Brett Schulman of CAVA on scaling focus and fighting self-doubt

Executive overview

Most founders facing rapid growth try to do too many things at once — and spread themselves thin across channels, markets, and problems. Brett Schulman, co-founder of CAVA, argues that what you don't do is often more important than what you do. The core discipline is focus: pick the channel with the greatest opportunity, hire the right people for that stage, and resist the pull to expand prematurely.

Doing fewer things better is what separates businesses that scale from those that stall.

Imposter syndrome is universal — and useful

• Founders who feel like imposters almost never are; they simply haven't recognized their own standing.
• Prior experience — even in different industries — gives genuine credibility.
• A degree of self-doubt prevents overconfidence, which is far more dangerous.
• Overconfidence steers founders into decisions and places they do not want to be.
• Build a circle of advisors or mentors; cold outreach to respected leaders works more often than founders expect.
• Emotional resilience — continuing to find a way through adversity — is what separates businesses that survive.

Case: Devin's Spiked Root Beer (Devin Strahan, Houston TX)

• Wine-based spiked root beer in 160+ locations; still a solo operation with one equity partner.
• Core challenges: cashflow, inventory, and bandwidth — all three at once.
• Two cold-packer failures in two months triggered the self-doubt; the business itself was sound.
• Novel differentiation matters: a wine-based spiked root beer is not another hard seltzer — that novelty is a competitive asset.
• Advice: prove velocity in existing outlets before pitching investors; track record matters more than potential at this stage.

Case: Little Me Allergy (Sophia Boden, Los Angeles CA)

• Colorful allergy accessories (magnets, patches, wristbands, stickers) for children with food allergies; founded after a personal diagnosis.
• Revenue below $25k in year one; great feedback, but low awareness.
• Food allergies affect a large share of the population — this is a mainstream problem, not a niche.
• Brick-and-mortar channels are underutilized: trade shows, gift shops, and back-to-school retail endcaps at Target are high-fit opportunities.
• Online customer acquisition costs have risen sharply post-pandemic; physical presence now offers better ROI for early-stage brands.
• Co-marketing with established allergy-friendly food brands (Planet Box, Abe's Allergy Friendly Muffins) provides warm referrals to an already-motivated audience.
• Build a tribe of a thousand passionate parents first — they become force multipliers through word-of-mouth.
• Market to parents, not children; parent-child co-listening and co-shopping dynamics apply across channels.

Case: Rootless Coffee (Sean Murray, Flint MI)

• Craft coffee roastery using comic-book artist packaging as the consumer entry point — mirrors the craft beer model of making quality approachable.
• Four channels: e-commerce, wholesale (B2B), grocery (30+ stores in regional chain), and a coffee trailer for events.
• E-commerce and wholesale now roughly equal in revenue; wholesale is slightly more profitable and easier to fulfill.
• Under $1M revenue; 65% YoY growth in year one, 35% in year two; 10 employees.
• Long-term vision: coffee shops nationally, possibly franchise model.

When and how to raise growth capital

• Raising money requires a clear story: what specifically will the capital fund, and what is the path to return?
• Scaling physical businesses — restaurants, roasteries — is not like scaling software; it requires capital for people, process, and infrastructure before revenue can support it.
• Choose one primary channel to grow, then hire specifically for that channel; different channels need different capabilities.
• CAVA's lesson: focus capital on restaurants, let consumer packaged goods grow slowly — trying to scale multiple channels simultaneously dilutes energy and resources.
• Consider fractional CFOs or fractional COOs before committing to full-time executive hires; they bring experience at lower cost and sometimes convert to full-time roles.
• Short-term consultants with relevant industry and regional experience can clarify direction before you commit to a growth path.

Right people, right roles — Brett's two lessons

• "Right people, right roles": understand what capabilities are needed at each stage of growth and be honest when someone isn't the right fit.
• Prioritization: simplifying and focusing — doing fewer things better — was what turned the tide during CAVA's most difficult period after acquiring Zoës Kitchen.
• Force multipliers: bring in people you can lean on; you cannot scale alone.