Building a Brand That Feels Like Home: Community & Growth with GoNanas Co-Founder Morgan Friedman

Welcome to the We Shine Well podcast, where I have real conversations with thought leaders in wellness to help you live your most vibrant, aligned, and purposeful life. I'm your host, Zoe Kelsey, founder of We Shine Well. Here we share honest stories, gems of wisdom, and insight to spark clarity and guide your next right step so you can shine brighter from the inside out. Now let's dive in. I love this conversation. Today I'm joined by someone who is building a brand that truly feels like a friend in your kitchen, Morgan Friedman, co-founder and chief creative officer of GoNanas. Morgan is one of those founders who leads with heart, creativity, and deep intentionality. What started as a simple idea, using ripe bananas to make better-for-you baking mixes that taste homemade, has grown into a nationally loved brand now sold in thousands of stores across the country. But what I love most about Morgan Lerner is her heart. She's just as open about the messy, unglamorous days as she is about the wins. She's building GoNanas around authenticity and community, and doing so in a way that sparks joy, inspiration, and connection. Today we talk about what it really takes to build a community-led brand, how to grow without losing your soul, and what's unfolding next as GoNanas steps into the next chapter. Let's dive in. Hi Morgan, I am so excited to have you on the We Shine Well podcast today. It's been so amazing to get to know you over the years and Go Nana's. Go Nana's is not just banana bread, but I feel like it's like you are selling and sharing like nostalgia over and over again. So thank you for being here.

Aw, thanks for having me. I love that we are selling and recreating nostalgia. That's a great— I'm going to steal that line.

I mean, it's like truly moments. I think back to like growing up too. And I don't know, I guess our bananas always went bad, but there were all— my mom was always making banana bread and it was like, I always want that like ooey gooey moist piece in the center. So it's like you're truly creating those moments back to childhood, at least for me. Easily make banana bread. I remember her taking out the like Betty Crocker cookbook that has banana bread like all over it all the time to make this like one recipe.

Oh, that's so funny. Yeah, baking is, is very nostalgic by nature. It reminds us of occasions or being together with family and sharing something. It's very different— I always say this— than like a bag of chips. It just has a different emotional component, and it's typically shared, so there's a community element to it. So, um, I'm so glad that you, you get it.

Yeah. And I mean, as the co-founder and like chief creative officer at GoNanas, obviously banana bread is part of your everyday life. How did— I'm actually curious, how did you originally how did you get into like baking and what sparked creating GoNanas with you and Annie?

Well, um, yeah, a lot of people actually don't ask how I got into baking. Um, it's probably layered. I would say I come from a big food family, so my mom owned a catering company for 30 years. So like mother, like daughter in a way. Um, so we were always cooking and my sister and I would actually bake. It was kind of our bonding event, um, or activity where we would bake late at night and pick healthy healthy recipes or just whatever, um, and bake at home. And I, I started a food Instagram when I was in high school too. So this passion for cooking, baking, eating healthy, I would say probably started maybe like high school, middle school, high school. And then I met Annie in college, and she has a similar, her own version of that, right, of falling in love with baking. She used to bake, um, different treats in college and give us little goodie bags on our dorm room doors. So we were both just passionate about that. And we were neighbors in the dorms, met there. And one day she invited me to bake at our house not far off from campus. And we were kind of going through what to bake. We said we both grew up with these, you know, famous banana bread recipes, classic ingredients, and we were both passionate about health. So we said, let's make a healthy version of it just for fun and tasted it out of the oven. And we're like, oh my gosh, like, we need to sell this. And in a, in the car ride home, came up with the name. Got an LLC on campus, launched with this bake sale in 2016, and then spent years as undergrads basically refining that recipe until COVID hit. We launched a mix when everyone was stuck at home baking, and that was really the turning point for our company. That's kind of the long and short of the lead-up. I never thought I would be running a banana bread company today, but here we are, and it's feels so right.

And did you originally have muffins and then you transitioned to the mix that you had?

We actually had mini loaves. So when we were, when we launched this on campus, the problem we were solving was really baked goods on the way to class, our only option for Starbucks pastries. And obviously that wasn't going to cut it. Delicious, but not better for you. And there's still a big gap in the better-for-you baked goods space, I think the mixes were really scalable for us. And then, you know, we're working on some additional R&D to bring, you know, additional formats of our product to market. So it started as a mini loaf on the go. We, you know, scaled with mixes and hopefully get to come out with other formats.

Mm-hmm. Nice. And I love how even the beginning of it, like we were talking about moments in the beginning in baking and Annie inviting you over for just like that fun moment of baking. And I think there's something about like baking and having the mixes versus even the full product, because it's like you create that experience. And it makes me think about that book, like The Power of Moments that are created. And you remember like those moments in the day versus like all the other things that might not have been the best in the day to like have that moment and be able to like have that gratification of eating something delicious, but also like sharing something that's delicious as well.

Yeah. I mean, that's why cooking and baking and food is kind of my form of art in a way, because one, like my body and mind relax when I'm doing it. It is somehow, it just does that to me and does that to the nervous system. I think a lot of people call like baking therapy for that reason. And then you get to fuel yourself with it. So there's kind of a benefit and a result from your art. Unlike— I mean, there's so many great forms, but painting, you paint and then you get to look at it. But food, you get to ingest it, and it's this whole sensory experience, and you get to share it. And it's such a cornerstone of culture, in any culture, is food. So it's really cool space to be in because it's not just creating banana bread. It's, you know, it's emotion, it's connection, it's fuel and health and wellness and giving and therapy.

So it can be a lot more than that. Yeah. I mean, there's so much of a mental health component of it too. And it's like you have such an incredible, like, ambassador community. I'm curious too of like How has Go Nanas and how has your like mental health evolved as you've evolved and grown it? And is there, are there any instances of your community being like, I go to cook go nan to make go nanas just to have that like relaxation in my week?

Yeah. I mean, those are my favorite kind of stories actually. I think they vary. Some have allergies that, you know, limit them from eating certain things and go nanas is the thing that they can eat. So that brings so much joy to their lives, which I think, you know, baked goods can do that, especially better-for-you ones because you feel really good doing it. And I think, yes, people totally said that they turned to baking and turned to GoNanas for those reasons beyond just, you know, eating. Me personally, I, I view work and building this as a way to also work on myself. I think work brings up all of our stuff because it's probably the most challenging area in our lives. Maybe some are our parents out there and they can probably say the same for parenting, but running a business is for sure the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And so it's a consistent practice, um, that I have every day to work on myself and improve myself. So my mental health has definitely evolved and gone up and down throughout the journey. Um, especially as we've grown really quickly in the past few years, but I think it's also shown me, um, what I can do and what's possible and, um, getting on the other end of things is really powerful. So, um, yeah, I'm, I'm pretty passionate about that actually being a, um, entrepreneurship as a journey to work on yourself and, and improve.

Mm-hmm. I feel like it's. Personally, one of, one of the biggest life lessons that I've ever experienced. And it's like all of your stuff is just confronted in like the best way too. Yeah.

Totally.

And you are just, mm-hmm. And you're, I feel like just knowing you and becoming friends with you, you're like one of the most like vibrant souls. And at one point we, I remember where we. When we were talking and you're like, sometimes I want to like have a brick and mortar where I can just have like a mental health space where people come in and they enjoy banana bread. And that sounds like a dream.

Yeah, I'm a visionary. I think, I mean, in the Go Nanas realm, having pop-ups that spark joy and community and obviously have our delicious baked goods there would be such a dream. We're starting to bring bits and pieces of that to life. I think in my own life, you know, that could also look different down the road, but I, I love community space. I think bringing people together is really powerful and I'm learning that a brand can take on a personality of its own and have a lot of impact on its community in that way. So I'm excited to see as we grow how that can grow because we've been pretty much a digital, you know, digital-first brand and community up to this point.

Mm-hmm. And I would even say, like, I feel like your energy is just, like, infused in everything that you do because, because so much of GoNana's growth has been driven by community. So how, like, why have these values been foundational from the very beginning and how did you build such a robust ambassador program?

Yeah, it's a great question. It's funny, I think a lot of people think entrepreneurship is always intentional, and I'd love to think like we sat down and made this our strategy, but it's really not. You learn as you go and you learn what works and you do a lot by intuition. So, you know, 5 years ago when we started posting consistently online with our mixes and growing the ambassador program, it was me talking to our community and it was my voice. And we didn't have a brand voice. We just had us talking to the community and we, we did what worked and we did more of what worked and that worked. And so we doubled down on friendly personal communication, not marketing in this sterile commercial way, but talking to our consumers and telling them face to face on stories and in, in Reels. Actually, this is before Reels were a thing. About what was going on. And so it's interesting, even as we enter this new phase with our brand refresh and just growth growing to new heights, it's, it's like, what does that look like? And I don't want to departure from that. I think staying really authentic and founder-focused, but also just human-focused. So people are seeing the people behind GoNanas is what's always worked. And we're trying to stick to that. Um, but there's growing pains at, at every point. You're like, who am I? Is this, is this more professional or is this too, um, you know, marketing talk and marketing voice? Um, so yeah, it's evolved and changed, but it started from just us seeing what works and doing more of that and listening to our intuition.

And I mean, it's It's just a testament to like your energy funneling into these ambassadors to just grow that, like those like ripples into waves and like you kind of nodded to it, but like in this next evolution of like GoNanas, how are you, and with this brand refresh, how are you bringing your community along for the ride? Yeah. And how do you, how, cuz like community is mutual. It's like, how are you supporting them and how are they supporting you to evolve?

Yeah, it's, you know, the honest answer is we're still figuring that out because we're trying to figure out all of who we are in this next stage. I would say from a community perspective, we've actually been bringing our ambassadors along this whole time. So we've been polling them, which do you like better? Okay, is this the right direction? Do we like this? And getting feedback along the way because there were So many decisions that went into this and that are still going into this. So one is, is really sharing the journey. That's always been something we've tried to do and we're trying to do more of that. Like what? Everything that went wrong in our brand refresh, we just shared that because I want people to see the behind the scenes. So I think it's, it's back to the basics. It's looping them in, it's pulling them for advice because they want to feel like they're involved. And we care about their opinions. And so that's kind of the mutual exchange is we lean on them, they give us feedback. There's also quality time. We spend a lot of time talking and hanging out with our ambassadors virtually, and we're going to have some IRL moments later, later this year, which is—

Me too.

I know. Yeah, Zoe knows. So yeah. Yeah. And, and more to come.

So with that too, you aren't just a banana bread company. You have so many different flavors. You've tried cookies and pancakes as well. Yeah. What was the first kind of idea or prompting to do a banana bread that was a different flavor other than just your basic traditional banana bread or banana bread with chocolate chips?

Yeah. So flavor innovation is, is absolutely a core, you know, of our brand and what we do. And it's based on the idea that we bake different things all year round. Baked goods are really special in that way where we eat, you know, pumpkin and apple things in the fall and blueberry and s'mores in the summer. And we are the only baking mix company meeting that need. So while it sounds like a crazy idea, crazy amount of flavors, it actually is meeting the biggest consumer need in the category. I would also say people say like, how many flavors of banana bread do you need? When we double-click into what we're really doing, it's baking with bananas. And so it's not your typical banana bread. It's actually just a really yummy, better-for-you baked good using bananas instead of eggs. So that allows us to make so many different flavors because it's not just your typical banana bread. It's really like a better-for-you muffin and bread mix using bananas. So it's— because of that, people are eating GoNanas on a weekly basis, doing it for meal prep and snacks versus your typical baked good you're making for a birthday party, an occasion like a cookie or a brownie or a cake. You're not making that every week. Maybe you're making that for a special occasion.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And you've done so many like collabs with just different influencers and like thought leaders and stuff like that. How many flavors have you created in the history of GoNanas?

It's kind of crazy. We've made 60 flavors in the past 5 years. Um, and we actually have our biggest licensing, our first licensing partnerships and biggest partnerships to date coming up. Um, in the first half of the year. So it's going to a new level.

That's like one new flavor a month if you break down the math of it.

Yeah. Yeah.

Exactly. Do you know how many new flavors are coming in 2026?

Yeah. Like I do. Excuse me. Not in my brain, but probably, um, maybe 15.

Oh wow, you're going bigger this year.

Yeah, well, we got some new products.

What has been your favorite flavor so far?

Ooh, yeah, I get this question a lot actually, and it's always like whatever we're making. Um, I mean, from our classics, I love our chocolate chip. It always hits. And we're working on a very new special product line, and so that is is my all-time favorite. Um, so those are the classics. I would say from our most recent drops, I love our Chocolate Coconut and Chocolate Caramel. I'm like such a chocolate gal, and those are just very nostalgic for me. Um, yeah. What about you?

Um, the Blueberry Stru— is it like Blueberry Streusel? I feel like that one is like So good. And then you just can't go wrong with chocolate chip.

Can't go wrong. It just, it always hits.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. We have some blueberry flavors coming to retail, so you're gonna be very happy.

Yay. And I mean, chocolate chocolate is always a winner in my book too. Yeah.

Fudge brownie is so good.

Mm-hmm. So how often do you actually eat banana bread?

We do recipe testing in my home. Um, a few times a week. So I eat it most days and I'm obsessed with our new product line. So I eat it like every day. Um, so yeah, always testing something new. I, I truly don't get sick of our product unless I have to eat like a ton in one day. I'm like, okay, I just, I can't.

Yeah. I mean, I'm sure your friends love you because you can only eat so much banana bread. Where, what do you do with all of it?

I give it a lot away. My husband eats a lot, brings it to the hospital. I bring it to friends. I always show up with muffins or something that we're testing. So I'm kind of known, I'm, I'm the muffin, muffin woman.

You're the muffin lady. Muffin lady. Yeah. And I mean, entrepreneurship can be romanticized at times. What does like a real unfiltered day in your life look like? And I'm sure it, can differ on the day.

Yeah, every day is different for sure. Yeah, I think entrepreneurship definitely gets glamorized and social media even rewards the things that are glamorized. A normal day looks like a meeting-packed day for a majority of the day, covering all kinds of things. So it could be a sales meeting, meeting with our brokers or our retailers, pitching Um, it could be with our marketing team talking about upcoming launches, going through checklists, brainstorming for future campaigns, um, going through analysis if it's the end of the month. Um, talking with my other co-founder about all things strategy and big projects happening, um, prepping for upcoming R&D. I mean, I mostly do R&D, marketing, and then sales and, and strategy with my founder and, um, a little bit of everything else in, in between.

Yeah. Is there anything that like always keeps you up at night?

You know, we've had a lot of, um, we're at a turning point. We've had a lot of big projects happening where they're just so detailed and they take a long time in, in the best way. And so when things are going right or wrong with those, those keep me up at night. I'm pretty good about turning off when I'm done, I'm done. But with a busy, busy day, I'm like, oh, got to get this done, this done. How am I going to get this done? So that's something I've been working on actually, is, is how to reframe that because there's always more to do as an entrepreneur and the day has to stop at some point and you have to turn it off. For your life. And I don't think it's possible to do that 100% of the time, but, um, yeah, try to create some protected times and days and spaces for that.

Yeah. And how— like, you're the head— you leading brand marketing, R&D— how do you create, keep your creativity alive with, especially with so many flavors always coming out?

Yeah, you know, I think I've learned that like some days the juices are going to be flowing and some days they aren't, and where you lean on your teammates. Like, I brainstorm and come up with my best ideas in collaboration, and I know that. Um, so I try to structure brainstorm meetings around that. I think that's also generally like teamwork for brainstorming. Creativity is really great, and setting times when you are in brainstorm mode versus executionary mode, because I can flip-flop on both, like having the idea, but how will this work? Um, so I lean on teammates and teamwork for that. And, um, probably also pairing that with what has worked, leaning on kind of data in combination with pure creativity to come up with new ideas.

Mm-hmm. Are there spaces that you go or anything to create space to have those ideas or like look at different content?

You know, I think it happens a lot naturally on these meetings. I, you know, sometimes come up with ideas in the shower or when I'm quiet and still. So I think like that's also why I value creating space in my life, because I think when personally I'm just go, go, go, I'm not slowing down to have pure creativity outside of the set meetings, you know? But I do think our meeting structure and the safety we create in our environment allows for a lot of creativity to rise. I think that's a big value of our company. I think you have to create safety so that people feel comfortable sharing and spitballing. Yeah. And then probably creating space outside of work to have creativity come alive. So sometimes I'll be in a yoga class and I'm like, oh my God, we should do this video.

Yeah, it's like the oxymoron that it feels like sometimes is like creating space and having more space in the day is actually more productive because it's when those, those ahas actually come and flow. Like, that's why I go on so many walks because I'm like, where the idea is gonna come from?

Yeah, totally. A walk's a great one. Like, my brain also needs to slow down. So on a walk it'll be like boom, boom, boom, and then it'll start to kind of slow down. Um, I think that's really important for creatives especially. Like, everyone has creativity and needs that, but especially if you are a creative. Like, I know my co-founder is more operationally numbers data minded, and she loves the busyness and the go-go-go and can actually really thrive in that. Um, although we all need rest, but I am someone who like needs rest. Need space. It's— I start to fizzle out really quickly, and I think maybe that's part of my creative brain. I like literally need the space to just think big.

Um, but in Human Design, are you a projector?

No, I'm a manifesting generator.

Okay.

Yeah, projecting energy too. I am also like a get shit done person. Like, I'm a list— I wake up with like like, let's go! So I feel like that's an interesting generator.

I've got sacral energy that's just on and ignited, fueled by the banana bread.

Yeah, but then there's a huge part of me that loves to just slow down and like not do that.

Yeah, well, I mean, we're all human too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

What is the craziest idea you've had to date that you've brought to life? That you can share about?

I don't know if this is crazy. I'll try to think of like a crazy one, but my biggest dream has been, um, an Ambassador Retreat, just from creating this community from the get-go to see how big it's grown. I want that in person. And so we're doing a retreat end of this year and, and the programming and bringing it to life. In person and doing it in a totally different way from a typical retreat or panel style event, um, has been really energizing cuz it's been something in the back of my brain as a big idea for a while. Um, yeah. And like other crazy things. Oh, we're working on an AI commercial right now, which I'm like, what are we doing? I don't know, but I'm so excited about it. So I think honestly, for the first time in a long time, we're starting to go after a lot more of these crazy ideas, maybe because we have more resources for it. Yeah, maybe cornbread was like a PR stunt that actually people kind of liked, but still kind of crazy.

I never tried that one, but I'd be curious. I mean, you know that I like love this idea of the in-person because your community is just like absolutely incredible. So we'll have to, of course, chat more, nerd out more about that.

Yeah.

What are the most, like, even unexpected lessons that you've learned through entrepreneurship that has shaped you as a person?

Ooh, yeah. Probably two things. I think one thing, and I think being a woman, especially with a hot pink baking company and being young, I look really young. I've had to learn to grow into my more masculine aspects of my leadership and being more direct. For example, um, I think a few years ago I would call myself much more of a people pleaser, and now I really understand like boundaries and saying like, you know, I can communicate this boundary in a kind and direct way that feels authentic and aligned to me, but still, um, stands up for myself and stands up for our company and our values. And that's been invaluable, um, because I think it's really important. You can start to get really run down, um, and lose yourself and your company if you don't, um, provide that direct feedback sometimes, both like, you know, with employees and in general. Um, I've, I've applied that to my personal life and it's helped so much, even though it's still hard. And I think it's, it's a forever practice. I think more tactically in the company, hiring and who we look for has really changed, um, once we got clear on our company values. So I guess this all ties back together. It's, it's getting clear on who we are as a company or who you are as a person, and then being able to act accordingly. And so when someone crosses a line or when an employee doesn't fit that value set, you— they're not the fit, or you can provide that feedback. So for hiring, that looked like looking beyond the resume and finding people who really aligned with our deep values as a company. And since then, we've, you know, hired— now we're up to 7 people, including Annie and I, which may seem tiny, but for us, that's really big. Um, and they've all been incredible because of the alignment with our values. So it's provided so much clear clarity and, um, results for us with that element.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. It sounds like the theme overall is clarity in the business and clarity with alignment with yourself and having both of those like aligned together with you and Annie too.

Yeah. Yeah. And it sounds, it can sound like vague or something that may not have urgency, but it's really. We actually just named what our guts and our intuition were telling us. So we would be upset about something and we wouldn't know why. Now we put language to that, like, here is how we operate and what is important to us. So when something, you know, doesn't feel right, we know why. And the same thing goes for personal. It's like when you define what matters to you, you have language to maybe what you feel and can actually act on it. More effectively.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Communication is powerful. Have you— I say this because I, I feel like I've had it— is like, have you ever struggled with people taking you seriously because you look younger? And how do you deal with that? Or how has that affected you? I know you, you mentioned having more boundaries.

Yeah, I know. I feel like you and I have talked about this for sure because we're little shotties. I mean, for sure, I've walked into boardrooms with all men who I know. I mean, we all do. We have assumptions about people, and I'm okay with that. I think it's actually kind of fun to surprise people. And so I've leaned into that. I honestly probably do surprise a lot of people because I'm all the things I mentioned, but maybe not the stereotype or whatever I think most Most of us probably don't fit a stereotype. So I think using it to empower yourself and leaning into who you are to surprise people, I think has been very rewarding because it's very short-lived, people's stereotypes or first impressions. And I do it in reverse by nature. So it's very short-lived and you just have to kind of overcome that initial judgment in whatever form it takes.

Mm-hmm. And whatever projection I would, I mean, not to put words in your mouth, but I would also say overcoming that projection within yourself too. Totally. Because I've had to even personally overcome like, okay, yeah, I just need to like prove myself. But when they, once they talk to me, like they'll take me seriously and like, yeah, they'll get it. But just being like, how do I wanna be seen and how can I show up in that way? Yeah. And not be in the like prove energy, but like, take or leave me kind of energy sometimes.

Yeah. No, it's a great point. Cause I was, I was actually just gonna say like, there's nothing to prove. People can assume anything. And I sometimes struggle to hold that, to be like, okay, they can judge me. That's okay. I don't need to, you know, show all the numbers of my business or say it's anything other than what they think. Like, it can just be what it is. And so, you know, sometimes when I meet strangers and we're talking about what we do, I, I just, I let let whatever they want to assume be true because I have nothing to prove. So it totally goes both ways and you kind of have to catch yourself because I'm like, oh, there's my ego. If I'm trying to just prove that I'm not what they think or guessing that they're even making an assumption about me.

Mm-hmm. How do you introduce yourself?

Oh, it depends. Depends on who I'm talking to. Of the— hi Morgan, nice to meet you. Um, in terms of your, like, your job description, oh, I say I'm the co-founder of GoNanas. I, I think it, um, it totally depends on who I'm talking to, because if, if we're talking about something in particular, I will share more about what I do or what we are, um, if it's an investor versus a co-founder friend or a total stranger. Yeah, it just totally depends.

But yeah, because I feel like I'd be like, this is my badass friend Morgan, and she's Forbes 30 Under 30 with the best banana bread you'll ever try in your life.

Literally never say that ever.

But I'll be your hype woman.

Yeah, I know. I love that. I mean, you know, a sales or investor meeting is very different because you have to It's a tricky one. Sometimes I like struggle to, because, you know, people care about certain things. So sharing the Forbes 30 Under 30, or that we're in X amount of doors, or the top X percent of the baking mix category, and the number one here, like people, that matters to people and it helps grow our business. But it is, there's tactics to it. So getting comfortable with that is a practice.

Well, and at the end of the day, like sales is relationships too. You're who you are and your business is centered in community and relationships. And it's like, that has gotten you this far. And like, there's no doubt in my mind that it'll continue to propel you forward in those board meetings or relationships or what have you. But how do you think that relationships play a role in business?

Yeah, I think it's everything. I think honestly what we're talking about, about communication and boundaries, and I mean, that plays into honestly everything that we do. And I think even when we talk about the leaders in our company and shaping them, those are the things we talk about. Can you have the hard conversations? Can you be assertive? Can you do the critical thinking to also, you know, understand what's needed here? But it's all people. And if you're trying to be a leader in your organization, it is most of the time all people. So relationships are huge. I think that is why, for example, both Annie and I are so involved in sales because we can build the relationship, but we can also speak to the brand and have that passion. So I couldn't emphasize the people side enough. It's the most challenging part. And the part that people don't spend enough time on, but it is, I believe, the true unlock to leadership and probably growth and retention in an organization too.

Mm-hmm. Well, if you even think about it in personal life too, one of the most rewarding and challenging thing is relationships.

Snaps to that. That is, that's so true.

Yeah. So it's not surprising the same is in business.

Yeah, exactly. I think like so many people get caught up in, I don't know, the like formulaic nature of things versus everything is back to the basics. It's people, but also people are the most complex thing. It's emotions, communication, it's, um, boundaries. And these kinds of things are not things that we're taught and they are complex and it varies person to person and situation to situation. So I think it's also the most complex and It's, you know, if you want to learn about this, it's, there's books, there's business coaching, there's ChatGPT, there's, um, it takes practice and it's really complex. So I think it's also one of the hardest things as well, but it is also the most basic. It's humans and kindness.

Yeah. Yep. We love a good ChatGPT conversation to work things out sometimes.

Very emotionally intelligent. I'm not going to lie. And that may be an unpopular opinion, but— or a hot take.

What other hot takes do you have about baking? Like the— just being an entrepreneur and Better For You banana bread or baking?

I don't know if this is a hot take for entrepreneurship, but it's just way harder than you think it is. Everyone thinks it's— I don't know, there's a glamorized version of it. Um, and it's not for everyone. Like, it really isn't.

It's—

some people really want to be one, and I'm like, it is not for everyone. Um, hot takes about baking? Underbaked is better.

I agree.

Yeah.

Yeah, I want that gooey center.

Yeah, 100%.

So what would you say then, like, yeah, entrepreneurship is challenging. What is the most rewarding part about it?

Um, I love building. I think that's actually why Annie and I bonded when we did, because we both have this love for it and this energy. I think there is nothing like having a vision, idea, and executing it. And I think that's why it's not for everyone. Some people are ideas people or they're executionary people. And you learn as an entrepreneur, like, you get to do both. And you get to bring it to life and see the impact. So I love that aspect. I think it's so cool that we made something and millions of people enjoy it in their homes around the country. That is like, so it'll never— I don't know if it'll ever fully sink in. But then I also really, really enjoy building a team and, and inspiring and empowering each other and learning from each other. I learn the most from my team and my business partner, and I love getting to teach and learn alongside them. That's been the probably even more, um, impactful in my life.

Do you ever go to Target and you're like, oh my gosh, there it is?

Yes.

Or you just do it by now?

No, you— that's why I'm like, you never get used to it, because I think it becomes something bigger than you that you can't fully even grasp. I can't fully grasp it. It's like how everybody, like every time someone new comes up that I've never met, it was like, oh my God, I love Go Nanas. I've made Go Nanas. I'm like, really?

How did you find us?

You know? But it's— it happens all the time, but it never gets old because it always like sparks that awe. I'm like, what? Or the fact that we pay people and give them salaries and we have a company card and sometimes that pays for things where with my travel and it is crazy to me that we built it, but it's not something I can fully even understand myself, if that makes sense.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, it's so, it's so powerful. So it, we're in 2026. Did you say you started in 2016? Does this mark 10 years?

Yeah.

Did you just realize that?

Yeah, kind of. I mean, sort of. Um, what's funny is we have like multiple dates, right? So we have this date where we launched a bake sale on campus. We have a date where we officially got our LLC, and then we have a date when we launched our mixes. And so it's kind of like, what is our anniversary? Um, technically I guess it would be 10 years in, in October, um, which is totally crazy. I think this is probably a totally, um, a perspective based on my age, but you know, so much happens in 5 years. 10 years ago feels like a lifetime ago. Um, so it's just so much has happened in that amount of time that yes, it does feel like 10 years and. That's crazy.

Mm-hmm. Well, so looking back, this seems like a big moment in time for Go Nanas and kind of an uplevel of sorts with your brand refresh as well. Like, looking first, looking back on your 2016 self first launching Go Nanas, what advice would you give her just starting out?

Mm-hmm. Oh, you know what? I, the one part that I struggle with this question is that so much like advice, you really can't know until you do it. And a lot of what I've learned is by doing. And I think even if someone told me that, you have to experience it. Um, there's so many things where it's like, I just learn it by eventually doing it, even though I knew it, if that makes makes sense. Um, if there was one thing I— we could have known probably earlier, it's all the groundwork that I've been talking about from a values perspective, um, and learning that and, and learning this kind of communication style earlier. Because, you know, Annie and I weren't always, um, good communicators, especially with each other, and being young and, um, fierce in a, in a positive way. So I think those kinds of learnings could be help— could have been helpful, um, earlier. On in the journey for sure.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's where embracing the journey comes in too.

100%. Yeah. Everything does happen for a reason at its own pace as it should. We were young. If we'd learned these lessons earlier, would we have known? It's just, we're still young and learning all the time. There's a natural pace to things where I think, um, sometimes our society is like, learn and do it right. And. That is the focus versus there is such a beauty in it unfolding exactly as it should, making all the mistakes and taking however long it takes because you learn from that. Um, and now our pace is picking up, but that's because it's the right time.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And so with this brand refresh and kind of this entering into this new era, what prompted this and what does it represent for for the next chapter of GoNanas?

Yeah, um, I get buzzy talking about this because I just think, like you said, we're at such a turning point, uh, which is so weird to say 10 years in, and I've said that every year in a way. Um, what prompted this was also kind of natural. It was we were starting to hit mass market and looking at our package thinking it's time to get more crisp, sophisticated, make sure our messaging gets across. We are getting older and naturally we are elevating as a company. So some of it was natural and as we've done the work, it feels very needed, although we're still making some refinements, um, if I'm being honest. But yeah, it was a natural, um, evolution, I would say.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, when you asked a little bit about— sorry to cut you off— what's coming up and like what it all means. I think the brand refresh was the start of it. We have these new product line and new collabs and upleveling across everything. And I think we're meeting the pace of the company, if that makes sense. Last year was our best year. We beat our goals by a lot and there's a momentum that's happening. So So it's been natural and we are starting to think bigger and elevate and have the resources to do it as we grow in sales and in revenue. So it's kind of been this natural and intentional build.

Yeah. That's exciting. And as you look toward the future, what excites you most about what you're building next?

Yeah, without giving too much away, I just think our brand is becoming— I know it's hard not to give it away, but our brand is becoming more than just our mixes. And there's— what excites me is almost the uncertainty of it all because there's a question mark of the impact of all of these things that we've been working on. And so the funniest part about entrepreneurship is you have this gut feel or you have this inner excitement and you follow it and you see. And so far it's led to really good things, but there's always a question of like, how big can it be? How, you know, did I ever think we'd be here? Definitely not. If you told me where we, where we are today, 5 years ago, I would've like laughed. So it's kind of, that gives me, that's that buzzy feeling of, ooh, where can we go? Where will we go? Um, so we'll see.

Yeah. And I mean, if anything, I think, I think, and I'm excited for you for GoNanas to be even more integral in everybody's lives.

Yeah, yeah, totally. I mean, that's the, that's the tangible impact of it. When I say how big we can be, it's, it's how many people we can touch. And I get so excited about our products that I love hearing how it impacts other people. It's just, it sparks joy and brings value to people's life. So yeah, that's the, the more tangible result of all of these things.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Have you created every crazy flavor that you've dreamed up, or is there one that would be hard to produce that you're like, I would love to, but—

There's a few. Like, I want to still refine our coffee cake flavor, or I'm obsessed with our cookies, so I would like make a lot more cookies even though that's not our focus. Like, there's some selfish things I would want to do, but honestly, we've, we've done every freaking flavor under the sun. I'm like, Okay.

Yeah. Even I, I mean, I don't know how many more flavors we could do. 60 is a lot. 75 this year. I mean, cornbread. What else can we dream up?

Yeah. I have stuff I'm not doing a lot more savory. It's just not, yeah.

No chicken and waffles banana bread.

No, like there's limits. There's really limits in my head.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. Well, all of this is just like so exciting for you and the company, and I just like love the spirit and the energy, and that's what I've been attracted to. And I'm sure everybody else will be through this podcast episode and just like the vibrancy of your new packaging, existing packaging, what is possible and all. So what is one truth or reminder you want everyone listening to take with them today?

Ooh, I'll build off a theme that we were chatting about is follow your intuition. Follow that, that inner voice that tells you which way to go or what to do or what not to do or how to speak up. Um, I think that'll lead you to a really full, passionate life, not an easy one, but a full and rich one.

Follow the banana breadcrumbs. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait, scratch that.

Let's get on set. Um, yeah. And everyone, don't be a stranger. If you're new to Go Nanas, come find us, say hi. Um, I love the podcast format because we get to have the real conversations and you get to get to know, um, the people behind GoNanas a lot more and outside of GoNanas. So yeah, thanks for having me.

Yeah. Where can listeners connect with you, follow along with GoNanas and especially the brand Refresh?

Yeah, find us on Instagram, @go_nanas, TikTok, @gonanas. Our website's eatgonanas.com. There's a 20% off for your first time and you can also find us in retailers nationwide. So every single Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and select Safeway and Kroger banners.

Amazing. I have a code. I'll add that to the show notes with all the links too. But this has been so fun. Thank you for taking the time. And I'm so excited for everyone to hear what is on— we'll actually see what is coming into the world with GoNanas this year.

Yes, a lot to come.

Mm-hmm. Well, thank you.

Thanks, Emily.

Thank you for tuning in to the We Shine Well podcast. If today's conversation lit something up in you, I'd love for you to share it with a friend, leave us a review, and dive deeper each week by subscribing to our Substack in the show notes to interact with guests and discover more resources to expand you. Until next time, keep trusting your right next step and keep shining, my friend.