On this episode of Beyond the Board, Whole Foods Market CEO Jason Buechel sits down with Andrew Benin, co-founder and CEO of Graza, live from Expo West. Together, they explore how Andrew has disrupted the olive oil industry through unique packaging, product obsession, and authenticity.

From a sensory experience while visiting his wife's family in Spain to becoming the fourth-largest extra virgin olive oil brand in America, Andrew opens up about the challenges of convincing traditional olive oil producers to embrace unconventional packaging, the shower moment that sparked the squeeze bottle idea, and how he saw opportunity when others saw difficulty.

The conversation explores the risks and rewards of rapid growth, being discovered early on by Whole Foods Market and why Graza waited two years to expand beyond olive oil – hello, mayo! Don't miss this candid conversation about innovation, intuition and building something different in a crowded category.

At a glance:

0:55 – Expo West

1:58 – The beginning of Graza

6:30 – The squeeze bottle shower moment

12:26 - Sizzle vs Drizzle

18:29 – Scaling through meaning

20:34 – Expanding the supply chain

22:06 – "Aha Moment"

23:27 – First time seeing the product on shelf

25:22 - Lessons learned

27:10 – Secret sauce of Graza

30:50 – The Whole Foods Market Experience

32:42 – Exploring Graza Mayo

37:50 – Customer Feedback

39:47 – Brand collaborations

41:46 – What's next?

43:52 – Defining success

45:45 – Lightning Round