus and commitment to quality. I don’t launch any products I don’t love. We don’t operate in a model where things have to happen at a certain time. We have goals and objectives but I’m not willing to force fit a launch that’s not ready for prime time or that doesn’t belong in our product line. Some things are too hard to execute or don’t make sense financially.

During my early days at ALOHA, I explored using CBD in protein bars and beverages. I even designed specific products and mocked up the packaging before realizing that it wasn’t feasible. First, I couldn’t make the profit and loss (P&L) work—I couldn’t figure out how to make the necessary margin at a reasonable consumer price and still run a profitable business. Second, I didn’t have an authentic narrative about how CBD fit into ALOHA’s food philosophy. It felt like adding a shiny object to the company’s house that wouldn’t complement our overall image. Third, I was concerned about the execution: There were different state regulations, obstacles in sourcing traceability, and the challenges of co-manufacturing in reliable batches to ensure high product conformity. I hit pause on the whole project and went back to our core.

1. Embrace healthy competition. When you’re in a category like food and beverage consumer packaged goods (CPG), people will call you stupid for competing in such a saturated market. Silver lining: It’s a big enough sandbox to allow new companies to create their own corner and expand from there. There’s a huge opportunity to identify weaknesses in other brands and learn to do it better.

When I was at Chobani, we were underdogs to the big yogurt manufacturers. Since yogurt is somewhat ubiquitous, we knew we wouldn’t secure a significant market share by chasing novel concepts—so we didn’t pursue wacky flavors or drastic changes in texture. Instead, we doubled down on giving consumers a peek behind the curtain. We explained “how” our products were made instead of “why.” We gave consumers a way to connect to American manufacturing, farming, and quality craftsmanship. That’s what set us apart.

1. Actions speak louder than words. In entrepreneurship, it’s easy to fixate on your “big break.” With CPG, it’s the upper echelon of retail accounts that will catapult your brand to notoriety. The reality is, landing the right partnerships may take time. The steps to get there might change. Your investor portfolio might look different than you first envisioned. You might flip your product mix.

At ALOHA, I inherited already-burned bridges, large accounts that were beyond their final straw. So, I set out to prove our worth by winning over our prize account’s biggest competitors and making our success undeniable. I learned not to get hung up on one specific conquest, but to value the journey instead. Perseverance means staying grounded by thinking about the next day, the next month, or the next relationship, rather than the grand finale—even more so when you’re frustrated and overworked.

A little fearlessness and a lot of patience can help pave the way to lucrative growth that aligns with your company’s values.