In a recent episode, I talked with Joe Rotondo, Founder & CEO of Smearcase, shared the story behind launching FroCo—the world’s first frozen cottage cheese dessert. The idea was born during marathon training when Joe couldn't find a high-protein ice cream option. This led him to experiment with cottage cheese and eventually developing a product that offers 40 grams of protein per pint.

Smearcase quickly scaled from a kitchen experiment to being stocked in over 100 stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts, within a year. The brand's name, "Smearcase," is derived from the German word "schmierkäse," meaning cottage cheese, reflecting its roots and mission to redefine healthy indulgence.

This is a great episode for an emerging brand founder (especially in frozen)!

Inside the episode

• The Origin Story: How a post-run craving during marathon training sparked the idea for a high-protein frozen treat made with cottage cheese

• From Kitchen to Shelves: The rapid journey of Smearcase—from homemade experiments to landing in 100+ stores, including Whole Foods and Sprouts, in under a year

• Retail Breakthrough: The tradeshow that catapulted Smearcase into retail distribution

• Advice for Founders: Joe’s unfiltered insights for emerging CPG founders—especially those navigating the complexities of launching a frozen product

This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds is a platform that connects everyday, smaller creators with brands to share in-store user-generated content, drive brand awareness in specific retailers, and capture competitive market share. They’re an awesome platform that I recommend to all my clients that you should absolutely check out. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details.