Len Kretchman – Wild Business Growth Podcast #322: Uncrustables Creator, Bread Kneads Co-Founder

Find a way to make it. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth podcast guest, Len Kretchman. Len is the Creator of Uncrustables and Co-Founder of Bread Kneads. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms, and watch on YouTube.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth podcast Summary

Episode 322: Len Kretchman – Uncrustables Creator, Bread Kneads Co-Founder

Len Kretchman, the Creator of Uncrustables and Co-Founder of Bread Kneads, joins the show to share his journey from college football star to creating the crustless PB&J sandwich that became a billion-dollar brand. Hear how his wife Emily came up with the idea for Uncrustables, the insights that made them possible to produce, the moment they knew it would be a success, how they sold Uncrustables to Smucker’s, and Len’s favorite route to run as a wide receiver. This episode covers everything from PB&J to Paintin’ Manning. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What’s unique about the school food service industry
• When did Len decide they needed a patent for Uncrustables
• Did he ever think he’d sell the business one day
• Cooperstown
• What is Len’s favorite type of bread to eat

Connect with Len at BreadKneadsLLC.com and .

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Bread Kneads
  • [0:57] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [1:14] Connect with Len at BreadKneadsLLC.com and
  • [2:40] How did he start selling frozen bread for a living
  • [3:45] What’s unique about the school food service industry

• The Uncrustables Story
  • [5:35] “Wait, NFL players eat how many Uncrustables?“
  • [5:52] Where did the idea for Uncrustables come from
  • [7:49] What insights made Uncrustables possible to produce
  • [9:57] What was the “aha” moment for Len’s wife Emily
  • [11:17] When did Len know Uncrustables would be a success
  • [12:08] Not to get technical
  • [14:05] Paintin’ Manning
  • [14:08] When did Len decide they needed a patent for Uncrustables
  • [16:15] How did Smucker’s buy Uncrustables
  • [17:25] Vince Byrd
  • [17:58] Richard Smucker, Tim Smucker
  • [18:16] Did Len ever think he’d sell the business one day
  • [19:08] Should you sell your business as an entrepreneur
  • [20:15] “The untold story of how Uncrustables became a nearly $1 billion brand. Yes, Uncrustables“
  • [21:29] Why did Uncrustables become a success
  • [22:47] Cooperstown aka Baseball Hall of Fame
  • [22:57] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Len
  • [22:58] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [23:00] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [24:02] What’s Len’s favorite memory from playing football at North Dakota State University (NDSU)
  • [25:08] Don Morton
  • [26:04] Al Pacino Any Given Sunday Speech
  • [26:50] What was Len’s favorite route to run as a wide receiver (WR)
  • [27:52] Met Stadium (Metropolitan Stadium), Ahmad Rashad, Cris Carter, Randy Moss
  • [28:41] What is Len’s favorite type of bread to eat
  • [30:02] Connect with Len at BreadKneadsLLC.com and
  • [30:44] What are Len’s Final Thoughts
  • [30:55] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [31:22] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Len
  • [31:23] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [31:24] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [31:27] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [31:35] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • 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, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, 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 and professional-looking 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 Len Kretchman 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 pound some Uncrustables with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!