Joe Rotondo

Who are you and what do you do?‍

My name is joe rotondo and I am the founder of Smearcase. We make a high protein frozen cottage cheese ice cream...the worlds first and only "FroCo". I am incredibly passionate about health, wellness, fitness, branding, storytelling and product. I came up with the idea while training for a marathon and noticed that ice cream was truly unhealthy and loaded with crap. I couldnt believe there was no high protein options. My past ventures have been a clothing brand, Rocky Clark, as well as ecommerce businesses.‍

What did it take/how did you get started?‍

IKIGAI - aligning with your values. It takes grit, courage, perseverance. If you are deeply aligned with your values, you create sustainable passion that will keep you going when times get tough. I started this company in my own NYC apartment kitchen with an at home ice cream machine.  took what i knew about food and healthy ingredients and started making it myself through trial and error. We then took it to a food lab to commercialize it.‍

What does the future look like for you and your business?‍

Building a moat around the product, brand an new category we are creating. We want to be the best frozen cottage cheese on the market packed with nutritional value. We hope to create a national brand that builds a name for itself in American households.‍

What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?‍

My values - health, leadership, creativity. Wanting to build something out of nothing and create value for those around me. My family. Faith, God. I love entrepreneurship. I love the chaos and uncertainty and having my back against the wall - you gotta figure it out because no one is coming to save you.‍

What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?‍

Get ready to work hard, take risks and figure it out. Ask for help, observe those who have done it, learn from their journey and mistakes. But you have to dive in head first. Find out for yourself if this is something you want to do. Learn what it truly feels like. and just do. You can just do things.‍

What has been the hardest part of your business journey?‍

Figuring out which step came after the next. But you need to trust that it will reveal itself over time. It's a real life chess match moving at the speed of light. Startups move fast, so adapt. Build the ship as you fly it. dDnt wait for perfection.‍

How have you managed burnout thus far?‍

Prioritizing my health first - its my top value. Making sure i exercise, eat healthy and sleep. Sauna, meditate, walk.