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When your product has several compelling benefits, which one should lead? Jous founders Nicolas Jeffery and Camilo Ortiz sit down with Chris Robb of Supernatural Ventures and The Angel Group to work through how to sharpen the story behind their magnesium-infused juice, make the product easier to understand, and build a stronger strategy for growth. You Will Learn: How to determine which of your product's benefits should lead your positioning When a functional ingredient strengthens your story and when it complicates it How to make an unfamiliar product immediately understandable to consumers How positioning can change your competitive set, shelf placement, and growth opportunities How to test whether your current brand story is actually driving trial and repeat purchase

Every brand eventually changes something big — price, packaging, format, the category it sits in — and that puts existing distribution on the line. After raising its prices to match true production costs, Vermont Creamery walked away from an unprofitable Walmart relationship, then earned its way back into 400 stores. Tuyyo Foods fell off roughly 1,100 doors of shelf space after a merger brought a full rebrand and repackaging. Harrison Kahn, President and GM of Vermont Creamery, and Stephanie Garcia Turner, co-founder and CCO of Tuyo Foods, break down how to make a major change and still get your retail partners to come along for the ride. You will learn: How to notify and prep retail buyers before a repackaging or UPC change, so your product doesn't quietly fall off shelf What to do when a retailer's promotional demands push your pricing below what your product actually costs to make How to build a compelling case for re-entry after leaving a retailer, including what data and proof points actually move a buyer How to prioritize which retail partners and categories to carry forward after a merger or repositioning, instead of trying to keep everyone What to do the moment a retailer signals your velocity is too low and discontinuation is on the table

Kendall Kransdorf, founder of Cotto, a whipped cottage cheese dip, on a hero ingredient with a short shelf life and high demand - a combination that forces hard operational decisions. Mary Kate Kloeblen, a supply chain consultant and co-fouder of Golden Thread Operations, walks through where Cotto is actually losing shelf life (it's not always the formula) and what to fix instead. You will learn: How LTL refrigerated shipping can quietly eat days of usable shelf life before a product even reaches a warehouse How to build formulation flexibility so a supply shortage on your hero ingredient doesn't stall production When to move production closer to your distribution centers, and how colocation reduces both transit risk and quality issues Why GS1 rules mean even a small product change can force a new UPC, and how to avoid retail errors because of it How to structure IP and manufacturing agreements during a tech transfer so you don't lose ownership of your own process

Charlie New is the Global Category Merchant for Refrigerated Beverages at Whole Foods Market, overseeing coffee, tea, juice, and soda. He's spent years watching what separates brands that build lasting shelf presence from brands that stall. In this episode, he walks through how he'd approach building a brand, from spending strategy to team building. You will learn: Where Whole Foods Market shoppers are trading down, and where they're still paying a premium How the path into Whole Foods Market actually works, from local foragers to global category managers Which certifications and claims actually matter to shoppers, and how that shifts by category What separates functional beverage brands that succeed from those that struggle to find a lane How brands with a cultural or community-rooted story can expand without losing what made them work Where Charlie would put his money first if he were building a brand today

Building products with better ingredients is easy to talk about. Building a successful business around them is much harder. Join Tom First, Founder of Culture Pop, and Heather Wood, SVP of Marketing at Goodles, as they discuss the realities of formulation, sourcing, branding, retail growth, and operations, and how they've turned clean label products into brands that drive trial, repeat purchase, and sustainable growth. You will learn: How to decide whether an innovation solves a real consumer need or is simply chasing a trend How to make ingredient decisions that balance taste, consumer value, manufacturing feasibility, and brand positioning How to simplify an unconventional production process so it can scale without compromising the product How to choose the right pace and path for growth based on your capital, team, and ability to support new distribution How to make sure your product and packaging can drive trial and repeat before spending heavily on marketing

Most founders think getting a distributor is the hard part. Scott Rosenbaum, co-host of the Business of Drinks podcast, has spent 20 years in beverage alcohol distribution and knows landing one is just the beginning. In this episode, he mentors Daeyna Grant, a first-time founder building Gold Crush, an RTD rum-based cocktail, one bar and liquor store at a time. Together, they break down what it actually takes to land the right distributor — and how to make the relationship work once you do. You will learn: What a distributor actually owes you — and what you still have to earn on your own How to get a distributor's attention before you have much leverage The trade-off between a bigger distributor and one that can give your brand more attention What data and reporting you should expect — and how to fill the gaps when you don't get it How to build enough demand that distributors start coming to you instead of the other way around

New York's density makes it one of the best cities to build retail distribution — and one of the hardest to crack. Namik Soltan, founder and CEO of GNGR Labs, spent six years self-distributing into hundreds of NYC bodegas, independents, and chains before handing accounts to a distributor. Sean Rosenberg, founder of Goldie, is about to do the same. In this episode, Namik shares tips with Sean through the exact playbook, store by store. You will learn: How to build a retail footprint in NYC without a distributor, starting from zero What it actually takes to get into bodegas, independents, and regional chains When to bring on a distributor, and how to prep your territory before they arrive How to use free product, sales sheets, and intro deals to drive trial What separates brands that scale past their first 50 stores from those that stall How self-distribution today sets you up for regional and national growth later

Many founders think private label can compromise opportunities for their brand. Derek Brawley thinks that's backwards. He's spent nearly two decades running private label programs internationally, most recently at Prana, and mentors emerging brands on how to make the most of private label business. In this episode, he makes the case for private label as one of the most underused tools for cash flow, accurate forecasting, and long-term growth — and explains how to use it without compromising the brand you're building. You will learn: Why "brand dilution" is often backwards thinking, and what private label actually protects How private label partners deliver forecasting accuracy brands can't get on their own What margins, trade spend, and pricing actually look like compared to selling branded The certifications and standards you need to be private label ready How to pitch private label to retailers, and what buyers are quietly looking for How to use private label to fund your brand's growth toward a future sale

CVS may not be the first retail opportunity food and beverage brands evaluate, but it's important to know when it can be the right fit. Ashley Czerwien spent two and a half years as a CVS buyer and now manages the CVS relationship at KeHE, and she breaks down what actually needs to be true about your business before CVS makes sense. You will learn: What CVS's 9,000 doors actually look like, and which ones fit your brand The real submission process, from ECRM events to award letters What CVS costs versus what brands assume it costs The readiness signals CVS looks for: production, lead times, marketing Two programs built for emerging brands: Open Air Cooler and Healthy Consumables What buyers listen for in a category review pitch

Building a differentiated brand is only half the battle. The other half is making sure consumers actually understand why it matters. Join Sahra Nguyen, founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Kyle Nguyen, co-founder of Lucky Ox, to discuss one of the biggest challenges growing brands face: how to stay true to what makes your product unique while communicating it in a way that resonates with mainstream consumers.  You will learn: How to figure out what consumers actually care about—and build your messaging around it instead of your assumptions How to use Meta ads, Google Search Console, and customer reviews to test positioning before investing in it Why "meeting consumers where they are" isn't always the right strategy—and when to lean harder into what makes your brand different How to decide where limited retail marketing dollars will have the biggest impact on trial and velocity How to simplify product names, packaging, and messaging without losing what makes your brand unique How to identify merchandising problems that quietly hurt sales—and what brands can do to fix them Why PR should support your business strategy, not become your business strategy

Most founders know they need a board. Far fewer know how to build one that makes the business materially better. In this episode, Brad Charron, CEO of Aloha, and Kierstin Rielly, CEO of the Women on Boards Project, break down what separates a board that simply fills seats from one that helps you make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and build a stronger company. Using Aloha's board as a real-world case study, they share a practical framework for choosing the right people, compensating them fairly, and turning your board into a real competitive advantage. You will learn: How to build a board around your business—not your cap table Who belongs on your board (and who doesn't) Why operators often make better board members than career directors How board compensation and equity typically work When advisors make sense—and when it's time for a formal board How to get more value out of every board meeting How the right board can help you make better decisions as you scale

Today's grocery aisle is splitting between shoppers looking for the best deal and those who are happy to pay more for brands they believe are worth it. In this episode, Scott Sanders, Business Intelligence Lead at Carbone, and Jeff Lovering, Chief Data Scientist at Customer Marketing Group, talk through what that shift means for CPG brands. They share practical ways to think about pricing, promotions, and growth—and how to figure out whether your biggest opportunity is pricing, awareness, positioning, distribution, or something else entirely. You'll learn: How to determine whether your brand has earned a premium price The difference between a pricing problem, an awareness problem, and a positioning problem Why premium brands can thrive—even in a value-driven economy How consumers decide whether your product is "worth it" When promotions drive growth—and when they simply mask bigger issues How to use data to diagnose what's really limiting your growth What today's split economy means for your long-term brand strategy

Functional ingredients are everywhere, but adding a trending ingredient to a label doesn't guarantee a product that actually works—or one consumers will buy again. Philip Bromley, CEO and co-founder of Viron, and Sarah Fenn, Viron's Director of Marketing, explain the science that separates effective functional products from those that simply make functional claims. Drawing on decades of experience in formulation, ingredient stabilization, and delivery systems, they explain why bioavailability, stability, packaging, and format matter just as much as the ingredient itself. You'll learn: Why bioavailability matters more than adding another functional ingredient How formulation and packaging affect ingredient stability and efficacy Which delivery formats work best for different functional ingredients The biggest formulation mistakes brands make—and how to avoid them How to evaluate ingredient quality, sourcing, and clinical support Why taste and consumer experience drive repeat purchases What separates functional products that consumers try from the ones they come back for

Founders are constantly told they need to build in public - but is it actually the best way to grow? In this episode of the Nombase Podcast, Nick Elliott, Founder of Esprizio, joins Sara Brooks, Co-Founder of Goldilocks, to discuss the role of founder-led content, social media, PR, and brand strategy in building a successful CPG business. You Will Learn: When building in public makes sense—and when it doesn't How to develop a repeatable social strategy instead of posting randomly Low-cost ways to build awareness and generate PR How to create content that builds community instead of just chasing views Why consistency matters more than posting frequency How to decide where founders should spend their limited marketing resources

Getting onto retail shelves can feel like a big accomplishment—but what happens when strong velocity, national distribution, and real sales still don't add up to a profitable business? Lauren Chew of Love + Chew Superfood Cookies shares the story behind her decision to exit 2,500 retail doors through UNFI and KeHE—even with velocities buyers were happy with. Abby June Richards of The CPG CFO breaks down where the P&L falls apart for emerging brands and what founders need to understand about cash conversion cycles, trade spend, and channel-level profitability before signing a retailer contract. And Liana Krasnow of Noodo, a premium bone broth pasta sauce just 21 doors in, asks the questions every early-stage brand should be asking right now.  You Will Learn: Why a brand can have great velocity and still be losing money on every case The hidden cash conversion cycle that can turn a modest monthly loss into a $3M cash problem How to evaluate whether a specific retailer is actually a fit—before you sign anything What trade spend really is, why it's not an operating expense, and how misreporting it can hurt you in due diligence The factors Lauren would weigh differently with her next brand, including shelf facings, direct shipping, and which retailers to avoid entirely Why regional, direct, and foodservice channels may deliver more profit than national distribution—and how to know when you're ready to scale