the Joshua Schall Audio Experience

I consume more content weekly than total varieties of crafts you can create from just utilizing Heineken packaging materials. While not all of the content is good, some are awesomely interesting, so instead of keeping it all in the labyrinth they call my brain, I figured I would start highlighting five of the most interesting things I've read, listened to, or watched during the week.  Within...

How is the American economy doing? According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book, economic expansion has been moderate and optimism is waning, but what about the CPG industry specifically?  The Beige Book is a Federal Reserve System publication that collects mostly qualitative information, gathered directly from District sources. This consumer data creates an opportunity to characteriz...

When you have a proven content and commerce mechanism that does $1B+ in revenues, you build an iterative second version, right? What does that have to do with the breaking news that the sports nutrition brand that Lebron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger founded named Ladder was just acquired by Openfit? Openfit is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beachbody, the multi-level marketing company known for f...

In this latest podcast episode, I'll breakdown the most important key quarter-end financial data from the recent MusclePharm Corporation (MSLP) 2020Q1 through 2020Q3 earnings reports that were released on 11/24/2020. I'll explain why the sports nutrition brand filed a clustering of quarterly financial reports again (Note: they are not caught up to SEC disclosure requirements). Additionally, I'll u...

On this episode of my Pivotal "interview series", I chat with Robert Oliver, Founder & CEO of The Genius Brand, about how he saw early the power of using an Amazon strategy to build up his extremely successful supplement brand. Robert shares about how he got started working on the Amazon platform and why he launched The Genius Brand. Additionally, we talk about how unique The Genius Brand is o...

Premier Protein is once again ringing the sales bell after it rebounds from its first slip up as a publicly-traded company last quarter. Premier Protein is the key holding of the BellRing Brands (BRBR) portfolio that owns a collection of Active Nutrition businesses that also includes Dymatize Nutrition, Powerbar, Joint Juice, and Supreme Nutrition. A fast-paced and busy lifestyle is pushing consum...

I’m excited to hit you with the fifth episode of this new content series, and since the Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching, I wanted to thank each of those in my community that have consumed any of the previous episodes. This week, I had a number of content pieces make me stop the infinite scroll, including some with a Thanksgiving theme. On this episode you'll hear about; ◼️ The "Most 2020"...

How is the largest nutrition company in the world performing against a global pandemic that severely interrupts the value of their distribution strategy? The Herbalife Nutrition multi-level marketing (MLM) structure relies a great deal on a distribution model that brings value through; (1) Frequent Interaction (2) Results Shared To Customers (3) Personal connection with customers (4) Hyper-localiz...

Today’s social media platforms and digital marketplaces don’t have walls or borders, but how does that affect your functional CPG brand? With a few clicks of your mouse, you can fire up your functional CPG brand’s multinational marketing and retail distribution. It's really crazy how fast and easy things can be done in 2020. Despite uncertain global markets, entrepreneurship is still in the middle...

I'll use the Celsius Holdings (CELH) 2020Q3 earnings report and conference call (released on 11/12/20), as the backdrop to talk about bigger functional energy drink categorical and strategic insights. Key points within the content includes; retail and DSD distribution increases, digital sales details with Amazon highlights, and other positive insights that show you why Celsius Holdings broke just...

Did you miss not having my most interesting list to listen too last week? I decided to not compete with the craziness that is called the American Election Day or I guess week or maybe month, who the heck knows really this year. Regardless, I’m excited to hit you with another episode because I had a number of content pieces make me stop the infinite scroll this week that I believe you’ll enjoy hear...

This episode of Pivotal, we talk with Frank Beard, Director of Special Projects at CStore Decisions and Director at Shop Safe, about the huge changes happening within the convenience sales channel. Frank Beard broke onto the convenience and fuel retailing thought leadership scene by traveling across the country and only eating at convenience stores for 30 days. We discuss how COVID-19 has affected...

The Vitamin Shoppe 2020Q3 earnings report was released on 11/4/2020 under its owner Franchise Group Inc.. While the financial information in the report continues to be relatively small, I was able to collect insightful information on the quarterly performance from the Franchise Group Inc. conference call, previous corporate press releases, and public interviews from CEO Sharon Leite and other lead...

Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! On this episode, we talk with Leonard Armenta, CEO of SINFIT Nutrition and Secret Javas, about his new leadership role within GenTech Holdings Inc.. Before diving fully into that, we get nostalgic about how we both met an...

Glanbia is a global nutrition company that owns various nutritional supplement and sports nutrition brands. These brands include names like Optimum Nutrition, BSN, Think!, Isopure, Amazing Grass, and Slim Fast. Using the recently filed Glanbia earnings report and supplemental earnings call and presentation slides, I'll update you on how the Glanbia Performance Nutrition portfolio is performing aga...

I consume more content weekly than the total creepiness level of the Burger King Mascot. While not all of the content it's good, some are awesomely interesting, so instead of keeping it all in the labyrinth they call my brain, I figured I would start highlighting five of the most interesting things I've read, listened to, or watched during the week.  In the third Weekly MIT episode, I share t...

Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! On this episode, we talk to Diana Morgan, Head of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at Care/Of, about the fascinating world of personalized nutrition. We dive into the current state of personalized nutrition, difference...

With over 50% of The Simply Good Foods Company’s revenue coming from the nutritional/protein bar category, the race is on to further diversify its product mix due to near-term headwinds. On 10/26/2020, The Simply Good Foods Company reported its fiscal fourth quarter earnings for the period ending 8/29/2020. While the company performed well overall, it was a mixed bag with brand-level performance....

How is the American economy doing? According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book, optimism and positivity across districts is balanced against degrees of uncertainty, but what about the CPG industry specifically? The Beige Book is a Federal Reserve System publication that collects mostly qualitative information, gathered directly from District sources. This consumer data creates an opportun...

I consume more content weekly than Joey Chestnut consumes hot dogs at the annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. While not all of it's good, some are awesomely interesting, so instead of keeping it all in the labyrinth they call my brain, I figured I would start highlighting five of the most interesting things I've read, listened to, or watched during the week.   I...

Building a great functional CPG company today requires more strategic alignment than strategic vision. While all the strategic variables can easily be found throughout the coffers of the Age of Information, understanding how each is aligned together is what makes the magic happen over a materially long period of time. I could probably make a 12-week course on the importance of strategic alignment...

Hi my name is Joshua Schall and I’m here to apply for the GNC’s newly open position for CEO. Wait GNC no longer has a CEO? If you are a bit confused, that’s OK because the news of Ken Martindale not being offered a position with the newly emerged from bankruptcy specialty retailer GNC wasn’t exactly front-page news. Instead, it was actually buried in some SEC reports that probably few people read...

I consume a Rocky Mountain 14er level of content weekly...some of it good and some of it bad. Instead of keeping it all in the labyrinth they call my brain, I figured I would start highlighting five of the most interesting things I've read, listened to, or watched during the week. In the first episode, I share the following stories; ◼️ Goya Foods Uppercuts Cancel Culture  ◼️ Hipsters Rejoice...

Walmart feels like the retail version of Rocky Balboa because every time you think they can’t overcome the odds, they seem to miraculously fight their way back. So, I guess if I’m going suggest Walmart is Rocky Balboa, I better define which retailer gets to be Ivan Drago is in the fourth edition of the epic movie series. I think the only logical choice would be Amazon (and they are enhanced with t...

What kind of milk to you drink? Whole, 2%, Skim, or do you not consume any traditional cow’s milk anymore? It wasn’t too long ago that this question would seem odd to ask. That's because Americans have historically drank a lot of fluid cow’s milk, but that’s not really the case anymore. Here lies the root of the problem for Dean Foods, the largest milk company in the United States, that filed for...