Daniel Lubetzky’s Post

For me, the American Dream starts with my father's story. As a Holocaust survivor, his liberation by American military forces was a profound moment that defined his life and our family's future. It's a reminder that the American Dream is about hope, freedom, and the relentless pursuit of a better life. Every day, I strive to honor my father's legacy. The United States is imperfect, and the fight to address injustice and inequity is ongoing, but the ideals of freedom and democracy remain worthy of our constant and continuous engagement to uphold them. Thank you Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream for sharing my story, my father’s story, and the story of so many Americans who keep striving to make our country better.

Camino Partners (formerly Equilibra) Q2 newsletter is here covering many lessons for entrepreneurs and companies inside and outside of the CPG industry. Make sure to give it a read, get updated on news from our partners, and check out the opportunity to join our team. Comment with questions and key takeaways!

The stupider the idea, the more you celebrate it. An integral part of the entrepreneurial process is the creative process. Whether you’re starting a new company or coming up with an idea, it’s important to give yourself permission to think outside the box, shatter conventional assumptions, and ideate freely. During this time, you’re writing down EVERYTHING - nothing is wrong. It's really important to be almost religious about the process of welcoming the silliest of ideas. Sometimes, the best ideas require you to break through, and to break through you really want to encourage crazy crazy thinking. Once you’ve thought all you could - you take a break. It might be an hour or a day or a week, depending on the nature of the process. Then you’ll come back and start combing through those crazy ideas. 

I immigrated to the United States as a 16-year-old from Mexico and quickly became fascinated by American democracy. In my American high school, I had classmates who would regularly criticize the U.S. President off-handedly. They never worried that doing so might create trouble or even land them in jail. Having come from a country with fewer freedoms and less developed rule of law, this shocked me. I couldn’t believe that TV hosts could mock anybody they wanted without fear of retribution. In Washington D.C., political representatives often vehemently debated one another only to then solve problems together and go to dinner later as friends. For me, liberal democracy and the freedoms that come with it are magical. They allow our society to thrive and make the most out of our diversity of thoughts and backgrounds. This 4th of July, let’s recommit to building relationships with those different from us - to re-forging the foundational trust necessary to solve problems in our country and the world. Discouraging or hiding from our differences leads to fear, blame, and hate. Encouraging our differences spurs personal fulfillment and societal progress. Let me know what you think in the comments. Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Through all my years launching and growing businesses and social enterprises, I’ve made a TON of mistakes along the way. A lot of KIND’s success came from the fact that we made the effort to learn from those mistakes. Instead of brushing them off, we studied them and tried to crack the code on how to do it better the next time around. We all face failures and setbacks. Our success depends on how we deal with those challenges, and whether we have the introspection necessary to ultimately grow from them.

"Our 20-year journey with KIND taught us that there's no one-size-fits-all playbook for success in the consumer market." - Elle Lanning, President of Camino Partners (formerly Equilibra) Elle is absolutely right and shares an important belief that Camino Partners stands by. There is no one perfect path to success. What works for one company might not work for another. Navigating twists in the road requires the mindset to face challenges head on, deal with differences, and be able to solve problems so that difficult moments can become opportunities. Read the article to learn how Camino Partners is approaching growth stage investing differently. Let me know your thoughts below.

As global challenges become increasingly complex, it’s all the more tempting for people to gravitate toward extremism and populism as “solutions.” But these pathways are oversimplified and dangerous to free societies. There is a better pathway forward - and we have to build it. I'm glad to have contributed a chapter to Yair Zivan’s "The Center Must Hold," a collection of essays from politicians, thought leaders, and social commentators like Tony Blair, Mike Bloomberg, Jennifer Rubin, and Yair Lapid – all on the importance of counteracting extremist positions. Available now here on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1ccWRSN

CPG entrepreneurs: what’s the most creative way you’ve sampled products? When speaking with SOMOS Foods Co-Founder Miguel Leal, we discussed how sampling salsas and simmer sauces calls for a different recipe than does sampling KIND bars…and with more people shopping online, IRL sampling today requires more ingenuity than ever. Tell us about the best, most innovative ways you’ve gotten your products into the hands (or mouths) of hungry consumers.

Investing in good human beings is even more important than investing in good products. Ariel Serber asked a great question - “What sets entrepreneurs you want to invest/partner in stand out?” I look to partner with people I like. People with talent, potential, and the ability to receive feedback. At the hardest moments along my entrepreneurial journey, I had an incredible team by my side. The products weren’t going to help me get back up, but the people always did. Good People = Great Business.

With everything going on in our world today, I have to remind myself to take time to disconnect from the news, get outdoors, and appreciate all of life’s blessings. Lucky for me, the newest members of our family, Sky and Peanut, have been my source of joy! Would you have guessed that they are brother and sister?