In this episode of Growth Mavericks, Adam Callinan sits down with Chrisi Hammer, co-founder of Sunshine Buns, to discuss the realities of building a high-growth consumer packaged goods brand. What started as a beloved family cinnamon roll recipe evolved into one of the fastest-growing frozen bakery brands in retail.
Chrisi shares how Sunshine Buns pivoted from a local bakery concept into a national CPG brand, the challenges of retail distribution, working with brokers, managing co-manufacturing relationships, securing major retailer partnerships, and navigating the constant uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship.
The conversation also dives deep into founder psychology, imposter syndrome, problem-solving under pressure, and why successful entrepreneurs learn to become comfortable with uncertainty.
If you're building a consumer brand, scaling a business, launching a product, or simply trying to survive the entrepreneurial rollercoaster, this episode is packed with practical insights and hard-earned lessons.
In This Episode
- Building Sunshine Buns from a family recipe
- Transitioning from brick-and-mortar to retail distribution
- Scaling from local sales to thousands of retail locations
- The realities of frozen food logistics
- Finding the right brokers and retail partners
- Managing rapid growth and operational challenges
- Imposter syndrome and entrepreneurship
- Becoming comfortable with uncertainty
- Problem-solving during business crises
- Lessons from scaling a consumer packaged goods company
Key Takeaways
✅ Growth creates new problems—not fewer problems
✅ Entrepreneurship is often saying yes before you know how
✅ Retail success depends on relationships and execution
✅ Imposter syndrome doesn't disappear with success
✅ The best founders become elite problem solvers
✅ Confidence comes from surviving challenges, not avoiding them
Explore More
Growth Mavericks Podcast: https://www.growthmaverickspodcast.com
Pentane: https://www.pentane.com
Sunshine Buns: https://www.sunshinebuns.co