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. 1D AGO

    Frozen One - From a Ninja Creami in Austin to 1,464 Target Doors

    On this episode, we're joined by Alan Chen and Conner Mennig, Co-founders of Frozen One, the high-protein ice cream brand packing 40 grams of protein, under 400 calories, 75% less fat and 62% less sugar than traditional ice cream into every pint. Alan and Conner walk through the formulation journey from flavored protein powders and Oreos to milk protein concentrate, and how they tested 50 grams of protein per pint but landed at 40 as the functional ceiling. We also get into finding their first co-packer outside Austin, the in-house packaging design, and expanding from six Royal Blue Grocery doors (averaging 25.9 units per store per week) to Central Market, Bristol Farms, Wegmans, Raley's, Heinen's, Busch's, Schnucks, Fresh Thyme, a Kroger First Pitch win at Expo West, and an upocoming 1,464-door Target launch. We break down how Target deal came together, the scramble to fund the first big order, the oversubscribed $2M round led by Supernatural Ventures and The Angel Group, and the important thing on Alan and Conner's mind right now.....hiring. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍦 The Ninja Creamy origin story (still memorialized in the office) 🧪 Real ice cream science, freezing point depression and the refreeze problem 💪 Why 40 grams is the functional protein ceiling (50 grams blew gaskets) 🏭 Finding a small local co-packer willing to run 100-pint test batches 🎨 Building the brand and packaging in-house with a friend ✏️ How the name "Frozen One" came from "The Chosen One" 🛒 First retail: Royal Blue Grocery, portable freezer, sell sheet, repeat visits 💰 Pricing evolution from $9.99 super-premium to $6.99–$8.99 conventional mass 📊 25.9 units per store per week as the early velocity proof point 🚀 The Target inbound, the broker, and 1,464 doors in 15 months 💸 The fundraising scramble when no lender would touch them 🤝 The three hires that unlock the next stage (sales, frozen ops, digital marketing) 🔮 Why the ice cream category still has massive white space --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:51 – Origin story and how Frozen One started 02:55 – Late-night R&D in the Ninja Creamy 05:20 – The protein source and the 40-gram ceiling 07:49 – Choosing the three core flavors 09:05 – Finding the right co-packer 11:48 – Co-packer advice for founders 13:04 – Brand identity and packaging design 14:25 – The naming process 15:16 – First retail accounts at Royal Blue Grocery 17:00 – Pricing strategy and moving from premium to mass 18:20 – Early velocity and the role of demos 19:47 – Landing Target through a cold website inbound 21:00 – The fundraising scramble and the $2M round 23:30 – What makes Target different (Roundel, granular data) 24:30 – Managing multiple retailer launches at once 25:59 – One tip for first-time CPG founders 26:57 – Building the team and the three key hires 29:04 – How to reach Alan and Conner 29:30 – Staying ahead of the protein ice cream pack 30:39 – Biggest risks and opportunities ahead 31:48 – Brand crushes (Fruit Riot, Graza) --------------- Links: Frozen One – https://www.frozen-one.com/ Follow Alan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanychen7/ Follow Conner on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-mennig-84a469170/ Frozen One on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/frozen-one/ 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.

    35 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Russell & Julia Menez - From Stage Four Cancer to the Brink of National Distribution

    On this episode, we're joined by Russell and Julia Menez, husband-and-wife Co-Founders of RJ Naturals, makers of Nature's Candy Bar, the refrigerated, organic, whole-food snack bar made with grass-fed butter.  The brand was born out of Russell's stage 4 cancer journey, when Julia started making bars from scratch to support his recovery. We dive into how those homemade bars turned into a SoCal brand now in some of most iconic retailers in the region, including Mother's Market, Lassen's Natural Foods, Clark's Nutrition, Fermentation Farm, as well as a growing presence on the East Coast.  Russell and Julia break down the formulation behind a bar built on dates, sprouted oats, grass-fed butter, coconut, raw honey, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt, why they chose Deglet Noor dates over Medjool, and why most co-manufacturers resist butter. Julia  also walks through the role of coffee shops, gyms, and wellness studios in building community, and how a single networking event landed their anchor retailer and first distributor in the same afternoon. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🩺 The cancer journey that started the brand 🧈 Why grass-fed butter is the hero ingredient 🌴 Deglet Noor vs Medjool dates (and why it matters) 🥶 Why most bar brands won't go refrigerated 🍠 The next flavor in the pipeline (hint: ube) 🏭 Interviewing over 20 co-packers to find the right one ✋ Going from 600 bars a day by hand to thousands per run 🎨 Evolving from RJ Naturals to Nature's Candy Bar 🛒 Landing Mother's Market and a distributor in one room ☕ Why gyms, coffee shops, and wellness studios still matter 📣 Demos plus social as the velocity engine 🚦 Saying no to shiny objects as you scale 🎯 The Q4 Whole Foods regional plan --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 01:13 – Origin story and the stage 4 cancer journey 04:38 – Formulation and R&D 06:30 – Why grass-fed butter 08:00 – Deglet Noor vs Medjool dates 08:46 – Flavor pipeline and the ube hint 10:22 – Refrigerated by design, not by default 12:49 – Home kitchen to commercial kitchen 13:41 – Moving to a co-packer 15:38 – Interviewing 20+ co-manufacturers 18:09 – Sticking to the formulation at scale 21:31 – Evolving the brand from RJ Naturals to Nature's Candy Bar 25:11 – Landing Mother's Market and a distributor in one room 26:43 – Coffee shops, gyms, and wellness studios as the community layer 27:30 – Demos and social as the velocity engine 28:53 – Saying no as you scale 30:50 – Biggest risks and opportunities 31:32 – Q4 Whole Foods regional launch 32:30 – Trends and brands they're watching --------------- Links: RJ Naturals – https://rjnaturals.us/ Follow Russell on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellmenez/ Follow Julia on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliahsuh/ Follow RJ Naturals on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/rjnaturals/ 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.

    34 min

  3. MAY 15

    William Underwood - Inside the CPG Talent Market

    On this episode, we're joined by William Underwood, Founder of Talent Brew - the CPG-focused recruiting and headhunting firm helping scaling beverage and food brands find the right talent through competitive-set focused outreach. William breaks down what the CPG talent market looks like right now. With post-COVID reorgs, acquisitions, and layoffs, brands have historic access to exceptional talent, but many don't know how to vet or retain it.  We get into the roles trending up, from DTC and TikTok Shop managers to channel-specific account roles, and why AI fluency is becoming a must-have even though most CPG brands don't know exactly what that hire looks like yet. We also dig into the hiring roadmap for scaling brands - who to hire first, and the common traps like chasing logos on resumes and inflating titles too early. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍳 From executive chef to CPG recruiter (the origin story) 🍺 Launching a beer-focused firm during the worst market since Prohibition 📊 Why it's a historic buyer's market for CPG talent right now 🛒 Roles trending up: DTC, TikTok Shop, channel-specific managers 🤖 AI fluency as an emerging (but undefined) hiring requirement 💸 The real cost of a bad hire (financial, emotional, mental bandwidth) 🎯 Competitive set focused recruiting (50-100 companies, 3 referrals per placement) ⚠️ The trap of chasing logos and inflating titles too early 🔥 "Fire in their belly, throwing elbows, and polish" 🏢 Culture = what your employees do that you don't talk about 🧹 How to fix a struggling culture (and when to fire fast) 👀 Brands he's watching: Recess, Trip, Go Brewing, Throne Sport Coffee --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:44 – William's origin story (from executive chef to recruiting) 02:55 – Expanding from craft beer to broader CPG 03:50 – The current CPG talent market (buyer's market) 05:30 – Roles trending up right now 07:00 – TikTok Shop and ecom hiring challenges 08:31 – AI fluency in CPG hiring 10:22 – The real cost of a bad hire 11:45 – Smart hiring roadmap for scaling brands 14:00 – Common founder hiring mistakes (logos and titles) 15:55 – Generalist vs. specialist (and leveraging agencies) 17:00 – Competitive set focused recruiting explained 19:55 – Red flags when evaluating a recruiting firm 22:07 – Interview questions that actually work (go past tense) 25:02 – What brands want vs. what they actually need in a hire 26:36 – Ideal candidate profiles by revenue stage 29:00 – Building and maintaining company culture 33:20 – Brands and trends William is watching 35:00 – Where to find William and Talent Brew --------------- Links: Talent Brew – https://mytalentbrew.com/ Follow William on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-underwood-405677245/ Follow Talent Brew on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/mytalent-brew/ 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.

    36 min

  4. MAY 11

    Hannah Awada - From Selling Hummus in Shanghai via WeChat to Launching in All Mejier Doors

    On this episode, we're joined by Hannah Awada, Co-founder and CEO of Hummus Goodness - the Michigan-based brand making authentic, clean-label Lebanese-style hummus with real ingredients and zero preservatives. We talk about selling hummus out of her kitchen window in Shanghai to expats on WeChat, to re-launching Hummus Goodness in a church kitchen in Michigan in 2019. Hannah walks through the formulation decisions that keep the product authentic - olive oil over soybean oil, fresh lemon juice, no citric acid - and how a made-to-order production model protects cash and margin. A big part of the conversation focuses on the Meijer relationship - how a competitor recall opened the door, how Hannah grew from 3 local format stores to all 278 Meijer locations, and why in-store demos remain her number one velocity driver.  Hannah also breaks down the brand's major packaging refresh, going from a clear cup with a white lid to bold, personality-driven packaging with playful flavor names like Garlic Glory and The Big Dill. We also get into the anchor account strategy Hannah uses for new market expansion, bootstrapping for five years before a pre-seed round with Michigan Rise, and the tight-knit Michigan CPG founder community she leans on. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🏠 Origin story: selling hummus out of a kitchen window in Shanghai 🧪 Formulation: olive oil, fresh lemon, and zero preservatives ⏱️ Made-to-order production (not made-to-stock) ⛪ From a church kitchen to a 7,000 cups/week operation 🏭 Finding a manufacturing partner through family connections 🛒 How a competitor recall opened the door at Meijer 📈 Growing from 3 local format stores to all 278 Meijer locations 🎯 In-store demos as the #1 velocity driver 🎨 The packaging rebrand that matched the brand's personality ✈️ Food service channel (Delta Sky Lounges, universities) 💸 Bootstrapping for 5 years before a pre-seed round 🤝 The Michigan CPG founder community 👀 "Kitchen Couture" and the rise of beautiful packaging --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:48 – Origin story: Shanghai to Michigan 03:30 – Lessons from selling hummus in Shanghai 05:08 – Formulation and shelf life without preservatives 07:10 – Church kitchen to own facility 09:36 – Scaling from 700 to 7,000 cups a week for Meijer 11:00 – Finding a manufacturing partner 13:17 – Co-packer relationship advice 15:00 – How a competitor recall opened the door at Meijer 17:03 – Growing to all 278 Meijer stores 19:29 – Bootstrapping for five years 22:07 – Anchor account strategy for new markets 25:20 – Driving velocity at retail 27:02 – The packaging rebrand 31:13 – Rebrand rollout lessons 33:10 – Food service as a channel 36:13 – Michigan CPG founder community 38:18 – Kitchen Couture and trends to watch --------------- Links: Hummus Goodness – https://www.hummusgoodness.com/ Follow Hannah on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanadyawada/ Follow Hummus Goodness on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/hummus-goodness/ 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.

    41 min

  5. MAY 6

    Rob Johnson - Founding Born Simple, Selling to Mizkan, and Leading Innovation Across a $1B+ Portfolio

    On this episode, we're joined by Rob Johnson, Co-Founder & CEO of Born Simple and Head of Innovation at Mizkan America - the protein-forward shelf-stable complete, prepared meals brand that pivoted from barbecue sauces and broth concentrates into a category that every buyer in the country says is desperate for a makeover.  Rob spent years running small natural and organic brands inside Conagra before leaving to build Born Simple, selling it to Mizkan in 2021, and sticking around for nearly five years - one of the longer founder tenures post-acquisition in recent memory. We dig into how Born Simple was literally born in a Whole Foods meeting - the buyer hated the existing brand but loved the products, and Rob walked out with a nationwide launch commitment across two categories before the brand even had a name. Robs gets into what he calls the "NASCAR package" problem in big CPG, the Mizkan acquisition, and what founders should actually pay attention to beyond the check size. We also cover Rob's new role leading innovation across Mizkan America, where he's trying to expand beyond what he calls "innovation behind a computer screen" and replace it with startup-style consumer empathy inside a 225-year-old, $1B+ family-owned company. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍖 How Born Simple went from barbecue sauce to protein-forward shelf-stable meals 🛒 Landing a nationwide Whole Foods launch before the brand had a name 🎨 Brand design inspired by Brandless and Public Goods - simplicity as strategy 📦 The "NASCAR package" problem and why big CPG over-communicates on shelf 🏷️ Adapting packaging to category - why Tetra Pak pasta sauce didn't work 💰 Selling to Mizkan in 2021 and key deal terms for founders (earnouts, key man clauses) 🤝 Why post-acquisition integration speed is the #1 thing founders overlook 🔄 Pivoting into shelf-stable complete meals - a category in desperate need of a makeover 🚀 Leading innovation at Mizkan America and killing "innovation behind a computer screen" 🧪 Bringing startup thinking to a 225-year-old, $1B+ family-owned company --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:45 – Origin story and the Whole Foods meeting 03:18 – The Brandless and Public Goods insight 04:52 – Small companies doing unscalable things 05:57 – What big CPG experience actually teaches you 10:10 – Sitting on both sides of M&A 12:01 – Building Born Simple's brand identity and packaging design 14:40 – The "NASCAR package" problem 15:55 – Adapting packaging to category (Tetra Pak pasta sauce) 17:18 – The stand cap pouch and glass recycling 21:42 – Selling to Mizkan and reading the funding tea leaves 26:10 – Key deal terms and what founders should negotiate 28:15 – Post-acquisition integration and why it destroys value 32:08 – Pivoting to protein-forward shelf-stable meals 36:33 – Head of Innovation at Mizkan America 38:00 – "Innovation behind a computer screen" --------------- Links: Born Simple – https://www.bornsimple.com/ Mizkan – https://www.mizkan.com/ Follow Rob on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/robj2/ Follow Adam 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.

    45 min

  6. MAY 1

    Griffin Spolansky - Scaling Mezcla from Boston Bodegas to 9,000 Doors

    On this episode, we're joined by Griffin Spolansky, Co-Founder & CEO of Mezcla - the plant-based puff crispy protein bar brand that's gone from Boston bodegas to 9,000+ doors and $17M raised. We dive into how Griffin started iterating in a co-founder's kitchen at 20 years old, how they landed on the puff crispy format, and the gut-driven flavor decisions behind their launch lineup.  Griffin shares hard-earned advice on formulation, finding co-packers, and why keeping things simple beats trying to look sophisticated. We also get into the real mechanics of scaling from 50,000 bars in year one to a target of 20-30 million this year, why they stripped country qualifiers from flavor names to unlock supply chain flexibility, how their rebrand was driven by shelf clarity needs in mass conventional and club, and the door-to-door hustle that got them into their first 50 Boston bodegas before cracking Costco. Griffin also breaks down his profitability-first approach to growth, how he evaluates demos and secondary displays against trade spend budgets, and why he believes a founder's job is to create FOMO. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🍫 Origin story: creating a protein bar that's actually fun to eat 🧪 Formulation R&D and why they chose the puff crispy format 🏭 Finding co-packers and keeping your co-man honest 🚚 Supply chain shifts (removing country qualifiers to scale) 🎨 Packaging rebrand for shelf clarity in mass retail 🛒 Door-to-door in Boston bodegas and cracking the distributor code 💰 Growth with profitability: unit economics as the foundation 🎯 Getting into Costco through Expo West 🛍️ In-store demos, secondary displays, and trade spend math 💸 Raising $17M total and the Series B journey 🔥 Why a founder's job is to create FOMO 👀 Brands to watch: Coconut Cult and Fish Wife --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:37 – Origin story and the idea behind Mezcla 02:10 – Formulation, R&D, and choosing the puff crispy format 05:04 – Advice for up-and-coming CPG founders 06:44 – Finding and working with co-packers 09:07 – Supply chain and raw material sourcing at scale 10:36 – Packaging design and building brand identity 12:01 – The rebrand and designing for shelf clarity 15:09 – Go-to-market: door-to-door in Boston and New York 15:57 – Distributors, DSDs, and the chicken-and-egg problem 17:48 – Growth with profitability and unit economics 19:55 – Building out the board 20:51 – Pricing strategy on shelf 21:50 – Getting into Costco 23:41 – In-store demos, secondary displays, and trade spend 27:02 – Fundraising and the Series B 29:22 – Creating FOMO and the Boshon's model 32:40 – Brands and trends to watch --------------- Links: Mezcla – https://eatmezcla.com/ Follow Griffin on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/griffinspolansky/ 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 Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.

    34 min

  7. APR 24

    Jason Bronstad: The MALK Organics Playbook - Velocity, Trust, and the Road to 15,000 Doors

    On this episode, we're joined by Jason Bronstad, CEO of MALK Organics, the fast-growing organic plant-based milk brand built on clean, simple ingredients with no gums, oils, or fillers.  Jason brings two decades of CPG experience across brands like Sara Lee, Mike's Hard, and Swell Cocktail Company. Jason initially came in as a consultant in late 2020, stepping into the CEO role in mid-2021. Two decades in bev alc shaped his CPG playbook: earn shelf space every review, obsess over velocity, protect trust with your consumer. We dive into "the Kerfuffle," the Thanksgiving 2021 reformulation to organic natural flavors that blew up with loyal fans including Food Babe, and how Jason did one-on-one CEO-to-influencer calls by Wednesday with a new vanilla extract formula by Friday.  Jason talks about why they cut the SKU count from 14 to 3, the creamer whitener problem, and the year-long HPP-to-ESL shift that unlocked shelf life for Publix and Kroger. We also get into the retail strategy, touching on why you shouldn't take every door in an A-tier to C-tier rollout, and why traditional demos stopped penciling post-COVID. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🥛 The MALK origin story (farmers market to 16,000+ doors) ⚠️ "The Kerfuffle": the Thanksgiving 2021 vanilla reformulation that blew up with loyal fans like Food Babe 🛠️ Monday crisis, Friday fix: rebuilding trust with one-on-one CEO-to-influencer calls ✂️ Cutting from 14 SKUs to 3 to actually commercialize 📉 Why oat fell off the cliff and where those consumers went ☕ The creamer whitener problem and the coconut creamer relaunch 🏭 Shifting from HPP to ESL for shelf life that unlocks mainstream retail 📊 Velocity is truth: 3.5x category in natural, nearly 6x at Publix 🛒 Why you shouldn't take every door in an A-tier to C-tier rollout 🎪 Why traditional demos stopped penciling and the shift to festivals 👥 Scaling 8 to 44 people with a remote-first Dreams workshop 🎯 Extreme Ownership starting at the top 🔮 More brands embracing fewer ingredients (imitation as flattery) --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:51 – MALK origin story 01:30 – From consultant to CEO 02:57 – CPG fundamentals from the bev alc years 04:11 – The Thanksgiving 2021 "Kerfuffle" and same-week reformulation 07:02 – Cutting from 14 SKUs to 3 to commercialize 08:16 – Following consumers as oat fell off the cliff 10:26 – The creamer whitener problem and relaunch 12:32 – Shifting from HPP to ESL for shelf life 14:06 – Velocity is truth: proving out in natural before MULO 15:58 – First MULO launch at Publix 18:30 – Kroger banner expansion and A-tier to C-tier rollout 20:20 – Pricing, calories, and the ingredient deck conversation 23:42 – Demo strategy shift post-COVID 27:33 – Scaling from 8 to 44 people with culture intact 28:20 – Dreams workshops and a remote-first culture 30:48 – Extreme Ownership and culture advice for growing CEOs 35:46 – 16K to 67K doors: the next phase of growth --------------- Links: MALK Organics – http://malkorganics.com/ Follow Jason on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbronstad/ 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.

    39 min

  8. APR 17

    Jonathan Skaare - Brokers, Fractional Sales & the Real Mechanics of Retail Execution

    On this episode, we're joined by Jonathan Skaare, Founder & CEO of Scout CPG - the fractional sales and channel support firm built specifically for better-for-you CPG brands.  Jonathan spent over 20 years in sales leadership roles at Kellogg's, Annie's, Vital Farms, and Acme Provisions before channeling all of that experience into helping emerging brands scale smarter without breaking the bank. We dig into the real mechanics of how emerging brands should think about sales infrastructure - when to use a broker, when to go fractional, and when to bring someone in-house. Jonathan breaks down why the broker model isn't actually broken, but that most brands don't understand what brokers can and can't do, and why that misalignment is where things fall apart. We get into retail execution, distributor velocity thresholds, and why getting on the shelf is only step one - getting off the shelf is the real work. Jonathan walks through his preferred approach to the natural-to-conventional transition, why he likes retailer-specific and regional brokers at early stage, and how Scout builds a financial model for every account before a brand sells into it to make sure the numbers actually pencil out. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🏗️ Why Jonathan built Scout CPG after 20+ years in sales leadership 🤝 Why the broker model isn't broken - brands just misunderstand it 💰 Broker compensation structures (retainer, commission, and hybrids) 🚀 Fractional sales vs. broker vs. full-time hire - how to decide 🛒 Why retailer-specific and regional brokers shine at early stage 📦 Mile wide vs. mile deep - why distribution strategy matters more than door count 📊 Velocity is king - the first 90 days on shelf 🎯 How to transition from natural/specialty to conventional retail 📝 What a great buyer deck actually looks like (5-6 pages max) 💸 Scout's "customer planner" - modeling profitability before selling in ⚠️ Common mistakes brands make in buyer meetings 👀 Why you should visit the store before you pitch the buyer --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:44 – Origin story and the why behind Scout CPG 03:05 – How Scout differs from a traditional broker 05:55 – Why the broker model isn't broken 07:16 – Broker compensation structures 10:05 – How Scout's financial model works differently 12:28 – Fractional sales vs. broker vs. full-time hire 17:00 – Regional vs. national vs. retailer-specific brokers 20:58 – Choosing the right channel and region first 23:42 – Retail execution: good ideas, bad implementation 25:44 – Going a mile wide vs. a mile deep 28:19 – The first 90 days on shelf 32:20 – Natural to conventional transition 35:33 – Building a buyer presentation that works 39:07 – The customer planner: financial modeling before selling in 42:13 – Where to follow Jonathan and Scout CPG --------------- Links: Scout CPG – https://www.scout-cpg.com/ Follow Jonathan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-skaare-b9126922/ 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.

    45 min
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

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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