Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danielle Dietz-LiVolsi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Danielle, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

After adopting my son at the age of 3 ½ from Ukraine in 2002, I quickly realized he was having trouble gaining weight and adjusting to a solid diet. He was an extremely picky eater and was not fond of different meat textures and protein. Thinking of ways to provide alternative protein sources, I remembered how I grew up eating Jif peanut butter by the spoonful. This thought then sent me down a path that changed the course of my life.
After perusing the aisles of my local grocery store and finding nothing but peanut and almond butters that provided minimal protein, I started experimenting at home. I spent countless hours blending a variety of several nuts and seeds into a food processor to create a multi-nut and seed butter and a powerhouse of superfood nutrition. My son quickly fell in love with the spread, and I found that friends and family loved it as well. I began to wonder why there were only peanut and almond butters on the market, and why no one had pursued a multi-nut and seed spread before. It was then that I decided to take a leap of faith and embark on the pursuit of a lifetime. I knew that if people had the chance to just taste the product, it would sell itself. All I had to do was believe in the process. I listened to my intuition and took my nut & seed creation to market. In 2008, I officially launched NuttZo.

I knew that my nut & seed spreads had the potential to provide an all-natural product that was versatile, unique and nutritious. I was fueled by my determination and passion to introduce NuttZo and a new category of nutrient dense nut & seed butters to the market. Today, NuttZo sells products in over 7,000 stores across the US and Canada. Our brand is recognized as the original multi-nut & seed butter and hailed one of the most innovative brands in the natural food movement. By leveraging a unique, multi-beneficial protein source, we have successfully upgraded healthy snacking. I am always looking for ways to expand our product line through experimentation, recipe development and constant testing, something that I have practiced since creating NuttZo in my kitchen over a decade ago.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Before founding NuttZo, I had a successful career in the marketing and media industries managing ad sales at a San Diego radio station. It wasn’t until after I had adopted my first son that the idea of NuttZo was born, and I started to explore what natural products the CPG space has to offer. I had an instinctive, entrepreneurial mindset and saw that the opportunities NuttZo could provide were endless. I was passionate about bringing this product to market and showing others the benefits of nuts & seeds in a unique way.
NuttZo was founded at a time when nut & seed butters did not exist. Almond and peanut butters were prevalent in the market, but often contained unhealthy fats and sugars. NuttZo pioneered a new category of nut butters that were all natural, and made from the highest quality, responsibly sourced ingredients, avoiding unhealthy fillers such as sugar, oils, artificial flavorings or preservatives. We have continued hit the mark on dietary spreads with products that are peanut free, keto & paleo approved, vegan, and gluten-free. The core mission of NuttZo is always to create low sugar and nutrient dense nut and seed products that provide energy, nutrition, and, of course, taste amazing.

I felt like it was time for a new kind of peanut butter and knew that NuttZo would be a success. At the heart of our brand is also to spread health and happiness, so when I launched NuttZo, I knew I wanted the company to have a give-back, social component. I founded a non-profit organization built on the core foundation of what NuttZo stands for. Project Left Behind’s mission is to promote education, improved nutrition and living conditions for orphaned and neglected children. Proceeds from all NuttZo sales are donated to the project’s efforts. Through volunteer hours and donations, Project Left Behind strives to make a real impact in the world and communities around us, which I am especially proud of. Through our non-profit, I wanted to show others the power and importance of making a difference and give our customers the belief in supporting a brand that stands behinds these values.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think that NuttZo’s reputation can be attributed to the authenticity and uniqueness of our products. I believe that consumers can often tell when a brand is trying to be something that they are not, so I wanted to ensure that NuttZo always strived to exceed a standard of authenticity and transparency with our customer base. I want others to feel confident about what they are choosing to put into their bodies, which I always aim to demonstrate through our product line. We value the importance and power of ingredients and have created several flavors of nutrient-packed nut and seed butters. Each of our products have very little or no added sugar, contain no unnecessary oils and provide a complete source of Omega-3s, Amino Acids, proteins and healthy fats. NuttZo also caters to a wide variety of lifestyles including keto, paleo and vegan. I wanted NuttZo to be a product everyone could enjoy, regardless of dietary restrictions. Emerging into a market where there once were only almond and peanut butters available helped NuttZo to stand out among the competition. I took a chance on this new category with the mission to create a product that was both functional and versatile. I built this brand with the intent to always be authentic with our customers and show the endless possibilities that a nut & seed butter can have.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My mantra has always been to manage the way that I would like to be managed. I had a previous employer that I believe really saw something in me. I think they set the foundation for my future and success, and I have carried their managerial style with me throughout my entire journey. I learned from them to never micromanage, and always treat others with a high level of professionalism and respect. I strive to lead by example by constantly encouraging my team to allow them to exceed their utmost potential, no matter their role or position within the company. Every role is essential and helps to grow the mission of NuttZo. Because NuttZo is a smaller team, I can be super hands on with my employees and learn and grow with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nuttzo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatnuttzo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoNuttZo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrP-a7_RKbi1WG8uMTr6peQ