In this episode of Add To Cart, Keira Rumble, founder of Krumbled Foods, takes us through her inspiring journey from rolling protein balls in her Bondi kitchen to building a multi-brand powerhouse of functional brands. Best known for her wellness snack line Beauty Bites, Keira has also expanded her business to include Mini + Me, featuring the popular hydration drink Hydramama, and Habitual Beauty, a skincare range designed for pregnancy-safe care.
From going café to café to secure her first stockists, to battling intellectual property theft and taking control of her Meta ads, Keira opens up about the challenges and victories of building Krumbled and offers valuable insights for anyone looking to grow a business from the ground up and master the art of scaling.
Building Krumbled Foods: From Kitchen to 60 Cafés
While Krumbled might seem like a typical social media success story, its beginnings were far from glamorous. Keira juggled a full-time job while making and delivering her products, hand-rolling protein balls in her Bondi Beach kitchen. What was initially a side hustle, quickly turned into something much bigger. The turning point came when demand exploded, almost overnight.
“We went from one café to 60 cafés in a matter of weeks. I had to quit my full-time job because I couldn’t keep up with rolling balls all night and all weekend.”
Her story shows us the importance of focusing on tangible business growth rather than just social media followers. As Keira puts it, securing those 60 cafés, not 60,000 followers, was what really got the business off the ground. Those early wins, based on face-to-face connections and cold calls, gave her the momentum to quit her job and focus on Krumbled full-time.
Keira’s relentless drive and determination were key to this rapid growth. Hungry for success, she was determined to turn her passion for healthy snacks into a sustainable business.
“I am very hungry, and I am very stubborn, which I’ve been since I was a little girl. So I guess that’s sort of one of my driving forces.”
Keira’s story shows that a big Instagram following is not always the answer. Securing tangible, local wins can be even more powerful for building lasting momentum. It’s about relentlessly pursuing big wins that drive momentum and push your business forward.
Protecting Your IP: A Cautionary Tale
As Krumbled scaled, Keira learned a tough lesson about protecting intellectual property. Early on, Keira and her team discovered that their contract manufacturer was using their proprietary recipes and processes to create competing products. It was a huge hit for Keira as she had invested so much time into differentiating her products and brand.
“We found out that our manufacturer was springboarding our IP for another brand..We had spent so much money with incredible food techs and leading specialists… the taste and the texture were our IP.”
Shockingly, the manufacturer didn’t see anything wrong with this. After being sent a letter to stop using her IP for other products and threatening legal action, the manufacturer continued.
“He told us… in his eyes, what he was doing was not wrong because he needed to make a living too.”
The shock of realising someone else was profiting from her hard work led to a legal battle, and ultimately the decision to bring manufacturing in-house. It wasn’t an easy choice, but it allowed them to regain control and protect their IP. It also taught her an important lesson: control matters.
Keira’s experience is a cautionary tale for other founders. Ensure you have strong contracts, NDAs and legal protections in place as you grow. Remember that when it comes to IP, the stakes are high, and overlooking these things can have long-term consequences for your business.
Test, Tweak, Grow: Never Stop Playing With Your Ads
When it comes to advertising, Keira didn’t just sit back and let someone else take the reins. She quickly realised that if she wanted to scale Krumbled, she needed to understand how advertising platforms like Meta worked herself.
I made excuses the whole way through it, why I didn’t have time to do it. And now I make sure I have enough time to do it.”
She started experimenting—tweaking creatives, trying out different audiences, and playing around with new “avatars” for her products. The result? A staggering 1600% year-on-year growth.
“It’s to the point where downstairs in the warehouse, they’re like, let’s just slow down so we can build stock up for Black Friday”.
Her experience highlights just how powerful it is to know your audience and own your ads. You need to understand the platforms you invest in and find time to adopt a hands-on approach where possible. While Keira doesn’t intend to manage ads forever, knowing how they work has empowered her to hold others accountable and maximise her advertising budget. For any business owner relying on paid ads, Keira’s approach is a great reminder: don’t be afraid to get hands-on and experiment—understanding the basics can lead to big wins.
A Masterclass in Hustle and Control
Keira’s journey is a powerful example of what happens when relentless hustle meets strategic control. Whether it’s building relationships, protecting your IP or mastering your advertising, Keira provides lessons for entrepreneurs at any stage. Don’t shy away from taking charge, keep experimenting to find what works and always be prepared to protect what you’ve built. With the right balance of passion and control, you can scale your business while staying true to your vision.
