Startup To Scale

As CPG founders, we spend a lot of our days reacting to the world around us and not enough time strategizing and planning for the future. It can leave you feeling unbalanced and constantly behind. One of the best things you can strategize is your sales and inventory planning, so that everyone on your team can be on the same page. Today I’ve invited on Yuval Selik, CEO of Promomash to talk about ho...

Having a Social Media presence for your brand is a given for businesses today, but how do you actually build a strategy that provides value to your brand? I talk with so many founds who spend hours a week sharing photos and posting reels, just to feel like it’s not actually doing anything meaningful. So today I’ve invited on Elle de Freitas, founder and CEO of Wonderkind to discuss How to begin bu...

My guest today is David Delcourt, founder of Grown As* Foods and Seed Ranch Flavor Co. If you’re on Linkedin, you’ve likely seen David on your feed in a bright yellow jump suit talking about his plant-based Mac and Cheese. We break down how David built a profitable brand and is raising an equity crowdfunding round to fund the next phase of the business.  If you're interested in supporting his...

Today’s guest is Jasmine Neveles, co-founder and CEO of Uncharted Coffee , a Black-woman-owned ethical coffee roaster with rare and limited-edition coffee bean drops produced by multi-generational coffee farmers across the globe. Starting as a way of connecting with their ancestral roots and mother – Jasmine learned more about the disparities amongst coffee farming communities and the negative imp...

Let’s be honest, most businesses will fail and every business will go through challenging times. How do you maintain resiliency through your entrepreneurial journey? Just because your business fails, doesn’t make you a failure. I’m joined by Keith Kohler and Kristoffer Quiaoit as we each share our story of shutting down a business and reinventing ourselves afterward. Startup to Scale is a podcast...

The Holidays are quickly approaching, and you’ve definitely seen the specific holiday displays in store from Halloween to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah to Christmas. But should you participate in these in-store merchandising displays as an emerging brand? I’ve invited on George Tzafis, who works with emerging brands at Trax to discuss how to build a holiday merchandising plan. We discuss: Which holiday m...

Join us in this insightful podcast as we dive into the world of data-driven decision-making in the retail industry. Discover how emerging CPG brands can leverage data not just to measure success but to inform and drive growth strategies. Learn from experts like Patrick Dougherty from Nielsen IQ as we explore the importance of understanding market dynamics, measuring incrementality, setting meaning...

We all know that getting on shelf is hard, but selling off the shelf is even harder. On this episode I’m joined by Andy Segal, Senior Sales Manager at Honey Mama’s to share how he manages sales and promotions. He breaks down how he creates a strategy for the year using tools like Promomash and Crisp , and then uses them to evaluate the success of the various promotions. If you need help managing s...

Building a CPG brand is like playing a game of which came first, the chicken or the egg. You need inventory to feel confident making sales, but you need sales to have the money to pay for inventory. This is especially true with products that have a short shelf life. What’s the answer? Utilizing proper forecasting tools to know how much product you should make. I’ve invited on Ian Leaman, co-founde...

In our recent webinar with JPG Resources, we delved into the fascinating journey of product development, where we explored the process of transforming your cherished recipe formulations from the cozy confines of your kitchen and benchtop to a grand production scale. We dived deep into key topics, including: the critical aspects of shelf stability crucial task of selecting the right manufacturer in...

Aaron Luo , CEO and co-founder of the new DTC Spanish charcuterie brand, Mercado Famous . Aaron was born in China, but raised in Madrid, where he grew up eating a blend of Spanish cuisine incorporating Chinese ingredients. He’s also the co-founder of Caraa, a fashion apparel brand. This episode we discuss building a DTC CPG brand, focusing on long-term growth, and digital advertising. Startup to S...

How do you determine your marketing budget and how do you find a way to stretch those dollars when in comes to content and social media? I’ve invited on Emily Teater, founder of Set Creative Studios who works with emerging CPG brands to create content and run their social media and e-mail campaigns. Learn more about Emily Teater and Set Creative Studios Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy ,...

We all hear that working with influencers can be beneficial for your brand, but I find most founders are highly underutilizing the opportunity. So how can you do better? I invited on Esther Kim , founder of Maven Reach to talk through how you can better leverage influencers for your brand. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG f...

Building a beverage brand comes with its unique challenges. I sit down with Victor and Jordan, co-founders of Bawi to learn how they’ve navigated their journey. Bawi takes a modern twist on agua frescas by creating a health-conscious and bubbly version of the classic Mexican beverage. Learn how they started in farmers markets to now launching in Sprouts. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy ,...

Is your company vision aligned with how you’re growing your business and choosing your sales channel strategy? If it’s not, you’ll find yourself on a journey that you didn’t intend to and that takes away your energy. Join me for a conversation with Caroline Grace, a retail strategist for Emerging CPG Brands | Founder & CEO of Product & Prosper. We discuss how to create a clear vision for t...

Do you know how your business is performing? If you aren’t crystal clear, then it’s time to learn how to review your finances to make sure you’re on track to hit your goals. Join me as I discuss how to review your business finances with Alice Zhang, CEO of MyPocket CFO, a platform that helps you achieve financial independence through automated bookkeeping, simplified planning & analysis, and a...

The retail landscape is experiencing another whiplash in buyer and consumer behavior. Are you prepared for the changes? Join me for a conversation with Steve Zurek, VP of Advanced Analytics and Thought Leadership for NIQ. We discuss: Post pandemic assortments and what they mean for small brands. Forced trial…or discovery. How supply shortages for the big guys benefits small brands. Knowing your co...

Good accounting will reveal the fundamentals of your business performance and show the good and bad. But great bookkeeping can be challenging for inventory based businesses. Join me for a conversation with Mike Pignatelli, Co-Founder of Unloop Accounting as we break down the top accounting mistakes CPG Companies make and how to solve for them. Solve your accounting needs with Unloop, starting at j...

 On today’s episode I talk with RollinGreens ’ CEO and co-founder, Lindsey Cunningham . She started RollinGreens in a food truck in Boulder, CO, and launched a CPG product that’s now expanded into Sprouts’ Innovation Centers and into over 2,600 Walmart's so valuable. Now 12.5 years into their journey, Lindsey shares her key points for building a successful CPG brand.  Startup to Scale is a po...

 Sanzo has experienced skyrocketing growth over the past 4 years building the first Asian-Inspired sparkling water brand. I sit down with founder Sandro Roco to discuss what led to starting the brand and how he’s navigated their fast growth.  Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow...

We all know that raising your first few fundraising rounds can be incredibly challenging, with many investors wanting to see elusive “proof of success” before they invest large sums of money. One way to lower the cost of investment and show interest in your business is through an equity crowd funding campaign. But here’s the magic, you don’t need to only raise from “consumers”, you can create a ca...

Building a profitable business is possible for CPG brands, but it takes focus to get there. Join me and Keith Kohler for a conversation on how to achieve profitability and build a sustainable business in the process. We’ll be breaking down: Why profitability needs to be a clear go to reach it. How to analyze your P&L statement. Cash requirements and debt options for profitable brands. and more...

Did you know that most retailers start planning for the holidays now? That means planning out displays, promotions, and brand features, all while most of us are still sweating under the summer heat. As founders, we usually find ourselves reacting to our business week by week, but it can cause us to miss out on opportunities because we don’t plan far enough out. I sat down with Sari Kimbell from Fo...

New York City is home to the densest metro area in the US, but launching a CPG product there has its own unique set of challenges. Trent has helped launch dozens of brands into the market and leads a team of high-impact merchandisers. We discuss what it takes to be successful and how you can stand out. Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy , an online community to connect emerging food, bevera...

Welcome to Problem Solved, a Startup To Scale mini series co-hosted by myself, Jordan Buckner and Aaron Gailmor, founder of Brass Roots. On this episode, Aaron and I discuss the challenge CPG brands have reaching profitability and specific steps Aaron did at Brass Roots to reach that point. Begin with profitability in mind Review your products and channels to find unprofitable product lines and cu...