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	<title>Karim Khalil &#8211; MaxPodcasting</title>
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		<title>Karim Khalil &#8211; Wild Business Growth Podcast #261: Labneh Spreader, Founder of Yaza</title>
		<link>https://maxpodcasting.com/karim-khalil/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Max Branstetter]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:14:00 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Wild Business Growth Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foodpreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karim Khalil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yaza]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Karim Khalil, the Founder of Yaza, joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share his journey from growing up eating labneh to bringing the Mediterranean-style dip to the US.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>Introducing one of your favorite foods to a new country can be a beautiful thing. But it&#8217;s easier said than done. That&#8217;s the story of this week&#8217;s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/" target="_blank"><em>Wild Business Growth&nbsp;Podcast</em></a> guest, Karim Khalil. Karim is the Founder of Yaza. Listen to the episode on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wild-business-growth-podcast/id1422144338?mt=2" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6mSUsqYobBljhKIuK9sKJV" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJ7ovuCpHVg7SJchnF2BZg" target="_blank">YouTube</a>,&nbsp;and your other favorite <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/" target="_blank">podcast platforms</a>.</p>



<ul><li><a href="#episode-summary">Episode Summary &amp; Player</a></li><li><a href="#full-transcript">Full Transcript</a></li><li><a href="#show-notes">Show Notes</a></li><li><a href="#podcast-summary"><em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em> Summary</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="episode-summary">Episode 261: Karim Khalil – Labneh Spreader, Founder of Yaza</h2>



<p>Karim Khalil, the Founder of Yaza, joins the show to share his journey from growing up eating labneh to bringing the Mediterranean-style dip to the US. Hear what makes labneh different from other dips and spreads, how to educate consumers about your product or service, decide what flavors to launch with, achieve work-life balance while starting a business, and learn multiple languages. This episode covers everything from labneh to Excel. Here&#8217;s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:</p>



<ul><li>What family business did Karim grow up with</li><li>How do you grow your team</li><li>When did Karim start to think about introducing labneh to the US</li><li>What was his experience with the Beirut explosion</li><li>How much taste-testing was there to get the flavors right</li><li>What&#8217;s Karim&#8217;s ideal type of store to be in</li><li>Will Yaza partner with restaurants</li><li>What&#8217;s the most beautiful place Karim&#8217;s seen with his bare eyes</li></ul>



<p>Connect with Karim at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/" target="_blank">YazaFoods.com</a> and Instagram <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/yaza.foods/" target="_blank">@Yaza.Foods</a>.</p>



<h2 id="full-transcript"></h2>



<p>Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript <a href="https://maxpodcasting.com/karim-khalil-transcript/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p>



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<h2 id="show-notes"><strong>Show Notes</strong></h2>



<ul><li><strong>Intro &amp; Family Business</strong><ul><li>[0:25] Email me at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="mailto:&#109;ax&#64;hi&#112;&#112;&#111;&#100;ir&#101;&#99;t.&#99;om" target="_blank">ma&#120;&#64;m&#97;&#120;&#112;o&#100;cast&#105;n&#103;&#46;&#99;&#111;m</a> to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool</li><li>[0:35] Connect with Karim at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/" target="_blank">YazaFoods.com</a> and Instagram <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/yaza.foods/" target="_blank">@Yaza.Foods</a></li></ul><ul><li>[2:25] What family business did Karim grow up with</li><li>[3:22] How did his family get into the hair extensions business</li><li>[4:25] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/organization/sba-initiatives/small-business-saturday" target="_blank">Small Business</a></li><li>[5:01] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/" target="_blank">Entrepreneur</a></li><li>[5:16] How do you grow your team</li><li>[6:07] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/what-is-sales" target="_blank">Sales</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ama.org/the-definition-of-marketing-what-is-marketing/" target="_blank">Marketing</a></li><li>[6:43] How did Karim tackle the day-to-day when his father was sick</li></ul></li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1024x538.png" alt="Karim Khalil - Wild Business Growth Podcast #261: Labneh Spreader, Founder of Yaza" class="wp-image-7932" width="723" height="380" srcset="https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1024x538.png 1024w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-400x210.png 400w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-768x403.png 768w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-500x263.png 500w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-400x210@2x.png 800w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza.png 1200w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Karim-Khalil-Yaza-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-500x263@2x.png 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px" /><figcaption>Delicious!</figcaption></figure></div>



<ul><li><strong>The Yaza Story</strong><ul><li>[7:49] What is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/labneh/" target="_blank">labneh</a></li><li>[8:12] What makes labneh different from other dips and spreads</li><li>[8:43] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/labneh/" target="_blank">Probiotics</a></li><li>[9:44] When did Karim start to think about introducing labneh to the US</li><li>[10:03] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economy.asp" target="_blank">Economy</a></li><li>[10:42] What was Karim&#8217;s experience with the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Beirut_explosion" target="_blank">Beirut explosion</a></li><li>[11:40] How did he start creating the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/" target="_blank">Yaza</a> brand</li><li>[12:48] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-marks-043226" target="_blank">Ronald Marks</a></li><li>[13:20] How much taste-testing was there to get the flavors right</li><li>[13:46] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.helpscout.com/blog/customer-feedback/#:~:text=Customer%20feedback%20is%20the%20information,and%20especially)%20when%20it's%20negative." target="_blank">Customer Feedback</a></li><li>[14:27] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/square/2021/06/04/thinking-about-scaling-your-food-business-heres-what-to-know-about-co-packing/" target="_blank">Co-Packer</a></li><li>[14:47] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/strategy/how-to-create-a-prototype#:~:text=A%20prototype%20is%20a%20functional,launching%20to%20a%20wider%20market." target="_blank">Prototype</a></li><li>[15:28] How did Karim come up with the original 3 flavors of Yaza</li><li>[16:06] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/labneh/#zaatar" target="_blank">Za&#8217;atar &amp; Olive Oil</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/labneh/#spicy" target="_blank">Spicy Chili</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/labneh/#plain" target="_blank">Plain</a></li><li>[18:01] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doritos8.pepext.com/" target="_blank">Doritos</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.stacyssnacks.com/" target="_blank">Stacy&#8217;s Pita Chips</a></li><li>[18:16] Stacy Madison – <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/stacy-madison/" target="_blank"><em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em> #168</a>: Founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips and BeBOLD Bars</li><li>[18:48] Shoutout, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookeqilafi" target="_blank">Brooke Qilafi</a> of <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.qilafipr.com/" target="_blank">Qilafi PR</a>!</li><li>[19:08] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.kingsfoodmarkets.com/" target="_blank">Kings Food Markets</a></li><li>[19:23] How has Yaza gotten early momentum with retailers</li><li>[21:30] How is Karim educating consumers about labneh</li><li>[21:34] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/yaza.foods/" target="_blank">Social Media</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/recipes/" target="_blank">Yaza Recipes</a></li><li>[22:41] What&#8217;s Karim&#8217;s ideal type of store to be in</li><li>[23:04] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/recipe/lemony-pasta/" target="_blank">Lemony Pasta</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/recipe/beet-labneh/" target="_blank">Beet Labneh</a></li><li>[23:44] What&#8217;s been the biggest driver in the early success of Yaza</li><li>[25:09] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement &#8217;23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/PM23/" target="_blank">MaxPodcasting.com/PM23</a></li></ul><ul><li>[25:12] Sign up for the <em>Podcasting to the Max</em> newsletter at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter</a> and receive <em>How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity</em></li></ul></li><li><strong>Inspiration &amp; Creativity</strong><ul><li>[26:21] How do you achieve <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-have-good-work-life-balance" target="_blank">work-life balance</a> while starting a business</li><li>[28:17] How do you focus on family when you&#8217;re at home</li><li>[29:41] What&#8217;s the best entrepreneurship lesson Karim&#8217;s father taught him</li><li>[31:02] What&#8217;s the best life lesson he taught him</li><li>[31:49] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.hotjar.com/blog/market-research/#:~:text=Market%20research%20(or%20marketing%20research,leads%20and%20improves%20conversion%20rates." target="_blank">Market Research</a></li><li>[31:56] What are Karim&#8217;s favorite types of cuisines</li><li>[32:12] Pasta Freak!</li><li>[32:26] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://amardelray.com/" target="_blank">Amar</a> </li><li>[32:45] Shoutout, Gary &amp; Sheryl!</li><li>[33:01] Will Yaza partner with restaurants</li></ul></li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1024x449.jpg" alt="Karim Khalil - Wild Business Growth Podcast #261: Labneh Spreader, Founder of Yaza" class="wp-image-7936" width="729" height="319" srcset="https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1024x449.jpg 1024w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-400x175.jpg 400w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-768x337.jpg 768w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-500x219.jpg 500w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-400x175@2x.jpg 800w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1280x561.jpg 1280w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-1920x842.jpg 1920w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-768x337@2x.jpg 1536w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza.jpg 1979w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-500x219@2x.jpg 1000w, https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Yaza-Karim-Khalil-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-261-Labneh-Spreader-Founder-of-Yaza-800x351@2x.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 729px) 100vw, 729px" /><figcaption>Yuuuuuuuuuuuum</figcaption></figure></div>



<ul><li><strong>The Unusual</strong><ul><li>[34:01] What&#8217;s a Weird Talent Karim has</li><li>[34:10] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel" target="_blank">Excel</a></li><li>[35:11] What&#8217;s a pet peeve Karim has</li><li>[35:48] What&#8217;s a quirk he has </li></ul></li><li><strong>Rapid-Fire Q&amp;A</strong><ul><li>[36:42] How do you learn multiple languages</li><li>[37:13] What languages does Karim speak</li><li>[37:30] Which language was the most difficult to learn</li><li>[38:28] What&#8217;s the most beautiful place Karim&#8217;s seen with his bare eyes</li><li>[38:56] What&#8217;s his best memory from studying in London</li><li>[39:04] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.arsenal.com/" target="_blank">Arsenal</a></li><li>[39:50] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thierry_Henry" target="_blank">Thierry Henry</a></li><li>[40:10] <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/" target="_blank">Champions League</a></li><li>[40:20] What is Karim&#8217;s favorite way to eat Yaza</li><li>[41:22] Connect with Karim at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://yazafoods.com/" target="_blank">YazaFoods.com</a> and Instagram <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/yaza.foods/" target="_blank">@Yaza.Foods</a></li></ul><ul><li>[42:15] What are Karim&#8217;s Final Thoughts</li></ul><ul><li>[44:24]&nbsp;Follow the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/" target="_blank"><em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em></a> and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify</li></ul><ul><li>[44:45] Check out the <em>Wild Business Growth Podcast&nbsp;</em>on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.goodpods.com/" target="_blank">Goodpods</a>, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to</li><li>[44:47]&nbsp;Connect with me on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/maxbranstetter/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/maxbranstetter" target="_blank">Twitter</a> (aka <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/maxbranstetter" target="_blank">X</a>), and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-branstetter-74150a57/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> @MaxBranstetter</li><li>[44:50] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at <a href="mailto:ma&#120;&#64;ma&#120;&#112;od&#99;&#97;s&#116;i&#110;&#103;.&#99;&#111;&#109;">&#109;&#97;&#120;&#64;&#109;a&#120;po&#100;c&#97;&#115;&#116;i&#110;g.com</a> to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool</li><li>[44:56] Sign up for the&nbsp;<em>Podcasting to the Max</em>&nbsp;newsletter at&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter</a>&nbsp;and receive <em>How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity</em></li><li>Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik &#8211; &#8220;Jungle Tribe&#8221; &#8211; provided by Jamendo</li></ul></li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://maxpodcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Max-OFFICIAL-Wild-Business-Growth-Podcast-1024x1024.jpg" alt="Karim Khalil - Wild Business Growth Podcast #261: Labneh Spreader, Founder of Yaza" class="wp-image-4217" width="519" height="519"/></figure></div>



<h2 id="podcast-summary"><strong>What is the <em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em>?</strong></h2>



<p>Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the <em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em> to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business &#8211; and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy&#8217;s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/about/" target="_blank">Max Branstetter</a> (that&#8217;s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.</p>



<h2><strong>How do you start a podcast?</strong></h2>



<p>Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don&#8217;t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at <a href="mailto:max&#64;&#109;a&#120;p&#111;dcas&#116;&#105;ng.&#99;om">m&#97;&#120;&#64;m&#97;&#120;p&#111;&#100;c&#97;s&#116;&#105;ng&#46;&#99;&#111;&#109;</a> to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.</p>



<p>Thanks for listening to Karim Khalil on the <em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em>.<em> </em>To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://maxpodcasting.com/wild-business-growth-podcast/" target="_blank"><em>Wild Business Growth Podcast</em></a> and tell a friend about it. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild&#8230;and <strong><em>Bring on the Bongos!!</em></strong></p>
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