Sean Kelly

Founder & Investor. Building companies at the intersection of health, media & founder performance.

Hey there, I’m Sean. I play at the intersection of investing, media and human performance.

I’m a three-time INC 500 founder & entrepreneur with businesses in eCommerce, SaaS, media and B2B services that have collectively generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Right now, I serve as a General Partner at The Family Fund and am the CEO of Significant Publications, a B2B digital media holding company.

I'm particularly passionate about our brand FounderIV in support of today's founder-athletes. We help today's top entrepreneurs achieve breakout performance in their personal and professional lives.

I co-founded and led multiple other companies, including SnackNation, a health-centric foodservice and brand discovery platform that served 20,000 businesses across the US. 

Under my leadership, SnackNation was honored as one of the country’s Best Workplaces by Inc. Magazine, recognized for Top Company Culture by Entrepreneur Magazine, and certified as a Great Workplace by Great Place to Work®.

Forbes listed me as one of the top 30 leaders under 30 and one of America’s most promising CEOs under 35. Comparably also ranked me among the country’s top 50 small-to-medium sized business CEOs multiple years in a row. 

Outside of the business world, I’m a two-time national medalist in freestyle snowboarding, hold an advisory role at the growth capital firm, Meaningful Partners, have a degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University and am an avid sports fan of all Michigan sports teams (especially the Wolverines).

I currently live in Venice, CA with my wife and college sweetheart, Shannon, and our goldendoodle, Jameson.

Chairman

Sprouts Farmers Market HQ visit was 🔥

A core tenant of ours at The Family Fund is to create partnerships and collaborations with the most influential people and businesses within the consumer ecosystem.

Those folks who can most move the needle for the founders and companies were fortunate enough to support.

And Sprouts is at the top of this list.

Not sure if any other retailers care as much about helping emerging brands succeed…

And being the first to do so.

When brands partner with Sprouts correctly, king and queen-making can occur.

Thanks to Kim Coffin Scott Romano and Brody Burk for the hospitality, and much more so…

For caring so damn much about the work you do. 

Josh Wand and I loved jamming with you.

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Too may legends too little time.

Such is life at Expo West.

Loved seeing each one of you.

I continue to be inspired by the better-for-you consumer ecosystem.

Most importantly the founders that are battling each and every day to solve problems that they deeply care about.

We are in the golden age of CPG.

AI ain’t removing our need for atoms and physical goods.

And with the OpEx reduction automation will allow us to experience…

Better margins…

Higher enterprise valuations…

And entrepreneurship will continue to explode.

Love where we’re at!

Will Nitze 
Stephen Ellsworth 
Michael Brandt 
Josh Wand 
Morgan Buehler Zanotti 
Jack Savage 
Gulrez Arora 
James Boyd 
Taylor Griffin 
Steve Young 
Colleen Kang

Some guys have all the luck.

Just ran into Livio (Italian for “Living Legend”) at Expo West.

He somehow got his hands on a Founderland golden ticket!!

Tried to buy it off of him but he refused.

An early access, VIP ticket to the top B2B consumer health event in Malibu, CA on October 1st!

“Where founders have fun AND deals get done.”

1,000+ of today’s top founders, retailers, strategics and investors…

A B2B festival where value and serendipity reign and transactional behavior is lame.

If any of you know Livio Bisterzo please advise because I am willing to go to incredible lengths to get my hands on of these.

A Founderland.us golden ticket!!!

Shannon Kelly 
Josh Wand  
Seth Gusow

First Founderland Adventure trip in the books.

Yellowstone Club was 🤯

The founder crew we put together was even better.

I don't believe there is a better way create meaningful relationships then getting off of screens, away from the norm and experiencing 3 days of new challenges & outdoor adventure together.

Thanks to our friends and legendary co-hosts:

- Matthew LaCasse Ethan Greaves and Lizzi Ackerman LaCasse from E+PATROL (and our beautiful hosts at YC)

- Kristofer Reddaway, CEPA® from Citizens 

- Gareth Domingo from AppLovin

And to Stephen Ellsworth from poppi for inspiring me to put this ski trip together when we were hanging at Founderland last year.

Pumped (and already planning) the next one... 
 (Have a feeling these adventure trips will be another key way we bring founders together in a differentiated way at The Family Fund & Founder Community)

And thanks to the phenomenal leaders, founders and friends who made this experience OTT:

Josh Wand
Michael Brandt
Jack Savage
Morgan Buehler Zanotti
Adam Goldberg
Tyler Ricks
Josh Deemer
Jeff Mroz
Giancarlo Maniaci
Curtis Christopherson
Wes Van Dyk
Dave Clark

Let’s roll!

I have helped CPG and Beverage Brands win on social media for over a decade. I currently run my agency Sircle Media, invest in early-stage brands, and share as much helpful free advice as I can with my community.

Adam Brown is The Founder and President of Sircle Media, a Social Media Strategy Firm based in New York City.  He has worked in and around digital marketing since 1999 and has held various positions on both the client and vendor sides. This has given him tremendous insight into how these relationships work best, which has allowed him to develop a keen understanding of what businesses really need.  He takes this expertise and knowledge and applies it to his clients each day.

At Sircle, he works with CPG, Beverage, and Spirits brands to help them navigate their social media strategies and execution. The Internet is a constantly evolving medium that is nearly impossible to keep up with, especially while trying to run a business.  Adam and Sircle Media help clients do both simultaneously.

Adam's writing has been featured on websites such as Social Media Today and The Salesforce Marketing Cloud and he regularly teaches classes on Social Media in New York City. He is a proud NYC native and lives there with his wife and two teenage daughters.

Adam Brown

I always say this whole game comes down to people. There are plenty of cool and sexy brands with bad ones and many bland brands with good ones. I try my hardest to hire great humans and always appreciate it when I get to work with them on the client or partner side, too. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way...

When you get solid people in a room who respect and appreciate one another, great things happen. At Expo West, we decided to ask some people what they think about when they hear Sircle Media, and here is just some of what they had to say. I am so beyond grateful to have these people in my life!

#cpg #socialmediaagency #Expowest

I’ve been helping CPG & Beverage brands win on social media for over a decade. I currently run my agency Sircle Media, invest in early-stage brands, and share as much knowledge as I can with my community.

I know you have seen countless recaps and commentary videos on Expo West last week, but not Molly's. So, here are her keen observations on what went down in Anaehim.

Enjoy!

#socialmediaagency #cpg #ExpoWest

Working with the JUNKLESS® Foods LLC team on the launch of their collaboration with Livvy Dunne has been awesome. Tons of strategic conversations and tactical execution are already in motion, with so much more on the way.

When a brand pairs with a mega influencer like this, it is so important that the pairing makes sense. The two entities need to be fully aligned, the partner needs to be awesome and collaborative, and the brand needs to be strategic in how they leverage the power and influence. The team at Junkless is stacked with industry veterans who knows whats up, which also makes a big difference!

Sircle Media works hard at helping our clients navigate all of this to help ensure results. With this one, we think we scored a perfect 10. (sorry, had to)🤸‍♀️ 

#cpg #socialmediaagency #socialmediastrategy

We are flirting with some new formats for our agency video at Sircle Media, and while we are unlikley going with this as our final cut, I still think it's worth sharing. I applaud David on our team for taking direction and then running with it by adding his own interpretation and unique flair. I think it is amazing when a passionate employee gets an assignment, accepts the challenge, and runs toward the ball. 

He is packing in a lot of messages here while trying to keep the viewer entertained and intrigued. It is an education on who we are, what we offer, and how we might help a brand.

So, I ask you....did it do that?

#CPG #socialmediaagency

I have said for years that brands need two types of content CREATION (in addition to CURATION from fans, influencers, etc.) engagements in their ecosystem:

1- Monthly retainer content that is nimble, cross-disciplinary, current, quick-turn, and experimental. This can be much more about the PFC (Product Front and Center), RTB (Reason To Be), USP (Unique Selling Proposition), and RCO (Retailer Call Out). This includes all kinds of studio AND UGC and shouldn't be binary and/or exclusively focused on any one style or trend.

2- Planned out lifestyle photoshoots, done as infrequently as once per year or as frequently as once per quarter. These are a bit more mapped out and include humans enjoying and interacting with the product. Your brand team should think about usage occasions, diversity, geography, seasonality, etc., so you get content that feels real, current, and humanized.

This one can get tricky if you are not strategic and savvy in how to engage correctly, as there are a lot of studios and agencies that overcharge for this type of offering, especially in places like New York or Los Angeles. You see, this is more of the old way of doing things, especially for beauty, apparel, and spirits, and you are often faced with hurdles such as huge flat fees, limited usage rights, and/or a capped quantity of deliverables. CPG brands need more flexibility than that, in my opinion.

When it comes to social, you want the exact opposite.
1- A customized plan that takes into account actual work, effort, and value
= A partner who listens, digests, and prescribes a non-boilerplate solution
2- No cap on usage 
= You need to have the ability to experiment freely
3- Access to raw shots, B-roll, and/or BTS (Behind The Scenes)
= You glean more value from the cost and have extra inventory for future use

Sircle Media just looooves creating both and has really been ramping up in the second category lately. Here are some of the deliverables from a recent shoot for Calbee America. So, want to get creative?

#cpg #socialmediaagency #socialmediacontent

UGC (and “lived in” content in general) is all the rage right now. This type of humanized content can add depth to your overall messaging strategy and it should work in tandem with great studio content. Sound creative strategy should be multifaceted, and you must have the ability to experiment and learn along the way.

Sircle Media has been helping CPG brands navigate this landscape for 14 years and the one constant I can report on is that things constantly change and you can’t sit back on any one thing, ever.  Goals remain, tactics change. 

Having an outsourced art department to leverage is mission critical. We’ve got you covered! 📸👩‍🎨👩‍💻📹

#cpg #socialmediaagency #socialmediacontent

Sircle Media sits at the crossroads of strategy (science) and storytelling (art). Sometimes, content can be created in the studio and be beautiful.
Sometimes, content can be trend-based and/or quick turnaround in nature.
Sometimes, it is about experimentation, evaluation, and redistribution.

Madhava Foods saw a major TikTok win when a repurposed Crispy Rice UGC recipe video went viral, generating 2M views and 3000+ shares (an important KPI and signal of interest and intent to replicate). The post was originally created as recipe-driven UGC, and this type of utility-based content should absolutely be a central part of a content strategy for any brand that can be used in recipes.

The old asset from Instagram (don't be afraid to reuse gems) was repurposed for TikTok as part of our ongoing strategy to maximize high-performing content across platforms. The strong performance of this asset reinforces a key learning: simple, approachable recipe content continues to resonate most with Madhava’s audience. Because UGC recipes have consistently been top performers across channels, this was a smart gamble by their social team. Leveraging a past winner and then refreshing it with new sounds and platform-native edits to extend its lifecycle and reach new audiences just makes so much sense. 

Well done, team!

#cpg #socialmediastrategy #socialmediacontent

Sircle Media's longest tenured client is Michter's Distillery, LLC. We have worked with them since 2015 and helped them grow and foster such a strong community. As a whiskey drinker myself, I am such a fan. Everything they put out is delicious, and their commitment to quality is so apparent. 

More on that below (from Gemini):
Key Aspects of the "Cost Be Damned" Philosophy:
Barrel Management: Michter's uses wood for barrels that is air-dried for 18 to 48 months, which is significantly longer than the industry standard. Magliocco pays a premium of roughly $50 more per barrel than other producers to ensure this quality.

Production Techniques: The distillery toasts barrels before charring them, a time-consuming step rarely used elsewhere. They also utilize heat-cycled warehouses, which, while increasing the loss of product ("Angel's share"), enhances the richness and flavor of the whiskey.

Quality Control: Under the guidance of their "Dr. No" master distillers, they frequently choose not to release, or even destroy, whiskey that does not meet their perfectionist standards.

Low Entry Proof: Whiskey is barreled at a lower entry proof (103), which is less efficient for yield but produces a better product. 

The owners of this amazing company have transformed a forgotten brand into a globally recognized leader in premium whiskey, with Michter's being named the "World's Most Admired Whisky" in 2023.

It is an honor and a privilege to work with them. 🥃

#socialmediaagency #socialmediacontent #whiskey

I just found this interview from ten years ago, and it is wild how I am still sharing this EXACT same message with brands on a daily basis. As Sircle Media has narrowed its focus to work exclusively in CPG and Beverage, these hold even more true:
1- Go as long as you possibly can without paying agencies
= cash conservation is key in these money-strapped categories

2- Social media management isn't a job for 1 person; it takes the skills of many
= dont under-invest in one hire and then hope and pray

3- Agencies are either overpriced based on assumed pricing, or they are (sometimes maliciously) selling what they think the market wants, vs what the market actually needs
=  brands end up hiring for sizzle (buzz) rather than steak (substance)

In CPG, it is around a $3–$4 million run rate, where you have a real business with proof of concept, interested consumers with repeat orders, and it is time to level up and potentially raise a Series A round. At that point, your P&L should have a line item for a social media manager's salary and content support for communications, but putting that all on one person will fail 100% of the time. This will happen whether that person is amazing or not, because it is just never one human who can do it all. In 14 years, I have never met one 5th degree blackbelt social media manager who can do it all at an A+ level.

As you build your stack, make sure you have the right foundation in place. One SMM tasked with everything will fail, and one agency without a real strategic approach will fail, too. Choose wisely.

#socialmediaagency #socialmediastrategy #cpg

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The Battle

Sean Kelly

Adam Brown

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Sean Kelly's LinkedIn Performance

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