David Israel of GOOD PLANeT Foods: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder
An Interview With Doug Noll
Stuff happens! It is just part of the journey of life. Even the most successful large and small companies have hiccups. Learn and move forward.
As part of our interview series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder”, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Israel.
As a serial entrepreneur, David Israel is always innovating. His first entrepreneurial success in the food industry included creating and later selling a popular popcorn and snack brand. Now his team’s latest endeavor is the world’s first-ever Olive Oil Cheese. Israel founded GOOD PLANeT Foods to fulfill the need for plant-based options that are both good for people and the planet. Their Olive Oil Cheese is the first and only non-dairy cheese made from heart healthy olive oil and offers all the melty goodness of cheese.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My mom and dad raised me to be an entrepreneur from the time I was 6. My dad had many different businesses including taverns, restaurants, a tie shop, and a grocery store. I demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age and my mom often told me that I should go run a company.
When I was 8, I set up a storefront using cardboard boxes at the end of our driveway where I sold and traded Hot Wheels and stickers. And that was it! I caught the entrepreneur bug and was hooked. I have worked for myself since I was 19.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
Becoming more comfortable and secure in my decisions was the hardest lesson. Wanting to be someone that wasn’t authentic to me caused the most challenges. Once I gained self-confidence and stopped comparing myself to others, everything got much easier.
I was not built to let failure stop me, as I am an optimist and believe in what I do. I often joke that I am great at getting hit by trucks, meaning I don’t allow things to stop me or bring my mood or optimism down.
So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?
Things are amazing. We have the most incredible investors. I could have never imagined working with talent at this level of experience- it’s wonderful. I think investors recognize that I always try to look ahead and lead with innovation. I have many years of experience in creating a business and brand from scratch, overcoming obstacles, and demonstrating resilience.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I opened a high-end private jewelry store on the 15th floor of an office building, thinking people would like this type of personal and exclusive experience. Wrong! Location, location, location!
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We have a brand that connects to the consumer, and we lead with innovation. Our newest line of Olive Oil Cheese means that consumers don’t have to choose between their health or the planet. Most vegan cheeses are made with coconut oil. The swap to olive oil makes our cheese heart healthier with close to zero grams of saturated fat and zero cholesterol. When creating the Olive Oil Cheeses, we had the broader dairy cheese consumer in mind, prioritizing exceptional taste and meltability.
Our commitment to building strong relationships with our retailers also sets us apart. We are dedicated to transparency. When we launched and shipped our initial production to our first retailer, we learned a few weeks later that there was a packaging issue. We immediately contacted the buyer, explained the issue, and proactively replaced all the product. He said, “This never happens. Companies usually wait to see if I find a problem first. You have just earned my trust.” That went a long way and now he is often the first to bring in our new products.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Prioritize taking care of yourself including sleep, exercise, and health. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of everything and everyone else.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I have been extremely lucky to have been supported by high-level business leaders throughout my career, but I have to say that my wife, Julie, is my person. She has always believed in me and my entrepreneurial spirit. She trusts me so much that she agreed to sell our first family home to start a business and has always stood by me even when things don’t go as planned. She would say, “I am not worried because I know you’ll figure it out.”
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I truly do love to help others, especially those who need a second chance. My businesses have employed over 200 formerly incarcerated men and women. The opportunity helps them transition back into society and many of these employees have built new careers and found success and stability.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Stuff happens! It is just part of the journey of life. Even the most successful large and small companies have hiccups. Learn and move forward.
2 . Surround yourself with doers who are trustworthy and supportive. You need a team that shares your goals and will do whatever it takes to achieve success for the company.
3 . A dollar isn’t a dollar. Seek investors who align with your vision and values, understand your business, and can contribute meaningfully. Be transparent about who you are and what you want.
4 . Always do the right thing no matter how difficult. Building trust develops strong relationships and will pay dividends.
5 . Only do what you are passionate about and understand thoroughly.
Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?
Don’t sweat the small or big stuff, you will learn from all that happens and end up in a better place if you hold your focus on what’s next. Losing sleep over things that you can’t change is not worth it. That impacts you and your best thinking. Block it out until you’re fresh and clear.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I wish that I could convince people to always be kind to others, treat others the way you’d like to be treated, and not to judge at first take. We have no clue what someone else may be going through. BE KIND!!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Find us @goodplanetfoods on Instagram and our website goodplanetfoods.com.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.
