"Together Talks" feature # 85: SEEDLY presented by KLS, freight company
Some Background on SEEDLY
Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the chance to interview SEEDLY and Founder, Mateen Pouyafar. SEEDLY's mission is to craft nourishing snacks with whole seeds. They do not hold back on the quality of our immaculate ingredients. Everything is certified organic and unrefined, keeping all the valuable nutrition available for their consumers to enjoy. At SEEDLY, they harness the power of seeds to create nutrient-dense, delicious snacks, driving a healthier and tastier future for all. Their mission is to satisfy cravings with whole, unrefined ingredients, transforming snacking into a nourishing and sustainable experience.
School start
Before SEEDLY, Mateen started making snacks while in college. He would have fellow students and friends try them out to get feedback. Surprisingly, he wasn't studying culinary, instead he was studying architecture. While completing his studies Mateen learned about hemp and the sustainability of the commodity used as building material. In researching he found that it was not economical to bring these materials into the US, but he found an opportunity in the food space. Being in the beginning phases, he saw there was an opportunity for real growth in the space.
Mateen shared that he grew up eating healthy as it was a priority within his family. Once he got to college, he realized that the options were not nearly as good as he was accustomed to. This helped lead him to starting to create his own snacks. In solving his own problem, he figured that this wasn't an issue only for him. With his introduction the benefits of hemp, he traveled down a rabbit hole to discover additional benefits of other seeds. Incorporating seeds into snack foods to get through the day could potentially enhance the nutritional value. Mateen had the idea, now he had to create the product.
Create through connections
Food was a connector in Mateen's life. Growing up he played piano and realized the comparisons between creation between food and piano. Studying architecture was another avenue where Mateen was able to test his creativity. He credits both situations from driving his ability to create. But it always came back to food. His first creation was bars he would make while in school and hand out for reviews. He continued to receive positive feedback and it led him to question, "Why don't I sell these in stores?"
Mateen took the challenge. He went to local stores in the neighborhood and pitched them. Soon his bars were on the shelf and selling. He continued to get feedback from his classmates and would tinker with flavors, packaging, and test out on the local stores. Remarkably all of this was done prior to launching his company. The next phase was when Mateen created a product line extension with his crumble product (granola). Mateen shared it sold better than the bars, and he was onto his next step in his business.
While the crumble was doing better than the bars, he shared that customers were giving a new set of feedback. "I kept getting told that they want something indulgent. We created our SEED BARK. It immediately outsold both the bars and crumble. We felt this was the product to go to market fully with." Remarkably he went through over 20 different products and formulations prior to landing on the SEED BARK. This test run was occurring during 2019, but the traction was proving to Mateen that his hunch was correct and he needed to pursue this at a larger scale. At this moment, he decided he needed to create an actual brand. He set out to create an identity.
One of the biggest advantages in Mateen's mind is that from the beginning manufacturing for SEEDLY has been in house. He never considered moving away from that situation as it allowed them to remain nimble and constantly adapt and tweak to better their product and packaging. While going through so many flavors initially it provided them ample time and opportunity to test new flavors and get instant feedback.
Mateen mentioned how important it is to remember the reason for bringing a product to market, offering important advice, "remember the product isn't for you." He said it is hard to learn as you go, but it was imperative for him not to get attached to any one product or flavor. For him the way to achieve your goals in a meaningful way is at scale, he believes the impact then is so much more multiplied. To reach the masses it started with the name SEEDLY. He believes the meaning was relation to the core competency which is seeds. Not many brands celebrate seeds in the way they do, and they created a name to echo their commitment and build trust to the snacking community.
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Uniqueness
The power of hemp is the powerhouse of nutrition behind SEEDLY. Pairing hemp seeds with other seeds their snacks are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients. Compared to most snack foods that are often filled with refined ingredients, they don't actually solve a problem. Instead, a consumer is filled with excessive sugar or salt, filling up on empty calories, and not actually satisfying a craving. SEEDLY instead puts a focus on providing a balanced and truly better for you snacks.
The first goal is to contribute your nutritional needs of consumers. SEEDLY accomplishes this by providing 40% of the daily recommended omega-3's. Their mix of hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds bring their core competency to the forefront of their SEED BARK. The use of all unrefined organic ingredients bring transparency to the forefront as a snack made to deliver deliciousness that is trustworthy. The company focuses on providing a macro balance that allows consumers to consume an entire serving and not feel bad about what they ate. "We addressed snacking by creating a great tasting snack that is beneficial for your health.", Mateen explained.
Differentiating entry
Mateen believes there are two universally accepted truths in regard to health. One is the benefits of whole and unrefined foods and the other is the importance of not overeating. Since its inception the mission for SEEDLY has been to create foods that check off both boxes. Providing snacks that cure cravings but more importantly are organic, unrefined, and nutrient-dense is of the utmost importance in their goal. Mateen believes that SEED BARK is the perfect example being a delicious snack that is also packed with proteins, fiber, and omega-3s from seeds.
SEEDLY was straight to retailer from the start. Not a common approach, but Mateen explained it as wanting to reach the most number of eyes as possible. He shared with us that he was not an expert and has had to learn a lot as he and his company has grown. He commended the ability to remain to be adaptable and their small stature. When he settled on the SEED BARK product, he believed that focusing on one category would be the best path forward for his company, "We envisioned a narrow and deep strategy."
The next phase for the company's growth is increased distribution. Mateen believes the current product can be successful in multiple regions. However, it is a great challenge to get the exposure and proper distribution. He stressed the importance of being organized but remaining patient. Staying on top of buyers, retailers, and the process is very tedious, but the necessary steps to continue to gain exposure in new markets through distribution growth.
Solo-Entrpreneur
The journey of SEEDLY for Mateen has been as a solo-entrepreneur. He took us through the challenges when all decisions run through himself, but how he tries to stay present and appreciative of the learning experiences. He reflected on a goal he set, "This past year was our first calendar year selling exclusively our SEED BARK line I wanted to increase our revenue by 200%. We exceeded that. It was a great feeling." However, Mateen also explained how as the leader often times lofty goals are set, that can even be unattainable at times. "Instead of hitting goals, I try to focus on smaller wins that can stack up."
Mateen further explained that it can be hard to stop and celebrate the wins, describing it as "lasting fleeting seconds". But there are plenty of events that occur that can allow appreciation including new partners, reports from retailers, or customer reviews. Those little hits of validation often re-center him on the emotional rollercoaster that entrepreneurs try to navigate. While SEEDLY is gaining tractor and brand awareness, Mateen did state that he envisions the environment down the road where they can create even further innovating in multiple categories. He stated their goal is to continue fueling the mind and body with nutrition-packed deliciousness.
The part of running a company that Mateen enjoys most is the life experiences. He credits the constant chance to learn is truly unique, but the ability to allow him to learn and develop traits. "This journey truly builds character, discipline, responsibility. I'm grateful for learning not only business but life lessons as well.", Mateen told us. He explained that constantly there are moments where he feels overwhelmed and questions whether he should continue. His cure has been trying to not get sunk into a problem, but instead shifting the perspective to focus on how to get out of the problem. Mateen compares being an entrepreneur competing in an endurance competition, not a sprint, "How long can you last so small disasters are no longer potentially business ending?", Mateen described.
Piece of Advice
Our conversation with Mateen ended with him sharing his piece of advice:
"Success is only one step behind failure. As long as you can not accept failure and continue to stay afloat or move forward, success is a potential outcome. Enduring difficulties will result in building some of the characteristics that are important of entrepreneurship."
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In Closing
KLS wants to thank Mateen Pouyafar, Founder, of SEEDLY for today's "Together Talks" feature. Follow along for the SEEDLY journey with their social handles below!
Klimson Logistics Solutions - Together Talks with SEEDLY feature # 85
*Klimson Logistics Solutions is an Industry Leading Customer Service 3PL. Our focus and commitment to our clients has us striving to be the BEST customer service 3PL for LTL, FTL, Reefer, and Drayage in the country. KLS, freight company, is a 3PL providing nationwide logistics solutions. KLS shipping services include: LTL freight, FTL freight, Reefer LTL freight, Reefer FTL freight, and Drayage. Klimson Logistics Solutions thanks you for viewing our marketing campaign, "Together Talks". If you have any interest in being featured or questions regarding your freight operations please contact us today!
Why KLS?
Our precise and reliable effort.
We handle every shipment with the exact same process. It does not matter if you move one shipment a year or ten per day, you will receive the same level of customer service from us. When we started this company, we had one goal in mind, treat every shipment like it was our own. With our vast knowledge of the industry, we understood what a customer would want from a communication standpoint. We applied that process to be the standard here at KLS. Our reliability and being able to depend on our consistency is why we have such long-standing relationships with our clients.
Our Process?
Every shipment in our industry starts with a quote. We are firm believers that time is money, thus we strive to have quotes back in a 5-10 minute reply time for LTL and FTL, any FCL quotes are at the mercy of the carriers getting back to us. For LTL we have the flexibility to quote both off of NMFC and also Density depending on the carrier. Utilizing our services, you’re allowing us to use our expertise to class your freight accordingly to ensure we are providing the best rate we possibly can.
Once a quote has been submitted and a client chooses to proceed with KLS handling the arrangement of the shipment our full process begins. We create the BOL that will be used for the shipment. If it is a new location for our system, we will obtain all the important/special details (reference numbers, contact details, shipping hours, closed for lunch, dock/doors, etc.). We meticulously build every detail into our software for all future shipments involving that location. After we have both locations built and necessary reference numbers have been applied we will tender the shipment to the carrier. We use this method because it provides us a real time pickup number from the carrier to obtain updates prior to pickup. Our staff will either email the BOL directly to you or to the shipper (at your request) the minute after the tender has been accepted by the carrier. LTL carriers require a 2 hour window prior to close time in order to schedule it for a same-day pickup attempt.
The following morning you’ll receive an email from us. It will either provide the reason the pickup was missed (driver’s trailer filled up, driver missed the close time, truck broke down, shipper said no freight, etc.) or if the pickup was successful you will receive the PRO (tracking) number from us, along with the eta for delivery. Our staff will track it throughout the duration of transit and advise if anything happens that will alter the estimated delivery date. The day the shipment delivers we will email you with confirmation and the POD (Proof of Delivery), should you require it.
Your shipment has been quoted, scheduled, picked up, and delivered. The next step is waiting for the carrier to invoice us and make sure the rate matches up. If it does, we close out the invoice from the carrier in our system and automatically your invoice is created and sent to the requested party at your company. In the event the carrier has an additional charge on their invoice “Variance”, we will never send you an invoice with an additional charge without first identifying you of the charge.
Let us repeat, NEVER WILL WE JUST BILL OUT AN EXTRA CHARGE WITHOUT YOU BEING NOTIFIED.
You are our customer, we represent you. Should the carrier provide an extra charge on an invoice, “Lift gate, additional weight, reclass, detention, etc.) We notify you of the charge via email first. Second, within that email we identify what is required should you choose to dispute the charge. Again our goal is to honor your request, if you want to dispute, we will dispute. During a dispute we will provide you updates every step along the way. Once a dispute is closed out, whether it is approved or rejected, then we will invoice you as the invoice has been resolved.
For reference, our company only had 6.2% of all shipments go to dispute in 2022 and we successfully won 91% of those disputes on behalf of our customers.
This is our process for every single shipment you move with us. We don’t cut corners, we don’t hide from difficult situations. We believe in being available, honest, and transparent. We don’t ever want to tell you that a shipment is lost, damaged, misrouted, but it is our duty to notify you the second we find out something has gone wrong. We hate to present bad news, but it is part of the job. What you can guarantee is that we will work a shipment all the way through and turn over every stone until we get a resolution for our clients.
Services offered?
Our core business is LTL and FTL. Within these options we have options for both dry and refrigerated/frozen. We also offer FCL/Drayage options. Our company as a 3PL has nationwide options and services clients across the US.
Let’s breakdown our services more in-depth
LTL:
Standard and Guaranteed
CFS (Imports & Exports)
Tradeshows
Hazmat
Anything that is on a pallet can be moved LTL. Typically LTL is up to 10 pallets, but the sweet spot for a carrier is 6-8 pallets at most for an individual shipment. LTL quotes are good between 5-30 days depending on the carrier. LTL can be quoted either via NMFC or density to determine the class (we do this for you).
Volume:
Anything over 10-12’ of space in the truck is the technical rule for a volume shipment. When we run a quote for you we will determine if it qualifies for volume and provide you a rate if available. Volume moves allow you to get a reduced rate for larger shipments. The caveat to volume shipments it the quotes are only valid for 3-7 days and they move on capacity between terminals. If a terminal is backed up they will move their LTL freight first before the volume freight, which can lead to longer transit times for volume moves.
FTL/Dedicated/Expedited: 53’ Dry and Reefer 26’ Box trucks with lift gate Sprinter Van The main difference for FTL vs LTL is space and transit time. For standard pallets you can fit either 26 or 30 pallets in a 53’ dry van. The other main difference is transit time, for FTL each day counts in the transit time, whereas LTL does not count the day of pickup, weekends, or holidays in their transit time.
Reefer/Frozen:
LTL and FTL
We specialize working in the CPG space with food manufacturers. We regularly deliver to
the following locations:
Kehe
UNFI
Core Mark
DPI
Wegmans
Cugini
H.T. Hackney
Netrition
HEB
ALDI
Chambers and Owens
EBY Brown
Nassau Candy
Harris Teeter
Wakefern
NU INC
Long Distribution
What makes KLS different?
There are thousands of freight brokers and 3PL in our industry. Barrier to entry is rather easy and agents or owners will often hire sales people without any intention of properly training them. It results in high turnover for many freight companies and a forgettable experience for the client. We choose to operate differently through our consistency. We truly care about doing right by our clients and prospects too. While we would love to help provide our services to every company we speak with, that just isn’t realistic. We won’t always be the right fit for every company that moves freight and that is ok. Our authenticity as a shipping company sets us apart from the competition and that is backed up by our testimonials. We also run a marketing campaign bi-weekly called “Together Talks”. We interview, highlight, and promote two businesses every week. Our goal is to grow our network, make new connections, and learn something new with each collaboration. Check it out on our website and if you’re interested in being featured reach out.
Our company also runs a year long charity promotion. Book your first shipment through KLS and we donate to the charity of your choice in your name. Our way of thanking you for giving us an opportunity to show you the KLS way and what makes us one of a kind. This entire package is what we offer to every prospect and every client. Our goal is to help provide answers that customers may have when it comes to shipping. We want to always be available as a resource and will always offer a lending hand whenever we can.
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