Eric Ryan Retail Rescue

Goodbrain
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

There’s a saying, “It takes one to know one.” I believe entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy because I’m one of them. I speak their language. I can also tell when they’re full of sh*t. One of my unfair advantages is the fact that I’m a fixer.  That means I can’t help walking into a store or shopping online and seeing what can and should be improved about a product packing, taste, ingredients and more. It’s a gift and a curse because I’m not easier satisfied. To me innovation and disruption is about seeing what others don’t see and either reinventing the category or introducing something totally unique. It’s mostly common sense combined with a high level of taste, the right team and a bit of luck.  Welcome to Eric Ryan Retail Rescue, where I spotlight products and in-store categories that need to be rescued and revived! Want to know more about me? Visit my website: https://www.gobstop.com/bio

Episodes

  1. OCT 6

    From Bathroom Bro Banter to $320M Behemoth Brand: How 3 Dudes Convinced Men to Clean Up Their Act

    From a Chicago apartment bathroom to $320 million in sales - Sean Riley turned baby wipes into a cultural phenomenon by convincing men across America to clean up their act. What happens when three buddies start using baby wipes and realize the category needs a complete rebrand? They create Dude Wipes, face rejection after rejection from retailers, then land a Shark Tank deal with Mark Cuban that changes everything. But getting from party jokes to national retail shelves took more than clever marketing. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why Eric Ryan initially rejected investing in Dude Wipes (and his public apology) • The three-year journey of applying to Shark Tank before finally getting the call • How Mark Cuban stood up and closed the deal when negotiations stalled • Why Walmart said yes to 4,000 doors after five years of pitching • The strategic decision to cut their entire product line and refocus on wipes • How Amazon became their proving ground when retail buyers kept saying no Sean opens up about bootstrapping for years, the mistake of extending into deodorant and body spray too early, and why Mark Cuban kept telling them "don't drown in opportunity." His approach to building a brand reads like a masterclass in focus - from turning down VC money to making the main thing the main thing. This conversation gets into the real mechanics of consumer products: creating behavioral change in an entire gender, competing against multi-billion dollar conglomerates in toilet paper, and why buying dudewipes.com for $5,000 was the best investment they made. Key insights for entrepreneurs: • Break growth into bite-sized chunks - you're not launching a company, you're launching a product • More companies die from indigestion than starvation • Build momentum on platforms you control before pitching retail • Culture is your frequency - tune it right and everything else follows • Play your own game instead of obsessing over competition The episode dives deep into the power of humor in marketing, why focusing on one category creates exponential growth, and how three childhood friends built something together without killing each other along the way. If you want to hear what building a challenger brand really looks like - from toilet paper buyers finally saying yes to scaling past $300 million while keeping it fun - this episode delivers the truth about focus, partnership, and the power of solving a problem nobody wanted to talk about.

    49 min

  2. SEP 29

    Getting Awkward Boosted Brittane Rowe's Start up Brand from $0 to $500,000 in Sales

    From theater stages to Shark Tank to building a board game empire, Brittany Rowe turned a pandemic Google Doc into a multimillion-dollar business now sold at Target and Walmart. What happens when 3 family members trapped in quarantine start documenting their deepest conversations? They create Hella Awkward, the card game that ignites genuine connections through hilariously uncomfortable questions. But getting from a Brooklyn apartment to national retail shelves took more than good questions. In this episode, you'll discover: The entire Shark Tank journey from online application to Robert Herjavec's offerHow Brittany hand-delivered games with balloons in NYC for social media contentThe nightmare of shipping 5,000 units to Macy's from a studio apartmentWhy 30% of their first production run went straight to trashHow theater school taught her to embrace failure as a learning toolThe cold reality of that first Target buyer meetingBrittany opens up about growing up religious, finding freedom in theater at Michigan State, and how vulnerability became her superpower in business. Her approach to retail reads like a masterclass in momentum building - from convincing friends to quality control products over wine to turning every store visit into content gold. This conversation gets into the real challenges of games and toys retail: competing against Hasbro and Monopoly, navigating buyer meetings that feel transactional, and why she chose 600 Walmart doors over 1,000 with an exclusivity deal. Key insights for entrepreneurs: Launch before perfect - iterate as you goYour friends and family are your best first focus groupTake every buyer meeting even if the timing feels wrongMarketing through radio worked better than Meta ads for a conversation gameBeing Type A and perfectionist will kill your business before it startsThe episode also dives deep into Gen Z consumer behavior, why in-person experiences are winning right now, and how to design products that double as home decor so people remember to use them.

    49 min
  3. Master of the Mid-Day Munchies | Jake Karls, Mid-Day Squares

    SEP 24

    Master of the Mid-Day Munchies | Jake Karls, Mid-Day Squares

    From hand-delivering 25-cent chocolate bars in Montreal to building a 65-million-bar business with a fully automated factory - this is the raw, unfiltered story of Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jay Karls. What happens when three family members risk everything to disrupt the chocolate industry? You get therapy sessions every 10 days, a $30 website mistake that nearly bankrupted the company, and one of the most transparent "build out loud" journeys in entrepreneurship. In this episode, you'll discover: • Why Jay hired a videographer before a food scientist • The UPC code disaster that cost millions in sales • How documenting family business drama became their secret weapon • Why refrigerated snacks are the next big retail opportunity • The Target pitch that changed everything • How a near-recall taught them about quality over everything Jay opens up about struggling in school, getting rejected from 36 jobs, and finding his calling after watching Shark Tank on his parents' couch. His approach to business reads like a masterclass in momentum creation - from hand-delivering products to meet every customer face-to-face to using social media as a reality show about building a business. This conversation gets into the nitty-gritty of consumer packaged goods: cold custody challenges, shelf-life nightmares, and why being the "class clown turned entrepreneur" became his superpower in retail. Key insights for entrepreneurs: • How to build authentic momentum from zero • Why collaboration beats competition every time • The importance of hiring operators when you're an artist • How to turn business failures into your biggest wins If you're ready to hear what building a modern food brand really looks like - without the glossy Instagram version - this episode delivers the truth about entrepreneurship, family business dynamics, and the unglamorous path to retail success.

    53 min
  • 3 Episodes

About

There’s a saying, “It takes one to know one.” I believe entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy because I’m one of them. I speak their language. I can also tell when they’re full of sh*t. One of my unfair advantages is the fact that I’m a fixer.  That means I can’t help walking into a store or shopping online and seeing what can and should be improved about a product packing, taste, ingredients and more. It’s a gift and a curse because I’m not easier satisfied. To me innovation and disruption is about seeing what others don’t see and either reinventing the category or introducing something totally unique. It’s mostly common sense combined with a high level of taste, the right team and a bit of luck.  Welcome to Eric Ryan Retail Rescue, where I spotlight products and in-store categories that need to be rescued and revived! Want to know more about me? Visit my website: https://www.gobstop.com/bio

Information

  • Creator
    Goodbrain
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Eric Ryan Retail Rescue
  • Show Website
    Eric Ryan Retail Rescue