No Limits, No/Lo: Brewing Innovation with Charlotte Mizrahi

Networking is always crucial, fundamental even – between professionals, companies, partners, distributors, customers, and suppliers. Innovation is open.

It must be.

This is why sharing how others work becomes key, as we shift away from viewing them as competitors. In today's world, competitors no longer exist.
In this interview with Charlotte Mizrahi, Co-Founder of Ley Line Labs and Lead Formulator & Herbalist, we dive into her unique journey in the No/Lo space, exploring her approach to product development, brand strategy, and the future of innovation.

Thanks Charlotte for your time!

Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your journey into product development and brand consulting? What inspired you to pursue this path?

Hello! I'm Charlotte Mizrahi. Co-Founder of Ley Line Labs, Lead Formulator & Herbalist.
I actually got my start as a pastry chef in my hometown of NYC. I've always had an interest in science, but with an artistic or creative element to it - which led me to pursue pastry.
I became a recipe developer for bakeries, restaurants & cafes & a few CPG snack brands, while teaching at my alma mater, The Institute of Culinary Education, as well as other culinary programs.
In 2020, when everything closed, many folks in the Food & Beverage industry took it as an opportunity to pursue other careers.
However, I really couldn't see myself doing anything besides recipe development - it's truly my passion.
I ended up working with a small beverage lab who was interested in my herbalism knowledge, as functional beverages were in increasing demand.
I never considered my experience with plant medicine to be a career element, it was always just a family & cultural thing. My grandmother grew & my grandfather made teas, tonics and salves for the community. My mom & aunt then followed suit & taught me.
While it was a bit of a winding road with unexpected twists, years later with award winning formulations in my portfolio, a lab of my own and a growing network of friends in the industry I feel the decision to stay the course in Food & Beverage put me exactly where I should be. So to answer the question of inspiration, it's really just for the love of it. The feeling of exploring flavors, seeing people enjoy beautiful things I helped bring to the world, supporting budding young brands & the people I've connected with along the way.

As a consultant and formulator, what is your typical process when you begin working with a new brand or product? How do you approach the initial stages of product development and brand strategy?

At Ley Line Labs we like to kick things off with a month or so of Advisory. Essentially a "get to know you" or fact finding mission for the brand that helps us create a detailed brief & flag any potential issues.
This helps with a multitude of things.
For starters, what are the goals of the product - what do they want the consumer to experience & what are the parameters the product need to fit to give the consumer that experience? What are the goals of the brand / company - where, when and how do they want to reach said consumer? What are the red flags - possible production issues, hard to source ingredients, a request for risky functionals? What resources do they have available - do they need additional support systems like finance, operations, design, QA that our network can help with?

When it comes to developing a brand, what key elements do you believe are essential for creating a strong, successful identity? Could you walk us through your approach to building a brand from the ground up?

There's elements that are going to change over time, like aesthetic & sales strategy.
But there's elements that should remain consistent throughout to maintain consumer loyalty & a strong brand identity.
I call that the "North Star" or "Ethos". What is the main reason for the brand's existence, what issue is it solving for people?
It can be something like a sustainability initiative, a health focus, or something as simple as just being an indulgence product.
It's going to be the thing that you always look back to when making decisions for the brand. The consistent woven thread through all eras and elements of the brand's lifecycle.

Could you share with us some of the brands or products that you are most proud of contributing to? What made these projects particularly rewarding or challenging?

I'm a big fan of Tilden. Not only did I love working with founders, but I deeply enjoy the beverage itself (the Lacewing is my go-to!) & the positioning.
As someone who's been a non-drinker throughout I really like that this product isn't trying to compete with or replace alcohol.
It's just a delicious, complex drink for all occasions.

As someone based in the U.S., how do you perceive the differences between the American and Italian markets when it comes to product development and brand building? What unique opportunities do you see for developing brands and products in Italy?

This is an interesting question. The thing about American culture is that it's just an accumulation of other cultures all mixed about & adjusted over time. The American classic Hamburger is really from Germany, the NYC pizza slice, Italian & the beloved bagel, Polish.
The US is primarily made up of folks who migrated here at various points shaping its culture, with (unfortunately) very little of the native culture available to the general population.
In the grand scheme of countries, the US is pretty young.

Italian culture has a rich & deep history with longstanding tradition baked into the regions.
This means American consumers are a bit quicker to try different things versus Italians can be a bit more connected to their traditional items causing some hesitancy or upset when those items are changed (EX: Dealcoholized wines).
I've recently been visiting friends who are from Lovere & was scolded by a local cafe owner for wanting a coffee that wasn't espresso - she was genuinely upset when I inquired about a drip.
This doesn't mean there's no market for Non-Alc in Italy, of course.
Italian brands may benefit from being very respectful of the alcoholic variants that inspired them, or (like Tilden) taking the approach of not emulating anything at all - just make something new & delicious.

What advice would you give to Italian brands looking to expand internationally, particularly in the U.S. market? Are there specific strategies or approaches that you think would be particularly effective?

Americans tend to romanticize Italy. Often associated with vacations- indulgent foods, beautiful landscapes, art & architecture; general luxury.
Coming to the US as an Italian produced brand, there's an opportunity to play into that element of luxury with branding aesthetic, copy & honestly, price which can help offset some of the burden of import costs.
Of course this won't work for every brand but it's an element worth considering when looking into US rebranding.

What current trends are you seeing in the CPG industry, and how do you think they will influence the future of product development? Are there any innovations that you find particularly exciting?

We've been experiencing more freedom to explore unique flavor profiles instead of sticking to the mainstream classics like 1-2 ingredient fruit focused items.
Of course for a formulator, this is great.
We're having a ton of fun with these projects where we get to explore more unique ingredients and combinations that'll help brands stand out in the sea of RTDs.
There's also been an increased request for unique form factors - ex mini pouches, squeeze bottles & tea sachets.
While these are all super fun ideas, they definitely pose some challenges. Particularly finding manufacturers able to produce these products to scale consistently that have capacity for new projects.

Are there any exciting projects or new products that you are currently working on or that are set to launch soon? What can we look forward to seeing from you and the brands you work with?

While most of our NA clients are still in the midst of formulation there's one that has been in the works that we're excited to see on shelves soon, a champagne proxy inspired by flora.

Finally, what is the most rewarding aspect of your work, and what keeps you passionate about what you do?

My co-founder, Matthias & I like to say we're in it to make beautiful things.
I've always found that if I can help bring joy in a small way I've done something right.
Feeding people was always how I've shown love so seeing people enjoy the products is very rewarding, I also enjoy the process of formulation.
The day to day of creativity & innovation, as well as seeing the founder's vision gradually come to fruition.
The absolute elation when their product is fresh off the production line, the dream a reality - it's a pretty heartwarming thing to watch.