For Brothers Caleb and Austin Majors, co-founders of Brothers Nuts, their entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with the goal of filling a gap in the market; it was about helping to save a life. Over time though, this goal has evolved into the brand’s current mission of changing the way an entire generation thinks about snacking. 

And the goal is gaining traction. The brand has made it onto the past two RangeMe Top Brands lists, and recently landed a deal with Gelson’s Markets from an initial meeting at ECRM’s Snack Session last year. 

I caught up with Austin and Caleb – now 21 and 23 years old – at ECRM’s recent Snack Session in Dallas, where we discussed their rapid ascent in the retail world, their unique sprouting process that makes their nuts unique, and how they are leveraging modern digital tools like RangeMe, LinkedIn, and AI, along with the face-to-face engagement at ECRM Sessions, to beat out conventional snack giants. I also sampled their Coco Crunch Almonds, which are amazing! (Watch my full video interview with Austin & Caleb on YouTube below).

A Setback Turned Setup: The Brothers Nuts Origin Story

The story of Brothers Nuts begins in 2010. Caleb and Austin were just eight and six years old when their father was diagnosed with stage four multiple myeloma cancer. The prognosis was grim: he was given only seven weeks to live.

While the family was already health-conscious, the diagnosis forced a radical shift. They quickly realized that the "healthy" snacks available on the market weren't actually healthy enough for someone fighting for their life. Most options were either highly processed or tasted like cardboard.

"Our mom started making these healthy snacks in the kitchen for our family and our dad to snack on," says Caleb Majors. "That helped him go from a prognosis of seven weeks to living another seven years.”

That seven-year extension of their father’s life became the foundation of the company. The brothers decided to take what Caleb calls a setback and turn it into a “setup.” They launched Brothers Nuts with a clear mission: To help people kick fake food to the curb and evolve the way they snack.

Why Nuts are the Perfect Snack

When their mother first began experimenting in the kitchen, she landed on nuts as the ideal vehicle for nutrition. For their father, who was constantly on the go, a snack needed to be more than just empty calories; it needed to be functional.

"A snack is supposed to get you from breakfast to lunch, and from lunch to dinner, not a bag of chips that’s a thousand calories,” says Austin Majors. “Nuts are perfect because they have the carbs, the fats, the fiber and the protein to do what a snack is supposed to: Satiate you and get you to the next meal.”

However, the brothers noticed a major problem in the existing nut aisle. Most commercial nuts are either oil-roasted or dry-roasted using highly processed, industrial seed oils. Furthermore, many brands lacked innovation, relying on bland flavorings and non-organic ingredients.

The Sprouting Difference: How Brothers Nuts Stands Out

To solve this, Brothers Nuts utilizes a process called sprouting. This isn't just a marketing buzzword; it’s a biological simulation of nature, according to the brothers. By soaking the nuts in water, the company triggers the initial phases of growth, which releases phytic acid – an enzyme inhibitor that can make nuts difficult to digest.

The result is a nut that is not only easier on the stomach but significantly better tasting as snacks. This process is particularly transformative for walnuts, which are notoriously difficult to roast due to their high oil content and soft texture. 

"There's a reason why the Garlic Salty Walnuts are our number one sku," says Austin. "Our walnuts are unlike any other walnuts out there. They're crispy. They're almost buttery from our combination of the oil and the crisps."

Navigating the Retail Landscape at 21 and 23 Years Old

Caleb and Austin began making these snacks in their kitchen when they were just 13 and 15 years old. For years, they operated as a hobby business, selling at local farmers' markets and small events. In 2024, they decided to take the training wheels off and transition into a full-scale retail brand.

Despite having no formal background in CPG, the brothers have managed to a deal with Gelson’s Market, a 30-store gourmet grocery chain on the West Coast. Their secret? A relentless commitment to preparation and a lean and mean approach to business. They tap LinkedIn heavily for guidance from other brand-owners, having built up a network of mentors on the platform. They also connect with as many people as they can in-person when at events and ECRM Sessions.

Artificial intelligence has also been a game-changer. As many entrepreneurs these days are learning (and as this author can certainly attest), AI can help accomplish a lot with little resources. "Of course, we use AI nowadays,” says Austin Majors. “We totally leverage that to go from researching something for a month, to now we do it in a day.”

They also leverage the power of old-fashioned grit, like when they originally searched for a co-packer that could do sprouted nuts. "We went through a huge list of nut manufacturers and almost zero of them even would touch sprouting because it's a completely separate process," says Austin. "You have to have different equipment. It's not a roaster. This single bag takes days to make. They're not used to that. So we went from a list of hundreds of nut manufacturers to only one or two, and one of them was in Chicago, so we were able to partner with them."

The ECRM and RangeMe Strategy

A critical component of their growth has been their active participation on both ECRM and RangeMe platforms. And they say active, they really mean it. On RangeMe, they are constantly keeping their profile fresh and actively submitting products to every Immediate Opportunity campaign that is relevant for their brand. Indeed, it's this activity that drives the buyer engagement that landed them on the RangeMe Top Brands lists.

“We have definitely taken advantage of every single Immediate Opportunity that comes across,” says Austin Majors. “And we are constantly updating our profile. We do small packaging changes, we update it. We have small price changes, sizing, whatever it is. We always update it. New SKUs, we update it. We make sure RangeMe is a part of our go-to market strategy.”

On top of this, they tap into ECRM Sessions – and in-person meetings that ECRM hosts for some Immediate Opportunity campaigns – to secure the invaluable face-to-face time that is impossible to get through cold emails.

When it comes to the meetings themselves, the brothers leave nothing to chance. Their preparation process is exhaustive, and includes:

• Customized Pitch Decks: They tailor every presentation to the specific retailer based on its particular needs and objective for the category, even adding the retailer’s logo to the slides.
• Extensive Buyer Research: They research the individual buyers on LinkedIn to understand their expertise and how long they’ve been with the company.
• Role Playing: They practice their pitch repeatedly, refining what they want to say and anticipating questions.

"It's so much work on the front end," says Austin Majors. "The amount of times we’ve practiced a pitch is crazy, figuring out what’s a unique angle to get them on board.” 

But it certainly pays off. 

Advice for the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

As young founders who have successfully navigated the transition from farmers' markets to regional retail, Caleb and Austin have a unique perspective on the current state of the industry. Their number one piece of advice for budding entrepreneurs? Just start.

Austin believes that while AI is changing many industries, the physical nature of CPG provides a unique opportunity for young entrepreneurs. "Physical products cannot be AI,” he says. “But because of AI, you’re able to now have brands that are doing tens of millions of dollars in revenue with much less overhead. You’re just able to be so much more lean, so the time to start would be now.”

Caleb adds that entrepreneurs shouldn't be afraid to pivot if their first idea doesn't stick. The goal is to get the product in front of buyers and listen to their feedback, then act quickly on that feedback. 

By combining a deeply personal mission with modern technology and old-school retail grit, Caleb and Austin Majors are proving that you don't need decades of experience to disrupt a stale category. They are, quite literally, evolving the way people snack – one sprouted nut at a time.