I am excited to have Mazen Kanaan, the CEO and co-founder of House of Pops. His expertise lies in managing and growing portfolios across diverse markets, such as Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa.
In this episode, Mazen Kanaan, CEO and co-founder of House of Pops shares his entrepreneurial journey from Lebanon to Dubai, talking about how his experience at Unilever inspired the creation of a health-focused ice cream brand. He discusses the challenges of entering a competitive market, the importance of brand differentiation, and building a strong company culture. Mazen also explores the opportunities in the Dubai ecosystem, strategic expansion plans, and much more!
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Learn
The journey from Unilever to building House of Pops
How can an e-commerce company go about their distribution
What are some growth tactics that have become stronger over time?
What is your favourite business book? – Zero to one
What is your favourite online tool? –Hubspot
If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – Launch in Saudi Arabia earlier
Timestamps
02:37 The health and wellness trend in the ice cream industry and the gap in the market.
03:32 Challenges of entering a market dominated by big brands like Unilever and Nestlé.
04:18 Importance of brand building and differentiating from competitors.
05:09 Developing an omnichannel approach and the difficulties for big players to replicate it.
05:54 Why big brands avoid omnichannel and the complexity of such a business model.
06:36 Initial challenges of pricing and convincing customers to choose House of Pops.
09:34 Scaling House of Pops from events to e-commerce and physical locations.
10:09 Strategic decisions on when to enter supermarkets and the benefits of patience.
11:42 Customization options for clients and the flexibility offered by House of Pops.
12:32 Building a strong team and the importance of cultural fit in hiring decisions.
14:19 Addressing performance issues and the process of personal improvement plans.
15:13 Maintaining company culture as the team grows beyond 50 employees.
16:04 Strategic decision-making on when to discontinue new projects or ventures.
17:45 Opportunities in the Saudi market and potential expansions into Europe and the U.S.
18:30 Mazen’s reflection on the importance of starting earlier in certain markets and his overall learnings.
Mazen's Links
LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/mazenkn
Website – https://houseofpops.ae/
My Links
Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com
Newsletter:
Disrupting the Ice Cream Industry with Mazen Kanaan of House of Pops