Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

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 If you're a natural CPG brand trying to scale, long packaging lead times, landfill waste, and outdated supply chains can slow innovation and drain cash flow.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-...

118. Are you competing on price and velocity while retailers care about something else entirely? If you're not leveraging market basket strategy, you're leaving growth—and influence—on the table. In this episode, I break down why your brand's true value isn't just your sales ranking—it's the total dollars your shopper spends across the store. Retailers sell real estate. They reward brands that gro...

117. If your broker isn't delivering results, your sales strategy is leaking revenue — and it's costing you shelf space. Most CPG brands hand over the keys and hope for miracles. That's not a strategy — it's a risk. In this episode, I break down how to maximize broker effectiveness, align your entire sales team with a unified selling story, and create clear KPIs that drive distribution, merchandis...

116. Your "recyclable" packaging may still end up in a landfill—and that disconnect could undermine your brand mission and retailer credibility. If you're building a natural CPG brand, clean ingredients aren't enough. Retailers and consumers are demanding sustainable packaging solutions that actually work. In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Williams of Futamura to unpack the shocking truth abo...

115. If you don't own your execution at retail, you're gambling with your brand's survival—and most CPG brands lose that bet. In this episode, we unpack the fundamentals that determine whether your brand lasts a week, a year, or a decade. Too many founders chase distribution, price promotions, or investors—while ignoring the blocking and tackling that actually drives sustainable sales. You'll lear...

114. If you're trying to compete with billion-dollar CPG brands using canned reports and generic sales decks, you're already losing. And the cost is shelf space, wasted trade spend, and missed growth. In this episode, I break down why traditional category management isn't enough—and how True Category Management levels the playing field for emerging brands. Retailers don't want more noise. They wan...

113. If your brand isn't scaling at retail, your foundation is broken — and retailers can see it before you do. In this episode, I sit down with Tim Forrest to unpack the Nine Pillars every CPG brand must master to earn shelf space and keep it. We break down why most founders lose retailer meetings before they even begin — not because of taste, not because of price — but because they fail to bring...

112. If your product gets discontinued or misplaced at retail, you may not survive the reset. Most brands rely on canned topline reports and velocity rankings, but those reports don't tell you what's really driving sustainable sales. And when you leave assortment decisions in the retailer's hands, you leave your future in your competitor's hands. In this episode, I break down how to go beyond the...

111. Discover how the future of healthy food is shaping our industry and promoting better nutrition for everyone. Big Green aims to change how people think about food, starting with children. Through their Learning Garden program, they build outdoor gardens in underserved urban schools, fostering community engagement and teaching students about healthy eating and sustainable food practices. Today'...

110. You're walking into retail meetings with canned reports… and wondering why nothing changes. That mistake is costing you shelf space, credibility, and runway. Most brands rely on top-line syndicated reports that retailers have already seen—and already dismissed. Velocity rankings alone won't differentiate you. Retailers want actionable insights that help them grow category sales, increase shop...

109. Big CPG brands dominate with budgets and data—but they're slow, rigid, and disconnected. If you're a small natural brand trying to win shelf space, you don't need billions… you need leverage. In this episode, I sit down with leaders from Red's All Natural to unpack what mainstream CPG gets right—and where small brands have the unfair advantage. We break down fact-based selling, speed to innov...

108. Most CPG trade promotions fail—and they're quietly draining your runway. If you're discounting without driving sustainable base sales, you're rewarding existing shoppers instead of acquiring new ones. That's how brands go broke. In this episode, I break down how to measure promotional effectiveness the right way so you can stop acting like an ATM for retailers and start becoming a strategic c...

107. If you're chasing rankings, promotions, and slotting fees—but still struggling to grow—your brand health may be the real problem. And that matters because retailers don't reward volume… they reward profitable category growth. In this episode, I unpack what brand health actually means in CPG and why ACV (All-Commodity Volume), contribution, and distribution matter more than vanity metrics. You...

106. Your product isn't selling because shoppers can't find it—and that's killing your growth. If you don't control where and how your brand is merchandised, someone else will… and it may be your competitor. In this episode, I break down how to land shelf space and win at retail using strategic category management, schematic recommendations, and fact-based insights. You'll learn why generic planog...

105. Are you tired of paying slotting fees, deep discounts, and endless trade spend just to stay on shelf? That push strategy is draining your runway—and it's not sustainable. If you want predictable retail growth, you need to shift from paying for placement to earning it. In this episode, I break down the difference between push vs. pull strategy selling in CPG and why your real asset isn't your...