Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

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...

129. You're on the shelf—but not the right shelf—and it's killing your velocity. Placement drives perception, trial, and repeat. If you don't control the shelf strategy, you don't control your growth. In this episode, I unpack what most brands miss after the "sell-in." Getting authorized is only step one. The real work begins with understanding your core customer, educating your retailer, and alig...

128. Your packaging might be killing your growth—and your mission. If you're a natural CPG brand trying to scale, long packaging lead times, landfill waste, and outdated supply chains can slow innovation and drain cash flow. Worse, if your packaging doesn't align with your brand values, you lose trust with shoppers and retailers. In this episode, we break down how sustainable, compostable, print-o...

127. If your brand message is inconsistent, you're silently losing sales—and you don't even know it. That confusion costs you velocity, retailer trust, and repeat purchases. In this episode, I sit down with branding expert Fred Hart of Interact Boulder to unpack what truly makes a CPG brand stand out in crowded categories. We discuss why people don't read—they recognize… how to challenge the categ...

126. Struggling to grow because your goals are vague, reactive, or disconnected from your retail strategy? That's costing you time, money, and shelf space. In this episode, I sit down with Dustin Finkel of Ka-Pop! to unpack why small CPG brands fail to set clear, measurable goals—and how that mistake limits growth. We talk about building a real business plan, aligning your sales story across every...

125. Hiring the wrong person can stall your CPG growth—or burn through precious runway fast. If you're unsure when to hire, who to hire, or how to avoid an expensive mistake, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I sit down with Josh Wand of ForceBrands to unpack one of the biggest founder pain points: building the right team at the right stage. We discuss org design, identifying blind sp...

124. If you don't understand where your food comes from, you can't compete at retail. And if you don't communicate that story, you'll lose shelf space. In this episode, I sit down with Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru, to unpack why the future of CPG growth starts with the farmer. We explore how personalization, plant-based trends, direct-to-consumer models, and authentic storytelling are reshap...

123. If shoppers can't find or trust your product at shelf, your demo is wasting money—and your runway. In this episode, we break down how to turn in-store sampling into a profitable growth engine instead of a box-checking exercise. Most brands treat retail placement as the finish line. It's not. It's the starting line. The real work begins after your product hits the shelf. You'll learn how to: •...

122. You're tired of paying for shelf space, promotions, and slotting—yet still fighting for attention. That "push" strategy is draining your runway and favoring big brands. Here's why it matters: if you don't change the conversation, you'll keep funding the retailer's growth instead of your own. In this episode, I sit down with former Kroger category leader Mathis Martinez to unpack what retailer...

121. If shoppers can't find your product, you don't have a sales problem—you have a merchandising problem. And that mistake costs you distribution, velocity, and retailer trust. In this episode, I break down how to use merchandising strategy as a competitive advantage in CPG. You'll learn how to align with retailer goals, map the shopper journey, analyze the market basket, and design shelf strateg...

120. Shoppers can't become loyal if they can't find your product. And when they can't find it, you lose sales, retailer trust, and precious runway. In this episode, I break down why real shopper loyalty isn't embossed on a plastic card—it's earned through flawless retail execution and intentional merchandising strategy. You'll learn how to prevent costly mis-merchandising mistakes, eliminate out-o...

119. Your product can't sell if shoppers can't find it—and that's why poor retail execution silently kills CPG brands. Most founders believe the job is done once distribution is secured. It's not. The real selling begins at shelf. In this episode, we unpack why store audits, flawless merchandising, stock rotation, and in-store compliance are the true roadmap to sales success. You'll learn how out-...