Gotta keep the integrity of the sandwich. It’s a big deal if you like subs, and a very tricky deal if your sub is in a cooler. Not anymore, thanks to this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Desiree Haller. Desiree is the Founder and CEO of SubSafe. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.
Episode 223: Desiree Haller– Sandwich Protector, Founder of SubSafe
Desiree Haller, the Founder and CEO of SubSafe, joins the show to share her journey from soggy sub sandwiches in the cooler to inventing the products to keep them fresh. Hear how to differentiate your products, create a lifestyle brand, inspire your team to be entrepreneurial, Desiree’s favorite sub of all time, and the showdown with the goliath grouper. This episode covers everything from watertight containers to dance parties. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- What made Desiree and her husband sell the boat
- Where did the idea for SubSafe come from
- What were the initial steps to making SubSafe
- How many iterations went into the initial design
- What makes it different than other containers on the market
- How did they come up with the tagline
- What are common entrepreneurship lessons from Shark Tank alums
- Dil Pickles from Rugrats
Connect with Desiree at TheSubSafe.com and on social media.
Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.
Show Notes
- Intro & Selling Your Boat
- [0:29] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
- [0:39] Connect with Desiree at TheSubSafe.com and on social media
- [2:16] Geez
- [2:37] What made Desiree and her husband sell the boat
- [3:01] Capital
- [3:22] What was their best memory on that boat
- [3:55] Entrepreneurs
- [4:08] What did it unlock for them when they sold the boat
- [4:43] Plastic Injection
- [5:26] Investor
- [5:38] What is MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
- The SubSafe Story
- [6:01] Sweet, sweet alliteration
- [6:25] Where did the idea for SubSafe come from
- [7:23] Ziploc
- [7:54] Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Amazon
- [8:10] Nooooooo!
- [8:31] Same
- [9:45] What were the initial steps to making SubSafe
- [9:54] Shark Tank
- [10:11] Tupperware, Rubbermaid
- [10:42] Patent Attorney
- [11:24] How many iterations went into the initial SubSafe design
- [11:48] Internet
- [12:49] What makes SubSafe different than other containers on the market
- [14:05] Gotcha
- [14:28] Nice voice crack
- [14:36] How does SubSafe come up with line extensions
- [15:58] So cool
- [16:20] How did they come up with the SubSafe tagline
- [16:42] Lifestyle Brand
- [17:20] How did Desiree react to her employees leaving to start their own businesses
- [18:54] What goes into making a lifestyle brand
- [19:04] Trade Shows, Cash & Carry Shows
- [19:28] Influencers, Facebook Advertising, Social Media Advertising
- [20:13] What’s working the best right now in terms of advertising
- [20:19] TikTok, Instagram Reels
- [21:02] Dougie
- [21:05] What else works well on social media
- [21:11] Reel nice one
- [22:27] What changed in the business since SubSafe appeared on Shark Tank
- [24:01] It’s that conceivable
- [24:16] Is there anything Desiree would’ve done differently on Shark Tank
- [24:32] Sales
- [25:45] Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful
- [25:59] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
- Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
- [27:00] How does Desiree get ideas to fuel back into the business
- [27:09] Podcasts
- [28:00] What are common entrepreneurship lessons from Shark Tank alums
- [29:20] The coolest quote ever
- [29:42] How do you be and stay creative
- [30:12] Meditation
- [31:00] What social media accounts inspire Desiree
- The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
- [32:00] What’s a weird talent Desiree has
- [32:23] What’s a pet peeve she has
- [32:35] Anxiety
- [33:22] A little extra mustard on that
- [33:42] Amazon Prime
- [33:48] Small Business, UPS, USPS
- [34:32] What’s a quirk Desiree has
- [34:57] True true
- Rapid-Fire Q&A
- [35:06] What is Desiree’s favorite type of sub of all time
- [35:26] Dil Pickles from Rugrats
- [35:50] What’s the craziest story Desiree’s husband has from deep sea fishing
- [36:02] Goliath Grouper
- [36:39] What’s a horror story of food or drinks spilling in a cooler
- [37:00] Super soggy ewwwwww
- [37:48] Board of Directors
- [38:02] Publix
- [38:19] Gunwale
- [38:52] It’s everywhere
- [39:08] What are the best reasons to move to Vermont and Florida
- [39:25] Can’t talk about that beautiful foliage
- [40:04] Shoutout, Phyllis!
- [40:53] Connect with Desiree at TheSubSafe.com and on social media
- [41:27] What are Desiree’s Final Thoughts
- [42:07] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And 5 stars on Apple Podcasts & Spotify if you’re feeling super nice
- [42:27] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
- [42:30] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn @MaxBranstetter
- [42:34] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
- [42:40] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
- Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo
What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?
Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.
How do you start a podcast?
Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.
Thanks for listening to Desiree Haller on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And SubSafe it up with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!
