Podcasts about Skus

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we revisit our series on Portal with another bonus interview with Kim Swift. We get a look at the game from which it came before hearing about the development proper. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 1:23 Interview 1:03:02 Break 1:03:25 Outro Issues covered: Kim's history, deciding where to go to college, learning to program, working with a team over multiple years, pitching each other, mixing interests, learning to work together, figuring out collaboration, the student showcase, showing to Valve, a sudden audience of twenty, walking away with a job offer, taking away only the ideas, showing at the IGF while building the new game, acquiring in Valve, a six month tech demo, borrowing the art direction, a useful constraint, extending six months more, the everyday feeling and being able to have fun, getting another year to go in the bundle, adding the behind the scenes stuff, the writing and level-building process, evaluating player progression and feeling, post-processing and robotizing your voice actress, mapping out the levels in little triples, responding to the player, a master class in tutorialization, iteration through playtesting, celebrating just shipping... and then, testing the games, focusing on your own stuff, always learning, going back to the roots, brand management, getting to do lots of new things, a game that reflected its own making, games being hard enough to make, feeling the joy, a great constraint, growing the world-building, no macro plan, how games reflect their making, explaining SKUs. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Narbacular Drop, DigiPen, Valve, Gabe Newell, Erik Wolpaw, Left 4 Dead, Airtight Games, Quantum Conundrum, Amazon Games, EA Motive, Google Stadia, XBOX, NEAR Studios, Game Boy Advance, Super Nintendo, Tim Schafer, EverQuest, Jeep Barnett, Garrett Rickey, Dave Kircher, Lost Vikings, Robin Walker, Team Fortress 2, Crystal Dynamics, Realm Lovejoy, Human Head, Prey, Half-Life (series), Randy Lundeen, Chet Faliszek, John Guthrie, The Orange Box, Heather Cerlan, Hawthorn, Pikmin, Outer Wilds, Calamity Nolan, Final Fantasy IX, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: More Pikmin? Twitch: timlongojr and twinsunscorp  YouTube Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com 

In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner sits down with Irv Blumkin, Chairman of Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM), and Ryan Blumkin, Executive Vice President, to unpack nearly 90 years of retail innovation, from Mrs. B's pawn-shop beginnings to multi-acre campuses in Omaha, Kansas City, Dallas, and soon Austin. They explore what it's like to partner with Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, build massive destination developments, and still obsess over every single SKU and customer interaction. From dynamic pricing and AI-enabled operations to a mind-blowing learning trip through China's retail and technology ecosystem, Irv and Ryan share how NFM is using data, automation, and emerging tech to deepen their moat, without ever losing sight of values, culture, and long-term thinking. They also talk careers in retail tech, why young “outside-the-box” thinkers matter, and the role of lifelong learning in leading through disruption. Listen to learn:Why Warren Buffett bought Nebraska Furniture Mart on a handshake, and what Irv has learned from decades of dinners and deal-making with himWhy strong values and culture matter more than ever in this tech-driven marketplaceHow NFM uses massive-store footprints, destination partners like Scheels, and even hotel/convention centers to turn shopping into an experienceHow dynamic pricing, digital shelf tags, and nightly web crawls of 70,000+ SKUs keep NFM competitive with Amazon, Costco, Wayfair, and othersWhat Irv and Ryan saw in China's tech companies and how those lessons are shaping NFM's future3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. Timeless values can scale into a $2 billion business. Mrs. B's simple principles (sell at a great price, tell the truth, and pay your bills) still anchor NFM's strategy, even as the company builds 1.8 million-square-foot campuses and expands into new markets like Austin. Irv connects those values directly to long-term growth, customer trust, and the family's partnership with Berkshire Hathaway. 2. Technology is now core infrastructure, not an add-on. NFM's nightly web crawling, digital price tags, and dynamic pricing systems automatically position them as the best value against online competitors, while complex distribution networks and emerging AI tools optimize inventory and logistics. Ryan frames this as building a “moat” with data, automation, and relentless operational excellence, not just more advertising. 3. Lifelong learning is mandatory for modern leadership. Irv has invested in executive education for decades, and both he and Ryan describe their China trip as “eye opening” in terms of speed, scrappiness, AI adoption, and asset-light business models. They're already translating those lessons into new e-commerce strategies, warehouse automation concepts, and AI-enabled process improvements back at NFM. Resources in this Episode:Learn more about Nebraska Furniture MartOther resources mentioned:Six Days in China: The Speed, Scale and Innovation Outpacing the U.S. - Podcast episode with Todd WanekMORE LINKS & RESOURCES ON THE EPISODE PAGE: https://techWe want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

Shopify went dark on Cyber Monday. Amazon glitched and wiped deal badges across Black Friday and Cyber Week. Sellers relying on one platform got crushed. But diversified brands kept growing because TikTok, Shopify, Amazon, and email all picked up the slack.Factories across China and Vietnam are now slowing down early ahead of Lunar New Year, which means your Q2 inventory window is already shrinking. TikTok Shop continues its retail takeover, and AI is rewriting the rules for product discovery, listing visibility, and who gets recommended.In today's Week in Review, you'll hear what actually happened inside Shopify and Amazon during the meltdown, how operators protected their revenue, what you must do before January hits, and why 2026 will reward brands who diversify and think like CEOs, not dabblers.✅ Do not wait on inventory. China and Vietnam are already winding down for Lunar New Year. If you don't finalize orders soon, your production moves into April or May.✅ Shopify crashed and Amazon glitched deals. Operators with omnichannel setups absorbed the hit. Single-channel sellers got wrecked.✅ Maximize profits in December instead of scaling losers. Double down on your highest-converting SKUs, best reviews, and fastest shipping.✅ TikTok to Amazon is the new performance pipeline. UGC targeting Amazon searches drove major lifts last week.✅ AI is the new e-commerce gatekeeper. AI agents are scraping, rewriting, and interpreting your listings. Machine-friendly listings now determine visibility.

Send us a textHow do you build a beverage brand when the margins are slim and you have no outside funding and growth depends on you?You make sales your North Star. Every single day.In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with Ollie Puddick, founder of Innerbloom, a functional beverage brand that's gone from farmers' markets to over 300 retail doors across Australia and New Zealand in just a few years.Ollie quit his job as a professional firefighter at the end of last year to go all-in on Innerbloom. No safety net. No investors. Just relentless focus on the one thing that keeps the lights on: sales.And he's brutally honest about the mistakes he made along the way.You'll hear:

In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Patrick Dichter, owner of AppleTree Business Services, to break down what “good accounting” actually looks like inside a growing home service business — and why financial clarity becomes a competitive advantage as you scale.John opens up about a hard truth: he didn't get his first clean month-end close until last year, and it made almost a decade of decision-making harder than it needed to be. Patrick walks through the real stages most home service operators go through — from “Checkbook Charlie” to outsourced bookkeeping to in-house controllers — and the exact problems that show up at each stage.They dig into why growth eats cash even when the business is “doing everything right,” how bad accruals and broken CRM/accounting integrations quietly destroy margins, and what a simple cash forecast can do to keep you out of trouble. John also shares the painful lesson he learned in 2025: you can run a strong P&L and still get smoked on cash if you're not thinking about the balance sheet.If you've ever asked “where's my money?” while growing, struggled to trust your gross margin, or felt like your business is flying blind month-to-month — this one is for you.

In this episode, John Wilson is on-site in Chicago with Aizik Zimerman, owner of J.Blanton Plumbing, to break down how one of the fastest-growing plumbing companies in the country built a sewer and drain growth engine. Since buying the $6M Jay Blanton business at the end of 2022, Aizik has scaled it to ~$25M this year and a $30M run rate — and nearly half that growth is coming from sewers. They unpack the investments, the operational build-out, and the marketing + sales system that turned trenchless lining into a repeatable, high-volume profit center. Aizik shares the exact playbook behind his “Unclogs for Dogs” offer, why they send salespeople with cameras first (no junior drain tech flip), and how they price lining as the cheaper alternative to excavation to beat inertia and win the market. If you're trying to add $5–$10M of revenue through drains, improve close rates, or build a trenchless division that actually scales, this episode is a must-listen.What You'll LearnThe 2022 → 2025 growth story: $6M to $25M+ and what changed operationallyWhy Aizik bet big on sewers while competitors stayed HVAC-heavyThe economics of lining vs. digging: pricing, margins, and why “cheaper lining” winsHow a $1M+ CapEx investment (UV curing trailers, jetting, prep teams) unlocked volume

Danilo Zatta is the author of The Pricing Model Revolution, The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing, and the new book Revenue Growth Management. He is recognized as one of LinkedIn's Top 5 Pricing Thought Leaders and brings decades of consulting experience from Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG. His work is anchored in one simple insight: pricing is the "sunny side" of consulting. He shares real examples of companies that increased profit by cutting ineffective promotions and by detecting thousands of spare-part pricing outliers with AI. This episode explores pricing leadership, the CEO's role, the difference between pricing truth and framework preference, and why democratized pricing knowledge makes talent the true competitive advantage.   Why You Have to Check Out This Episode: Learn how AI spots hidden pricing outliers across hundreds of thousands of SKUs and turns them into instant profit. Discover why FMCG companies burn cash on promotions and how smart RGM frameworks finally fix it. Understand the real "truth" behind pricing frameworks and why people, not methodology, drive pricing success.   "Start the AI pricing journey—not by boiling the ocean—but by finding a use case that works, proves value, and then expand it." – Danilo Zatta   Topics Covered: 01:27 - How Dan Got Into Pricing. His shift from cost-cutting to pricing and why he calls it the "sunny side" of consulting. 06:57 - Freedom in Consulting Choices. Comparing Accenture, Simon-Kucher, and BCG—and why team chemistry matters most. 09:11 - Revenue Growth Management. How FMCG brands optimize trade terms, promos, and price architecture for profit. 11:55 - FMCG as B2B. Why FMCG selling to retailers is a pure B2B relationship with limited price control. 17:22 - Implicit Collusion in Airlines. How industries use public price signaling to influence competitor behavior. 19:13 - AI in Spare Parts Pricing. How AI identified major pricing outliers and delivered over €1M in quick wins. 24:42 - Why AI Beats Excel. AI's advantage in scale, complexity, and instant alerts across massive SKU sets. 27:15 - Starting Your AI Pricing Journey. Begin with one use case, prove it works, then expand—no perfect data needed.   Key Takeaways: "Pricing used to be specialized knowledge. Today it's democratized—so what differentiates you is the team, not the tools." – Danilo Zatta "If you're the market leader, you must act first. Smaller players can't reduce promotions until you do." – Danilo Zatta "Pricing is never boring because every industry has its own logic, levers, and constraints." – Danilo Zatta   Books by Danilo Zatta: The Pricing Model Revolution: https://www.amazon.it/Pricing-revolution-pricing-cambier%C3%A0-comprare/dp/8836010547/ The 10 Rules of Highly Effective Pricing: https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Highly-Effective-Pricing-Management/dp/1394195761 Revenue Growth Management: https://www.amazon.it/Revenue-Management-Manufacturing-Application-Industry/dp/3319807595/   Connect with Danilo Zatta: Website: https://www.danilozatta.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilo-zatta  Books: https://www.danilozatta.com/books/    Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving Email: mark@impactpricing.com  

Wil talks with Donny Bradley, founder and CEO of Lola Beans, a drive-through “fun beverage” coffee brand based in Chattanooga that's now franchising. Donny traces his hospitality instincts to moving often as an Air Force kid and appreciating people who made him feel welcome, plus big family gatherings rooted in New Orleans/Biloxi culture. A six-month stint in Soldotna, Alaska during his medical-device sales career sparked the business idea: a small coffee shack where barista Jenna built genuine relationships, not transactional service. Donny returned home, scraped a house on a C-minus property, opened the first Lola Beans in September 2020, then a second location in 2022 with two drive-through lanes and fast, face-to-face iPad ordering. He candidly describes early operational lessons (41% food cost, too many SKUs) and how mentors helped streamline supply chain and economics. Inspired by Nick Saban and Truett Cathy, Donny emphasizes culture, coaching, and hiring for hospitality as the real scalability engine. Lola Beans officially began franchising in February, landed a major Texas development deal (starting with Dallas-Fort Worth), and aims to stay an operator-led, people-first brand that creates “good energy” for guests and meaningful growth for team members. 10 takeaways Hospitality is universal. Donny's earliest lessons came from classmates welcoming him at new schools, proof that hospitality is about making people feel safe and seen, not a specific industry. The spark moment matters. True Blue in Soldotna, AK showed how one authentic barista-customer connection can inspire an entire business model. Drive-through doesn't have to be robotic. Lola Beans uses dual lanes and iPad ordering face-to-face to keep speed high and humanity higher. Speed is a tool, not the goal. Their “14 cars in line, out in 7 minutes” target exists to buy time for relationshipswith regulars. Early operators learn by doing (and fixing). Donny opened in 2020 thinking he'd drop a shack on a lot; zoning, codes, and real build costs rewired the plan quickly. Food cost discipline can be learned fast with the right help. Cutting SKUs from 196 to 126 and consolidating vendors dropped costs from 41% to ~28%. Two-product customers extend dayparts. Coffee ritual + afternoon energy/teas/“Lola Colas” keeps sales strong beyond morning rush. Culture scales what founders can't. Donny frames culture → behavior → results; the goal is guest experience even when he's not there. Franchise growth should be “best first, biggest later.” Truett Cathy's philosophy guides selective franchising and saying no to misaligned partners. People are the real competitive moat. Like Chick-fil-A and Publix, Lola Beans wants employees so well-trained and cared for that customers stop shopping around.

On the podcast we talk with Ravi about subscriptions as a force multiplier for consumables, why narratives matter more than metrics in goal-setting, and why you might want to try a longer onboarding, or a shorter one.

In this conversation, Jasen Urena and Ted Robb tell us how New Barn became part of the NestFresh family, and how the two brands are helping each other scale their positive impact. From New Barn's long journey toward becoming Regenerative Organic Certified, to NestFesh's 30+ years of being early adopters of certifications like Non-GMO Verified, Certified Humane, and Humanely Hatched, both brands love to push the industry forward. The conversation touches on the importance of supporting family farms, protecting animal welfare, and making the world better for future generations. Jasen and Ted wrap up by sharing what's next for the brands, their favorite ways to eat their products, and their definitions of a better world.Takeaways:The innovations NestFresh has made over it's 30+ years in business.Why New Barn decided to join the NestFresh family.How outside investment means small family farms are getting left behind.Humanely Hatched is sparing millions and millions of male baby chicks.New Barn's path to becoming Regenerative Organic Certified.The importance of continuous improvement for the whole supply chain.The need for innovation and focus to scale efficiently.How teams believing in their purpose is crucial for impactful initiatives.How both brands strive to keep being the first to take big impact steps.Sound bites:“A lot of these things that we've done over the years, we were always told it's not gonna work. But we believed in the concepts.”“It's actually really fun to make money, but it's only because then you can start thinking about all the things that you can do with it.”“There was a point where we had over 20 SKUs. We're 5 SKUs now and I feel like our business is far better than it was before.”“Continuous improvement is the new North Star because it's so valuable to everybody in the chain.”“We're gonna grow regenerative organic acreage under the New Barn brand for almonds, know, almonds, coconut and eggs. And that will lead to a real impact on our environment for future generations.”“We're gonna make an impact by sparing millions and millions of male baby chicks.”“Our NestFresh brand portfolio is going to be 100% Humanely Hatched by 2027.”“We gotta stay true to our core beliefs, we gotta stay true to our core purpose. And we innovate within that realm.”Links:NestFresh - https://nestfresh.com/Jasen Urena on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasen-urena-27179013/NestFresh on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/nestfresheggs/NestFresh on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NestFreshEggsNestFresh on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nestfresheggs/NestFresh on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/NestFreshEggsNestFresh on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/…New Barn - https://www.newbarnorganics.com/New Barn on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/newbarnorganicsNew Barn on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/newbarnorganicsNew Barn on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/newbarnorganicsNew Barn on Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/newbarnorganics/…Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radioSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Robin Apel, President at Barmetrix Vancouver, joins The Late Night Restaurant Podcast to reveal how restaurants are losing thousands of dollars every week without even knowing it.Key Takeaways:The Numbers Are ShockingOne restaurant was losing $600/week on a single item (Kahlua in espresso martinis) due to bartenders overpouring by just a quarter ounce15% of draft beer commonly goes unaccounted for - that's one in every seven kegs simply disappearingWith proper inventory management, most of these losses are completely preventableThe Real ProblemsPost-COVID brain drain has left many restaurants with undertrained staff managing complex inventoriesModern bars carry hundreds of SKUs compared to a handful decades agoRestaurants think they're doing okay because there's money in the bank, but they're leaving massive profit on the tableHow Barmetrix WorksUses barcode scanners and digital scales to track inventory to the tenth of a gramCompares actual inventory against POS sales data to identify gapsProvides actionable insights: "Here's what left the building vs. what got rung in"No contracts, no obligations - prove the value in one month or walk awayWild Stories from the FieldCaught staff adding water to bottles to cover theft (froze bottles to test - liquor doesn't freeze, watered-down liquor does)Discovered a broken beer line in a wall by swapping tap positionsOne client put theft footage on screen at staff party and fired half the crewThe Bottom Line Robin's philosophy is simple: "I'm not going to change your prices, fire your staff, or switch your suppliers. I just want to get you paid for what's leaving the building." For restaurants doing any volume, the ROI is immediate and substantial.Barmetrix operates across North America and internationally. No contracts. Just results.Learn more: https://www.barmetrix.com/

Robin Apel, President at Barmetrix Vancouver, joins The Late Night Restaurant Podcast to reveal how restaurants are losing thousands of dollars every week without even knowing it.Key Takeaways:The Numbers Are ShockingOne restaurant was losing $600/week on a single item (Kahlua in espresso martinis) due to bartenders overpouring by just a quarter ounce15% of draft beer commonly goes unaccounted for - that's one in every seven kegs simply disappearingWith proper inventory management, most of these losses are completely preventableThe Real ProblemsPost-COVID brain drain has left many restaurants with undertrained staff managing complex inventoriesModern bars carry hundreds of SKUs compared to a handful decades agoRestaurants think they're doing okay because there's money in the bank, but they're leaving massive profit on the tableHow Barmetrix WorksUses barcode scanners and digital scales to track inventory to the tenth of a gramCompares actual inventory against POS sales data to identify gapsProvides actionable insights: "Here's what left the building vs. what got rung in"No contracts, no obligations - prove the value in one month or walk awayWild Stories from the FieldCaught staff adding water to bottles to cover theft (froze bottles to test - liquor doesn't freeze, watered-down liquor does)Discovered a broken beer line in a wall by swapping tap positionsOne client put theft footage on screen at staff party and fired half the crewThe Bottom Line Robin's philosophy is simple: "I'm not going to change your prices, fire your staff, or switch your suppliers. I just want to get you paid for what's leaving the building." For restaurants doing any volume, the ROI is immediate and substantial.Barmetrix operates across North America and internationally. No contracts. Just results.Learn more: https://www.barmetrix.com/

Did you know that PepsiCo has approximately 70% more packaged beverage SKUs than The Coca-Cola Company…but is generating roughly 15% less retail sales? That was just one of numerous fascinating insights included within the 75-page presentation Elliott Investment Management recently sent to PepsiCo board of directors. After building a $4 billion stake in PepsiCo, the well-known activist investor is urging the CPG giant to evaluate the potential refranchising of its bottling network…while streamlining its portfolio by divesting non-core and underperforming assets. Additionally, Elliott criticized the PepsiCo packaged beverages division for lagging behind principal competitors…despite a consistent flow of flashy (large) M&A deals. And if you're wondering what that means for the recent “trade” between PepsiCo and Celsius Holdings, Elliott “thinks that the sale of the Rockstar Energy brand is a step in the right direction to simplify the portfolio.”

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to⁠ outcomesrocket.com The path to truly personalized, affordable medicine runs through data-driven operations, mature software, and disciplined execution. In this episode, Patrick Schinzel, Chief Operating Officer of Strive Pharmacy, shares his first-time HLTH insights and explores how Strive's nationwide compounding model delivers precision therapies with both speed and scale. He explains how a cash-pay pricing strategy broadens access, even as challenges remain for Medicaid and Medicare populations. From the operator's seat, Patrick highlights how analytics aligned clinical freedom with operational efficiency, out of 370 testosterone-boosting combinations, data revealed five consistently effective SKUs that improved delivery times, reduced costs, and enhanced outcomes without limiting physicians. He also details proactive potency testing on sterile lines to ensure efficacy, describes the shift from bespoke precision to “preferred” formulations for scalable personalization, and predicts that maturing software and robotics will soon make “lot size of one” production a reality. Tune in and discover how data, software, and intelligent operations are transforming personalized medicine into scalable, affordable care! Resources: Connect with and follow Patrick Schinzel on LinkedIn. Follow Strive Pharmacy on LinkedIn and visit their website! Email Patrick here.

Rebranding a beloved, 29-year-old beverage is one of the riskiest moves a CEO can make. But in this episode, Ben Mand, CEO of Yerba Madre, walks us through how he pulled off what most leaders avoid: renaming and relaunching a legacy brand — with full community support — and reigniting growth in the process.Under 4% of Americans even know what yerba mate is, yet Yerba Madre (formerly Guayakí) generates nearly $200 million in annual sales and dominates a fast-emerging category. When Ben took over in 2024, the business wasn't growing, innovation had stalled, and profitability was strained. Within a year, he streamlined the supply chain, rebuilt the route to market, launched new innovation, and guided a high-stakes rebrand that consumers embraced — thanks to months of groundwork with the brand's 10,000+ loyal ambassadors.For drinks entrepreneurs, this episode breaks down the tactics, sequencing, and frameworks behind one of the most successful rebrands in beverage.Top Takeaways for Drinks Entrepreneurs

Are you overwhelmed by bins, shelves, mystery piles, or those ‘inventory goblins' that hide your listed items?

Milk production is up 4.2% year over year, components are climbing and prices are falling. As holiday orders wrap up and we head into the long winter, The Milk Check team digs into whether dairy markets have already found a floor, or if there's still another leg down to go. With milk products everywhere (except for whey), the Jacoby team shares where the market is and where we're going. They churn through: Butter at $1.50 and what heavy cream and higher components mean after the holidays Why cheese feels like a calm before the storm, and how far Class III could grind lower Nonfat and skim: long milk, growing inventories and buyers shopping the cheapest origin Why whey proteins are the outlier, with tight supply, strong demand and GLP-1 tailwinds Global milk growth, clustered demand (Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Super Bowl) and who blinks first between the U.S. and Europe In this episode of The Milk Check, host Ted Jacoby III is joined by Joe Maixner, Jacob Menge, Diego Carvallo, Josh White and Mike Brown for a rapid-fire market session on butter, cheese, nonfat and proteins. Listen now for The Milk Check's latest market read on butter, cheese, nonfat and whey. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: Welcome back, everybody, to The Milk Check podcast. Today we’re gonna have a market discussion. It is November 10th. We are in the last couple of weeks of the quote-unquote busy season, starting to get a feel for what we think is gonna happen to dairy markets as holiday orders are filled, and we transition into the long-term period of the year. In the last few weeks, we’ve actually seen prices drop, but it feels like butter’s kind of dropped down to about a $1.50/lb and seems to find at least a brief floor. We’ll talk to Joe and find out if Joe thinks we’re gonna stick around here for a while. The cheese market was up in the $1.80s/lb. It’s dropped to a little below $1.70, starting to hit a little bit of resistance. Jake will share with us a little bit about what we think is happening with cheese going forward. Nonfat dropped a little bit down to [00:01:00], about what Diego, about a $1.10/lb and had a little bounce off its floor. Meanwhile, the whey complex just continues to go up. We’ll check in with Josh and find out what’s going on there. Well, let’s go ahead and start with milk production. We just got released today, the September milk production, and it says it’s up 4.2%, which is a very, very big number. It’s November; milk is longer than it usually is this time of year. Usually, it’s quite tight, and it’s not quite tight, but I wouldn’t call it long. However, all the signs are there that once we get past the fall holiday order season, milk could get quite long. If September milk is up 4.2%, I think it’s safe to say that if that continues, we will be quite long milk as we transition from the typical seasonal tightness of the fall into the winter and the flush of the spring. 4.2% is a big number, and that’s not even taking into account the fact that the solids in the milk are up as well. That’s not the kind of tone that a dairy farmer wants us to set as we’re talking about what supply and demand looks like, but there’s a lot of milk out there, [00:02:00] Joe, does that mean there’s a lot of butter out there, too? Joe Maixner: Well, there’s still a lot of butter out there; sounds like there’s going to be a lot more butter coming soon. If milk’s up 4%, cream was heavy all of last winter and into last Spring, extremely heavy. If we have higher components, more milk, and we’ve got a full amount of milk coming outta California as well after coming off of bird flu last year, there’s just gonna be that much more cream in the system and more getting pushed back into the churns. So, it’s a very good possibility that we’re gonna go even lower than where we currently are. Volume seems to be trading well. The cream demand has been fairly steady, going into cultured products and the shorter shelf-life products. Cream’s still long, but it’s not swimming yet. Ted Jacoby III: Will we hold this $1.50 area through Thanksgiving, you think? Joe Maixner: Yeah, it seems like we’ve hit a spot where buyers are willing to step in. So, there’s a good chance that we could hang around this $1.50 area for the next couple of weeks. Once the last little spurt of holiday demand is over, we’re gonna take another leg lower. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. Jake, what about [00:03:00] cheese? Jacob Menge: I think we had a little reprieve from some cheese bearishness with the holiday demand. It’s tough, though, especially with this wall of milk that’s headed our way. Does it seem like the bottom’s ready to drop out? Probably not yet. But it still seems like it’s a possibility. It almost seems like the call before the storm. Ted Jacoby III: What you’re saying is: we’ve already dropped quite a bit, but we’re in typical low points, but it’s possible, considering the amount of supply coming our way, that there’s still another cliff to negotiate, and we could go a lot lower when it comes to Class III milk and cheese prices. Jacob Menge: If you zoom out a ways, going back to mid-2022, we’ve really not liked to go below that $1.55 level on futures. We’re kind of at another support level at this $1.65. Those seem like our two support areas, historically, for the last 3, 4 years. So, it’s probably gonna be one of those grinds lower if we move lower from here, versus that $1.85 to $1.65 was almost an air pocket drop. [00:04:00] It seems like the market’s gonna have to earn it if it moves lower from here, but it does seem like a possibility. Ted Jacoby III: When we get down to these levels, this usually tends to form the floor, and if we have so much cheese out there and so much milk out there that we’re gonna go lower from here, it’s probably not an air pocket drop; it’s probably a grind lower from here. Jacob Menge: Yeah, I think our lows, on the futures, for the past 4 years have been that $1.55. Don’t quote me on that, gimme a couple of cents on either side of that. But that means we got a dime from here to hit those five-year lows, you know, besides COVID. There’s a lot to be said for technical trading at those levels. So, it would take a big fundamental kind of wave supply to get us to crack that. Ted Jacoby III: Got it. Thank you. Diego. What about nonfat? What’s the international market doing? We know we have a lot of milk in North America. We have a lot of milk everywhere. And what does it mean? Diego Carvallo: Customers are also seeing the data, and it seems like they’re in no rush to buy nonfat. Right. Nonfat seems to be the product that is 00:05:00 consistently available. We haven’t seen a very tight market in several years. So, it seems customers are more concerned about other products like WPCs or maybe cheese, other products besides nonfat. So, they’re staying very hand-to-mouth. They’re being very flexible when it comes to origin and just buying spot and from the origin that offers them the cheapest skim milk powder delivered price, which, in most cases, for the past few months, has been either European or New Zealand product because of the shipment time, transit time, and tariffs. Ted Jacoby III: Has the inventory in the U.S. been building as a result? Diego Carvallo: Yes, it has, Ted. Yep. Inventory has been building. I was looking into the milk production numbers for September. California was relatively stable compared to the previous year. I think we grew by 2.5% versus the previous year. But the strong impact from avian [00:06:00] influenza was actually in October. So, that’s when we might see a big jump between California production for 2024 and California production for 2025. So, I thought the Milk Report was pretty bearish for nonfat. Next month could be as bearish or even more. I still believe that we’re gonna see a lot of product going into the dryers, and that’s gonna add pressure, and that’s gonna increase inventories for U.S. products. Ted Jacoby III: What does milk production look like in Europe? Diego Carvallo: They’re actually up quite a bit. I think their September number was also stronger than expected. I can’t recall the exact number, but it was stronger than expected, even though they have cut down on the farmer price, the FrieslandCampina, which is the number one benchmark. It still seems like, with corn moving lower, there’s still a number that incentivizes more milk production. For the next few months until we see a stronger cotton price, we’re gonna see plenty of milk from the U.S. and from Europe. Ted Jacoby III: [00:07:00] Okay, thanks. Appreciate it, Diego. Josh, so what about the protein market? Josh White: Yeah, same story. I don’t know why everybody else is having so many problems with their products because whey proteins are in demand and it continues to be very strong. WPC 80, WPI demand is outpacing supply. People are trying to book forward and can’t. By all reports, the demand on the consumer level remains pretty good. It’s a bit of an outlier. It’s definitely a mystery. A lot of the discussion centers around GLP-1 adoption in the U.S. Compared to a year ago, I think I read this morning, something like 12% of Americans are allegedly using GLP-1-related drugs for weight loss. Assuming that’s an accurate statistic, that’s a noteworthy number of people. There was a lot of discussion last year that as people come on things like Wegovy and Ozempic, at what moment do we mature to the point that people beginning their cycles of taking the drugs equal those coming off of those drugs? There’s just been a lot of headlines about more affordable access to these types of products. If that continues, that shifts this curve even a little bit further up. [00:08:00] What can reverse that trend or slow down the demand for the whey protein side? I think it takes a production response. I can imagine that any manufacturer that’s making whey-related products as a byproduct of their cheese production is exploring how to access this demand, in particular, the whey protein isolate demand. I don’t have the impression that equipment is any easier to get, and there are still plenty of obstacles in terms of making production changes at the processor side. It feels to me like at least through the first half of this year, we’re gonna continue to be under-supplied relative to the demand that’s out there. And I think it’s important to note that although we’re talking about good demand for these products, the GLP-1-related impact on the dairy market isn’t all positive. It’s certainly a positive on the whey protein side. Still, I think, as it relates to consumer demand for butterfat, cheese products, and some of the other snack foods that dairy products are used in, in the CPG space, people are consuming fewer calories. Throughout the rest of the world, this health and wellness [00:09:00] trend and this appetite for quality protein are everywhere. Their demand continues to be very strong internationally. Maybe a couple of other things that are noteworthy, maybe early indicators of the price stabilizing, it looks like Europe and the U.S. might be closer to parity for the first time in a while. So, we should watch that. We will see seasonal production levels start to increase a bit. I don’t know if that will one-for-one find its way into additional whey protein availability, but it certainly should help the situation as we get into heavier production months in the Northern hemisphere markets that produce these products. But other than that, demand remains very, very strong. Prices are firm. They appear they’ll continue to be through at minimum the first quarter. And I don’t think it’s going out on a ledge to say through the first half of the year. And then we’ll see what happens on the other side of it. But yeah, definitely a firm marketplace right now, Ted. Ted Jacoby III: What about milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate? Are we starting to see the value of those products increase and close the gap between the [00:10:00] whey protein, since the whey proteins have gotten so expensive? Josh White: I’ll jump in and say we’re starting to see some early indications of that: people looking for substitutes where they can. If you’re not in these markets every day, you don’t know what products are available. If you’re in the CPG space or using it as one of many, many SKUs that you’re buying, you’re not aware of the functional properties and some of these other things. And there’s also a decision-making timeline that people have to consider. Not only are there labeling concerns and other things, but there’s a lot of protein that’s consumed as an ingredient and maybe not the primary ingredient. And oftentimes, those decisions are not easy to formulate or change, and they’re also made over larger durations of time, like annual pricing. We’ve had such a wide gap for a long enough time now that we have customers asking questions, and customers that are on the lower end of the valorization for these products are looking for substitutes. Those substitutes come in a couple of ways. They can come from substituting away from dairy, substituting for other [00:11:00] dairy or trading down to lower dairy-related protein products. We’re seeing people investigate all of them. Diego might be able to speak more precisely about what’s happening with the MPC prices. But generally speaking, the majority of people out there are starting to ask questions. I’m not so sure it’s having a material impact or moving the needle quite yet on substitution. Ted Jacoby III: Okay, well, it feels a little bit like a broken record. Milk everywhere, product everywhere except for whey, maybe that’s exactly the loop we’re in right now. Joe Maixner: We’ve talked a lot about supply and excess and whatnot, but demand, it feels like we’re increasingly teetering towards a crumbling economic situation with higher debt, people not having much discretionary income, and just overall demand being weak. Ted Jacoby III: So, if you’re looking at the demand numbers that we track, restaurant traffic is definitely down. It is clear that the economic environment we’re in, people’s pocketbooks are being stretched thin, and they’re cutting back on how often they go to restaurants and eat at [00:12:00] restaurants. Now, usually when that happens, there’s an offset into the retail side, and the retail side numbers usually go up a little bit. You are seeing that. Speaking to some of our branded customers, what they’re telling us is their sales are down, and the private label guys are saying, well, their sales are up, but frankly, not as much as they expected. The bottom has not dropped out yet. I think everybody’s watching it pretty closely. I think the industry’s concerned. I’ll leave it at that. Mike Brown: I think food service continues to be the big stickler on overall dairy sales. Grocery sales are okay. Food service continues to be weak, and that’s gonna affect us. Mm-hmm. Particularly, I think some of the high-fat products. Josh White: When we’re looking at it from the home front, it doesn’t feel real great, but if we’re looking at just how much additional milk we have globally, including out of Oceana and out of South America, and looking at how much of that surplus milk globally is being consumed in Asia right now, I mean they’ve been buying I wonder if that points to some brightness, at least some positives? Now, I also am a little [00:13:00] concerned that we have a consolidation of demand events, with Chinese New Year buying at the same time that Ramadan continues to move earlier and earlier every year. And prices are low right now. Feels like we might have a big concentration of demand that’s meant to satisfy local needs in the early part of 2026, but there has been a lot of international trade. Ted Jacoby III: I think you’re absolutely right. Ramadan and the Chinese New Year are both in February. Diego Carvallo: The word in the street, Ted, is that most of the Ramadan and New Year’s demand is gonna be fulfilled by the middle of November. Ted Jacoby III: In other words, by the time we get to January 1st, those orders are gone. Mike Brown: Yeah. And Super Bowl is 10 days before the start of Ramadan in the Chinese New Year. So, they’re all pretty close together. Josh White: I went back to saying that, hey, we’ve got a lot of milk globally, every surplus region’s producing more milk than expected. You mentioned earlier, Ted, that doesn’t even account for the component growth that we have here. That’s been fairly impressive. [00:14:00] What’s been interesting about that is it hasn’t felt this heavy. You might believe, well, it doesn’t feel as heavy because the Northern Hemisphere is at its low milk production points. Maybe it doesn’t feel as heavy because we’ve got a concentration of additional demand, but we’re trading a lot of anticipatory supply concerns. We’re really trading the fact that tomorrow we’re worried we have a lot of incremental milk, globally, that we don’t necessarily know where we’re gonna go with it. That’s not a reason to get bullish, to be super clear, but I do think that if we’re thinking through vulnerabilities in the market, that might be one. Ted Jacoby III: I would agree with that. I think there are three things that are probably keeping this market from going straight to the bottom. One, as you said, we’re at the low point seasonally for milk production in the Northern Hemisphere. Two, we are at the high point for demand everywhere. And three, you get to a certain point, and I think we are there in all products, we may actually be passed there in butter, but we are there in cheese, I think we’re there in nonfat, where [00:15:00] in order to go lower, you need to build up supply to the point where the inventories become actually burdensome, and I don’t think they have become burdensome yet, but I would expect that sometime in the first quarter of 2026, they will. You’ll start hearing reports that warehouses are full. You’ll start hearing reports that, from a cashflow perspective, whether it’s traders, whether it’s manufacturers, you have people who just need to dump inventory because they don’t have the cash flow to continue to hold inventory. Those are the things that drive markets to their lows. And so, if you think about the old saying: the cure for high prices is high prices, and the cure for low prices is low prices, that’s when you find out what the low price is, and then you go to that place that sends the strongest supply signal possible to suppliers that they need to cut back. Mike Brown: I was at a cattle show of all things this weekend and was talking with someone about feeding palm oil to get butterfat. His rule of thumb was that a pound of palm oil costs about a dollar, and you get about a 00:16:00 three-to-five-point increase in fat test from that. So, if you say 0.4 and you’re a 90-pound Holstein herd, that’s 0.36 pounds of fat. So, you’re paying a dollar to produce, there’s roughly 50, 60 cents worth of butter fat. So, we may start to see that come into conversations on rations. Josh White: And if we’re looking for optimism, I think that formula is pretty openly discussed in Europe as well. So, you’ve got a situation now where you have the on-farm milk price that is beginning to drop, the signals there that it needs to come down. It’s moving at a decent clip, to Diego’s point, maybe not enough to make any major change yet, but for planning purposes, things like feeding for fat might be a bit more vulnerable going forward there. So yeah, if we’re looking for what could start to correct our oversupply situation or what could potentially stabilize or support the market, we need time. I think that’s the most important thing that needs to happen, is we need time, and we need a milk price that curtails any additional production growth [00:17:00] for the moment so that demand can catch up. We talked about the U.S. situation and how the consumer spending situation doesn’t feel great. But globally, per capita butterfat consumption globally is growing. Per capita protein consumption is growing. We just need to give the demand time to catch up. Inventories might be starting to build, but they’re nowhere nearcumbersome. I would actually argue, our supply chain is still very thin. I wouldn’t even argue that we’re getting to a point where we’re normal by historical standards. I think that we have a pretty thin supply chain, and that’s everything from measurable inventory and reports, like cold storage reports and manufacturing stocks here in the U.S., but all the way through the pipeline. I don’t believe that many end users are sitting on excess product or have too many days in inventory. I think they’ve been quite comfortable buying hand-to-mouth. And the only product they’re being punished on right now for that is whey proteins. Ted Jacoby III: I think you’re right, Josh. I would agree with that statement. I think butter [00:18:00] is somewhat of an exception. Joe Maixner: I don’t know. Butter, it just depends on product mix, right? It’s CME eligible salted bulk. I think overall inventories are not burdensome. But we do have too much older CME-eligible salted bulk butter out there. Ted Jacoby III: That’s actually where I’m going, Joe. What do butter manufacturers do if they’re worried about having produced too many quarters and too many solids? They’ll just produce bulk. And so bulk is the overflow because they know the worst-case scenario, they can dump it onto the CME. And so that is where we end up with excess surplus, just like we get the same with a cheddar block in the cheese market. Josh White: How is international demand for U.S. butter at the moment, Joe, compared to where you would expect it to be and compared to where we were a few months ago? Joe Maixner: It’s steady right now. New inquiries are still coming in, but inquiries have lessened compared to a month or two ago; there’s a lot being made and shipping right now. International markets are starting to open their eyes to something other than [00:19:00] 82%. They’re starting to expand into the 80% because they are finally starting to realize that the numbers that they see on the futures don’t equate to the numbers they pay for an 82% product. And so anybody that’s really just using it for solids, for processing, is starting to convert, which is helping clean up some of that 80% salted butter, but it’s still not fast enough to really move the needle yet. Josh White: So, if the outlook for butterfat really doesn’t have any material upside in the near future, and we’re currently looking at Class III and IV prices, where they’re at, when do we start to impact the U.S. producer’s decision on making incremental milk beyond just the fat component? Are we close or are we still a long way away? Jacob Menge: Look at this Milk Production Report. We are up 268,000 head since June of 2024. That just keeps going up. There was an August revision of 71,000 head higher. The answer is a pretty [00:20:00] conclusive, not yet. I’m looking at the last time, September milk production beat the prior month, so beat August, which was 2001. And it just did that; September just beat August, and the last time it did that was 2001. Josh White: We’re not even talking about adjusted for components. Jacob Menge: That is correct. Joe Maixner: I can’t imagine that $16 to $17 Class III causes any worries right now for the farmers, with $4 corn and $1,200 feeder calves. Mike Brown: As long as you’re in a Class III market, if you’re heavy Class IV, your price isn’t $17. It depends on where you’re located, Joe. But for the most part, if you’re in a cheese market, it’s still decent. You’re right because the whey is also contributing a lot to that Class III price right now with a 70¢ whey market. Ted Jacoby III: Yeah. And the cows are all increasing in the states where there is increased processing capacity as well. Jacob Menge: These guys have had time to hedge this, and they still almost can hedge this, right? Going into later next year, where I think it’s gotta be at a point where they can’t hedge at a profit, and then you’ve [00:21:00] really got issues. Josh White: If we’re in a situation where the global economic outlook isn’t great, so that means we shouldn’t expect any major demand booms to pull dairy up We’re realizing supply growth in all major dairy surplus regions; the only correction for this is supply. And who’s the first to react? The obvious answer is it’s gonna be head-to-head with Europe and the U.S. Who breaks first? These are very, very different markets with different drivers, and they’re actually experiencing growth for different reasons related to the big picture, but different reasons. Europe just went through a situation where its butterfat carried the day. And butterfat was incredibly high, much higher than the U.S. price. They were an importer of fat from New Zealand, bringing in a noteworthy amount of product. And then now going into this year, they’ve seen a really significant drop, well below the support level that most traders would’ve held for butterfat. You assume [00:22:00] that they’re not gonna import a bunch of that product, forcing that product on the rest of the market. They’re going through a pretty negative situation right now as well. One thing you can’t forget about the European producer is that if you kill cows, it’s really tough to replace them, not for the same reasons we have in the U.S., that right now it’s just difficult to compete with beef. But they don’t wanna make those changes for a lot of regulatory reasons. So, they’re gonna hang on as long as possible. The U.S. model, we’re not in pain yet, generally speaking. Some smaller producers might look at higher beef prices and lower dairy outlook as an opportunity to exit. But there is way more structural expansion in motion or down the line that I think that train’s moving down the tracks. So, it’ll be really interesting to see if and who breaks first between the North American market and the European market. Ted Jacoby III: My hunch is it’s the U.S. market. I still think we’re a minimum of six months away, maybe even 12 to 18. Now there are signs, like you look at the Milk Production Report, the state of Washington is down [00:23:00] 8.5%. So, there are places where we are losing cows. Even though the majority of the country has gained cows recently, I would argue that with the drop in the butter price and the weakness in the nonfat market, California is the next one that I think will follow. They’ll struggle to get a decent milk price given that those are the two dominant price drivers for the California market. Diego Carvallo: But if you look at Idaho’s strongly up. So, it seems like a movement between Washington and Idaho. Ted Jacoby III: I think you could be right. Joe Maixner: California, their numbers this month were slightly higher than their peak production year 22. They’re on the uptrend. That’s a large ship that takes a while to turn around. Ted Jacoby III: I don’t disagree. I also think you’re still measuring against bird flu in California. You could argue that it may be a little artificially high. Joe Maixner: I actually questioned that because of the lower increase than I had anticipated for the September number, and bird flu didn’t actually start in California until October. So, we will see even larger increases next month forward in California. They [00:24:00] have that Class I plant that they opened as well out there. Mike Brown: They’re also getting hit with a big assessment, a lot of the producers out there, because the butter market changed, there’s been a lot of inventory loss, and that’s gonna hurt some producers as well. No one I talk to in California is worried about finding milk. They’re worried about finding a place to put it right now. Ted Jacoby III: I don’t think that’s isolated to being a California problem right now. Mike Brown: I would agree. You’re right. Ted Jacoby III: On that note, I think it’s a good time to wrap. Thanks, everybody, for joining us this week. Look forward to talking to you guys again soon. Thank you.

Shannon and Sarah, Naturopathic Doctors from Guelph, Ontario, are reimagining homeopathy for modern retail. In this episode, they share how they're solving the complexity problem in the homeopathy category by offering curated kits instead of overwhelming individual SKUs.  They discuss their journey from festivals to CHFA, their strategic approach to pricing, navigating Health Canada regulations, and why their next move might be Europe or Asia before conquering traditional Canadian pharmacy chains. Plus, hear about the unique advantages of being sisters in business—and the challenges of selling a category that struggles with mainstream press but has devoted believers. Check out Hawthorn Homeopathics here: https://hawthornhomeopathics.com/Thank you to Field Agent Canada for supporting the podcast. https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/ 

Originally from Wisconsin, Nathan Vazquez studied computer science at Yale University. He       worked for 15 years as an options trader at Citibank until he was eventually tempted by the idea of being his own boss with work that allowed him the flexiblity to spend more time with his family. In 2015, he left his job in finance to join his wife's sticker subscription company, Pipsticks. Within a year, Pipsticks had thousands of subscribers in over 50 countries. As CEO of Pipsticks, Nathan now manages the company's growing business in the subscription, E-Commerce, wholesale, and licensing markets. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and four kids.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:00] Intro[01:23] Balancing creativity with business logic[05:43] Learning by doing and adapting fast[08:21] Growing an organic customer base[09:57] Stay updated with new episodes[10:06] Finding spending balance for growth[12:38] Seizing opportunities during market shifts[14:29] Sponsors: Electric Eye, Freight Right, Taboola, Next Insurance[20:00] Scaling your brand through audience feedback[24:10] Focusing on one thing at a time[26:32] Expanding a product to wholesale [28:25] Learning from early B2B mistakes[30:07] Measuring break-even for smart spending[33:04] Aligning resources with marketing strategy[34:29] Targeting break-even timelines strategicallyResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on Youtube www.youtube.com/c/HonestEcommerce?sub_confirmation=1Cute stickers for kids, crafters, anyone www.pipsticks.com/Stickers + stationery that say what you wish you could www.theswearjar.com/Follow Nathaniel Vazquez www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-vazquez-5b663222/Schedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectTurn your domestic business into an international business www.freightright.com/honestReach your best audience at the lowest cost! discover.taboola.com/honest/Easy, affordable coverage that grows with your business nextinsurance.com/honest/If you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Even when everyone (including myself) thought it might be finished…could MusclePharm actually be showing signs of life again? But for those unfamiliar with the up-to-date FitLife Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: FTLF) portfolio configuration…due to the acquisition of Irwin Naturals, which officially closed on August 8, 2025, it now sells more than 500 SKUs across 16 supplement brands, each with a slightly different product portfolio and sales channel strategy. But throughout this content, you'll hear me categorize the FitLife Brands portfolio into three segments: Legacy FitLife Brands, MusclePharm, and Irwin Naturals. In the third quarter of 2025, the consolidated FitLife Brands portfolio generated revenue of $23.5 million...which was up 47% YoY. But while the consolidated FitLife Brands portfolio comparative growth rates appear extremely strong, it's important to remember that those reported results were greatly impacted by the Irwin Naturals deal. But in my latest first principles content piece, I'll share a detailed collection of segment-level updates that I believe are important when trying to understand the FitLife Brands story. These include revenue diversification strategies within the legacy FitLife Brands that has dramatically lowered "key customer risk" with the specialty retailer GNC and how even the “oldest” supplement brands can still generate revenue growth along with being the strongest contributor to companywide net profitability. But while there's strategic initiatives going on that involve the legacy FitLife Brands and Mimi's Rock segments, the most intriguing activity within FitLife Brands is also currently its smallest segment (i.e. MusclePharm). In the third quarter of 2025, MusclePharm segment revenue was just under $3.8 million...which increased 55% YoY. But you're probably hearing that…thinking to yourself “incredible results,” right? And trust me…I want nothing more than to give Dayton Judd (and the FitLife Brands leadership team) a huge virtual “pat on the back,” but there's A LOT of devilish things happening in the details! You probably think I'm being overly dramatic, especially when (in the third quarter of 2025) MusclePharm wholesale revenue more than doubled YoY…and I've stated previously “the biggest opportunities will come from B2B activity,” right? However, FitLife Brands wrongfully assuming MusclePharm still had enough distinctiveness in the marketplace to justify its current strategic gameplan (that quickly expanded product formats within the protein category) was a huge miscalculation…and undoubtedly exposed its “above- and below-the-line” weaknesses even more prominently. Though, maybe the newest FitLife Brands acquisition can indirectly help alleviate these MusclePharm challenges? FitLife Brands got a boost in human capital from Irwin Naturals possessing strength in routes-to-market that are beneficial to selling MusclePharm protein bars and RTD protein beverages. And while all of this seems ideal…don't get trapped into a state of exuberance thinking 1+1=3.

What does it take to scale a 50-year-old family business built around vintage Ford Broncos? In this episode, I sit down with Walt Wimmer, CEO of TOMS OFFROAD, to talk about transforming a passion project into a thriving eCommerce brand serving classic car enthusiasts around the world. Listen in as Walt shares how he balances heritage and innovation - from managing thousands of SKUs and global manufacturing partners to designing a transparent compensation structure that keeps his 36-person team motivated. We also dive into customer service, marketing in a competitive niche, and how TOMS OFFROAD continues to grow while staying true to its roots. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3Xk02Wv Interested in our Private Community for 7-Figure Store Owners?  Learn more here.   Want to hear about new episodes and eCommerce news round-ups?  Subscribe via email.

Your holiday sales can become your year-round baseline. Here's how. In this episode, I share exactly how to turn your Black Friday and Cyber Monday momentum into consistent, year-round sales, without adding endless new products or starting from scratch. You'll learn how to identify and double down on your true best sellers, refine winning offers for January and beyond, and build a simple weekly sales rhythm across the channels that are already working. I'll also show you how to read your real-time customer data (carts, bundles, clicks) and use “other people's audiences” to keep fresh buyers discovering your brand. Walk away with a 3-step action plan you can implement in 10–30 minutes a day.In This Episode, You'll Learn:00:00 Why Q4 momentum dies, and how to keep sales moving after the holidays.02:00 The “other people's audiences” play that jump-started my first big season.04:00 The post-holiday fear: will orders crash? (and what to do about it.)07:10 Stop chasing algorithms: why “new SKUs daily” kills profit and focus.09:00 What data to track so you can stop guessing what's working and what to change.10:15 The student who scaled one winning style to 7 figures.12:15 Repeat what works, refine what's ready, retire what's not aligned.13:30 How to identify what needs to be fixed and what to double down on.15:00 What to do if markets slow down.18:00 How to build your 90-day sales rhythm (what you sell, where, and when.)20:25 Pricing for profit gets easier when you commit to a core product.21:20 Power prompt: “My best seller this season was ___. I'll double down by ___.”22:30 Your 3 next steps to grow into 2026 without burning out.24:00 Free 14-Day Focused Sales Action Plan (10–30 min/day to move the needle.)Resources + LinksGet the 14-day plan for a record breaking holiday season HERE!Get business tips sent right to your inbox - join the newsletter!Watch on YouTubeFollowJacqueline on IG: @theproductbosstheproductboss.com

Send us a textBuilding one successful food brand is hard enough. But what if you could leverage your existing production to create multiple brands that serve different markets and price points?In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with sisters and co-founders Michelle Blyth and Justine Curtis from Cremorne Street Bakers, Balmain Baking Co., and cookï. Over eight years, they've built a wholesale baking business that now operates across three distinct brands - each serving different customers, channels, and price points.Their retail journey escalated when Coles Local called them out of the blue after a category manager's mum spotted their products in Melbourne cafes. They had no retail presence, no barcodes, and no retail ready packaging - but they said yes and figured it out.Today, their business spans foodservice (including Starbucks), Coles Local, independent retail, petrol & convenience, and direct-to-consumer.Listen today and learn: 

In this episode 273 of the Pool Nation Podcast, John “JJ Flawless”, Zac the Pool Boy Nicholas, and special guests Tim Moore and Jim D'Angelo from US Motors/Nidec dive deep into one of the biggest changes hitting the pool industry — the new DOE pool pump regulation. They break down what it means for pool professionals, how to stay compliant, and how this regulation can actually become a profitable opportunity. Discover why the Neptune Variable Speed Motor is becoming a must-have for service techs, how it works with existing pumps, automation systems, and time clocks, and how to educate your customers on energy savings without sounding “salesy.” Whether you're a pool service tech, repair pro, or business owner, this episode will help you stay ahead of the curve — and turn regulation into revenue. Episode Timeline [00:00] Intro: Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast — hosted by John and Zac, with Edgar out of studio. [00:03:00] Guests Introduced: Tim Moore and Jim D'Angelo from US Motors join to talk about DOE regulations. [00:04:00] Regulation Overview: The new DOE rule for replacement motors — what changed since 2021. [00:06:30] Phase Two Coming: The 2027 addendum that will extend variable-speed requirements. [00:09:00] Impact on Pool Pros: How variable speed motors affect day-to-day operations. [00:12:00] The Opportunity for Growth: Turning the regulation into a positive and educating homeowners. [00:15:00] Selling Smart, Not Hard: How to explain energy savings simply and effectively. [00:17:00] Variable Speed Advantage: The Neptune motor's affordability, efficiency, and flexibility. [00:21:00] Stocking Smarter: How to carry fewer SKUs and save time with the Neptune lineup. [00:23:00] DOE Mode Feature: The “smart mode” that calculates run time and flow for maximum efficiency. [00:27:00] Real Energy Savings: Explaining ROI and the financial benefits to customers. [00:31:00] Compatibility: How Neptune integrates with time clocks, automation, and older systems. [00:37:00] The MAP Policy Conversation: How US Motors is pursuing MAP pricing to protect pool pros. [00:44:00] Time Clocks & Booster Pumps: How to wire and repurpose time clocks with variable speed motors. [00:48:00] Freeze Protection Solutions: Repurposing thermostats for better freeze control. [00:52:00] Automation Systems: Step-by-step on connecting Neptune motors with major automation brands. [00:56:00] Educating Customers: Selling efficiency without sounding like an upsell. [01:00:00] Cleaner, Safer Pools: How proper circulation improves clarity and safety. [01:05:00] Training Resources: Where pros can find installation videos, manuals, and calculators. [01:07:00] Real-World Savings Calculations: How to show customers the dollar value of switching. [01:13:00] Final Thoughts: Why the future is bright for pool pros embracing change. [01:16:00] Outro: Closing thanks and shoutouts to reps across the country. Special Guests Tim Moore, Neptune Sales – US Motors/Nidec Jim D'Angelo, National Sales Manager – US Motors/Nidec Thank You to Our Visionary Sponsors The SPPA –  US Motors / Nidec –  BluRay XL –  AquaStar Pool Products –  Natural Chemistry –  Raypak –  Hayward –  Heritage Pool Supply, Poolside Tech,  Pool Brain –       

In this Fan Favorite episode of the Second in Command Podcast, Cameron Herold speaks with Anna Collins, President and COO of Bulletproof, the globally recognized brand behind Bulletproof Coffee, supplements, and biohacking products designed to help people perform better, think faster, and live healthier lives. She is also a Board Member of Ladies Who Launch.Before joining Bulletproof, Anna led multi-billion-dollar businesses at Amazon, Microsoft, and CVS Health, bringing a data-driven, operational mindset to every stage of growth. In this conversation, she reveals how she helped Bulletproof evolve from a niche “biohacker” brand into a household name—streamlining operations, tightening focus, and scaling omnichannel distribution without losing its visionary edge.Anna also shares her leadership principles, from managing a founder with 100 ideas a day to running metrics-driven weekly business reviews that keep innovation grounded in reality. Her insights bridge the gap between entrepreneurial chaos and corporate discipline, showing how great COOs turn vision into execution.Timestamped Highlights[00:00:00] – Cameron introduces this episode as one of the most downloaded in show history.[00:01:14] – Anna's career journey: from Microsoft and Amazon to joining Bulletproof.[00:03:52] – Why she left Amazon Prime for a mission-driven brand.[00:05:36] – What convinced her Bulletproof wasn't just a fad—but a real performance enhancer.[00:06:23] – Partnering with Dave Asprey: defining roles between visionary and operator.[00:07:18] – The challenge of narrowing focus when everything looks like a good idea.[00:08:54] – Bringing Amazon's frameworks—tenets, principles, and data mechanisms—into Bulletproof.[00:10:07] – How structure helped Dave trust the team and delegate.[00:10:26] – Shutting down international markets and cutting SKUs to simplify growth.[00:11:59] – Expanding into Amazon marketplace and corporate distribution channels.[00:13:28] – Convincing the founder to “grow beyond the core biohacker.”[00:17:00] – Managing an idea-rich founder without stifling creativity.[00:18:37] – Anna's leadership philosophy: define reality, create possibility, say thank you.[00:21:00] – Rebuilding Bulletproof's vision, mission, and values for clarity and culture.[00:24:20] – Weekly Business Reviews: the data-driven rhythm behind execution.[00:30:32] – How Anna divides her focus across key stakeholders—customers, team, and growth.[00:36:35] – Simplifying the Bulletproof brand for mainstream accessibility.[00:38:00] – Where she struggles as a leader—and the balance between speed and empathy.[00:42:33] – The advice she'd give her 21-year-old self: don't take it all so seriously.About the GuestAnna Collins is the President and COO of Bulletproof overseeing strategy, operations, and omnichannel growth for the globally recognized biohacking brand. Previously, she led billion-dollar initiatives at Amazon, where she managed global Prime membership programs, and at Microsoft, where she built the search advertising business from concept to $1.6B in revenue. She is also a Board Member of Ladies Who Launch.A Harvard MBA and transformational leader, Anna specializes in building scalable systems that bridge creative vision with operational discipline. At Bulletproof, she's helped expand the company from its core biohacker audience to a broader wellness market—making human optimization accessible to everyone.

Say goodbye to chasing the algorithm, adding endless SKUs, or burning yourself out trying to “push through.” In this episode, I break down exactly why product businesses hit revenue plateaus (whether that's $2K, $5K, $10K, or beyond) and the four practical shifts that move you past them without more hustle. You'll learn how to simplify your offer line, price and bundle for profit, build a weekly sales rhythm that doesn't rely on social media, and step into the CEO identity your next level requires. Walk away with a focused action plan you can apply across Etsy, Shopify, wholesale, markets, and more.In This Episode, You'll Learn:00:00 Why plateaus happen (and why they're a sign you've outgrown your old strategy.)02:00 Reframing your mindset to make your next revenue goal a mile marker, not the finish line.03:30 Are you making this mistake of being known for too many things?09:00 Beware of pricing & offers that don't scale (how to know your margins and raising AOV with bundles & upsells.)12:30 How competing to be the “cheapest” is hurting your business.14:20 The biggest marketing mistake I see business owners make (+ what to do instead.)16:45 What to send instead of “newsletters” to actually get people to buy from your emails.18:10 How to sell more through other people's audiences (so you're not dependent on your own following.)20:00 How to upgrade your identity from Solopreneur to CEO.22:15 How one of my students DOUBLED their revenue at markets with one change.27:00 Your new mantra: “I've outgrown my old strategy, and I'm ready to lead the next version of me.” (and my business!)Resources + LinksIf you've been growing on your own and you're craving consistent revenue, grounded strategy, and a supportive community of product-based founders, it might be time to explore The Collective.This is where established product business owners come together to stabilize sales, simplify systems, and scale with confidence. Book a Collective Fitting Call. This is a conversation to see if The Collective is the right fit for you: no pressure, no push. Just clarity, insight, and an honest look at what's next for your business.Get business tips sent right to your inbox - join the newsletter!Watch on YouTubeFollowJacqueline on IG: @theproductbosstheproductboss.com

In this episode, John Wilson sits down with Brandon Schlicter—better known as Investment Joy—to unpack how a viral laundromat video turned into a portfolio of laundromats, car washes, rentals, and now a fast-scaling commercial roofing company. Brandon shares the mindset shift from small plays to bigger bets, why he assumes success (and plans for failure), and how social media distribution can attract capital, deal flow, and talent.You'll hear the real numbers on union commercial roofing (margins, ticket sizes, pay cycles), how to decide between lots of small jobs vs. fewer big ones, and why “every business either sells or shuts down.” We also dig into storm-driven market entry, travel crews, and what it actually takes to scale estimation capacity and cash flow when receivables hit seven figures.

On this episode, we spoke with Bob Radocy, founder of Fillauer TRS, and Debra Latour, OTD, M. Ed., OTR/L, Doctoral Experiential Capstone Coordinator at Western New England University, about activity-specific prostheses and how they can support patients both physically and emotionally.  Learn more about Bob and Debra and access Empowering People, Empowering Prosthetics. Discover Fillauer TRS.  Many thanks to Thuasne for sponsoring this episode! Introducing the newest member of the SpryStep line, the SpryStep One. An elegant, durable, effective, and universal AFO made with a precise selection and layup of diverse composite materials. The SpryStep One meets the individual needs of your patient with only two SKUs.  SPS is thrilled to introduce the Bionic Power Agilik smart orthosis, the first powered microprocessor-controlled knee-ankle-foot orthosis designed for adult and pediatric patients with neurological and musculoskeletal gait impairments affecting mobility and function. Backed by an IRB-approved clinical study and published outcomes, the Agilik boosts endurance and mobility with smart, real-time knee extension and flexion.  Tune into the latest episode of The Clinical Minute where SPS Clinical Education Specialist DeLana Finney, MSPO, LCPO, provides a quick overview of the cutting-edge Fillauer FastPro flexible alignment system.  Visit spsco.comAlso, email us! The O&P Check-in is a bi-monthly podcast featuring the latest orthotics and prosthetics news, trends, best practices, regulations and policies. Designed for O&P professionals, join Brendan Erickson and a rotating co-host as they interview guests and share the latest advancements in the industry.

Send us a textA single job listing changed everything. Tyler Barrett went from a stressed-out carpenter with six kids and no steady work to a shed builder who runs orders, deliveries, and product development—and along the way discovered a deeper purpose that shaped his leadership, his team, and his community. We get into the gritty parts of the shed business that most people never see: the jump from bench work to managing lumber orders, the “too pretty to scale” $5,000 chicken coop, and the hard decision to consolidate lots so inventory moves and doors stay true.We share the practical playbook that's working now. Tyler explains how post-COVID pricing resets opened room for smarter SKUs, why color trends from new homes sell more sheds, and how on-site deliveries double as customer research that tightens quality and reduces returns. We explore a balanced product mix—classic storage, light-filled studios, dog kennels, and chicken coops—and why rural buyers respond to options that fit real life. Then we zoom out to diversification: steel carports, garages, and a clever hybrid using two secure containers with a raised center bay for tractors and work space. It's a flexible, durable answer to the “repair the old barn or build new” question so many families face.Through it all, Tyler's faith anchors the work. He talks about learning to trust, mentoring new builders, and turning everyday installs into moments of service. The result is a grounded, growth-minded approach that any shed dealer or manufacturer can apply: consolidate to regain control, price with today's costs, mirror residential design cues, and cross-train so your team can speak confidently across sheds, carports, and hybrids. If this conversation helps you rethink your product line or your purpose, share it with a friend, subscribe for more grounded industry insights, and leave a review with the one change you'll make this week.For more information or to know more about the Shed Geek Podcast visit us at our website.Would you like to receive our weekly newsletter?  Sign up here.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube at the handle @shedgeekpodcast.To be a guest on the Shed Geek Podcast visit our website and fill out the "Contact Us" form.To suggest show topics or ask questions you want answered email us at info@shedgeek.com.This episodes Sponsors:Studio Sponsor: Shed ProDigital Shed BuilderIFABSolar BlasterNewFound SolutionsCardinal Manufacturing

Join Evan and Malerie, third-generation leaders at **Skyjacker Suspensions**, as they dive deep into the family legacy that started in a backyard shop in western Louisiana over 50 years ago! From their grandfather's adrenaline-fueled mud runs to building one of the deepest suspension catalogs in the industry (6,300+ SKUs!), discover how passion, in-house manufacturing, and hardcore testing keep Skyjacker thriving.

From duplicate SKUs to missing data fields, supply chain teams know it's the smallest identifiers that create the biggest headaches. On this Season 16 premiere episode of Power Supply, we're sitting down with Kevin Capatch, Director of Supply Chain Technology & Process Engineering at Geisinger, to explore how GS1 standards and UDI can finally bring clarity and consistency to supply chain data. From eliminating duplicate identifiers to improving product traceability across systems, Kevin reveals how standardization is the quiet force behind smarter decisions, safer care, and real operational wins. Whether you're just beginning your UDI journey or working toward stronger data integrity across your network, this conversation will show you why a strong foundation in data standards is the key to unlocking accuracy and confidence across your supply chain. Once you complete the interview, jump on over to the link below to take a short quiz and download your CEC certificate for 0.5 CECs! – https://www.flexiquiz.com/SC/N/ps16-01 #PowerSupply #Podcast #AHRMM #HealthcareSupplyChain #SupplyChain #GS1 #UDI #Data #SKU #SupplyChainData

Send us a textThis video reveals the harsh reality of dealing with Amazon seller support, from SKUs being suspended with no clear reason to massive amounts of money being withheld. Hear directly from sellers navigating vague return reasons, account closures, and skyrocketing FBA fees. If you're selling on Amazon, this is what you need to be ready for.Lost sales and frozen funds don't fix themselves, get expert help before it becomes permanent: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxuYou don't get a second shot at Q4, download the Ultimate Amazon Playbook and be ready: https://bit.ly/46Wqkm3#AmazonSuspension #FBAFees #SellerSupport #AmazonSellers #ecommercehelp Watch these videos on YouTube:Amazon PPC Tier List Management Rankings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9s9vjtU5l4&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_a1PRDJWRoR4yIM8K5Ft569&utm_content=342357286&utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&hss_channel=ytc-UClUSEsDS2sdgNJfCcCM_5UwWhy Turning Off Ads Kills Sales and Rankings on Amazon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp5fCd0i7ts&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_a1PRDJWRoR4yIM8K5Ft569&index=2&utm_content=342357286&utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&hss_channel=ytc-UClUSEsDS2sdgNJfCcCM_5Uw-----------------------------------------------Tired of marketplace limits? Let's talk real growth with ecommerce strategy: https://bit.ly/4kOz6rrStop wasting ad spend. Grab the PPC guide that actually drives results: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXRank higher and sell faster, get the SEO tools built for real growth: https://bit.ly/3JyMDGoBe ready before problems hit, download the kit every brand should have: https://bit.ly/4maWHn0Timestamps00:00 - Amazon Held Funds With No Explanation00:12 - SKU Suspended Over “NA” Return Reasons00:31 - Frustration With Vague Amazon Support01:01 - Escalating the Case to Higher-Level Support01:30 - Amazon Account Suspended, Money Vanished02:15 - Why Sellers Must Write a Plan of Action03:00 - Amazon Image Policy Inconsistencies03:45 - Before/After Image Resolved With Agency Support04:18 - Huge Unexplained FBA Fees and “Other” Charges04:48 - Carrier Fee Breakdown and FBA Cost Surprises05:20 - Reviewing Payment Reports to Track Fee Categories----------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show

The CPG Guys are joined in this special Halloween episode by Tim LeBel, Chief Halloween Officer and President of US Sales at Mars Wrigley,Follow Tim on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-lebel/ Follow Mars Wrigley on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars/Follow Mars Wrigley online at: https://www.mars.com/Here's what we asked Tim: Tim, what does ‘Chief halloween officer' mean to you?How does Mars Wrigley think about the role of Halloween in the annual plan? When does Halloween planning start?What shifts have you seen in consumer behavior around Halloween in the past few years? What trends are you seeing this year?How does Mars Wrigley segment its Halloween portfolio (e.g. “everyday” SKUs vs seasonal/limited edition)?  What is the innovation cadence for seasonal items?How do you balance scale vs novelty in Halloween SKUs? How much shelf “real estate” do you devote to your core candies vs seasonal or promotional items?How do you think about the “kid vs adult” consumer dynamic in Halloween candy buying?How do you see e-commerce / DTC / omnichannel evolving for Halloween candy? (E.g. subscription boxes, online-exclusive SKUs, direct-to-consumer offerings, grocery pickup, cross-channel promos.)How do you align with your retail customers (supermarkets, mass, drug, dollar stores, convenience) on Halloween strategies & what is your strategy for securing premium shelf and display space (endcaps, gondolas, checkout lanes) during Halloween?Can you walk us through the innovation pipeline for Halloween SKUs - From ideation to shelf, how long does it take, and how do you “test” new ideas?What role does marketing/ads/PR & retail media play in your Halloween programs?How about social media campaigns/influencers, partnerships, co-markets, influencer tie-ins, event activations.)Looking ahead: what do you see as the biggest opportunities and risks for Halloween candy over the next 5 years?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comRhea Raj's Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual's use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Send us a textMinor league veteran and Game Day Advising founder Mike Van Hise breaks down how teams can squeeze more revenue from the same building—without gutting budgets or fan experience. We talk menu engineering, speed vs. margin at concessions, season-seat strategy, staffing math, and a simple “3% better” rule that compounds into real profit. If you lead marketing, ticketing, or operations, this is a tactical roadmap you can use this homestand.Key Topics CoveredClarity over cuts: Why operational efficiency starts with knowing where money flows (and leaks), not slashing line items.Concessions that move: Menu simplification, bottles/cans vs. fountain, and designing for speed so fans buy twice, not once.Presentation = price: “Cook to order” stations (grill, tacos/nachos) that lift perceived value and per caps.Ticketing mix that protects you from weather: Targeting a 33/33/33 revenue blend (season seats / groups / singles) and pushing pre-sold to 55–66%.Season seats the right way: Focus on business buyers; don't waste cycles trying to jump a single-game fan to 70 games.Change management: Killing “this is how we've always done it” by building trust and showing a clear plan.Smart staffing: Use entry-gate data, cross-train roles, and cut idle time early to avoid morale hits later.The 3% Rule: Micro-efficiencies across 150–200 budget lines, vendor prepay discounts, and compounding gains.Per-cap wins: Right number of beer taps, local SKUs for pricing power, and distributor intel (what's actually selling).Fail small, learn fast: Encourage $100–$500 tests; avoid the $10,000 mistake. Keep a “Book of Bad Ideas.”Timestamps00:00 – Why operational efficiency = clarity, not cuts02:53 – Defining operational efficiency for sports teams06:01 – Concessions: menu design, SKUs, and speed vs. margin08:59 – Ticketing strategy: groups vs. season seats (and when to push each)11:57 – Overcoming “we've always done it this way”15:03 – Baseball's timing reality: build for 90–130 sec windows17:53 – Game entertainment efficiency (and why fireworks always work)20:56 – The “Book of Bad Ideas”: inventory, concerts, and learning loops21:21 – Over-prep vs. under-prep: where margins die23:22 – Culture: allow small mistakes; forbid big ones28:12 – The 3% improvement rule (and vendor discount plays)33:11 – Per-cap levers: cook-to-order, local beer, the right number of taps37:40 – What Game Day Advising actually does (and how to engage)Call to ActionBook a 30-minute consultation with Mike and the Game Day Advising team to map your top efficiency wins for next season.Check out Mike's article on season seat strategy and grab his full-club assessment overview. (Links in episode description.)Resources MentionedGame Day Advising – Operational efficiency, ticketing, F&B support (link)Season Seat Strategy article by Mike - (link)Sports Marketing Machine on LinkedInSports Marketing Machine on InstagramBook a call with Jeremy from Sports Marketing Machine

Discover how Knapheide, a sixth-generation family-owned company in Quincy, Ill., evolved from building wagons in 1848 to designing highly customized service trucks today. Greg Schutte, director of fabrication, shares insights on managing over 2 million SKUs, modernizing the shop floor with automation and precision equipment, and attracting a new generation of problem-solving talent. Learn how a company with deep roots in agriculture became a leader in custom fabrication, all while maintaining rapid lead times and embracing innovation. This episode was recorded at FABTECH 2025 in Chicago in partnership with Salvagnini America. Email us at podcast@fmamfg.org with any comments, questions, or suggestions.

Trader Joe's breaks every rule of modern retail. They don't do e-commerce. They don't do delivery. No sales, coupons, or loyalty programs. They only stock 4,000 SKUs versus 50,000+ at normal supermarkets. Their parking lots are famously terrible and they're constantly out of your favorite items. Shoppers brave long lines and cramped aisles while overly-friendly employees in Hawaiian shirts try to chat them up. Everything about the Trader Joe's experience seems designed to drive modern consumers away. And yet they generate $2,000+ per square foot in sales — double their nearest competitor in Whole Foods and nearly 4x the industry average — and Americans are obsessed with them. How on earth did a company that so steadfastly refuses to participate in the 21st century build the most beloved grocery chain in America?Today we tell the full story: how “Trader” Joe Coulombe started out cloning 7-Elevens in 1960s Los Angeles, pivoted to slinging hard liquor, discovered the enormous market opportunities for California wine and health food before anyone else, and ultimately built perhaps the most counter-positioned business we've ever studied on Acquired by doing almost everything differently than the supermarket-CPG industrial complex. Tune in for a wild voyage on the high seas of grocery retail!Sponsors:Many thanks to our fantastic Fall ‘25 Season partners:J.P. Morgan PaymentsSentryWorkOSShopifyLinks:Sign up for email updates and vote on future episodes!Worldly Partners' Multi-Decade Trader Joe's StudyBecoming Trader JoeThe Secret Life of GroceriesBuild a Brand Like Trader Joe'sAll episode sourcesCarve Outs:AirPods Pro 3Mario Kart 8More Acquired:Get email updates and vote on future episodes!Join the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Check out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store!‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

Amazon's next major enterprise may not be AI - it's groceries. With online grocery sales projected to hit ~$220 billion in the U.S. by 2025, and Amazon rapidly expanding same-day fresh delivery, a massive opportunity is opening for brands and sellers. In this episode, Andy Isom breaks down why grocery is Amazon's "final frontier." He covers the opportunity equation, the risks, and asks the right strategic questions to help you decide if your brand can move into this space successfully. If you've ever thought about adding consumables, CPG, or pantry SKUs to your lineup - or simply want to future-proof your Amazon business - this episode will give you the roadmap. Check out all my resources at: www.andyisom.com

Shopify SEO Vs WordPress SEO Masterclass for eCommerce Optimization with Favour Obasi-Ike | Get exclusive SEO newsletters in your inbox.Unlock the secrets of eCommerce optimization with Favour Obasi-ike! In this episode, we dive deep into the ultimate showdown: Shopify SEO vs WordPress SEO. Whether you're focused on local marketing strategies or scaling nationally, understanding which platform fuels your marketing success is crucial. Discover proven SEO tactics for website optimization, from image compression and technical SEO to content marketing strategy that drives organic traffic.We break down the critical SEO strategies for both platforms—learn why WordPress demands consistent maintenance and plugin updates, while Shopify offers a simpler, lower-maintenance backend for asset acquisition and product monetization. Get actionable AI tips on audio marketing, email marketing strategy, and how to monetize your email list effectively.This is a masterclass in search engine optimization that moves beyond basic SEO tips to cover branding strategy, market intelligence, and measuring ROI. Learn how to create a successful marketing plan that turns your website into a high-converting asset. Don't miss these essential marketing fundamentals for business optimization and digital success.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Next Steps for Digital Marketing + SEO Services:>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need SEO Services? Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Need more information? Visit our Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services.>> Visit our Official website for the best digital marketing, SEO, and AI strategies today!>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> Read SEO Articles>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need SEO Services? Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Key Episode Topics:Shopify vs WordPress: Platform choice for selling products vs selling services.SEO Optimization: Image file naming, alt text, and site speed fundamentals.Content Strategy: How to use audio and blog content for audience building.Website Maintenance: The non-negotiable tactics to avoid critical errors.AI Marketing: Leveraging AI strategies for search engine dominance and brand mentions.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recommended Use Cases• For Selling Products (especially for beginners): Shopify is the primary recommendation. ◦ Its backend is designed for intuitive product management, including variations, colors, SEO metadata, HTML formatting in descriptions, and sales channel management (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) all in one interface. ◦ It is ideal for businesses that want a simple, workable solution to log in, manage products, and minimize technical overhead.• For Selling Services: WordPress is generally recommended. ◦ It provides superior aesthetic control to create a professional-looking service-based website. ◦ A significant portion of the web (43%), including government, medical, and educational institutions, is built on WordPress, attesting to its robustness for non-product-centric sites.• For Scalability & SKU Volume: The discussion presents a nuanced view. ◦ One participant suggests WordPress is a great alternative for businesses with under 25-50 SKUs. ◦ The same participant suggests Shopify may be preferable for those with more complex needs or over 100 SKUs, though it can get "hairy" with very high volumes. ◦ However, it's noted that major corporations like Gym Shark and Mattel use Shopify for thousands of SKUs, indicating it can be scaled effectively, likely with significant custom development.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Critical E-commerce Optimization & SEO StrategiesRegardless of the platform, specific SEO and optimization tactics are essential for attracting traffic and driving sales. A website's success is determined not just by how it looks, but "how it operates."Foundational SEO: Images and Site Speed• Website Speed: A fast-loading website is paramount for user experience across all devices (desktop, mobile, tablet).• Image Compression: Before uploading, all images should be compressed using a tool like compressor.io. Large image files significantly slow down page load times. ◦ An example was given: 50 products, each with 5 variations and a 5MB image size, quickly compounds into a massive data load that cripples site speed (5MB x 5 variations x 50 products).• Image File Naming: File names must be descriptive and keyword-rich. A file named red-cotton-socks.jpg provides algorithmic context, whereas photo-123.jpeg has "no context... no value... no search traffic."• Alternative Text (Alt Text): SEO-optimized alt text is crucial. It describes the image for screen readers (improving accessibility) and for search engines, providing additional contextual relevance for keywords.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Content as a Cornerstone of AttractionThe primary method for optimizing a site and attracting visitors is to create high-value content.• The Visitor Journey: The goal is to convert visitors into readers, then into "clickers," and finally into "action takers."• Pre-Purchase Content Strategy: For a startup or a new product launch (e.g., a membership program), the strategy should focus on building infrastructure and anticipation. ◦ Create content that educates the audience on the program before it launches. ◦ Examples include offering a quiz, a survey, a checklist, or an onboarding guide in exchange for an email signup.• Multi-Format Content: A powerful strategy involves creating content in multiple formats. ◦ Record a podcast discussing a topic, then transcribe it into a full blog post. ◦ This provides two links and two formats (audio and text) on the same topic, doubling the online footprint. Over two and a half months, this can result in 20 distinct pieces of information online.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Evolution of Search: From Ranking to Brand MentionsThe traditional concept of "ranking" on Google is becoming outdated.• Google recently removed pagination parameters (the num=100 parameter), making it harder to appear on subsequent search pages and limiting how AI servers scrape data.• The new paradigm is to focus on earning brand mentions on AI platforms like ChatGPT.• This is achieved by providing comprehensive, evidence-backed content in multiple formats (text, audio, video). A competitor with a blog, podcast, and video on a topic will have a significant advantage over one with just a blog.Tune in for more of these search engine marketing insights and start monetizing your Shopify SEO or WordPress SEO efforts today.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're rewinding to where it all began - the bold conversations that sparked a movement.

Distribution companies sit at a unique intersection of the industries they represent. They see the comings and goings of product, which, when tracked and analyzed properly, allow them to understand which categories, SKUs, etc., are performing best—ergo, they are uniquely qualified to share valuable insights on the ebbs and flows within their particular space. That's why we like to keep close tabs with Dennis Holzer and the team at Powerhouse Alliance. Dennis sat down with us at CEDIA Expo in Denver to discuss the latest trends they're noticing and much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FQ_HJb1sI

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this special edition of the DTC Podcast, we break down Crown Affair's ad strategy, creative execution, and landing page experience. Hosted by Eric Dyck and joined by Aves, this teardown focuses on how the brand has scaled through a hero SKU, clean branding, and a ritual-based narrative that resonates with a premium beauty audience.What You'll Learn in This Episode✔️ How Crown Affair uses a dry shampoo hero product to drive acquisition✔️ Why the “ritual” brand positioning allows flexibility in product education and bundling✔️ The importance of top-of-funnel clarity — and where their website messaging could improve✔️ What makes their ad creative mix so effective (UGC, press badges, branded visuals)✔️ Why they run retail-focused ads (Sephora) alongside DTC✔️ How Instagram lifestyle content supports their ritual narrative✔️ Tactical insights on bundle builders vs. in-cart upsellsBest Moments in the EpisodeBreakdown of their “Crown” pun, brand aesthetic, and above-the-fold critiquesWhy clean branding can still confuse users without contextual clarityWhat makes their ad messaging tactile and emotionally resonantHow running to a dry shampoo SKU helps educate while differentiatingThoughts on Instagram strategy beyond the grid: sell the lifestyle, not just the productThe risks and rewards of running top-of-funnel campaigns to retail storesWhy It Matters for DTC OperatorsCrown Affair shows how premium brands can scale with clarity + ritual. By focusing on fewer SKUs, tighter messaging, and a flexible customer ritual, they've found a formula that blends high aesthetic with real-world traction. If you're running a beauty, wellness, or ritual-based brand — this episode will show you where strategy meets execution.Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Crown Affair Live Brand Breakdown02:00 – Why You Should Listen to Adventurous04:00 – Website Audit: What's a Three-Course Ritual for Hair?08:00 – Ad Library Review: UGC vs. Branded Content12:00 – Founder-Led Storytelling & The “Ritual” Concept15:00 – The Glossier Comparison and Brand Persona17:00 – Bundle Builders, AOV Strategy, and Upsells18:00 – Instagram Strategy: Rituals Beyond Aesthetics20:00 – Final Thoughts and Call for Brand SuggestionsHashtags#DTCPodcast #AKNF #CrownAffair #AdLibrary #BeautyMarketing #BrandBreakdown #HaircareBrand #EcommerceStrategy #AdCreative #DTCBrands Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://www.pilothouse.co/?utm_source=AKNF550Follow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

John sits down with Micah Findley (HomeField) to talk about building a national brand in one of the most overlooked trades: The Septic Pumping Business. From pricing thousand-gallon pumps to dump fees, grease traps, and service agreements, this is the real playbook for scaling a modern Septic Pumping operation.They unpack the entire stack—how a Septic Truck Business goes beyond “just pumping” into repairs, installs, commercial work, and recurring maintenance—plus route density, transfer (frac) tanks, land application vs treatment plants, AR policies, and the software/marketing engines (LSA, PPC, ServiceTitan/Housecall Pro) that drive profitable Septic Pumping growth.

OpenAI just turned ChatGPT into a storefront. With Instant Checkout and the new Agentic Commerce Protocol, shoppers can now buy directly inside ChatGPT without ever visiting your website or Amazon listing.   In this episode, I explain what conversational commerce really means, how brands can prepare for AI-driven shopping, and why this may be the most disruptive platform shift since Amazon Prime. You'll learn the immediate opportunities for small catalogs and hero SKUs, the risks of giving up customer ownership, and the long-term trends as commerce moves from websites to AI agents.   If you're building an e-commerce brand in 2025, you can't afford to ignore this.   If you need help, we're here for you! Request a free brand audit to book a call with me personally to discuss how my team can help: www.weavos.io   All my resources: www.andyisom.com      

Send us a textIn this episode of Inside the Bunghole, the team welcomes winemaker Brian Marquez from Weins Cellars, a legacy winery located in Temecula, California. Brian shares the story of Weins' 20+ year journey, from its beginnings in Lodi to becoming one of the “Four Castles” of Temecula wine country. Known for producing over 30 varietals and upwards of 100 different SKUs, Weins has built a diverse portfolio—from sparkling wines and white ports to bold reds—crafted to appeal to a wide range of palates. Brian kicks things off with their popular sparkling wine, “Blanc de Blanc,” and discusses the local and historic fruit sources they work with, including old vines from Cucamonga and heritage plantings near Native reservations.Brian's personal journey from event bartender to head winemaker is filled with humility, hustle, and heart. A self-taught craftsman shaped by the mentorship of the Weins family, Brian describes learning the ropes—from cellar hand to creative winemaker—through hands-on experience and a willingness to taste, learn, and adapt. His breakthrough came in 2013 when he was given the reins on Chardonnay production, ultimately earning a 90+ rating from Wine Enthusiast. Since then, he's gone on to craft award-winning wines such as their Arneis and Refugio Cabernet Sauvignon, while also representing the winery in prestigious competitions and even judging international wines himself.The episode also explores the evolution of Temecula as a wine destination, the technical side of winemaking (including a deep dive into barrel selection and toasting), and why Weins Cellars prioritizes the direct-to-consumer experience over mass distribution. Brian discusses how their family-oriented vibe, member-exclusive experiences, and music-driven events help create lasting memories. The winery's commitment to crafting elegant, approachable wines—like their fan-favorite Refugio Cab—has made them a standout in Temecula's growing wine scene. It's a heartfelt, informative conversation about legacy, labor, and loving what you do.Cheers! Please like, follow, subscribe and rate us! We LOVE to hear your comments! Reach out to us on our social media: Facebook and Instagram @insidethebungholeTwitter @bungholepodcastOur webpage is insidethebunghole.buzzsprout.comOR email us at insidethebunghole@gmail.com

What happens when you build an 8-figure business in one of the most taboo industries - without a team, funding, or traditional ad channels? Brian Sloan did exactly that. And in this episode, he reveals the unfiltered story behind his wild entrepreneurial path. Jim sits down with Brian Sloan, founder of AutoBlow, to unpack how he built a global DTC sex toy brand that now generates 8 figures annually - with a team of just two. From eBay auctions to viral PR stunts, Brian shares how his unconventional path, deep product focus, and scrappy tactics helped him thrive in a space where Facebook ads and mainstream visibility were off-limits. This conversation pulls back the curtain on manufacturing, media manipulation, brand building, and what it really takes to scale when the rules don't apply to your category.Key Topics Covered:How Brian went from selling antiques to latex fetishwear to inventing AutoBlowThe viral crowdfunding stunt that made him internet-famous overnightWhy he ditched Amazon - even after major salesHow to get on GQ, Playboy, Howard Stern, and more without a PR teamThe power of press-worthy product ideasWhy focus (on just 2 SKUs) was his biggest growth unlockBuilding a lean team using a global network of niche freelancersIf you're building in DTC and feel like you're drowning in overhead or noise, this episode is a masterclass in focus, edge, and unconventional growth.Resources:AutoblowJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

Amazon PPC for Managing Really Big Accounts doesn't have to be chaos.In this episode we unpack Managing Really Big Accounts in Amazon PPC so you know when to go granular and when to aggregate for real ROI.Learn the hybrid playbook: build full five-campaign stacks for the hero SKUs, consolidate Tier 2 products by parent ASIN, and use catch-all autos to lightly cover the long tail without drowning in a million-row report.We show guardrails (

Struggling with Amazon flat files? Learn how to download, edit & master them step by step as Sasha Zubitov shares tips, fixes, and answers to common seller questions. ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Helium10SeriousSellersPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft What if mastering the nuances of Amazon flat files could transform your e-commerce success? Alexander “Sasha” Zubitov, an expert in consulting and managing Amazon businesses, takes us on an insightful journey through the intricacies of these powerful tools. He reveals how recent Amazon updates have increased the importance of flat files, making them essential for bulk edits, SEO enhancement, and variation management. Sasha's experience with defending against hijackers and resolving compliance issues makes his insights invaluable for both newcomers and seasoned sellers eager to optimize their Amazon listings. Sasha sheds light on the often-overlooked impact of "product type" on flat file attributes, a crucial detail that can unlock new editing possibilities. By understanding how product type influences product display, sellers can effectively manage variations, even as Amazon phases out certain options. Sasha guides listeners through the process of creating new SKUs or variations, ensuring they maintain control over their listings amidst these changes. The detailed exploration of listing violations further equips sellers with strategies to address and overcome compliance challenges. The conversation doesn't stop there. We dive into effective listing management, from handling violations to deletion strategies. Sasha discusses how to strategically use deletion and re-uploading as troubleshooting methods, emphasizing the need for patience to allow changes to propagate. He also shares advanced recovery strategies, offering a roadmap to quick listing reinstatement. With Sasha's guidance, you're not just surviving the complex world of Amazon Seller Central, you're mastering it. In episode 702 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Shivali and Sasha discuss: 00:01 - Utilizing Amazon Flat Files Effectively 02:50 - Optimizing Amazon Category Listing Reports 13:23 - Amazon Flat File Attributes and Variations 14:27 - Amazon Listing Optimization Tips 21:02 - Amazon Deprecation Announcement Overview 28:55 - Effective Listing Deletion Strategies 33:01 - Effective Amazon Listing Recovery Strategies 34:38 - Listing Recovery Process With Agencies

Making wine is capital-intensive. Making traditional method sparkling wine is even more so. From less juice from the grapes to double fermentation to more expensive bottles and taxes, Weston Eidson of recently launched Westborn Wine describes the differences in sparkling production. Detailed Show Notes: Weston's background: >10 years winemaking in Napa (Silver Ghost), family are wine collectors, interned w/ Jason Moore at Modus Operandi (2012), and acquired extra Chardonnay from Steve MatthiassonWestborn was founded in 2018, taking “Grand Cru” or single vineyard level fruit for sparkling wine (e.g., Heintz, Ritchie, Durell vineyards)Partnered w/ Russell Bevan (mentor) and Nathan Reeves (made sparkling in Margaret River)The goal is to start with high-quality wines and layer on complexity with traditional method agingTook 4-5 years to find a stride & hone the winemaking processInitially thought it would be 3 years aging vs 6 for 1st release (2019 1st release; 2018 1st vintage just disgorged mid 2025)SKUs: vintage, Blanc de Blanc, Rose, Non-vintageLuxury priced - $100+Solera method perpetual reserve program, late disgorged release, lead to a lot of capital in inventory2018: 500 cases; 2025 ~1,000 cases; target ~2,000 casesSparkling production costs vs. still wineFruit costs the same (growers love it: less shrivel, gets fruit off earlier - less pest/disease pressure; spreads out the work)Press cuts important, ~25% less gallons/ton vs still wine, as they don't take tailleNeed to make the wine twice: initial fermentation (vin clair), secondary fermentation (bottled with yeast and sugar)Custom crush costs are slightly more expensive due to double fermentationBottles are more costly and need to be bought earlier (~$0.15-20 for a standard bottle; ~$1 for sparkling)Taxes higher: $2.40/gallon for sparkling wine, $0.07/gallon for still wine