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Episode 352: Jason Liebig – Candy Historian, Collecting Candy

Jason Liebig, the Candy Historian and TV Consultant & Storyteller, joins the show to share his journey from DC Comics & Marvel Comics to becoming the leading expert on candy, snacks, and nostalgia for shows like Stranger Things and Mad Men. Hear how to get good at collecting things, the top candy entrepreneurship stories, which candies are related to each other, the most unusual candies in history, and the most creative use of chocolate. This episode covers everything from nostalgic candy to Thanksgiving Dinner OREOs. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Why is there so much demand for nostalgia
• Krazy Kids’ Food!
• How many different colors of Heinz EZ Squirt were there
• Nerds Gummy Clusters
• “The Junior Mint”

Connect with Jason at CollectingCandy.com, on social media @CollectingCandy, and on LinkedIn.

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

Show Notes

• Intro & Nostalgia
  • [0:27] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:33] Connect with Jason at CollectingCandy.com, on social media @CollectingCandy, and on LinkedIn
  • [2:41] Why is there so much demand for nostalgia
  • [4:54] Future Shock by Alvin Toffler
  • [5:04] McDonald’s, Taco Bell
  • [7:07] Shoutout, Mom’s Reese’s Cookies!
  • [7:37] Shoutout, Tyrek!
  • [7:45] Hersey’s Kisses
  • [8:35] Main Street, U.S.A. in Disney Land
  • [9:38] McDonald’s Monopoly
  • [9:58] Grimace
  • [10:22] The Grinch Meal, McDonald’s Snow Globes

• The Collecting Candy Story
  • [11:32] Why did Jason start Collecting Candy
  • [12:15] DC Comics, Marvel Comics
  • [13:00] Negative Space, CYMK, RGB, Trapping
  • [13:41] Barnes & Noble
  • [13:47] Krazy Kids’ Food! by Steve Roden & Dan Goodsell
  • [14:38] Hot Tamales, Marathon Bar, Super Sugar Crisp
  • [15:22] Rickey Henderson
  • [16:03] Flickr
  • [19:26] Heinz EZ Squirt
  • [20:06] How many different colors of Heinz EZ Squirt were there
  • [20:38] Heinz EZ Squirt Super Pizza Sauce
  • [21:05] Pop Secret Pop Qwiz, Ore Ida Funky Fries
  • [22:08] How do you get good at collecting things
  • [25:48] How did Jason start consulting & starring on TV
  • [26:12] White Space
  • [27:29] Mad Men
  • [28:08] FAO Schwarz
  • [28:18] Stranger Things, Eggo Waffles
  • [28:41] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Jason
  • [28:42] 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
  • [28:44] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Entrepreneurial Candy Stories
  • [29:02] What are some candy entrepreneurship stories
  • [29:37] Big League Chew
  • [30:10] Portland Mavericks, The Savannah Bananas
  • [33:22] Chu-Bops
  • [35:02] Sunline
  • [35:45] Lick-m-aid, Fun Dip
  • [36:54] Pixy Stix
  • [38:36] SweeTARTS
  • [39:25] Menlo Smith
  • [40:04] Chewy SweeTARTS, Tangy Taffy aka Laffy Taffy
  • [41:16] Nerds
  • [41:26] Nerds Gummy Clusters
• Rapid-Fire Q&A: Unusual Candy Edition
  • [42:45] Molas-o-Mint Lifesavers, Musk Lifesavers
  • [44:03] Thanksgiving Dinner OREOs
  • [44:41] What’s the most creative use of chocolate in history
  • [46:54] Japanese Kit Kat
  • [48:18] “The Junior Mint” Seinfeld Episode
  • [50:25] Tic Tac, Dynamints
  • [53:01] Google
  • [53:08] Taylor Swift Album Announcement
  • [53:21] What would the Jason Candy Bar have in it
  • [53:50] Bazooka
  • [55:04] Connect with Jason at CollectingCandy.com, on social media @CollectingCandy, and on LinkedIn
  • [56:08] What are Jason’s Final Thoughts
  • [56:38] 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
  • [56:46] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Jason
  • [56:49] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [56:50] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [56:52] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [56:54] 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 max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Jason Liebig 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 give them some candy. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!