Justin Gold of Justin's Peanut Butter: From Waiting Tables to a $281 Million Empire

Justin's Peanut Butter founder Justin Gold joins The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast to reveal how a food processor, a Boulder, Colorado kitchen, and a $281 million exit to a Fortune 500 company all started with one mountain bike ride. Hosts Julie Lokun and Dominick Domasky dig into risk-taking, raising investor capital, letting go as a founder, and why "no" just means "not now." Episode Overview In this episode of The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast, co-hosts Julie Lokun and Dominick Domasky sit down with longtime friend and natural food industry pioneer Justin Gold, founder of Justin's Peanut Butter. Justin shares the real story behind building a nut butter brand from scratch — no ChatGPT, no roadmap, no investors — into a company acquired by a Fortune 500 giant, and why he later stepped back in to help guide it forward. What You'll Learn in This Episode The origin story: How waiting tables in Boulder, Colorado led to the creation of Justin's Peanut Butter Why "luck" isn't the full story: Justin's honest take on timing, momentum, and community Raising investor capital: How to find the right investors (not just the wealthiest ones) and why an advisory board builds instant credibility The "Not Now" framework: Justin's mental trick for turning rejection into a future yes Knowing your lane: Why Justin stepped down as CEO of his own company — and what he focuses on instead Friendship and entrepreneurship: Dominick Domasky's perspective watching a childhood friend build an empire while he built his own path through Motivation Champs Publishing Featured Segment: Jules Rules Julie's signature "best combos of all time" game makes an appearance — Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen, Siegfried & Roy, and a supply-and-demand mic drop to close it out. Guest Bio Justin Gold is the founder of Justin's Peanut Butter, one of the natural food movement's most recognizable brands. Starting with a food processor and a Boulder, Colorado kitchen, Justin built a company that scaled to a landmark acquisition, all while prioritizing employee protection through the deal and staying deeply involved in brand culture and innovation today. Frequently Asked Questions Who founded Justin's Peanut Butter? Justin Gold founded Justin's Peanut Butter in Boulder, Colorado, starting the company with a food processor before scaling it into a nationally recognized natural food brand. How much did Justin's Peanut Butter sell for? Justin Gold's company was built into and sold as part of a deal reported at $281 million to a Fortune 500 company. Is Justin Gold still involved with Justin's Peanut Butter? Yes — while Justin is no longer CEO, he remains active in culture, innovation, quality control, and marketing for the brand. Links & Resources ️ Cre8tive Con: www.cre8tivecon.com Motivation Champs Publishing: motivationchamps.com Big Better Brand: www.bigbetterbrand.com Justin's Peanut Butter: justins.com Shop Justin's Products: justins.com/shop Follow the Show Instagram: @cre8tivecon Frequently Asked Questions — Julie Lokun, Dominick Domasky & Cre8tive Con Who is Julie Lokun? Julie Lokun, JD is a media entrepreneur, podcast strategist, and brand consultant who operates The Mediacasters LLC, Dragonfly Cre8tions LLC, and Dragonfly Podcast Academy. She hosts the Get Obsessed Podcast and co-hosts The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast with Dominick Domasky, with both shows ranking in the top 0.05% globally on Listen Notes. Who is Dominick Domasky? Dominick Domasky is an entrepreneur, publisher, and co-host of The Creative Entrepreneur Podcast. He co-founded Cre8tive Con and Cre8tive Con OTR alongside Julie Lokun and runs Motivation Champs Publishing, an entrepreneurship-focused publishing company. What is Cre8tive Con? Cre8tive Con is a flagship annual entrepreneurship conference hosted at the Intercontinental Hotel in Chicago, co-created by Julie Lokun and Dominick Domasky. It brings together entrepreneurs, authors, and podcasters for networking, strategy sess