The ECRM Podcast

ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski and entrepreneur, speaker and author Sterling Hawkins discuss how we can drive breakthrough results in business and life by regularly seeking activities that bring us out of our comfort zone, a topic Hawkins writes about in his new book, "Hunting Discomfort: How to Get Breakthrough Results in Life and Business, No Matter What." They cover several topics from the book, including: How avoiding discomfort and limiting beliefs hold us back Why it's important to be wrong on occasion Why persistence and grit are not always the answer The power of commitment (or "getting your tattoo") The negative impact of non-committed statements & self sabotage (where indecision becomes your decision) Why some self doubt is healthy Sterling also outlines how we can incorporate discomfort into our lives to drive growth, and invites you to join his #nomatterwhat community of like-minded individuals actively hunting discomfort. Learn more at https://www.sterlinghawkins.com/

Over the past couple of years, consumers have broadened their view of wellness to one that is more holistic and includes both physical and mental health. Not only are they more aware of the ingredients in the products they put on and in their bodies, but also the social and environmental impacts of the companies that manufacture those products and the retailers that sell them. CVS has been on the forefront of addressing these consumers evolving beauty and wellness needs through its supplier partnerships, unique and innovative retail concepts, and a finger on the pulse of trends that impact its shoppers. In this recent webcast, the first of a series of ECRM Beauty Talks fireside chats, Wayne Bennett spoke with Andrea Harrison, VP of Beauty and Personal Care at CVS, about the retailer's vision, strategy and opportunities it sees around the intersection of beauty and wellness. They also discuss best practices for suppliers looking to do business with CVS.

In just three years since launching, healthy snack brand Solely Inc. has grown its distribution to more than 30,000 locations by checking off all all of the boxes that grab buyers attention these days. It makes healthy, organic products with minimal ingredients. It's vertically integrated and controls its entire supply chain (translation: no out of stocks). It has a low carbon footprint and minimizes waste. Plus, it takes exceptional care of those farmers who grow the fruit for its products. In this interview with ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski, Solely CEO Simón Sacal and Chief Revenue Officer Michel Algazi discuss the company's mission, products, business practices, and how it leverages virtual sessions and RangeMe to successfully engage the buyer community.

With the growing popularity of zero-ABV cocktails, it's no surprise that Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails was among the first wave of brands to receive a wholesale order on RangeMe shortly after the service became available on the platform. According to NielsenIQ, off-premise sales of non-alcoholic grew 87 percent versus last year. And a survey by CGA - Americas revealed that 11 percent of consumers have recently tried a non-alcoholic cocktail at an on-premise location. ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Founder Rebecca A. Styn, Ph.D. (who also owns the Room 33 restaurant in Erie, Pa.) about the origin of her brand, the growing no-ABV trend among consumers, and how she works with buyers to determine the optimal placement and assortment of this growing segment of the adult beverage category. #business #retail #cpg #cocktails #spirits #ecrmrangeme

A 12,000-unit order from a major retailer, just months after launching. That's what Fichi Fig & Nut Bites Co-Founder Steven Tripoli experienced at ECRM's Plant-Based Foods session last year. Here's why he crushed it at our meetings: First, the products: Fichi Fig & Walnut Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Walnuts. Then there are Fichi Fig & Almond Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Almonds. Clean, simple ingredients. Beautiful packaging. A delicious, plant-based snack. Nailed it on the product front. It was hard to resist eating the whole bag at once. Second: He's got his biz squared away. Knows his numbers inside and out; has his supply chain locked down, test-marketed his products at local retailers for feedback. Third: He crushed his ECRM virtual buyer presentations. Conducted deep research for every retailer on his appointment list. Selected the 5-minute meetings and kept his presentation concise: only 5 slides that covered the products and how he would help buyers drive category sales as a partner. Left most of the meeting time for buyer engagement and questions. The result: In addition to the initial 12K unit order, that retailer already re-ordered, plus Steve also has a few more opportunities in the works! View the website here: https://fichisnacks.com/

Once you've landed ON THE SHELF, you have to move your products OFF THE SHELF, and into shoppers baskets. In this presentation, Food Biz Wiz founder Allison Ball shares a 3-step plan to boost sales once you have secured that coveted shelf space. This was one of the supplier workshops from ECRM's Global Market: Spring Buying Days, which took place last week, and includes the very engaging Q&A between Alli and the supplier participants. Among the topics she discusses are: - Developing a successful launch plan - Engaging retail staff and shoppers to build excitement around your products - Leveraging promotions, in-person and digital marketing - Nurturing of key partnerships for long-term success post-launch. Tons of practical insights for every emerging brand who has recently landed a retail deal!

Dr. PAWPAW has grown from a small emerging self-funded brand from the UK into an international success in some of the largest markets in the world, including USA and more recently, China. Hear directly from Founder Johnny Paterson himself on topics including key successes and learnings when tackling new markets, their focus on the emergence of Gen-Z consumers, and as a loyal participant of ECRM programs, how they have utilized ECRM programs in the past to assist in their growth as an indie brand.

Green Global Foods CEO Santiago Urti discusses how he has found success with retailers and foodservice operators worldwide in the face of adversity caused by the pandemic and supply chain issues. He also provides insights on how he prepares for and executes successful buyer meetings. Urti is a regular ECRM program participant, a RangeMe Premium member, and has participated in the previous two ECRM Global Markets. He'll be at Global Market: Spring Buying Days this coming March.

In this episode, Sean Georges and John Buford, Ph.D., Co-Founders of On Mission Leadership and Co-Authors of "On Mission, Your Journey to Authentic Leadership, discuss the importance of building authentic relationships with your teams that are based on mutual trust as a key element of leadership. Among the topics discussed are: Why relationships matter when it comes to leadership. Empathy and getting to know your team (and allowing them to get to knw you). Leading with love. The importance of honoring commitments. Why it's worth the time and effort required to build relationships. John is a certified Leadership Coach, retired Marine Corps officer, Professor Emeritus, and professional wilderness guide with decades of experience developing leadership competence in young adults and adult professionals in business, higher education, the military, the nonprofit sector, and outdoor education. Sean is a former Human Resource executive and General Counsel for a national, publicly-traded retailer. He previously served as an Officer of Marines for 13 years, to include duty as a Marine Judge Advocate. His TEDx presentation, The Essence of Authentic Leadership, has more than 24,000 views on YouTube.

Relationship and partnership blind spots can do more than hurt you; they can put you out of business. These days, our industry is facing increased costs, looming inflation, limited face-to-face interactions, and an evolution in consumer behaviors, making strong retailer-supplier relationships more important than ever before. “Partnerships are under more pressure than ever,” says Dan Mack, Founder and Managing Director of Mack Elevation. “They are under duress because of the pandemic, digital transformation, hyper-competition and a lot of additional factors.” During his presentation at ECRM's Global Market: Fall Experience, Dan Mack, Founder & Managing Director of Mack Elevation, discussed insights from his interviews with 25 CPG sales VPs as well as 10 leading retailers on how today's fast-evolving retail landscape has impacted their relationships, and how they can best work together. This podcast includes his full presentation, as well as the audience Q&A with Wayne Bennett, ECRM SVP of Retail, who moderated the session. Click here to read the blog post summary of this presentation. Click here to view Dan Mack's profile on LinkedIn. Click here to view the video presentation on YouTube. #business #retail #cpg #ecrmrangeme

Have you embraced discomfort today? For our latest blog post, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Michael Easter, Author of "The Comfort Crisis," about how intentionally adding discomfort back into our lives can revive the mental, physical and spiritual vitality we are meant to have, and help us grow personally and professionally to levels we may have thought previously impossible. Easter's journey to understand our evolutionary need to be challenged takes him to meet the NBA's top exercise scientist, who uses an ancient Japanese practice to build championship athletes; to the mystical country of Bhutan, where an Oxford economist and Buddhist leader are showing the world what death can teach us about happiness; to the outdoor lab of a young neuroscientist who's found that nature tests our physical and mental endurance in ways that expand creativity while taming burnout and anxiety; to the remote Alaskan backcountry on a demanding thirty-three-day hunting expedition to experience the rewilding secrets of one of the last rugged places on Earth; and more. Along the way, Easter uncovers a blueprint for leveraging the power of discomfort that will dramatically improve our health and happiness, and perhaps even help us understand what it means to be human. The Comfort Crisis is a bold call to break out of your comfort zone and explore the wild within yourself. Since publication, The Comfort Crisis has become a bestseller and been adopted by Major League Baseball teams, top-ranked NCAA D1 football programs, top-tier universities and law programs, major corporations, tier-one military units, and more. Purchase the book here: https://eastermichael.com/book/ View the ECRM Blog post summary of the interview here. View the interview on YouTube here. #performance #wellness #personalgrowth #business

2 days ago Zot organic's Todd Kite landed two retail deals from his six meetings at ECRM's recent Global Market: Fall Experience, and is close to closing another. In this interview with Joseph Tarnowski, he discusses his approach to buyer relationships and how it has driven retail success for this organic licorice supplier. Kite is all about servicing the buyer. He takes a consultative approach to sales, presents with the buyer's needs in mind, and is fully transparent about the company's capabilities. “I would rather walk away from the table than get a black mark on our reputation by not being able to supply somebody,” he says. Indeed, his focus on slow and sustainable growth, along with incredible service, has led to the company continually exceeding the targets it sets every year.. In this post you'll learn about Kite's philosophy when it comes to retail sales, how he presents during meetings, and how he develops long-term mutually-beneficial relationships with retail buyers. #retail #sales #business

Authentic leadership is what builds high-performing teams, forged by mutual trust and accountability in service to one another in support of their organizations mission. And it's not limited by title or rank. EVERYONE can lead. But what makes an authentic leader? According to Sean Georges and Dr. John Buford, co-authors of "On Mission: Your Journey to Authentic Leadership," authentic leaders influence others in the direction of a shared mission by serving them, providing them with the support and resources they need. In some cases, this even means sharing leadership responsibilities. ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Georges about authentic leadership, how it works, what makes an authentic servant-leader, and why relational leadership develops far more powerful teams than transactional leadership. This is the first in a series of four interviews in which the authors will cover a variety of leadership topics from their book, which will e released April 2022. #leadership #leader #personalgrowth #business #ecrmrangeme

If you are a supplier getting ready to meet virtually with buyers, then this is definitely an interview you won't want to miss. In this podcast, I speak with Natasha Fagri, Co-Founder of Frost Popsicles, which offers a range of seven all-natural alcoholic popsicles, or “poptails,” as Fagri likes to refer to them, as well as several non-alcoholic popsicles. She and her business partner launched the brand in 2016 in South Africa and have recently entered the U.S. market. She participated in ECRM's Frozen and Global Wine, Beer & Spirits Programs, and absolutely crushed her buyer meetings landing a couple of deals shortly afterward. Natasha shares the steps she took to prepare for those meetings, including how she defined her "why," how she researched the buyers, and how she crafted her presentations for maximum impact in the time alloted. She shows how doing your homework beforehand and lots of pitch practice can result in a great meeting experience. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

Amy Herman is the President of Art of Perception & Author of Visual Intelligence, and her specialty is working with people from all different types of fields -- from doctors and teachers to law enforcement and military -- to sharpen their powers of observation, analysis, and communication. In this discussion we apply some of her teachings to the world of virtual meetings. Among the topics we cover are: • How to reconsider the importance of observation, perception, and communication skills across new and unfamiliar platforms • How to improve the navigation of unforeseen circumstances and formulation of contingency plans • How to shift situational awareness to meet new challenges of accessibility and connection with colleagues, stakeholders, and clients • How to incorporate multiple perspectives in critical decision making to broaden vision and overcome cognitive bias These topics will benefit both buyers and sellers on each side of the screen during virtual meetings. One note I'd like to leave you with, though -- in the video version of this interview, Amy uses a lot of visuals to complement her discussion, and while she is very descriptive so that they are not needed to get the benefit of her insights (after all, communication is one of her areas of expertise), but if you would like to see them you can watch the video on ECRM's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/vt45ZclNzRA ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

Last year's seminal events of COVID and the social equity movements, have greatly accelerated consumers' interest in wellness, diversity, and the environment, and we are seeing this play out in the types of products they are seeking from retailers and brands. Clean ingredients, transparency, sustainability and social responsibility are top-of-mind among shoppers these days. In this episode, I speak with Kate LaBrosse, Founder & CEO of Kate LaBrosse Consulting, about several key natural products trends that are reshaping the CPG industry. These are the trends that are showing explosive growth across categories and channels, and are important considerations not just for brands but for retailers who want to prioritize more natural offerings. Kate has a long history in the natural products industry. She's worked as a Wellness Category Manager for a national retailer, as a National Sales Manager for a probiotic brand, and most recently as the Conventional Nutrition & Body Care Sales Director for a natural products broker. She and her team have over 100 years' combined experience in the Natural Products segment, and are passionate about supporting founders who want to grow their natural brand and conventional retailers who want to capture more share of their crossover shopper baskets. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

International brands looking to break into the U.S. retail market face many challenges, such as connecting with the right buyers, setting up a distribution plan, and determining the right strategic marketing mix to drive consumer demand in locations that have different trends and cultures than their home markets. Galvanina, an Italian beverage supplier which produces and bottles mineral water, organic carbonated soft drinks, mixers and iced-teas, has cracked the code to success in the U.S., which is among the 50 countries in which it's products can be found. The company launched nearly a century ago, taking its name from a mineral water spring near the hills of Rimini, and since 1987 has expanded distribution of its branded and private label beverages among the largest U.S. retailers. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski with Galvanina's Ronan Noonan and Greta Pagliarani about the brand and its products, and how the wellness trend is impacting the beverage industry. They also do a deep dive on best practices for international brands looking to enter the U.S. retail market. And since they are veterans of ECRM's programs, they also provide tips on how international brands can get the most from their buyer meetings on the ECRM Connect platform. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

The restaurant industry was among the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. Many locations are limited to outdoor dining, and in some areas are still takeout and delivery only. Needless to say, revenues in the segment have taken a nosedive. However, with a little creativity, marketing savvy and salesmanship, restaurant operators have opportunities to generate some extra sales, expand their markets, and keep staff on payroll by opening up pop-up locations. Cheryl Niman, Owner of For Your Table Consulting, is a 30-year Kroger veteran who has also worked at Gordon Food Service, and she combines her retail and foodservice expertise to help restaurants build successful pop-up locations, primarily by partnering with food retailers, but also with other retail channels and venues as well. In this episode, Niman takes us through the restaurant pop-up concept, and how to successfully market and execute pop-ups in partnership with local venues. This is definitely something that restaurant operators participating in ECRM's March Foodservice Program should consider exploring. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In 2018, Ahold Delhaize joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment Program. The focus of the commitment is threefold: to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuseable packaging models; to ensure that 100 percent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025; and to circulate the plastic produced by significantly increasing the amounts that is reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products. In this podcast episode, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with John Laughead, Product Sustainability Manager for Ahold Delhaize USA about the company's sustainability efforts to date, and how it's working with suppliers to achieve its sustainability goals. Laughead and his team will be participating in ECRM's Sustainable & Eco-friendly Packaging Program, which will be held March 23 to 25 on the ECRM Connect platform. For more information about this program, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

When it comes to selling CBD to mass retail consumers, generating trial is critical if you are looking to tap into the vast swath of shoppers who are new to the segment. But it's far from easy. Retailers must drive awareness of the segment, furnish a wealth of information quickly and in a format that's easy-to-understand, have a product assortment that caters to a variety of needs and tastes, and a price-point that is not too prohibitive. Successfully executing on this, however, can open a wealth of opportunity among the millions of mass retail shoppers that peruse the aisles each day. Betterment Retail Solutions, a wellness distributor based in West Des Moines, Iowa, has developed many such successful programs for the retailers and brands it serves (Yesway and Kwik Chek among them), and from this work has gained a ton of insights on what drives CBD success at the shelf. In this podcast ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Betterment President Dorsey Sparks about some best practices that retailers and brands can implement to drive the trial of CBD products and to get these new CBD consumers coming back for more. As Dorsey is a regular buyer participant at ECRM CBD sessions, she also discusses how CBD brands can best engage with buyers during our ECRM Connect programs. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com Click here to view the blog post from this podcast!

Happy New Year everyone! For most people, the start of the new year involves setting goals, and so for our first podcast of 2021 our focus is exactly that. In this episode, I speak once again with Alli Ball, a former grocery buyer and founder of Allison Ball Consulting, which works with emerging food and beverage brands to help them succeed at retail. She's also the host of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, in which she shares all kinds of helpful advice for brands on how to effectively run their businesses and get their products on the shelf and into consumers' hands. Alli takes us through the steps and strategies brand-owners can take to set and achieve effective goals (and common mistakes to avoid in doing so). She then shows us how to reverse-engineer those goals into tactics and timelines that will deliver optimal success without overwhelming you. Alli and I also go off on a fun tangent about productivity hacks that we each do and how these can be applied to your goal-setting practices. I really enjoyed this interview, and I know you will too! ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com Read an overview of these tips on ECRM's blog. Here are links to some of the books we discussed: Free to Focus, by Michael Hyatt The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Indistractable, by Nyr Eyal My column on "Boundaries: Creating Work/Life Balance in a Remote World"

One could say that Paul Adrian, Founder & CEO of U.K.-based Mojo Skin & Haircare, had a successful experience at ECRM's recent European Personal Care Virtual Program. Not only did his company win the Buyers Choice Award for its Hair Molding Clay, but his products were picked up by the Ideal World TV shopping channel just days after his meeting with them, and his products were featured just last weekend. Plus, he's in the midst of several follow-up conversations with buyers from the program, and is expecting a few more wins to come out of them. Mojo is a premium men's grooming and styling range, and currently offers four products that cover most men's hair types and are sold in more than 3,000 stores in Europe and Australia. In this episode, I speak with Paul about the origin of the company, how he approaches retailer relationships, and his experience meeting with buyers at his recent ECRM session. He also discusses his upcoming skincare launch, and his plans to leverage ECRM's virtual platform to launch in the US next year. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods in category-specific, highly curated face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

If you're a brand looking to grow your business on third-party ecommerce platforms around the world, then Taylor Sargeant, Head Buyer for Stephensons Online, is someone you definitely want to know. Stephensons specializes in helping brands of all sizes to successfully market and sell their products on platforms like Amazon and eBay in dozens of countries, and provides an array of turnkey services and support to help them do so. The company buys and warehouses the products, and manages everything from set-up to day-to-day operations, including product listings, storefront design and management, brand registry, messaging, returns, and even language translation. It also handles global distribution to both B2B and B2C customers. And where does Taylor go to find many of these brands? ECRM, of course! He's been to more than a dozen in-person and virtual sessions, and listed more than 50 brands from this year's sessions alone. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Taylor about the types of brands he works with and how they help them to succeed with third-party ecommerce sites around the world. We also touch on his ECRM virtual experience, and how virtual has helped Stephensons expand into new categories. ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumers goods in category-specific private, prescheduled face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Kara Goldin, the Founder & CEO of Hint, which is best known for its beverages, but also has a line of personal care products too. She's a groundbreaking entrepreneur who has received a ton of accolades during her career, including EY Entrepreneur of the year for Northern California, InStyle's Badass 50, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, and Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs. The Huffington Post listed her as one of six disruptors in business, alongside Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg. And now she can add Wall Street Journal bestselling author to her accomplishments as well, having just made the list with her newly-released book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts & Doubters. In this interview, we cover several key learnings she wrote about in the book from throughout her varied career, which spanned Time Inc., CNN, and AOL before launching Hint. They discuss the value of creating your own opportunities and just getting started without overthinking things, the concept of building the airplane while flying it, and how to transform setbacks into opportunities. SHOW NOTES What 'Undaunted' means to Kara (02:55) Creating your own opportunities (08:18) New York City & Time Inc. (10:33) Just show up every day and try to learn something (15:20) If I just go try, I can ultimately do these things (17:54) Entrepreneurship is really solving a new problem (18:44) The cold call that led to AOL (22:35) Just get started! (26:40) Own your mistakes and learn from them (30:17) Launching Hint at Whole Foods, having child No. 4 and selling out every case -- all on the same day (36:09) Expanding to New York (41:04) Building the airplane while flying it (41:55) Making time for everything (49:09) The Starbucks de-listing and transforming setbacks into opportunities (50:38) Taking a chance on direct-to-consumer (55:43) Nobody can solve your problems for you (61:01) Failure as a part of success (1:04:32) Be okay with not having all of the answers (1:07:49) Lots of great anecdotes and insights from the book, which I highly recommend you pick up if you haven't already read it! Click here to order Undaunted: http://www.drinkhint.com/ECRM

If you want to CRUSH IT in your next virtual buyer meeting, well then this podcast is for you. Alli Ball, Founder & Principal of Allison Ball consulting lays out five steps to creating a perfect virtual buyer pitch. And Alli knows a thing or two about pitching buyers. She's a former buyer turned wholesale consultant who has helped hundreds of emerging brands understand what it takes to get their products on the retail shelf. She's the creator of Retail Ready, an online course for producers of packaged food products seeking to succeed at retail, and the host of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, where she shares behind-the-scenes secrets and thought processes of buyers as they asses new products for their retail operations. Prior to launching her consulting business, Alli was essential in the development of the Bi-Rite family of businesses in San Francisco, sourcing products and consulting with hundreds of up-and-coming food businesses for years. Lots of great information here for all emerging brands, particularly those participating in ECRM Virtual Programs. ECRM holds more than 80 category-specific virtual sessions in which brands can have private, prescheduled face-to-face virtual meetings with buyers in food and beverage, health and beauty care, general merchandise and pharmacy and medical markets. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com Allison Ball's Website Check out Alli's Retail Roadmap, 9 steps to building a brand that flies off the shelf: www.alliball.com/roadmap Food Biz Wiz Podcast Alli Ball's Retail Ready Online Course

In this episode, I speak with Alina Morse, Founder and CEO of Zolli Candy, which makes sugar-free candy that is actually good for your teeth, including Zolli Pops, Zolli Drops, Zaffi Taffy and Zolli Caramels (the last two being my personal favorites, as I'm a chewy candy kinda guy). And while Alina is only 15 years old, she's the real deal. I've seen her at our Candy Planning sessions every year since she was 10, meeting with buyers, networking with other partcipants and getting business done. She's actually closed a lot of business with retailers she's met at our sessions. In this discussion, we talk about how she has both literally and figuratively grown in the business with ECRM. We cover how she came up with the idea for the candy, how she approaches her buyer meetings, and how she develops custom solutions based on buyers' specific needs. We also chat about life as a teenage entrepreneur, and how she finds a balance between work, school and recreational activities. Great insights here from a rising star in the industry, and entrepreneurs both young and old will enjoy this one! ECRM connects buyers and sellers of fast-moving consumers goods in category-specific private, prescheduled face-to-face meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In this episode, I speak with Michele Deeves, Retail & Marketing Lead for South African pharmacy chain Medicare Pharmacy Group. Michele is a veteran ECRM session participant, attending in her first in-person session more than a dozen years ago, and has recently participated in both our Euro and U.S.-focused Virtual Sessions. In her role as retail lead, Michele heads up the front-end buying across all categories, and takes us through how the pandemic has impacted shopper behavior in the South African market. She also discusses how the retailer has been sourcing and merchandsing various categories as country-wide restrictions and consumer demands have varied widely over the past few months. She wraps up with details of her experience with ECRM's Virtual Sessions, and how they have enabled her to find trending products from suppliers around the world -- all from the comfort of her home office. Lots of great South African market insights in this one. ECRM hosts category-specific face-to-face virtual meetings for retailers and brands around the world. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com. View the blog post of this interview on the ECRM Blog. View the video interview on YouTube.

For our 100th podcast, I wanted to do something a little special, a little different. So we're going to teach you how to sell without selling by building a powerful personal brand. My guest on this podcast is personal branding expert Lorena Acosta, the Founder of Be Busy Being Awesome Agency, who coaches business leaders on how to develop and engage an audience of followers who share their values and beliefs, and to create content that builds trust and creates meaningful, long-lasting relationships. We discuss what personal branding is (and what it's not), how to build your tribe of engaged followers, and how to leverage social media -- and LinkedIn in particular -- to make this happen. And Lorena knows a thing or two about LinkedIn, as she recently surpassed 1 million followers on the platform. Lots of great insights in this one, and I certainly learned a few things to apply to my own personal brand building efforts, and I'm sure you will too. Click here to view the blog post. Click here for the YouTube video interview. Click here to see ECRM's full list of category-specific virtual sessions.

In this episode, ECRM's Wayne Bennett Speaks with Barb Stuckey, President & Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson, a Silicon Valley-based insights, strategy, and development firm that helps clients develop food and beverages for the retail and chain restaurant industries. Barb is known as a taste, food trend, innovation, consumer insights, and product development expert. As part of Barb's role in the innovation projects that make up her daily job, she is required to taste food and figure out how to make it better. After more than 2 decades doing this, she's honed her tasting skills and ability to help others make food taste better. She shared this insight with the world in 2012 when her book TASTE WHAT YOU'RE MISSING was published (the paperback edition was released under the simplified title TASTE). Barb was instrumental in helping The San Francisco Cooking School integrate the science of taste into their curriculum. She now teaches the Fundamentals of Taste to each entering class. Barb is a regular contributor to Forbes.com where she writes about the food industry. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Plant Based Foods Association, and was previously on the boards of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, as well as La Cocina, the San Francisco-based food incubator for low income women of color. During the episode, Wayne and Barb discuss what it means to innovate and create a product that truly represents a point of difference from what's on the market. They review what factors are important in achieving this, and what segments of the food and beverage industry are ripe for innovation. And speaking of food and beverage innovation, ECRM has several virtual sessions coming this November where you'll find tons of it, including three foodservice sessions, as well as sessions on plant-based food and beverages, keto food and beverages, meat and seafood. For more information, visit ECRM.MarketGate.com

In this podcast we journey across the Atlantic for an interview with Conor O' Farrell, Buying Manager for Positive Health at Boots Ireland, who was a recent participant in ECRM's Euro Health, Nutrition & Wellness Virtual Session. During our discussion, we talk about how COVID has shifted consumers' view of health to one of prevention and longevity, and how this has changed the way they shop as well as how they consult with the retailer's healthcare advisors. We also touch on the role digital has played during the pandemic -- not just for ecommerce and the next day delivery offered by Boots, but also as a valueable source of health information. Conor also discusses his experience with ECRM -- both at the in-person sessions as well as the recent virtual session, and how they have helped him be first-to-market with innovative and on-trend products. ECRM has more than 80 category specific sessions connecting buyers and distriutors in the US, Europe, Asia and Latin America with suppliers from around the world. For more information, visit ecrm.marketgate.com

This episode is a great one for anyone who participates in virtual meetings - which is basically everybody these days. I had the opportunity to chat with Wendy Saltzman, CEO of Philly Power Media about how to effectively communicate and engage with people in a virtual setting. Wendy coaches executives, entrepreneurs, celebrities and sports figures about how to deliver strong presentations, whether in-person or virtually. And she definitely has some credibility in this area. In fact, she's won three Emmy Awards during her 23-year career as a broadcast journalist, so she knows the ins and outs of working in front of a camera. She provides a variety of practical and easy-to-implement tips on how to put your best foot forward on screen, and we cover areas such as framing your visual space, lighting, camera angles, the importance of smiling, and -- how to even avoid mumbling. I certainly walked away with a lot of things to apply to my virtual meetings. Now we do have this interview in video format, and if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend watching that version, as you'll get to see some helpful visuals - including the two of us making funny faces as she walks me through a couple of exercises. But, and there is no surprise here, she is very descriptive in her explanations, so you'll get a ton just from listening. Watch the YouTube video here. ECRM has more than 80 category-specific virtual sessions where buyers and sellers of products in food and beverage, health and beauty care, general merchandise and pharmacy and medical markets can connect in private, pre-scheduled virtual meetings. For more information, visit ECRM.marketgate.com Visit the Philly Power Media website. Email Wendy: wendy@phillypowermedia.com

What's up everybody! This episode is a great one for any and all emerging brands looking to engage with retailers. Shirley White, Founder, Owner and Managing Director of U.K.-based OTC Beverages, has mastered her “elevator pitch” for buyers, having delivered it several dozen times as a recent Discovery Hub participant at ECRM's Euro Food session.  With the assistance of ECRM's Client Success Managers and armed with information about the buyers with whom she would be meeting, she honed her presentation down to its crucial elements: who they were, what products they manufactured, and how they can meet each buyer's category needs and objectives. She even left time for questions after her presentation.  She also participated in ECRM's Efficient Supplier Introduction for black-owned businesses. There she had 10 minutes to present to a panel of more than 20 beverage buyers from U.S.-based retail chains. So she added a little bit to her pitch but left more time for Q&A as that 10 minutes was her only shot. In this episode, Shirley gives us a little background on her company and the products they make, which include an organi non-alcoholic ginger beer and sorrel beverages, and then she gives details on how she prepped her pitches for both the virtual session and the ESI.  ECRM has more than 80 category-specific virtual sessions in which suppliers and buyers meet face-to-face at scale, as well as dozens of Efficient Supplier Introductions, during which suppliers have the opportunity to pitch a panel of up to 20 buyers. For more information, visit ecrm.marketgate.com. See the blog post of this interview here. Watch the interview on YouTube here. Visit the ECRM Blog.

Herbally Yours is a contract manufacturer specializing in the production of a full spectrum of products to a variety of customers in many markets, including liquid products, therapeutic creams & lotions, powders, capsules, botanical extracts, and skin care. It has a dedicated team of professionals including a biologist, medical doctor and analytical chemists in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry. Together they provide solutions from existing companies looking to make products better or add new products, to start ups looking to completely create a new product concept and develop a brand. The company recently participated in ECRM's Contract Manufacturing Virtual Session, and built an intricate "home studio" to provide buyers with as close to an in-person experience as possible, using several cameras, lighting, microphones and a projector. In this interview with ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski, they walk us through their presentation setup, and discuss their experience using the ECRM Connect platform. Just a side note -- we tried to be a detailed as possible in the discussion, so that those listening to the podcast will get a good idea of the setup, but if you'd like to also visually see what they did, we have a link to the YouTube video interview below. Watch the interview on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdL36RC2VA Click here to see the full list of ECRM Virtual Sessions: https://ecrm.marketgate.com/sessions Clik here for details on the ECRM Connect Platform, including customer testimonials: https://www.ecrmconnect.com/

There's no doubt that the foodservice industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. The entire nature of the business – in which people gather around closely to eat, drink and converse at restaurants, campuses, corporate dining rooms and nursing homes – has been turned upside down by social distancing requirements. Foodservice operators have been innovating ever since the outbreaks in March to accommodate these requirements as best as they can, helped in no small way by their supplier partners, who have done much innovating themselves. Clark Food Service Equipment, based in Lancaster, Penn. and a recent participant in ECRM's Foodservice Virtual Session, is a great example of this. In this episode, I speak with Becky Smith, Project Executive at Clark Food Service Equipment, on how they are working with foodservice operators to enable them to keep their business going safely and successfully during the pandemic, as well as prepping them for a post-pandemic world. We also discuss her experience at the virtual foodservice session, and how virtual will play a role in Clark's future.

In this episode, I talk about eating bugs with Bill Broadbent, Founder & President of Entosense, a retailer and wholesaler of edible insects and insect-based foods, whose products can be found in retail stores, bars and restaurants. During our conversation, Bill discusses the market for edible insects, the many nutritional benefits they have, and how great they are from a sustainability standpoint. We also cover how they are being merchandised in stores and included as ingredients on menus. And while the idea of bugs as food may be icky to some people, they do have a built-in viral marketing component to them. As Bill says in the interview: "No one eats a scorpion and doesn't tell everybody they know about it." This is a fast-growing segment with a lot of potential, particularly among Millennials and younger generations, and Bill delivers a wealth of insights on the topic.

Hecky Powell, Founder of Hecky's Barbecue, is a legend in Evanston, Ill. A true community icon, Powell was known as much for his philanthropy as for his restaurant's delicious barbecue food, including ribs, rib tips, chicken and especially for his barbecue sauce. Indeed, “It's the Sauce” became the restaurant motto, and its sauces, spices and beverages are now carried in local restaurants and grocery stores. This past May, Powell, who founded the business in 1983, was featured on NBC's Lives Well Lived series when he passed away due to complications from the coronavirus. In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with three members of the Hecky's team, including Hecky Powell Jr., Kathryn Boatright, and Carl LaMell about the company's origin, its products, and its recent participation in ECRM's Efficient Supplier Introduction for Black-Owned Businesses. A great story about a brand with a huge histroy of giving back.

Brandy Alexander is the Senior Buyer for Health & Beauty at 99 Cents Only Stores, which has more than 350 locations across four states. And while the company's name might be 99 cents only, their products are not only 99 cents. In fact, over the years they have evolved to a retailer that delivers amazing value compared to the rest of the market, even at price points around twenty-five bucks. In this episode, I speak with Brandy about how the pandemic has changed the way consumers shop the retaler's stores, and how Brandy herself has adapted her day-to-day activities working remotely. She also talks about her experience participating in ECRMs recent Personal Care, Health Care and Sun Care virtual sessions. And while she was initially reluctant to participate, after about 100 meetings using the ECRM Connect platform, she can probably explain the benefits it delivers buyers as well as any of us on the ECRM staff can. We wrap up with a discussion on the future of virtual in retail and CPG, as well as some advice for suppliers when they are pitching virtually to Brandy. Click here to see ECRM's full list of category-specific virtual sessions. ECRM's Blog

Face it, we all miss meeting in-person; the ability to see, touch, taste products, feeling the energy of people when you are sitting across the table face to face, and sharing a joke with them over cocktails during a networking function. Last year I've been to almost 20 ECRM Food & Beverage sessions as well as other industry events, and like everyone else, I've had to accept the fact those personal connections will not happen for quite some time. However, being forced to adapt to a virtual world has forced us to embrace new technologies, and in doing so we've learned the efficiencies they can deliver. Brian Ferrier, Merchandising Manager for Giant Eagle is a case-in-point. While he loves meeting with vendors in person, he admits that virtual tools have driven efficiencies into his day-to-day activities, particularly his participation in ECRM's recent Candy Planning: Easter & Valentine's Day Virtual Session. In this episode, I speak with Brian about how he's adpted to this new virtual word, how it's helped give him some time back to focus on strategic initiatives, and where he sees virtual playing a role in the future. He also share for suppliers on what he likes to see in virtual presentations.

Many of you are likely reading this from a makeshift home office, perhaps squeezing in time between virtual meetings with customers or colleagues while you're kids are learning from home and wondering what school is going to be like when and if they return as the school year starts. You might have recently waited on line getting takeout, standing on the social distancing floor marker as you read the sign noting that masks are required, and if you are venturing into work, you are taking precautions to ensure the safety of yourself, your team and your customers. This is a part of everyday life now, and from the looks of things, will be the norm for the foreseeable future. And all of it requires products, tools and solutions to help optimize your efficiency and safety in this new world. And Staples is looking to provide them, reinventing its assortment to help us be “remote ready.” In this podcast, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with Brian Coupland, SVP of Retail Merchandising of Staples about the needs of today's consumers and businesses as they adapt the way they work, learn and communicate in a world of restricted travel, social distancing and sanitization, and how Staples itself is adapting its stores and assortments to accommodate these needs.

The application process for Walmart's seventh annual Open Call is now open, and the retailer is inviting entrepreneurs seeking to get their U.S.-manufactured products on Walmart shelves to apply for the opportunity to meet with Walmart buyers October 1 via virtual pitch meetings. The event kicks off Walmart's celebration of U.S. Manufacturing Month and will include similar programming to previous years. In addition to one-on-one pitch meetings with Walmart buyers, participants will have an opportunity to hear directly from Walmart executives and learn from company leaders during smaller breakout sessions designed to inform, empower and encourage supplier-hopefuls. In this podcast, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with Scott Gutche, Senior Director of U.S. Manufacturing and Sourcing for Walmart, about this year's Open Call program. The deadline to apply to participate in this year's Open Call for U.S.-manufactured products is Aug. 10. The application and additional information about the event are available below. Suppliers can submit their application here: https://engage.walmart-jump.com/article/submit-items

With the myriad challenges the industry has faced over the past few months, empathy is probably the most important quality a retailer and brand can demonstrate when it comes to their shoppers. Now more than ever, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and develop not only products, but solutions that will help make their lives safer, easier and as close to a sense of “normalcy” as we can make it. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Larry Levin, EVP of Market & Shopper Intelligence for IRI Worldwide, about how consumers' needs and shopping behaviors have changed over the past several months as the pandemic continues to fluctuate from one segment of the country to another, and the lasting impact it will have on how, when and where they shop. They also discuss how retailers and brands can best accommodate these changes. But at the root of each of these recommendations, is the ability to have what Larry refers to as, an “empathetic ear.”

The true test of effective packaging design is that it makes the product jump out on the shelf and ultimately -- into the shopper's basket. One of the ways to accomplish this is by employing color-blocking strategies in the context of those competing products on the shelf, as well as within your line of products. To show you how this is done, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Emily Page, CEO of Pearl Resourcing and a packaging design and product branding expert, who will take you through the steps on what you need to do. Side note: This was originally recorded as a youtube video with a ton of visual examples, so if you get the chance, definitely check out the video with the link below. However, knowing that this would be a podcast as well, we did use a lot of descriptive language to make it as visual as possible for those of you just listening. Either way, you'll get a lot out of it! YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvu2V53tNP0 ABOUT EMILY PAGE: Emily has managed and launched multiple 7-figure brands in Costco, Williams-Sonoma, Kroger, and Amazon. She's bringing you the expertise, resources, and mentors you need so that you can develop products and make them sell. Work with her as a business growth consultant at http://emilyannepage.com OR subscribe to her Start To Sold YouTube Chanel for more product development advice http://youtube.com/c/starttosold/. Or add her on LINKEDIN to broaden your network: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilypage/. To hire her packaging design company visit http://pearlresourcing.net. #ECRMrangeme #PackagingDesign #PackagingDesignStrategy #colorblocking #packagingdesign #SalesStrategy #RetailStrategy #RetailLaunch #PrivateLabelProducts #FoodIndustry #BeautyIndustry #VitaminIndustry #BuyerEducation #PearlResourcing Joe Tarnowski ECRM | VP of Content Office: 440-528-4207 (Eastern) Mobile: 917-446-7192 ECRM.MarketGate.com RangeMe.com

The last time ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Art Sutley and Ashley Bray, Publisher and Editor respectively of Bar Business Magazine, it was April and we were early in the lockdown phase due to the coronavirus pandemic. During that interview, they discussed what bars and restaurants need to do to survive the lockdown, and what they need to start thinking about when we eventually started reopening. Now bars and restaurants beginning to reopen. Well, kind of. The country is really a patchwork of different phases of re-opening, with some places allowing limited indoor seating, others, like my home city of New York just recently allowing outdoor dining. Then you have other areas that opened up earlier that are now shutting down due to spikes in Covid cases, many caused by reopening too early, or doing it improperly – or both. So during this interview Joe, Art and Ashley discuss the current state of the industry as it pertains to opening back up for business, and some best practices bars and restaurants can deploy in order to provide a safe operation for guests, while at the same time maximizing revenue opportunities. As you'll learn from the interview, these two things are often closely tied together.

Sometimes change sparks up innovation, and that's certainly what it did for Enstrom Candies during ECRM's recent Candy Planning: Easter & Valentine's Day Virtual Session. Jim Simons, the fourth-generation owner and VP of Sales for the manufacturer of all-natural almond toffee products, has been participating in ECRM in-person Candy Planning sessions for years, ever since they decided to expand from direct-to-consumer onto the store shelves. With our pivot to virtual sessions, Jim and his team wanted to create an experience that was as close to the in-person ECRM meetings as possible, and found some interesting ways to do it, building a set up in their conference room that enable them to share their catalog digitally and provide a view of their product and displays – all while keeping the face-to-face component of the meeting. In fact, they even plan to bring some of their learnings from their virtual presentation to ECRM's in-person sessions one we can all get together again! During this interview with ECRM VP of Content Joseph Tarnowski, Jim gives an overview of his company and products, discusses how they have adapted to the new normal of the pandemic, and relates his successful experience on ECRM's recent Virtual Session.

The team at WSL Strategic Retail is known for their "in-the-trenches" analysis of retail where the rubber meets the road -- in the store and online -- and they have scouts in major cities around the world gathering intelligence to evaluate how retailers are engaging with shoppers. As retailers are beginning to open up for business, these scouts have been checking out how they have adapted their stores and operations to this new environment, where shoppers are cautiously starting to make their way into stores again, whether to browse the aisles or to pick up an online order. During this interview, I speak with WSL Senior Consultant Elizabeth Gretkowski and Consultant Analyst Kaci Floyd about what they and their scouts have witnessed among retailers and some restaurants located in Texas, Florida, London, New York and New Jersey. One thing is for sure: Everything that retailers have been working on – convenience, store-experience, e-commerce, services -- have new definitions now compared to just three months ago, something WSL refers to as the "Retail Reset." We wrap up the conversation with seven recommendations from the WSL team, based on this feedback from the field. on how to make your operation the place consumers feel confident to shop.

Craig Harlan, VP of Sales for Earth-Friendly Products, is an example of a supplier who has experienced the speed in which buyers are following up from ECRM's Virtual Sessions. Not only did he receive 33 follow up notifications from his meetings during our Pet Virtual Session, but one of those retailers, Bartell Drugs, already placed an order just days after the session wrapped up – and it wasn't just for his pet products, but for some other products as well! In this episode, ECRM VP of COntent Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Craig about his company and the products they offer, and how the pandemic has impacted their business – both from a sales and supply chain perspective as well as how it changed the way they engage with buyers. He also provides details on his ECRM Virtual Session experience and the benefits that virtual meetings will bring to the industry moving forward.

Maria Lange, Nielsen's VP of Pet and Cannabis verticals, was slated to speak at ECRM's Pet Program this past April, but the pandemic through a wrench in the works and so we transformed that program into a Virtual Session that was held last week, hosting more than 1,600 meetings between retailers and suppliers of pet products over the span of four days. And in place of the in-person thought leadership session, participants were able to get a first-look at the video Q&A with Maria hosted by ECRM VP of Content Joseph Tarnowski, during which they covered some key trends in the pet category, including the impact of Covid-19, the “re-grainification” of pet food, sustainability, and premiumization. With the Pet Virtual Session now behind us, we're opening up the Q&A for everyone, and below you'll find an edited excerpt from the interview, as well as links to the full podcast and video interviews.

During the initial phase of the pandemic, essential items were considered to be things like food, hand sanitizer and of course, toilet paper. But as the stay-at-home orders began to span months, the definition of what was essential has shifted. Now it includes products that keep us occupied, that help us to work and learn from home, things that help us to prepare meals, and many of these products fall under the general merchandise umbrella. In this podcast, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Howie Cohen, General Merchandise Category Manager for Bartell Drugs, about how their consumers' shopping activity around general merchandise has changed over the past few months. They also discuss how the stay-at-home orders hae impacted Howie's day-to-day activities as a category manager, and the role virtual has played in them. And since he also participated in ECRM's recent Pet Virtual Session, we talk about his experience using the platform, and the opportunities it presents for him in sourcing products in other GM segments, as well. This is actually Joe's third interview with Howie, who is just an all-around awesome guy, and you'll not only find this discussion informative, but very entertaining, as well. Click here to read the blog post Click here to watch the video interview on YouTube Click here to see the list of ECRM's category-specific virtual sessions.

One impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it has changed the mindset of retailers and the way in which they view thier supplier partnerships. They have new expectations when it comes to supply chain capabilities, innovation, and consumer engagement, and trust is now more important than ever. In this episode, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with Dan Mack, Founder & Managng Director of Mack Elevantion Forum, they discuss this new retail mindset and provide some insights on how suppliers can best engage with them moving forward. Dan is a strategist, advisor and performance coach to numerous companies in the consumer package goods industry. He is the founder of the Elevation Forum Leadership Group and he hosts thought leadership events bringing together retailers and suppliers to discuss higher level partnerships and the future of the industry. He researches and advises executives on the practices of elite growth companies in his first book, Dark Horse: How Challenger Companies Rise to Prominence. Mack was a sales and training leader at GlaxoSmithKline, served as Vice President of Sales at GOJO Industries (the creator of PURELL) and Vice President of Sales at Dentek Oral Care. He as a passion for coaching leaders on creating high performing sales cultures. https://mackelevationforum.com/ Read the blog Q&A here: https://ecrm.marketgate.com/Blog/2020/06/The-New-Retail-Mindset-What-it-Means-for-Suppliers

Todd Gean, Candy Category Manager for Hy-Vee, who was originally a bit skeptical about participatng in ECRM's Virtual Session for Easter & Valentine's Day Candy Planning. After all, he had been working remotely for a couple of months now and had been setting up virtual meetings with suppliers on his own. So he figured, why would he need us to do it? But that all changed once his meetings began, and he saw the value delivered by the people, process and platform behind ECRM's virtual sessions. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski chats with Todd about his experience with our virtual platform, and why he thinks it's a game-changer for buyers and suppliers. Click here to read the blog post. Click here to watch the video on YouTube. Click here for the list of ECRM's category-specific virtual sessions. #retail #cpg #candy #virtualmeetings #categorymanager #sourcing

In this podcast, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Nielsen's Global Intelligence Leader Scott Mckenzie on what we can expect as the CPG retail industry emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, based on Nielsen's global research of companies and consumers around the world -- including countries that are further along the road in terms of opening up their businesses. They discuss the various mixed scenarios that we can face depending on which direction the pandemic takes, as well as how consumers will shop differently post-pandemic. Scott also provides recommendations for how retailers and brands can effectively engage consumers as we pass through the various stages of recovery. Lots of great and timely insights here.