Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

193. If you're trying to grow your CPG brand alone, you're making it harder than it needs to be — and it's costing you shelf space, sales, and staying power. Your brand's strength is directly tied to the community you attract. In today's environment — where shoppers crave connection, transparency, and shared values — community isn't optional. It's your competitive advantage. In this episode, we br...

192. Your product isn't losing shelf space because of price — it's losing because your value story isn't clear. When shoppers can't connect ingredients to outcomes, retailers can't see your advantage. And confusion kills velocity. In this episode, I sit down with registered dietitian Kim Kirchherr of K2 Outcomes to unpack how ingredient transparency, science-based messaging, and authentic storytel...

191. Retail has changed forever—and if you don't adapt, your brand could disappear. Disruption exposed fragile supply chains, shifted shopper trust back to big brands, and forced retailers to rethink everything from sourcing to shelf space. In this episode, I sit down with Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru, to unpack how the pandemic reshaped grocery, distribution, promotions, and consumer behavi...

190. If your promotions spike sales but leave you with less cash, you're shortening your runway—and you may not even know it. Most CPG brands pour 25% of gross sales into trade marketing, yet the majority of that spend fails to grow sustainable base sales. That's not a promotion problem. It's an ROI problem. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on why syndicated data misleads brands, how poor...

189. Struggling to get your CPG brand in front of retail buyers—especially when trade shows disappear? That's costing you shelf space and momentum. In this episode, I share a powerful strategy to help you get discovered by retailers and secure real buying meetings without wasting money on travel, crowded expos, or cold outreach that goes nowhere. You'll learn how platforms like ECRM and RangeMe ar...

188. Your brand will not survive this market by hiding. If you pull back now, you lose trust, shelf space, and momentum. In this episode, I sit down with Jeffrey Hayzlett of the C-Suite Network to talk about what it really means to lead during uncertainty. When trade shows are canceled, buyers are distracted, and the economy feels unstable, most brands freeze. Category leaders lean in. We unpack h...

187. You're spending 25% of your revenue on trade marketing—and most of it isn't working. That matters because wasted trade spend shortens your runway and stalls retail growth. In this episode, I break down how to set SMART trade marketing goals that actually move sales, improve ROI, and help you compete toe-to-toe with the big brands. You'll learn how to align your promotions with retailer object...

186. Are your promotions draining cash instead of driving growth? If you don't understand trade marketing, you're burning runway without realizing it. Trade marketing is the fuel that determines how fast — and how profitably — your CPG brand scales. Yet most brands waste 70–90% of their trade dollars on ineffective promotions, out-of-stocks, poor execution, and retailer programs that don't move ba...

185. You don't need millions in funding to win at retail—but you do need a mission strong enough to outlast the struggle. In this episode, I sit down with Seth Tibbott, founder of Tofurky, to unpack how he built a plant-based powerhouse from a treehouse… literally. We dig into how Tofurky carved out an entirely new retail category, why mission-driven brands outperform transaction-driven brands, an...

184. Are deductions draining your cash flow and stealing your runway? If you don't control trade spend, it will control you—and your growth. In this episode, I break down five proven strategies to dramatically reduce deductions, improve trade marketing ROI, and protect your margin. You'll learn how to become an expert in your retailer, leverage true category management, understand promotional caus...

183. If your store is losing traffic to price wars and online giants, you're not alone—and it's costing you margin, loyalty, and long-term growth. In this episode, I break down how natural retailers and emerging CPG brands can collaborate to drive profitable category sales, grow market basket, and create real competitive advantage—without racing to the bottom on price. You'll learn why natural is...

182. Are deductions draining your cash flow and stealing your runway? If you feel like an ATM for retailers and distributors, this episode is for you. Trade spend can consume up to 25% of gross sales—and most brands waste the majority of it through poor deduction management and sloppy promotional execution. In this episode, I break down practical trade marketing strategies to reduce invalid deduct...

181. Your healthy product is losing nutrients before it hits the shelf—and that's costing you sales and trust. Most brands rely on high-heat processing that destroys flavor, color, and nutritional value. In this episode, we unpack how low-temperature drying and advanced algae innovation preserve functional ingredients, extend shelf life naturally, and unlock entirely new product opportunities in o...

180. Are you walking into retailer meetings blind to what's actually driving growth in natural CPG? If you don't understand retail trends, shopper behavior, and category shifts, you're leaving opportunities—and shelf space—on the table. In this episode, I sit down with Heather Wainer of WholeFoods Magazine to unpack what's really happening inside natural retail. We discuss why small and mid-size r...

179. You're spending up to 25% of gross sales on trade marketing—and 70% may be wasted. That's money that should be extending your runway, funding innovation, and strengthening retailer relationships. In this episode, I break down the real reason most CPG brands struggle at retail: ineffective trade marketing strategies built on outdated tactics. I'll show you how to stop being the retailer's ATM...

178. Struggling to scale your CPG brand in a new market without losing your identity? When you expand across regions—or even countries—you risk diluting the very story that makes you different. And if your story gets lost, so does your shelf velocity. In this episode, I sit down with Evan Holod, CEO of Michel et Augustin USA, to unpack how they brought an iconic French brand to the U.S. without sa...

177. Are you guessing at your forecast and hoping you don't run out of cash or product? Poor forecasting quietly kills CPG brands—tying up capital in excess inventory or triggering costly out-of-stocks that can get you discontinued. In this episode, I break down a simple, practical framework to forecast smarter—even if you don't have expensive data tools. You'll learn how to understand true consum...

176. If you're spending thousands on trade promotions and still not seeing sustainable growth, you have a trade strategy problem — and it's quietly draining your runway. Nearly 25% of a CPG brand's gross sales go to trade marketing, yet over 70% of that spend is wasted or ineffective. That's lost margin, lost leverage, and lost negotiating power with retailers and investors. In this episode, I bre...

175. Trade shows get canceled. Buyers are overwhelmed. And your brand never gets seen. If retailers can't find you, you can't scale — no matter how good your product is. In this episode, I sit down with Brandon from RangeMe to unpack how emerging CPG brands can become discoverable in today's digital-first retail environment. We talk about why relying solely on trade shows is risky, how to future-p...

174. Expo West was canceled and uncertainty is everywhere—if you don't adapt fast, your CPG brand could lose shelf space and momentum. In this episode, I break down how to future-proof your natural CPG brand when markets shift, shoppers panic, and retailers tighten their belts. People still need to eat. In fact, they're actively looking for healthier, better-for-you products now more than ever. Th...

173. Worried your CPG brand won't survive economic uncertainty? If you don't future-proof your strategy now, you risk losing shelf space, shopper loyalty, and runway. Retail is pay-to-play. Over 80% of natural brands fail in their first year—not because their product isn't good, but because they rely on cookie-cutter strategies their competitors are using too. When uncertainty rises, weak strategi...

172. Your retail pitch is getting ignored—and it's costing you shelf space and investor interest. If you're still relying on static pitch decks, generic PDFs, and hoping your broker "explains it well," you're losing control of your narrative. Retail buyers and investors are overwhelmed. They don't have time to interpret your story. If you don't tell it clearly and visually, someone else will. In t...

171. Confused about compostable packaging and worried it's just added cost? If your packaging doesn't align with your mission, you risk losing trust, loyalty, and shelf space—and that matters more than ever in natural CPG. In this episode, I break down how compostable and personalized packaging can become a competitive advantage instead of a compliance headache. Retail is pay-to-play, and small br...

170. You built a mission-driven CPG brand—then wrapped it in packaging that ends up in a landfill for generations. That disconnect is costing you trust, velocity, and retail leverage. In this episode, we uncomplicate compostable packaging and show you how it can become a strategic growth lever—not just a cost center. You'll learn why flexible packaging dominates retail, where recycling falls short...

169. If you feel overwhelmed, distracted, and stuck reacting instead of leading, your brand will stall—and that costs you shelf space and sales. The difference between brands that scale and brands that struggle isn't better software or bigger budgets. It's focus. In this episode, I break down how laser focus becomes your sustainable competitive advantage in CPG. You'll learn why canned POS reports...