Function Meets Flavor: Beckie Prime and Domenique Mastronardi of Beck’s Broth On 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Functional Foods Brand
An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
A positive mindset. When you appreciate every freakin’ day, everyone you get to meet, and everything you get to do with positivity, magic happens. If you sit in your worries, you will lose your momentum.
As the appetite for foods that offer health benefits beyond basic nutrition continues to grow, the market for functional foods has exploded. Consumers are no longer just asking for delicious flavors; they demand that their foods also support their lifestyle, health, and well-being. This intersection of function and flavor is not just a trend; it’s a movement towards a future where every bite counts towards better health. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Beckie Prime and Domenique Mastronardi.
Beckie Prime is the founder of Beck’s Broth. With a background in nutrition, she is passionate about the intersection between good health and good taste. When she discovered bone broth, a magical liquid that could support gut health, nourish the body and provide a clean source of protein, she was inspired to find a way to help others incorporate it into their diets.
Domenique Mastronardi studied biological engineering at University of Guelph and completed her master’s in food and sustainability engineering. She was recently appointed COO at Beck’s Broth and is bringing her expertise in engineering and operations to help the company’s anticipated rapid scale growth in the coming years.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Beckie: Before founding Beck’s Broth, I spent 8 years in marketing, initially starting as a Receptionist and eventually transitioning into Project Management. Throughout this journey, I discovered my deep passion for supporting others and collaborating within creative teams. When the pandemic brought things to a grinding halt, I felt compelled to delve into my true calling: holistic nutrition. It was here that I first began recommending bone broth based on the needs of so many of my clients. Unsurprisingly, it was difficult to convince them to drink bone broth regularly. It became clear that there was a market gap for bone-broth based beverages that tasted delicious. It was from this realization that Beck’s Broth was born.
Dom: I grew up incredibly active and interested in nutrition. I was that weird kid making green smoothies and protein balls back in elementary school. I decided to get a solid degree and then if I was still in love with nutrition, I could pursue work in the field. In hindsight — maybe I was always entrepreneurial — I taught swimming lessons and was a personal trainer rather than taking a typical job while I was in high school.
While in school, I started selling high protein waffles that I formulated and created myself. Beckie & I met and instantly became besties — we connected over a love for business but that connection grew deeper and deeper. We were in total alignment when it came to entrepreneurship and nourishment. Above that, we just had FUN together and there was so much love and respect in our relationship.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Beckie: The concept of Beck’s Broth originated from a vivid vision that emerged during one of my meditation sessions. While juggling my full-time role as a project manager and embarking on my journey in nutrition practice, I sensed a strong desire to transition into something truly my own. As I pondered the question “what’s next?” during a meditation, the words “bone broth hot chocolate” literally echoed in my mind.
Since that pivotal moment, I’ve dedicated myself tirelessly to nurturing and growing this business and community. You need to get still and quiet enough to be able to hear your intuition and then be bold and brave enough to follow it. I’ve found that trusting in your intuition often leads to the most remarkable destinations
Dom: When I applied to my Masters’ I wanted to skip ahead to my PhD. But I was way too scared to ask. A few months later, one of my friends did just that, and I envied her! I envied her ability to ask for what she wanted. I told myself from that point forward that I need to listen to my gut. I need to listen to those little whispers, those little invisible magnets pulling you in a direction.
So, when I felt an invisible string between Beckie and I, I picked up the phone and I asked to become her business partner. And she said YES!
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Determined: I get shit done and I do it well. My superpower is laser focus.
- A pretty clear example is that I finished my undergrad and Masters’ (at the top of my class) in just over 5 years.
- Silly: I can’t help but make silly or sarcastic comments when they come to me. And if I don’t know the answer to something, I don’t pretend to know — and it often results in some good laughter. I think this makes me relatable and vulnerable, which puts people at ease.
- Granola: I’m a granola, wellness girlie at heart. I’m not ashamed to eat my healthy food, go to bed early, or seek out friends who want to go on a long hike with me. Because I know myself so well, it was really easy to find a career path that was fulfilling. And when I’m fulfilled, I work HARD>
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Beckie and I would love to bring the community together in new ways — maybe through events! We have learned so much from our community and want to create opportunities for others to make friends in the industry and get inspired.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. To begin, let’s start with a definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does Functional Food mean to you?
To us, functional foods are minimally processed and convenient food that brings tangible benefits — whether it be satiety, blood sugar balance, decreased inflammation, or improved gut health (Beck’s Broth does all of these!)
What inspired you to get involved in the functional foods industry? How does that relate to your personal life and values?
As an engineer and high achiever, I have always been interested in how feeling my best can help me reach new heights. If I’m well nourished, my brain just works better. If my immunity is strong, I’m less likely to take a sick day.
Additionally, I am Italian so naturally, food is a great connector for me. In my free time I love to bake. Food is just such a big part of my life. It makes sense to intersect my love for food, productivity and health!
Can you share your insights on the growing demand for functional foods in today’s market? How has this demand evolved over the years, and what do you attribute this change to?
- People care more about ingredients than ever before. I think at the beginning, if something could bring functional benefits and taste good, people loved it! But the long term implications of some ingredients like artificial sweeteners are showing, like gut health issues, people literally can’t keep eating the “functional” foods they once did.
- I know personally, as an IBS girlie, I can’t consume a lot of the protein bars I used to because I realised that they don’t benefit my gut health and actually cause a lot of pain. People are more aware of ingredients because they have had years to feel the impacts of both good and bad choices.
Can you discuss the process of balancing taste with nutritional value in product development, ensuring that flavor does not take a backseat to function?
Blind taste testing is everything. Giving it to your friend who eats like a 4-year-old but then also giving it to your highly discerning, critical foodie friends. We give our products to a wide range of palettes to make sure our bases are covered. If a product is meant to be, there is a way to make it taste good. And in the case of Beck’s Broth, it came pretty naturally to us. We work with high quality ingredients and a by-product of that is that they taste incredible.
What innovative ingredients are you most excited about in the functional foods market, and how are they transforming consumer health and wellness?
I love anything ancestral. I love to see that old traditional health practices are making their way back into our foods. Of course this includes bone broth — I drink it every day multiple times a day. I also love to see the availability of true fermented foods increase — I love my Bubbies pickles and sourdough!
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Create A Succesful Functional Foods Brand”?
1 . Founder + product synergy: we talk about product market fit but what about founder product fit?! You have to love your product, it’s your baby, and the first few years are not easy. If you can’t live without your product, it’s a lot easier to push when times are tough. For example, I am dairy free and eat a high protein diet. It’s hardddd to travel. But not when I can rely on Beck’s Broth for 14+g of protein at the airport!
2 . Community: I have found entrepreneurship to be the opposite of lonely — I have made so many friends, and that is a game changer! Building a relationship has no downside. It’s heartwarming and fulfilling, you never know who they will connect you to, or what you will learn! For example, that’s what brought Beckie and I together.
3 . Create branding that you love: Sure, you may not have the budget right away. But your biz is your baby and you should be proud to flex that baby and wear your merch all the time! People feed off that energy! Good branding is also the first thing people see and get drawn to.
4 . A good story. We are emotional beings. People don’t just buy products; they buy into a community, they buy into a founder. When I started my first business, I was profitable and self-sustaining but I honestly think I knew 90% of my customers. I think they fell in love with my story and stayed on my team!
5 . A positive mindset. When you appreciate every freakin’ day, everyone you get to meet, and everything you get to do with positivity, magic happens. If you sit in your worries, you will lose your momentum.
How do you navigate the regulatory challenges associated with health claims on food packaging, and what advice would you give to new entrants in this space?
We work with professionals when there is uncertainty. It’s a small investment that pays itself off very quickly. Imagine having to recall product for a labelling issue. Also, we aren’t scared to read through the government websites. Sure, it’s a task, but we have a can-do attitude.
In what ways have consumer preferences shaped the evolution of your product offerings, and how do you stay ahead of the curve in such a dynamic market?
We just listen and test test test! Our customers wanted to be able to travel with becks’ broth and our retailers wanted to be able to display it. So, we evolved from a liquid to a powder. We also look to gaps in the marketplace… where can we bring value and something no one else has? It was through this lens we realized we needed to make bone-broth based Hot Chocolate and Coffee in the first place!
You are a person of enormous 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. 🙂
Can we normalize making it FUN to take care of ourselves??!?! It doesn’t have to be all or nothing — walk to grab an ice cream with your friends or go on a stroll through the city and shop at some new stores! It’s so easy to incorporate movement and social time into the same activity, and to me that’s true wellness.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
www.becksbroth.com and at https://www.instagram.com/becksbroth/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
Function Meets Flavor: Beckie Prime and Domenique Mastronardi of Beck’s Broth On 5 Things You Need… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.