Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

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I break down the real reason most CPG brands struggle at retail: ineffective trade marketing strategies built on outdated tactics.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...

168. Retail is broken—and if you don't adapt, your brand could be next. Stores are closing, private equity is squeezing margins, and retailers are chasing price instead of loyalty. That's a dangerous game for emerging CPG brands. In this episode, I sit down with industry insider Jon Springer of Winsight Grocery Business to unpack what's really happening behind the headlines. We dig into why retail...

167. If you're relying only on retail to grow your CPG brand, you're shrinking your runway and giving away leverage. That's dangerous in today's market where shoppers research, compare, and connect before they ever step into a store. In this episode, I unpack the key insights from NatchCom and show you how to build a digital strategy that supports retail growth, strengthens investor conversations,...

166. If your brand isn't winning at retail, you may be ignoring the most powerful department in the store—produce. And that mistake could be costing you traffic, loyalty, and sustainable sales. In this episode, I sit down with Lori Taylor, founder of The Produce Moms, to unpack why produce is the gateway to center store growth. We discuss plant-based momentum, shopper behavior, food transparency,...

165. Wasting Expo West? If you show up unprepared, you burn cash and lose retail opportunities. Here's how to win. Trade shows like Expo West are one of the biggest investments emerging CPG brands make—yet most founders wing it. They run out of business cards, fail to capture retailer insights, and never follow up strategically. That's not a marketing problem. That's a growth problem. In this epis...

164. You don't need a Shark Tank deal to win—but you do need to pitch like your brand's survival depends on it. In this episode, I sit down with Dustin Finkel, founder of KaPop Snacks, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes on Shark Tank—and what every CPG founder can learn from it. From relentless preparation and financial discipline to understanding velocity, contribution, and retail st...

163. If your "loyal customers" disappear when the promo ends, you don't have loyalty — you have rented volume. And that's killing your growth at retail. In this episode, I break down what real shopper loyalty actually is — and why loyalty cards and discounts are not the answer. Retailers don't make products. They sell real estate. They want three things: more traffic, a competitive advantage, and...

162. Are you chasing distribution that could quietly bankrupt your brand? More shelf space does not always mean more profit—and the wrong retail placement can derail years of hard work. In this episode, I break down the difference between good distribution and bad distribution, and why chasing "any" retailer is one of the most dangerous mistakes emerging CPG brands make. You'll learn how to align...

161. If shoppers can't find your product, they can't buy it — and misplaced merchandising is silently killing your retail sales. Too many CPG brands assume retailers or brokers will automatically put their product in the right spot. That's a costly mistake. In this episode, I break down how to guide retailers with fact-based merchandising strategies that increase visibility, protect your brand fro...

160. If you're working nonstop but your brand still isn't scaling, you don't have a goal problem — you have a strategy problem. Most CPG founders set vague revenue targets, chase the wrong retailers, and stay busy instead of building momentum. In this episode, I break down the 10 proven brand-building strategies big brands use to grow distribution, increase sales, and execute with precision — with...

159. Running out of cash isn't your real problem—wasting runway is. Most CPG brands focus on raising money instead of maximizing it. And that mindset keeps founders stuck in perpetual fundraising mode instead of building sustainable, profitable growth. In this milestone episode, I share why I launched the podcast and the biggest lessons from industry icons like Gary Hirshberg, Seth Goldman, Miyoko...

158. You're spending thousands on promotions and marketing… but you still don't truly know your customer — and that's costing you sales, leverage, and runway. In this episode, we unpack how emerging CPG brands can stop guessing and start owning the relationship with their shopper. Big brands rely on expensive syndicated data and outdated focus groups. But today, you can leverage e-commerce insight...

157. If shoppers can't find your product, you don't have a sales problem — you have an execution problem. And every out-of-stock, pricing error, or misplaced SKU is costing you revenue, retailer trust, and repeat customers. In this episode, I break down the single most overlooked growth tool in CPG: retail scorecards and KPIs. This simple system helps you execute flawlessly at shelf, manage broker...

156. Wasting 70% of your trade spend? That's why your retail growth is stalling—and it's costing you more than you think. In this episode, we break down the essential trade marketing strategies that separate high-performing CPG brands from those stuck repeating last year's playbook. Most brands treat trade spend as a cost of doing business. The truth? It's your largest growth lever—and your bigges...

155. You're wasting trade spend—and it's killing your runway. Most CPG brands blindly pour 25% of gross revenue into trade marketing, yet 70%+ of promotions don't even break even. That's lost margin, lost leverage, and lost shelf life. In this episode, we break down what trade marketing really is, why "cost of doing business" is the most dangerous myth in CPG, and how poor promotion strategy silen...