How This Ex-Attorney Reinvented Hard Candy as a Health Tool
In this Founder Feature, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Erica Haft, founder of Sweeter Collective, an organic hard candy brand modernizing the category with just 16 calories, less than 3 grams of sugar, and nearly 2 grams of fiber per piece.
Erica spent almost 10 years as an attorney before leaving law behind to build the brand. Her inspiration was close to home: her mother, a registered dietitian, has eaten hard candy daily for over 30 years to satisfy her sweet tooth without derailing her health goals. After nearly two years of R&D, including an early attempt at the old-school "panning" technique used for jawbreakers, Erica landed on a boiling method using soluble tapioca fiber and oats to create a long-lasting, slow-dissolving candy in a custom round sphere mold.
Caitlin and Erica dig into why the panning technique didn't work out, how Erica found a co-manufacturer willing to make an unconventional round candy shape, the planetary branding inspired by her hometown of Jupiter, Florida, real feedback from in-store demos at Sprouts, and how she's positioning hard candy not as a treat to restrict, but as a daily tool for mindfulness and control.
Listen in as they discuss:
- How Erica's mother's 30-year hard candy habit as a registered dietitian sparked the idea for Sweeter Collective
- Why Erica initially tried the old-school "panning" technique used for jawbreakers, and why it didn't work
- How she landed on a boiling method using soluble tapioca fiber and oats for a slow-dissolving candy
- Why finding a co-manufacturer with a round sphere mold (instead of the standard disc shape) took months
- The planetary branding, inspired by her hometown of Jupiter, Florida, that shapes the "Sweeter Universe" concept
- Real customer feedback from in-store demos at Sprouts, including hesitation around price point
- Why Erica frames Sweeter Pops as "the cheapest tool in your toolbox" compared to other wellness spend
- How the brand is evolving its packaging to better educate shelf shoppers on what makes it different
- Why positioning hard candy as a mindfulness tool, not a restriction, is central to the brand's message
- What's next for Sweeter Collective, including a packaging refresh and dream flavor collaborations
🍬 Listener Perk: Use code STARTUPCPG for 10% off your order at sweetercollective.com - one-time use per customer.
Episode Links:
- Erica Haft LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ericahaft
- Sweeter Collective LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sweetercollective
- Sweeter Collective Website: www.sweetercollective.com
- Sweeter Collective Instagram: www.instagram.com/sweetercollective
- Sweeter Collective TikTok: @sweetercollective
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Show Links:
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- Episode music by Super Fantastics
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