Changing buying habits in the grocery business is extremely difficult. Consumers tend to be loyal to the brands they have always bought, often simply because they have always bought them. These well known "megabrands" are able to continue their dominance, not only because consumers are loyal, but they have also helped in establishing the manner in which a product is brought to market. These "rules of engagement," while a great expense for the large brands, really help them in shutting out competition before they even begin. Startup companies face such challenges as: the need to spend hundreds...

Small Brand America tells the stories of tiny companies, and the individuals behind them, competing in the grocery industry. Despite the odds stacked against them, companies like the ones featured in Small Brand America take on the large, nationally known "megabrands" and try to go beyond simply carving a niche in the market; they are attempting to break the stranglehold the larger companies have on the stores and buying consumers to become a household name in their own right. Small Brand America The Cookbook features recipes from the companies profiled in the original book. The idea for a...

Life with the Akester takes you through the journey of a son when he loses his beloved father (Larry "Akester" Akley) very unexpectedly to a heart attack. Author Steve Akley takes us through the darkest emotions following this family tragedy and how he begins the healing process of grief in an unexpected way. The book is broken in to two distinct parts. The first part walks the reader through the process Steve went through told via first-person narrative. The reader sees the perspective of Steve who begins to establish his "new normal," as he states, via a series of happenstance events in his...

Small Brand America II follows up the first book by examining 25 more companies taking on much larger competitors on the playing field of grocer's shelves. Despite all of the odds being stacked against them, and competing in an arena designed to offer an advantage to the megabrands, there are small companies which still manage to not only survive, but thrive. The Small Brand America series not only looks at the brands from the perspective of the product, but the people behind them as well. With a read of Small Brand America II, you walk away with not only a greater appreciation of these small...

Small Brand America III follows up the first two books in the series by examining 25 more companies taking on much larger competitors on the playing field of grocer's shelves. Each of the companies featured in this edition is based out of Hawaii. In our 50th state, they face the additional obstacles of higher costs and the challenges of being separated from the U.S. Mainland by the Pacific Ocean. Despite all of the adversity and challenges they face, there are still companies thriving in the Aloha State and Small Brand America III - Special Hawaii Edition takes a look at them. The Small Brand...

Small Brand America IV Special Beer Edition: A Look at 26 Craft Breweries Small Brand America IV is the newest entry into author Steve Akley's Small Brand America series. Like the third edition, which focused strictly on companies based in Hawai'i, Akley once again served up a special edition here. This time around, Steve features only craft breweries. Whether you view the explosion in U.S. craft breweries as evolution or revolution, it's a trend that is here to stay. These small brewers are not only stealing market share from the larger companies, they are expanding the beer industry as...

Translated directly from the Native Hawaiian language, the phrase "pa'u hana" literally means "after work." In reality, pa'u hana means much more. It captures the spirit of friendship. A time when friends can unwind after work and share stories and interact with one another over food and drinks. Pa'u Hana, the story, tells the adventure of Rex Palakiko and Danny Bandera. Rex and Danny are coworkers and friends who share their thoughts, dreams and philosophies on life over a few cocktails at their favorite bar on Kaua'i each day after work. Over a pa'u hana discussion one day, Rex begins to...