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Millie’s Sipping Broth: Layoff to 2,000 Walmarts. Learn How Llance Kezner Created a New Category
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What if losing your job was the best thing that ever happened to you? In this inspiring episode of UnLost Cause, former tech VP Llance Kezner shares how he and his wife Lori—a teacher—turned a home kitchen idea into Millie's Sipping Broth, a product now stocked in nearly 2,000 Walmart stores.
From setbacks like layoffs and manufacturing challenges to viral moments during COVID and a golden ticket from Walmart, Llance opens up about the messy, meaningful path to reclaiming purpose after 40.
This episode is for anyone who feels like their dream might be “too late”—because Llance proves it never is.
02:10 – The kindergarten classroom moment that sparked it all
06:00 – Childhood sales lessons from a Christmas tree lot
10:40 – How his global trade background shaped his resilience
17:15 – The tidal wave of 2009: layoff, loss, and the search for control
21:30 – A garlic accident that led to their first product
26:05 – Pivoting from award-winning garlic to sipping broth
30:50 – Real-world testing at Pike Place Market
38:20 – Why innovation is only half the battle: packaging, pricing & pitch
42:10 – Going viral during COVID thanks to Weight Watchers
48:40 – How Walmart’s Golden Ticket changed everything
54:15 – What keeps Lance grounded—and moving forward
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