How I Built This with Guy Raz

Bobo’s: Beryl Stafford. A Single Mom Turns a Baking Project into a $100M Business

March 9, 2026

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  • Survival as a necessity can be a powerful initial driver for entrepreneurship, especially when facing major life changes like divorce and the need for immediate income. 
  • Early success in CPG often relies on community support, relentless in-person demos, and a willingness to say "yes" to opportunities (like entering Whole Foods) even without knowing all the operational details. 
  • Beryl Stafford's decision to stick to a simple, grandmother-style recipe, rather than chasing immediate trends like protein or specific sugars, was key to building a long-term, recognizable brand identity for Bobo's Oat Bars. 

Segments

Beryl’s Early Life and Divorce
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(00:06:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Beryl Stafford relocated from a small Louisiana town to Boulder, Colorado, in 1977, quickly adapting her accent to fit in at the University of Colorado.
  • Summary: Beryl grew up in a small Southern town in Louisiana before moving to Boulder, Colorado, for college. She consciously changed her accent to assimilate with her peers. Her life took a difficult turn in her early 40s when her marriage ended, leaving her needing to re-enter the workforce after a decade as a stay-at-home mother.
The Genesis of Bobo’s Oat Bars
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(00:12:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The initial Bobo’s Oat Bar recipe, baked with her daughter, was high in corn syrup and butter, but its immediate appeal signaled a viable product-market fit.
  • Summary: The product originated from a recipe her daughter found, which was delicious but contained corn syrup and butter. Friends in the natural food industry suggested making it healthier and selling it, leading Beryl to substitute ingredients like using sukonat, brown rice syrup, and eventually coconut oil. The product was named after her daughter’s nickname, Bobo.
First Sales and Scrappy Beginnings
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(00:17:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Beryl’s first sales involved wrapping bars in Saran wrap, drawing a homemade label with a Sharpie, and fearfully approaching a local barista who initially sold them for $2.50.
  • Summary: Beryl initially sold the bars wrapped in Saran wrap without proper nutritional labels, even incorrectly using the word ‘organic.’ A friend encouraged her to approach the local Brewing Market coffee shop, where she made up a price of $2.50. Her first recorded monthly income from the bars was a mere $14, which she viewed as a sign the concept might work.
Scaling Through Shared Kitchens
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(00:28:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Beryl shared a commercial kitchen and employees via an LLC with Justin from Justin’s Nut Butters to manage rising production needs and costs.
  • Summary: To move beyond her home kitchen, Beryl rented space in a shared commercial kitchen, initially using it a couple of days a week. She later shared a larger space with Justin’s Nut Butters, forming an LLC to jointly cover rent and payroll for shared employees, though this led to arguments over resource allocation.
Costly Early Mistakes and Industry Learning
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(00:33:21)
  • Key Takeaway: In the early stages, Beryl bought essential ingredients like oats at full retail price from Whole Foods before understanding the food distribution network.
  • Summary: Beryl admitted to being completely ignorant of business operations, including purchasing costs, initially buying ingredients at full retail price from Whole Foods. She learned about the industry by joining the Naturally Boulder Network and focused relentlessly on selling, even when advised by peers to focus only on sales and marketing.
The Whole Foods Breakthrough
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(00:35:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Whole Foods agreed to stock Bobo’s in 12 Colorado stores after Beryl, already a known consumer of the product, walked in and committed to solving packaging and demo requirements.
  • Summary: A Whole Foods manager recognized the bars from a local co-op and agreed to bring them into 12 regional stores, demanding freezer-safe packaging with a six-month shelf life. Beryl immediately agreed, despite not knowing what freezer-safe packaging entailed, and subsequently had to remove the word ‘organic’ from her labels due to lack of certification.
Transition to Distribution and National Reach
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(00:41:59)
  • Key Takeaway: National distribution unexpectedly fell into Beryl’s lap at Expo West when a UNFI East representative handed her paperwork to get into their network.
  • Summary: Beryl first used a local distributor to get into Denver Whole Foods stores, marking her first experience with pallets. At Expo West, a UNFI East representative quickly onboarded her for national distribution, which she navigated despite not knowing how to complete the paperwork initially.
Hiring a CEO and Raising Capital
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(00:51:36)
  • Key Takeaway: After ten years of intense, self-driven work, Beryl hired TJ McIntyre as CEO to drive growth and raised $8 million in outside capital to professionalize the company.
  • Summary: Feeling burned out around 2014-2015 while doing $8 million in sales, Beryl hired TJ McIntyre as CEO, who convinced her not to sell but to grow. This transition involved creating shares and bringing in outside investors, which Beryl found intimidating as it introduced external decision-makers and pressure regarding economic terms.
Navigating Costco and Competition
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(00:58:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Costco presents a dual challenge: massive visibility and growth potential, offset by ruthless pricing demands and unpredictable order scheduling that wreaks havoc on manufacturing forecasts.
  • Summary: The competitive snack bar market forces constant innovation, as consumers quickly tire of products, making retailers willing to trade out brands. Costco requires the lowest possible price point and its large, sporadic orders necessitate owning specialized equipment and utilizing co-packers to manage demand fluctuations.