I quit my finance job and built a cereal brand from my kitchen. Now we're sold in grocery stores across the country.

Photo courtesy of Krishna KaliannanKrishna Kaliannan left his finance job and became an entrepreneur, launching several companies.A type 1 diabetic, he started baking cereal for himself and realized he could turn it into a business.His brand, Catalina Crunch, is now sold in stores such as Whole Foods, Costco, Walmart, and Target.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Krishna Kaliannan, the founder of Catalina Crunch. It's been edited for length and clarity. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Growing up, I was always really good at math and science, so it felt natural to study engineering and math in college. I went to the University of Pennsylvania, where a lot of graduates go into finance since that's where you make the most money.I decided to do the same. After graduating in 2013, I worked as a researcher at AQR Capital Management, researching stock-picking and futures-picking algorithms to beat the market for about a year.I worked from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and then on the weekends as well. It wasn't as many hours as something like investment banking, but I spent a lot of time at work.I experienced a work-hard culture that had almost evolved into a culture of working long hours for the sake of working long hours, where folks will tell you if you're not the last one to leave the office, you're not likely to get promoted. In my opinion, that culture doesn't serve the company or the employees.Editor's note: AQR Capital Management did not respond to a request for comment.I left the finance industry in 2014There were a few reasons I decided to leave. First, I had a tenuous grasp — at best — on how my role was helping America or other people. Sometimes we would make money, but then someone else would lose money at the same time.I was working with a lot of smart people — people with PhDs in mathematics or economics — and I didn't feel the skills I was utilizing, like working in Excel, were remarkable in any way. It made me realize that there were other things I was better at, like finding and working with the right people. But when you're in finance and behind a computer screen all day, you don't know who you're trading with; there's no human element to it.Paradoxically, another thing that drove me out of finance was the focus on money; I realized I could make more money starting my own business than working in finance. I also realized that because of my personality and demeanor, I'm not the kind of person who does well with having a boss.While I never planned to be an entrepreneur, I started a couple of companies — PropelIQ, a recruiting company, and Thrive Responsible Insurance — before ultimately shifting my focus to Catalina Crunch in 2017. Are you someone who made an unconventional career move? If you're comfortable discussing it with a reporter, please fill out this quick form. We want to hear from people who have stepped out of corporate life into unexpected jobs. My business began with my homemade cerealWhen I first started making the cereal, I was just doing it for myself.After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in high school, I experienced firsthand the need for high-protein, high-fiber, and low-sugar foods. I ate eggs for breakfast every day and snacked on nothing but nuts, but after doing that for seven years — especially in New York City, where there are a million great things to eat at all times — I was looking for more exciting meals.One day, I was walking through the cereal aisle and got flashbacks to when I used to eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa Puffs, so I started making my own cereal. I had already been into meal prepping, so it felt pretty natural to also start baking with healthier ingredients.Testing an early recipe for a cinnamon and monkfruit cereal coating.Photo courtesy of Krishna KaliannanI had a friend who was trying to eat more protein for breakfast and was sick of eating eggs, so I offered to let him try the cereal I'd been making. I wasn't planning on selling it to him, but he Venmoed me for it, and that's when I realized I might be able to turn it into a business.I made mistakes along the wayShortly after launching the company, I realized how motivating and exciting it is to be able to build your own product and sell it to others. It was almost like a virus that infected me and gave me a rush.When I first started, I worked 18-hour days, seven days a week, but it was something I was passionate about. I still usually work every day; it fuels my life and gives me purpose.I made a lot of mistakes along the way and didn't always think things through before doing them. For example, I thought that since the oven in my apartment had five racks and I never usually used more than one, I should have enough space to bake all the cereal I needed.Kaliannan baking Catalina Crunch in his New York City apartment.Photo courtesy of Krishna KaliannanThe cereal I produced wasn't enough, so I Googled "commercial kitchens in New York City" and got started. It was brutal; my shifts at the kitchen were from 10 p.m. to 3 or 4 a.m. every day, and I still wasn't making cereal quickly enough to meet demand.I found a weeklong course at Texas A&M on how to make cereal and enrolled to learn more. I met other folks in the industry and even learned how General Mills, Post, and Kellogg's make cereal.In 2019, I emailed the cereal category manager at Whole Foods Market about Catalina Crunch. She was intrigued. I spent 30 minutes walking her through a cereal tasting and telling her my diabetes story. A couple of months later, she emailed me saying she was bringing us in.It felt great. Prior to that, we'd just sold directly to consumers, so selling to retail felt like the start of something new, and like we'd just opened a portal to a new universe. I'm still very grateful to that category manager for taking a big bet on us way back then.Today, we're in all major grocery stores — Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Target, Sprouts, Publix, HEB, Kroger, and more.We've even attracted the attention of celebrities like Megan Fox. She was at New York Fashion Week and eating our cereal in her bathrobe. She then shared it on Instagram, which I don't use much, so I found out about it when a friend sent me a screenshot. I was stunned. It felt surreal.Kaliannan at his first trade show.Photo courtesy of Krishna KaliannanMy work now involves longer-term goalsIn January 2024, I stepped out of the CEO role to focus on what I do best — thinking specifically about nutrition and talking about what's going on with obesity and sugar.It started to feel like we were moving on a treadmill — we were working harder and moving faster than ever while getting less and less done — so something had to change.I realized that I could either spend several years figuring out the best people and processes for Catalina Crunch or could spend some money and bring on someone who already knows and can put those things in place from day one.I decided that the latter route was better for the company. I brought on Doug Behrens, who was previously the president and chief customer officer at Kind and who had tremendous experience in the food industry, to be CEO.Now, I try to spend at least 50% of my time working on things that won't benefit the business for over a year instead of the day-to-day operations. This allows me to ensure we're set up for success in 2026, 2027, and beyond.I'm lucky I can do something meaningful while also making moneyI like that the food industry is purpose- and mission-driven. It's focused on how the products are helping people as opposed to how to make as much money as possible.Being diagnosed with diabetes made me passionate about nutrition and aware of how important food choices can be. For some, food can be life or death, especially for lower-income folks who don't have enough money to buy all the insulin they need and need to use what they eat to manage their blood sugar.With the obesity epidemic right now, there's also a big opportunity from a market perspective. It's really exciting and lucky to have an opportunity to positively impact the lives of others while making money at the same time.Do you have a story to share about leaving a corporate job? Contact this editor, Jane Zhang, at [email protected] the original article on Business Insider

Comments

Business News

JD Sports shareholders hoping for progress amid US consumer weakness

Evening Standard

Comments

Business News

JD Sports shareholders hoping for progress amid US consumer weakness

Nvidia’s rough week on the market may be a sign of trouble for hot stock

Estate Whiskey Alliance Awards Certifications And Research Grants

Delta Finds Loyalty Program Tailwind At Tour Championship

Table Trophies: What Disappearing Fish And Cats Reveal About Us

Charles Leclerc And Team Turn SIDEQUEST From Side Project To Studio

Foot Locker Ended A Four-Decades Old High School Cross Country Race. Here’s Why.

Ozzy Osbourne Fans ContinueTo Mourn Him With ‘No More Tears’

Fed’s Powell Gives Final Jackson Hole Speech Today—Here’s What To Watch For On Interest Rates And More

Carly Simon Earns Her First Top 10 Hit On An American Chart

Deftones’ Nearly Decade-Old Release Finally Becomes A Chart Hit

FBI Raids John Bolton’s Residence, Reports Say

NBA’s New Max-Contract Paradigm Adds Risk To De’Aaron Fox’s $220-Plus Million Extension

TikTok puts hundreds of UK jobs at risk

Wegovy sales spike after maker of rival Mounjaro ramps up UK price

OnlyFans owner paid £522 million in dividends as user numbers soar

TikTok puts hundreds of UK jobs at risk in safety and moderation teams

German economy shrank by 0.3% in second quarter in worse showing than initially thought

World shares are mixed as traders await cues on U.S. monetary policy from Jackson Hole meeting

Lawsuit alleges Edison hid its role in 2019 Sylmar wildfire

L.A. unions push for 'New Deal' ahead of 2028 Olympics

Hamptons hotspots hit block again — this time at steep discounts as East End’s post-COVID boom wanes

Expert tips on asking for a pay rise

Everything you need to know before you get your first credit card

Sudan: Documentation Of Human Rights Violations Must Continue

Why The ATP Tour Is Taking A Sponsorship Away From Tennis Tournaments

The World’s Highest-Paid Tennis Players 2025

Philippine Property Billionaire Manuel Villar’s $24 Billion Conundrum

Musk Tried To Get Meta’s Zuckerberg To Join His Unsolicited $97.4 Billion Bid For OpenAI, Court Filing Says

Tennis Legend Roger Federer Is Now A Billionaire

$39 Cocktails, $90 Million In Prize Money: The 2025 U.S. Open By The Numbers

How An Upstart Apparel Brand Lured Jack Draper Away From Tennis Juggernaut Nike

Blue Jays Say Consistency Reason They Lead The American League East

How Positivity Drove Energy Billionaire Femi Otedola To Making It Big

The Quarry And The Legend: Giants Ridge Delivers Minnesota’s Best Golf Experience

College Football Playoff Simplifies Format For 2025 But Questions Abound For 2026

'Today is payday': Union warns wages for workers at liquidated steel company must be a priority

Viral YouTuber on the path to become one of football's most powerful men

Listing candidate Shawbrook in talks to buy SME lender ThinCats for &#163;180m

What you need to know before you get a credit card

Humanoid Robots Infusing AI For Mental Health Gets Us Walking-Talking Robot Therapists

Consumer confidence at highest point this year - for one reason

I taste-tested 4 supermarket sleep teas and a £1.50 buy sent me straight off

Charlotte Hawkins’ GMB blue floral dress is the perfect wedding guest outfit and it’s on sale

Universal Credit households told to check bank accounts now for surprise payment

Get a free £239 smartwatch when you buy a new Samsung Galaxy phone - here's how

FTSE 100 Live 22 August: Index dips after record close, Federal Reserve speech in focus

Revolution Beauty brings back founders to ‘reset’ troubled beauty brand

Steel workers face ‘huge uncertainty’ after Government takeover – union

6 people are found dead at a Colorado dairy. Authorities suspect an accident involving gas exposure

How MLB's upcoming deals will change how you watch out-of-market, Sunday night and Wild Card games

Matcha madness leaves Japan's tea ceremony pros skeptical

US stocks fall for fifth day in a row ahead of key Fed speech

Shoppers snap up 'amazing' toasted sandwich maker for £1 in major deal

Used EVs become more attractive as prices fall and inventory grows

How to cut rail ticket costs ahead of potential price hikes in 2026

Should I fix my mortgage for 10 years to avoid interest rate shocks? DAVID HOLLINGWORTH replies

Train ticket costs set to soar AGAIN next year... but these clever tricks can help you slash the price

Used electric car sales triple in two years as plunging prices make second-hand EVs 'more attractive'

Are you scared of spending your pension? Many are too afraid to let go of savings

Listing candidate Shawbrook in talks to buy SME lender ThinCats for £180m