Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

229. Learn how to surround yourself with trusted advisors and experts to confidently grow your brand and multiply your impact. Surrounding yourself with mentors, trusted advisors with diverse skill sets, and experts is crucial for business growth.  Today's Free Downloadable Guide: 30 Days To Prosperity Workbook     podcasts: 226-257. The 30 Days To Prosperity Workbook is a companion to the 30 Day...

228. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of all team members is crucial for effective management and company growth. Siloed departments and lack of collaboration can lead to product failures and missed opportunities. Adopt advanced strategies, cross-train employees and leverage customer insights to gain a competitive advantage. Today's Free Downloadable Guide: 30 Days To Prosperity Workbo...

227. A robust business plan is crucial for any food business, whether new or established. It should be comprehensive, including growth goals, financial projections, and operational strategies. A well-crafted plan helps businesses stay focused, assess performance, and effectively communicate their vision to investors and retailers. Today's Free Downloadable Guide: 30 Days To Prosperity Workbook    ...

226. Unlock the secrets of how to profitably scale a food business and achieve prosperity with expert advice and strategies. Every business needs a healthy, sturdy, and solid foundation for long-lasting success. Learn the critical elements required to give your brand the unfair competitive advantage it deserves.  Today's Free Downloadable Guide: 30 Days To Prosperity Workbook     podcasts: 226-257...

225. You're spending thousands on trade promotions… but still guessing why shoppers buy—or don't. That's dangerous in CPG because retailers reward brands that remove risk and drive predictable growth. In this episode, I sit down with Karen Frame of Makeena to break down how direct-to-consumer shopper data can outperform syndicated reports and canned top-line insights. We unpack how tracking real p...

224. Your brand is compliant—but your customers still don't trust you. And that gap is costing you sales, distribution, and long-term loyalty. In this episode, I sit down with Jackie Bowen, Executive Director of Clean Label Project, to unpack why trust and transparency are now the ultimate competitive advantage in CPG. We go beyond "natural" and "non-GMO" to discuss heavy metals, pesticide residue...

223. Your customers buy once… then disappear — and you have no idea who they are. That's killing your retail leverage and your repeat sales. If you don't own the relationship with your customer, you don't own your growth. In this episode, I break down how personalized video and authentic gratitude can turn occasional buyers into loyal evangelists — and how that shifts the power dynamic with retail...

222. You can sell a truckload… and get paid $12. That's how brands go bankrupt. If you think landing a big distributor is the win, this episode may save your company. Too many emerging CPG brands chase "whale" distributors for ego validation—only to get crushed by deductions, back-end fees, free fills, delayed payments, and zero retail execution support. In this episode, I sit down with Lois and B...

221. If your customers aren't coming back, your brand is at risk. In today's noisy, chaotic market, loyalty isn't built with discounts—it's built with connection. And if you don't create it intentionally, your competitors will. In this episode, I break down one of the most overlooked growth strategies in CPG: authentic gratitude. Big brands shout. They discount. They talk at shoppers. But your cus...

220. Your customers changed overnight—and if you don't adapt, you lose shelf space. In this episode, we unpack new consumer research revealing how health-conscious shoppers in the US and Canada are navigating the "new normal" and what that means for your CPG brand. Consumers are more proactive about health, laser-focused on immunity, reading labels more closely, demanding transparency, and shoppin...

219. You're trying to scale your CPG brand—but you're doing it alone. And that isolation is costing you runway, retailer trust, and missed opportunities. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda from Startup CPG to unpack how a connected, mission-driven community can help you grow faster, avoid costly mistakes, and unlock real retail traction—without paying to play. We talk about why most brands fa...

218. Are distributor mistakes, weak trade promotions, and poor retail execution silently draining your cash and putting your brand at risk? Too many CPG founders learn the hard way—through lost margin, lost distribution, and sleepless nights. In this episode, I share real retail horror stories from founders just like you… and more importantly, the solutions to prevent them. You'll learn how to pro...

217. Struggling to justify a premium price at retail? If shoppers don't know your brand, they won't trade up—and you'll lose shelf space fast. In this episode, I sit down with Charlie from Mr. Lee's to unpack creative global go-to-market strategies that emerging CPG brands overlook. We discuss how to use airlines, universities, vending, sampling, and foodservice as "paid discovery" to build brand...

216. Struggling to grow your CPG brand with limited cash and endless competition? If you're burning runway, juggling trade spend, and wondering how to scale without massive funding, this episode is for you. In this conversation, we break down what it really takes to build a thriving natural brand when resources are tight. We unpack why cash discipline is everything, how to avoid wasting trade doll...

215. If your trade promotions are draining cash instead of driving growth, your runway is shrinking fast. Most CPG brands waste up to 70% of their trade spend on ineffective promotions—and don't even know it. That's deadly when cash flow is tight and competition is fierce. In this episode, I break down how to take control of your trade marketing, manage deductions, and stop funding "weeds" that ch...

214. Expanding into the U.S. without a strategy can drain your cash fast—and kill your CPG runway before you scale. In this episode, I sit down with Charlie from Mr. Lee's to unpack what really works when launching a CPG brand globally. We compare the U.S., UK, Australia, and EU retail systems—and expose the hidden costs, slotting fees, distributor traps, and trade spend mistakes that catch founde...

213. Struggling to get your CPG brand discovered without burning cash on demos, slotting fees, and trade spend? You're not alone—and you're probably overlooking one of the most profitable growth channels available: food service. In this episode, we unpack how restaurants, hotels, schools, and ghost kitchens can become your most powerful paid sampling engine. Instead of paying for retail shelf spac...

212. You think you need deep pockets to win at retail—but that belief is killing your growth. In this episode, I sit down with Gail Becker, founder of CAULIPOWER, to unpack how she broke into the most competitive freezer aisle in grocery and built a disruptive CPG brand without following the "traditional" playbook. We dive into what it really takes to launch a food startup, how to compete against...

211. Struggling to stand out in a saturated CPG category? If your brand feels invisible at retail, this episode will change how you compete—and win. In this powerful founder coaching session, I sit down with Adam Bremen, founder of Keto Crisp, a fast-growing keto snack bar brand built on resilience, community, and relentless execution. We unpack how to win in one of the most competitive categories...

210. Your brand isn't failing—your food system is broken. And if you don't understand how retail really works, it will cost you shelf space, margin, and momentum. In this episode, I sit down with Chloe Sorvino of Forbes to unpack the hidden inefficiencies in our CPG supply chain—from slotting fees and trade spend addiction to retailer consolidation and IPO pressure. We expose why small natural bra...

209. You're wasting money marketing to the wrong shopper—and it's costing you distribution, velocity, and survival. In this episode, I sit down with Jessica from Social Nature to unpack why most CPG brands target the wrong consumer and rely on cookie-cutter trade marketing that destroys ROI. Retail shelves are tighter. Demos are disappearing. Online is accelerating. If you don't know exactly who y...

208. Struggling to grow your CPG brand during uncertainty? If your margins are shrinking, retail feels stacked against you, and big POs look exciting but dangerous—this episode matters. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with the founders of Four Points Bars and BaseCamp Co-Pack to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a profitable CPG brand during disruption. We dig into foundatio...

207. If your CPG brand feels chaotic, it's probably not a sales problem — it's a planning problem. And that chaos will kill your growth, your margins, and your investor confidence. In this episode, we break down how to build a strategic, investor-ready business plan that drives profitable retail growth. Not a fluffy document you write once and forget — but a living blueprint that aligns your sales...

206. Running out of cash while waiting to get paid by distributors? That cash crunch can stall your growth—or kill your brand. In this episode, I sit down with Jessica from Dwight Funding to break down the funding strategies most CPG founders overlook. If you've ever struggled with delayed payments from UNFI or KeHE, needed inventory before cash hits your bank account, or worried about making payr...

205. Discover how the impact of regenerative organic brands aligns with shopper values and drives sustainable purchasing. Matthew discusses the importance of biodiversity and traditional farming methods in Sri Lanka, highlighting the use of organic fertilizers and heirloom varieties. He emphasizes the need to preserve these methods and empower organic farmers to switch from conventional farming. T...