From Farmer’s Markets To 12,000+ Retail Locations In A Decade, With Ashley Thompson, Founder Of MUSH Dear FoundHer... podcast

From Farmer’s Markets to 12,000+ Retail Locations in a Decade, With Ashley Thompson, Founder of MUSH

3d ago 47:05

Content provided by Lindsay Pinchuk. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Lindsay Pinchuk or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

If you're a woman business owner over 40, join the Dear FoundHer... Forum to find support, advice, resources and mentorship—JUST FOR YOU. It’s all inside, without the gatekeeping and without the overwhelm.

Ashley Thompson transformed cold oatmeal into a powerhouse brand sold in over 12,000 retail locations, scaling MUSH from a farmers market stall to a national favorite with the help of a pivotal Shark Tank deal. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, the MUSH founder shares how she left a fast-track finance career at Goldman Sachs at 24 to build a mission-driven business from the ground up, without a business plan, outside funding, or prior food experience.

Ashley recounts the early hustle of handmaking oats in her kitchen, demoing at local shops, and delivering products herself, all while using direct customer feedback to refine the brand. She explains how MUSH landed on Whole Foods shelves, survived a Shark Tank-fueled surge that nearly shut down the business, and ultimately scaled through smart automation and a disciplined, capital-efficient approach.

This episode shows what shaped Ashley’s choices as MUSH grew, from holding off on new products for years to building a team that could support large-scale growth across Target, Costco, and Kroger. She explains what helped her stay focused, how she made decisions with limited resources, and what she’s still learning about leading a brand at scale. If you’re building something from the ground up, there’s a lot here to sit with… and you won’t want to miss it!

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 From Farmers Markets to 12,000 Retail Locations

04:20 Quitting Goldman Sachs to Build MUSH from Scratch

14:45 Getting into Whole Foods and Landing a 10-Store Trial

19:25 Shark Tank Deal with Mark Cuban and Sudden Growth

24:35 Surviving the Post-Shark Tank Chaos

29:25 Why MUSH Focused on Retail Over DTC

34:05 Launching Protein Bars and Expanding the Product Line

39:00 Marketing Strategy Behind a National Health Brand

Connect with Ashley Thompson:

https://www.instagram.com/mush

We’re re-launching our newsletter this summer! Sign up here to have it sent straight to your inbox.

Join our online networking community: Dear FoundHer Forum: https://www.dearfoundher.com/dear-foundher-forum

Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dearfoundher

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

294 episodes