Episode 68: Federal Funding is Important For Gluten-Free (and all of us) and Chatting Expo West Swag and Parties

WARNING: This episode contains adult language and political conversations. There are talks about the current political climate. Since food and health are inherently political, we truly believe that this podcast is a good listen. But if you're currently avoiding political talk, skip to the around the 17 minute mark. 

In this episode, Jules and Erica explain the current struggles with federal funding cuts to important sectors of the government, including food safety, and agriculture. 

Jules and Erica also talk about Expo West swag - and if the puffer bags were worth the wait, and if you should really throw a massive party for your brand, or bring in special celebrity guests. Is it all worth the money? Does a puffer bag really raise your brand identity? Can an over-the-top party with little to no branding involved really make people excited about housewares? Let's find out in this episode. 

**NEXT WEEK'S EPISODE WILL FEATURE PRODUCT REVIEWS AND RECAPS FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO WEST 2025**

RESOURCES

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Support the National Park Foundation

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MUD/WTR

Kikkerland Design Inc.

Liquid IV

Nana Joes

Belgian Boys Pink Puffer Tote Waitlist

Spokin

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Transcript

Jules [00:00:13]:
Hey, I'm Erica. And I'm Jules. Most people have at least one thing that they can't or won't eat.

Erica [00:00:19]:
Now we're definitely like that.

Jules [00:00:21]:
We started this podcast to talk about the gluten free food industry.

Erica [00:00:25]:
-Like new products and some of the stories behind your favorite brands.

Jules [00:00:29]:
-And living life with a specialty diet, and also some important healthcare topics.

Erica [00:00:33]:
-Since we're basically both broken inside. -You had me at Hello. Welcome to another episode of You Had Me at Eat. I'm Erica.

Jules [00:00:50]:
And I'm Jules, and I don't know what time zone I'm I'm on.

Erica [00:00:53]:
Honestly, we're a mess. So we just did Expo West. Well, Jules did, like, four events and then got to Expo West. And then there was a time change. And then the existential health scape that is our current country right now is really bringing us down, man. Yeah. Everything is just a swift kick in the fucking face. So here we are.

Erica [00:01:18]:
Hi. I'm up in, as as I believe the Swedes say up and not crying Yes. Is their their phrase. Yes. Hey. I'm not crying right now, which is good.

Jules [00:01:28]:
Yeah. I'm gonna give you some bonus points for that. I think you you deserve it.

Erica [00:01:33]:
Thanks. Yeah. It's been, a train wreck. I personally well, actually, no. My innie and my outie. My my work innie, is dealing with some bullshit from, the cuts of federal funding, which people

Jules [00:01:53]:
think isn't happening, but it actually still is.

Erica [00:01:56]:
Yeah, yeah, grants were paused and never unpaused. And it's really been very detrimental and devastating to US Farmers, which are like the people of all things we should support because they're really the basis of our food chain. And then on top of that, my my Audi not dealing with work is just like, really like, this is what we've come to as a country. We're just gonna, we're just gonna get rid of most of the department of education, most of the, like, forest services, you know, like things that I want my tax dollars to go to. Mhmm. I want them to go to like feeding kids in school. Mhmm. Because when you feed kids, they learn better and then they have educated people in our society, which is half the problem that got us here.

Erica [00:02:48]:
I want our forest rangers to be out there and making sure the next forest fire is monitored. I also want them stocking toilet paper in the bathroom of national parks. Yeah. And I also don't want our national parks open for drilling. I want, you know, like, let's save the planet.

Jules [00:03:04]:
And I want Jesus Christ. Putting down all the trees.

Erica [00:03:07]:
And and

Jules [00:03:07]:
I would like for NOAA to be funded. I would like to know when the next hurricane is coming. Like, you know, just a few little things like that. They're kind of gonna affect everyone.

Erica [00:03:16]:
You can just tell that these people didn't grow up watching Captain America, Planet America, Captain America, Captain Planet. Captain Planet. Those fucking things.

Jules [00:03:26]:
Yeah. That's what it was.

Erica [00:03:27]:
You can just tell Mutual of Omahas. Yeah. Wild Kingdom. Wild Kingdom. I just we're we're a generation raised on PBS on cartoons that were all about, like, let's save the planet. Like, let's save the whales. It's just how gross they are brainwashed onto how Elon Musk destroying everything is a good thing. And it makes me really sad for them because at what point of a country do we have to be like, you know what, like, we don't want anyone

Jules [00:03:55]:
but Americans picking our fruit. Well, guess what? The fruit is rotting. Soil,

Erica [00:04:03]:
and the soil microbiome will be forever changed by this. Like this is not just a one and oh, you survived four years before. Guess what? Our entire planet will change based on the decisions that are sweeping decisions that are being made right now, and it fucking breaks me to the core. And I cry every night for just the state of everything and I grew up republican and I grew up understanding part of the reason why they want to slash and burn some things. I get it. But I grew up understanding that like PBS was great. You know? Like, and federal funding had a reason.

Jules [00:04:39]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Erica [00:04:40]:
And still the social safety net was still a thing. Yeah. The concept of slashing and social security. I mean, like, we these are things that are just, like, fundamental parts of our government. Yeah.

Jules [00:04:50]:
And it makes me really sad. When you say that people aren't sad and that they're, you know, they're you're blaming people for for being callous or or, you know, what have you. I honestly think that they don't see what's happening from the lens of reality because they're getting this jaded perspective, you know, from their news sources, their news sources. And that's also very sad. But, you know, the perspective that's very interesting and also very sad is the rest of the world looking in on us. And so something that happened to me as a gluten free business recently, which I found interesting, sad, and, perspective, in in informative in terms of our perspective is that I've had customers reach out to me and say, I will no longer be buying from you. You can thank your president. And, like, I wrote back to this one this one customer I said, I don't know where you live, but take me with you.

Jules [00:06:01]:
Like, I, you know, I want out. Like, this is being here right now is embarrassing, and I'm mortified by what's happening, and that I felt compelled to engage in a conversation with this person. He was from Canada. The one that, you know, I was speaking of just a second ago. This is not the only person who's reached out, unfortunately. But, I said, I I get it. I understand. And you're not wrong.

Jules [00:06:27]:
And you're, you know, that you're, you know, really hunkering down with your people and that Canada strong, you know, is making this decision.

Erica [00:06:37]:
I get it. I totally get it. If I was in Canada.

Jules [00:06:40]:
Yeah. But what he said was, like, I can handle tariffs. What I can't handle is the disrespect coming out of the Oval Office and the madness, this insane, starting a trade war for no reason with your staunchest ally. Like yeah. And I'm like, I I got nothing. Like and and I felt that I had to explain, you know, just so you know, this does not represent the majority of the American people. And then, you know, explain that, you know, we really feel trapped and at a loss as to what to do ourselves and, that we don't want them to feel like this is a representation of how we feel towards the Canadian people or towards the European Union or towards our true true allies. And it's really, you know, it's, like I said, embarrassing, and it's humiliating, like, on behalf of our company our country, but then it's also affecting us in so many ways.

Jules [00:07:45]:
It's affecting the USDA grant that, pays your salary, but that affects, you know, hundreds of thousands of people's salaries. Right? And I I

Erica [00:07:56]:
want the gluten free people to know that, like, we're not just here on a rant because we're liberals. As as, as the person at Disney said, I'm a godless liberal, right, at Disneyland. I just I I can't. So but this directly affects us, in the gluten free community. The majority of products are now using oats. Guess what? The majority of oats are from Canada, and it's not just purchasing from Canada. It's also dehulling in Canada. So if you're going cross border several times, the tariffs are so insane for that.

Erica [00:08:26]:
Mhmm. And and it's it's it's frustrating because if Canada all of a sudden is just like, I'm not gonna sell to any US consumer. I mean, if it's like this person, it's like Canada strong. Right? I'm gonna keep The US the oats in our market. We won't have the products that we have. We won't have the innovation that we have. Gluten free bakeries will close. The tariffs on some of these ingredients are wild, and it's already margin thin for not only gluten free bakeries, but gluten free products as a whole.

Erica [00:08:53]:
Mhmm. Yeah. So anytime you're screwing around with The US economy just for shits and giggles to prove someone right, it has a direct effect on small businesses across the country, small farms across the country. So we're not here being like, yeah, whatever. Like, whatever. Like, if it was another Republican who came into office, I'd have a very different view of things right now. But it seems like the cruelty is the point, and I keep repeating it. And it everyone said it's not gonna affect you.

Erica [00:09:20]:
It's not gonna affect you. You're fine. You're middle class. You have a good job. Guess what? Is it affecting me in way more ways than what you would think? And it's affecting every American person, and it makes me so angry.

Jules [00:09:31]:
Well and then, I mean, think about in terms of, you know, if you're slashing and burning these, you know, agencies, I mean, it's absolutely gonna affect the FDA Oh, for sure. Who is supposed to be regulating our food system, who's supposed to be looking out for the safety of our foods. And, you know, gluten free people need to think about that even more than the average person because we were already on the ropes in terms of, you know,

Erica [00:09:59]:
not having Monitoring the twenty parts per million.

Jules [00:10:02]:
Yeah. That was already, like, barely getting monitored. And so now, like, you think anybody's gonna be looking over the shoulders of these companies making gluten free claims? Heck no. There's nobody there to do it. And so, you know, that's gonna be incumbent upon everyone to really step up. And, and as gluten free consumers, even more so now to only buy things that have a independent certification if

Erica [00:10:27]:
it's possible. With your dollars too. Vote with your dollars. If you really care about a bakery, if you really care about a whatever, now is the time to support them because their costs are about to go through the roof for everything.

Jules [00:10:38]:
Oh, yeah. I mean, they already have. I mean, honestly, as as as a manufacturer, our raw ingredients have already gone up so much, and that's before all these tariffs. And and and, you know, people people say, oh, well, this is just gonna make you have to buy your raw ingredients in America, and that's gonna be better for everybody. I'm like, that is the most simplistic world view I have ever heard. I wish. If I could source my ingredients, all of my ingredients in America, you think I wouldn't have done that already? Like, I can't. And it's not like it will be possible to do it now that someone's waving a magic wand saying there's all these tariffs and you're gonna do it now.

Jules [00:11:13]:
It's not possible. And it won't become possible. It's just gonna become even more expensive and harder, if not impossible. And so those favorite gluten free products that you have might not be available anymore. Or if they are, they're gonna become even more expensive. And nobody wants that. Nobody wants that.

Erica [00:11:35]:
So Even certain grains, like, people don't know that a grain when you pick a grain, like, it doesn't automatically just become edible. Like, you're not just gonna eat a oat from the oat plant. Like, it has to be dehulled and steamed. And so if you don't have a dehuller, same with millet. You know? So all these things that have to be dehulled have to go to a plant, then has to be steamed, then have to be rolled out. Take quinoa, for example. Quinoa is not necessarily highly used in America. So we may have one or two plants that actually take the sapion off of the quinoa to make it edible.

Erica [00:12:10]:
Yeah. Okay? It, like, makes a soap that when you take quinoa, like, there's, like, a thing around the quinoa. So there has to be something has to be done to it. Nothing is really raw. So the processing and if there's only one processing facility in America or two or three or whatever, that's a handful of companies that could be used there. So it's things are gonna be out of stock. It's, like, it's it's a it's a finely tuned machine that is hanging on by a thread. Yeah.

Erica [00:12:37]:
So when you pull a thread and infrastructure is not ready for that, people are gonna be hurting. Yeah. Whether it be consumers that can't find their product or consumers are gonna have to pay twice as much or small businesses that then shut down. So here we are. That's really depressing, but that honestly is, my biggest issue right now. And I can you know, I I post an Instagram reel about riding a mechanical pickle, and everyone's like I saw that. You're so depressed all the time. And you so funny you posted a picture about a mechanical pickle.

Erica [00:13:13]:
I'm like, guys, that is my one dose of serotonin that I can get out of life right now. Like, besides my amazing partner and my amazing cats that are sometimes the most annoying things on the planet, but bless them. They have lived a very long time, and they have the right to be that annoying. Like, that is my one ounce of of of saving grace in this world, and everyone is scared, and everyone is just, like, not in a good mental health space. So I'm gonna ride that pickle.

Jules [00:13:41]:
Ride that pickle, girl. You can grab the pickle by the horns of the pickle if you can, if you can grab them.

Erica [00:13:48]:
Yeah. I so I'm I am I am realizing that, like, a lot of people are also in this space. Yeah. And so they also have to grab for something, small doses of serotonin, small doses of something that makes their life magical. I, for one, am having a lot of, like, time with my girlfriends, so we can get together and say, like, how can we support each other? What can we do? What campaigns can we run? What what can we do to, like, support our most vulnerable population that clearly is not getting supported? What can we do? But also, like, what can I do for work? What can I do to make more money because I don't know how things are going to go? So that's super fun, and that's what's happening right now. So let this be the precursor for how we got into natural products expo west because if Jules and I, as part of the community, are also feeling this way, you know that the 60,000 people that are there are also going through the same things, checking our phones on a daily basis, to see what the tariffs are, to see what crazy thing's going to happen. And it was definitely a vibe this year to where we're like, wow, there is so much uncertainty. And I feel like I felt this way on the first Expo West coming back at 2021 Yeah.

Erica [00:15:02]:
Where things were very uncertain, brands didn't know if they could operate, things were so expensive. Like, for us, the the oats, like, we couldn't get oats from Ukraine on the Ukrainian war. You know, like, there were so many things about supply chain that then COVID came and wrecked the supply chain, and now we built up this very fragile supply chain. Yeah. And now it could you feel it as much as I felt it as an exhibitor? Oh, absolutely. You talk to brands and, like, on this on the side and people

Jules [00:15:30]:
will be like, yeah. I mean, we're here putting on a good face, but we don't know if after the show we're still gonna be here. We don't know, like, because everything is just so tenuous. And, you know, banks are pulling, you know, loans and Mhmm. They Mhmm. You don't know whether you're gonna be able to because because a lot of those loans were based upon, you know, them meeting certain metrics or the cost of goods as they were when the loan was made and, you know, people are pulling back their dollars in terms of spend. And so just everything is really up in the air. In addition to just, you know, the world being such a topsy-turvy place right now politically, just in terms of the food market and Mhmm.

Jules [00:16:16]:
Businesses who are involved in the food market and in terms of grants like the one that your company's with and that just people just don't know. And and then and the law immigration and and, you know, human resources and employment and all of that on top of it too. Like, who's who's gonna pick the food? You know? These people are, like, losing jobs or losing workers or, you know, just it's it's just such a period of uncertainty that the vibe was definitely off at expo. You can feel it. People were definitely, like you know, normally it's this ebullient, you know, jovial time, and there is an element of that, and everyone's trying to push through it.

Erica [00:17:00]:
There was a human claw machine. There was Jules did, Jules got in a suit suit in front of a bunch of strangers. I did. She did nice I mean, like, they were still all the fun. Mhmm. They're still all the fun. But then it's also all the drama, which is the fun drama. I mean, it's also really ridiculous drama, but the fun drama of Do you know about the two puffer bags?

Jules [00:17:32]:
The two puffer bags? Oh, my God. Jules. Honestly, we may just have to

Erica [00:17:36]:
make this episode about, like, getting into Expo West and the vibes that were there, but also the vibes on the show floor because I don't so I don't have the bag to show you or else I would obviously show you. There were two companies doing puffer bags this year. They were branded puffer bags. Oh, the pink one. Yeah. There's there's two. There's a purple one and a pink one. Oh, I

Jules [00:17:57]:
only have

Erica [00:17:57]:
a pink one. Is, this brand that did not know where they source their oats from, so I was not gonna eat it, And they had these purple puffer bags, and they had a two hour line one day for one. Two hours. Could you imagine wasting two hours on the show floor to

Jules [00:18:14]:
get a puffer bag? To get a puffer bag.

Erica [00:18:15]:
It's a it's not a brand. It's branded the brand. So there's, like, oat stuff on there, and I'm like, it wasn't even stuff that I could use loving oats. But, I'm just like, no. This is your branded puffer bag. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

Jules [00:18:29]:
No. And the pink one didn't seem to have a brand on it at all.

Erica [00:18:32]:
It did. It was hidden. So it was from Belgian Boys, which always has the bags. It always has something. So one year, I did wait for the French toast bag. Do you remember the little toast and it has a gold chain and I like wearing

Jules [00:18:47]:
it everywhere? Yes. I do remember that one.

Erica [00:18:49]:
It's Belgian Boys. We waited just a little bit. It wasn't bad. But they had people fighting in the aisles for it and, like, someone's bag got stolen. So if you look on LinkedIn, there are all these posts on LinkedIn that are like That's perfect. All this for a bag. What a microcosm of the community that people were fighting over a bag. And then someone posted a an exact replica of the bag from, like, Timu, like some shittier, like, Shein or something shitty overseas, like, knock off bullshit.

Erica [00:19:21]:
And, like, this bag is $7.

Jules [00:19:23]:
Yeah. Of course.

Erica [00:19:23]:
You made a fool of yourself in front of people for $7. Yeah. And I'm like, well, it's probably more because it's they sewed a little patch on or a little thing on showed that it was from Belgian Boys. But I'm like, okay. If I worked that brand and I was, like, there for serious business and, like, I had to manage grown ass adults fighting over that.

Jules [00:19:46]:
Yeah. Mhmm.

Erica [00:19:47]:
I would lose it. I would I don't I I'd be like, pause. Do we have some faith in humanity? What is happening right now? And so I

Jules [00:19:56]:
thought hilarious. Yeah. I I could

Erica [00:19:59]:
like, I think a bag. I'm like, I'm looking at the swag that I got. I'm like, okay. What did I really get? Did you get any swag that was like, woah. This is cool swag.

Jules [00:20:08]:
No. Absolutely not. And in fact, I brought with me a bag from last year because I don't need any more bags. Yeah. We don't need

Erica [00:20:16]:
any more bags.

Jules [00:20:16]:
I but this is the cool story. It was from OM mushrooms. And I brought this bag with me, and it's a great solid canvas bag that can hold a lot. And it's got wide straps and stuff. And so I love it. I love taking it to the grocery store and everything. So I brought it with me. I was so proud.

Jules [00:20:31]:
I'm like, oh, this is the theme for me. Right? It's like, you know, recycle. I'm needing another bag, whatever. So I brought it with me. And I'm standing at,

Erica [00:20:40]:
I think it was

Jules [00:20:41]:
at a cocktail party and it does the end of the day and I like am standing there with my bag. And this woman comes up to me, she goes, oh my god. You have a retro OM bag. And I'm like, what? Because I wasn't thinking in the From last year. Yeah. It was probably I think it was probably last year. And she's I I work at OM. She goes, we have to get you the latest bag.

Jules [00:21:02]:
We I'll save one for you. I was like, this is what I was trying to avoid. It's like getting a new bag. But anyway, she's like so intent on it. She goes come by the booth. I'll give you this bag, whatever. It's so cool. And I love the fact that you have the the retro bag.

Jules [00:21:15]:
I'm like, okay. And then I start thinking, well, maybe I do want the new

Erica [00:21:20]:
bag. Wait. What am I doing?

Jules [00:21:23]:
But, yeah, it was it's it's that whole thing. You know? You're just in the moment, and everyone's, like, giving you free stuff or whatever. But, no. I didn't like any of it. None of it was great. I did get a free swimsuit. I did from Mudwater. That didn't look great

Erica [00:21:36]:
on me. But It's cute. It was cute. It's fine.

Jules [00:21:39]:
It's like a jog bra and, like, little bike shorts or

Erica [00:21:42]:
something. Shorts.

Jules [00:21:43]:
It didn't it didn't fit me particularly great, but it was a fun experience. I had to go change There's a way cooler. In the back. And then and then second time when I changed back in my clothes, I got in the Airstream. So I'm like in the back of the Airstream with windows and stuff, and I'm like trying

Erica [00:21:58]:
to If anyone's hot you all naked, write in. Let us know. That's right. But yeah.

Jules [00:22:03]:
And then I was carrying a wet bathing suit around the rest of the day, but that was

Erica [00:22:06]:
fun. Was it? Yeah.

Jules [00:22:07]:
It was it was something. It was something I've never done before at expo. So it's always a first.

Erica [00:22:14]:
I don't think I got any swag that was like, wow.

Jules [00:22:18]:
Oh, wait. You know what? I did. I did yoga the second morning I was there for, liquid IV.

Erica [00:22:27]:
Oh, yeah.

Jules [00:22:27]:
And I got a really cool water bottle, like, a metal water bottle. Oh, you did? Yes. That I gave that I gave my stepson for his birthday because it was really cool. And I got the best yoga mat I've ever gotten at one of those free yoga sessions. It was like fuzzy on the top. So and I also gave that to him because I thought he doesn't like people to buy him stuff, but he likes those types of things. So I gave away my my precious yoga mat from Liquid Ivy, which I thought was really cool. You're making so much noise right now.

Jules [00:23:04]:
I am.

Erica [00:23:05]:
I'll I'll, I'll I'll cut it out, but I got one swag item that I actually begged for and that was the Nana Joes fanny pack that I wanted. It's so good. And then,

Jules [00:23:17]:
The Nana Joes granola that I got because I dropped your name. I was like, Erica says this is the best granola. Yes. And they're like, okay. Here. And they gave me a full size bag. Everyone in my house is like, this is really good granola. And I'm like, well,

Erica [00:23:30]:
Erica says

Jules [00:23:30]:
the cashews and Peach? No. I don't remember what what it was. Oh my god. The flavors.

Erica [00:23:34]:
That one is the best. And they also have, like, a praline Texas pecan thing. Oh my god. It's so she's out of control good. So so amazing. One other fun thing that I got, which I don't know where it is. But Why don't you make

Jules [00:23:50]:
some noise and go try to find it? Jesus Christ. I'm sorry.

Erica [00:23:54]:
I still have, like, three suitcases that are, like, just spread open to my room. Kikkerland was there, which does, like, all the fun houseware stuff. And, they were there. And I'm like, why are you here? That's amazing. Like, my girlfriend's at houseware. I'm not at houseware's. And, they gave me this, like, a fun sponge and then, like, a really fun, like, you you, it's like a spinner thing where it's, like, has all these, like, iridescent things, and you spin it. And it's like, oh, look at the fun things.

Erica [00:24:25]:
And it was, it it'd be like if you're tripping acid, that's the one toy that you would want. That's the toy that I got. And I brought it to, to God. Hello. Kitchen. I brought it to the table one night when we were going over, like, how was our day at our Airbnb. And everyone's like, where did you get this? How do I get this? And I'm like, oh, I'm special. I'm a blogger, and I love them.

Erica [00:24:48]:
And I put their stuff in my gift guide, so they gave me a free toy. And everyone's like, this is all I want. This is all I want out of expo. It's just like this toy

Jules [00:24:57]:
and then a sponge. A fun sponge.

Erica [00:25:00]:
It's a fun sponge, but it's still a sponge. And I'm like, I didn't have to hide over a bag. Like, this is the good stuff that I got.

Jules [00:25:07]:
I I gotta tell you. I did see the puffer bags, and I was like, that's a really cool bag. Like, for a bag that you get for free, but I I will not wait in any line for stuff like that.

Erica [00:25:16]:
I Yeah. I won't do it. What's interesting is, you know, the whole concept of creating swag for events like this is that people will be more endeared to your brand. That whenever they think about something, they think of you first as the brand. So, I mean, we gave swag that kind of made sense that was relevant to our product. There's sunflower seeds in our product, and we did, like, this little grow your own sunflower that was branded. That was inexpensive. Nobody had to wait in line for it, and it reminded of us because it was a correlation to the product.

Erica [00:25:48]:
Mhmm. What I never understand about bags is that, first of all, I couldn't eat Belgian boys. Mhmm. So, like, I felt bad getting that French toast bag because I'm like, I can't support your product. And then with the other thing, I'm like, I don't necessarily wanna support you because honestly, I don't know where your oats are sourced from. And then I'm like, was anyone getting those bags going to be like, oh, number one, I'm only gonna buy Belgian boy breakfast sandwiches or waffles or whatever. Like, I don't really know. That's a hard one.

Erica [00:26:22]:
Okay.

Jules [00:26:22]:
And the other thing is this is not a consumer show. So Yeah. The objective is really not to endear the individuals on the show floor with their bags. The objective is to impress buyers and brokers and distributors and the people walking, you know, from Kroger. Right? Like, that's who you're trying to impress with your bags. And how many of those

Erica [00:26:45]:
But they gave him this. Exactly. So how many

Jules [00:26:47]:
how many of those people actually got the bags? That's what you have to ask. And then and I mean, I don't wanna digress too far, but, like, how many of these events have we been to and did I go to just this year that were ginormous waste of money on behalf of brands for that very reason? That they're supposed to be endearing you to the brand, and you're supposed to be interacting with the product and, you know, remembering how much you love the product. I mean, should we go there? I mean, like, that was Yeah. That was like, I feel so bad for the brand that spent all of that money for that concert. And it, like, I don't even know who was there, but, like

Erica [00:27:33]:
Give me one second because I wanna show I wanna, like, share. I just went on their LinkedIn. Belgian boys they had a post okay if you attended Expo West you heard of the now viral Belgian boys pink puffer tote bag for those of you who couldn't elbow their way through the crowd or got tackled by security we've got some good news the wait list is open holy shit I'm gonna click the link and see that is a page on their website sign up to get yours now oh my god you're on the wait list there's no guarantees that you're gonna get one we're just going to oh my god. Drop your info below if we decide to bless you with a pink buffer tote, you'll be the first to know. No promises, no guarantees, just per tote and dose k tote induced chaos.

Jules [00:28:22]:
Oh my god.

Erica [00:28:23]:
Okay. So I truly think that the whole concept of this is just this incredible PR push that is now here because honestly everyone is on their freaking website. Everyone's gonna sign up to get this freaking tote. I may even sign up to get this tote because it is so wild. I'm gonna look at somebody's comments. Oh my god. I'm on the wait list. I'd love to have one.

Erica [00:28:48]:
Just submitted mine. Can't wait. Busy corporate mom needs a viral bag. Now's your chance submitted my request.

Jules [00:28:56]:
Oh my god.

Erica [00:28:58]:
I I can't, Jules. I can't. But, like, me, maybe I love this. Maybe Belgian Boys is going to be the first thing that I think of anytime I think about waffles that I can't eat.

Jules [00:29:11]:
But, like Every time I think about waffles I can't eat, that's gonna come to mind.

Erica [00:29:16]:
What a PR stunt. Yeah. But, yeah. Let's let's, honestly, let's get into this because I Jules and I received an invite. Okay so Jules actually we both had Jules has two stories. Jules and I both receive invites to things because we talk about things online, right? That's just how it works. So the first one was a event that was not at Expo West, but I feel like it has to be talked about. I was invited, as well as Jules, to an event for an air fryer company, a company which will not be named because we don't have to name it because it doesn't need to be brought up, But they are like, there is a special guest, and I'm like, oh, shit.

Erica [00:30:00]:
I can't go. I'm gonna, like, I'm gonna forward this Jules. Jules is like, oh, I already got one, whatever. And then later she goes, do you know who the special guest is? I'm like, no. And she goes and *** I about shit myself because I was like, I want to see *** so bad. Maybe she'll sing this is gonna be the best day ever. And I'm like, really contemplated flying to Chicago to go to Housewares, to Jules for a day. We could do some filming, we could see *** together, we could get some pictures, it would be rad.

Erica [00:30:28]:
Then I go to Expo West and Jules is like, let me tell you about this event. And dear listeners, I want you to to know, like, people should make events that are that are awesome and not just because you have a shit ton of money Yeah. And you want to waste it all on something that is absurd, which it seems to be this event was.

Jules [00:30:53]:
Yes. It was. It was it was, this this this brand last year at Housewares had, like, an enormous booth with two levels and, like, multiple little alcoves, and and it was a it was a big deal. So so they have money. Much much money was spent on this booth. This year, they didn't take any of that money, so they were not at housewares this year. They were outside housewares having all of this money at this event. And so it was this, you know, VIP only.

Jules [00:31:27]:
You had to be invited. You had to RSVP, get your tickets, whatever. And then the day of the event, outside housewares, they had these people who were standing outside just handing out tickets to the event. So I don't think that they never Not never not even signed. So I don't think that they got enough people for their event, and so they just needed warm bodies. Bad. Because, obviously, what they wanted was the right bodies in their event. Otherwise, what's the point of the you just don't want, like, just regular people in there.

Jules [00:31:59]:
That's not

Erica [00:31:59]:
I still don't really know what the point of the event is now after you told me this. I know. So go on about the actual event

Jules [00:32:04]:
itself. And then I I get there and they have, like, the spotlights everywhere and they, like, rented this big space. You go in, They give you, like, a goodie bag, whatever, which I didn't even look in it. I, like, you know, put it in the coat room with my coat. Turns out there was, like, a, like, a scratch off in there where you could win prizes from them or something, which I didn't even end up scratching it off because they, like, did the the prize during the middle of the night, and so I obviously didn't win. And then and a deck of cards. It was very odd. That was the prize.

Jules [00:32:40]:
It had nothing to do with the brand again. Like, so am I gonna next time I go to play cards, I'm gonna think about the brand. Is that the idea? I'm like,

Erica [00:32:49]:
Not air fryer related.

Jules [00:32:50]:
Yeah. It's not it's not really, like, you know, any any appliance related. But anyway, they have more than just air fryers. But, so then go in. I mean, I just the the over the top in this of this event was is,

Erica [00:33:05]:
Like obscene. Yeah. Like obscene over the top. Yeah.

Jules [00:33:07]:
So and I'm trying to to, like, be there in my capacity that they wanted me to be there in. So I'm I'm filming and, like, taking pictures and all kinds of things for this brand so that I can, you know, show things later. And if there's things that I like, maybe write about. And I go in there, and turns out it's like this high end open bar. There are people in there who clearly do not care about appliances at all. Like and they're there for the They're there for the liquor, and then they, they're there because after the portion of the event, there was another special guest who was a rapper who was gonna be playing later that night. And that's who they were there for. And they had to keep saying over the announcements, don't leave because this rapper has come in.

Jules [00:33:59]:
No. And so they

Erica [00:34:01]:
That's not good.

Jules [00:34:02]:
So then, when they finally do the *** portion of the event, they put, like, this table up there with all of these appliances, and then they introduce her. And she comes out and she goes, hey. And then she goes, I don't know what to say. And then she just stood there like this. Yeah. She just stood there. Mouth again. Yeah.

Erica [00:34:26]:
I wasn't there. But Jules thankfully recorded that. And I was like, oh, no.

Jules [00:34:31]:
Like, there was there was no there's nothing. There's nothing for her to do or say. And they just had her to be there. And then they had, like, this chef come out and this other emcee who was horrible. He had, like, these cards. He clearly knew nothing about the brand. And he was like, this brand does this and this brand does that. And he's, like, reading from these cards.

Jules [00:34:52]:
No. It it was awful. And then every once in a while, he'd go, say, *** what's your favorite food? And so then she would go, I really like brownies. I mean, it was horrible. And they're they interacted with the products hardly at all. They're like, we're gonna show you how to make this, this, this, and they didn't show how to make anything. The food was already made. So Like and it was And

Erica [00:35:15]:
I wanna pause because, honestly, like, when Julius and I go to branded events, it's because we want to engage with the branded item. Yeah. Like, I Yeah. Cool. That would have been rad to be a part of it, but, like, I would only go to an event if I, like, genuinely give a shit about the item. Like I remember going to to when KitchenAid invited me to go to their KitchenAid like facility in Chicago. I was just like oh

Jules [00:35:39]:
my god.

Erica [00:35:39]:
And I was like taking pictures with the KitchenAid. I'm like this is genuinely the coolest thing on the planet and I'm like this is amazing. And I'm like I don't care if there's free food or booze. Like it's helpful if there's booze. I remember we got invited to that, Suntory Whiskey thing. Yes. In Chicago. Like, I'm like, I will support Suntory whiskey now more than ever because of this.

Erica [00:36:01]:
And we could, like, taste the item.

Jules [00:36:04]:
We set up a

Erica [00:36:05]:
collab with the product. We film vid like so when you invite me to, like, an an air fryer or a kitchen goodie, like, I want to interact with the item. I want to take I want to dry it.

Jules [00:36:15]:
Like, I want to do like, see how

Erica [00:36:16]:
it works. Things with it. Yes. Yeah. That's the whole point. And then it's just like No. It was so awkward.

Jules [00:36:22]:
And there no one was paying a bit of attention because it was really not exciting. I mean, because she was just standing there. And so finally and and they kept saying, like, don't leave because this rapper is gonna come on. And then, you know and so the girl I was with, we just liked it looked at each other at the end. And we were like, okay. Well, we're leaving because the rapper definitely doesn't have anything to do with these products, which is the only reason why I'm here, you know, is these products. And I barely got to see them. I said I didn't look around the demonstration area.

Jules [00:36:54]:
Like, they had, like, these little alcoves just like they had at Expo last year. They just had them there, and I, like, took pictures and did all that there. But nobody else was, like, interested in that at all. There was no one in those rooms. There's no one looking at the products. There was nothing. I'm like, this was not a good use of funds from

Erica [00:37:16]:
my perspective. To redo this, I would absolutely make a giant oversized air fryer where me and *** could get inside the giant air fryer together and take, like, an adorable oversized air fryer pick. There you go. Perfect. Perfection.

Jules [00:37:34]:
Mhmm. Or or lay down on the waffle iron together with giant hats

Erica [00:37:38]:
of butter. Yes. You know? And I think that that's that's, I guess, what we wanted and and that brings me back to the event that you and I were both invited to an expo. I was under the assumption it is a gluten free plant based food brand that I was, like, very I love this food brand. Mhmm. Like, they're so good. Their stuff is amazing. Obsessed.

Erica [00:37:59]:
And so when I got the invite, I'm like, oh, this is cool. They're having a concert off-site. Awesome. Mhmm. And it seemed like it was very, like, RSVP. Like, we're only going to invite certain, like, very kind of exclusive. I'm like, that's cool. And I was on the assumption that they said somewhere that there would be plenty to eat featuring all of their products, which are, by the way, all gluten free and plant based.

Erica [00:38:22]:
So I was like, okay. I'm in. Like, if I can just, like, try all of their even their, like, crazy limited time offer products, I was in for that. Yeah. Now, should there be a concert with someone that I wanted to listen to? Also awesome. But it happened to be pouring rain that day. Yeah. So I walk in the pouring rain, Sam's umbrella soaking wet in a suit jacket, and I get there and then there was like an hour line to get in, and I'm like, oh, I had RSVP'd and they're like, well, are you special? Are you regular? And, like, I actually don't know that question.

Erica [00:38:56]:
That seems very offensive to ask that. And she goes, well, you'll know on your RSVP. And I'm like, I think I'm just general. And they're like, oh, then you can't come in right now. So you've gotta wait in line. So I waited in line for an hour. In the parking garage. In the parking garage because it was soaking wet.

Erica [00:39:09]:
Yeah. And then we made our way through the rain inside. Then once we're inside,

Jules [00:39:14]:
there was another tunnel. But I I somehow got in the VIP line erroneously because the guy I was with told them I was special just as a joke. And they were like, okay. Then you can stand in this line. So we went right in. I'm so sorry.

Erica [00:39:32]:
But then I'm starving because I'm like, I've waited so long to get into this joint. And I had pictured, like, a full brand, like, oh, they're putting money into it. Okay. So this is gonna be all product and, like, charcuterie and all these things that I could taste their product. Or by

Jules [00:39:48]:
the way, plant based product. Maybe they're gonna have some plant based stuff. Right?

Erica [00:39:52]:
That would be so awesome. And gluten free. Like, they really I'm like, okay. Okay. Yeah. So we get in there. I wait extra long then to be carded to go through the line, and then there are all these, like, neon signs with their slogan. Like, oh, this is a this is incredibly expensive event.

Erica [00:40:07]:
Okay. That's interesting. Mhmm. Then we get into the next foyer, and then they're like, oh, here's our stuff and repeat and everything. Like, cool. Cool. I'm just gonna go inside and see, like, maybe I can find jewels, whatever. I look for food.

Erica [00:40:18]:
I'm not shipping you. There are, like, five of their products.

Jules [00:40:22]:
Okay. Were there that many? Because first of all, I had to look for food. I'm at the same event. Right? It took me forever to find the food. It was like an afterthought on their part. It was in the back corner on, like, two folding tables and two shaping dishes.

Erica [00:40:38]:
So they had their product out. Mhmm. Then what, it is a it is a dipping sauce. What did they had to dip in it? Fried chicken tenders Mhmm. And, french fries. Now I had seen somewhere that they had partnered with Caulipower, and I'm like, okay. If these are the Caulipower chicken tenders, I can at least have that. But in no way anywhere was it written anywhere.

Erica [00:41:04]:
I had only seen it in a flash on one of the boards that they partnered with cauliflower, and I'm like, I'm not gonna risk it by eating, like, a full chicken tender and have it not be cauliflower. There's no ingredient labels on anything. There's nothing besides these, like, small containers of these dishes, and then I look at the, the alcohol area and I'm like, okay, and then it's alcohol, whatever, fine, And then it's like and you can buy a soft pretzel, and you can buy, like, a thing of popcorn. Popcorn for $8.

Jules [00:41:33]:
Because I looked at buying the popcorn because I was also starving. And I was like What? I'm gonna buy popcorn for $8,

Erica [00:41:39]:
Like, at

Jules [00:41:39]:
your And I'm like at your event where I'm supposed to be tasting your dipping sauces. Take off

Erica [00:41:44]:
some of the the the big signage Yeah. That you did and then have an actual display of your product

Jules [00:41:51]:
Yeah.

Erica [00:41:51]:
That would make most sense. And then, I got there. I saw that I couldn't eat. I'm like, I can't do this. I can't. I, like, I cannot be here because, the it was a concert, but it was, like, it would be, like, probably an hour, another hour before the concert started. And I'm like, I can't do this. Like, I can't sit here, and there's nothing to eat.

Erica [00:42:10]:
I'm not gonna eat just the sauces, which, by the way, would be cross contact. Yeah. I don't even wanna deal with it. I'm not gonna buy a soft pretzel. Can't eat that. Not gonna buy popcorn because who knows? But I'm like, I have to leave, and I wanna leave now or else I'm going to, like, be very upset so I try to leave and there's no exit so I'm like going through of the inn and I I'm like hey I just want to let you know like I have to leave and they're like oh Erika I was someone that invited you I'm like well thank you so much but I like there's like I really have to eat something that's not here and like oh okay we'll take a swag bag I was like okay maybe the swag bag has like a free product coupon or something that made sense for their product. The swag bag was like a hat that I had already had from the brand years ago. Ugliest hat ever.

Erica [00:42:59]:
And two bottles of water? Yeah. And I'm like, what? And, like, a dollar off coupon. I'm like, wait. I don't understand. You just threw this massive, massive, incredibly expensive party. You could have cut this in half, had your product out, and actually had it be sampleable, and then and then we could've had, like, an actual swag bag that made the most sense for your product. And I'm just sitting here as a PR person. I'm like, okay.

Erica [00:43:28]:
Okay. Okay. I get, like, what they're doing to be, like, the cool person that has, like, a concert. But as a brand person, I'm like, oh, man. Like

Jules [00:43:39]:
if I had not at the very end, because I stayed for the concert, and I had margaritas for dinner, not a good choice. But at the end, they had, like, bins of little tiny things of their product out with chip bags of food should taste good chips. So I grabbed, like, two of their little things of their sauce and Turned it. Bags of food should taste good chips. And I went back to my hotel room, and I just, like, wolfed that down. That was my experience with their food, with their actual food, which the sauces were really, really good, by the way. But that's No. They're great.

Jules [00:44:19]:
The only time I had a chance to taste their sauce was only because I grabbed these little samples from bins on my way out the door of the concert, and they weren't available till the end of the concert.

Erica [00:44:30]:
Yeah. Which if they would have had that, I probably could have stayed and been like, oh, I'm actually eating the product, which I'm here for. Right. So I don't know.

Jules [00:44:38]:
It was really weird. It was really weird. I just don't

Erica [00:44:40]:
know what I was expecting, but the whole time I'm like, I don't think that I would have done the same thing. No. But And I'm just exactly because I really like the product.

Jules [00:44:49]:
Yeah. Just the whole time at both of those events, I just was like, this is such an enormous waste of money. Like, I felt bad for the brands in both instances because I just felt like there were so many opportunities to have had a better interaction with

Erica [00:45:09]:
the brand and

Jules [00:45:10]:
itself. For for me, like, as somebody who was there to learn more about the brand and have a good time or, you know, like and so get that brand experience and get the vibe. You can do both together. You can do both. Right? And I spent the whole time just, like, gosh. I feel bad for them. Like

Erica [00:45:29]:
so anyway yeah. Like, I feel like most people aren't us, and I get it. And I'm sure they had a great time, and they'll be forever endeared to that brand. But as, like, a brand person, I'm like, I just don't see the value in this. I don't know. I mean, I did a a branded Pilates event, and it was incredibly relevant to our brand and the brands in which we featured. Everything was correlated and connected down to a t, and that's because the people who plan it are geniuses. Mhmm.

Erica [00:45:58]:
We had, like, a chocolate fudge fountain that was that was relevant to what we were doing with our product, and everyone got the product lead behind and branded product that made sense for the event that we were doing at that part of time.

Jules [00:46:13]:
That's awesome. It all made

Erica [00:46:14]:
sense because that's a thought and effort that I put into events. Now it's it's a small scale event. Very different than a large scale event because if I had that much money I don't know, man. But I mean, I would be way more invested in the actual product itself.

Jules [00:46:27]:
Way better PR events. Like yeah.

Erica [00:46:31]:
And I don't wanna be blacklisted. Don't get me wrong. I'll still go to your event, but, like, I really just I want PR people to put the thoughts and effort into actually, like, what is your product and how can you make this a branded event around your product and actually have people enjoy the product and experience the product. Heaven forbid we actually experience the product at your experiential event, and maybe people just want to spend money and like do something fun that's not at all related to the show floor, but man that's not my that's not my that's not my C's or else I'd just go drinking somewhere else. I'd be in Las Vegas and like go to a show that's not affiliated with the brand. But it's just hard because we turn down a lot of events. We turn down a lot of events to go to these things that we think that will be the most viable for us. Mhmm.

Erica [00:47:18]:
So oh, well. Yeah. Anyway, interesting times. But Interesting times. But so so we'll leave you with this. Things are wild. Things are still good. If you want to, you can go to their LinkedIn and sign up for the pink bag for Belgian boys.

Erica [00:47:41]:
If you want to know what brands we're talking shit about, we'll tell you in private because we're not going to talk about them online. And I never got a picture with

Jules [00:47:50]:
Nor did I.

Erica [00:47:51]:
So

Jules [00:47:53]:
it's alright. It's all good.

Erica [00:47:55]:
K. But Meanwhile, I had a great event that I went to. I just wanna remind Spokin had an amazing, dinner where it was all allergy friendly using allergy friendly brands. And, my girl Kendra who was a private chef cooked us all an amazing private chef dinner that was free from all of our very specific allergens as well as me who is beef free, and she cooked something just for me. So it can be done. That's nice. I had This can

Jules [00:48:21]:
be done. I did not have a meal.

Erica [00:48:23]:
I didn't have a meal

Jules [00:48:24]:
all until the Left

Erica [00:48:26]:
Expo was. Friday night.

Jules [00:48:28]:
I was so hangry. It was not pretty. It was like yeah. But the meal I had Friday night was really good. It was in Laguna Beach. It was a really good restaurant. It was delicious. They treated me right.

Erica [00:48:43]:
After all that time?

Jules [00:48:44]:
After all that time. Mhmm. Yeah. And then I went out to a restaurant last night here, and I I got really cranky with them. I don't normally do that. I just I, like, literally looked up on the on the website, and I did my research beforehand. I did all the the things that we say to do. And, and it said, you know, this particular dish that I had identified I was gonna have, and it said, can we make gluten free? And there are a couple other things that were on there.

Jules [00:49:12]:
So I was like, okay. We can go. And I made the reservation. I went and I ordered it, and I, of course, I had to get different sides and all the different stuff. There's this cauliflower dish, and I was like, you know, I have celiac and said the whole stuff. And then finally, the guy came back. He goes, yeah. We can't make that for you because you have celiac.

Jules [00:49:32]:
And I was like, yeah. It says it's gluten free. And he said, it's gluten friendly.

Erica [00:49:40]:
And I said, what makes it friendly? Okay.

Jules [00:49:46]:
I'm gonna need to talk to somebody because your menu literally says gluten free. And the the manager comes back. He goes, that's why we make a distinction between gluten free and gluten friendly. Some of the things on our menu are gluten free and some of them are gluten friendly. And I was like, nope. Nope. That's not that's not gonna fly. Like, first of all, your menu does not say that.

Jules [00:50:08]:
It says gluten free. And secondly, that's a bunch of BS. Like, if you can't make it gluten free enough for somebody who's celiac, then what's the point? Gluten free. Yes. Well, there's we have lots of people who eat here who who are fine with it because they're just a little bit gluten intolerant. Like, that doesn't matter. Like, if you can't make it for somebody who's truly needs to be gluten free, then why are you dipping your toe in the water? They can eat it too if it's really gluten free. Don't just do it a little bit.

Jules [00:50:41]:
And the thing is is they have a sister restaurant that I have eaten at many times that has a dedicated fryer, and they've got lots of things that are gluten free. So I know that they know how to do it, and I know that they know what they're doing. So I got really pissy. And I was like, you are you are really not doing a good job. And I'm I'm really dissatisfied, and I just wanna register my complaint. And if you need any help with this situation, I'm happy to help you because this sucks. And it's like and Jeff's sitting there, he goes, oh. Like, you're in a mood.

Jules [00:51:14]:
And I was like,

Erica [00:51:15]:
okay. Off this shit.

Jules [00:51:16]:
I I don't go out to dinner very much. And when I do, like and I do my homework and I, you know, whatever beforehand, I'm like, I expect them to to do what they say they're gonna do. And he's like, well, that's why we say gluten friendly.

Erica [00:51:29]:
I'm like, no. You don't. It says right here on your menu. Gluten friendly. Such a creepy vibe. I hate it so much. Word.

Jules [00:51:37]:
It says gluten free. And it's unlike most menus that say, this is an environment that also has wheat and all that other, you know, CYA, you know, stuff that it doesn't even say that on their menu. Did you just do this? [INAPPROPRIATE HAND GESTURE] I did.

Erica [00:51:52]:
Well, am I rubbing off on you? Because you are so I understand. It made me mad right now. I really made

Jules [00:51:59]:
me mad. It made me mad. I was mad. Anyway Are you tearing up? No.

Erica [00:52:05]:
Okay. No. You're about to cry. I'm like, don't don't cry. Just get angry. I was mad. That's the way to do it. I was mad.

Jules [00:52:12]:
Anyway, I'm gonna write a, review. So Go ahead. I just haven't had time. They did give me a free glass of wine. He goes, I know I know this won't, make it better. But I'm like, no. But I'll

Erica [00:52:23]:
take the But I mean, it could. Slightly.

Jules [00:52:25]:
A little bit better. I'll take the glass of wine anyway.

Erica [00:52:28]:
I mean, I think that's something. Yeah. But

Jules [00:52:31]:
okay. Yes. But it's not what I wanted when I went there. And it was, like, the equivalent of, like, the boiled chicken and rice that everybody you know? I why am I paying for this dish? You know? Not impressed. So whatever.

Erica [00:52:49]:
This is the episode where Jules and I are not impressed by literally anything or anyone, and we're here to talk about it.

Jules [00:52:56]:
And and if this is your first episode with us,

Erica [00:52:58]:
please listen to another one. We're very sorry. I promise to you. There there are better ways to start.

Jules [00:53:05]:
Yeah. So sorry. This is your this is your friendly neighborhood bitch session, but we we do actually not talk like this all the time.

Erica [00:53:13]:
I do. Jules, however, does not. So

Jules [00:53:16]:
I don't typically I I I do. I'm more Pollyanna than you, but not

Erica [00:53:20]:
Yeah. We hope you've enjoyed this amazing episode of You Had Me Eat. Please stay tuned for the next episode where we actually dive into the finds that we found at this year's expo west and talk a little bit more about what you'll probably see on the store shelves unless tariffs have taken that away from you. So thank you so much, and we'll see you on the next episode.

Jules [00:53:45]:
Thanks for tuning in to You Have Me to Eat, the number one voted gluten free podcast in the country. Remember to like and subscribe, tell all your friends, and we'll talk to you next time.