Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Goetz.
Daniel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
One scorching Austin, TX summer day back in 2009, I, then a student at the University of Texas, was looking for something refreshing. I couldn’t think of any options other than a sno-cone, an Austin summertime staple. At the sno-cone stand, I asked, “What’s in that syrup?” and the employee responded with a shoulder shrug. I thought there must be something better out there that was delicious and made with wholesome ingredients, but I couldn’t seem to find it. Everything was full of artificial flavoring, coloring, and ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. So… I set out to make a frozen pop made with fresh fruit and simple ingredients. Two months later, GoodPop hit the Austin Farmers Market. Not long after, Whole Foods Market in Austin started to carry them. Now, GoodPop can be found in over 10,000 retailers in all 50 states. We use real, whole foods and have a day-making line of next-gen, cleaned-up classic nostalgic childhood frozen treat flavors.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve faced lots of obstacles in 15+ years of building GoodPop—I really didn’t know what was in store when I started it as a college student at UT. One of the biggest challenges is bigger than us—we really want to change the food system through our work and make sure that consumers have a transparent option with real ingredients. Rewiring tastebuds back to earth with real foods in a historically sugar-water pop category has been a constant challenge since Day 1 – we’re all so used to foods being insanely sweet. As a certified B Corp, we care about people at all levels of our supply chain and the care of the earth, so we partner with 4ocean to remove plastic from the ocean and achieve full plastic neutrality.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since 2009, GoodPop has been on a mission to clean up the classic treats we’re nostalgic for by offering better-for-you frozen pops and bubbly beverages made of real ingredients with less sugar and nothing artificial. Our delicious and wholesome products are genuinely good, inside and out. From the high-quality ingredients we ethically source to how we take care of our partners and planet, we exist to give back to our communities one treat and good deed at a time. GoodPop products come in 20+ delicious flavors and are available nationwide at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Publix, Walmart, Kroger, Costco, and more.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I always heard family tall tales about my great-grandfather coming to America with nothing and selling consigned ice from a borrowed pushcart, so entrepreneurship was part of my family’s story. After seeing all the good my grandfather did, I always saw entrepreneurship as a way to make an impact—we even incorporated giving back into all of my childhood birthday parties. I’m excited to do the same thing with my family.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://Goodpop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodpop
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodPops/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgoetz/
