Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

154. If your brand story doesn't match your company culture, shoppers will sense it—and you'll lose trust before you ever win loyalty. In this episode, I sit down with Emily and Justin from Root + River to unpack why your brand isn't just your logo, packaging, or marketing—it's the soul of your company. We talk about intrinsic branding, the "fishbowl effect," and why modern consumers demand transp...

153. If your brand disappeared tomorrow, would anyone care? That question determines whether you win shelf space—or lose it to cheaper competitors. In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist Mitch Duckler to unpack what it really takes to build an indispensable brand in today's crowded CPG landscape. We dive into why meaningful differentiation—not price—drives loyalty, margin, and long-term...

152. Most CPG brands waste thousands launching into retail before they validate real demand. That mistake can bankrupt you before you ever scale. In this episode, we break down why farmer's markets are the smartest, lowest-risk way to test your product, refine your pricing, validate your messaging, and build raving fans before chasing wholesale distribution. You'll learn how to use live customer f...

151. Are you wasting trade spend and still wondering why retail growth feels unpredictable? Most brands burn 25% of gross sales on trade—and 70% of it underperforms. That shortens your runway, erodes margin, and weakens your leverage with buyers. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Forbes, CEO of Alter Eco, to unpack how to blend big CPG discipline with natural channel hustle to win at retail. W...

150. Your product isn't losing at retail because of price—it's losing because you're not telling the ingredient story that builds trust. If shoppers don't understand where your ingredients come from or why they matter, you become just another SKU on a crowded shelf. In this episode, I sit down with Kristyn of Krissy Farms to unpack how regenerative sourcing, real ingredient integrity, and mission-...

149. If your marketing sounds great but your sales calls fall flat, you don't have a sales problem—you have a brand alignment problem. That disconnect costs you distribution, velocity, and retailer trust. In this episode, I sit down with Katie from Real Food Brands to unpack how emerging CPG brands can align branding, marketing, and sales into one unified, powerful voice. We dig into the Three C's...

148. You're leaving growth—and profit—on the table if you ignore upcycled ingredients. Food waste isn't just an environmental issue. It's a massive competitive opportunity. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Kurzrock, co-founder of ReGrained, to unpack how edible upcycling transforms brewery byproducts into high-protein, high-fiber ingredients that power scalable CPG innovation. We break down...

147. Your brand is losing shelf space because retailers commoditize your shopper—and you let them. That's why this episode matters. Big CPG competes on price and velocity. You can't win that game—and you shouldn't try. The real opportunity is leveraging your unique consumer as your sustainable competitive advantage. In this episode, I sit down with David Lemley of Retail Voodoo to unpack why natur...

146. Struggling to scale your plant-based brand without losing margin, focus, or retail traction? If you're innovating in plant-based CPG but retailers don't know where to merchandise you—or copackers can't scale you—you're leaving growth on the table. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel from PlantBased Solutions to unpack what it really takes to develop, launch, and scale a plant-based produc...

145. If 70% of your trade spend is wasted, you're burning runway—and risking your brand's survival. Trade marketing represents roughly 25% of your gross sales, yet most brands can't clearly measure what works, what lifts base sales, or what simply rents volume. In this episode, I break down why in-store execution—not just discounts—determines your profitability at shelf. We unpack the real cost of...

144. Retail is broken—and shoppers are paying the price. Stores push what's on their shelves instead of listening to what customers actually want. That disconnect costs brands sales, retailers loyalty, and communities access to better food. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Fogarty, founder of Choice Market, a disruptive retail concept redefining grocery, convenience, and community. We unpack...

143. Most CPG brands fail because they don't have a real business plan—and that's why they run out of money, miss retail targets, and lose leverage with investors. If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you ever hit the target? In this episode, I sit down with Michael J. O'Donnell to break down what a winning CPG business plan actually looks like. We unpack the difference between a...

142. Most CPG brands fail because they don't have a real business plan—and that's why they run out of money, miss retail targets, and lose leverage with investors. If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you ever hit the target? In this episode, I sit down with Michael J. O'Donnell to break down what a winning CPG business plan actually looks like. We unpack the difference between a...

141. If your broker isn't driving distribution, flawless execution, and measurable retail growth, your brand is leaving sales on the table—and you may not even know it. Most CPG founders hand over the keys to their broker and hope for results. That's a costly mistake. In this episode, I break down how to turn your broker into a high-performance extension of your sales team. You'll learn how to own...

140. Most CPG brands waste 70–90% of their trade spend—and they don't even know it. If your promotions create spikes but not sustainable base sales, you're burning runway and shrinking valuation. In this keynote from the Consumer Goods Trade Promotion Management Forum, I break down how to rethink trade marketing so it fuels long-term, profitable growth instead of short-term volume. You'll learn wh...

139. If your CPG brand isn't breaking through, it's not a sales problem — it's a positioning problem. And that mistake can cost you shelf space, velocity, and even your business. In this episode, I sit down with Suzie Yorke, founder of Love Good Fats, to unpack how disciplined brand positioning fueled explosive growth in one of the most competitive categories in retail: snack bars. We break down t...

138. If you ignore school nutrition, you're ignoring your future customer. And that's costing you long-term loyalty and growth. In this episode, I sit down with Nona Evans of Whole Kids Foundation to unpack why school lunch may be the most overlooked growth strategy in CPG. We discuss how early nutrition shapes lifelong buying habits, how retailers can win hearts instead of chasing margin, and why...

137. Confused about where natural retail is headed—and how your brand fits in? That uncertainty is costing you growth. In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Walter Robb, former Co-CEO of Whole Foods, to unpack the evolution of natural CPG—from 12 stores to 475—and what the future of retail really looks like. We discuss how the natural channel moved from fringe to mainstream, why transpare...

136. Retail is pay-to-play—and if you don't understand what buyers expect, you'll burn cash, miss velocity targets, and lose distribution fast. That's why 80% of emerging natural brands fail in year one. In this episode, I sit down with Bob Burke of Natural Products Consulting to break down the real rules of retail: how to validate product-market fit, why velocity is the ultimate scorecard, how gr...

135. If you don't truly know your core customer, you're just another SKU fighting for shelf space — and retailers will treat you like one. In this episode, I sit down with the team behind GoodBelly to break down what it really means to build a brand around your unique shopper — not a generic demographic profile. We unpack how understanding psychographics, need states, market basket behavior, and c...

134. You fought to win distribution—now you're at risk of losing it. Most brands think the selling stops once they get on shelf. In reality, this is where the real selling begins. In this episode, I break down how to turn every category review into a growth engine. Retailers don't just want velocity reports—they want partners who help drive traffic, competitive advantage, and sustainable profit. I...

133. You can't scale your CPG brand if you're burned out, distracted, or mentally drained. Retail is stressful—and if you don't take care of yourself first, your brand will pay the price. In this episode, I sit down with Jason Wrobel and Whitney Lauritsen of Wellevatr to talk about mental wellness, high performance, and why your personal health is a strategic advantage in business. We unpack how s...

132. Your broker got you distribution—but you're losing money. If you're expanding too fast, burning cash on free fills, and chasing doors instead of velocity, this episode will reset your retail strategy. In this conversation, I unpack a real-world case of a fast-growing natural snack brand that scaled into national distribution before it had the infrastructure to support it. The result? Chargeba...

131. Retail is pay-to-play—and if you follow the traditional roadmap, you'll burn cash before you build momentum. In this episode, you'll discover how one emerging CPG brand pivoted from near "out-of-cash" crisis to profitability by leading with digital instead of chasing shelf space. We unpack how a direct-to-consumer strategy created runway, strengthened margins, and ultimately positioned the br...

130. You're losing sales because your packaging can't keep up—and that's costing you shelf space and retailer trust. In this episode, I sit down with the team at ePac to unpack how print-on-demand flexible packaging is changing the CPG landscape. If you're stuck with long lead times, obsolete inventory, or outdated packaging while waiting 10–12 weeks for overseas production, this conversation will...