Advertise on podcast: Startup To Scale

In this episode, Sigi Hale, Ph.D., Head of Consumer Insights and Testing, explains the neuroscience behind shopper recognition, brand familiarity, and buying behavior. We explore why some packaging redesigns hurt sales, how shoppers rely on memory and visual cues at the shelf, and why changing the wrong elements can disrupt years of brand recognition. Sigi also shares how CPG brands can approach packaging redesigns more strategically, understand what can safely change, and test new designs before they reach retail shelves. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

In this episode, I sit down with Lindsey Mifsud, founder of LL’s Kitchen, to talk about how she turned a homemade granola recipe into a growing CPG brand now sold in hundreds of stores, including Sprouts nationwide.  We get into her founder journey, lessons from farmers markets, retail growth, customer feedback, and why genuine storytelling and relationships have been key to building the brand.  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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Your CPG brand needs senior-level expertise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need another full-time executive on payroll. In this episode I’m joined by Beth of S3 Connect, Rich of Atomos, and Rachel of Severo Consulting to break down what fractional leadership actually looks like and when it makes sense for a growing CPG brand. The three guests represent a larger informal community of cross-functional fractional CPG leaders from across the U.S. that  Beth Brown has built and leads, creating a network of experienced operators who support one another and bring expertise across different areas of the business. We discuss why fractional leadership goes far beyond “strategy.” The right fractional leader might serve as an ongoing advisor to the founder, build the processes and tools needed to create foundational structure, train or develop someone internally, or help manage execution through outside resources. We also explore the economics behind bringing in senior-level help. What does it cost when you make the wrong hire? When a junior employee is operating in a role beyond their experience? When poor processes quietly eat into your margins? Or when you make a major pricing, packaging, or operational decision without the right expertise? Beth, Rich, and Rachel share practical examples of where fractional leaders can quickly uncover opportunities and help founders make better decisions. If your business is reaching the point where you know you need more experienced leadership but aren’t ready to build out a full C-suite, this conversation will help you understand what fractional leadership can look like and where to start. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Retail accounting gets complicated fast. Between distributors, retailers, promotions, deductions, and short payments, many CPG brands find themselves with accounts receivable reports they can’t trust and financial statements that don’t tell the whole story. In this episode, Jenna Oviedo from JAVE Insights shares the systems every CPG brand should have in place to manage retail accounts receivable from day one. We discuss: Building the right chart of accountsRecording deductions correctlyApplying retailer paymentsKeeping AR clean and actionableKnowing when to implement trade accrualsCleaning up accounting issues before they impact cash flowWhether you’re shipping your first retail order or managing national distribution, this episode provides a practical roadmap for building accounting processes that grow with your business. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

In this episode, I sit down with Gardar Stefansson, Founder and CEO of GOOD GOOD, to talk about how he grew an Icelandic startup into a global no-sugar brand now sold at retailers like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, and H-E-B. We talk about finding product-market fit, competing with legacy brands through taste and better ingredients, the realities of scaling in U.S. retail, and how GOOD GOOD is using AI to make smarter decisions. Gardar also shares practical advice for CPG founders on testing small, learning fast, and building a product people genuinely love. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Most creator marketing campaigns fail because they’re treated like isolated marketing tactics instead of long-term growth strategies. Austin Clare has spent the past 15 years helping brands build creator programs that consistently generate content, drive awareness, and support retail growth. As founder of Shepard Strategies and now leading creator strategy at Endlss, he’s worked with brands across every stage of growth to develop systems that deliver results beyond a single campaign. In this episode, Austin shares how brands should think about creator partnerships, measuring ROI, building scalable programs, and avoiding the expensive mistakes that many companies continue to make. Whether you’re just getting started with influencers or looking to improve an existing creator program, this episode is packed with practical advice for CPG founders and marketers. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Packaging is one of the most important sales tools a CPG brand has. But the packaging that gets you started isn’t always the packaging that will help you scale. In this episode, I’m joined by Eve Ackerley, Co-Founder and CEO of Evie’s Snacks, and Taja Dockendorf, Founder of Pulp & Wire, the design agency behind Evie’s packaging redesign. We explore the evolution of Evie’s packaging, including moments when the original design created confusion about the product, and what ultimately led Eve to rethink how the brand showed up on shelf. From there, Taja shares how Pulp & Wire approaches packaging strategy, product communication, visual hierarchy, and shelf presence. We’ll unpack how founders can recognize when their packaging isn’t working, what actually matters in a redesign, and how to create packaging that stays true to the brand while helping it grow at retail. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Getting your product on the shelf is only the first step. The real challenge is getting shoppers to notice it, try it, and buy it. In this episode, I sit down with Matthew Kubick of Local Demo Service to break down how CPG brands can use in-store demos to drive sales, learn from customers, and build stronger retail velocity. We talk about Matthew’s simple four-step framework for turning samples into purchases, why founders should do their own demos early on, and how your strategy should change across retailers like Sprouts and Costco. If you’re trying to improve sell-through, make the most of your retail launch, or turn sampling into actual sales, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can use. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

What does it look like to build a CPG brand when you’ve already seen both success and failure? Kristoffer Quiaoit, founder of Good Journey Foods, shares how he’s approaching this company with a new mindset grounded in self-awareness, mental health, and long-term sustainability. We start with how Good Journey is being built today, from decision making to daily practices, and why staying even keel has become a core part of his leadership style. Then we go back to Nui Foods, the company that came before, and unpack what happened, what he learned, and how that experience forced him to confront parts of himself that ultimately made him a better founder. We also get into the role of nutrition, parenting, and personal development, and why building a business often becomes the catalyst for deeper personal 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Coco5 started with a simple mission: create a better hydration drink for athletes. What began inside the Chicago Blackhawks organization has evolved into a fast-growing, athlete-owned brand distributed across the country. In this episode, Marc Doggett, CEO of Coco5, shares the realities of scaling a beverage brand today, from retail strategy and channel expansion to innovation decisions and leadership hiring. We explore why Coco5 is investing beyond grocery, what they learned from Costco roadshows, how they think about product innovation, and the systems required to build a lasting brand in a crowded hydration category. If you're building a beverage brand, navigating retail growth, or thinking about your next stage of scale, this episode is packed with actionable lessons. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Distributor deductions can quietly drain a CPG brand’s margins, especially when there is no clear process for planning, reviewing, and disputing them. In this episode, I sit down with Yuval Selik, co-founder and CEO of Promomash, to explore how AI is changing deduction and trade spend management. We discuss where AI can save time, why clean data and proactive planning still matter, and why experienced people must remain involved in every decision. Yuval also shares why relying entirely on AI could lead to inaccurate accruals, incorrect promotional matching, unnecessary disputes, and damaged distributor relationships. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Creating a great product is only the beginning. The real challenge is getting people to notice it, remember it, and ultimately buy it. In this conversation, I sit down with Duncan Alney, founder of Firebelly Marketing, to explore what it takes to grow a CPG brand in today’s crowded and fast-moving market. We discuss why founder-led storytelling matters, how brands can turn one core story into consistent content, and why consumers need to see your message multiple times before they take action. Duncan also shares lessons from launching his own tea brand, Brown Warrior, and explains why smaller brands can use speed, creativity, and authenticity to compete with much larger companies. Listen in to learn how to build awareness, create familiarity, support sales, and develop content that connects with real people, not just algorithms. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

AI is rapidly changing the packaging design world, but most founders are still trying to figure out where it actually creates value. In this episode, I sit down with Michael Keplinger from SmashBrand to break down how AI is being used in packaging design today, where it helps accelerate creative workflows, and where human strategy and expertise still matter most. We discuss: The biggest misconceptions founders have about AI-generated packagingWhat AI is genuinely good at in the design processWhy strategy and consumer psychology still can’t be automatedHow founders can use AI to communicate ideas more clearly to agenciesThe risks of relying too heavily on AI-generated conceptsHow agencies are adapting their workflows internallyWhat packaging design could look like over the next 3–5 yearsWhether you’re designing your first package or managing a growing retail brand, this episode offers a practical look at how to use AI as a tool instead of a shortcut. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Getting in front of retail buyers can feel impossible, but it does not have to be a guessing game. In this episode, I sit down with James Pippin of Good Now Foods and Harvest Hub to talk about what actually gets a buyer’s attention, how to send better pitches, when to follow up, and how brands can use the right data to improve their chances of getting on shelf. 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.

Packaging is often the first thing consumers notice, but knowing when and how to update it is one of the toughest decisions founders face. In this episode of Startup to Scale, I sits down with Christopher Jane founder of Proper Good to discuss the real story behind his brand's packaging refresh. They unpack what prompted the redesign, the challenges of evolving a brand without losing existing customers, and what it was like working through a comprehensive packaging audit with EO Space. Whether you're considering a subtle refresh or a complete overhaul, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, tradeoffs, and lessons every CPG founder should understand before changing what sits on the shelf. Sponsored by EO Space. EO Space is an agile food & beverage design studio helping growth-stage CPG brands create world-class branding, packaging, and marketing built for modern retailers and today’s consumers. Get an expert review of your packaging. Limited Offer: Free Packaging Audit 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 their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.