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. 22H AGO

    Christian Karim Khalil - Selling a Unit Every 30 Seconds at Costco

    On this episode, we're joined by Christian Karim Khalil, Founder & CEO of Yaza - the fast-growing brand bringing traditionally made, clean-ingredient labneh and Mediterranean dips to the U.S. market.  Christian brings years of global CPG experience from a handful of countries around the world. Christian walks through the nine-month R&D process, the grueling six-month search for a dairy co-packer (printing hundreds of pages from the FDA's IMS certificate list and cold-calling every company on it), and the production challenges that came with scaling up for Whole Foods. We get into the Yaza rebrand, why Christian pushed for it early, and his framework for deciding when a rebrand is worth the investment: it has to solve specific problems, not just look better. Christian also breaks down what it took to land Whole Foods nationwide before even having product in market, the Costco roadshow model and selling a unit every 30 seconds, and the consumer education playbook for a category that's still new to the majority of American shoppers. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🧀 How labneh is traditionally made (and why it's different in the U.S.) 🏭 The six-month co-packer search (FDA binders, cold calls, near-quitting) 🧪 Nine months of R&D to match Lebanon's gold standard 🎨 Why Yaza rebranded early and the problems it solved 🛒 Landing Whole Foods nationwide before having product in market 📈 Growing 200%+ at Whole Foods through strategic promotions 🏪 The Costco roadshow model (selling a unit every 30 seconds) 🍽️ Labneh on Michelin-star menus as a consumer education driver 📦 Building a "brand block" with baba ganoush and muhammara 🚀 Why Yaza skipped Expo West (and where that $100K+ goes instead) 👀 Why protein and fiber shouldn't be "trends" - they should be daily staples --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:54 – Origin story and the Hashimoto's connection 02:57 – Early R&D and making labneh at home 05:09 – Researching the market at Whole Foods 05:40 – Finding a co-packer (the IMS binder story) 07:18 – Perfecting the formulation 10:04 – Scaling production for Whole Foods 11:35 – Brand identity and the first packaging 13:43 – The rebrand: why, when, and how 16:00 – Expanding the product line (baba ganoush, muhammara) 19:25 – Advice on when a rebrand is worth it 22:01 – Landing Whole Foods nationwide 24:55 – Costco roadshows and what they revealed 28:04 – Consumer education and category creation 29:37 – Driving velocity: demos, promotions, social media 33:07 – Why Yaza skipped Expo West 34:30 – Trends, brands, and what's next for Yaza --------------- Links: Yaza – https://yazafoods.com/ Follow Christian on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-karim-khalil-8b615b185/ 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/

    37 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Betsy Gillette - The Real Mechanics of Getting On Shelf and Staying There

    On this episode, we're joined by Betsy Gillette, Co-Founder and CEO of Synergy Sales Consulting Group - the specialized sales management firm that acts as the full sales team for emerging CPG brands looking to scale nationally across grocery, natural, and mass channels.  Betsy brings deep industry experience from leadership roles at UNFI, White Wave, Ignite Sales Management (before it sold to Acosta), and a decade at Jewel-Osco. Betsy walks through the common mistakes she sees founders make, including hiring a marketer before a salesperson, staffing a friend in a sales role they'll outgrow in a year, and expecting retailers to just fall in love with their product off-cycle. We get into building a strong sales deck, what a one-pager needs to include, how to communicate price increases, and when to be transparent with retailers about supply chain issues. We also cover how to partner with UNFI and KeHE, why their sales teams won't sell on your behalf, how to select and manage brokers, and what metrics matter in a category review beyond units per store per week. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🏪 Why Synergy caps their portfolio at 10-12 brands 💸 Hiring a sales agency vs. building an internal sales team ⚠️ Why hiring a marketer before a salesperson is a costly mistake 🛒 How retail buyers actually make decisions (and what founders get wrong) 📊 Metrics that matter beyond units per store per week (dollar sales, household penetration) 📝 What a strong sales deck and one-pager need to include 💰 How to communicate a price increase through distributors 🤝 Partnering with UNFI and KeHE (and what brands misunderstand about them) 🚚 When and how to select and manage brokers 🎯 What a well-rounded go-to-market strategy looks like 🔬 Trends: protein, fiber, GLP-1s, and the new food pyramid guidance --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:52 – Origin story and what Synergy does 05:26 – When it makes sense to hire a sales agency 07:50 – Why 10-12 brands is the sweet spot 09:28 – Sales agency vs. internal sales team 11:13 – Buyer turnover and younger buyers at retailers 13:30 – What to look for in sales leadership hires 16:52 – The mistake of hiring a marketer before a salesperson 18:17 – How founders misunderstand retail buyer decisions 21:10 – Getting into retailers off-cycle (and why it rarely works) 23:13 – Key metrics for a strong sales story 24:52 – Preparing for category reviews 25:58 – Communicating price increases to retailers 26:20 – Being transparent with retailers about supply chain issues 28:31 – What a go-to-market strategy looks like 30:18 – What a good sales deck and one-pager should include 33:21 – How to truly partner with your distributor 36:01 – What brands misunderstand about distributors 37:54 – When and how to select and manage brokers 41:19 – Trends: protein, fiber, GLP-1s 42:35 – Where to find Betsy and Synergy --------------- Links: Synergy Sales Consulting Group – https://www.synergyscg.com/ Follow Betsy on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-gillette-2712074/ 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/

    43 min

  3. FEB 17

    Andy Kurtts - The Taste-Maker of Better-For-You CPG Brands

    On this episode, we're joined by Andy Kurtts, Creative Director and Founder of Buttermilk Creative - the North Carolina-based CPG design firm behind some of the most recognized better-for-you brands on shelf.  Andy breaks down the most expensive packaging mistakes he sees founders make, specifically how RGB-to-CMYK color mismatches compound across substrates and SKUs, and why the nutrition facts panel is not the place to get creative. We also get into the tension between designing for yourself vs. your target customer, why your logo probably isn't the most important thing on pack, and how hierarchy and clarity beat loud, busy design.  Andy walks through the Blue Zones Kitchen project, including the design sprint with multiple agencies, the handcrafted ceramic bowl that became the brand's most ownable asset, and why they're refreshing the packaging based on what they learned behind the freezer door. We also cover DTC-to-retail packaging transitions, the debate around owning a color block on shelf vs. a rainbow approach, where AI is actually useful for design teams today, and the CPG trends Andy is tracking, including protein's staying power and how brands are visually tackling the dye removal movement. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🛒 What retail buyers actually look for (hint: shelf-readiness over taste) 📦 Why back panel formatting can disqualify you before the tasting 🎨 The most expensive packaging mistake (RGB vs. CMYK color builds) 🖌️ Designing for your customer, not yourself ✨ Great packaging clarifies, it doesn't shout 🔤 Why your logo isn't the most important thing on pack 🧊 The Blue Zones Kitchen design sprint and freezer door lessons 🏺 The handcrafted ceramic bowl that became a brand asset 🌈 Owning a color block vs. the rainbow shelf approach 🤖 Where AI actually helps design teams (and where it doesn't) 👀 Trends: protein's staying power and the dye removal movement --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:44 – Lessons from nearly a decade at The Fresh Market 03:30 – How retail buyers evaluate private brand packaging 06:12 – What buyers actually look for in new products 08:52 – Packaging deal breakers that disqualify brands 11:10 – Designing for your customer, not yourself 13:58 – Great packaging clarifies, it doesn't shout 15:54 – The most expensive packaging mistakes (color) 20:04 – Unconventional design inspiration (museums, art, global markets) 23:11 – DTC vs. retail packaging 27:01 – Hierarchy on pack and why your logo can be secondary 29:12 – The Blue Zones Kitchen design story 34:47 – Owning a color on shelf vs. the rainbow approach 38:07 – AI in packaging design 42:21 – CPG trends: protein and the dye removal movement --------------- Links: Buttermilk Creative – https://buttermilkcreative.com/ Follow Andy on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/andykurtts/ 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/

    45 min

  4. FEB 12

    Kiera Kehoe - Scaling a National Demo Program

    On this episode, we're joined by Kiera Kehoe, Brand Manager at Smash Kitchen - the organic condiments and cooking oils brand co-founded by actor Glenn Powell. Kiera previously built and ran Lift Off, a demo and merchandising agency covering roughly 40 states, and honed her brand management chops at cool brands like Zack's Mighty. We dive into the real mechanics of building and running a demo program from the ground up. Kiera walks through how she thinks about budget allocation (sponsored search first, demos second), when brands should start demoing (three to four months after launch, not day one), and which categories see the best demo ROI - impulse-priced items like snacks and beverages versus low-margin singles where the math rarely works. We get into how to find, hire, and motivate top brand ambassadors (referrals first, Facebook groups second), the case for starting with an agency before building in-house, and how to diligence demo agencies by asking where their strongest regions are. Kiera also talks candidly about the realities of scaling a national demo program, including why most brands eventually have to pull back on demo spend around the two-year mark as they move into conventional retail. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🛒 How Lift Off demo agency was born from Zack's Mighty 🎯 Two marketing buckets: like your brand vs. buy your product 💰 Budget priority: sponsored search first, demos second 📊 Metrics that matter (samples distributed, sales, reorders) 🍟 Demoing frozen products (the tater tot air fryer story) 🤝 Why ambassadors are your best source of store-level intel 🎨 Table setup details that actually drive traffic 📋 Reporting with Piñata and why feedback is everything 🔍 How to find great brand ambassadors (referrals and Facebook groups) ⚠️ Agency vs. in-house: when to make the switch 🚀 Scaling a national demo program with regional agencies 📈 The two-year compounding effect at Whole Foods 👀 The future of demos and co-demoing to cut costs --------------- Table of Contents: 00:00 – Intro 00:32 – How Lift Off demo agency started 03:08 – What a great demo actually accomplishes 04:08 – Biggest misconceptions about demos 05:14 – Common mistakes brands make with demos 06:47 – When demos make sense (and when they don't) 08:16 – Categories where demos work best 09:54 – Demoing frozen and cooked products 11:24 – Allocating marketing budget to demos 13:01 – Choosing which stores to demo at 13:45 – What a great demo setup looks like 15:17 – Reporting and tracking ROI with Piñata 16:06 – Metrics that matter during and after demos 18:10 – What makes a great brand ambassador 19:34 – How to motivate and incentivize ambassadors 20:53 – Where to find top brand ambassadors 22:13 – Agency vs. in-house demo teams 24:22 – How to diligence a demo agency 25:58 – In-store realities and what goes wrong 29:04 – Common consumer objections at demos 30:16 – Scaling a national demo program 32:04 – Core tools for running a demo program (Piñata, Gusto) 33:16 – The future of demos 34:25 – Wrap up --------------- Links: Smash Kitchen – https://smashkitchen.com/ Follow Kiera on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieragk/ Follow Smash Kitchen on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/smash-kitchen/ 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/

    36 min

  5. FEB 9

    Sam Nebel - Scaling goodwipes into 15,000+ Doors

    On this episode, we're joined by Sam Nebel, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Goodwipes, a fast-growing eco-friendly wet wipes brand that's secured shelf space in pretty much every major retailer across the country.  In this episode, Sam shares the wild origin story of Goodwipes - which started with a bathroom conversation at a Florida State fraternity house - and breaks down how they've built a premium flushable wipes brand that's revolutionizing the restroom routine for millions of Americans. We dive into their scrappy early days, the importance of bootstrapping and building on a budget, and how they navigated formulation challenges to create a product that truly stands out. Sam gets tactical on brand identity and packaging design, explaining why "in-home aesthetics" matter just as much as shelf appeal, and walks through the naming process that led to Goodwipes. We also cover retail strategy at scale - what's unique about Walmart, Target, and Kroger, why placement in the toilet paper aisle vs personal care matters, and how they've successfully scaled into 10,000+ doors. Sam shares insights on the challenges of sampling wipes, their growing presence in airports, and what it takes to launch new products successfully. --------------- Episode Highlights: 🚽 The fraternity house origin story 💪 Bootstrapping lessons from franchising and nightlife 🧪 Formulation R&D and product iteration 📦 Brand identity, packaging, and "in-home aesthetics" ✏️ The naming process and creating approachability 🛒 Walmart, Target, Kroger—what's different about each 📍 Why aisle placement matters (TP aisle vs personal care) ✈️ The airport channel opportunity 📈 Scaling from 100 to 1,000 to 10,000+ doors 🚀 New product development and hitting timelines 🎯 Risk and opportunity ahead 👀 Trends and brands Sam is watching --------------- Table of Contents: 0:00 - Intro 0:47 - Origin story and goodwipes overview 3:21 - Lessons as a franchisee 5:22 - Lessons as a nightlife agency owner 7:59 - Building on a budget, fundraising 11:02 - Formulation and R&D 14:00 - Product roadmap and innovation 15:32 - Brand identity and packaging design 19:41 - The importance of in-home aesthetics 21:43 - The naming process 23:32 - Walmart, Target and Kroger and beyond 27:41 - Sampling wipes? 29:12 - Airports 31:10 - Scaling into 10K+ doors 32:28 - NPD decision process, getting it right 35:15 - Risk and opportunities 36:58 - Trends and brands Sam is watching --------------- Links: Goodwipes – https://www.goodwipes.com Follow Sam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kingofwipes/ 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.

    40 min

  6. FEB 3

    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

  7. 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

  8. 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
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5
out of 5
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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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