Mitchel Dumlao is the Founder and Executive Producer at Creative Haven, a video production and creative agency that helps brands grow through strategic, story-driven content. With more than 20 years of experience in film, content creation, and marketing, Mitchel has worked with brands including HBO, Sony, Spotify, and Colgate. Earlier in his career, he represented 40 clients across TV, film, animation, and comic books. Today, he helps food, beverage, and CPG companies build awareness and drive growth through strategic video content.

Great video content can do more than make a food brand look polished. When it is built around the right story, audience, and message, it can support brand awareness, customer engagement, and long-term growth. So what does it take to turn food and beverage video marketing into a strategy that actually performs?

Mitchel Dumlao, a video production and content strategy expert with more than 20 years of experience, says it starts with understanding what your audience actually responds to. Brands should research their ideal customer, focus on the product benefits and pain points that matter most, test different hooks and formats, and use performance data to guide future creative. Mitchel also recommends mixing authentic content like UGC and founder videos with more polished brand storytelling, while planning shoots to create content for multiple channels at once. The result is a more efficient video strategy that helps food and beverage brands create content with a clear purpose behind it.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Mitchel Dumlao, Founder and Executive Producer at Creative Haven, about scaling food brands with story-driven video. Mitchel shares how to create stronger hooks, balance authentic and polished content, and get more value from every shoot. He also discusses AI tools and building creative teams that understand marketing.

Nicole Rogers is the Founder of GriffJack, a marketing consultancy for food, beverage, agriculture, and retail brands, and CMO of True Origin Foods, a pantry-staples brand focused on flavor and quality. With 25-plus years in marketing across food, beverage, lifestyle, and the arts industries, Nicole brings big-picture strategy, creative direction, and trusted specialist teams together to build clear, memorable brands that connect with consumers and create long-term value. She also helped shape Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork identity and held leadership roles with Chipotle Mexican Grill and Nugget Market.

Food brands are remembered for more than a clever campaign or polished package. Trust grows when the product delivers, the brand knows what it stands for, and the story feels relevant to the people it hopes to reach. So how can brands create that kind of connection without losing sight of what actually drives consumers to buy?

According to food and beverage brand strategist Nicole Rogers, it starts with delivering a product people genuinely want, then using storytelling to deepen the relationship. Taste remains the strongest driver in food, with price and convenience close behind, so brands should avoid expecting sourcing, sustainability, or founder stories to carry a product that does not first earn trial and repeat purchase. Nicole stresses the importance of listening closely to consumers, defining a clear brand identity, and resisting the urge to be everything to everyone. When brands understand both their own convictions and what their audience values, they can make smarter decisions, build credibility, and create connections that last.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce joins Nicole Rogers, Founder of GriffJack and CMO of True Origin Foods, to talk about building food brands consumers trust and remember. Nicole explains why taste drives trial, how clear brand identity builds confidence, and why authentic storytelling creates stronger consumer connection. She also touches on retail partnerships and staying relevant without chasing every cultural moment.

Jill McLewis is the Executive Director of Naturally NorCal, a nonprofit that connects and supports Northern California's emerging and established natural-products brands through education, events, peer forums, and partnerships. She leads strategy, operations, community growth, and programs that link founders with experienced industry leaders. Jill also helped guide the merger of Naturally North Bay and Naturally Bay Area and brings a unique background as Sebastopol's mayor, a nonprofit executive, and a classically trained pastry chef and chocolate entrepreneur.

Strong industry communities grow when people share knowledge openly, make space for honest conversations, and help others avoid familiar mistakes. How can food and beverage leaders turn professional connections into lasting support?

For Jill McLewis, whose expertise spans nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, and natural-products community building, strong communities begin when people stop treating connection as a transaction. Bringing emerging founders together with experienced leaders creates opportunities for practical guidance, while peer forums allow members to discuss real challenges and learn from one another. In that spirit, Jill recommends shaping educational programs around current business needs and using AI for focused, time-saving tasks without losing the human relationships that make a community valuable. These practices help individual brands grow while strengthening the broader industry.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Jill McLewis, Executive Director of Naturally NorCal, about building a stronger food and beverage community through authentic connection. Jill explores the merger of two regional groups, the value of peer forums and events, and ways experienced leaders can support emerging brands. She also touches on AI, omnichannel growth, and how legal, financial, marketing, and other industry partners help emerging brands succeed.