Mark, the founder of Plate Snacks, explains when he started a gym and the story of Plate Snacks, what’s upcoming, and much more!
The episode can be watched on Spotify or YouTube or listened to on Apple, Anchor, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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(0:05) When and why did you start a home gym? He was primarily a commercial gym guy, but Mark and his wife started a basic home gym in 2014, a Peloton later, but it quickly expanded once COVID hit. He also had a kiddo on the way, so he was forced in several ways.
(2:55) How and when did you start Plate Snacks? After picking up weights from the used marketplace, he looked to refinish them. During that time, he also noticed people doing things like painting plates when the idea first came to him (March or April of 2020). Later that summer/fall, he ultimately created some designs and an Instagram account.
(7:48) What was the first design? Mark started with a list of about 5, which he designed himself.
(8:55) What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced in the early days? Launching on Black Friday was a good and bad thing for Mark. It also coincided with supply chain issues during COVID, so there were a lot of delays in getting the orders out.
(12:25) How did the product line develop over time, and what do you currently sell? Initially, it was just the vinyl plate snacks, but it has recently evolved to AbMats, hats, flags, apparel, and quite a bit more designs.
(16:06) You recently released a barbell hanger. Is that a sign of products to come? The inspiration behind this came from an Oak Club Barbell Storage collaboration. Mark has plenty of ideas but is unsure what’s coming next. More customizations are definitely on his radar, though.
(21:21) Any failed products that you could tell us about? There don’t seem to be any actual failures, but a few like the camo design didn’t do quite as well as he would have thought.
(22:45) Can you share what your top designs are? Pizza and donut plates are easily the top sellers, but the rack magnets and flags are also at the top of the list.
(24:22) It seems like a product that may not be everyone’s “cup of tea.” Do you have any good “internet hate” stories you could share? Not a ton of specific reports, but he’s been more active on TikTok, which is “a different beast.”
(26:58) A lot of companies started around COVID. Is there anything you did that helps explain why you’re still around? Plate Snacks accomplishes something that not a lot of other companies do. In contrast, many of the other entrants into the industry were filling a void by providing racks, benches, etc., when there wasn’t anything else available.
