DUDE Wipes

Chief Executive Dude / President

Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

Fast Food Server

Delta Controls Chicago, Inc

Sales Engineer

Its been a wild ass ride of building DUDE Wipes from the BOTTOM up.

We started back in 2012, just some dudes with no experience, a dream, and, well, some stinky asses. We hated toilet paper and knew there had to be a better way 🚫🧻 

So, with $30k in cash and a tiny apartment in Chicago, we launched DUDE Wipes.

Fast forward a few years, and we even snagged a deal on Shark Tank. Mark Cuban saw the vision and joined the DUDE revolution 🦈 

Today, we’re wiping billions of butts a year, with DUDE Wipes available at Walmart, Target, Kroger, Amazon—pretty much everywhere! 🌎

Butt stay tuned, cause we’re just getting started… Party on, DUDES! 🤙

Sean Riley

130K likes on a COMMENT. 

And people complain “we need a bigger marketing budget to grow” 

Not when you’re an entertainment brand

Attention CAN BE free

Brands that entertain people play by different rules 

Much more profitable and sustainable rules that don’t involve dumping money into Meta and chasing CAC for a living 

✌️

DUDE Wipes 💩 Chief DUDE, Started from the bottom (literally). Now serving up Small Biz Reviews, CPG Tips, Shameless Self-Promos & Heady DUDE Level Wisdom 🧘

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Most people aren’t built to be entrepreneurs, because they’re not hustlers 💣 

You can be introverted, extroverted, genius, dumbass, creative, operator, blah blah blah. 

I don’t care 

None of that matters

If you’re not wired to figure shit out,
keep moving when it sucks,
and find a way through…
you’re toast. ☠️

Don’t copy some “leader” you read about in a book

Be your true self

Just make sure that self is a cold blooded hustler 🔪 

Otherwise the journey will be a waste of your time 

✌️

🥃 Someone pour me up a double shot of whiskey, They know me and DUDE Wipes got a history

When they say “aren’t those just baby wipes for men?”

How bout them cowboys 🤠 Vaquero Snacks  

Coming to a Walmart near you 

Small Biz

Great story 

Made in the USA 🇺🇸 

You know what to do

When someone has charisma, people naturally gravitate toward their energy. But do we ever stop and ask how they got that way? 🤔

Charisma isn’t something you perform.
It appears when your heart ❤️ and mind 🧠 are in sync.

It comes from people who are following their heart and have trained their brain to work for it, not against it. ⚡️

Most people flip it
The brain runs the show,
and the heart has to adapt

That’s a trap 🚫

It’s why so many end up in 9–5s they hate,
doing what they’re “supposed” to do,
and wondering why they feel drained every day. 😩

Stop overthinking 🧘‍♂️
Start leading with your heart ❤️

You’ll feel good 
Filled with inner joy
And magnetic 🧲 

All of a sudden people will say 
“Damn, you’re so charismatic.” 

✌️

I didn’t know 💩 when we started. To be honest I still don’t.

Mark A. Samuel

MARK'S SNACKS

• Seed oil-free kettle chips at MarksSnacks.com

Founder

Siddhi Capital

Growth

Let's Eat with Mark Samuel

• If you're a CPG founder and want to be interviewed, or you're a CPG service provider and want to sponsor, please email mark@letseatwithmarksamuel.com 
• Over 200+ interviews, with more than 40 more planned through 2025

Host

IWON Organics

•    Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations, to sales and marketing
•   IWON's snacks can be found in over 4,000 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Safeway, Wegmans, and online at iwonorganics.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.
•  Licensed brand, Nov 2024

Founder and CEO

Fitmark

•	Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations to sales and marketing
•	Designed, developed and filed patents on Fitmark's travel and meal prep bag innovations. U.S. Patent no. 9,462,874. Other patents pending
•	Fitmark is sold in more than 25 countries
•	Fitmark was acquired Jan, 2018

Concept2Commerce

•	Formed successful product development and marketing company
•	Oversee recruitment and manage experienced designers, engineers, writers, producers and manufacturers
•	Manage rotating teams of business professionals for each innovation or new company created
•	Establish licensing and distribution agreements with companies and retailers 
•	Coordinate product development and manage marketing campaign per product
Notable Achievements:
•	Innovated, designed and filed patents on multiple products
•	A lost and found solution
•	Housewares innovation
•	Wine industry innovation

Co-Founder, Managing Partner

6 Pack Fitness

•	Designed, developed and filed a patent on a unique meal management system used to organize and transport all of the essential components of a fitness enthusiast’s daily meals
•	Oversaw all steps of development from product design to prototyping, manufacturing, sales and marketing strategies, website design, branding and capital acquisitions
•	Acted as brand representative at fitness expos to increase exposure and brand loyalty
•	Maintained viral marketing strategies and ongoing branding campaigns
•	Managed business operations and finances
Notable Achievements:
•	Negotiated an International licensing and distribution deal within the first six months of operations
•	Continued to maintain month over month revenue and sales growth  
•       Distribution in 10 countries within the first twelve months of product launch
•	Sold interest Sept, 2011

A San Francisco Cooperative

•	Oversaw establishment of a retail store, from leasing the storefront to developing the store’s design and company image, as well as staffing and training 20 employees
•	Assisted with marketing campaigns, general accounting and daily operations
•	Created operational manuals and spearheaded business development and planning
•	Developed viral marketing campaign utilizing social networks
Notable Achievements:
•	Continued to maintain month over month revenue and sales growth
•	Recognized as one of the premier stores throughout the entire Bay 
•	Sold interest Dec, 2010

Co-Founder

Bridgeline Capital Group

•	Developed a boutique brokerage firm catering to high end clientele and high loan amounts
•	Completed incorporation filings, acquired two office locations in the San Francisco area, developed business plans and marketing campaigns, oversaw company branding strategies
•	Assembled a highly skilled staff of over 25 brokers and analysts to ensure rapid growth and profitability
•	Developed key partnerships with major holdings companies and real estate developers, including becoming an in-house mortgage broker for Vanguard Properties and negotiating a lucrative contract with the Mark Company, developer of large, upscale condominiums
•	Competed with and alongside major lenders including Bank of America and Wells Fargo to provide customized client brokerage solutions and a range of mortgage related products
Notable Achievements:
•	Maintained positive revenue stream during the 2009 recession and national housing collapse

Co-Founder and President/CEO

LaLanne Fitness

•	Trained with Chris LaLanne, grand nephew of Jack LaLanne the godfather of fitness, on fitness strategies and gym models
•	Partnered with Chris to open a CrossFit affiliate, boutique fitness program, in  a 2500 sq. ft., Olympic style weightlifting environment, focused on conditioning and strength training
•	Managed most aspects of the business including development and execution of marketing strategies, staffing, training and recruiting CrossFit instructors, leasing, day to day operational requirements, accounting and asset acquisitions
•	Managed specific health and fitness software program for accounting of clients and finances, as well as viral marketing campaigns
Notable Achievements:
•	Became the most successful CrossFit affiliate in the Bay Area within the first year of operations, and one of the fastest growing CrossFit facilities in the nation
•	Achieved profitability within the first three months of operations and maintained month over month revenue and sales growth with over 225 clients within the first twelve months
•	Sold interest Dec, 2009

Co-Founder and President

Founder and CEO at IWON Organics | Health and Wellness

I’m a dad. A health and fitness enthusiast. And I’ve spent the last 20 years building startups.

Today, I’m the founder of MARK’S, a seed oil-free snack brand that just launched a non-GMO kettle chip line. I also drive growth initiatives at Siddhi Capital, a leading VC firm in food and beverage. On the side, I host Let’s Eat, a podcast for CPG founders—where every interview lives right here on LinkedIn.

Previously, I was the Founder & CEO of IWON Organics (since licensed).

What fuels me most: my kids, training hard, and living a balanced nutritional lifestyle. Professionally, it’s partnering with exceptional people to build companies that matter—teams committed to helping one another level up in business, health, and life.

Specialties: 
•	Creative Branding and New Product Innovation
•	Strategic Business, Market & Sales Planning
•	Business Development and Management
•	Operational Management
•	Strategic Partnerships and Joint Ventures

•    Lead all aspects of business development and management, from operations, to sales and marketing
•   IWON's snacks can be found in over 4,000 stores nationwide, including Sprouts, Whole Foods, Vitamin Shoppe, Safeway, Wegmans, and online at iwonorganics.com, Amazon and Thrive Market.

Well… it finally happened.
I just got an email from my son’s school letting me know he was “caught selling snacks for profit” yesterday — the items were confiscated along with the cash.

This hits in three ways:
 1️⃣ Yes, he’s mine.
 2️⃣ I did the exact same thing — over 30 years ago… at the same school.
 3️⃣ As much as I love seeing that entrepreneurial spark, there’s a time and a place for it.

So later today, he gets to hear it from me:
I respect the game, I really do. But rules are there for a reason — and in today’s world, learning when to push boundaries (and when not to) might be the most important lesson of all.
Proud dad moment? Absolutely.
Teachable moment? Even more so.

Founder at MARK’S | Host of Let’s Eat | Health and Fitness

If you’re not using ChatGPT yet… I genuinely want to know why.

Here’s a real example from this week: I’m handling all the CYO basketball gym scheduling this season — which means nearly 35 teams, each needing two practices per week, across four different gyms with different time blocks.

Because there are more teams than times available, we need some half-court practices, while some are full-court, and of course, we’ve got A and B teams across multiple grades that ideally should share time with similar groups.

Before ChatGPT, this would’ve taken me hours (if not days) and at least a few choice words along the way.
Now? I just prompted it with all those parameters, and in under a minute it kicked back a perfect Excel schedule — with reasoning behind every decision and all my requests clearly respected.

I sat there staring at the screen thinking, how on earth did we ever do this before?

So again, if you’re not using this tool yet, why not?
Because at this point… it’s like showing up to a game without a playbook. 🏀💻

Tuesday night giveaway — let’s have some fun.

This may or may not be my dinner… could just be a snack. Either way, it’s delicious. 🥩🔥

For anyone who would get down with a plate like this — go ahead and comment “I’m down for that” below. I’ll randomly pick one lucky winner tomorrow and send over a variety pack of MARK'S SNACKS so you can enjoy what I’m having right now.

Let’s go 👊🏽

I'm excited to speak at SupplySide Global 2025! Who will be in Vegas for this? 

I'll be there Sunday to Tuesday and I'll be speaking at: 
Exploring flavor and functionality for today’s snacker
Date: Monday, Oct. 27
Time: 4-6 p.m. (2-hour session)
Location: Islander Ballroom E, Lower Level

Let me know if you or someone you know will be there!

#supplyside #supplyside2025 #supplysideglobal

Here are seven ways you too can be at the gym squatting 400 pounds just one week after hernia surgery…
Just kidding — don’t ever do anything like that 🙃

But here’s what I have been doing, and it applies to so much more than recovery — it applies to life, business, and everything in between.

You’ve gotta have a plan.

I had one before surgery, and I’m committed to it now. As much as I wanted to hit the gym the next day (after 25+ years of near-daily workouts, that itch is real), I knew I needed to let my body do its thing.

My plan was simple: walk every day, ice often, and eat clean, protein-focused, single-ingredient foods. And yes, moderation with the fun stuff too — always.

Now at day seven, I’ve been back in the gym the last few days — nothing strenuous, just light movement, slow walks, and very mild resistance to keep the blood flowing.

Recovery, like business, is about patience and execution.
You can’t just “wing it” — you’ve got to plan it, commit to it, and adjust along the way.

Anyone who’s faced a setback — physically or professionally — knows this truth:
👉 You must have a plan in place.

Let's Eat with Mark Samuel, ep. 245 (sponsor edition) with Nikki M., founder of Vividly. It's quite simple, do you have trade spend? If so, watch this and then take her up on the FREE month! Enjoy!

And please support the sponsors MARK'S SNACKS now available on amazon! FST Logistics Transparent Labs ECM Media The Platform CPG SimplyDepo Drivepoint Vividly

#cpg #founders #startups #tradespend

Let's Eat with Mark Samuel, ep. 243 with Sydney Karmes-Wainer founder of French Squirrel. I LOVEEEEEEEE these types of episodes where we get to rap about the best topics - often not even brand focused! In this case, we talk social media, processed foods, mental health, and more. I hope you enjoy! 

Shout out to the sponsors (MARK'S SNACKS, now available on Amazon, FST Logistics, Transparent Labs, ECM Media, The Platform CPG, SimplyDepo, Drivepoint (who will be an episode this week) and Vividly (who will also be on an episode this week)! Please support the sponsors that support me! 

#cpg #founders #startups

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