Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

43. If you think getting on shelf means you've won, you're just getting started. Retail success is built on shared fate—brands and retailers growing together or failing together.   In this powerful conversation with Ben Friedland, VP of Marketing at Lucky's Market, we unpack what progressive retailers actually want from brands: insights, storytelling, demand creation, and partnership. Not canned r...

42. If you think organic is just a label, you're missing the bigger mission—and the bigger market opportunity. Organic isn't a trend. It's economic, environmental, and human sustainability.   In this powerful conversation with Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of Stonyfield Yogurt, we unpack how a bootstrap startup with 297 individual investors proved that organic farming is viable, profitable, and essen...

41. If you treat "natural" like a marketing claim instead of a movement, you'll lose the trust of today's most powerful consumer. Natural isn't a label. It's a philosophy.   In this powerful conversation with Robbie Vitrano of Good Spread, we unpack the connective tissue that makes natural CPG different. This isn't about flavor extensions or clever packaging. It's about transparency, regenerative...

40. If you're building a beverage brand in isolation, you're already behind. Success in CPG isn't just about product—it's about community, insight, and access to the right conversations.   In this episode, I sit down with John Craven, Founder & CEO of BevNET, to unpack how brands can leverage industry media, conferences, education, and networking to accelerate growth. From dorm-room product sample...

39. If you think organic lives only on the perimeter, you're leaving money on the table. Produce isn't just a department—it's the gateway that drives shoppers into center store.   In this CMA webinar replay, I break down why organic produce is the "tip of the spear" for retail growth. We unpack Nielsen data showing organic produce growing double digits, generating nearly $5B in sales, and attracti...

38. If your brand stands for nothing beyond the four corners of the package, you're replaceable. Retailers don't need more SKUs—they need brands that drive purpose, loyalty, and growth.   In this powerful conversation with Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat, we unpack what it really means to bake mission into your brand DNA. From launching Honest Tea as a les...

37. If your mission stops at what's inside the package, you're missing the bigger responsibility—and the bigger opportunity. Packaging and climate strategy are no longer optional in CPG.   In this powerful conversation with Lara Dickinson, co-founder of OSC2 and leader of The Climate Collaborative, we unpack how mission-driven brands can work together to build regenerative business models. From co...

36. If consumers can't find your product, they can't buy it. And if you don't have a powerful selling story, you won't earn shelf space in the first place.   In this candid conversation with John Foraker (Annie's, Once Upon a Farm), we break down the single most important thing every CPG brand must do: get your product into more shoppers' hands by building a fact-based, category-driven selling sto...

35. If you're waiting for permission to disrupt a category, you'll never earn shelf space. Beyond Meat didn't ask to sit in frozen—they redefined the meat case.   In this powerful conversation with Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer at Beyond Meat, we unpack how a mission-driven plant-based brand earned placement inside the fresh meat department—without planograms, without buying space, and without...

34. If you still think plant-based is a niche for vegans, you're missing one of the fastest-growing profit drivers in retail. Plant-based isn't about restriction—it's about better-for-you choices that grow the entire basket.   In this episode, I sit down with Mike Cooke, VP of Sales at Daiya Foods, to unpack how plant-based products are reshaping category growth across natural and conventional ret...

33. If you're trying to scale your CPG brand without real consumer connection, you're building on sand. Loyalty isn't bought with discounts—it's earned through values, story, and trust.   In this powerful conversation with Justin Perkins of OLOMOMO and Care2, we unpack what it really takes to build a natural products brand from scratch—and how digital strategy can accelerate or destroy momentum. J...

32. If you're too busy running your brand to see what's happening at retail, you're already behind. The brands that win anticipate trends—they don't chase them.   In this powerful conversation with Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru, we unpack how brands can stay ahead of shifting consumer behavior, retail innovation, and emerging food trends. Phil explains why small natural brands drive sustainab...

31. If you're ignoring natural and organic growth, you're ignoring the engine driving sustainable category profit. Total food may be up modestly—but natural and organic are growing exponentially and fueling the rest of the store. In this CMA webinar replay, I break down why "natural" means nothing, why organic is government-verified trust, and how clean label confusion impacts shopper behavior. We...

30. If you're walking into buyer meetings saying "me, me, me," you're already losing shelf space. Retailers don't need another product—they need partners who grow their category and drive traffic.   In this foundational episode, I break down why most brands fail at retail and what retailers REALLY want. It's not slick sell sheets. It's not hype. It's a unified, fact-based selling story rooted in c...

29. If your message gets lost in translation, your product won't survive at retail. Most brands rely on brokers, distributors, or canned decks—and their story fades into noise. In this episode, I introduce my Turnkey Sales Story Strategies framework and explain why storytelling—not discounts—is your most powerful competitive advantage. The brands we remember aren't louder. They're clearer. They pa...

28. If you're drowning in busy work, your brand will stall. You can't scale if you're stuck doing tasks someone else could handle. In this episode, I sit down with Connor Gillivan, co-founder of FreeeUp, to unpack one of the biggest bottlenecks facing entrepreneurs: time. From building a $25M Amazon business to managing 60+ freelancers, Connor shares how smart delegation accelerates growth without...

27. If you treat natural, non-GMO, and organic as the same thing, you're confusing shoppers—and leaving category growth on the table. Most consumers don't understand the difference… and many retailers don't either. In this Category Management Association webinar, I break down what truly defines natural, non-GMO, organic, and clean label—and why organic is the gold standard of verified trust. We un...

26. If your brand story isn't clear, consistent, and authentic, retailers won't buy in—and consumers won't care. Your message can't stop at the package. It must live in every person representing your brand. In this powerful conversation with Bobby Umar, personal branding expert and TEDx speaker, we unpack how to define your brand narrative, align your entire organization around it, and communicate...

25. If shoppers can't find your product, they can't buy it. And if you're promoting items that aren't in full distribution, you're wasting trade dollars and weakening your brand. In this foundational episode, I break down why distribution is the single most overlooked growth lever in CPG. Big brands feel it less. Emerging brands feel it immediately. I explain why your top-selling SKUs must be in e...

24. If you're setting goals without a strategy, you're gambling with your brand. Most CPG companies—large and small—miss growth targets because they lack focus, discipline, and alignment. In this foundational episode, I break down 10 proven strategies to build sustainable sales and profits. From setting SMART goals and closing distribution gaps to becoming a value-added resource for your retailers...

23. If your in-store demos are flat, poorly trained, or unsupported, you're wasting money—and hurting your brand. A bad demo is worse than no demo at all. In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Therrien from Sampler to break down what separates high-performing retail demos from expensive "educational" failures. We unpack how demos fuel base sales, why co-demos expand basket size, how to align dem...

22. If you're making product claims without scientific substantiation, you're risking lawsuits, recalls, and retailer rejection. Passion is not proof—and "my mom loves it" isn't evidence. In this episode, I sit down with regulatory and science expert Risa Schulman of Tap~Root to unpack why efficacy, transparency, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable in natural CPG. We break down the differ...

21. If your brand is only chasing revenue, you're leaving impact—and long-term loyalty—on the table. Purpose-driven companies outperform because they build trust first. In this powerful conversation with Robert Craven, CEO of MegaFood, we unpack what it really means to lead a conscious CPG company. From curing "nutritional poverty" to launching 24/7 live-stream transparency inside their manufactur...

20. If your packaging harms the planet after purchase, your brand story stops at the shelf. Sustainable packaging isn't a trend—it's retail's next competitive advantage. In this powerful conversation with Reyna Bryan of Elk Packaging and Rain Child Design, we unpack the hidden lifecycle of conventional packaging—landfills, oceans, toxins—and why multilayer laminates rarely degrade within our lifet...

19. If 70–90% of trade spend is wasted, your promotions aren't fueling growth—they're draining profit. Promotions should be rocket fuel for new customer acquisition, but when mismanaged, they destroy margin, create out-of-stocks, and train shoppers to only buy on deal. In this foundational episode, I break down the biggest promotional pitfalls hurting emerging CPG brands: menu programs with no gua...