Startup To Scale

Building a CPG brand is like playing a game of which came first, the chicken or the egg. You need inventory to feel confident making sales, but you need sales to have the money to pay for inventory. This is especially true with products that have a short shelf life. What’s the answer? Utilizing proper forecasting tools to know how much product you should make. I’ve invited on Ian Leaman, co-founde...

In our recent webinar with JPG Resources, we delved into the fascinating journey of product development, where we explored the process of transforming your cherished recipe formulations from the cozy confines of your kitchen and benchtop to a grand production scale. We dived deep into key topics, including: the critical aspects of shelf stability crucial task of selecting the right manufacturer in...

Aaron Luo , CEO and co-founder of the new DTC Spanish charcuterie brand, Mercado Famous . Aaron was born in China, but raised in Madrid, where he grew up eating a blend of Spanish cuisine incorporating Chinese ingredients. He’s also the co-founder of Caraa, a fashion apparel brand. This episode we discuss building a DTC CPG brand, focusing on long-term growth, and digital advertising. Startup to S...

How do you determine your marketing budget and how do you find a way to stretch those dollars when in comes to content and social media? I’ve invited on Emily Teater, founder of Set Creative Studios who works with emerging CPG brands to create content and run their social media and e-mail campaigns. Learn more about Emily Teater and Set Creative Studios Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy ,...

We all hear that working with influencers can be beneficial for your brand, but I find most founders are highly underutilizing the opportunity. So how can you do better? I invited on Esther Kim , founder of Maven Reach to talk through how you can better leverage influencers for your brand. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG f...

Building a beverage brand comes with its unique challenges. I sit down with Victor and Jordan, co-founders of Bawi to learn how they’ve navigated their journey. Bawi takes a modern twist on agua frescas by creating a health-conscious and bubbly version of the classic Mexican beverage. Learn how they started in farmers markets to now launching in Sprouts. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy ,...

Is your company vision aligned with how you’re growing your business and choosing your sales channel strategy? If it’s not, you’ll find yourself on a journey that you didn’t intend to and that takes away your energy. Join me for a conversation with Caroline Grace, a retail strategist for Emerging CPG Brands | Founder & CEO of Product & Prosper. We discuss how to create a clear vision for t...

Do you know how your business is performing? If you aren’t crystal clear, then it’s time to learn how to review your finances to make sure you’re on track to hit your goals. Join me as I discuss how to review your business finances with Alice Zhang, CEO of MyPocket CFO, a platform that helps you achieve financial independence through automated bookkeeping, simplified planning & analysis, and a...

The retail landscape is experiencing another whiplash in buyer and consumer behavior. Are you prepared for the changes? Join me for a conversation with Steve Zurek, VP of Advanced Analytics and Thought Leadership for NIQ. We discuss: Post pandemic assortments and what they mean for small brands. Forced trial…or discovery. How supply shortages for the big guys benefits small brands. Knowing your co...

Good accounting will reveal the fundamentals of your business performance and show the good and bad. But great bookkeeping can be challenging for inventory based businesses. Join me for a conversation with Mike Pignatelli, Co-Founder of Unloop Accounting as we break down the top accounting mistakes CPG Companies make and how to solve for them. Solve your accounting needs with Unloop, starting at j...

 On today’s episode I talk with RollinGreens ’ CEO and co-founder, Lindsey Cunningham . She started RollinGreens in a food truck in Boulder, CO, and launched a CPG product that’s now expanded into Sprouts’ Innovation Centers and into over 2,600 Walmart's so valuable. Now 12.5 years into their journey, Lindsey shares her key points for building a successful CPG brand.  Startup to Scale is a po...

 Sanzo has experienced skyrocketing growth over the past 4 years building the first Asian-Inspired sparkling water brand. I sit down with founder Sandro Roco to discuss what led to starting the brand and how he’s navigated their fast growth.  Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow...

We all know that raising your first few fundraising rounds can be incredibly challenging, with many investors wanting to see elusive “proof of success” before they invest large sums of money. One way to lower the cost of investment and show interest in your business is through an equity crowd funding campaign. But here’s the magic, you don’t need to only raise from “consumers”, you can create a ca...

Building a profitable business is possible for CPG brands, but it takes focus to get there. Join me and Keith Kohler for a conversation on how to achieve profitability and build a sustainable business in the process. We’ll be breaking down: Why profitability needs to be a clear go to reach it. How to analyze your P&L statement. Cash requirements and debt options for profitable brands. and more...

Did you know that most retailers start planning for the holidays now? That means planning out displays, promotions, and brand features, all while most of us are still sweating under the summer heat. As founders, we usually find ourselves reacting to our business week by week, but it can cause us to miss out on opportunities because we don’t plan far enough out. I sat down with Sari Kimbell from Fo...

New York City is home to the densest metro area in the US, but launching a CPG product there has its own unique set of challenges. Trent has helped launch dozens of brands into the market and leads a team of high-impact merchandisers. We discuss what it takes to be successful and how you can stand out. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, bevera...

Welcome to Problem Solved, a Startup To Scale mini series co-hosted by myself, Jordan Buckner and Aaron Gailmor, founder of Brass Roots. On this episode, Aaron and I discuss the challenge CPG brands have reaching profitability and specific steps Aaron did at Brass Roots to reach that point. Begin with profitability in mind Review your products and channels to find unprofitable product lines and cu...

Building a beverage brand is one of the toughest categories in CPG. The order MOQs are high, competition is fierce, and the heavy product makes DTC challenging. So how do you succeed? I invited Noah Wunsch, founder of Ruby Sparkling Hibiscus to share how he approaches building the brand, which involves an extensive field marketing plan executing 15-30 demos across the country each week. These in p...

Margarita Womack is the founder of Mas Panadas, a line of frozen empanadas. She built her business to profitability by self-manufacturing and creating a private label line, while supporting immigrant hispanic women. Learn how she managed to do it all and what’s next for the company. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders...

Search is still one of the primary ways customers learn about your brand. Are you doing everything you can to be found? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of making your website content easily discoverable on search engines like Google and Bing, so customers can find you. The reality is that most founders don't have a strong SEO strategy and leave it as an afterthought. Join me...

Consumers have sifted from buying food D2C back to retail, but many are still buying through platforms like Instacart. This episode I talk with Kevin Gawronski, of Gawronski Food and Beverage to get an overview of Instacart advertising and the opportunity. We discuss: Instacart advertising tools, which ones are most effective How to know if Instacart is right for your brand. Optimizing your produc...

 Learn why working with regional distributors may be a better path for your business. I talk with Sid from Wild Bay about how his kombucha company started self distributing and now distributes for other brands.  Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foo...

Everyone’s talking about UGC content, but how can you really implement it for your brand? Join me as I talk with my guest Anna from No Revisions and break down The different types of content. How to create it. The cost of working with creators. Best practices for utilizing UGC content. Show Notes: Norevisions.co and use code FOODBEVY for 20% off https://www.kalecard.com/ Anna’s favorite places for...

Curious about how to build a Google Ads strategy for your brand?  Join me for an insightful conversation with Andy Janaitis from PPC Pitbulls, as we discuss the strategies and tactics behind building a strong Google presence and running effective Google Ads campaigns. We use my other brand Joyful Co as an example. Gain valuable insights into marketing plans, measuring success with Google Analytics...

Summer is here, and for many brands, it brings a peak consumer buying season. Families are having parties, people are traveling, and there’s a huge uptick in demand. As brands, are you taking advantage of this key time? How are you merchandising your products differently? Should you run promotions? I’ve invited on Georgios, VP of sales specializing in Emerging Brands with Trax to answer these ques...