Houston Buehrle shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Houston, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Running a startup means there’s really no such thing as a ‘normal’ day — and honestly, that’s what excites me about it. Every day brings a different challenge. One day I’m in sales mode, building relationships with retailers or pitching to new accounts. The next day I’m focused on marketing strategy, content creation, or managing cash flow and operations. It’s very much about wearing multiple hats, pivoting quickly, and making decisions without always having perfect information.
That’s the reality of entrepreneurship — you’re constantly balancing short-term problem-solving with long-term vision. You have to stay adaptable but also keep the bigger picture in mind, making sure every decision ultimately moves the company forward. Some days that means working 12-hour stretches to push through a launch or meet a deadline, and other days it’s about stepping back, reflecting, and planning the next move.
Even with the chaos, I make it a point to carve out at least an hour every day for myself — going to the gym, surfing, or hitting the driving range. I’ve found that taking care of myself is just as important as taking care of the business. It keeps me grounded, prevents burnout, and keeps me excited.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Houston Buehrle, founder of Little Zing — a mustard brand built on my great-grandmother’s 100-year-old Danish recipe. It’s not your typical mustard — it’s saucy, slightly sweet, with a bold horseradish kick that brings real personality to a category that hasn’t seen much change in decades.
Before Little Zing, I built a water bottle company called Bindle Bottle. We scaled it to over $5 million in sales and were featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things and Good Morning America. But after a voluntary recall, the company went bankrupt. That chapter was humbling — I was lost for a few months, forced to slow down, reflect, and ask myself what I truly wanted to build next and what kind of impact I wanted my work to have.
Out of that reflection came Little Zing. The recipe was something my dad made for every family gathering, and after he passed away, bringing it to life felt like a way to honor him and share something deeply personal. Today we’ve grown into over 100 retailers, including Bristol Farms, Lassens, and Jensen’s, with new flavors and more expansion on the horizon. Our mission now is simple: shake up the mustard aisle with a product that’s as bold and flavorful as the story behind it.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A moment that really shaped how I see the world was when my first company, Bindle Bottle, went bankrupt after a voluntary recall. At the time, I had tied so much of my identity to the success of that business — it felt like if the company failed, I failed. Watching it unravel forced me to rethink everything: what success actually means, how much control we really have, and what’s worth chasing in the first place.
It taught me that failure doesn’t define you — how you respond to it does. It also gave me a different lens for the world: nothing is guaranteed, so you might as well take big swings and build something you believe in. That shift is what allowed me to start Little Zing with a clearer sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for the journey itself, not just the outcome.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self, ‘Good things take time — trust yourself and trust the process. Even when it feels like everything’s falling apart, it’s going to be okay.’
When I was younger, I wanted everything to happen fast. I thought success meant constant forward momentum — and when I hit setbacks, like losing my first company Bindle Bottle, I felt like I had failed. But I’ve learned that the journey is never linear, and the toughest moments often lead to the best chapters.
With Little Zing, I’ve taken that lesson to heart. I’m being patient, playing the long game, and focusing on the big picture rather than comparing my progress to other people’s timelines. Trusting the process allows me to actually enjoy building it, instead of constantly chasing the next milestone.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes — what you see is what you get with me. I’ve learned over time that people can sense immediately when someone’s putting on an act, and it never feels genuine. When I was younger, I think I worried more about how I came across, but as I’ve gotten older — and especially through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship — I’ve become much more comfortable in my own skin.
I’ve built the confidence to show up as myself in any situation, whether I’m pitching to a buyer, talking to a customer, or just hanging out with friends. It’s so much easier, and honestly more effective, to be real than to try to be who you think people want you to be. The public version of me is the same as the private one — grounded, straightforward, and genuinely passionate about what I’m building.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely. My dad always told me, ‘If you’re going to do something, do it right.’ That stuck with me. He taught me that even if no one’s watching, the way you approach your work says everything about your character.
In life and especially in entrepreneurship, a lot of your best effort goes unnoticed — the late nights, the small decisions, the details no one else sees. But if you cut corners, that’s what people notice. That mindset has shaped how I approach Little Zing. Whether it’s the recipe, the branding, or talking to a single customer at a demo, I try to give it everything I’ve got, even if there’s no applause for it. Because at the end of the day, you have to be able to look at your work and be proud of it, regardless of who’s paying attention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.littlezing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little.zing/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houston-max-buehrle-40043a36/
