I recently went one on one with Adam Melonas, founder and CEO of Chew. Last month Chew launched Fastfood, a line of high-performance sports nutrition products engineered to fuel elite and amateur athletes.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Adam Melonas: Born in Australia to two parents who were always struggling to make a go of it, with a printing business that began the long heart-breaking process of going bankrupt during the rise of Digital printing, I learned that if I wanted anything, I would have to work my tail off to make it happen. A hustler from a young age, I started my first little business washing cars/gardening/odd jobs from the age of eight, my yearning to create a better future for myself and those around me started young and has never left my blood! I am blessed and cursed with an ability to believe things no one else believes, and an optimism in a plan, no matter the setbacks or hurdles in my way. This has both served me well and been a challenge. These days, if I explain an idea to people and they are not shocked or uncomfortable, I need to go back to the drawing board and ratchet up the intensity and novelty.

Adam: How did you come up with your business ideas? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?

Adam Melonas: These things all start with Irritation for me. Irritation is the one feeling the causes me to do something. Irritation is the insight, then I try to assemble the best team of highly skilled people who can do things I cannot. I also try to surround myself with people who think very differently than I do, and people who are comfortable calling bullshit. As I need to make sure we can objectively elevate or kill good ideas, with robust data.

Adam: How did you know your business ideas were worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Adam Melonas: Typically when starting from the point of irritation, I use my network and outreach to others who may be experiencing the same thing, to ensure there is a large enough market to make it a business rather than a hobby. Once you realize others are feeling the same way, you need to do a deep dive into current options and assess them for strengths and weaknesses, understanding if any could feasibly pivot to solve the problem, or if they are in fact the ones contributing to this. Being better is not enough, it has to solve a real pain point or create a solution to an identifiable problem.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Adam Melonas: It all starts with an extraordinary team of highly adaptable people, who are both passionate and obsessed about the market and our ability to create lasting change. One of the ways I am getting better at this is to strip away some of the nonsense in interviews, where both sides give the polished "Instagram Version" of who they want to be vs. the cold hard truth. This reduces the likelihood that once they are onboard that both sides feel they bought something that was different than advertised.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Adam Melonas: Be authentic and speak to an engaged audience in a way that builds trust. Once you have their trust, do not ever let yourself do anything to break this.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Adam Melonas: Oh man, when I know, I will let you know. I have been building companies and leading teams for decades, and I still feel there is more I don't know than things I do know. I mostly believe I am the dumbest guy in every room, and I have the privilege to surround myself with some truly extraordinary people that challenge me daily. This belief keeps me hungry and obsessed to always try and be better. I read at least 3-4 books a month on these sorts of topics, as well as consume insights and data in a multitude of different ways. The day I feel I have nothing else to learn, when I feel "accomplished", I will step aside and let someone else take over to lead the teams.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Adam Melonas: Stay humble, stay hungry, stay obsessed!

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Adam Melonas: In the great times, you can be sure the challenging times are coming. In the challenging times, you can be sure the good times are on the way. The emotional roller-coaster I have been on in my career is most often exhausting. I have gotten better (although far from perfect) at tempering these emotions to the benefit of a level head, giving me the ability to make better decisions to weather the inevitable storms and fortify and grow in the good times.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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