Episode 016: Kim Chappell and Blair Pfander of Bobbie

In this episode of Best Brands on Earth, hosts Hayley Clover and Matt Kerbel sit down with Kim Chappell (Chief Brand Officer) and Blair Pfander (VP of Creative) from Bobbie—the fastest-growing infant formula company in the U.S. since the 1980s. From building desks with screwdrivers in a San Francisco basement to partnering with cultural icons like Cardi B and Narah Smith, Kim and Blair share the unfiltered truth about disrupting a legacy industry. They dive deep into why authenticity beats data, how leaning into satire and "the bit" creates viral cultural moments, and why true brand advocacy means fighting for systemic policy change on Capitol Hill. Episode Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome 02:01 - Meet Kim Chappell & Blair Pfander 03:27 - Leaving Tech for a Basement Startup: The Early Days of Bobbie 05:09 - Normalizing Combo Feeding & Defining Bobbie’s Visual Identity 07:58 - Challenging Legacy Formula Players with Radical Transparency 11:14 - The Power of Lived Experience Over Traditional MBAs 15:04 - The Cardi B Campaign: "Chief Confidence Officer" & 2 Billion Impressions 20:11 - Mid-Show Break 22:03 - Bobbie for Change: Connie’s Bill & Lobbying in D.C. 26:20 - The Narah Smith Campaign: Leaning into Satire & Standing by Creators 34:28 - Why Great Brands Have to "Lean Into the Bit" 35:32 - Retail Growth: Crushing it at Target & Costco 38:11 - What’s Next: Airport Vending Machines & Practitioner Stories 41:47 - Fortune Cookie Q&A: Company Culture & Remote Work Therapy 46:15 - Brands That Inspire: Fishwife, Sour Milk, Patagonia, Oura, & The Gap 51:03 - Why Bobbie Is One of the Best Brands on Earth #Bobbie #BrandStrategy #Marketing #StartupStory #Podcast #BestBrandsonEarth #Entrepreneurship #NarahSmith #CardiB #D2C #ConsumerBrands #WomenInBusiness