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We are on our 4th installment of the 'Outside The Tank' Series. This time, we are bringing on Kevin Consolo of ERASERS, which is a tool to remove scuff marks and dirt from your favorite shoes. And Kent Yoshimura, Co-founder of Neuro Gum, a gum that provides brain health benefits. This episode is sponsored by Melting Forest and our on-going sponsor RangeMe. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 37 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
After a wonderful Expert Series last week, we are back to our normal format of just Alex and Wade chatting all things CPG. This week we will share the NOSH recap in Marina Del Rey and how the event went and also the Pitch Slam Winner. NOSH is presented by BevNet. We will also share some tips and strategies on getting into Sprouts, including the coveted innovation set where brands are entered into over 400 doors on a 3 month test before expanding into the main Sprouts set. This episode is sponsored by Creative Kaiju and our on-going sponsor RangeMe.
This week we are bringing on 3 accomplished CEOs that are currently running or have run successful CPG Brands. We hear about their strategy on scaling brands including innovation, leadership and team building, market opportunity, distribution strategies, and much more. We are bringing on the following: Jeff Church - Previous CEO of Suja Max Dichter - CEO of 4th and Heart John Foraker - CEO of Once Upon a Farm This episode is sponsored by Power Full Energy. Our on-going sponsor is RangeMe. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 37 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
This week we are going to cover the endless landmines that are in CPG and how to conquer these with strategy and making the right decisions at the right time. There are a few very important areas that can 'make or break' a CPG brand including: - Distribution strategy - COGS and point of profitability - Channels to pursue and NOT pursue - Packaging and refrigerated vs. shelf-stable - and Much more Our weekly sponsor is Power Full Energy and Robert Cogan and our on-going sponsor is RangeMe.
Our coveted 'Master Series' is back after a 3 month break. We are excited to bring on CPG pros who are masters of their own craft and have found massive success in the space. We are being joined by Will Nitze, CEO and Founder of fast growing functional bar brand, IQ Bar. Ben Mand, CEO of Guayaki Yerba Mate. And Tom Hicks, previous CEO and current Chief Commercial Officer of Zico Coconut Water. This episode is sponsored by WN Deen Advisory with Walid Naserdeen. Our on-going sponsor is RangeMe. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 37 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
We are dedicating this episode to covering topics on how to build your social media presence including running TikTok Shop and making captivating social creatives. We are being joined by Mark Ross from Konsort Social and Adam Brown with Sircle Media. Our on-going sponsor is RangeMe and this week's sponsor is Social Nature. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
This week we discuss something that has been on the minds of CPG entrepreneurs the last 2 years with the macro-economic challenges. "Should I start a CPG Brand right now?" And those that are knee deep in running their brand, when is it okay to continue, or what are the signs that it may not be working and better to cut your losses? These are not comfortable topics by any means, but Wade and Alex will dive into this important discussion. This episode is sponsored by RangeMe and our weekly sponsor is Melting Forest.
This week Wade and Alex dive into what are the best areas to put your capital to maximize return on investment when it comes to running a CPG brand. There are areas that are prudent to invest in that bring short term and long term value. There are services that while it may bring some value, are they really worth investing in and will it bring a sustainable return on your company. We do a deep dive on all things CPG services and dissect what's worth it or not depending on company size. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show. This episode is sponsored by My Way 3PL and RangeMe and weekly sponsor is Rebel Eats.
We are VERY excited about our special edition 'Outside The Tank' (Volume 3) coming at you this Friday. For those that don't know, we bring on CPG entrepreneurs who appeared on Shark Tank live on ABC aired in front of millions at home. Daniel Zakowski CEO of Ready. Set. Food! Hank Watt Founder of Nature's Wild Berry Josh Belinsky Slate Milk Each will share their stories leading up to Shark Tank to the moment they entered show on the famous Persian rug in front of the Sharks to pitch their product. Some areas we will cover with our guests: -What was taped but never made it to air? -Where are the brands now and how was Shark Tank affected their company's growth? -Best/worst parts of their pitch? -Did the deal actually go through (if there was a deal on air)?-Much more! This episode is sponsored by Walid Nasserdeen and W.NDeen Advisory and our on-going sponsors RangeMe and My Way 3PL
This week we are joined by 3 dynamic female founders that have started CPG brands scaling nationally in retail stores and online. Just 13 % of all start-ups are female-founded, so we wanted to give a spotlight on female-led companies and their personal stories on starting their past and present brands. In no particular order, we are joined by Karen Danudjaja, Co-founder of Blume. Nicole Dawes, Founder of Nixie Beverage Company, and Lan Pham, Founder of Sang Vietnamese Coffee. This week's episode is sponsored by Social Nature. Our on-going sponsors are RangeMe and My Way 3PL
We are coming at ya this week with recommendations and strategy for your trade show schedule in 2025 including Expo West, Newtopia Now, Fancy Foods, UNFI, Kehe, and many others worth attending. Back by popular demand, we will continue our 'Stuff We Love' segment and share more brands and products we love that are in Alex's or Wade's pantries and fridges. This episode is sponsored by Revival Tea and they are currently raising an online crowdfunding round at https://lnkd.in/gFXbgQ5r and are approaching $400k raised! Our on-going sponsors are My Way 3PL and RangeMe. See you there!
This week we will discuss the controversial Lunchables competitor being launched by Mr Beast, Logan Paul, and KSI. We also will have an extended session talking about all the brands and products in Alex and Wade's fridges and pantries that we absolutely love. Our episode sponsor is Rebel Eats and Trevor Smith. Our on-going sponsor are My Way 3PL and RangeMe. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
In 1998, Marc Randolph with his co-founder Reed Hastings started the now streaming giant Netflix. They started what is now commonplace in almost every American household and changed the way we view media forever. Marc will share his story on starting Netflix and also taking the helm of CEO during his time at the company before he stepped down. This week's episode is sponsored by Power Full Energy Distribution (Robert Cogan). Our on-going sponsors are RangeMe and My Way 3PL.
This week Wade and Alex discuss Newtopia Now - the very first event of its kind that took place in Denver, CO this past week August 25-27, 2024. We will list out any news and feedback from this convention and also shout out comments from the audience and anyone who attended. On the flip side, brain health products that improve cognitive ability, focus and brain function are continually on the rise. What is the future of this category and how will brands continue to innovate to make an impact and gain market share? Our opinions will be shared. This week's episode if sponsored by Rebel Eats, and our on-going sponsors My Way 3PL and RangeMe.
What brands are about to catch fire and need to be watched as the next wave of the future? Wade and Alex will submit their predictions and share what brands they think are the next ones to explode on the scene. We also share what stores we shop at and why and what about the experience keeps us coming back. This episode is sponsored by Robert Cogan and Power Full Energy Distribution. Our on-going sponsors are My Way 3PL and RangeMe. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
This week Wade and Alex discuss Newtopia Now - the very first event of its kind that took place in Denver, CO this past week August 25-27, 2024. We will list out any news and feedback from this convention and also shout out comments from the audience and anyone who attended. On the flip side, brain health products that improve cognitive ability, focus and brain function are continually on the rise. What is the future of this category and how will brands continue to innovate to make an impact and gain market share? Our opinions will be shared. This week's episode if sponsored by Rebel Eats, and our on-going sponsors My Way 3PL and RangeMe.
We are honored and excited to be joined by some of the best and brightest CPG people in the industry. On our 3rd edition of the Master Series, we are being joined by Mark Samuel, CEO of IWON Organics (a fast growing prominent organic snack brand), Adam Brown, CEO of Sircle Media (one of the leading CPG focused social media agencies in the country), Max Baumann (CEO of one of the largest CPG merchandising brands in the country), and Czar Daniolco, Co-Founder of Hi Touch Distribution (now called Hi Touch Libations). BIG Thanks to our on-going sponsors My Way 3PL (https://lnkd.in/gcSXrV2P) and RangeMe (https://lnkd.in/gwXQar3P) This week's episode is sponsored by Social Nature who helps natural brands get discovered on retail shelves through their community of 1.1 million shoppers who are looking for better-for-you options.
After an action packed 'Master Series' Episode last week, we are returning back to our classic format of No Script, Just Chat with the usual CPG banter back and forth. We will talk all things CPG, shout out comments from the audience, and review any big CPG news items. This episode is sponsored by Kyowa USA (makers of Cognizin and Immuse). On Going sponsors are RangeMe and My Way 3PL.
Another episode of CPG Vibes coming at ya! A couple of great topics we will be covering include Trending Categories and what's next to look out for. Especially if you are doing innovation or creating a new product or company, this episode is for you. We will also have an 'Ask Us Anything' format where the audience can ask Wade or Alex anything and we will answer, whether we like the question or not! This PLUS just good old fashioned banter and CPG chat between Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny. Our on-going sponsors are My Way 3PL and RangeMe and this week's sponsor is Kyowa (Cognizin and Immuse)
On Today's episode, we have a close friend of mine, Ricky Valdez, co-founder of Creations by Nathalie, an Amazon Seller and fellow JiuJitsu Dad. The goal of this episode is to unpack how the brand branched out to other platforms and shops as Home Depot, Lowes and Michaels. This episode is a very insightful one for listeners who are looking to do the same. Ricky walks us through the process of getting into other platforms and marketplaces beyond Amazon. You'll learn opportunities of diversifying sales channels and gaining visibility in different marketplaces. If you are interested in retail, Ricky offered practical advice and tips and suggestions, so tune in. In This Episode: [00:15] Introducing Ricky Valdez of Creations by Nathalie. [04:00] Goal of the episode. [05:00] Starting Amazon. [09:19] Motivation on branching out to other platforms. [15:00] Range Me process. [26:30] The process and sales after getting into another marketplace. [28:00] Pinching the brand. [34:00] Network and asking for favors. [39:00] Being a distributor. [41:00] Why you should try Range Me and recommendations. Guest Links and References: Website: https://creationsbynathalie.com/ Email: ricky@creationsbynathalie.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardovaldes/ RangMe: https://www.rangeme.com/ Book Reference: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Links and References: Wizards of Amazon: https://www.wizardsofecom.com/ Wizards of Amazon Courses: www.wizardsofecom.com/academy Wizards of Amazon Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/South-Florida-FBA/ Wizards of Amazon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WizardsofAmazon/ Wizards of Amazon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wizardsofecom/
Coming off a fantastic Expert Series episode last week, we are back and it's just the two of us: Alex and Wade. There has been extensive travel and different special edition episodes, and we are happy to be back to basics and both back on the live show together. We will be discussing Newtopia Now, the most recent event addition by New Hope, and our predictions on how the event will go since this is essentially the replacement for Expo East. We will also look at common pitfalls committed by CPG brands and how to avoid these. A must-listen for any CPG entrepreneur. Our on-going sponsors are My Way 3PL and Rangeme. Our weekly sponsor for this episode is Cognizin.
In this episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, Jon LaClare interviews Harriet Obinyan, the founder of yu-mn, a line of smart fitness products designed to make exercise accessible to everyone. Harriet is a savvy entrepreneur who recognized a need in her own life and created a solution. Harriet shares her journey from being a flight attendant who struggled to maintain a fitness routine while traveling, to launching her own business and quickly growing her sales. She discusses how she used platforms like Amazon and RangeMe to get her products in front of major retailers like QVC, Best Buy, and Walmart and offers advice for small businesses looking to grow their presence in the market. Throughout the interview, Harriet emphasizes the importance of believing in your product, making the most of free or inexpensive opportunities as an entrepreneur, and staying focused on your goals. She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to start where they are and seek out partnerships like podcasts, mentorships, and accelerator programs to help share their story and grow their brand. You won't want to miss this interview. In today's episode of the Harvest Growth Podcast, we cover:Making the most of your resources as a low-budget entrepreneur.Tips for launching your new product in a competitive market.Tips for getting your product into large retailers and wholesalers. The importance of a compelling brand story for early-stage businesses.And so much more!Get smart with your fitness routine and discover how to stay in shape using Yu-mn's exciting and socially connected smart fitness tools. To be a guest on our next podcast, contact us today! Do you have a brand that you'd like to launch or grow? Do you want help from a partner that has successfully launched hundreds of brands totaling over $2 billion in revenues? Visit HarvestGrowth.com and set up a free consultation with us today!
This is the 3rd installment of our 'Expert Series' special edition. We are truly excited since we are focusing on 3 important elements in CPG: Brands, Brokers, and Buyers. No matter what side of the aisle you are on, you are likely to be interfacing with one or all of these pieces of the puzzle. We are bringing on (in no particular order) Ali Shouman, Chief Commercial Officer of CA Fortune; Jeff Church, co-founder of Suja and founder of CPG Brand Accelerator; Karen Danudjaja, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing superfoods brand Blume; and Darren Viscount, Natural Living Senior Category Manager at Bristol Farms. Our show's ongoing sponsors are RangeMe and Vdriven. This week's sponsor is MatchaKo (a delicious matcha-based beverage) with Mark Missirlian.
On this week's episode, Wade is traveling and so we are having Nick Saltarelli, co-founder of Mid-Day Squares is joining us as the honorary co-host for our show. We will talk all things CPG as usual and Nick will share the latest and greatest at MDS. If you want to ask questions and have us shout out comments, make sure to watch on Linkedin Live! The prize this week will be a 12 pack of Mid-Day Squares for a lucky winner. Our on-going sponsors are Vdriven and RangeMe. This week's sponsor is Power Full Energy Distribution and Robert Cogan.
CPG Vibes - Special Edition : Outside the Tank (Volume 2)Our special edition 'Outside the Tank' is back for a second edition featuring CPG founders that have appeared on Shark Tank. This episode includes Justin Fenchel with BeatBox Beverages, Debbie Mullin with Copper Cow Coffee, and Jim DeCicco with Super Coffee (Kitu Life). Alex Bayer, our co-host, was also on Shark Tank in 2020 (with Genius Juice) so he will also have some things to add! We get to hear about their experience leading up to the taping of their episode in studio, how they got on the show, what it was like pitching the Sharks, things that happened that never made it to air, where they are now, and much more! Join Alex and Wade for this special episode and ask questions directly to these Shark Tank Alumni! On-Going sponsors are VDriven and Rangeme and this week's sponsor is MDM Packaging, for all your CPG packaging needs!
This week Alex is on the road for our broadcast in the Sunshine state (Florida) and Wade is back at home. It's been a lot of travel and unexpected events these past few weeks, but co-hosts Alex and Wade are reunited for the first time in 3 weeks, bantering back and forth as usual and engaging with the community. We will be discussing major relevant items in CPG and also shouting out comments. Our on-going sponsors are Vdriven and RangeMe and they are offering discount deals on their services that we will mention during the show. This week's sponsor is Power Full Energy and Robert Cogan.
This week we are going back to our roots with bantering back and forth between our co-hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny. We will be discussing major relevant items in CPG and also shouting out comments. Stop on by and enjoy our informative and entertaining chat on all things CPG. Our on-going sponsors are Vdriven and RangeMe and they are offering discount deals on their services that we will mention during the show.
CPG Vibes - Episode 121 - Expert Series (Volume 2) - Crowdfunding This week is our 2nd edition of our Expert Series, where we bring on experts in specific areas to help the CPG community. This edition is all about crowdfunding (a.k.a community rounds)We are bringing on from the crowdfunding platform side Justin Renfro, Head of Partnerships with Wefunder and Harrison Bert, Director of Fundraising at Start Engine. We are also bringing from the brand side: Hayley Painter, Co-Founder of Painterland Sisters who recently maxed their raised at $1.24M on Wefunder, and Emanuel Storch, CEO of Blackbird foods who is currently raising on Start Engine and approaching $100,000. We will discuss whether crowdfunding is right for you, strategies for a successful campaign, structures to consider when raising online, and the pros and cons of raising online versus traditional fundraising. We also want to thank our on-going sponsors Vdriven and RangeMe, and this week's sponsor Naturally LA and Executive Director Rana Manzi. This is one you don't want to miss!
This week is the usual banter between Alex and Wade, talking all things CPG. The weekly sponsor is Power Full Energy (PFE) Distributing and Robert Cogan. Wade Yenny will be announcing my next stop in my work journey and trust me when we say, it WILL be an opportunity for emerging brands to hashtag#workwithwade and grow together! On-going sponsors are RangeMe and Vdriven. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
The first edition of our Pop-Up Series where we will come on for a live show on a random day with our #NoScriptJustChat format.We are testing a new streaming software because we are tired of the glitches on Streamyard! Tune in for a special 'Pop-Up Episode' and let's hope it goes smoothly!Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events.They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.This episode is sponsored by our on-going sponsors Vdriven and RangeMe.
This week we have the usual banter between Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny, chatting about all things food and beverage. We also will review topics about VC capital for CPG brands has dried up by 97 % according to the latest statistic. We also talk about common acquisitions in the CPG space in this environment and what should a brand owner do if they are looking for an acquisition and a way out. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show. This episode is sponsored by our weekly sponsor Social Nature and on-going sponsors Vdriven and RangeMe.
This week we discuss the after-math of Foxtrot abruptly closing their doors and the ripple effect it has caused in the CPG industry with suppliers, emerging brands, distributors, and others affected by this unfortunate event. We will also discuss the reality of building a CPG brand in this environment and how the survival rate is low and brands are going out of business left and right. This week's episode is co-sponsored by Seven Teas and Power Full Energy and our on-going sponsors RangeMe and Vdriven. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
This week we talk common pit-falls when running a CPG brand including chargebacks, expanding too quickly, weak margins, unconvincing and me-too product and packaging, entering a category too late and missing the wave, plus other items to look out for to make sure you increase your chance of success. We also talk all things CPG news wire including the closing of Non-Alc Spirits retailer Boisson and also once prominent chain 99 Cent Stores announcing bankruptcy and store closures. Our on-going premiere sponsors are RangeMe and Vdriven, and this week's sponsor is Creative Kaiju Graphic Design Agency. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.
Forget the fantasy of buyers begging for your product. In the real world of packaged food and drink, thousands of brands are vying for limited shelf space. To stand out and get noticed, you need a strategic game plan.In this 2nd Anniversary episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I talk with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson, the queen of connecting suppliers with retailers. Nicki spills the beans on how to crush the buyer game and land more accounts. Get ready for insider tips and tricks on:
This episode was sponsored by Strategy Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com Join Daniel Scharff and Startup CPG Director of Marketing & Community, Patricia Menegoto, chatting about all the exciting initiatives and events shaping the future of our community.From the upcoming Shelfie Awards to a booth giveaway for female founders they delve into the first dedicated section for Startup CPG at Expo West, the first ever Swag Fashion shows, happy hours with the TikTok Shop team, partnerships with industry leaders like RangeMe, and plans for empowering BIPOC brands through microgrants. Additionally, there's a Q&A session with a Shark Tank casting supervisor, a partnership with Summit Series for networking and vacation opportunities, and plans for a cruise partnership and CPG happy hours at sea.As a bonus, Patricia shares a vibrant reflection of the enthusiasm and commitment to supporting emerging CPG brands within the Startup CPG community.Listen in as Patricia shares about:RangeMe Partnership and Startup CPG CollectionMicro Grants for BIPOC BrandsStartup CPG Swag Fashion ShowShelfie AwardsExpo West Booth Giveaway with SatoSocial Media and Healthy LifestyleEngaging with RetailersSlack Channel ModerationNewtopia Now EventEpisode Links:Patricia's WebsitePaticia's LinkedInPatricia's Instagram Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics Strategy Maven Agency Link:Visit www.strategymavenagency.com and mention “Startup CPG” for a free account audit! Find co-founders Amy Hage or Brittney Trahan in the Start-up CPG slack channel.
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Strategy Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com Get ready for an extra special treat this holiday season! We've got an exclusive bonus episode fresh from a recent webinar, where Daniel Scharff sits down with movers and shakers in the industry. Meet Paul Voge, the brains behind Aura Bora, Clara Paye, the powerhouse founder of Unite, and Mitch Orland from Earth Fare. We couldn't keep this goldmine of insights to ourselves, so we're sharing it on our Startup CPG podcast. From effective networking to strategic sales pitches, pitching to retailers, and delving into the practical strategies of catching the attention of retailers, this episode is packed with actionable tips and insights. Discover the importance of differentiation, leveraging personal connections, and showcasing data stories to secure deals with major retailers. Whether you're a startup or a seasoned pro, this episode offers actionable tips for building connections, maximizing sales help, and thriving in a competitive market. Ready to elevate your product? Hit play now!Listen in as Paul, Clara and Mitch share about: Selling Strategies Pitching to Retailers Sales Help and Brokers Starting a Business During the Pandemic Data Stories and Differentiation Walmart Pitching and Expansion Trade Show Strategies Buyer's Perspective (Earth Fair) Episode Links:Clara's WebsiteClara's LinkedInPaul's WebsitePaul's LinkedInMitch's LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Cin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here Strategy Maven Agency Link: Visit www.strategymavenagency.com and mention “Startup CPG” for a free account audit! Find co-founders Amy Hage or Brittney Trahan in the Start-up CPG slack channel.
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgEver wondered how successful CPG brands navigate the complex world of retail? Struggling to find your way from premium anchor accounts to negotiating with major retailers? Look no further! In this episode of Startup CPG Podcast, we're joined by Aaron Barnholt, President of Cultivate CPG, sharing his strategies from his extensive experience in launching brands like the CPG's individual entrepreneurs.If you've ever felt the challenges of building momentum, choosing the right broker, or adapting to retailer requirements, consider this episode your solution.From targeting premium anchor accounts to navigating negotiations with major retailers, this episode offers actionable insights for entrepreneurs at every stage and concise guide to long-term success in the competitive CPG landscape.Listen in as Aaron shares about:-Grocery Industry Expertise-Cultivate CPG's Approach-Navigating Retail Strategies-Story and Product Differentiation-Building Momentum-Choosing the Right Broker-Adapting to Retailer RequirementsEpisode Links:Aaron's WebsiteAaron on LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Cin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Strategy Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast with Daniel Scharff featuring Emily Griffith, founder of Lil Bucks, and Luke Peterson from A-Frame Farm, delve into their mission to make America fall in love with buckwheat and improve diets and soil health. Discover the wonders of regenerative organic certified buckwheat products and the principles of soil health in regenerative farming. They share their early education on organic farming, the versatile uses of buckwheat, and the importance of a direct relationship with ingredient suppliers for transparency. Don't miss out on the taste and health benefits that buckwheat brings to the table. Tune in now!Listen in as Emily & Luke share about:-Origins of the Partnership -Buckwheat's Superpowers -Regenerative Farming-Direct Relationships Matter-Targeting Consumer Trends-Beyond Tradition-Consumer InsightsEpisode Links:Emily's WebsiteEmily's InstagramLuke;s WebsiteLuke;s InstagramDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Cin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here Strategy Maven Agency Link: Visit www.strategymavenagency.com and mention “Startup CPG” for a free account audit! Find co-founders Amy Hage or Brittney Trahan in the Start-up CPG slack channel.
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgIn this episode of the Startup CPG podcast with Daniel Scharff featuring Matt Levine, the founder of Chlorophyll Water, he recounts the journey of transforming a unique product idea into a major success. Matt discusses the genesis of Chlorophyll Water, emphasizing the importance of proactivity and relationship-building in a competitive market. The entrepreneur's scrappy approach to brand growth, centered on profitability and effective marketing through platforms like LinkedIn and RangeMe, is highlighted as he navigates challenges and secures prime spots in major outlets.Join us together with Matt Levine in this insightful podcast episode as he shares the remarkable journey of turning a unique product idea into a major success, emphasizing proactive sales strategies, scrappy brand growth, and the pivotal role of relationships with retailers and distributors in securing prime spots in major outlets.Ready to take your business to the next level? Hit play now and absorb the Chlorophyll Water success story firsthand!Listen in as Matt shares about:- Origins and Inspiration of Chlorophyll Water- Strategic Market Entry- Collaborations and Partnerships- Sustainable Growth Philosophy- Effective Sales Strategies- Marketing Focus- Product Strategy- Consumer EngagementEpisode Links:Matt Levine's WebsiteMatt Levine's LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Cin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgIn this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff sits down with Myles Powell, the founder of Myles Comfort Food. Myles Comfort Foods is a clean, premium comfort food brand elevating the landscape of frozen foods through the marriage of quality and clean convenience that the modern day consumer is seeking in grocery. Join us as we dive into Myles' inspiring journey, exploring topics like rebranding, fundraising, and the strategies that led to the successful launch of Myles Comfort Foods on Target shelves.Listen in as Myles' share about:-Rebranding-Leveraging Data in your Brand Story-Successful fundraising strategies-Target Placements-Leveraging Endorsements-Gathering Organic Surveys-Product Innovation and Feedback-Seeking Support and CollaborationEpisode Links:Myles WebsiteMyles on InstagramMentioned: NIQ's Byzzer, Jenna CameronDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Cin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Floret. Go to tryfloret.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgYou know what that sound means - we had another member of the Startup CPG community on Shark Tank! And this time it was previous podcast guests Mafe Romer & Coco Cabezas from TOAST-IT! They join us today to tell us all the details about their Season 15, Episode 2 episode of Shark Tank that aired recently on October 6th. TOAST-IT makes delicious Latin staples, including arepas, that toast up to perfection in under 10 minutes. When Coco and Mafe were on the show back in June 2022, we talked more about their backgrounds, origin story, how they got into Publix, and more, so I've linked that episode in the show notes as well.Listen in today as Mafe & Coco share about: The application process to Shark Tank and behind the scenes of taping the show What it was like to negotiate live with deals on the table from Kevin O'Leary and Daniel Lubetzky and why they went with the $150,000 investment for 20% equity with Daniel How they prepped for the airing of the show and the story of Mafe being 5 months pregnant while taping the show and then welcoming her baby the same week the episode aired! The consumer and retailer response to the episode airing Their tips for brands interested in being on Shark Tank or who are pitching to the Sharks soon And more! I also want to let you know that this is the last episode of Season 3! Feel free to skip ahead 30 seconds to get to the interview, but I wanted to say thank you for those of you that have joined me as listeners, guests, and supporters for Season 3 of the show over the past 2+ years. It means the world to me and it's been an honor to be your host. Season 4 starts next week with your new host, Daniel Scharff, the founder of Startup CPG, so stay tuned!Now let's hear from Coco & Mafe.Episode Links: TOAST-IT website & IG @toastitfoods Coco's LinkedIn & Mafe's LinkedIn Watch Season 15, Episode 2 to see the pitch! Mentions: Camino Partners, Nopalera Our other Startup CPG Podcast episode with Coco & Mafe from June 2022: Data-first, customer-focused, and expanding into Publix Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (16K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or ideas for Season 4? Email podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Floret Links:Sign up here for a free 2023 deductions auditCin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Floret. Go to tryfloret.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgWe have a really special episode today - Seth Goldman is back on the show! Over the past couple of years, Seth has come on the show a number of times for what we called the Pure Gold Series to talk field marketing, sustainability, trade shows, and even an “Ask Seth Anything.” I'll link a playlist in the show notes with all our episodes with Seth because they are all so fun, full of wisdom, and were very popular. Seth is Co-Founder and Chief Change Agent of Eat the Change®. Seth is also the Co-Founder of PLNT Burger (which was just named in the top 10 restaurants for vegans by USA Today), Honest Tea, and Chair of the board of Beyond Meat. Last time Seth was on the show, Eat the Change had just launched Just Ice Tea and now the teas are available in over 5,000 stores, which I'm especially grateful for since I LOVE the berry hibiscus tea and want to be able to buy it everywhere. It was so fun to have Seth back on the show to catch us all up!Listen in as Seth shares about: Just Ice Tea's fast growth and how the experience compares to growing Honest Tea Eat the Change's team setup and the importance of good partners How trade spend and field marketing support Just Ice Tea growing in stores Updating the packaging on Cosmic Chews to better connect with consumers How the team decided to discontinue Eat the Change's first product, mushroom jerky Eat the Change's recent $14M raise & the 10 year anniversary of Seth and Barry's graphic novel Mission in a Bottle And more! Make sure to stay until the very end because Seth drops great insights on leadership and mental health and how to prioritize as an entrepreneur pulled in so many different directions.Episode Links: Pure Gold series playlist Eat the Change's website Seth's book - Mission in a Bottle Seth's LinkedIn Just Ice Tea Instagram reel mentioned by Jessi Mentions: Big Geyser, Canada Dry Lansing Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (16K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Floret Links:Sign up here for a free 2023 deductions auditCin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Floret. Go to tryfloret.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgI'm so excited to have our friends at Social Nature back on the show! Today we get to chat with Annalea Krebs, founder and CEO of Social Nature, an all-in-one shopper marketing platform powered by 1 million natural shoppers. Because Social Nature has access to so much great data about natural shoppers, we've learned a ton here on the show from them about key trends in natural shopping and who the modern wellness consumer is. I've linked in the show notes our other episodes with Social Nature because they are jam packed with knowledge and always very popular. I'm really excited today to explore Social Nature's new rebate program and what that means for brands driving trial at specific retailers, and I asked Annalea to come with updates on key trends they are seeing in their community, which are really fascinating.Listen in as Annalea shares about: Current top health goals for shoppers Trends on where people are shopping from, including the breakdown on large scale retailers and natural retailers Top product attributes shoppers are looking for Social Nature's recent B-corp certification and what that means Social Nature's new rebate model and how it helps brands drive trial at retail faster and with more data Tips for making the most out of an in-store marketing campaign And more! Social Nature is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.Episode Links: Social Nature website Annalea's LinkedIn Join the Social Nature community as a consumer here As a CPG Brand, learn more about Social Nature's programs here or contact their team at marketing@socialnature.com Mentions: Olipop, GoPuff, NotCo NotMilk, Primal Kitchen Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: Episode #87 How Natural Shoppers are Responding to Inflation with Social Nature's Jessica Malach Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs Episodes that mention Social Nature campaigns: Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15) Episode #86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello (Social Nature discussed at 37:33) Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Floret Links:Sign up here for a free 2023 deductions auditCin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Floret. Go to tryfloret.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Cin7. Go to cin7.com/startupcpgToday I'm excited to feature another of the backpack brand winners from Startup CPG's Mic Drop party at Expo East: Crooked Owl! Crooked Owl is the first probiotic, shelf stable, 5% ABV tepache brand on the market. They are also a member of 1% for the Planet. Through this partnership, they contribute one percent of profits to support underserved communities and sustainable agriculture practices in Mexico. We're joined today by founders Cam Bailey & Dave Bailey. Mic Drop attendees loved Crooked Owl's products, so I'm excited for you to learn more.Listen in as Cam & Dave share about: How they got started brewing tepache Their branding process Tips for navigating the highly regulated alcohol industry Their Mic Drop / Expo East experience And more! Episode Links: Crooked Owl website Cam's LinkedIn Dave's LinkedIn Mentions: Liquid Data Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here Floret Links:Sign up here for a free 2023 deductions auditCin7 Links:Get a demo or claim your free 14 day trial of Cin7 inventory management software here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgToday I'm excited to feature one of the backpack brand winners from Startup CPG's Mic Drop party at Expo East: Neeshi! Neeshi makes naturally nourishing and hormone balancing treats for menstruation through menopause. We're joined today by founder Gita Vellanki. The Startup CPG team loves Neeshi's products and so did Mic Drop attendees, so I can't wait for you to learn more.Listen in as Gita shares about: How Neeshi got started from branding to packaging to recipes to how Neeshi's products have helped her and her family and now so many others Her experience with SKU Starting in retail with Celery Retail How she's grown Neeshi's subscribers What's next for Neeshi And more! Episode Links: Neeshi website Gita's LinkedIn Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgI'm so excited today to learn from Twrl Milk Tea, a long time and very active member of the Startup CPG Community! We're joined by co-founder Olivia Chen, and Twrl was recently a Shelfies finalist for their Ube milk tea. Twrl Milk Tea makes the world's first canned milk tea made with pea milk and single-origin, non-GMO, organic tea, and they also make chewy cafe style boba toppings, which are the new sprinkles! Twrl is women & minority owned, and they were recently certified as a women-owned business by Women's Business Enterprise National Council. Twrl launched in 2021 and has accomplished so much in the last couple years that I can't wait to dig into.Listen in as Olivia shares about: How Twrl got started and behind the scenes of starting a new category Their recent retail launches with Central Market, Wegman's, and in just a week, nationwide with Sprouts, and tips for standing out to retailers Twrl's marketing, press, and event strategies and how they leverage unique moments like Pop Up Grocer and getting an advertisement in New York City's Times Square Their test with Costco and tips for testing your team's infrastructure and evaluating retail opportunities And more! Episode Links: Twrl Milk Tea website Twrl's Cookbook Zine: Boba is the New Sprinkle Olivia's LinkedIn Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgWe're bringing you an episode from the archives today while I'm on vacation - so many listeners loved this episode from February because Sandra gives such practical and actionable advice and such honest insights into topics like Shark Tank and fundraising that are so hard to find. Since this episode released, Nopalera has released their Dulce de Cuerpo products, a cactus shower gel and cactus cream in beautiful aluminum bottles, their body scrub was voted #1 by People magazine, and they've launched a pop up store in Silver Lake in Los Angeles that's open until December 5, 2023 (be sure to visit if you are in LA!), and those are just a few highlights! This was one of my favorite episodes, so I wanted to bring it back and give those of you who hadn't had a chance to listen to this one to give it a listen now and I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think and I'll see you next week.I love that I get to bring you more Shark Tank content so soon, and with one of my favorite people. Today's guest is Sandra Velasquez, the CEO & Founder of Nopalera, and a very early member of the Startup CPG community. Nopalera creates Mexican botanicals for bath & body, and as you'll hear, have become a staple in my life. Sandra appeared on Shark Tank last month during Season 14, Episode 12, and I'm so glad she agreed to come on the show and share the details with us. You don't need to pre-watch the episode to enjoy the conversation, but I definitely recommend tuning in to watch Sandra's incredible pitch and how she gracefully received and ultimately turned down two offers from the Sharks. Nopalera also recently closed a fundraising round of $2.7 million unrelated to Shark Tank!Listen in as Sandra shares about: The process of applying to Shark Tank and preparing to air from the opening pitch to outfit vetting How eerily quiet the time in the Tank is Sandra's affirmations and prep going into the Tank How her team prepped for consumer demand and the real numbers from Amazon and their website after airing (Sandra really gives us the nitty gritty details and I love it!) The process of raising $2.7 million including valuation work and legal fees to expect How Sandra developed a fundraising network from scratch What's next at Nopalera And more! You also may notice our intro music is a little different, I wanted to feature a song from Sandra's band, Pistolera - this is "Nuevos Ojos", which was featured in Season 4, Episode 12 of the show Breaking Bad.Episode Links: Nopalera website & IG/TicTok handle @nopalera.co Sandra's LinkedIn The Nopalera Podcast (recent episode about the new popup store & products here) Link to Season 14, Episode 12 of Shark Tank Mitú article: "Why Nopalera CEO Sandra Velasquez Chose To Decline Two ‘Shark Tank' Deals" Other Startup CPG Shark Tank episodes: #77 Making a deal on Shark Tank with wildwonder's Rosa Li, #57 Shark Tank, Sea Moss, and an Ocean of Potential with Alexiou Gibson Brand mentions: Luna Magic, Liquid Death Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here
This episode was sponsored by RangeMe. Go to rangeme.com/startupcpgThis episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpgIt's Expo East recap time! New Hope Network announced on the opening day of this year's Expo East that it would be last Expo East after nearly four decades. There will be a new format next August called Newtopia Now, which will discuss a little in the episode. Whether you weren't able to attend Expo and are hoping to learn what is was like or if you attended but want to hear the trends and takeaways, this episode has something for you. I asked our resident Startup CPG friend and press expert Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News & Editor of Food Entrepreneur to join us today, along with Patricia Menegoto, Startup CPG's Head of Community & Kiki Huddleston, our Startup CPG Social Media Manager. Listen in as we discuss favorite bites and sips, trends, the new Startup CPG section at Expo East sponsored by Nielsen IQ, the Backpack Brands from the epic Startup CPG Mic Drop Party, and more.Episode Links: Food Business News article by Monica: Startup CPG to showcase early-stage brands at Expo East Food Business News article by Monica: Three trends at Natural Products Expo East Monica Watrous LinkedIn, Food Business News, Food Entrepreneur Kiki Huddleston LinkedIn Patricia Menegoto LinkedIn Mentions: Blue Zones Kitchen, Newtopia Now, Must Love, Bundle x Joy, Mocktail Club, hey freya, Hazelicious, Growee Foods, Pricklee, Seedly, Better Sour, Neeshi, Crooked Owl, S'NOODS, Halmi, Pedestrian Project, Journ, Chutni Punch, Soom, Mocktail Club, Blobs, Geem, Snoods, Reprised Health, Root Foods, Blobs, Moss, Fila Manila, Paro, Bollygood, Pzaz, Journ, Treehouse Naturals, Freshly, Must Love, Sweet Tahini Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top) Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics Graphite Financial Links Graphite Financial website Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here. RangeMe Links RangeMe website Listen to our episode (#108) with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson here
Skin cancer is from overexposure to UV radiation is the leading cause of cancer. It can be avoided by using at least a 30 SPF sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, avoiding tanning inside and outside and applying sunscreen generously. Know your risks and remember early detection and prevention is key.Melissa is the Executive Director of Kovr Military - Grade Sunscreen/a Veteran owned and USA made sunscreen. Kovr provides high performance , tactical solar defense for everyone. Kovr's mission is to he veteran-owned non-profits through product giveaways, vendor demos, and donations. Kovr also helps athletes by off-setting entrance fees, equipment costs and providing media support.Kovr's vision is to make sunscreen application a daily habit especially for men.Kovr is mineral based, water resistant, broad spectrum against UVA/UVB, ocean friendly and coral reef safeMelissa Allen, Co-Founder | Executive DirectorActive Life Company | (800) 410-6154www.kovrup.com | RangeMe.comSupport the show
It's tough getting buyers' attention, let alone getting them all the information they need to review your product. In 2014, a fellow emerging CPG brand founder realized there had to be a better way for startups and innovators to get discovered by buyers in the CPG industry. Nicky Jackson created the platform RangeMe to solve that problem and today RangeMe is the leading product discovery and sourcing platform with over 15,000 buyers. Retailers like Thrive Market, Albertsons, and many others handle all their new product submissions through RangeMe now. Today we're joined by founder Nicky and by Vir Satyan, RangeMe's SVP of Supplier Success to go through how our community brands can best leverage RangeMe as a platform. RangeMe and Startup CPG have also partnered to offer an exclusive discount for our community members on a premium RangeMe subscription, with an option to secure guaranteed meetings, and we'll share all the details in the episode and the link to take advantage of the offer is in the show notes.Listen in as Nicky & Vir share about: RangeMe's founding story from Nicky's big CPG background to starting her own emerging brand to then starting a platform Which retailers use RangeMe and how they use it How emerging brands find the most success on the platform Ideas for using RangeMe prior to and after a trade show like Expo How RangeMe can help with distributor relationships and channels beyond grocery like foodservice Ways that buyer behavior on RangeMe has changed since the pandemic Details on the Startup CPG & RangeMe partnership, which includes face-to-face buyer meetings How ECRM shows work and how they are different from other trade shows And more! This episode is sponsored by RangeMe. Go to https://www.rangeme.com/landing-page/StartupCPGThis episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpgThis episode was sponsored by Settle. Go to https://www.settle.com/gostartupcpgEpisode Links: RangeMe website Nicky's LinkedIn Vir's LinkedIn Brands mentioned: Machu Picchu, Maazah Graphite Financial Links: Graphite Financial website Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here. Settle Links: Settle website Take the Settle Bill Pay for a spin here Show Links: Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!) Follow @startupcpg Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com Episode music by Super Fantastics
The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed how the CPG industry does business. Where we used to do primarily in-person events and meetings, much of our industry has now pivoted to include both virtual and in-person events. In this week’s episode 205 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I sit down with Sarah Davidson, the Executive Vice President of ECRM, the parent company of RangeMe, to talk about how they connect buyers and producers through their curated buyer meeting events. When you listen in, you’ll hear all about… How ECRM pivoted with the COVID-19 crisis to include virtual events and why they offer both now What their sessions look like and all that their team does to ensure that meetings are valuable for producers and buyers Why their events are different from trade shows Some of the top things that buyers have been looking for in their events Sarah has been in the CPG industry for 18 years, so tune in to hear her experience in creating valuable buyer meetings and events. Find the episode that I mention on optimizing your RangeMe efforts, as well as the ECRM links, Sarah’s information, and our Instagram and Linkedin links in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. (We promise that it’ll take less than 2 minutes!) You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business and your business superpower - so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources today!
This is the story of Nicky Jackson, CEO and Founder of RangeMe.In this episode, we discuss:- Her career as a Marketing Executive at Kellogg's, Uncle Toby's, Goodman Fielder, Pepsico and Jim Beam- Developing a baby skincare product for her daughter's eczema- The frustration for creators/founders to connect with retailers- RangeMe's launch in 2013, allowing for suppliers and retailers to connect- What it was like building a platform celebrating it's 10th anniversary that has over 200K suppliers with 1 million products and works with the majority of retailersPlease enjoy this interview with the delightful, Nicky Jackson. To learn more about Nicky and her story, you can visit:www.rangeme.com and read more about her story here: http://bit.ly/2ays4IZ.
In this episode of Food Chained, Vir Satyan, SVP of Supplier Success at RangeMe shares his expertise on using LinkedIn to connect with buyers and brands, getting products into stores, and keeping up-to-date with emerging brands.Things we discuss: How Range Me got its name. Using LinkedIn to connect with buyers and brands. Networking events to separate the haves and the have-nots. Cool kids vs. the uncool kids on LinkedIn Getting into the stores Staying on top of emerging brands Show Notes: Connect with Vir on LinkedIn Check out RangeMe Check out Perfy on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok Connect with Vasa Martinez on LinkedIn and Twitter
Are you a small business? Is your business struggling to be discovered, make connections and grow? In this episode, Elliot Begoun welcomes Vir Satyan, the SVP of Supplier Sucess at RangeMe, shares how RangeMe helps level the playing field to be discovered, get connections, and eventually grow. He shares how you can set up your profile for customers to get what they need to know and to put your business forward. Vir Satyan also talks about RangeMe from both the buyer's and retailer's perspectives. Grab this opportunity to find a new avenue to help your business grow. Tune in!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! tigbrands.com/tig-talks/
Did you know that 320 people in Australia search for ‘handmade chocolate' every month on Google? How about that 2,900 people in the US search ‘best kombucha' online EVERY MONTH. And that's just a fraction of searches people all over the world make looking for packaged food and drink products to buy online.Now, if you're a Foodpreneur who sells directly to consumers from a website, you're going to want to be in front of those eyeballs
In a perfect Foodpreneur world, your product would have buyers knocking at your door. The reality, however, is a little different. With thousands of packaged F&B products out there, and only so much shelf space, it's essential that products and brands stand out from the crowd to get onto (and off of) more shelves.In this week's episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast I chat to RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson. As the founder of a platform that connects retailers with suppliers, Nicky knows what it takes to stand out from the crowd when liaising with buyers. This episode is FULL of advice, tips, and tricks on how to get noticed to land more accounts, including:
So you're on RangeMe…but you're not quite sure about where to go from there. Well this week, I'm so excited for Brandon Leong, the SVP of Marketing and Growth for RangeMe, to join us. In this episode, Brandon and I share some real talk on: Why you NEED to be on RangeMe How you can shift your thinking to use RangeMe more effectively and stop using hope as a strategy The no and low cost way to drive your RangeMe profile's visibility, plus… What some of the biggest recent buyer trends are This episode was packed FULL of valuable insights for food CPG brands and I know you'll walk away with actionable next steps. If you want to navigate to RangeMe's site, check Brandon out, and see our full show notes, click here! This episode is sponsored by our Masterclass! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join us!
So you're on RangeMe…but you're not quite sure about where to go from there. Well this week, I'm so excited for Brandon Leong, the SVP of Marketing and Growth for RangeMe, to join us. In this episode, Brandon and I share some real talk on: Why you NEED to be on RangeMe How you can shift your thinking to use RangeMe more effectively and stop using hope as a strategy The no and low cost way to drive your RangeMe profile's visibility, plus… What some of the biggest recent buyer trends are This episode was packed FULL of valuable insights for food CPG brands and I know you'll walk away with actionable next steps. If you want to navigate to RangeMe's site, check Brandon out, and see our full show notes, click here! This episode is sponsored by our Masterclass! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join us!
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
In today's episode we meet Nicky Jackson, CEO of RangeMe – the world's largest platform connecting retail buyers and suppliers around the world. Starting with independent and regional US retailers, RangeMe has introduced the capability to discover and buy close to 1m products directly from over 200,000 suppliers and manufacturers around the world. Meanwhile, suppliers on RangeMe will be able to open a new direct sales channel for their products and brands. We learn about the evolution of RangeMe and what this means for the industry. Tune in for more.
Julia is joined by Helen Burgess, founder and director of Little Cooks Co, a monthly recipe box for kids. Helen used to work in government as a senior civil servant, including at the Cabinet Office and Number 10, but has long been passionate about food and nutrition. She is a registered nutritionist and founded Little Cooks Co because she wanted to do her bit to get children excited about healthy, nutritious food and develop key cooking skills. She talks to Julia about her concerns about ultraprocessed foods, government short-termism around food strategy and how to empower children to make good food choices. Plus, she shares a few tips and tricks from her days in government for how to make yourself heard by policymakers. Articles discussed by Helen and Julia: NHS to set up 15 special clinics in England for severely obese children | The Guardian Urgent need to reduce children's ultraprocessed food consumption | Technology Networks Children eat meat unknowingly—perhaps in violation of a bias against animals as a food source | Anthropocene Magazine Links to the big food and grocery retail stories this week: Asda confirms Stuart Rose as chairman | The Times Sustainable shopping: Asda begins selling beer on tap in new supermarket refill zone scheme | The i George at Asda unveils pre-loved Gucci collaboration | Drapers Food & drink industry launches roadmap to tackle sustainable water crisis | The Grocer Rapid delivery service Getir to buy UK rival Weezy | The Guardian Princes launches platform to collaborate with retailers on NPD | The Grocer Tesco taps RangeMe product sourcing platform | Retail Tech Innovation Hub Sales of eco-friendly pet food soar as owners become aware of impact | The Guardian Co-op to run live ad on ITV to spotlight Community Fridges | The Drum
Brian FriedStatus is onlineBrian FriedInventor Consultant/Coach, Invention Licensing Agent, Author, TV/Radio Host, Innovation Speaker/Presenter, Serial Inventor1mo • 1 month agoJoin us! National Inventor Club live online meeting will host RangeMe CEO Nicky Jackson and discuss how to connect with retail buyers and for buyers to find you through her platform. Get an insiders view and learn what to prepare when presenting to buyers, if the platform is for you and what to expect. Nicky will walk us through the website and answer your questions!Many inventors have been using RangeMe and others have been curious if RangeMe can help you with your invention, new product or product line to find buyers and let buyers find you through their platform.Here's our agenda.. we start at 8pm EST / 5pm PST-Intros from our new inventor and service provider members-Hear updates and tips from representatives of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)!-Resources available from Small Business Development Center (SBDC), a division of the Small Business Administration(SBA)-Who will be the inventor in our Inventor Spotlight?-Let's hear our Guest Speaker, Nicky Jackson from RangeMe, an online platform that connects products to retail buyers!-Network with like-minded inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs and service providers for inventors while we livestream our virtual meeting!-Participate in our general Q&A session to keep your ideas moving forward!!Thank you for your participation and support,Brian FriedNational Inventor Clubwww.nationalinventorclub.comA proud division of Inventor Smart
Nicky Jackson is the founder and CEO of RangeMe, a product discovery and sourcing platform that allows retailers and suppliers to connect. RangeMe owns and dominates within the United States market, where they currently have 200,000 active suppliers and 10,000 retail buyers in their network. RangeMe works with over 75% of leading US-based retailers.Nicky has spent several years working for large multinational companies, bringing brands to market. RangeMe was founded in 2013 after Nicky developed her own skincare range and found it difficult to get a foot in the door at major retailers. She recognised this pain point and sought to create a platform that could seamlessly connect retailers and brands to one another. Nicky's story is an amazing one of tenacity, hustle, product focus, and team culture.Ian and Nicky discussed a broad range of topics, including…The challenge of securing funding for RangeMe prior to the existence of a thriving startup ecosystemThe story of RangeMe's acquisition and why they decided to go forward with itWhy RangeMe expanded to the US with a base in San FranciscoHow RangeMe built an efficient team and established an effective team cultureThe growth of the Australian startup ecosystem since RangeMe was foundedRangeMe's current focus on globalising the platform...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: The Happiest Man of Earth by Eddie Jaku OAMPodcast: How I Built ThisNews Source: Family group chat, LinkedIn, SMHApp: Smiling Mind, Spotify, Peloton appProductivity Tool: SlackFavourite Tech CEO: David Shein, Our Innovation FundFavourite TV Show: Looking for recommendationsTed Talk Topic: “the power of going global and expansion” or “the fear of failure”
Welcome to another episode of Action and Ambition. Today, we have Nicky Jackson, CEO of RangeMe and the mastermind behind the world's largest product discovery platform where retailers and suppliers can discover, connect, and grow their business. It is used by buyers globally at over 12,000 retailers including Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, and Albertsons in the US to find over 750,000 products to stock on their shelves. In this episode, Nicky will discuss why and how she established RangeMe, their global expansion and the opportunities ahead.
Getting your product in front of the right buyers is one of the biggest challenges for CPG brands. While there are multiple platforms to assist brands in getting noticed, they don't come without nuances and learning how to make the most of them can be complicated and time consuming. Today on the show we're talking to Georgiana Dearing, RangeME expert and founder of Water Street Marketing for Manufacturers, to learn how to get noticed and make sales with your RangeMe profile. In this Episode Georgiana shares: -What is RangeMe, and how it can grow your businesss -The 5 most common mistakes brands make when using RangeME - The 3 Levels of RangeMe and the benefits of each - WHEN it's the right time to “level up” -Proven tips for creating a successful RangeMe profile -Services Water Street Marketing can provide to assist in creating and maintaining a successful RangeMe profile If you've got a RangeMe account that isn't performing like you hoped, or if you've been considering the platform – this episode is for you! Meet Georgiana Dearing: Georgiana Dearing, owner of Water Street Marketing for Manufacturers, has been helping national and regional brands sell in and sell through retail and distribution channels since 1998. She's also the founder of VaFoodie, a digital community celebrating Good Food, Good People, and Good Brands in and around Virginia. A mentor to small business leaders and craft food brands, George hosts The Virginia Foodie, an educational podcast for food entrepreneurs. LINKS: Website: https://www.vafoodie.com, https://www.h2ostreet.com Instagram: @vafoodie @thevirginiafoodieFacebook: Virginia Foodie Marketing GroupLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gdearing/ Twitter: @GeoDearing Clubhouse: @GeoDearing Sarah Delevan Consulting Website Sarah's Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn Join the FREE Profitable Food Business Group hosted on Mighty Networks
There are three interviews, and four guests on the podcast this week. We have conversations with Climate Neutral CEO Austin Whitman; Nicky Jackson, CEO of RangeMe; and, from Tetra Pak, Frederik Wellendorph, vice president liquid food, and Alejandro Cabal, vice president packaging solutions.
BRAND SECRETS AND STRATEGIES: Empowering Brands | Raising The Bar
There is a better way to get your brand onto store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers during these uncertain times. Trade shows are great for networking but they do not provide face time with retailers you need to grow and scale your brand This episode's FREE downloadable guide 30 SECRETS To Prosperity Workbook Wish You Know How To Confidently Grow And Scale Your Brand? Use this workbook to take notes and jot down your daily inspirations as you listen to the podcasts and watch the YouTube videos. This will help you gain clarity and focus as you work to achieve your goals and objectives. The Retail Solved Blueprint will teach you everything you need to know to confidently grow and scale your brand, build a connected community of loyal evangelists, and multiply your brand’s impact, sales, and profits.* Every slight improvement means more runway for sales growth, higher brand valuations, better terms when negotiating with investors, fuel for more innovation, greater support for mission-based causes, and much more. CLICK HERE TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO MY 30 SECRETS To Prosperity Workbook Guide FREE Trade Promotion ROI Calculator: BrandSecretsAndStrategies.com/PromotionROI Download the show notes here: BrandSecretsAndStrategies.com/session189
Access to goods is still an issue for millions of people around the world, but recently, ecommerce has been leveling the playing field. With so many direct-to-consumer operations in business today, the average consumer has more choice and therefore more access than ever before. But there’s one industry that stands out as lagging behind this trend: Coffee. That’s one of the reasons that Pernell Cezar co-founded BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages. Pernell is a long-time coffee lover and saw an opportunity to turn that passion into a business that could also make a big social impact. Historically, coffee has been hyperlocal, but he envisioned a business model that democratized access and brought specialty coffee to everyone. The only problem was that neither Pernell nor his co-founder had any experience in the coffee business other than as consumers. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Pernell reveals how they were able to turn BLK & Bold into a nationally-distributed product, including how they turned a mission-driven ecommerce business into a retail one by securing partnerships with places like Whole Foods and Target. Plus, he explains the importance of giving potential customers multiple ways to find your product, and the value of finding mentors to help you fill in your blindspots.Main Takeaways:The Way In: Having multiple ways and messaging for potential customers to find and want to engage with you is a great way to build a base. But when one of those ways is through a social impact mission, you have to also be sure the product quality and experience delivers. Tune in to hear how Pernell thought about striking this balance.Stick To The Plan: Entering retail can be an exciting milestone for your business, but it’s important not to rush the process. You should have a checklist of things you want/need to accomplish in order to set yourself up for success. Whether it’s with your packaging, other partnership, or logistics, be patient and get them done because a failed retail launch is hard to come back from. Share With The Class: When you’re just starting out, be open about what you are doing and on the lookout for anyone who might be able to help or mentor you. Small conversations can lead to critical connections that can propel you further than you’d be able to get on your own. You will have blindspots, and addressing them sooner means saving more time and money in the long run.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Hey everyone, and welcome back. This is Stephanie Postles, and you're listening to Up Next in Commerce. Today on the show we have Pernell Cezar. He's the co-founder and the CEO of BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages. Pernell, welcome.Pernell:Thank you for having me.Stephanie:I'm excited to have you on the show. I actually just saw some of your coffees in a Whole Foods around here. I was like, "Hey, he's joining us." It was perfect timing.Pernell:[crosstalk 00:00:30]. I love it.Stephanie:I'd love to hear a little bit about BLK & Bold, what is it? And let's dive right into your founding story because I know you have a good one.Pernell:Sure thing. BLK & Bold, we are a coffee roastery out of Des Moines, Iowa, founded about two and a half years ago really from the length of conversations that my childhood best friend, who's actually my co-founder, his name is Rod. I'll likely reference him a few times here. Him and I had just in teenagers, talking about whatever to being professionals and being time strapped and wanting to make sure that we were spending our dollars more consciously to support initiatives that we really felt we didn't have a lot of time to put into like we wanted to.Pernell:After so much ideation around our ritualistic beverages and coffee and tea, we really decided to focus on connecting everyday consumers back to their community by way of turning those beverages into vehicles for impact, and in which we launched BLK & Bold with the initiative to tangibly give back to disadvantage youth by way of giving 5% of our profits back to initiatives across the US that service specifically that demographic, but then also making specialty coffee and the delicacy of coffee and tea more accessible in conventional spaces where people shop already and not have it be confined to the independent shops that exist in neighborhoods across the US.Stephanie:Very cool. How did you decide to start with coffee? Because I read you didn't really have a background in that, and I was watching your video where you guys were starting it, I think, in your garage and you were trying to figure out what buttons to press and it was really fun just seeing how you really didn't know what you were doing. How did you land on that idea and decide like, this is the one.Pernell:Professionally, I didn't come from the coffee industry per se. However, as a consumer, I have user experience as a consumer. And going-Stephanie:You're a pro.Pernell:Yeah, exactly. Going across that journey, I always call it the coffee spectrum in the sense of what you like and what you don't like. And that's really where the curiosity book hit us where just traveling so much professionally in one state of my career and I just became immersed with the coffee shop culture. Visiting city A, city B, city C and falling in love with these different shops but they all have different menus. And so you learn to appreciate the different tiers of coffee, especially the specialty coffee, the more premium side of things, and really enjoyed that.Pernell:But again, the accessibility of these different experiences or product experience that we learned was hard to consistently access. And it then became a matter of like, "Okay, well, what is this? And why is this?" And from there, it was a matter of, "Okay, well, let me see if I can make this." And that hints the sample roaster journey back in our garage with me really just wanting to see how is this made, and the complexity of it went down the rabbit hole from there. So I always equate it to people that have heard someone's craft brewing story and starting that journey in their basement with a few tools here and there. It's pretty much the same approach from just a coffee junkie and wanting to learn more about it, but also have access to the different things that I was learning. So just kind of taking in our own hands.Stephanie:I love that. What were some of the biggest surprises when you were trying to find the beans and the equipment and all that? What were some of the biggest surprises you encountered when starting out?Pernell:I would say, the initial shock was just how massive, complex, the coffee manufacturing side is, whether you're talking about the sourcing of beans, which was part of your question, but also literally the manufacturing piece of it. The diversity of equipment needed, the diversity of capabilities, there's just a ton of science that goes into the process of turning a crop, which is coffee coming from the pit of a coffee cherry plant, or a fruit from a coffee cherry plant and turning that into this fine, ground product that you are brewing and drinking. And the nuances in between that to uphold integrity of that is really the really enjoyable part of the science that just, you don't know until you peek behind the curtain, fall down the rabbit hole and the learning process begins from there. So it's not as difficult to fall in love with if you're curious, because of just the many nuances in ways it becomes an art after you get going.Stephanie:That's very cool. And did you guys launch ecommerce first or were you also exploring retail as well? How did you think about that launch?Pernell:Sure thing. Obviously our go-to-market strategies much more cemented in our ideation of building the brand upfront. And so to make more sense out of that, for us, looking at building a brand in coffee in the modern day coffee climate, mind you pre-COVID, for modern day coffee climate where you have independent shops and then you have of course the conventional grocery isles and the lack of accessibility, but you also have ecom continuing to be ingrained in people's lifestyle in purchasing habits every single day. But when you look at part of the reason why coffee hadn't been accessible so much in more conventional spaces, ecoms, is because of how hyper-local the product is, and the hold coffee shop culture has on people's behaviors and what their preference is.Pernell:For us, it was a matter of, well, we are looking to shift the economics of how currency impacts domestic youth. And in order to do that in the commodity category, you have to be able to scale it. And if we go into shops, the margin is much tighter where we it's harder to make a sustainable contribution. But if we manufacture and we wholesale, it gives us more room to make the contribution more sustainable. And by way of that, we need to make more access and scalable environments such as retailer distribution and/or ecom. And so in thinking of that and understanding that, but knowing that, all right, we're going after this with little to no resources self-funded and with our own validation and learning curves to go from that. And so we for sure launched with ecom as our fastest point of entry, but also a place where has to validate the concept.Pernell:And so our ecommerce platform as well as social media, the idea of ... well, there's tons of micro roasters that pop up every day, but to pop up, but also with a very different rhetoric on being this domestic impact model, we needed to find validation that consumers were interested in that as well. And so very long-winded answer to, yes, ecom was the way we started, very much part of our DNA in the sense of being ready to own our message and also provide accessibility for people given that we don't have our own storefront.Stephanie:I love you started with the social impact model to derive results you wanted. How much did that really push you to think bigger and be like, "I'm not just going to go to one of the coffee shops and sell to them. We need big results with our model and to do that, we need the wholesale model. We need retailers, we need ecommerce we need like everything."Pernell:Yeah, for sure. We have to believe upfront, and building a hypothesis for a business that the sediments that resonated with us on there being a void of values and tangible values that were relevant for us, that other people, if that opportunity existed, we'd align to that as well. And I guess because of that, that allowed us to really focus upfront on what channels make the most sense, I guess. And so the shift in consumer behavior and the validation from consumers shifting their behavior, I want to back up and say, not behavior more so than mindset. We want consumers to still consume coffee, consume especially coffee, but we want them to know that brand B versus their brand A actually has a different value proposition that allows you to extend your impact without really changing your behavior. And that allows us to actually become considered a lot earlier than going at it in a more conventional way.Pernell:And so that was very much key for us in the sense of how do we make it easy for people to extend an impact without having to change their behavior, which allows us to then get them on board, allows us to get retailers on board, allows us to get businesses on board, all around shifting the commerce to be able to scale the impact domestically. So it's a little much of a lift for everyday people, but to have a much more relevant tangible sustained impact.Stephanie:Got it. And it seems like that story in that messaging definitely helped put you guys on the radar of a lot of new customers. Was that one of the key ways that you acquire new customers and they found out about you was getting that messaging out there and getting that PR out there for like what you guys stood for to then bring in new clients, or were there other tactics you used to bring in your first customer?Pernell:Yeah, no doubt. There's a fine balance because for us, we look at multiple entry points or propositions for where we can be in someone's consideration set. And then as they enter into understanding our brand and they learn more about what we stand for and ideally one if not all of them, resonate as well. And that strengthens the loyalty of if they have loyalty to the product, if they entered us through the product proposition, and/or from a brand values, and then they also love the product. And so the storyline no doubt allows for accessibility when we are introduced to someone in a non-tangible space. And so we can scale our story to impact this is normal that we're looking to bring in the sense of domestic social impact versus someone is shopping in the coffee aisle and so forth. So it definitely gives us a much more scalable share of voice that people can discover us a lot faster given the sensorial experience that most people usually choose coffee for.Stephanie:Got it. And at what point did you launch on Amazon? Because I saw you guys are listed there. When did you decide it was the right time to sit on Amazon?Pernell:Amazon was always part of our model as well. It was a matter of the prioritization of the learning curve. We launched June 1st of 2018. We had our core coffee items that Q4 of 2018 set up. And it was really a matter of just having them active so we can learn, and kick the wheels and make sure that we're not doing more harm being on Amazon and not for Amazon's sake but for, again, the learning curve. And then again, transitioning into, let's see, throughout 2019, the trial and error of learning that. But then with 2020 and prior ... let's call it, this 2019 was a matter of being digitally native, but ramping up and preparing to launch in brick and mortar.Pernell:And so once we got past that milestone at the beginning of 2020, of course, fast forward COVID, being on Amazon allowed us to pivot more fully into maturing, what that experience, that digital experience on Amazon looked like. And so while we were on Amazon, let's call it about 15 months prior to launching our formal storefront. When we launched our foremost storefront in early April this year, that's where we really were able to drive people to who we were, what we represented in a way that it was much more convertible given that people were ... this shift of coffee and consumerism and accessibility changed completely of course because of COVID.Stephanie:Yep. So essentially you were shifting over to retail and then COVID hit, and then you were like, okay, now back to Amazon, back to our platform and you had to quickly change once the world started changing.Pernell:For sure. I think the benefit was that we were already digitally native and our site being the hero experience, having an extension by way of Amazon and the size of traffic and consumers they have. But no doubt when it became time to diversify our revenue streams, fortunately, we were much further ahead of the Amazon experience look like then more of the, it's called the indie boutique micro roasters that relied on shops and didn't have a digital experience. They had to then began the learning process as well.Stephanie:You were already ahead of the game.Pernell:Fortunately. The case study for us was a matter of, can we accelerate our awareness curve of what we stand for in order to convert enough people at a healthy enough rate that without having a shop, we can convince those consumers to purchase more coffee for home or those that were buying coffee at conventional grocery areas that the quality and the value proposition of a slightly higher price point is still worth it for them at least to get them bought in? And so the shift of COVID and the states closing and all the shops being closed, it's completely changed the necessity of everyday people to have to purchase more for home and we were fortunate on the front end of that just from a digital standpoint. Brick and mortar as well, because of the timing of us launching was just ahead of the pandemic really showing his face, but the digital pieces was definitely huge.Stephanie:Yeah. Before we get into brick and mortar, I want to dive a bit more into how you sell on Amazon. How does it differ when you sell an Amazon or what are you seeing right now versus your customers that maybe buy from your website or customers that even buy from target.com or something? Do you have different messaging or what kind of things are you seeing behind the scenes?Pernell:We offer a singles as well as a bundles, two packs. And just from a sheer economic standpoint one of the old challenges from being a omni-channel brand that also lives on is retail price and the disruption of an everyday price with the retailer versus what he shows up on Amazon. For us, we worked through Amazon's fulfillment centers and allows us to control the price, but from a bundle standpoint, it allows us to ensure that we have the same product proposition, but in no way shape or form any pricing activity would disrupt because they are from a item count standpoint, different experiences. And so that was a core piece of how we stood up our business initially, and some of our bundle items do better than our singles. The ones that don't do better do about just as strong.Pernell:And so seeing people go on Amazon really as a basket builder, it has been huge. And even from an awareness play on the amount of users that Amazon has, we focus specifically our consumer acquisition on Amazon platform. So we don't really focus on driving people to Amazon because there's so much space to play and win within Amazon as we're still early on as well. To the other pieces, as our site continue to build, we have seen pure incrementality from the Amazon platform where we don't see the shift of trading one consumer from one to the other. It's very key to being an awareness play for us, but then just, we have to also come back to the reality of consumer dynamics. And what does the social landscape look like? What does the economical landscape look like that's impacting those consumers? And the focus on supporting small businesses, supporting black-owned businesses, and then the accessibility of specialty coffee.Pernell:People are much more intentional about whether they want to save a dollar for Amazon or shave two days off Amazon versus support individuals that are trying to build their businesses and support them where margin is much more supportive and favorable. And we've seen the incrementality on both sides from consumers that are more mature on Amazon and those that are really looking to put their dollar further into the business to support the businesses during these times.Stephanie:Yep. That's great. Your users on Amazon, do they seem stickier? Because I often think about like, when I'm checking out whether it's through using Whole foods or whatever on Amazon, they always give me the recommendations or they're like, "You'll just buy this again." And I'm very quick to be like, "Okay, sure." And it seems like I'm a very sticky user when it comes to reorders. How does that customer profile from your Amazon customers seem to differ from people who are maybe just going direct to your website because they want to make sure to support the business and the message and they understand that by going there directly, it's probably going to help margins and the story behind it.Pernell:To a certain degree, our engagement is really high on our platform and with our community and our email list as well as on social. And so we get a lot of stickiness from our existing community and bringing them in. And so from an anecdotal read, there's just a significant amount of loyalty, not just to what we're doing, but what we're offering. And our subscription business is really strong on our site. When we do drop new launches, we also see a quick adoption on those as well, and so we have much more flexibility on those. Just launched a limited edition collection just ahead of the holiday season. We're able to fluidly do that where in Amazon, while it's not a brick and mortar, you still have to have much more lead time built into that versus being nimble as a small business.Pernell:And so even in putting something else that adds a little bit more complexity, it's incremental from a experience, from a product standpoint. Our consumers also still highly converted on that even though we have a strong subscription business. The Amazon piece is, what we see is also very sticky, but we still have much more conventional tactics on whether it's a prize promotion here or there or the affiliate programs that come from press that are driving the Amazon. We see those strong conversion pickups as well. But I would say again from an incrementality, we are pleased with the learnings that we have right now from the stickiness of it, but at the end of the day, we still from the recording of today, we are still, in this pandemic and trying to navigate life through it and the loyalty from coffee isn't going away anytime soon. And so I think people, wherever they're most comfortable with shopping are still highly susceptible to converting because they know that they need that fuel.Stephanie:Yeah. I think that's smart as you were mentioning to develop a different kind of experience on your website, not only with subscriptions, but also limited edition drops. So you get early access to and developing that community seems key. How do you go about, not only curating and developing a community, but also keeping them engaged for that longterm?Pernell:Yep. No doubt. I think the most important piece of this is no doubt customer service and experience. What we don't want to be is a one trick pony in the sense of, hey, we can do these two things really well because coffee is very vast. And as I mentioned earlier, the spectrum of coffee is really wide. And so we don't want to be too linear to offering only certain flavor profiles whereas as people either discover new brands or their options of how they safely access their daily fix of coffee or caffeine, that we then follow it lower in the consideration, or we just have to lean on whatever consumer habits that they had in the current, but we'll then be in the past.Pernell:And so for us, it's a matter of continuing to diversify, evolve what the experience and options are on our platform in particular and try to drive our email list and drive as many people to our site, so we can capture and engage with them so we can continue to evolve with them on their coffee journey and make sure that our offering is healthy enough, that we can do that without gridlocking our operations and our other distribution priorities.Stephanie:Let's talk a bit about retail. You're in some good stores. I saw you're in Whole Foods, Target, and I was reading a bit about how you got in front of these retailers. I think you were going to sourcing call events where they had like pop-up events. And I was wondering, how did you get in front of these retailers? How did you peak their interest and what was that process like?Pernell:For sure. A big piece of BLK & Bold and my co-founder and I bringing this to life was our formal background prior to. We launched this in our 30s, our early 30s and Rod's background being in philanthropy and fundraising with higher education healthcare, and mine being in corporate merchandising, brand business development around packaged goods. And so the lens that we took to the white space of coffee was a by-product of what lanes exists within coffee. And the understanding that the accessibility gap was huge when you stepped out of a premium specialty coffee shop that's in neighborhood A somewhere, and trying to carry that across the country. And so, understanding that we know where the opportunity is, which again, ecom retailer shelves, now we have to build something viable enough that allows for them to consider us from whatever the right starting point is and from the way those retailers test or minimally launch.Pernell:And so our journey throughout 2018 and 2019 was operations, learning curve and validation of consumer marketing. We did a ton of road shows, just consumer shows engaging them on the product. And the aha moments for most of them were the 5% for our youth model that we have. It wasn't where they were introduced to us. It was supplementary validation for them. And so continuing to drive that part. But then also just from formal background within retail, understanding that there's different engagement points. We are a certified minority business enterprise, which is a national certification organizations out like that, where they have shows and tons of industries that attend these to meet diverse or minority owned businesses. And fortunately for us, we have visibility to select retailers that attended these as well.Pernell:In addition to digital platforms, there's one called a RangeMe for those that are not familiar, that is a virtual marketplace for all packaged goods brands and merchants, which is hyper dependent in today's climate, where corporate is not allowing people to travel. And so knowing where to start and having something viable was number one. Number two is being a student of those retailers isles. Understanding who was in the competitive space, how long they were there, what a swarm in they were there for so you can understand what their core consumer was, but then what value proposition do we incrementally bring for that merchant? What problem are we solving for that merchant? And so that was a big piece of when we had our opportunity to engage with these different retailers. Target, for an example, we understood what value proposition we were looking to bring to them. The conversation from there became a matter of readiness operationally, organizationally, to be able to launch and sustainably start with intention, of course, sustainably growing.Stephanie:And was there a bit of back and forth with the retailers when they were like, "We're interested, we love your model, the coffee is great." Were they giving you any guidance on, here's what we think will do well on the shelves or here's how to set yourself apart, or was that really all on you guys to do the research, figure it out and present, here's some maybe new packaging that we think will do well at Whole Foods?Pernell:Yup. For sure. It definitely, it can be either way. We had our first, let's call it national launch or a major launch was with Target Corporation, at the beginning of this year on about 300 ... it was 350 stores across the major markets within the US. The conversation and the process of having that launch was about a nine month process from introduction to essentially the product arriving on the shelf. And this was from our social media engagement and fortunately word of mouth being passed on to Target for a show that they were having, we received an invite and we were fortunate to have an introduction with the coffee buyer and allowed us to further the conversation, this is not only our business model, but our case, the consumer that we're looking to capture and the incrementality of that consumer to retail.Pernell:But then, thereby also helped us understand where our strategic priorities were in a sense of how this space is set up and where there may be room to identify the incrementality if it's really there. And so the feedback on just the core consumer that we're going after and aligning on that was very real. And quite honestly, for us, while we had that opportunity to have the connection and the conversation, we knew we weren't ready because where our packaging was, we had a checklist of key things that we wanted to accomplish before we entered onto a shelf, so we can have our best foot forward, and we were halfway through that checklist. And so the merchant said, "Hey, well, when do you think you're ready? Well, here's the key things that we need to accomplish."Pernell:B Corp certification was one, which was, we hadn't got through the finish line on it yet, and the rebrand on packaging and also some of our operational scalability. And so that nine month journey was really with, understand the strategic vision values and knowing that with accomplishing that, we can have a solid start together to go push it through. In January with that launch then gave us the opportunity to credibly approach other merchants with some understanding that we were already vetted and well equipped to enter into their shelves as well if we had the same alignment on the value proposition. So the Whole Foods conversation was a lot more in the sense of, "Hey, we see what you're doing here. Here's some of the assortment that you have that we think will work really well is some feedback on what may not be yet, but let's get started and let's find out together."Pernell:And so it was much more collaborative in the starting point and from my experience, that's exactly what you want. If you're pitching to retailers with the hope that they will take whatever you're pitching, I made the perfect vision, they didn't ask me a question, they're going to take it. Where the risk is that they don't understand enough of where your blind spots may be, and you're all going to find out-Stephanie:Yeah, you want to partner.Pernell:Yeah. You all are going to find out together and that's the last thing, because it's really expensive to back out of distribution. So any who.Stephanie:That's so smart. I love the idea that you had the checklist going into it and you were open with Target, like, here's the things that we need to knock out. Tell me a bit more about what else was on that checklist and why were they important? Like why were you looking to have that B Corp certification and what else was on the checklist on top of that?Pernell:Sure thing. The B Corp I would say is a major one. I have to remember some of the smaller ones, but the B Corp was a major one mainly from being in retail. And once you learn about B Corp, it's hard to unsee it. But it being a ... it's essentially a independent organization that certifies businesses, those that value stakeholders equivalent with shareholders. And so being for-purpose being equally as important as for-profit and you have organizations like Ben & Jerry's, Tom Shoes, Warby Parker, Patagonia, these major organizations that are all at B Corp, they continue to move into improving society while again, building sustainable businesses.Pernell:And for us with, having this domestic social impact focus, the model doesn't exist. It's unfortunate it doesn't, but that's also a core reason of why we decided to go into this space. And knowing that, given that it doesn't exist and at the scale that we have to start at, we want it to be taken serious to our consumers and our stakeholders on the intention of where we're going while we work on getting there. And so with the launch into retail and being on the national stage, we took it various cities to make sure that we have third party validation vetted out already for us, for people that can engage with the brand.Stephanie:I don't know much about court structures. Are there also benefits that come with being a B Corp?Pernell:Yep. There's different tiers of ... you can incorporate it as a B Corp if your state has that as a legal option. And that I think there's definitely a different tax implications for being a legal B Corporation. And then there for states that don't, and this is the way that it was initially set up is that there's a certification and you're certified by, it's called B Labs, which is the umbrella organization. So you're certified by B Labs. And then as they continue to build momentum and further penetrate their models where the states began to allow it to be a legal entity structure.Stephanie:Got it. And then tell me a bit about, so you're getting into these new retail locations and you're working on your packaging and getting certifications. Tell me about how you guys are preparing for the orders. What were you doing behind the scenes with distribution and logistics and setting up partnerships? What did that look like?Pernell:Chaos.Stephanie:Craziness to say the least.Pernell:Yep. Chaos. Again, self-funded bootstrap and never want to put the cart before the horse was really a matter of trusting our forecast and building enough bandwidth to at least get through the initial hump of a national launch. And so then instead of today, we do everything in-house. We source and we work with our importers. They move the goods right with export departments, but we are identifying what origins we want to source through. We're doing all of the testing cupping and validating the integrity of what we're putting into our product. We micro roast in-house, we package in-house and we work we shipping partners to get goods out the door.Pernell:And so at the time, we had graduated from the garage and in to a shared production space with a local brewery. That's where we had our commercial roaster and we essentially had to tighten up our ship, bring onboard a few individuals that had coffee background in roasting and packaging to help us get the Target launch out of the door. And so that was a mad hustle because again, it was, here's what we are, here's the bandwidth we have, we're going a 100% capacity, sometimes a little bit more than that to get the launch out of the door with the intention of sourcing a new location that we can grow into. And so, fast forwarding that story, we had identified a location and we're closing the deal in March. And of course pandemic changed all of that. And so we found ourselves still running idol in that location for a while, but it wasn't with a bevy of orders and things until we started getting further into the summer. And that's when we got flooded in that space with orders go on and so forth.Stephanie:If you were to look back and change anything, what things would you have done different if you were to start again? And it can't be everything. You just got to pick me like, there's this one thing when I was setting up my partners or distribution or with the retailers I would've maybe done this differently.Pernell:It's tough because there's been too many reasons because there's so many learnings and it sounds so cliche, and that's why I was trying to prevent it sounds so cliche, but there are so many learnings that if I didn't learn them then I'm going to have to learn them later and I just don't know it yet. Because we are continuously learning and it's not just about coffee, but it's about, you're in a space where we are looking to win over over the longterm consumers into not only what product was selling, but the impact that we're selling and there's so many curves along the way. And so I am happy to have the learnings that we do have in the bank checked off. I think more so it's a matter of how do we continue to broaden our view to mitigate blind spots?Pernell:What I would say is one of the things that was hugely helpful early on as we were initially launching with literally our hearts on our shoulder was sharing what we were looking to build with some other professionals, just more mentor related people in the network. And as our informal mentors, that fortunately connected in to a formal mentor that was previously executive within the industry and just gave me a history download on how coffee and the industry came to be. And that in itself, just broadened context more so than why you have to, you're crossing Ts and dotting Is and every single step of the process. But to have that broader context of how the industry around you got to its point just fast forwarded that blind spot for sure. I would just try to color it all in.Stephanie:Do you have other mentors right now that you rely on or that help when it comes to guidance or showcasing what else is happening in the industry or ecommerce as a whole that you lean on?Pernell:Yes and no. Informal, for sure. Students of work, without a doubt. I think it's important to have a broad lens on what's working across different industries in digital in particular. And so if you rely on someone that's hyper-focused on a particular industry, then it may mitigate you from having your antennas up to learn about other things that are working elsewhere. But I'd say informal, yes. But tapping into what's working for them and learning from there, it's really hard. This may be a me statement, but I'm sure it may resonate with someone else out there. It's really hard to move at the speed of entrepreneurship and startup, and to have someone that isn't as intimate with your business to give you specific guidance on building the business more so than giving you more visibility to things that work and that exist. So it allows you to be able to align closer and jumping into rabbit holes further that you know may be in the path where you're going. So much work is done offline that having visibility of things allow you to dive into it without having to bottleneck someone else's time and do it.Stephanie:I think that's really good advice. And a mentor might fail to give you a higher ideas or industry level things or maybe connections but I think it's the same thing when it comes to investors, the second someone starts giving you like really nitty-gritty advice on what you should do, you might want to be a little wary of that because you know your business best and you know where you're headed. What's next for BLK & Bold. Where are you guys headed? What are you betting on right now?Pernell:Sure. We're still young and awareness is still important, accessibility is still important. The more traction we get, the more we can further cement our contribution model. Now that we've kept the door open, even minimally in the product assortment that we do exist in, the more immediate is to continue to round out our accessibility, but with our key partners that have strategic alignment with us. And so we have retailers that we're on board with today, Target, Whole Foods, Hy-Vee in the Midwest and we're rounding out a few more that have shown very important strategic alignment with us. But then we're also looking to diversify outside of just retail shelves and moving into food service that allows us to have more B2B contracts that are now consumer adoption, but also businesses to help further the impact which ultimately helps drive consumer awareness as well.Pernell:And so from a ecom standpoint, home base is home base. And so we're going to continue to pour into our website to be more proactive in how we drive engagement, but also acquisition. And also, we're selling a tangible good. And so while that's key and that's great, we also have to look at supply chain, all the efficiencies, but innovation that's out there to allow for us to continue to connect and win with convenience and accessibility from what that means from a D2C space as well. We got some ideas under our belt on some strategic partnerships that can allow us to further that. But without a doubt, continuing to further develop our D2C. And the more important pieces that help our community better be more transparent with how we are building and continue to support from an impact model, but also to build more loyalty for that come in to see it in action.Stephanie:That's awesome. I'm excited to see, especially that B2B piece too. I think that could be such a strong partnership. I used to work at Google and I think about the road shows they would do and having companies come and all the employees would test out the coffees and the chocolate and all that. And that could be huge and very smart partnership to have that B2B angle in there.Pernell:No doubt.Stephanie:All right. We have a couple minutes left. Let's move over to the lightning round, brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I'm going to send a question your way and you have a minute or less to answer. Are you ready for now?Pernell:We'll find out. Let's do it.Stephanie:All right. What's up next on your Netflix queue.Pernell:Gosh, I just googled this yesterday. The Undoing. I think that's what it's called. We just ran through all the Schitt's Creek. So TBD on Netflix.Stephanie:All right, there you go. And I've got Hilary in this document say, "It's amazing, and it's on HBO." So that works.Pernell:Love it.Stephanie:All right. What's next on your reading list?Pernell:Oh my gosh. Besides emails?Stephanie:Yes. Besides emails. It doesn't count.Pernell:Oh man. It's a great question. I digest so much content through just online, but if I'm looking at something tangible, it might literally be a roasters magazine.Stephanie:That's great. We have not had anyone say a roasters magazine.Pernell:Yeah. In the anecdotal know of what's going on.Stephanie:That was perfect. If you were to have a podcast, what would it be about, and who would your first guest be?Pernell:Oh, goodness. First guest would be Rod, my partner. What it would be about? I don't know, the random things we come up with throughout a day, which is a plenty, and most people don't get to see or experience. You're building something with a best friend you have for over 20 years. You can only imagine the randomness that comes about within a day.Stephanie:Oh my gosh. I love that. I could see that being really fun. Pernell and Rod's musings.Pernell:Love it. Love it.Stephanie:That's great. What topic or trend or theme do you not understand today that you wish you did?Pernell:That I don't, that I wish. Oh my gosh. This sounds terrible, but Twitter. I tried to figure out my Twitter game early on when everyone else was, and I was just too loyal to Facebook. And now here I am still trying to figure out how to not tweet on the wrong thing or something.Stephanie:Me too. Well, what's your Twitter handle? We'll get you some followers there.Pernell:It's Pernell Cezar. [crosstalk] name.Stephanie:Oh my gosh, you don't even know.Pernell:Yeah, I don't.Stephanie:Well, that's the problem Pernell, you don't even know your handle. I actually don't know if I know mine either. We'll link it up in the show notes. There you go.Pernell:Okay. Appreciate it.Stephanie:All right. Then the last one, what one thing will have the biggest impact on ecommerce in the next year? And it can't be COVID.Pernell:I know that's right. That's a good point. From a good standpoint, I do think supply chain, speed of delivery on native sites and not having to be relying on third party commerce platforms. We know the behemoths, they in-house a lot of that and they have major contracts that do that. But the comeback of boutique independence and owning their future I think really be a by-product of independent supply chain companies doing the same thing. So again, from a packaged goods or a tangible product lens, but I think BLK & Bold can deliver something in a matter of hours and not having to rely on Amazon, that just drives that much more engagement and loyalty for the longterm.Stephanie:That's great. Cool, great answer. All right. Pernell, well, I've had a blast talking to you on here. Where can people try out some BLK & Bold and learn more about you other than Twitter? They shouldn't go there right now.Pernell:Yeah, don't go there. But on social media platforms, BLK & Bold, spelled B-L-K and Bold, and then our website, blkandbold.com.Stephanie:Awesome. Thanks so much Pernell. It was a blast.Pernell:Yeah, same here. Thank you.
Jeanne David is the Founder and CEO of Outer Aisle, a brand that has been going beyond the grain to help more people kiss processed carbs goodbye with gluten-free, grain-free, nutritionally dense, and delicious cauliflower sandwich thins and pizza crusts. With estimates now showing that 75% of Americans will be diabetic or pre-diabetic within the next five years, Jeanne is on a mission to show people that they can enjoy their all-time favorite foods while reaping the benefits of anti-inflammatory and low glycemic cauliflower. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: The personal quest that led to the founding of Outer Aisle Jeanne's original recipe and some of the other recipes Outer Aisle makes How Jeanne found a commercial kitchen, why she manufactures her own products, and how she started selling in retail stores How Jeanne expanded her market outside Whole Foods Jeanne explains how she financed her startup and managed to build a 37,000 square foot facility How Jeanne found distributors and brokers for her business and the common challenges food entrepreneurs face when looking for brokers Where to learn more about Outer Aisle Jeanne's future plans for the company, adopting canceled food shows, and having virtual meetings with buyers The biggest challenges Jeanne faced when growing her business and her advice to fellow entrepreneurs In this episode… To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to be convinced that your product is great and capable of meeting the needs of its target market. You need to be tenacious and driven to work on your business as much as humanly possible, despite all the challenges you’ll (inevitably) have to face. Jeanne David faced her own share of entrepreneurial challenges but managed to overcome them and grow her business from her home kitchen to a 37,000 square foot facility. Her strategy? She believed in her product and her ability to grow her business, which she succeeded in doing. In this week's episode of NexxtLevel Podcast, G. Steven Cleere is joined by Jeanne David, the Founder and CEO of Outer Aisle, to talk about Jeanne’s entrepreneurial journey and growing her food business. She also talks about her favorite recipes, bootstrapping her business, and how she overcame the challenge of finding distributors and brokers for a young company. Subscribe and Listen on: iTunes Spotify Stitcher Google Play Deezer Resources Mentioned in this episode Kitchen2Shelf Nexxt Level Marketing Outer Aisle Jeanne David on LinkedIn UNFI Distributors RangeMe Steve Cleere's interview with RangeMe's Brandon Leong and Vir Satyan Sponsor for this episode... Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow. Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.
Brandon Leong is the Vice President of Marketing and Growth at RangeMe. He brings with him a unique blend of CPG industry experience along with expertise in high technology growth startups. He has held senior marketing roles for over a decade in companies such as Quri and Aria Systems. Currently, Brandon leads a talented and energetic team focused on the growth of the RangeMe marketplace. Vir Satyan is RangeMe's Director of Supplier Success. He has lived and worked across three continents holding key roles in people-centric industries including consumer packaged goods. He is the second ever employee of RangeMe and is immensely passionate about helping suppliers grow their businesses. Vir currently leads the very talented supplier success team. From very small beginnings to being the industry standard for product sourcing online, RangeMe streamlines product discovery for over 7,000 category buyers and the world's largest retailers while enabling over 175,000 product suppliers and manufacturers to have greater control over the marketing of their products. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: How RangeMe's founder, Nicky Jackson, came up with the idea for the online platform Why RangeMe decided to shift their headquarters from Australia to the US Why new startups should be willing to sell online and use e-commerce platforms How RangeMe works and why it’s important to build an optimized RangeMe profile Success stories from RangMe clients How RangeMe replaces the sell sheet for a brand and its other benefits to suppliers and buyers. Why it’s crucial for RangeMe users to be active on the platform and to keep their profiles updated. How has the COVID-19 crisis impacted RangeMe and its clients? How ECRM, RangeMe’s parent company, has adapted to market changes by creating an Efficient Supplier Introductions (ESI) solution. RangeMe's signup and verification process, and benefits of having a premium account RangeMe's future plans in creating greater efficiencies for sellers and buyers In this episode… The growth of e-commerce had been amazing prior to COVID 19, and now it has literally advanced a decade in a space of 90 Days. And while much of the focus has been on the consumer altering behavior from buying at brick and mortar stores to online, there is a similar revolution on the purchasing side. Big retail buyers and purchasing agents are working from home with no physical meetings with vendors or suppliers. The answer now lies in 'digital purchasing' and RangeMe is already here to help. RangeMe is an online platform that enables retail buyers to efficiently discover innovative and emerging products while empowering suppliers to manage and grow their brands with the tools, insights, and services they need. In this episode, G. Steven Cleere talks with Brandon Leong and Vir Satyan from RangeMe about the rapid growth of e-commerce and digital purchasing, and how they are making the process easier for all parties involved. They explain how the RangeMe platform works, its benefits to sellers and buyers, how it helps in fostering and growing brand awareness and visibility, and why educating suppliers has been a top priority for RangeMe. Stay tuned. Subscribe and Listen on: iTunes Spotify Stitcher Google Play Resources Mentioned in this episode Kitchen2Shelf Nexxt Level Marketing Steve Cleere’s email: steve@nexxtlevelmarketing.com RangeMe ECRM Brandon Leong on LinkedIn Vir Satyan on LinkedIn Nicky Jackson, CEO and Founder of RangeMe, on LinkedIn ECRM's Efficient Supplier Introductions (ESI) Tylers Coffee Expo East Expo West Summer Fancy Food Show Zoom Thrive Market Credit Suisse Sponsor for this episode... Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow. Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.
BRAND SECRETS AND STRATEGIES: Empowering Brands | Raising The Bar
There is a better way to get your brand onto store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers during these uncertain times. Trade shows are great for networking but they do not provide face time with retailers you need to grow and scale your brand. Welcome, I have a special treat for you. Today I want to help you learn about an innovative strategy to get your brand on more store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers. After all that's why we're all here right! The best part is that you can use these resources today while the world is still locked down. Let me back up and frame it this way. When Expo West was canceled we were all devastated. How are we going to go to market. How are we going to get our products in front of retailers and customers. After catching my breath, I decided to lean in realizing that the best thing I can do to help you during this challenging time is to share resources to help you survive, grow, and thrive. With that in mind, I lunched the free webinar series to teach you strategies and skills that you can not only use today but as things start to open up and as we work toward the new normal. The best part is that the free webinar series has attracted great partners, companies, and thought leaders to help support me and help me raise the bar in natural. They include ECRM, RangeMe, Phil Lempert The Supermarket Guru, Whole Foods Magazine, Big Orange, Plant Based Solutions, Social Nature, C-Suite Radio and C-Suite Network. Please reach out to them and thank them for their commitment to help support all of us. They all have great resources to give you competitive edge. We’re all in this together. Links to register for future webinars and previous webinar recordings can be found on the speaker page of my website brandsecretsandstrategies.com/speaking. Please share these resources with any brand or retailer wanting to confidently grow and scale their business. When I started in this industry, trade shows were the primary way we sold our products retailers. Now trade shows are so crowded that it’s difficult if not impossible to get one-on-one dedicated time with key retailers. Let’s fix that. While we all wait until the next expo, we still need to get our products in front of retailers as we look for creative ways to keep the links on at the same time. Would you be interested in a way to save on jet fuel and still have personal interaction with retailers? Today’s podcast is actually the live recording from today’s free webinar featuring ECRM and RangeMe How To Get Your Brand Discovered By Retailers And Get It Onto Their Shelves. This episode's FREE downloadable guide Trade marketing includes everything required to promote your brand. It's your growth engine and the largest item on your P&L. Most trade spending is wasted. Every brand seeks to maximize their promotional ROI. There is a better way to grow sales & profits. CLICK HERE TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO MY TRADE MARKETING ESSENTIALS Guide
BRAND SECRETS AND STRATEGIES: Empowering Brands | Raising The Bar
The thing that makes natural natural is our robust and engaged community. Community is what keeps us connected. It helps us survive, grow & thrive - especially during these challenging times. C-Suite is going to help me better serve the natural community. I’m always looking for ways to raise the bar and help you get your brand onto more store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers - including on-line. Like you, we were all devastated when Expo was cancelled. After catching my breath, I decided to lean in realizing that the best thing I can do is to help you navigate through these uncertain times. I took two huge leaps of faith as a result. First, I launched a free weekly webinar series. It’s been well received and it’s even attracted the interest of industry leaders wanting to partner with me on your behalf. The second thing I did was join the C-Suite network to bring more resources to help you grow and scale. Today’s podcast episode is your introduction to C-Suite and how they are helping me support and better meet your needs. Let me back up and frame this. Jeffrey Hayzlett reached out to me and invited me to lunch. He liked the podcast and it’s mission. I had to decline because I was speaking at the Canadian Organic Trade Association breakfast at Expo West. Luckily, he reached back out after the show was cancelled and we connected. Jeffrey has an impressive resume and his deep roots in CPG. He has built an amazing network of industry experts all on a huge platform working together to solve your most pressing problems. He calls us “business first responders”. You’ll hear more about that in a moment. He, and the C-suite network, have also partnered with me to help support the free weekly webinar series. We talked briefly about this weeks free webinar featuring ECRM and RangeMe on the podcast. Now here’s Jeffrey Hayzlett with C-suite C-suite Network This episode's FREE downloadable guide The world changed dramatically, almost overnight. A lot of brands are struggling as a result. You are not alone! These simple strategies will help keep you focused on the “why”, why your brand matters to your customers. This is the sturdy foundation your brand was built on. CLICK HERE TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO MY Brand Health Assessment Checklist Guide
Natural Products Expo West is a premier annual event for the food and beverage industry. Expo West 2020 canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sharing their disappointment of this news were Alan Burwell, VP of Marketing and Innovation, and Bryn Garcia, VP of Retail Sales and Business Development, both from Select Harvest USA. For Garcia, the opportunities Expo West provides are the ability to get in front of 3,000 + retailers and share with them all of the exciting new products Select Harvest is launching. For Burwell, he looked forward to seeing what innovative products and solutions retailers were unveiling at the show. “That natural foods’ focus is what makes Expo West special, and why so many people come to it,” Burwell said. Even though people will have to wait until 2021 for the next Expo West, Burwell and Garcia offered their insights on how Select Harvest is continuing to maintain relationships with the retailers they looked forward to interacting with at the show. Garcia said Select Harvest reached out to its entire retail network to lend assurance that Almond production operations continue unhampered by the pandemic. “For new retailers, we’ve been able to utilize platforms such as RangeMe as well as other social selling platforms to showcase the array of products that we have,” Garcia said. Burwell said what makes Expo West so exciting is one never knew what the year’s hot new trends were until they arrived at the show. But Burwell did say Select Harvest was excited about revealing a new almond-based product that is indulgent and delicious but isn’t going to have all those extra calories, and carbs, and things like that. Perhaps there will be product unveiling on a future installment of nut news. For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Food & Beverage Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.
In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Mike Watts and Scott Glaser of LoveHandle Smartphone Grips, a RangeMe Premium member and ECRM program participant that attended our Impulse, Front-End & Checklane as one of The Shark Group suppliers, and showcased its innovative American-made product that makes it virtually impossible to drop your cell phone while using it. They discuss the origin of the company, how they are working with Daymond John and The Shark Group, and their experience with RangeMe and ECRM. They also talk about the challenges they are facing during the coronavirus pandemic, as many of the company's customers are event companies. It's a great discussion about entrepreneurship in the face of adversity! Check out the Lovehandle website: https://www.lovehandle.com ECRM: https://ecrm.marketgate.com
ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Shiv Joshi, Managing Director of Greystone Premium Organic Tea about the steps he's taking to keep his business going during the lockdown we're all experiencing as a result of the coronavirus. This includes leveraging digital opportunities, such as the buyer review days RangeMe has been hosting for several major retailers, and keeping engaged with the natural foods community on LinkedIn. Lots of useful info here for all suppliers! #ecrmrangeme #brands #rangeme #coronavirus #covid19
BRAND SECRETS AND STRATEGIES: Empowering Brands | Raising The Bar
Natural brands are panicked with Expo West being canceled but you don’t need to be. There is an alternative that easily makes your brand discoverable by retailers wanting to attract that unique shopper your brand appeals to. Learn what you need to know This episode's FREE downloadable guide Trade marketing includes everything required to promote your brand. It's your growth engine and the largest item on your P&L. Most trade spending is wasted. Every brand seeks to maximize their promotional ROI. There is a better way to grow sales & profits. CLICK HERE TO GAIN INSTANT ACCESS TO MY TRADE MARKETING ESSENTIALS Guide How To Get Your Brand Discovered By Retailers And Get It Onto Their Shelves - Free Webinar. There is a better way to get your brand onto store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers that does not waste a lot of jet fuel and it does not require you attend trade shows. Trade shows are great for networking and learning about new trends but, let’s face it, they do not provide the face time with retailers you need to grow and scale your brand. Learn about a simple, easy, and convenient way to make your brand discoverable by retailers. There is a simple a creative solution to get one-on-one face time with retailers wanting your brand on their shelves. Click Here To Register and also listen to the replay (https://CMS4CPG.com/GetDiscovered) Learn more about RangeMe: https://www.rangeme.com Download the show notes here: brandsecretsandstrategies.com/session175
In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Jeff Bordes of Albertsons Marketplace about how the Coronavirus has impacted the e-commerce business. They discuss how shoppers' buying habits have changed as the virus has become more prevalent, challenges the marketplace vendors are facing in replenishing their supplies, and how his product discovery efforts have altered with fewer face-to-face options available -- including his leveraging of solutions from ECRM and RangeMe #ecrmrangeme #brands #retail #business #coronavirus
BRAND SECRETS AND STRATEGIES: Empowering Brands | Raising The Bar
Your brand needs to be available wherever your customers shop. That requires a robust digital strategy to level the playing field with big brands. NatchCom shares expert insights to teach brands how to grow and scale in traditional retail and online. This episode's FREE downloadable guide New product innovation is the lifeblood of every brand. New products fuel sustainable growth, attracts new shoppers, and increases brand awareness. Know the critical steps to get your product on more retailer’s shelves and into the hands of more shoppers. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE STRATEGIC GUIDE: The Essential New Item Checklist - The Recipe For Success I spend a lot of time talking about why a digital strategy is so important to be able to support and grow your brand. If you want to know the key strategies to explode your growth and help you get your product in the hands of more shoppers, you're going to want to stay tuned to this episode. Welcome. I just came back from NatchCom and I want to share some of the insights that I learned that you're going to need to know. These are the best strategies to help you grow and scale your brand. NatchCom is an organization that I'm extremely fond of. It's an organization that you should be paying attention to. The reason for that is because NatchCom strives to provide you with the best resources and insights to grow your brand by helping you understand what the best digital strategies are, what you need to know to differentiate your brand from other brands. More importantly, they have the resources and the connections in the industry, so when they put on an event, it's not just a couple of people that claimed to know something about social media, these are the top people in the industry. For example, RangeMe was there. Amazon was there. Last year they had representatives from Facebook. These are some of the top people in the industry in terms of digital marketing, in terms of video, in terms of social media. These are the strategies that you need to be able to leverage as you grow and scale your brand. In fact, last year I had the privilege of being a speaker at NatchCom in Boulder. This is an organization that you're going to want to check out. Download the show notes here: brandsecretsandstrategies.com/session167
Hear how FTI Brands LLC went from distribution of its SneakERASER products in 200 stores to 40K+ stores in one year in this video interview with Co-Founders Kevin Consolo (a former ECRMer) and Chris Pavlica . In this interview, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski and the two entrepreneurs discuss the company's origin, as well as how they leveraged both ECRM and RangeMe to get on the shelf at major retailers like Walmart , CVS Health and Dollar General , and how they have evolved their brand based on the needs and objectives of retailers they have met to address the auto and golf markets as well. We're so proud to see the great success of one of our own! #ecrmrangeme #retail #brands #cpg #business
Once you are working with influencers, it's important to amplify their content beyond its organic reach to get maximum exposure and ROI. In this interview with ECRM 's Joseph Tarnowski , Wellness Amplified Founder and CEO Karen Koslow discusses how brands can accomplish this through paid sponsorships as well as repurposing influencer content for use on their own platforms, such as on their own website, their RangeMe profile and on their Amazon storefront. Karen will be speaking about influencer marketing at ECRM's Cough/Cold, Preventative & Allergy Program next week in Jacksonville! Click here for more info on the program: https://ecrm.marketgate.com/Sessions/2020/01/CoughColdAnalgesicsAllergyEPPS?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Post&utm_campaign=Karenkoslowvid3 #ecrmrangeme #brands #marketing #influencers #retail #socialmedia #socialmediamarketing #content
REBRANDING SUCCESS STORY: Great case study on how a supplier leveraged ECRM and Pearl Resourcing to successfully rebrand its line of products for several retailer wins from our programs. This is a long one, but a good one. Charcoal House offers a TON of products that use activated charcoal to address all kinds of needs, from health, to the home, to pets and everything in between. As the were originally online only, their packaging wasn't suited to stand out on the shelf. So CEO John Dinsley, who co-founded the company with his wife Kimberly, reached out to Emily Page of Pearl Resourcing -- who he found from one of his video interviews with ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski -- to revamp his entire line of products. Emily recommended that he attend ECRM's Store Brands Program where she happened to be presenting (he's already a RangeMe member) and he landed several clients from it. Emily worked with John on the rebranding, which was unveiled at ECRM's Beauty & Wellness with Purpose Summit, with great response from buyers. In this video, they discuss the process and how it unfolded. #ecrmrangeme #branding #wellness #healthcare #business
How many times have you gone to a tradeshow or networking event, gathered a bunch of business cards and simply forgotten to follow up with those valuable connections? Or email a Buyer, never hear back, and forget to reach out again? It happens to all of us. That is, unless we use a CRM. Join me in conversation today with Brandon Leong of RangeMe, the platform dedicated to connecting Wholesale Buyers with producers, as we discuss the importance of having & maintaining a contact list of Buyers & Influencers. In this episode you'll hear us talk about: Why it's important to maintain a contact list How to organize your contacts as you scale How to keep in contact with your network without feeling salesy or spammy We also discuss a few of our favorite CRMs (both free & paid!), how producers can find success on RangeMe's platform, and best practices for following up with Wholesale Buyers. Click here to find the full show notes, including Brandon's contact information and all of the software recommendations that we discuss on today's episode, and a link to join our Food Biz Wiz™ Facebook group! Finally, if this episode resonated with you, don't forget to grab my retail roadmap, which outlines my nine steps to growing a brand that FLIES off the retail shelf. Click here to download it!
How many times have you gone to a tradeshow or networking event, gathered a bunch of business cards and simply forgotten to follow up with those valuable connections? Or email a Buyer, never hear back, and forget to reach out again? It happens to all of us. That is, unless we use a CRM. Join me in conversation today with Brandon Leong of RangeMe, the platform dedicated to connecting Wholesale Buyers with producers, as we discuss the importance of having & maintaining a contact list of Buyers & Influencers. In this episode you’ll hear us talk about: Why it’s important to maintain a contact list How to organize your contacts as you scale How to keep in contact with your network without feeling salesy or spammy We also discuss a few of our favorite CRMs (both free & paid!), how producers can find success on RangeMe’s platform, and best practices for following up with Wholesale Buyers. Click here to find the full show notes, including Brandon’s contact information and all of the software recommendations that we discuss on today’s episode, and a link to join our Food Biz Wiz™ Facebook group! Finally, if this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to grab my retail roadmap, which outlines my nine steps to growing a brand that FLIES off the retail shelf. Click here to download it!
This episode, Mark invites Brandon Leong of RangeMe onto the podcast to discuss what the platform does to help manufacturers get retail distribution. With nearly half a million brands and a million products listed on the platform, they act as a connecting point for both new and established products with retail buyers and service providers. Mark and Brandon break down the process of working with RangeMe and the ways they facilitate all the things you can do to help your business to get on shelves. About the guest: Brandon leads a talented and energetic marketing team focused on the growth of the RangeMe marketplace. He brings with him a unique blend of CPG industry experience along with expertise in high-growth technology start-ups. Brandon has held senior marketing roles for over a decade, most recently at the retail analytics company Quri and, before that, Aria Systems. Brandon is a father, a husband and native San Franciscan. Learn more at https://www.rangeme.com/ Follow Brandon on Twitter: @bleongSF. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbleong/
There are a couple of things that are common with any editor in the industry. They’re very overworked and have a ton of work that they do across a lot of different things. They manage the overall editorial direction, they plan out all of the stories, they usually have multiple news stories that they have to post online every day, they’re all involved in social media, plus they travel a lot. They visit retailers, they visit trade shows, and they do a lot of speaking engagements and webcasts. At the same time, they are also getting bombarded with press releases, calls, and pitches by suppliers and, in some cases, retailers. The supplier is always pitching to them to try and get into the magazines. How does an editor-in-chief or an editor in general decide what is going to go into the magazine or on the website and what’s not going to go? Joe Tarnowski of ECRM and RangeMe takes you through an editor’s perspective of what they’re looking for and how to best get your brand covered in their magazines online or in their social media. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Product Launch Hazzards community today:ProductLaunchHazzards.comProduct Launch Hazzards FacebookProduct Launch Hazzards TwitterProduct Launch Hazzards LinkedInProduct Launch Hazzards PinterestProduct Launch Hazzards Youtube
Hey Big Boxers, Nicky Jackson is back and this time she is giving us the inside scoop on her success. From College to the acquisition of RangeMe she shares the successes and obstacles of her own entrepreneurship. Don’t miss a minute of Nicky’s story as it is filled with insight you will be able to use on your own journey. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! · Here’s How » Join the On The Shelf community today: · Ontheshelfnow.com · On The Shelf Now Facebook Group · On the Shelf Now Facebook · On The Shelf Now Twitter · On the Shelf Now Instagram
Hey Big Boxers, Nicky Jackson is back and this time she is giving us the inside scoop on her success. From College to the acquisition of RangeMe she shares the successes and obstacles of her own entrepreneurship. Don't miss a minute of Nicky's story as it is filled with insight you will be able to […]
Hey Big Boxers, Episode 100 is finally here. Thank you all for making this milestone possible. You guys are the reason we do this each week and love that you all find it useful. For the occasion we have a treat for you! Nicky Jackson, CEO/Founder of RangeMe and Greg Farrar, CEO of ECRM agreed to sit down with me and discuss their business, their passions and how teaming up will mean great things for anyone wanting to get a product into retail. This conversation was truly an education. Grab a cup of coffee, a notepad and a blanket you will not want to miss a single word. Enjoy. Tim Nicky Jackson is Founder & CEO of RangeMe. The concept of RangeMe came to Nicky while developing a range of baby skincare products. Looking for ways to achieve fast distribution, she had the idea to create a single network to match sellers with buyers looking for products like theirs. Before launching RangeMe, Nicky worked as a Marketing Executive at Kellogg’s, Uncle Toby’s, Goodman Fielder, Pepsico and Jim Beam. Greg Farrar is CEO of ECRM. Prior to joining ECRM, Greg served as the CEO of Trade Only Design Library, an online product research library for interior designers and architects. From 2007 to 2010, Greg was President of Nielsen Business Media where he successfully re-positioned the company to focus on its trade show business. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! · Here’s How » Join the On The Shelf community today: · Ontheshelfnow.com · On The Shelf Now Facebook Group · On the Shelf Now Facebook · On The Shelf Now Twitter · On the Shelf Now Instagram
Hey Big Boxers, Episode 100 is finally here. Thank you all for making this milestone possible. You guys are the reason we do this each week and love that you all find it useful. For the occasion we have a treat for you! Nicky Jackson, CEO/Founder of RangeMe and Greg Farrar, CEO of ECRM agreed […]
Getting the attention and interest of retail buyers is not a “One Size Fits All” approach. As the market changes, so do the factors needed to keep buyer interest. Mike A from Australia wanted to know what new factors have come to the forefront recently that help to gain and keep the attention of buyers. If you have that same question rattling around in your head this episode is for you! Below are the 5 areas we see as focus areas for anyone wanting to gain the attention of retail buyers. Here are the 5 areas: Does your pricing make sense? Social presence and interaction Brand message Customer Experience Innovation Enjoy! **ALERT** Get your questions for Greg Farrar, CEO of ECRM and Nicky Jackson, Founder of newly acquired RangeMe. Both of these innovators will be in the hot seat this week with your truly answering all sorts of questions. There will be a spot for listener questions so please get them into me before Wed this week. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! · Here’s How » Join the On The Shelf community today: · Ontheshelfnow.com · On The Shelf Now Facebook Group · On the Shelf Now Facebook · On The Shelf Now Twitter · On the Shelf Now Instagram
Nicky and Jenna discuss retailers' desire to partner with emerging brands, how to design your company and technology to scale, and embracing the magic of startups.