Lorissa Link: Founder of LK snacks

Episode 722

On this episode of The Kara Goldin Show, we’re joined by Lorissa Link, Founder of LK™ snacks—the first and only meat snack brand free from the Top 9 allergens, making high-protein, delicious snacks that everyone can safely enjoy.
Inspired by her son’s severe food allergies, Lorissa set out to create an allergen-free meat snack brand that didn’t compromise on taste or quality. What started as a deeply personal mission has grown into a brand reshaping the meat snack category, delivering products free from added sugar, gluten, preservatives, and unwanted additives.
In our conversation, Lorissa shares how she turned a personal challenge into a purpose-driven business, the unglamorous work it took to launch, and what it means to stay values-driven while scaling in a competitive industry. We also dive into how she educates consumers in a legacy category, what she’s learned about building trust, and how she balances taste with clean ingredients in product development.
Whether you’re a founder, a brand builder, or someone looking for inspiration on how to turn a mission into a business that makes an impact, this episode is for you. Now on The Kara Goldin Show.

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Transcript

Kara Goldin 0:00
I am unwilling to give up, that I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be. I want to be you. Just want to make sure you will get knocked down. But just make sure you don’t get knocked out, knocked out. So your only choice should be go focus on what you can control. Control, control. Hi everyone, and welcome to the Kara Goldin show. Join me each week for inspiring conversations with some of the world’s greatest leaders. We’ll talk with founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs and really, some of the most interesting people of our time. Can’t wait to get started. Let’s go. Let’s go. Hi everyone and welcome back to the Kara Goldin show. Super excited to have my next guest. I was not familiar with this incredible brand that actually just went through a rebrand, but I am so excited that I’ve learned about it. It is absolutely delicious. The founder is Lorissa Link, and she’s here with us here today. It’s a brand called LK also known as LK snacks, the first and only meat snack brand on the market that is free from the top nine allergens, making high protein delicious snacks that everyone, including her own family and my family can safely enjoy so inspired by her son’s severe food allergies, Lorissa set out to create an inclusive, allergy free meat snack without compromising on taste or quality. And what started as a deeply personal mission has grown into quite a respectable brand. So I can’t wait to hear more about how Lorissa and her team have built LK and what she’s learned about turning her personal mission into a thriving business, and how she’s challenging the norms of a legacy category with clean and inclusive and delicious products. So Lorissa, welcome to the show. So excited to have you here. Oh,

Lorissa Link 2:07
thank you for a wonderful introduction. Kara, I really appreciate it. Excited to be here with you today, absolutely.

Kara Goldin 2:13
So for those who like me hadn’t heard of this brand before, what is LK, and I know you just rebranded it. So people may know it as LK kitchen or LK snacks before, but what makes it different in the crowded snack category of meat snacks,

Lorissa Link 2:33
so LK is the first certified free from the top nine allergens. So that means that we are testing all of our ingredients, we’re testing our equipment. We’re never releasing any of that product into the market until we get that third party certification back that it is free from the top nine allergens, and it was born from my son’s food allergies when he was diagnosed with a laundry list of food allergies and I started going shopping for snacks. I kind of stopped in my tracks, and I was like, oh gosh. I’ve always been a label reader, but this is like a whole new level of reading food labels to cake to keep him safe. So it was just, it was we were already producing meat snacks. We knew we wanted to deliver high protein snacks, but we wanted to make sure that there is no cross contamination in any of our spices or our equipment, and just making sure that those with food allergies can really, truly snack fearlessly. Because a lot of times you’ll see things like allergen friendly, and it’s just it’s not a regulated term. So it’s not like a manufacturer has to do X, Y and Z to put allergen friendly on their package. We go through the certification, and we are held to very rigorous protocols. We do additional safety trainings. We really go above and beyond. But we didn’t want to forget about the flavor. A lot of times, allergen snacks, sometimes people without food allergies might associate, oh, that might be taste bland, or it might not have that great flavor. So we really wanted to make sure we went above and beyond on that and really delivered on it. So regardless, if you have food allergies, everybody’s busy today. Everybody needs a high protein snack that’s going to fuel them through their busy days. So we’re really excited to be able to share this certified free from the top nine allergen snacks. I mean, there’s growing problems with celiacs and food intolerances and all of this. And we didn’t want to just be allergen friendly. We really wanted to be the gold standard of the safest snack if you have any of those restrictions in your diet.

Kara Goldin 4:55
So I won’t make you go through all nine but I’m so curious, is there one that really. Really stands out at that is like a common allergen that a lot of people have that that they just either have avoided snacking on meat snacks to date, because everything had it in there. I’m so curious what you found.

Lorissa Link 5:15
Well, I would say gluten was probably the most interesting to me, because when you are purchasing spices, they can be cross contaminated, or they could be diluted with a gluten in there, through a spice manufacturer, and then I’m receiving those spices, and I’m making our delicious snacks, not knowing that a spice manufacturer how they handled it, or if they could have diluted their spices this way. I know it’s certified. It’s tested before it’s ever brought into any of our facilities. It’s tested after it’s produced. So it’s just it’s the normal consumer that’s trying to avoid gluten or has a gluten intolerance or an allergy or celiacs, it’s easy to get cross contamination. It’s really hard to know that your product is truly without gluten. So that’s what we’re most excited about, because it does affect quite a few people, and there are 33 million Americans living with food allergies today. So it’s not necessarily just a niche market anymore. It is a growing problem, and we’re really excited to shine that light on food allergies, bring more awareness to it, help down breaking some of these, like marketing claims that I think the consumer has the right to know about and that it’s not regulated.

Kara Goldin 6:40
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I founded a company called hint, and I’m allergic to coconut, and so coconut is a class one allergen, and so that was one of the first things that I realized, coming from being a consumer and being fearful that, you know, could be the cross contamination of, you know, the bottling plant running a coconut water or coconut drink right before, and it really the lines have to be cleaned. The same with peanuts. You know, I’m not allergic to peanuts, but I know a lot more about the allergies. And then the real tricky thing now is that, especially in it, I think it happens in food, but especially in beauty, is that, you know, there’s 14 different terms for coconut. I mean, it’s insane, and, you know, it’s the tiniest, tiniest type. So I literally am snapping a photo of it and then blowing it up because it’s so scary. So I can only imagine being a mother and trying to, you know, deal with this, because, you know, you just, you feel so responsible, right? It’s not just about you, but it’s like another, another level of of that. What were you doing before you started? LK,

Lorissa Link 7:58
So originally, we started larissa’s kitchen in 2016 and with that, it was all ingredients that you would use within your own kitchen. And then, and that was kind of spurred on by the birth of my daughter, and just really becoming very ingredient aware. And then our new rebrand within this last year into LK. So I’ve been in the food space for quite some time now. Really enjoy it, fitness and health and nutrition, all of that is a huge interest and a big part of our family’s

Kara Goldin 8:33
life. So when you launched LK kitchen, were you focused on the snacks similar to what you have today, or have you looked at shifting away from and putting more focus on the meat snacks?

Lorissa Link 8:50
So the main focus right now is all meat snacks. So we find that busy families need fuel like they need that protein boost throughout the day. Meals are not quite the same as what they used to be. You know, you’re running from after work to quick soccer practice with kids to picking up another one. It’s like you’re constantly in the car and busy. Is just like the norm for everyone now, so staying high protein is our main focus now, but yes, just being able to listen to the allergen community and figure out what their next need might be, I think, would be really important in making sure that we’re listening to our consumers and understanding what they want.

Kara Goldin 9:36
So how many SKUs did you start with? And how many SKUs do you have today?

Lorissa Link 9:41
So today we have four SKUs. We have herbalicious, which is our turkey stick. It’s free range, non GMO certified, so that one tastes like a Thanksgiving day dinner all wrapped into like this super easy stick to eat on the go. I. Um, that one I love because it’s easy to share with the whole family. It’s a nostalgic flavor. And then we have our chicka boom, which is our chicken also free range, non GMO certified, and that’s kind of our fun pop of flavor. I don’t know if you’ve ever put chili crisp on anything, but that was our kind of take on a chili crisp trend that we saw happening in the market. Our smoke show is our original and then our jalapeno heat seeker is our one that has a little bit more kick to it, where you actually see, like the pieces of the jalapeno when you bite into it. But we wanted, kind of our flavor names to come across fun and bold, just because we don’t want, just because it’s an allergen snack or certified allergen free, it comes with all of that flavor that I think we kind of need to break through on um, because sometimes people just have, ah, you know, I don’t have Food allergies. I don’t know if this is for me. So we really wanted to break through with some fun flavor names.

Kara Goldin 11:06
I love it. So when you first started out, I guess. So, what were you doing before you started at LK kitchen? Were you in the food industry before that?

Lorissa Link 11:16
It feels like it’s been forever, but no, I was not in the in the food industry. Prior to that, I was doing corporate events, real estate, lots of, I would say, more visual type of things. You know, I was very creative and doing things like that. So now I’ve shifted that creativity more into food, and it’s been a it’s been a fun challenge. Was

Kara Goldin 11:43
there anybody who, or any brand that inspired you thinking back when you decided to launch the brand that was really like, I can go do this. I mean, I need to go do this because you didn’t have the contacts to go and CO pack and, you I mean, I didn’t even know what that term was when I started. And I always share with people, you have to start somewhere, right? And you keep asking around and But was there any brand in particular that you remember, or people you knew that that kind of inspired you to say, maybe I can go do this? And you know, again, I’m really passionate about it. My son has this issue, but maybe to really kind of help you say, I I need to take that next

Lorissa Link 12:31
step. So my husband’s family has been in the meat stack industry for 40 years. So through his what he built with his father and still owned to this day. That’s where all of the passion for meat snacks came through. And then it was kind of like, well, I want to do something a little bit different that meets the needs of our family and the families that are, you know, changing, like market is shifting and changing. I see this need, and I really want to make my own brand towards those needs of consumers in the natural channel, people with food allergies, people that are wanting to have grass fed and finished beef, that want the poultry that’s free range. And I would say that, you know, you brought up a good point of a co manufacturer. I didn’t have to go to a co manufacturer. We got to go to our own family owned facility where I get to bring the kids to work with me. You know, they get to be involved in the business. This isn’t a build and sell model for us. This is a long term legacy brand that hopefully someday our kids will work in and be very passionate about any opportunity that they have to come to work with me. They love because they get to snack and try new flavors. And, you know, they just love being involved in it. So it’s been a really amazing journey for our family and hopefully for generations

Kara Goldin 14:00
to come that’s so interesting. So building a values driven brand is not easy, and clearly, you know you, it’s almost like, if you’re inside a family business. We’ve had a few people on this podcast that are similar, but it’s like, you, you You almost can’t you. You have to separate out your marketing, right, and your messaging, and, you know, what you’re trying to build. But how have you done that? Like, how, how have you done that? I mean, have you literally, like, sat in a different room? Because, naturally, right? It’s challenging,

Lorissa Link 14:40
like I’m trying to do something different, right? We want to be mission led, and we want to be able to go and help those with food allergies and shine more light onto it. So we’re working with fair, whose Food Allergy Research and Education Foundation, and they’ve been a wonderful partner. To help, you know, guide us, and hopefully we will continue to always build into our mission statements and what we’re going to continue doing, of how we partner with them, and what we can do in the community, and how we can bring that forward where, you know, we live in the link snacks, global community, but their missions and what they’re doing is separate, so trying to still build and kind of carve out my own, you know, little section is it comes with its challenges. It truly does Kara, but it’s been really fun. And like I say, it’s that legacy brand that we want to build for our children to come and they get to see this brand being built as they grow older, whereas link snacks was already created before they were born. So now it’s really fun to make sure that they are involved in the business along the way.

Kara Goldin 15:54
That’s awesome. So what’s been the most rewarding part of of your journey. I mean, you talked about your family and being able to, you know, kind of mentor your kids. I don’t think that that’s often when people start businesses, you know, I certainly didn’t think about, I’m going to go do this for my kids. But it was much later I started to really see I have four kids, and they’re all sailed now. My youngest is 20, but, but, you know, there’s this entrepreneurial spirit that I think ended up going along with, with them being the kids of a founder. And I mean, my kids aren’t afraid to walk in the back room at Target, for example, and pull boxes out of the back and they know they have to start somewhere, right? And, you know, and don’t, it’s like, you know, take the garbage out if you need to. It doesn’t matter what your title is, like, it’s just like lots of things. And now I’m seeing now that they’re launching into their careers, you know, being able to see exactly what I was doing in in the build, I think, is like such a powerful message to to send to your kids. So, but I, I’m so curious. Like it what you’ve seen?

Lorissa Link 17:16
Yeah, I mean, they see, they see a lot, a lot of it. You know, they’ve gone to trade shows with me, which has been really great for them to be able to see what that looks like. And then, of course, they’re in the manufacturing plant with me, frequently working on the line or seeing how a product is being made. They’re our number one taste testers, so if it doesn’t pass FAR with them and their friends, and our Fauci, our friends families, you know, it doesn’t, doesn’t go any farther, but they will always give you honest feedback. You know, it’s just, there’s no filter there.

Kara Goldin 17:57
Yeah, it’s so it, that’s so true. So you rebranded in the last year, I guess. What was the point that made you decide it’s time to rebrand.

Lorissa Link 18:08
So when we decided to be certified free from the top nine allergens, we knew we had to rebrand because we needed to be able to stand off shelf compared to what was happening in the meat snack category. We wanted to have our flavor names be bold and fun, and we wanted to bring in colors that would attract people into the category. Maybe stop and take a double take of, oh, maybe I will try that look that that’s high in protein, it has clean ingredients. We really wanted to get their attention. And we felt that having bolder branding, changing from larissa’s Kitchen to LK would make Google searches a little bit easier. I know my name is kind of long, so we were just trying to make it more convenient and really stand out in the grocery store aisles.

Kara Goldin 18:59
We all have this, these moments as founders, where we see somebody eating our product or drinking our product, in my case, and you know, it’s, it’s something, especially when they’re physically holding something right, like it’s, it’s super fun. And I’m sure you’ve had that where you know you’re walking in the grocery store or you’re at school and all of a sudden you see somebody enjoying your product. Can you talk to me about, sort of like, how that felt more than anything, and maybe the experience?

Lorissa Link 19:30
Yeah, it felt so great. It was a total stranger, somebody that I didn’t know, came up to me at a trade show, and they were telling me about how they finally feel safe, because they go on a lot of airplanes and adventures, and you know, they finally felt safe eating a snack and bringing it with them. And that was just so heartwarming to hear that like somebody else feels safe. So if I can give that piece of. Of comfort to someone else. It’s just, it’s so rewarding. And then walking into Walmart and air one to be able to see product on the shelf, it was just like, oh my gosh, we’re here. I was so excited. It was just, I still get goose bumps. It’s just, it’s really, really exciting. And like I say, I bring my kids with for a lot of that, so they get to see firsthand the excitement and be there with me making sure everything looks good on shelf. So

Kara Goldin 20:28
is, has there ever been a situation in the build where you were pretty sure something was going to do great, and it didn’t do so great?

Lorissa Link 20:39
Oh gosh. I feel like there’s lots of those moments like, where Okay, are we gonna meet the deadline? I think deadlines are the biggest challenge for us, because we have so many processes and procedures in place, and retailers have dropped deadlines, like, you gotta make it, and if our menu trend photo, third party supplier is, you know, running behind on getting all of our things tested, it’s like, I can’t ship you product. I have to consume consumers safe first. So I think our biggest challenge is always managing those timelines, making sure that we are as efficient as possible, making sure we’re staying on top of costs and all of that. So, yeah, it’s just like, I think our deadlines are probably the biggest challenge, right? Everything has to come together perfectly.

Kara Goldin 21:37
That’s awesome. Do you have one of the four SKUs. That’s like a runaway bestseller,

Lorissa Link 21:43
smoke show, our original beef stick that’s grass fed and finished, clean ingredients, but still has the great flavor. Everybody’s like, Yep, I can eat it. My kids can eat it. I can pass it back in the car. You know, it’s just, it’s a super easy protein pack snack. So that’s been the Goldin winner.

Kara Goldin 22:04
So what’s a trend that you see in like, food and or wellness that you’re super excited about? Like, finally, it’s happening. I mean, you talked about how you just got into Walmart and you’re going into gluten free section, gluten free section. I always laugh because I think I remember when hint first launched in the early 2000s they they wouldn’t put us in the beverage aisle because we were a, you know, we’re gluten free, which sounds crazy to people that a drink is gluten free, but exactly the issues that you talked about, but they would almost separate it out. So I’m curious, like, if you’ve seen, you know, some sort of shift in kind of welcoming you more into kind of the mainstream, because you’re mission driven, healthier, allergen, all of those things. But do you see a trend there that is has really been taking off?

Lorissa Link 23:05
Well, it’s been great to see that the better for you options are becoming more mainstream. It’s not just at your natural retailers. It’s definitely at more of your mass retailers that they’re taking a bigger approach to better for you options. I am all for great, clean, labeled foods, so I love all the trends that are happening right now. There’s a lot of focus on gut health and high protein, and just it’s becoming more widely known about the ingredients in our food, and it’s been great to see that shift.

Kara Goldin 23:46
So when you look at LK, 10 years from now, what do you hope for the brand overall? Like, what is success?

Lorissa Link 23:56
Success, to me, is being able to help those that truly need allergen free snacks that are safe and being able to deliver on that flavor, because it’s so important that you’re still feeling like you have the same snack as everyone else does, just becoming that inclusive snack For all and that we deliver on the flavor, and I say inclusive snack for all, because there is this social, emotional thing that happens with food allergies. Food is such a time of camaraderie. You know, you’re getting together for a celebration, you’re going to a friend’s house. You know, it’s just especially for children, you know, not being able to have that cake or that pizza or sitting at a peanut table like we want to break all those barriers down, no more peanut tables. Please, like these kids, don’t let these food allergies attach to their personalities as they’re growing. Yeah. So just really bringing more shining a light and bringing grace to understanding families that are challenged with these food allergies,

Kara Goldin 25:09
definitely, well, Larissa, LK is awesome, and congratulations on the rebrand too. It’s, it looks terrific. And for everyone listening, definitely check out LK, LK snacks at Larissa. It’s still larissa’s kitchen, though, is that is the website, right? Register larissa’s kitchen.com Yeah, larissa’s kitchen.com and obviously, in lots of great stores, retail stores, as you mentioned, everything from air one to Walmart and follow them on Instagram and Larissa on LinkedIn too. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend. But Larissa, thank you so much for joining us and talking about the brand and the journey, and best of luck to you. And thanks everybody for listening. Yes. Thank you so much, Kara. I appreciate it. Thanks again for listening to the Kara Goldin show. If you would please give us a review and feel free to share this podcast with others who would benefit and of course, feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of our podcast. Just a reminder that I can be found on all platforms. At Kara Goldin, I would love to hear from you too. So feel free to DM me, and if you want to hear more about my journey, I hope you will have a listen or pick up a copy of my Wall Street Journal, best selling book, undaunted, where I share more about my journey, including founding and building hint, we are here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Thanks for listening, and goodbye for now. You.

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