Coworking with Nick Mares

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After co-founding his own CPG brand, grass-fed bone broth maker Kettle & Fire, Nick Mares now helps other CPG businesses simplify their finances as head of business development for Ampla.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? At Ampla, I’m currently responsible for working with our supply chain partners to embed payments and credit options into their current workflows. A lot of supply chain vendors are a brand’s most important partners, which creates a unique opportunity for the vendors to partner in a deeper way by solving their customers’ cash flow problems.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? Fortunately, I get to travel to some incredible cities with a strong CPG presence (New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago) and meet new brands and their founders. This is definitely my favorite part of the job.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Honestly, building Kettle & Fire right out of high school was my favorite project I’ve ever worked on and the most rewarding. And, of course, the transition from a project to a company was exciting.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about this year, and why? I hope this is a trend that only continues to grow and actually becomes the default normal, but I’m incredibly excited about regenerative agriculture and what a lot of brands are doing there. It’s exciting to see the number of ways brands are incorporating a regenerative supply chain into their business, which will only increase education, increase the demand, and allow for a more robust supply chain to be built out.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Cold brew. Just black.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? To go to college instead of starting a bone broth company which, to be fair, was probably really good advice at that moment. I’m glad I chose the other route, though.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? I was embarrassingly obsessed with Annie’s frozen burritos when I was in high school. Right now (outside of Kettle & Fire products), I’m loving Slate Milk as a drink and holdover between meals. Obsessed with the product.