Latest news with #Brooklyn-based
Time Business News
13 hours ago
- Business
- Time Business News
How Spicy Became Sophisticated: The Rise of Niche Food Brands
In a world where consumer choice has never been broader, success no longer belongs solely to the biggest brands with the largest distribution networks. Increasingly, niche brands are outperforming industry giants by cultivating passionate audiences, owning direct customer relationships, and offering unique, high-quality products that resonate beyond basic utility. One of the most compelling examples of this evolution comes from the hot sauce industry—long dominated by mass-produced labels found in supermarket aisles. Enter HEATONIST, a Brooklyn-based brand that has become a cult favorite among hot sauce connoisseurs and casual spice lovers alike. But what makes HEATONIST more than just a trendy condiment startup is the way it reflects the larger transformation of consumer behavior, brand loyalty, and digital-first retail strategy. The Shift Toward Experiential ConsumptionToday's consumers—particularly millennials and Gen Z—are less interested in product accumulation and more invested in curated experiences. Food, once primarily a necessity, has become a canvas for self-expression, social sharing, and community connection. HEATONIST has leaned into this trend by offering curated hot sauce tasting boxes, small-batch exclusives, and even pairing guides that help customers match sauces to specific cuisines, cocktails, or occasions. The brand doesn't just sell a bottle—it sells a story, a taste journey, and often, a challenge. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) is the Distribution Power MoveTraditional grocery retail is built around shelf space and distributor relationships. But the DTC model flips that dynamic: customer relationships become the primary currency, and email lists, subscription models, and repeat purchasing drive sustained bypasses traditional retail channels and reaches customers directly through its website and physical tasting room. By doing so, they retain full control over pricing, packaging, storytelling, and, most importantly—data. This control allows them to: A/B test new flavors and formulas Use purchase data to personalize marketing Offer dynamic discounts, like through a verified HEATONIST Coupon Code Build recurring revenue through monthly subscription boxesThe result? A leaner operation with higher customer lifetime value and greater brand resilience. Content is the New AdvertisingYou won't see HEATONIST commercials on prime-time TV. Instead, the brand has built its visibility through smart partnerships and highly engaging digital among them is its relationship with the YouTube series 'Hot Ones,' where celebrities are interviewed while eating increasingly spicy wings. HEATONIST provides many of the sauces featured on the show, turning each episode into a de facto brand endorsement—without traditional ad strategy has fueled massive organic growth, with fans seeking out the exact sauces used in episodes. The brand's clever use of influencer marketing, content placement, and UGC (user-generated content) has become a playbook for other niche DTC brands. Scarcity and Drop Culture Drive DemandAnother strategy HEATONIST borrows from streetwear and sneaker culture is the concept of limited drops. Rather than keeping every product in constant stock, they rotate seasonal releases, run limited editions, and even offer 'first-taste' access to email subscribers. This approach does two things: It creates urgency and exclusivity, boosting conversion rates. It encourages community building, as fans discuss launches, share reactions, and even trade bottles. For a product with relatively low per-unit value, this model drives disproportionate engagement and return visits—making hot sauce feel more like collectibles than condiments. HEATONIST's trajectory isn't just a heartwarming tale of spice and entrepreneurship—it's a case study in modern retail evolution. It shows that with the right balance of product quality, brand storytelling, direct sales strategy, and content integration, even highly specific categories can scale profitably without mass market dilution. For business leaders, the lessons are clear: Niche markets are viable growth engines when approached with precision Community and culture can replace traditional advertising Vertical control beats horizontal sprawl in the early growth phase Emotional resonance and identity alignment matter more than SKU volume HEATONIST proves that it's possible to sell something as simple as hot sauce—and do it in a way that feels premium, personal, and powerful. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Wild moment plane passenger Leanna Perry has screaming body-shaming meltdown on flight before being handcuffed by cops
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the shocking moment a passenger screams and spits at a another traveller before being handcuffed and escorted off the plane. Leanna Perry, 32, was charged with aggravated assault after throwing a fit and pulling a woman's hair on a Southwest Airlines flight on Tuesday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Leanna Perry is seen screaming at another passenger before being escorted off the flight Credit: Tiktok 6 Leanna is a Brooklyn-based artist who has worked with top brands like SHEIN Credit: Pinterest 6 The Brooklyn artist was escorted out of the plane on a stretcher Credit: Tiktok Footage from inside the plane at La Guardia airport shows the Brooklyn-based illustration artist launching her verbal assault at a fellow passenger. Several passengers and airline staff are seen trying to calm the passenger down as she grabs another woman's hair and calls her a 'fat a** b****.' She is then heard shouting: 'Ugly a** bitch,' and 'Your boyfriend's d–k is like 2 inches big. It's embarrassing. I'm so sorry about your boyfriend." The artist then cries out she "can't breathe" whilst members of staff try and restrain her by zip-tying her hands behind her back. She is then captured screaming 'F**k you!'as one flyer pleads 'Can anybody do something, please?' The Brooklyn-based illustration artist was escorted off the plane in a gurney and taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated assault, the Port Authority Police Department said. Leanna is an established creator in New York, having worked for brands such as Maybelline, MAC, and SHEIN, the Mail Online reports. According to the paper, she is also well acquainted with the NYC fashion scene and has been spotted at several runway shows and events. Hailing from the small midwest city of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Leanne also counts fashion designers Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller in her client portfolio. She also reportedly started a job at makeup giant Maybelline, New York. Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams left horrified by air passenger's digusting act as she calls them out on Instagram Port Authority Police told the Post they "responded to a report of an intoxicated passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight at Terminal B of LaGuardia Airport." A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said: "The Customer involved in the incident was removed from the flight and denied boarding, 'We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident.' This isn't the first time a passenger has been escorted off a flight for causing a nuissance. Earlier this month, cabin footage showed the shocking moment a drunk man was thrown off a flight for vomiting on another passenger. The ordeal took place on an EVA Air flight from Taiwan to Austria - a gruelling 13-hour journey - and was recorded by another passenger. In the video, the boozed up man is seen hunched over the seat in front of him. Desperate flight attendants attempt to pull him out of his seat but the man does not move an inch. A security guard in a high vis jackets is even seen next to the man before crew try to lift him up again. 6 Leanna is seen pulling another passenger's hair Credit: Tiktok 6 Leanna is believed to be well-acquainted with the city's arts scene Credit: Pinterest
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Wild moment plane passenger Leanna Perry has screaming body-shaming meltdown on flight before being handcuffed by cops
THIS is the shocking moment a passenger screams and spits at a another traveller before being handcuffed and escorted off the plane. Leanna Perry, 32, was charged with aggravated assault after throwing a fit and pulling a woman's hair on a Southwest Airlines flight on Tuesday. 6 Leanna Perry is seen screaming at another passenger before being escorted off the flight Credit: Tiktok 6 Leanna is a Brooklyn-based artist who has worked with top brands like SHEIN Credit: Pinterest 6 The Brooklyn artist was escorted out of the plane on a stretcher Credit: Tiktok Footage from inside the plane at La Guardia airport shows the Brooklyn-based illustration artist launching her verbal assault at a fellow passenger. Several passengers and airline staff are seen trying to calm the passenger down as she grabs another woman's hair and calls her a 'fat a** b****.' She is then heard shouting: 'Ugly a** bitch,' and 'Your boyfriend's d–k is like 2 inches big. It's embarrassing. I'm so sorry about your boyfriend." The artist then cries out she "can't breathe" whilst members of staff try and restrain her by zip-tying her hands behind her back. Read more on US News She is then captured screaming 'F**k you!'as one flyer pleads 'Can anybody do something, please?' The Brooklyn-based illustration artist was escorted off the plane in a gurney and taken into custody on suspicion of aggravated assault, the Port Authority Police Department said. Leanna is an established creator in New York, having worked for brands such as Maybelline, MAC, and SHEIN, the According to the paper, she is also well acquainted with the NYC fashion scene and has been spotted at several runway shows and events. Most read in The US Sun Hailing from the small midwest city of Lee's Summit, Missouri, Leanne also counts fashion designers Betsey Johnson and Nicole Miller in her client portfolio. She also reportedly started a job at makeup giant Maybelline, New York. Destiny's Child star Michelle Williams left horrified by air passenger's digusting act as she calls them out on Instagram Port Authority Police told A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said: "The Customer involved in the incident was removed from the flight and denied boarding, 'We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident.' This isn't the first time a passenger has been escorted off a flight for causing a nuissance. Earlier this month, cabin footage showed the The ordeal took place on an EVA Air flight from Taiwan to Austria - a gruelling 13-hour journey - and was recorded by another passenger. In the video, the boozed up man is seen hunched over the seat in front of him. Desperate flight attendants attempt to pull him out of his seat but the man does not move an inch. A security guard in a high vis jackets is even seen next to the man before crew try to lift him up again. 6 Leanna is seen pulling another passenger's hair Credit: Tiktok 6 Leanna is believed to be well-acquainted with the city's arts scene Credit: Pinterest 6 The artist was handcuffed by cops before being taken to hospital Credit: Pinterest
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Millennial Writes Off 'Terrible' Apartment Listing—Then Realizes Mistake
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A Brooklyn-based content creator's hunt for an apartment in New York City has gone viral, showcasing how a poor listing may have helped her land what she called the "best worst listing ever." Victoria, an NYC-based lifestyle and food creator in her early 30s who posts under the handle @atyourleisurenyc on YouTube and Instagram, shared her unusual apartment hunting story in a video. The clip, which has amassed over 221,000 views since it was posted on YouTube on June 13, features various shots of Victoria in her apartment. "I still can't believe I found my rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment with in-unit washer dryer in New York City on StreetEasy with zero competition and here's how," Victoria says in the video. She explains in the video: "My friend sent me the listing, but I almost skipped it. The photos were terrible, the description was super generic, did not mention any amenities, and the rent was out of my budget. But then the broker texted me a video of the apartment and said the listed price was actually $300 too high, which was so sketchy, but I went to go see it anyway." Victoria's viral video comes at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to afford housing. A 2024 report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University describes an "unprecedented affordability crisis," with nearly half of all renter households in the U.S. considered cost-burdened. About 12.1 million are "severely cost-burdened," meaning they spend over 50% of their income on rent and utilities. 'Exactly What I've Been Looking For' Victoria moved into her Brooklyn apartment in February 2024. Speaking to Newsweek, she explained that the broker's video, which showed the apartment furnished by the previous tenant, offered her a more realistic view of the space than the official listing. "I liked the layout, large windows, and spacious closet of the apartment, and the fact that it had a dishwasher and in-unit laundry and was in an elevator building," she told Newsweek. "I was the only one who saw the apartment on the night that I went, and don't think there were other viewers on other days. The photos on StreetEasy were blurry and unappealing—I found out later that some of the photos weren't even of my actual apartment." The night she viewed it was far from typical. "I showed up for a tour at 6:00 p.m. in the dead of winter only to find that the power was cut and the broker couldn't make it," she recalls in the video. "So I toured the apartment by myself in the dark with my phone flashlight and the broker on speaker phone. I realized even in the dark that I had finally found exactly what I've been looking for." Having viewed several other apartments in Brooklyn that she couldn't see herself living in, "this one had everything I was looking for and was just within my budget," she told Newsweek. Her monthly rent was about $3,200 at move-in, but the building's participation in New York City's 421-a tax abatement program meant it came with a rent-stabilization rider—a rare find in the current market. Although the stabilization clause expires at the end of June, Victoria secured a two-year lease extension at the current rate. Despite the apartment's many perks, not everything was perfect. "Although I hated the floors of the apartment—they were an ugly linoleum yellow tile—I knew I couldn't not sign the lease because of that," she said. "So, I ended up installing peel and stick flooring all throughout my apartment and strategically layering several rugs to cover up the existing floors." Her decision paid off. "Thank God the StreetEasy listing was so bad and scared everyone else off," Victoria says at the end of the video. "It was the best worst listing ever." Screenshots from a viral video on YouTube showing an exterior and interior shot of a rare rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, New York City. Screenshots from a viral video on YouTube showing an exterior and interior shot of a rare rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, New York City. @atyourleisurenyc on YouTube and Instagram Do you have a home-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Charles Ponzi's fascinating twist on the American Dream — as played by Sebastian Maniscalco
More than 100 years ago, the name Charles Ponzi was splashed on newspaper front pages across the land and poured from radio broadcasts, putting the phrase 'Ponzi Scheme' firmly into the arsenal of generations of would-be con artists. Sebastian Maniscalco, an Arlington Heights native who worked at a McDonald's long before becoming a successful actor and comedian, had very little knowledge of Ponzi when he got a call from a man named Will Malnati. 'I had once almost, almost, been the victim of a Ponzi scheme in the early 2000s,' Maniscalco told me. 'So at least I knew the name.' Malnati, a native of Northbrook and Northfield and a proud part of a family pizza empire, founded At Will Media in 2016, a Brooklyn-based, independently-owned podcast studio. It has produced many fine programs, including, in partnership with the Tribune, 'Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders' in 2022, and the haunting 'The Last Days of Cabrini-Green' last year. These two men have created an enlightening and entertaining eight-episode podcast series. 'Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story' is an Apple Original Podcast, produced by At Will Media, with Maniscalco as Ponzi. You can hear its first two episodes now, with future episodes arriving weekly through July 28. And here's how it came to be. 'A friend had sent me a YouTube link about Charles Ponzi, a pretty crude piece taped in a basement,' Malnati said. 'I didn't know much about Ponzi. I had heard the name, of course, but knew almost nothing about the man. So I started digging around and couldn't find a great deal. I wanted more, and so I started thinking of how this story could be told.' He was further grabbed by what he found to be marked similarities between Ponzi and Maniscalco. 'I only knew Sebastian as a fan, but I found his resemblance to Ponzi so striking that I gave him a call to see if he was interested in a project.' Maniscalco was a very busy man. Not only was he regularly on tour, often with Chicago's Pat McGann as his opening act, he has released six comedy specials, has had supporting roles in such films as 'The Green Mile' and 'The Irishman,' and wrote and starred, with Robert DeNiro, in 'About My Father.' Not incidentally, was already part of the podcast world, with 'The Pete and Sebastian Show,' which he described to me as, 'Just me and my buddy Pete (Correale, a stand-up comic and writer) sitting around talking.' Amid all of that, Maniscalco found time to listen to Malnati. 'I didn't know much about storytelling podcasts,' he said. To enlighten him, Malnati sent him links to 'Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy,' the Apple Original podcast produced by At Will Media in 2021. Maniscalco listened, often during the 20 minutes he spends each morning in a steam room. His reaction was 'Wow, this is fantastic.' And so did these two children of the Chicago suburbs team up, along with many others, to create Apple's first original scripted podcast. Fascinating in its details, 'Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story,' is polished in its production, each episode in the neighborhood of 40 minutes. There are many other characters, good ones and nasty ones. Yes, it focuses on a colorful, wide-reaching criminal but, thanks to some recently discovered letters, it's a love story too. The relationship between Ponzi and his wife Rose (performed by Candice Shedd-Thompson) is memorably touching. So, when I say Ponzi, what pops into your mind? Likely the face of Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in history which usually fails to credit, even mention, the creator of the scheme which is defined as 'a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors.' Though there were variations of this boondoggle before Ponzi, he was its most colorful and talented practitioner (for a surprisingly short time), a 5-foot, 2-inch tall Italian immigrant of ambitions that eventually turned avaricious. Hosted with considerable charm by Maya Lau, a former Los Angeles Times reporter and podcaster, deeply researched and stylishly written by Matt Hickey and Kevin Hynes, it is directed by Katie Finneran, also from Chicago. This was all new to Maniscalco, who says, 'In my comedy, there's a lot of visualization in the way I tell stories. I can see things in my head. In movies, I'm on a set. I'm in the Copacabana in the 'Irishman,' there's Don Rickles over there on the stage. I don't have to visualize. Everything's right there in front of me. For this I'm alone in a sound booth. I have to use my imagination to create in my mind the Ponzi world, his office, the people around him. And I'm not moving and I like to move.' He found it all 'great learning experience' but also 'the hardest thing I've done in my career. … It's what I think might just be a new category, a new kind of podcast.' I told him I found his performance so energetic that I started feeling a grudging respect for Ponzi. 'I get that. This guy was sincere, misguided rather than evil,' Maniscalco told me. 'I think he felt a lot of pressure, especially from his mother, to grab the American Dream. He didn't come here to rip off the whole country and I know he had some regrets but it was amazing, the way he was able to seduce people. But still, a part of me feels sorry for the guy.'
