Shows
Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastAndy Kurtts - The Taste-Maker of Better-For-You CPG BrandsOn this episode, we're joined by Andy Kurtts, Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative - the North Carolina-based CPG design firm behind some of the most recognized better-for-you brands on shelf. Andy breaks down the most expensive packaging mistakes he sees founders make, specifically how RGB-to-CMYK color mismatches compound across substrates and SKUs, and why the nutrition facts panel is not the place to get creative.We also get into the tension between designing for yourself vs. your target customer, why your logo probably isn't the m...
2026-02-1744 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastKiera Kehoe - Scaling a National Demo ProgramOn this episode, we're joined by Kiera Kehoe, Brand Manager at Smash Kitchen - the organic condiments and cooking oils brand co-founded by actor Glenn Powell.Kiera previously built and ran Lift Off, a demo and merchandising agency covering roughly 40 states, and honed her brand management chops at cool brands like Zack's Mighty.We dive into the real mechanics of building and running a demo program from the ground up. Kiera walks through how she thinks about budget allocation (sponsored search first, demos second), when...
2026-02-1235 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastSam Nebel - Scaling goodwipes into 15,000+ DoorsOn this episode, we're joined by Sam Nebel, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Goodwipes, a fast-growing eco-friendly wet wipes brand that's secured shelf space in pretty much every major retailer across the country. In this episode, Sam shares the wild origin story of Goodwipes - which started with a bathroom conversation at a Florida State fraternity house - and breaks down how they've built a premium flushable wipes brand that's revolutionizing the restroom routine for millions of Americans.We dive into their scrappy early d...
2026-02-0939 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastSeth Waite - The #1 Most Important Question to Ask ConsumersOn this episode, we’re joined by Seth Waite, Partner at Schaefer, the buyer psychology firm that helps brands understand why people actually buy. Seth has spent his career building, advising, and investing in businesses at the intersection of CPG, ecommerce, and analytics, with a deep focus on turning consumer insight into commercial clarity.Seth breaks down how Schaefer approaches buyer research, why brands routinely misdiagnose demand, and the lies teams tell themselves about customer behavior. He introduces the single highest-leverage question a brand can ask to uncover true mo...
2026-02-0351 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJeff Grogg - Formulation to Exit: How Durable CPG Brands Are BuiltOn this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Grogg, Founder & Managing Director of JPG Resources - one of the most influential food and beverage innovation and operations platforms in CPG. He's also a Co-founder of RCV Frontline Ventures.Jeff has spent decades building, scaling, and advising brands across every stage of growth - from early formulation through commercialization, scale, and exit.Before founding JPG Resources, Jeff held senior R&D and innovation roles at Kellogg and Kashi during its hypergrowth years. Since then, he’s work...
2026-01-2937 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastKathrin Henon - Scaling a BFY Donut Brand on a BudgetOn this episode, we’re joined by Kathrin Henon, Founder & CEO of Planet Bake - the better-for-you donut brand making sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free, plant-based donuts that actually taste indulgent.Kathrin shares her journey from a design and fashion background to building Planet Bake during the pandemic, driven by a desire to solve real problems around sugar, metabolic health, and access to healthier indulgences. Growing up in Germany shaped her perspective on food quality and sugar consumption, and that lens heavily influences how she thinks about formulation, branding, and product st...
2026-01-2631 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJake Tannenbaum - Hitting 8-Figures via a New CategoryOn this episode, we’re joined by Jake Tannenbaum, Founder & CEO of Craftmix - the instant cocktail (and other things) mixer brand built for people who want better drinks without the mess, prep, or sugar bombs. Jake started Craftmix after years of bartending and realizing that even he couldn’t make a decent cocktail at friends’ houses with what they actually had on hand. That insight turned into a new product format - single-serve powdered mixers - and eventually an entirely new product category. We get into the early days of Craftmix...
2026-01-2134 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastMatt Borish - Boosting Cannabis Retail Sales and Profits by 400%+On this episode, we’re joined by Matt Borish, VP of Marketing at Union Chill Cannabis Co. - a multi-state cannabis retailer operating in New Jersey and New York.We get into the realities of driving foot traffic and new customer visits when paid media options are limited and competition ramps quickly. Matt breaks down how Union Chill approaches the Super Bowl of cannabis, how they think about platform spend, and how to balance acquisition versus retention in a category where margins are constantly under pressure.We also dive dee...
2026-01-1328 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJess Berger - Building a Pet Brand for the Silent MajorityOn this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Berger, Founder & CEO of Bundle X Joy, the female-founded, purpose-driven pet brand rethinking dog nutrition, branding, and community.Jess brings nearly two decades of experience from inside the pet industry, including building private label brands and working across major retailers, before stepping out to create the brand she wished existed.We get into the realities of launching a modern pet brand from scratch - how early formulation and R&D decisions shape everything that comes next, how to think ab...
2026-01-0938 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastGabriel González - Building the First Rum-Based RTD CocktailOn this episode, we’re joined by Gabriel González, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Casalú, the rum-based RTD cocktail brand.In Gabriel’s own words, his goal is to build the Red Bull of Latino culture.We dive into the initial insight that rum was missing from the hard seltzer boom, and the broader cultural shift that made a Latino-first brand not just viable, but necessary. Gabriel shares how Casalú was built for their own community first, and why Latin culture becoming pop culture fundamentally changed the opportu...
2026-01-0642 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastCody Allen & Alex Bennet - Building the Next Big Pistachio Brand via C-StoresOn this episode, we’re joined by Cody Allen and Alex Bennet, Co-Founders of Joon Foods, the award-winning pistachio brand that’s gone from zero to roughly 1,500 doors in just seven months.Built on a 300-year-old family recipe and a modern, flavor-forward approach, Joon is showing consumers what pistachios “really taste like”.We get into the realities of formulation and R&D, how they approached finding the right manufacturing partner for a unique cooking process, and why they chose to start with just three flavors instead of chasing...
2026-01-0247 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastMac Anderson - Building the #1 Kimchi and Kraut Brand in the U.S.On this episode, we’re joined by Mac Anderson, Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer of Cleveland Kitchen (formerly Cleveland Kraut) - the #1 kimchi and kraut brand in the U.S.Mac, his brother Drew, and their brother-in-law Luke built the company from Saturday farmer’s markets into a national fermented-foods platform spanning kraut, kimchi, pickles, and more, now sitting at roughly 15,000 doors.We get into the real mechanics of building in the fermented category. Mac breaks down how farmer’s markets became their most valuab...
2025-12-2936 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastKristina Marino - Scaling Mr. Black, Kombrewcha and other BevAlc LeadersOn this episode, we’re joined by Kristina Marino, BevAlc consultant and marketing leader, who’s helped scale brands like Mr Black and Kombrewcha just to name a few. Kristina brings an operator’s lens to today’s bevalc reality: tougher distributor dynamics, shifting shopper behavior, and the need to design brands that earn repeat in both off-prem and on-prem.We get into what’s working now in bevalc: how to earn a distributor’s attention without overspending, why on-prem needs a purpose-built SKU or ritual, and how early wins come from ruthless focus on rou...
2025-12-2328 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastTyrel Johnson - The Ice Cream Upstart Taking Over the Freezer at Erewhon On this episode, we’re joined by Tyrel Johnson, the Co-Founder & CEO of Natty Ice Cream, the high-protein, clean-label ice cream brand rapidly breaking into the frozen set. Tyrel and his brother Garrett turned a home fitness journey, a Ninja Creami obsession, and relentless R&D into a brand that's gaining traction fast.Tyrel shares the inside story of building Natty from a Breville machine to a fully licensed dairy manufacturing facility, then making the pivotal decision to shift from in-house production to a co-packer to support scale. We dive...
2025-12-1933 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastCourtney Shane - Turning around Windex, Tollhouse, and NesquikOn this episode, we’re joined by Courtney Shane, Founder & CEO of Challenger Brand Group.Courtney led turnarounds for iconic brands like Windex, Tollhouse, and Windex and now brings big brand rigor to emerging, challenger brands.We dig into how to think like a P&L-minded marketer, what she had to unlearn from “Big CPG,” the initiatives that change trajectories like nailing price-pack architecture, packaging design frameworks and storytelling strategies tailored to core stakeholder groups.Courtney breaks down what belongs in a tight creative brief, the most common...
2025-12-1641 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastBJ McCaslin - Exiting to Vita Coco, the Functional FutureOn this episode, we’re joined by BJ McCaslin, the Co-Founder & CEO of Holy! Water, the beverage brand pushing the boundaries of function, combining ketones, nootropics, functional mushrooms, and in some SKUs, THC. A 20-year beverage veteran who previously built and exited Coco Café to Vita Coco, BJ brings a rare blend of street-level intuition, scientific curiosity, and battle-tested entrepreneurial grit.We dive deep into commercialization realities, the brutal economics of beverage, and how BJ approaches brand-building like an anthropologist.We explore the fast-changing C-store landscape and wher...
2025-12-1240 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastChris Wendling - Transforming Carbone’s Restaurant Lore Into a Premier CPG BrandOn this episode, we’re joined by Chris Wendling, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Carbone Fine Food, the fast-growing brand translating the iconic Carbone restaurant experience into the grocery aisle. Since launching in 2021, Carbone has quickly become one of the top-selling premium pasta sauce brands in America, expanding into club, mass, and specialty retailers.Chris shares how his sales leadership background helped build marketing structure around a rapidly scaling business. We talked about the journey of implementing a formal marketing strategy, refining brand storytelling, and aligning the team around north st...
2025-12-0941 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJeff Bull - The Secret Sauce Behind A Leading THC Beverage BrandOn this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Bull, the Chief Creative Officer at Uncle Arnie’s, one of the fastest-growing THC beverage brands in the country. Jeff is the creative mind behind the Arnieverse - the nostalgic, fun-first brand world that has helped propel Uncle Arnie’s from a California cult favorite to a nationwide force across both dispensaries and the booming hemp-derived beverage market.With deep experience in brand identity, visual storytelling, and product strategy, Jeff has shaped everything from Arnie’s character system and packaging architecture to its flavor d...
2025-12-0436 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastScott Marcus - Scaling Vital Farms & Blue Zones KitchenOn this episode, we’re joined by Scott Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Zones Kitchen, the mission-driven frozen foods brand rooted in the research behind the world’s longest-lived communities. After helping scale Vital Farms to the point of IPO and beyond, Scott set out to build a new kind of food company.Scott breaks down how he and his co-founders, Dan Buettner and Matt O’Hare, transformed decades of Blue Zones research into a modern CPG platform. We explore what it takes to build a Public Benefit Corpora...
2025-12-0151 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastIan Tecklin - Redefining Frozen Pasta, Top Chef StyleOn this episode, we’re joined by Ian Tecklin, the Founder & CEO of Ripi, a recently launched, fast-growing upstart that’s redefining frozen pasta. Ian spent years in M&A and early-stage investing before partnering with Top Chef alum Joe Sasto to bring chef-level pasta to the masses through an accessible, freezer-friendly format.With explosive early retail traction and a growing fan base, Ian shares an inside look at how Ripi developed its formulations, chose its first SKUs, and built a distinctive brand identity in a sl...
2025-11-2041 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastMarc Brown - Creating a New CPG CategoryOn this episode, we’re joined by Marc Brown, Founder of ONOIN - the newly launched pre-chopped, flavored onions packed in 100% olive oil that can be used as topping, marinade, a base for a sauce, or any scenario where you want to spice up a meal.Before launching ONOIN, Marc spent years leading R&D and commercialization at brands like Clio Snacks, Danone, and Hain Celestial, giving him a rare mix of chef-level intuition and big-CPG scale-up discipline.With deep experience in formulation science, co-man development, and taking products fr...
2025-11-1840 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJenny Thielen - Shopper Marketing in 2025On this episode, we’re joined by Jenny Thielen, CMO at Green Seed North America, and a seasoned CPG marketer who’s spent her career helping food and beverage brands find their footing, grow distribution, and scale sustainably. Jenny shares a wealth of insights on what it really takes to win in retail today - from how to de-risk growth and avoid costly pitfalls to how to build true shopper marketing muscle that drives velocity without burning cash. We dive into her playbook for helping international brands successfully launch in the...
2025-11-1343 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastSierra Thomas - Carving a Different Path in Hemp BeveragesOn this episode, we’re joined by Sierra Thomas, Founder and CEO of Tropink - the Hawaiian-inspired, functional beverage brand made with real tropical fruit, vitamin D, broad spectrum hemp (no THC), and a little bit of carbonation.Sierra spent a decade in media and music before going alcohol-free in 2010. She’s bootstrapped Tropink thus far, scaling into premier retail locations across her home state of Oregon. We dive into Sierra’s formulation journey, why she chose broad-spectrum hemp over isolate, and how she navigates compliance and food safety. She unp...
2025-11-1044 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastPaige Billings - Selling Meat Sticks into United Airlines, Lowe's, Home Depot, and Dick's Sporting GoodsOn this episode, we’re joined by Paige Billings, VP of Marketing at Anthem Snacks - the veteran-owned jerky brand started by a former Green Beret - and Founder of Dot Digital Media.We dive into how Anthem has pushed into unconventional retail channels and the strategies for succeeding in limited shelf space environments - from Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Dick’s Sporting Goods to United Airlines’ in-flight program - proving that discovery doesn’t have to happen in the grocery aisle.We also explore ho...
2025-11-0539 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastAmy Collins - From Grandma's Kitchen to a National RolloutOn this episode, we’re joined by Amy Collins, the Co-Founder and CEO of RoRo’s Baking Company, a Dallas-based brand bringing her grandmother’s beloved cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls to freezers across the country. What started as a family recipe baked by hand in a shared kitchen has grown into a nationally distributed brand carried in Whole Foods, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, and more.Amy shares her journey from ICU nurse to food entrepreneur, how she scaled from self-manufacturing to partnering with a copacker, and what she’s learned about preservi...
2025-10-3036 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastKatie Hill - Riding the Craft Brewery Roller CoasterOn this episode, we’re joined by Katie Hill, the longtime marketing leader at Upslope Brewing - Boulder’s outdoors-first craft brewery known for cans-only packaging, community-driven events, and a “beer, people, planet” ethos. Katie has spent the last decade steering Upslope through the craft beer roller coaster, widening the aperture beyond beer while protecting the brand’s core identity.With deep experience across portfolio strategy, taproom-to-retail activation, and cause-led community building, Katie offers a practical perspective on what it takes to keep a 2008-era craft brand fresh in 2025.Katie...
2025-10-2734 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastGardar Stefansson - Hard Pivot to the Fastest Growing Spread BrandOn this episode, we’re joined by Gardar Stefansson, Co-founder & CEO of GOOD GOOD - the fastest-growing spread brand in the U.S.Born in Iceland, GOOD GOOD offers no-added-sugar, fruit-first jams, jellies, chocolate spreads, and a vegan lemon curd, among others.Gardar shares how a looming write-off in a stevia/erythritol drops business sparked the pivot to spreads. He lays out the playbook on formulation, packaging that signals “indulgent but better,” moving from Amazon discovery to national retail, and what it actually takes to earn and ho...
2025-10-2239 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastMarshall Rabil - Building a Pre-Internet DTC BrandOn this episode, we’re joined by Marshall Rabil, CEO of Hubbard Peanut Company (“Hubs”), the Virginia heritage brand that commercialized blister-fried, Super Extra Large peanuts, and became one of the earliest premium mail-order/DTC success stories. From Dot & H.J. Hubbard’s 1950s home kitchen to a modern mix of DTC, retail, and private label, Marshall shares how Hubs has maintained a craft feel as they’ve growth over the past ~75 yearsWith experience as a Whole Foods specialty buyer and a decade leading Hubs’ marketing and partnerships, Marshall unpa...
2025-10-1736 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastAdam Spriggs & Chris Robb - Investing Early in Siete, Poppi, and Bachan'sOn this episode, we’re joined by Chris Robb and Adam Spriggs, the duo behind The Angel Group - one of the most influential early-stage investment communities in CPG - and Supernatural Ventures.Between them, they’ve backed breakout brands like Siete, Poppi, Bachan’s, Garage Beer, and Painterland Sisters. They’ve built a reputation for spotting winning founders long before the rest of the industry takes notice.Chris and Adam unpack what they’re seeing across today’s ea...
2025-10-1555 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastSean Campbell - Scaling Ops from $5M to $150MOn this episode, we’re joined by Sean Campbell, COO at Semifreddi’s - the Bay Area-based beloved artisan bakery known for its sourdough.Before Semifreddi’s, Sean led operations at Kiva Confections, helping scale one of the nation’s top cannabis edibles brands from ~$20M to ~$150M in revenue, and held ops roles at Double Rainbow Ice Cream and San Francisco Salt Company. He’s a rare operator who’s scaled ops in traditional food, frozen, ambient, and regulated cannabis, bringing a cr...
2025-10-1352 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastNate Cooper - Investing in OLIPOP at Pre-seedOn this episode, we’re joined by Nate Cooper, Founder & Managing Partner at Barrel Ventures, and OLIPOP pre-seed investor. He tells the story behind investing in OLIPOP at pre-seed, what changed between the early brand and the rocket ship it became, and the hemp beverage bet he believes is far bigger than most people expect. Nate unpacks why venture is not a fit for most brands, what founders with no operating background consistently miss, and how to raise around milestones instead of “months of runway.” We also...
2025-10-0931 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastAmy Zitelman - Building a Differentiated Brand in an Ancient CategoryOn this episode, we’re joined by Amy Zitelman, Co-Founder & CEO of Soom Foods, the chef-quality tahini brand she built with her two sisters. Amy and her team went with a foodservice-first go-to-market strategy that earned brand credibility with top chefs and eventually generated demand at the consumer and retail level, before launching on Amazon and eventually into national retail.She shares how a COVID home-cooking surge kicked things into another gear, ultimately leading to her first fundraise 8-10 years after launch, a big rebrand, a national Who...
2025-10-0645 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastMehek Khera - Scaling Smart: A Balanced Approach to Velocity and Door CountOn this episode, we’re joined by Mehek Khera, the Founder & CEO of Niramaya Foods, heritage-inspired Indian foods built for modern eating.Mehek takes us inside her two-year R&D sprint to turn homestyle recipes into clean-label, shelf-stable dips (no artificial preservatives) and then expands the platform with Naan Pretzels designed for snackable trial.We go deep on formulation and process controls (pH, water activity, hot-fill), the oil-free reformulation and how she kept texture and flavor, and the packaging decisions that balance consumer perception and landed cost. We...
2025-10-0142 minShelf Help: The Tactical CPG PodcastJordan Wilson - Building Powder-Stick Efficiency in an RTD CanOn this episode, we’re joined by Jordan Wilson, Co-Founder & CEO of Sap’s, the clean, canned hydration brand built to deliver “powder-stick efficiency in an RTD can.” Jordan opens up his R&D playbook (coconut-water powder, a small amount of natural sugar, shiitake/adaptogens, and acidity/mouthfeel), explains why Sap’s moved from sleeves to digitally printed cans, and breaks down the realities of scaling with regional DSDs. We get tactical on EOS and core metrics, hiring, H-E-B’s flex-item authorization and how Jordan is working to solidify a...
2025-09-2633 min