Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast

Adam Steinberg
  • 5.0 (8)
  • BUSINESS

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. 4D AGO

    Seth Waite - The #1 Most Important Question to Ask Consumers

    On this episode, we’re joined by Seth Waite, Partner at Schaefer, the buyer psychology firm that helps brands understand why people actually buy. Seth has spent his career building, advising, and investing in businesses at the intersection of CPG, ecommerce, and analytics, with a deep focus on turning consumer insight into commercial clarity. Seth breaks down how Schaefer approaches buyer research, why brands routinely misdiagnose demand, and the lies teams tell themselves about customer behavior. He introduces the single highest-leverage question a brand can ask to uncover true motivation and walks through Schaefer’s core frameworks, including the Kingpin Strategy and the Why People Buy Pyramid. We also get into the Marketing Efficiency Paradox, why functional benefits alone rarely create durable advantage, and how brands accidentally make shoppers do the work through over-messaging and feature overload. Seth brings the theory to life with real-world examples, from kale at Pizza Hut buffets to what French’s Mustard teaches us about focus, meaning, and growth across DTC and retail. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🧠 How Schaefer studies buyer psychology ❌ The lies brands tell themselves about why customers buy ❓ The highest-leverage question in consumer research 🎳 The Kingpin Strategy and why focus beats expansion 📉 The Marketing Efficiency Paradox 🔺 The Why People Buy Pyramid 🥬 Kale at Pizza Hut buffets and what it proves 🛒 Why brands shouldn’t make shoppers do the work 🟡 Lessons from French’s Mustard 🏬 DTC vs. retail: what actually changes 📦 Why “functional” is rarely enough 🔮 Trends and brands Seth is watching --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 - Intro 00:47 - Schaefer breakdown 07:08 - Lies that brands tell themselves about why customers buy 09:20 - The highest leverage question a brand can ask 13:11 - The Kingpin Strategy 17:18 - The Marketing Efficiency Paradox 19:58 - The Why People Buy Pyramid 28:54 - Kale at Pizza Hut buffets and beyond 30:31 - Don’t make shoppers do the work 33:25 - What we can learn from French’s Mustard 37:42 - DTC vs Retail 42:43 - Functional this, functional that 45:00 - Brands and trends Seth is watching --------------- Links: Schaefer - https://schaefer.co/ Why People Buy - https://whypeoplebuy.com/ Follow Seth on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethwaite 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.

    51 min

  2. JAN 29

    Jeff Grogg - Formulation to Exit: How Durable CPG Brands Are Built

    On this episode, we’re joined by Jeff Grogg, Founder & Managing Director of JPG Resources - one of the most influential food and beverage innovation and operations platforms in CPG. He's also a Co-founder of RCV Frontline Ventures. Jeff has spent decades building, scaling, and advising brands across every stage of growth - from early formulation through commercialization, scale, and exit. Before founding JPG Resources, Jeff held senior R&D and innovation roles at Kellogg and Kashi during its hypergrowth years. Since then, he’s worked alongside hundreds of emerging and established brands. Jeff breaks down the current state of innovation in food and beverage, where founders are quietly taking on the biggest risks without realizing it, how to build a true culture of innovation, when product portfolio expansion makes sense (and when it absolutely doesn’t), and how brands can launch products on time and on budget without blowing up margins. Jeff also shares hard-earned insights on convenience as a growth driver, reducing COGS without sacrificing quality, navigating co-manufacturer relationships, the difference between chasing microtrends versus building around durable macro shifts, and how brands should think about preparing for an exit. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🥦 Scaling Caulipower into a nine-figure brand 🧠 The current reset happening in CPG innovation ⚠️ The biggest hidden risks founders take with innovation 🏗️ Building a real culture of innovation 📊 When product portfolio expansion is justified ⏱️ Launching products on time and on budget 🛒 Why convenience drives repeat and scale 💰 Practical ways to reduce COGS 🏭 How to work with co-manufacturers strategically 🌊 Macro vs. micro trends in food & beverage 🔮 Where Jeff sees the biggest opportunities ahead 🚪 What it really takes to prepare for an exit --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:55 – Origin story, JPG Resources services & venture investing 03:10 – Scaling Caulipower to nine figures 04:10 – The state of innovation in CPG 07:46 – One of the biggest risks to innovation 10:09 – Building a culture of innovation 12:43 – Justifying product portfolio expansion 14:53 – Launching products on time and on budget 17:19 – The importance of convenience 20:48 – Reducing COGS 24:21 – Co-manufacturers 29:10 – Macro vs. micro trends 31:06 – Trends and opportunities 33:40 – Getting ready for an exit --------------- Links: JPG Resources – https://www.jpgresources.com Follow Jeff on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgrogg/ 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.

    37 min

  3. JAN 26

    Kathrin Henon - Scaling a BFY Donut Brand on a Budget

    On this episode, we’re joined by Kathrin Henon, Founder & CEO of Planet Bake - the better-for-you donut brand making sugar-free, low-carb, gluten-free, plant-based donuts that actually taste indulgent. Kathrin shares her journey from a design and fashion background to building Planet Bake during the pandemic, driven by a desire to solve real problems around sugar, metabolic health, and access to healthier indulgences. Growing up in Germany shaped her perspective on food quality and sugar consumption, and that lens heavily influences how she thinks about formulation, branding, and product strategy today. We get deep into the tactical side of building an early-stage CPG brand. Kathrin walks through brand identity and packaging decisions, early formulation and R&D challenges, how Planet Bake explored different sweeteners before landing on the right solution, and what it takes to find and work with co-packers early on. A big part of the conversation focuses on early-stage financial pressure: managing cash when vendors want upfront payment, tools that can help bridge cash gaps, and why fundraising, banking, and credit are especially broken for emerging CPG brands.  --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍩 Building a better-for-you donut brand from scratch 🇩🇪 How Kathrin’s German upbringing shaped Planet Bake 🎨 Brand identity and packaging design decisions 🧪 Formulation, R&D, and sweetener exploration 🏭 Finding and working with co-packers early 💸 Cash flow challenges most founders underestimate 🧰 Tools that help relieve early-stage cash crunch 🤝 Fundraising and financial support for early brands 📦 Velocity vs. distribution in the early days 👥 Building demo collectives to drive sell-through 🚚 Distributors, brokers, and retail strategy 🚀 2026 goals and trends Kathrin is watching --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:48 – Origin story 02:57 – Kathrin’s German upbringing 04:22 – Brand identity and packaging design 06:31 – Formulation and R&D 09:36 – Sweetener exploration 11:52 – Product roadmap 12:29 – Co-packers 15:56 – Cash flow challenges 17:52 – Tools to help with the cash crunch 20:08 – Fundraising at the early stage 21:54 – Support communities for early-stage founders 24:04 – Velocity vs. distribution in the early days 25:41 – Building a demo “collective” to drive sell-through 26:42 – Distributors and brokers 29:18 – 2026 goals, Sprouts 29:54 – Trends Kathrin is watching --------------- Links: Planet Bake – https://planet-bake.com/ Follow Kathrin on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrinhenon/ 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.

    32 min

  4. JAN 21

    Jake Tannenbaum - Hitting 8-Figures via a New Category

    On this episode, we’re joined by Jake Tannenbaum, Founder & CEO of Craftmix - the instant cocktail (and other things) mixer brand built for people who want better drinks without the mess, prep, or sugar bombs.  Jake started Craftmix after years of bartending and realizing that even he couldn’t make a decent cocktail at friends’ houses with what they actually had on hand. That insight turned into a new product format - single-serve powdered mixers - and eventually an entirely new product category.  We get into the early days of Craftmix, from six months of kitchen R&D and roommates spitting out bad iterations, to the “brownie mix” insight that explains why a little bit of participation makes products more fun.  Jake breaks down the decision to move from DIY production to co-packers, what founders consistently underestimate about formulation and scale, and how building a brand is very different from building a product category.  We also dig into demand planning lessons from selling out multiple times, how brand identity and packaging design impact shelf clarity and velocity, why the target demographic ended up being different than expected, and what it really took to win on Amazon before expanding into retail.  We cover Kroger learnings, corporate gifting as a legitimate channel, how QVC works behind the scenes, and what’s next on Craftmix’s product roadmap. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍸 Bartender-to-founder origin story and the real problem Craftmix solves 🧪 Formulation and R&D lessons from early kitchen experiments 🧁 The “brownie mix” variable and why interaction matters 🏭 When and how to transition to a co-packer 📦 Building a brand while educating consumers on a new category 📊 Demand planning, inventory risk, and avoiding stockouts 🎨 Brand identity and packaging design in a cluttered aisle 🎯 How and why the target demo shifted 🏆 Winning on Amazon before expanding into retail 🏪 Retail velocity, Kroger learnings, and category education 🎁 Corporate gifting as a real, scalable channel 📺 QVC: live selling, pressure, and unexpected upside 🧭 Product roadmap and trends JT is watching --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 - Intro 00:00 - Origin story 02:37 - Formulation and R&D 03:43 - The “brownie mix” variable 05:13 - Transitioning to a copacker 10:34 - Building a brand AND a product category 12:10 - Demand planning 14:43 - Brand identity and packaging design 16:43 - Target demo 17:51 - Winning on Amazon 21:11 - Breaking into retail 26:23 - Brand awareness and product category drive velocity 27:19 - Winning in Kroger 28:16 - Corporate gifting is a real channel 29:26 - QVC 31:41 - Product roadmap 32:21 - Trends JT is watching --------------- Links: Craftmix – https://www.craftmix.com/ Follow Jake on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-tannenbaum-a21876128/ 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.

    34 min

  5. JAN 13

    Matt Borish - Boosting Cannabis Retail Sales and Profits by 400%+

    On this episode, we’re joined by Matt Borish, VP of Marketing at Union Chill Cannabis Co. - a multi-state cannabis retailer operating in New Jersey and New York. We get into the realities of driving foot traffic and new customer visits when paid media options are limited and competition ramps quickly. Matt breaks down how Union Chill approaches the Super Bowl of cannabis, how they think about platform spend, and how to balance acquisition versus retention in a category where margins are constantly under pressure. We also dive deep into promo mechanics, product mix decisions, and how category trends like beverages and infused prerolls are reshaping the retail experience. Matt shares how Union Chill thinks about tech stack, consumer demographics, and what he’s watching as the cannabis retail landscape continues to evolve. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🌿 Driving foot traffic with limited paid media 🔥 Green Wednesday strategy and promo planning 💸 Marketing budget allocation and platform spend 🔁 Balancing acquisition vs retention in cannabis retail 📊 Building repeatable promo frameworks 🧠 Retail tech stack and tooling decisions 🚀 Launching dispensaries in new adult-use markets 📦 Product mix strategy and category performance 🥤 Beverages and infused preroll trends 👥 Understanding shifting consumer demographics 📉 Marketing under 280E constraints 📈 Trends shaping the future of cannabis retail --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:42 – Matt’s journey in cannabis 03:16 – Green Wednesday 04:00 – Driving traffic and new customers to retail 06:55 – Marketing budget allocation 09:12 – Platform spend 10:15 – Retention strategies 11:25 – Recurring promo strategy 14:37 – Tech stack 15:54 – Dispensary launch strategy 17:58 – Building out a retailer promo framework in a new cannabis market 19:29 – Product mix 20:51 – Beverages 22:22 – Infused prerolls 22:54 – Consumer demographics 25:43 – Optimizing for 280E 26:24 – Trends --------------- Links: Union Chill Cannabis Company – https://unionchillco.com/ Follow Matt on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-borish-09933b27/ 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.

    28 min

  6. JAN 9

    Jess Berger - Building a Pet Brand for the Silent Majority

    On this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Berger, Founder & CEO of Bundle X Joy, the female-founded, purpose-driven pet brand rethinking dog nutrition, branding, and community. Jess brings nearly two decades of experience from inside the pet industry, including building private label brands and working across major retailers, before stepping out to create the brand she wished existed. We get into the realities of launching a modern pet brand from scratch - how early formulation and R&D decisions shape everything that comes next, how to think about initial SKU strategy, and what founders should know about pet co-packers and commercialization before scaling. We also dig deep into brand identity and packaging design and why Jess trusted her gut despite some tough feedback. Jess shares how she built community before launch, the go-to-market strategy that unlocked early traction, and what it really took to land major retailers like Walmart and Costco. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🐶 Jess’s origin story and journey through “Big Pet” 🏭 Building private label brands and lessons from inside the industry 🧪 Formulation, R&D, and early SKU decision-making 📦 Working with pet co-packers and commercializing products 🎨 Brand identity and packaging design decisions ✏️ The naming process behind Bundle X Joy 🤝 Building community before launch 🚀 Go-to-market strategy and early traction 🛒 What it really took to land Walmart 🏬 Lessons from selling into Costco 🔮 Brands and trends Jess is watching next --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Origin story 03:33 - “Big Pet” experience, building private label brands 07:07 - Formulation and R&D, go-to-market SKU decisions 10:53 - Pet co-packers and commercialization 14:44 - Brand identity and packaging design, sticking with your gut 19:49 - The naming process 22:12 - Building community pre-launch 23:56 - Go-to-market strategy 29:45 - Walmart and beyond 34:17 - Costco 35:46 - Brands and trends Jess is watching --------------- Links: Bundle X Joy – https://bundlexjoy.com Follow Jess on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarberger/ 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.

    38 min

  7. JAN 6

    Gabriel González - Building the First Rum-Based RTD Cocktail

    On this episode, we’re joined by Gabriel González, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Casalú, the rum-based RTD cocktail brand. In Gabriel’s own words, his goal is to build the Red Bull of Latino culture. We dive into the initial insight that rum was missing from the hard seltzer boom, and the broader cultural shift that made a Latino-first brand not just viable, but necessary. Gabriel shares how Casalú was built for their own community first, and why Latin culture becoming pop culture fundamentally changed the opportunity. We also dig into early formulation and R&D decisions, including painful product failures and fermentation issues that forced production shutdowns and hard resets. Gabriel walks through what those moments taught them about liquid development, co-packers, and knowing when to rethink both product and process. We talk candidly about starting with self-managed distribution, learning the hard way how to actually drive velocity, and what it really takes to succeed with major retailers like Walmart. Gabriel also breaks down Casalú’s recent brand refresh, why clarity at shelf matters more than just being “cool,” and how they’re thinking about culture, community, and scale heading into 2026. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍋 Why rum was missing from the hard seltzer boom 🧪 Early formulation and R&D lessons 🏭 What they learned working with co-packers ⚠️ Product failures that shut down production 🎶 Building the Red Bull of Latino culture 📈 Growing a following from nothing 🚚 Starting with self-managed distribution ⚡ Tactics for driving real retail velocity 🏪 Getting in the door and succeeding at Walmart 🎨 The strategy behind the Casalú brand refresh 🎯 2026 goals and what’s next --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:51 – Origin story 02:55 – Formulation and R&D 05:20 – Co-packers 10:22 – Formulation challenges and failed product 12:32 – Building the Red Bull of Latino culture 19:07 – Building a following from nothing 22:21 – Starting with self-managed distribution 25:40 – Tactics for driving velocity 29:48 – Getting in the door and succeeding at Walmart 32:30 – The what and why of the Casalú brand refresh 40:46 – 2026 goals --------------- Links: Casalú – https://casalu.com/ Follow Gabriel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielgonzalezorta/ 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.

    42 min

  8. JAN 2

    Cody Allen & Alex Bennet - Building the Next Big Pistachio Brand via C-Stores

    On this episode, we’re joined by Cody Allen and Alex Bennet, Co-Founders of Joon Foods, the award-winning pistachio brand that’s gone from zero to roughly 1,500 doors in just seven months. Built on a 300-year-old family recipe and a modern, flavor-forward approach, Joon is showing consumers what pistachios “really taste like”. We get into the realities of formulation and R&D, how they approached finding the right manufacturing partner for a unique cooking process, and why they chose to start with just three flavors instead of chasing constant innovation. They also unpack their go-to-market strategy - from leaning into C-stores early (thanks to Cody’s family distribution background) to using Faire as both a revenue driver and an unexpected marketing engine. We talk pricing, velocity versus door count, grocery delivery platforms like Thrive and Hungryroot, and how they think about scaling without getting ahead of themselves. This is a tactical, in-the-weeds conversation about building a modern snack brand the hard way through distribution, data, and discipline. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🥜 Turning a 300-year-old family recipe into a modern CPG brand 🚀 Growing to ~1,500 doors in seven months via C-stores 🏭 Formulation, R&D, and finding the right manufacturing partner 🌿 Clean-label flavor strategy (no seed oils, no artificial flavors) 🎨 Brand identity, naming, and award-winning packaging design 💰 Pricing a premium product across channels 📦 Lessons from multi-generation food distribution 🛒 Using Faire as both a sales and marketing engine 📊 Velocity vs distribution and avoiding overexpansion 🔍 Snack brands and trends Alex and Cody are watching --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 01:06 – Origin story 04:05 – Formulation and R&D 07:08 – Finding and partnering with a co-packer 08:45 – Flavor strategy 12:49 – Brand identity, naming, and packaging design 19:49 – Pricing 22:52 – Lessons from Cody’s family distribution business 25:22 – Starting with C-stores 28:26 – Faire 29:15 – Grocery delivery 30:22 – Velocity vs distribution, Faire 41:02 – Brands and trends Alex and Cody are watching --------------- Links: Joon Foods – https://eatjoonfoods.com/ Follow Cody on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/codyallen24/ Follow Alex on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/al 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.

    48 min
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About

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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