Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast

Adam Steinberg
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship

If you’ve ever thought, "Why doesn’t anyone talk about this in CPG?", this is the podcast for you. Host, Adam Steinberg, co-founder of KitPrint, interviews CPG leaders to uncover the real-world tactics, strategies, and behind-the-scenes insights that really move the needle.

  1. 1h ago

    Why She Left A PhD To Freeze Pasta Sauce | Melaina Balbo, BIS

    On this episode, we're joined by Melaina Balbo, Founder & CEO of Bis - the frozen Italian sauce brand selling handmade Pomodoro al Basilico and Pesto Genovese in two ounce pucks.  Melaina was deep in a PhD in Italian literature and cinema before she traded the library for the kitchen. We dive into the origin of the brand, starting with the frozen care packages her parents shipped on dry ice when she was a graduate student, and why Melaina became convinced that processing for shelf stability is what makes a jarred sauce taste like it came off a shelf. A big part of the conversation focuses on packaging. Melaina shares what it took to find an individually sealable portion cup, roughly 15 versions in, and how hard it was to get large packaging suppliers to call a small brand back. She breaks down what the new labels finally communicate on shelf, with the hero ingredient front and center. We also get into the accidental first order at her local co-op, why specialty and gourmet stores fit a product nobody expects to find in the freezer aisle, and the buyer feedback that frozen pasta sales lift when Bis sits next to them. Melaina closes with the advice she would give a founder a year behind her. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🇮🇹 What Bis means and why the name works ❄️ The dry ice care packages that started everything 🥗 Why processing for shelf stability changes the flavor 🍝 Two ounce pucks built for cooking for one or two 📦 Testing 15 portion cups before landing on recyclable PET 🍳 Three years in an incubator kitchen 80 miles from home 🏭 The co-man matrix: frozen, format, and state lines 🎨 Why the old packaging was capping the brand 🛒 The sample drop that turned into a first order 📞 Getting large packaging suppliers to call a small brand back 🏷️ Hero ingredients front and center on the label 🧊 Frozen pasta sales lifting next to the pucks 🔮 Home shopping, 3PL, and national distribution ahead --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:59 – What Bis means and the why behind the brand 02:55 – Care packages on dry ice and the frozen insight 04:29 – Portioning the sauce into two ounce pucks 05:42 – The long search for the right portion cup 07:58 – Chef Space and the 80 mile drive to an incubator kitchen 10:41 – What to look for in a co-manufacturing partner 12:21 – The packaging that was holding the brand back 13:01 – The accidental first order at the co-op 14:22 – Getting packaging suppliers to take a small brand seriously 16:06 – What the new labels communicate on shelf 18:23 – Not reinventing the wheel 21:36 – Specialty markets, demos, and local visibility 22:48 – DTC, 3PL, and the cost of shipping frozen 23:39 – Winning shoppers away from the shelf stable jar 24:57 – Why frozen is making a resurgence 25:40 – Hardest lessons as a first time founder 28:35 – Home shopping, national distribution, and what is next --------------- Links: Bis – https://eatbis.com/ Follow Melaina on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaina-balbo/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out https://www.kitprint.co/ Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  2. 5d ago

    Building the Shopify of Wholesale | Bryan Mitchiner, Peasy

    On this episode, we're joined by Bryan Mitchiner, Co-founder of Peasy - the free wholesale operating system built for independent CPG brands. Before Peasy, Bryan spent a decade building and selling Mustard and Co., then met his co-founder Ryan Conti at Shelf Engine, the Seattle startup that helped grocers optimize ordering. We dive into the decade Bryan spent running Mustard and Co., where he tested every inventory platform on the market, never found one that understood how he actually worked, and kept rebuilding his own spreadsheets until they became the product he wished existed. That tinkering is the direct blueprint for Peasy. Bryan breaks down the business model. Peasy is free with no contract, monetizing transaction volume the way Square, Shopify and QuickBooks do, and he walks through why that made sense when your real competitor is a free spreadsheet. He is also candid about the counterintuitive downside. When signing up is that easy, walking away is just as easy, so the product has to prove value in days instead of months. We also get into how the roadmap gets prioritized against a flood of user feedback, why most feature requests are not what the user actually needs, and the operational mistake Bryan sees sink early stage brands: growing the top line while the margins quietly go underwater. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🥫 A decade running Mustard and Co. and never finding the right software 📊 Why spreadsheets are still the default tool at every company size 🏢 What Shelf Engine taught him about the data behind the software 🤝 Meeting co-founder Ryan Conti and deciding to build together 🛒 Building the Shopify for the wholesale side of the house 💸 Why Peasy is free and monetizes transaction volume instead 🎣 Answering the "if it's free, what's the catch" objection ⚠️ The hidden downside of free (easy to join, easy to leave) 🗺️ How the roadmap gets prioritized against constant feedback 🔍 Separating what users ask for from what they actually need 🧮 The mistake that kills brands: selling more and losing more 📉 Mapping every cost line before the volume shows up 👀 Trends and brands he's watching (Graza, Ayoh) --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:56 – A decade running Mustard and Co. 02:24 – When spreadsheets stop working 04:10 – What Shelf Engine taught him about operations 05:31 – Meeting Ryan Conti and starting Peasy 06:28 – The Shopify for wholesale operations 07:43 – A year in: how brands actually use the platform 09:26 – Why Peasy is free and monetizes transactions 11:30 – Answering the "what's the catch" objection 12:26 – The hidden downside of free 13:55 – Advice on picking a pricing model 14:52 – How the roadmap gets prioritized 16:14 – Separating requests from real needs 17:13 – The feedback loop that converts users 19:50 – Advice for SaaS founders selling into CPG 21:06 – The operational mistakes that quietly kill brands 24:23 – Know every cost before you scale 26:00 – Brands and trends he's watching --------------- Links: Peasy – https://peasyos.com/ Follow Bryan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmitchiner/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out https://www.kitprint.co/ Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  3. Aug 10

    The Coca-Cola Marketer Betting on Pickle Juice | AJ Anderson, Fast Pickle

    On this episode, we're joined by AJ Anderson, Founder and CEO of Fast Pickle, the 3 ounce pickle juice shot brand bringing real brine into electrolyte replacement. AJ spent five years at Coca-Cola before becoming a serial entrepenenur. AJ breaks down the formulation proces, copacker sourcing, and why the new label says "intentionally hypertonic" instead of calling itself hydration. We get into the packaging design journey too, from a first label he designed himself, through public critique on BevNET's Elevator Pitch, to the black and electric green look he has now. We also cover the tactical stuff. Packing pallets in his garage, cold emailing roughly a thousand specialty stores, using Amazon Market Basket data to find climbing gyms, and the Danny Wimmer Presents festival partnership he expects will drive 25 to 30 percent of revenue this year. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🏃 The family health scare that reset everything 🥒 Why pickle juice instead of another sweet powder 🧪 Formulating a 570mg sodium shot, no added sugar 📚 Hypertonic vs isotonic, and why "hydration" is wrong 📦 Packing pallets in a garage at the top of a hill ⚠️ Shelving the preservative free version on purpose 🥫 The Recovery Seltzer and its pickle margarita flavor 🎨 Three label iterations, flat green to street black 🛒 Cold emailing 1,000 specialty stores, and the reply math 🎸 Selling shots across 80+ bars at rock festivals 📊 Amazon Market Basket data leading to climbing gyms 🔮 Building a challenger brand in a challenger category --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 01:16 – Origin story 04:32 – Why pickle juice 05:35 – Launching January 2025 06:24 – Formulation and the 3 ounce format 06:58 – Co-packer selection and real brine 08:43 – Hypertonic vs hydration 10:44 – A polarizing taste 12:37 – Garage fulfillment and the first pallets 15:14 – The preservative decision and natural retail 17:02 – The Recovery Seltzer idea 18:23 – Specialty channels and Fleet Feet 19:23 – Packaging design iterations 23:55 – Advice on brand identity 26:00 – Go to market and profitable growth 29:27 – The Danny Wimmer Presents partnership 36:07 – Cold emailing 1,000 specialty stores 38:56 – Climbing gyms and Market Basket data --------------- Links: Fast Pickle – https://fastpickle.com/ Follow AJ on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/helloaj/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out https://www.kitprint.co/ Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  4. Aug 7

    Scaling Butcher's Into the Leading Fresh Bone Broth Brand | Thomas Odermatt, Butcher's Bone Broth

    On this episode, we're joined by Thomas Odermatt, Founder & CEO of Butcher's Bone Broth, the leading fresh, organic bone broth brand sold refrigerated at Costco, Whole Foods, Publix, and more. Thomas is a third-generation Swiss butcher who built Roli Roti, America's first gourmet rotisserie food truck, before spinning Butcher's out as a standalone brand. After deboning chicken for Bay Area tech giants, Thomas found himself staring at 10,000 pounds of leftover bones a week and, as a butcher's son, refused to throw them away. That became Butcher's Bone Broth, launched into retail around 2015 as a fresh, refrigerated product in an aisle dominated by shelf-stable aseptic cartons. Thomas walks through landing his first account at Berkeley Bowl, why he's raised the price only once in nearly 12 years, and why he still makes every bottle in-house with no co-packers and no venture capital. We get into winning the club channel at Costco without cheapening the product, pushing velocity instead of chasing margin in the expensive fresh aisle, and adding 800+ new Albertsons doors. We also cover the recent decision to spin Butcher's out as a standalone brand, the packaging thinking behind earning a female shopper's trust, and Thomas's people-first take on management. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🚚 The farmers market loophole behind the food truck 🥼 The white chef's coat that killed the "roach coach" label 🍗 Deboning chicken for Bay Area tech giants 🦴 10,000 pounds of leftover bones a week 🛒 Landing the first account at Berkeley Bowl 💰 Raising the price just once in 12 years 🏭 No co-packers, no VC, every bottle made in-house 🚂 The "Union Pacific" slow-and-reliable growth model 🧊 Winning the fresh aisle on velocity, not margin 🎨 Spinning Butcher's out as a standalone brand 📦 Packaging a butcher's brand that women trust 🏬 800+ new Albertsons doors and product-market fit 🐂 "Grab the bull by the horn" as a management value --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:49 – From a Swiss butcher shop to a Berkeley business plan 02:51 – The farmers market loophole behind the food truck 03:59 – The white chef's coat that beat the "roach coach" label 06:27 – "Five products, five fingers" (and catering Paris Hilton) 07:25 – The leap from food truck to retail CPG 10:57 – 10,000 pounds of leftover bones, and why bone broth 14:29 – Landing the first account at Berkeley Bowl 16:35 – Raising the price just once in 12 years 19:29 – No co-packers: every bottle made in-house 20:57 – Self-funded, and the "Union Pacific" growth model 22:46 – Winning the fresh aisle on velocity, not margin 24:55 – Spinning Butcher's out as a standalone brand 27:22 – Packaging a butcher's brand women trust 29:04 – Winning the club channel without getting greedy 31:34 – 800+ Albertsons doors and product-market fit 33:31 – Listening, culture, and the bull by the horn 37:09 – Where to follow Thomas --------------- Links: Butcher's Bone Broth – https://www.butchers.co/ Follow Thomas on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-odermatt-656a1449/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint. Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  5. Aug 3

    Scaling Clio Snacks to $100M+ and 60,000 Doors | John McGuckin, Clio Snacks

    On this episode, we're joined by John McGuckin, CEO of Clio Snacks - the first and only refrigerated Greek yogurt bar - a chocolate-dipped, cheesecake-textured snack. John took the seat as Clio's CEO in 2021 after a long track record of C-suite roles at brands like Sabra, Tribe Mediterranean Foods, and Maya Kaimal. John breaks down why he took the job, how he read the post-COVID shift toward high-protein, permissibly indulgent snacking, and what operators should stress-test before stepping into a founder-led company. John walks through the bet that changed everything: retiring the $1.19 single bar and moving retailers to four-packs and minis at $5.99, which fixed cash flow and unlocked a capital raise.  We dig into going multi-channel across colleges, C-stores, and airports, building a dedicated refrigerated snacking set at retail, running cold chain at a 98% service level through a disciplined S&OP process, and Clios' 86,000 sqft plant. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🇺🇦 The garage origin story behind Clio (yes, a real syrok) 🪑 Taking the CEO seat as the first non-founder leader 🤝 What to stress-test before running a founder-led brand 📊 Reading the consumer shift that made yogurt bars work 💵 The singles-to-multipacks bet that fixed cash flow 🚀 Going multi-channel: 450+ colleges, 20,000+ C-stores, 65+ airports 🛒 Building a refrigerated snacking set at retail 🎃 Why seasonal flavors and end caps drive trial ❄️ Running cold chain at a 98% service level 🏭 Owning an 86,000 sq ft plant instead of co-packing 🎯 The single biggest velocity driver (hint: shelf position) 🚚 Getting distributors and brokers to actually work for you 👶 The kids' yogurt gap he's chasing next --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:58 – Clio's origin story (Ukraine, a garage, a syrok) 03:26 – Where the Clio name came from 04:45 – Why John took the CEO seat 07:33 – Advice for stepping into a founder-led brand 10:18 – Betting on a new category: the Sabra parallel 13:00 – From $23M to a projected $120M: the multipack bet 15:42 – Going multi-channel: food service, colleges, airports 18:39 – The new-product and innovation process 19:24 – Building a refrigerated snacking set at retail 21:08 – Seasonal flavors and end-cap wins 23:14 – Cold chain and the S&OP discipline 26:33 – Where the brand sits in-store (and GLP-1) 29:38 – Owning manufacturing and self-funding growth 32:28 – Scaling from 1,000 to 60,000 doors 34:59 – The biggest velocity driver: shelf position 35:49 – Working with distributors and brokers 38:15 – The kids' category he's chasing next --------------- Links: Clio Snacks - https://cliosnacks.com/ Follow John on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfmcguckin/ Follow me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out kitprint.co Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  6. Jul 29

    Is This the Next Billion Dollar Bottled Water Brand? | Sara Hendershot, Loonen

    On this episode, we're joined by Sara Hendershot, VP of Marketing at Loonen - the glass bottled water brand that starts with a spring source, purifies it, remineralizes it, and tests every batch for over 350 contaminants. Sara was previously Director of Marketing at Momentous, and before that a two time world champion and 2012 Olympic rower for Team USA. Sara breaks down how Loonen pairs a high quality spring source with purification, remineralization using Celtic sea salt, glass only bottling, and third party testing for 350+ contaminants printed on every bottle. We get into the brand build: designing for heritage instead of trend (Levi's and L.L.Bean were the references), choosing yellow and blue to cut through a shelf of clear glass and white labels, and engineering a six pack box that can actually ship glass, and which storytelling hooks landed once they hit market. A big part of the conversation focuses on go to market: pricing at $3.79 at Sprouts versus the Amazon six pack, consolidating still and sparkling under one parent listing, growing almost entirely organic with zero paid influencers, and landing a first national account six months after launch. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🐦 The loon: monogamous to one lake until it gets contaminated 💧 The first water that is both spring sourced and purified 🧪 Testing for 350+ contaminants when the FDA requires almost none 🍼 Clara's IVF story and the water lab on her kitchen counter 🏭 Ripping out PVC pipes and replacing them with stainless steel 🎨 Building a heritage brand (Levi's, L.L.Bean, yellow and blue) 📦 Engineering a six pack box that ships glass without breaking 💸 $3.79 at Sprouts vs the Amazon six pack sticker shock 📈 The storytelling hooks that landed and the ones that didn't 🛒 Landing Sprouts off cycle six months after launch 🛻 Route rides, field blitzes, and why every new hire sells 📊 The Amazon playbook: parent listings and organic traffic 🔮 Raising the standard for the entire bottled water category --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:37 – Loonen origin story and what the brand actually is 03:20 – Clara and David: IVF, endocrine disruptors, and Spindrift 05:15 – Why an Olympian started paying attention to her water 06:35 – The bottled water category and why nobody fixed it 09:30 – Sourcing springs and the story behind the loon 12:05 – Educating consumers without fear mongering 14:00 – Competing inside the glass bottled water set 16:20 – Building a heritage brand and standing out on shelf 18:15 – Pricing at Sprouts vs pricing on Amazon 20:15 – The storytelling hooks that actually landed 22:35 – Channel sequencing and the Sprouts launch 25:15 – Route rides and selling in the field 29:20 – The Amazon playbook 32:45 – Demos, field blitzes, and organic social 36:45 – Distributors and brokers 39:15 – Lessons from David Kimmell on scaling beverage 41:45 – Success, standards, and what keeps her up at night --------------- Links: Loonen – https://loonen.com/ Follow Sara on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahendershot/ Loonen on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/loonen/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint. Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  7. Jul 20

    Curated Convenience: Inside The Goods Mart's Retail Model | Rachel Krupa, The Goods Mart

    On this episode, we're joined by Rachel Krupa, Founder of The Goods Mart, the better-for-you convenience store that's reimagining what a 7-Eleven can be. Rachel is also the founder of Krupa Consulting, the CPG and wellness PR agency she's run since 2010, working with brands like Thrive Market, Our Place, and Goop Kitchen. We dig into how Rachel went from running her PR agency to opening a convenience store after founders kept telling her they had no strategy for the convenience channel and The Goods Mart's core bet: a tightly curated shelf of better-for-you brands, no GMOs, no artificial colors or flavors, and accessible pricing so the store never feels precious. Rachel walks through what she actually looks for in a brand, the packaging iterations every product goes through before it scales, and why a small-format store surfaces feedback that velocity numbers alone can't. We also get into the curation business that now drives much of The Goods Mart, placing emerging brands in hotel minibars and corporate pantries for clients like the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, and OpenAI New York. Rachel shares her honest take on fundraising, her grocery consulting work, and the brands she can't stop watching. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🏪 From PR agency to convenience store 🥫 The better-for-you gap in convenience retail 🎨 Brand pillars and the case for curation 🛠️ Building the first store with no playbook ☕ Accessible pricing and $2 coffee 🚫 Why The Goods Mart charges no slotting fees 💸 Getting creative with revenue instead 📦 The packaging iterations every brand faces 📊 Small-format stores and real-time customer data 🏨 Curating hotel minibars and corporate pantries 🏬 Consulting on grocery concepts like Flow Grocer 👀 The flat drinks and gummies she's watching --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:51 – Origin story: from PR to convenience store 02:55 – Brand pillars and the case for curation 04:49 – Building the first Silver Lake store 06:38 – Accessible pricing and everyday value 07:48 – Being first to carry emerging brands 08:37 – Why The Goods Mart charges no slotting fees 10:58 – The financial model without slotting fees 12:14 – The curation vertical and COVID pivot 13:50 – Small-format stores and real-time data 16:15 – What brands need buttoned up before pitching 18:56 – Why it's not a shoppy shop 20:19 – Everyday low price over promotions 22:08 – The new Williamsburg flagship 24:15 – Operating in LA vs New York 25:34 – Hotel minibars and corporate pantries 29:17 – Fundraising and consulting for grocers 31:08 – Brands and trends she's watching --------------- Links: The Goods Mart – https://www.thegoodsmart.com/ Krupa Consulting – https://www.krupaconsulting.com/ Follow Rachel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkrupa/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint. Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

  8. Jul 15

    From Labor & Delivery Nurse to H-E-B and 1,500+ Doors | Ashley Cameron, Love&Cookies

    On this episode, we're joined by Ashley Cameron, Founder & CEO of Love&Cookies - the clean-label frozen gourmet cookie dough brand you bake straight from the freezer in  ess than 15 minutes.  Ashley was a labor and delivery nurse with no CPG background before her cookies landed on H-E-B shelves. Baking with her son Charlie during his recovery turned into a clean-label product built on a simple insight: freeze the dough and you no longer need preservatives or shelf stabilizers.  Ashley shares how a customer pushed her to enter H-E-B's Quest for Texas Best, which she won six months after opening her Lakeway store, catapulting her into 250+ H-E-B locations. We get into hard pivots, co-packers' resistance to run her stand-up pouch which led Ashley build her own manufacturing facility and the tough call to eventually move to a co-packer. Ashley walks through resizing each cookie by half an ounce to make pricing work, and closing three brick-and-mortar stores to put capital behind retail. Ashley also breaks down the packaging decisions that set the brand apart, from color-coding every flavor (because most stockers were merchandising by color) to dropping her kids' names off the cookies to lift velocity. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍪 Baking with her son after a Kawasaki diagnosis becomes a brand ❄️ Why freezing the dough replaces preservatives and shelf stabilizers 🏆 Winning H-E-B's Quest for Texas Best six months after opening 🏭 Building an in-house facility when no co-packer would take her 🔄 The hard pivot from own factory to co-manufacturer for margin 🎨 Color-coding every flavor so stockers and shoppers find it 💸 Resizing the cookie half an ounce to fix distribution pricing 🏷️ Dropping the kids'-names branding to lift velocity 🛒 Live demos and the BOGO that cleared the shelf in three days 🔪 Closing three brick-and-mortar stores to fund retail growth 🤝 The key hires that put the business on solid footing 💰 Scaling on under $500K, then a seed round toward profitability 👀 The clean-label white space she's watching next --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:56 – Origin story and Charlie's diagnosis 02:26 – Designing a clean-label frozen cookie dough 03:46 – Opening the store and finding Quest for Texas Best 04:32 – Scaling the recipe and sourcing at volume 05:57 – Nailing the 13 to 15 minute bake 07:24 – Building an in-house manufacturing facility 10:03 – Outgrowing it and pivoting to a co-manufacturer 12:04 – Packaging design and color differentiation 15:53 – Removing barriers at the freezer door 16:29 – Pricing strategy and resizing the cookie 18:57 – Inside the Quest for Texas Best pitch 22:11 – Dropping the cookie names for velocity 24:24 – Driving trial with demos and BOGOs 26:09 – Closing the brick-and-mortar stores 28:22 – Key hires that steadied the business 30:45 – Financing growth and the seed round 33:47 – Why the whole store is your competition --------------- Links: Love&Cookies – https://cookiesilove.com/ Follow Ashley on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-cameron-534b00238/ Love&Cookies on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/getloveandcookies/ Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/ For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint. Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes. Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.

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If you’ve ever thought, "Why doesn’t anyone talk about this in CPG?", this is the podcast for you. Host, Adam Steinberg, co-founder of KitPrint, interviews CPG leaders to uncover the real-world tactics, strategies, and behind-the-scenes insights that really move the needle.

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