Show Notes
She walked out of a federal prison with no money, no manufacturer, and no retail relationships.
Today Comeback Snacks is in 4,500+ stores across Canada and Walmart is next.
Emily O'Brien built the entire foundation of her brand from inside Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.
No internet. No laptop.
Just handwritten letters, a prison library, and a business partner mailing her logo sketches through the post.
In this conversation, Emily breaks down the full journey: from popping flavoured kernels in a prison kitchen, to walking cold into a Mississauga factory with no appointment and leaving with a manufacturer, to navigating her first Sobeys listing and learning that getting on the shelf is only half the battle.
She also covers
why she renamed the brand from Cons and Kernels how tariffs killed their US business overnight the brand licensing deal she stumbled into through a podcast appearance why employees with criminal records often outperform those without — backed by research.
4,500 stores. Built from a mailbox and a library card.
Shelf to Scale is a weekly podcast for CPG and FMCG founders navigating distribution, retail, and scaling. Hosted by Devesh Tilokani.
Comeback Snacks Instagram - @comebacksnacks Emily's Instagram - @emz.obrien Website - https://comebacksnacks.com/
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