Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast

On this episode, we're joined by Chrisi Hamme r, Co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Buns , the frozen cinnamon roll brand built upon a family recipe her mom started perfecting in the late 1970s.  Chrisi brings an interior design background to CPG, and it shows up in everything from the packaging to the trade show booths. We get into how Sunshine Buns went from home deliveries out of Chrisi's...

On this episode, we're joined by Steven Kessler , Chief Sales Officer at Beyond Brands, the natural products consulting collective that acts as an outsourced management team for emerging CPG brands.  Steven co-founded Steaz , the organic green tea brand behind the first USDA Organic certified soda, and scaled it across the natural channel and into Costco and Target before a 2016 exit to Novam...

On this episode, we're joined by Chris Fenster , Founder and Executive Chairman of Propeller Industries - the embedded finance and accounting partner behind some of the most iconic emerging consumer brands of the last 18 years.  Propeller has served more than 1,000 companies, including over a dozen unicorns, with a team of 250+ across three continents. Chris breaks down why the 40% margin fou...

On this episode, we're joined by Brad Woodgate , Founder and CEO of the No Sugar Company, Joyburst, and Wellnx Life Sciences - the serial entrepreneur behind six companies and billions in lifetime sales .  Brad has spent 25 years building across supplements, snacks, and beverages, turning a thirty-thousand-dollar start into a self-funded portfolio. We start with the full origin story, from la...

On this episode, we're joined by Mason Domecq , Founder of DIVINI , the Scottsdale honey kombucha brand that's about to take over Sprouts in the Southwest.  We get into the formulation that makes the product scalable: ferment the kombucha base to zero sugar, then add back honey, fruit juice, nootropics, and a probiotic strain. We dig into why he chose cans over glass and went after peopl...

On this episode, we're joined by Isabel Washington , Founder & CEO of Laurel's - the canned latte brand made, built for people who actually look forward to their RTD coffee.  Isabel spotted the gap while working at McKinsey, noticing that roughly 90% of the RTD coffee aisle was non-dairy, ultimately leaving in early 2024 to build the dairy-forward latte she wanted to see on the shelf...

On this episode, we're joined by Jason Wright , Founder and CEO of WILDE Protein Snacks - the brand that figured out how to turn chicken breast into a thin, crispy chip (and now crackers!) and has since grown into a $100M+ business across 20,000+ retail doors.  Jason walks through the full journey - from a failed meat-based protein bar to the eureka moment at the bottom of a potato chip bag,...

On this episode, we're joined by Bar Bruhis , Founder and CEO of Boostcous , the gluten-free, high-protein couscous brand that packs 18 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber into a five-minute meal.  Before going all in on Boostcous, Bar spent a decade in SaaS and DTC, running day to day at KnoCommerce and helping start Sumo.com. Bar walks through the two-year formulation grind: roughly a hu...

On this episode, we're joined by Morgan Zanotti , Founder and CEO of Waay - the sparkling protein water brand with 10 grams of protein, zero sugar, and 45 calories a can. Morgan co-founded Primal Kitchen, which she helped grow from a kitchen to roughly $50 million in revenue before a $200 million exit to Kraft Heinz. We get into the origin of Waay, starting with the clear whey protein isolate...

On this episode, we're joined by Rogers Healy , Founder and CEO of Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners , the Dallas-based venture firm backing consumer and CPG brands like Waterloo, MOSH, WHOOP, and G.O.A.T. Fuel.  Before going all in on venture, Rogers spent two decades building one of Texas' largest independently owned real estate brokerages. We dive into how Rogers built Morrison...

On this episode, we're joined by Alan Chen and Conner Mennig , Co-founders of Frozen One , the high-protein ice cream brand packing 40 grams of protein, under 400 calories, 75% less fat and 62% less sugar than traditional ice cream into every pint. Alan and Conner walk through the formulation journey from flavored protein powders and Oreos to milk protein concentrate, and how they tested 50 g...

On this episode, we're joined by Russell and Julia Menez , husband-and-wife Co-Founders of RJ Naturals , makers of Nature's Candy Bar , the refrigerated, organic, whole-food snack bar made with grass-fed butter .  The brand was born out of Russell's stage 4 cancer journey, when Julia started making bars from scratch to support his recovery. We dive into how those homemade bars turne...

On this episode, we're joined by William Underwood , Founder of Talent Brew - the CPG-focused recruiting and headhunting firm helping scaling beverage and food brands find the right talent through competitive-set focused outreach. William breaks down what the CPG talent market looks like right now. With post-COVID reorgs, acquisitions, and layoffs, brands have historic access to exceptional t...

On this episode, we're joined by Hannah Awada , Co-founder and CEO of Hummus Goodness - the Michigan-based brand making authentic, clean-label Lebanese-style hummus with real ingredients and zero preservatives. We talk about selling hummus out of her kitchen window in Shanghai to expats on WeChat, to re-launching Hummus Goodness in a church kitchen in Michigan in 2019. Hannah walks through th...

On this episode, we're joined by Rob Johnson , Co-Founder & CEO of Born Simple and Head of Innovation at Mizkan America - the protein-forward shelf-stable complete, prepared meals brand that pivoted from barbecue sauces and broth concentrates into a category that every buyer in the country says is desperate for a makeover.  Rob spent years running small natural and organic brands inside C...

On this episode, we're joined by Griffin Spolansky , Co-Founder & CEO of Mezcla - the plant-based puff crispy protein bar brand that's gone from Boston bodegas to 9,000+ doors and $17M raised. We dive into how Griffin started iterating in a co-founder's kitchen at 20 years old, how they landed on the puff crispy format, and the gut-driven flavor decisions behind their launch lin...

On this episode, we're joined by Jason Bronstad , CEO of MALK Organics , the fast-growing organic plant-based milk brand built on clean, simple ingredients with no gums, oils, or fillers.  Jason brings two decades of CPG experience across brands like Sara Lee, Mike's Hard, and Swell Cocktail Company. Jason initially came in as a consultant in late 2020, stepping into the CEO role in mid-...

On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan Skaare , Founder & CEO of Scout CPG - the fractional sales and channel support firm built specifically for better-for-you CPG brands.  Jonathan spent over 20 years in sales leadership roles at Kellogg's, Annie's, Vital Farms, and Acme Provisions before channeling all of that experience into helping emerging brands scale smarter without b...

On this episode, we're joined by Phyllis Rothschild , CMO of Pete & Gerry's Organics - the #1 organic egg brand and #1 free range egg brand in the U.S.  Phyllis spent nearly 30 years in consulting at firms like McKinsey and Oliver Wyman before making the jump in-house to lead marketing. Phyllis breaks down the "word soup" problem in the egg aisle - where terms like cage fre...

On this episode, we're joined by Harry McKaig, CEO of Double Cross Vodka - the premium vodka brand distilled in the Tatras Mountains of Slovakia by an 11th-generation distilling family, and one of the few vodkas to ever score 95 points from Wine Enthusiast.  Harry brings over 20 years of beverage industry experience spanning Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, Southern Glazer's, Pernod Ricard, and T...

On this episode, we're joined by Tia Ellis , Founder of Wildflower Insight - the retail strategy and education company that teaches CPG founders how to pitch buyers and win purchase orders.  Tia is a former broker who has helped brands sell well over $100 million worth of product into major U.S. retailers.   Tia walks through the buyer psychology that drives purchasing decisions, including wh...

On this episode, we're joined by Hovik Azadkhanian , CEO of Heirloom Coffee Roasters - the fastest-growing coffee brand in the natural channel and the first nationally available 100% regenerative organic certified specialty coffee.  Hovik has been in the coffee roasting business for over 30 years, starting alongside his dad as a kid and spending years in private label and toll roasting before...

On this episode, we're joined by Cassie Maschhoff , Co-Founder of Lottie's Meats - the sister-owned, chef-crafted premium pork sausage brand.   Cassie left a career in tech (including time at Google) to team up with her sister Chelsea, a CIA-trained chef, to reintroduce pork the way it should be. We dive into what it takes to build a premium meat brand from scratch, from three years of r...

On this episode, we're joined by Mike Fransz , Director of Marketing at Nova Naturals - the naturals division of Novamex (the company behind Jarritos) that's home to C2O Pure Coconut Water and Steaz organic tea .  Mike brings 25 years of beverage marketing experience, including early days at Red Bull and Neuro Brands. We dive into what Mike learned building Red Bull from 1,500 cases a mo...

On this episode, we're joined by Corey Dickinson , VP of Marketing at Wilding Brands - the Colorado-based craft beverage platform that's brought together Denver Beer Co , Great Divide , Upslope , Stem Ciders , Funkwerks, and more under one roof.  Corey spent over a decade building leading marketing at some of Colorado's most well-known craft breweries before stepping into the VP rol...