The Octopus Podcast

Mike Levinson
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing

The clear, concise, to the point, no BS, in your face approach to foodservice and alternative channels for food & beverage brands. Micro-markets, vending, OCS, GPOs, college campuses, c-stores — how CPG brands actually get placed and hit 100 units/day per location. Hosted by Mike Levinson, founder of FS Octopus.

  1. 1d ago

    Why I Hate Grocery Retail: CPG Brands Are Just Renting Shelf Space

    Grocery retail looks sexy. Getting your product onto the shelves of Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, H-E-B, or Target feels like the ultimate goal for an emerging food brand. But what if chasing that shelf space is actually one of the worst moves you can make? In this episode of The Octopus Podcast, Mike Levinson goes on a straight-shooting rant about the brutal reality of grocery retail for emerging CPG brands. Private label is growing, major food companies dominate shelf space, category buyers are watching velocity, and smaller brands can spend enormous amounts of money just to rent a few inches of shelf space. Mike breaks down why most emerging food brands aren't unicorn products, why private label is putting increasing pressure on national and regional brands, and why simply getting into a major grocery chain doesn't mean you're going to sell millions of dollars. Instead, Mike argues for a different strategy: own your backyard, build a loyal customer base, focus on specific channels, and sell where you can actually control the relationship. Think micro markets, vending, corporate campuses, colleges and universities, hospitality, independent retailers, convenience, e-commerce, Amazon, TikTok Shop, and other non-grocery channels where emerging brands can build awareness, community, and real customer loyalty. The goal isn't to beg a category buyer to give you a few inches of shelf space. The goal is to build enough demand that the buyer comes looking for you. Mike's message is simple: stop spray-and-pray distribution, stop chasing the biggest grocery chains, and build a foundation you actually own. Key topics: grocery retail • CPG growth • emerging food brands • private label • store brands • grocery distribution • retail distribution • category buyers • shelf space • shelf velocity • food startups • snack brands • beverage brands • micro markets • vending • corporate campuses • college and university sales • convenience stores • independent grocery stores • hospitality • e-commerce • Amazon • TikTok Shop • social media marketing • brand awareness • customer loyalty • brand building • direct-to-consumer • CPG strategy • food industry • retail strategy • foodservice sales • non-grocery retail

  2. Oct 19

    The CPG Licensing Hack: How Small Food Brands Can Borrow Big Brand Power

    What if a small food brand could borrow the power, recognition, and credibility of a major brand without spending millions building it from scratch? In this episode, we break down the CPG licensing strategy that can help emerging food and snack brands tap into the power of established brands, characters, celebrities, entertainment properties, and other recognizable IP. It’s a potential shortcut to brand awareness, retail appeal, consumer trust, and new revenue opportunities—but licensing comes with its own set of challenges, costs, negotiations, and risks. We dig into how food brand licensing works, why big brands license their intellectual property, what smaller CPG companies can gain from these partnerships, and how entrepreneurs can use existing brand power to compete in an increasingly crowded grocery and snack market. If you're building a CPG brand, food startup, snack company, or consumer product business, this episode offers a closer look at how licensing can become a powerful growth strategy. Want to see if licensing could work for your brand? Take the CPG Licensing Scorecard created by Phil Gorman to assess your brand and see where you stand: Take the CPG Licensing Scorecard Because sometimes you don't need to build the biggest brand in the room you just need to figure out how to borrow its power. Key topics: CPG licensing • food brand licensing • brand licensing • consumer packaged goods • food startups • snack brands • licensing deals • licensing strategy • intellectual property • IP licensing • brand partnerships • celebrity licensing • entertainment licensing • emerging food brands • food business • CPG growth • retail strategy • grocery retail • consumer brands • brand awareness • food marketing • CPG marketing • food industry • snack industry

  3. Oct 12

    Stop Chasing Distributors: The CPG Distribution Game Nobody Explains

    Getting your food or beverage brand into distribution isn't as simple as calling a distributor and asking them to carry your product. In this episode of The Octopus Podcast, Mike Levinson breaks down the world of food distribution, CPG distribution, broadline distributors, specialty distributors, and alternative foodservice channels—and explains why so many emerging brands approach distribution backwards. Mike's advice is blunt: don't chase the distributor. Create the demand first. Instead of calling US Foods, Performance Food Group, Sysco, Vistar, UNFI, KeHE, Core-Mark, McLane, or another distributor and hoping they'll take a chance on your brand, Mike explains why your first focus should be the operator—the restaurant, restaurant group, corporate campus, college or university, convenience store, micro market, or other account that can create enough demand to pull your product into distribution. You'll learn how the anchor account works, why pull-through matters, how to work backwards from the operator to their distributor, what brands need to know about distributor paperwork and onboarding, and why small MOQs and supporting the distributor's sales team can make a difference once you're established. Mike also explains the difference between broadline, specialty, convenience, grocery, and redistributor channels, and why emerging food and beverage brands should consider starting in their own backyard before trying to expand nationally. If you're a CPG founder, food entrepreneur, snack brand, beverage brand, restaurant supplier, broker, or sales professional, this episode offers a practical look at how to navigate the food distribution world—and why getting distribution isn't about who you know. It's about creating enough demand that the distributor has a reason to bring you in. Key topics: CPG distribution • food distribution • foodservice distribution • broadline distributors • Sysco • US Foods • Performance Food Group • Vistar • UNFI • KeHE • convenience distribution • specialty distribution • anchor accounts • pull-through • emerging food brands • foodservice sales • CPG growth

  4. Oct 5

    You're Just Renting Space: The Brutal Truth About Grocery Retail (Hint: It's a Bloodbath)

    Getting your food or beverage brand onto a grocery shelf sounds like the ultimate goal. But what if getting there is actually where the real fight begins? On this episode of The Octopus Podcast, Mike Levinson pulls back the curtain on the brutal reality of grocery retail for emerging CPG brands. His message is simple: you’re not owning that shelf, you’re renting space. Small and emerging food brands are competing for limited shelf space against private-label products, major CPG companies, and brands with significantly more money and resources. Even when you finally get the coveted retail placement, you can still face distributor fees, deductions, slotting costs, low velocity, and the constant threat of getting knocked off the shelf. So what's the alternative? Mike argues that emerging food, beverage, snack, and CPG brands need to stop obsessing over getting into the biggest grocery chains and start by owning their backyard. Build local distribution. Know exactly who your customer is. Create brand awareness and loyalty. Use social media to build an emotional connection. Generate sales, data, and traction—and make the retailers come looking for you. In this episode, Mike breaks down why so many emerging brands fail, the grocery retail trap, the rise of private label, why chasing major retailers too early can backfire, and how small CPG brands can build a foundation for sustainable growth. Because the goal isn't simply to get on the shelf. The goal is to build a brand that makes the buyer want your shelf space. Key topics: CPG brands • food & beverage brands • grocery retail • grocery buyers • emerging brands • private label • food distribution • brand awareness • customer loyalty • social media marketing • alternative retail channels • local distribution • startup food brands #CPG #FoodBrands #GroceryRetail #FoodAndBeverage #ConsumerBrands #CPGBrands #FoodEntrepreneurs #BrandBuilding #GroceryStores #RetailStrategy

  5. Sep 28

    The Grocery Shelf Trap: 3 CPG Brands That Found Gold in Their Own Backyard

    Three founders. Three very different CPG brands. One brutally honest conversation about what actually sells outside grocery retail. Mike Levinson sits down with Audrey Rowe of Rowe’s Macaroons, Patrick of OMW Foods, and Taylor Ellison and Meredith Hearn of Wild Blood to break down how smart packaging, sharp positioning, and the right channel strategy can make a product stand out in crowded categories. If you’re building a food or beverage brand, this episode is packed with the kind of real-world distribution insight most founders learn too late. You’ll hear how Audrey turned a family-inspired chocolate macaroon into a cult-favorite, gluten-free product and why she’s leaning into coffee shops, specialty grocers, and corporate gifting instead of chasing big-box scale too early. Patrick shares how OMW Foods reinvented peanut butter and jelly with a shelf-stable, spouted pouch built for hiking, campus life, vending, and on-the-go snacking. Taylor and Meredith explain how Wild Blood is taking coconut water beyond the carton with a craft-focused brand, still and sparkling varieties, and a channel strategy aimed at gyms, music venues, universities, and nightlife. We break down what makes a brand feel premium, why packaging can matter as much as flavor, and how each founder is thinking about growth in 2026 and 2027 without falling into the trap of trying to be everywhere at once. Mike also makes the case for owning your backyard first and shows why alternative channels may be the smartest path for emerging CPG brands. Essential listening if you care about food and beverage innovation, DTC, retail strategy, or building a brand people actually remember.

  6. Sep 21

    The Broker Model is Broken

    Mike Levinson breaks down why traditional food service brokers often underperform for emerging brands, what brokers actually do, and how brands should think about distribution, demand creation, and accountability instead. This is a solo, opinionated episode focused on practical advice for brands trying to navigate fragmented food service channels. In this episode: Mike defines what a broker is and distinguishes between grocery retail brokers and food service or alternative channel brokers.He explains why food service is far more fragmented than retail, with different selling motions for colleges, corporate campuses, restaurants, hotels, military, cruise lines, and airlines.He mentions that the classic broker model worked better when brands needed help pioneering distribution, but today many brokers carry too many lines to meaningfully push a smaller brand.He says most brokers want existing distribution and a retainer, rather than doing the hard work of building a brand from scratch.He advises brands to ask specific questions before hiring a broker: where they play, how many lines they carry, what data they share, how often they meet, and whether they can provide references.He stresses that brands must create demand themselves and not expect brokers to do it for them.He recommends proving the concept locally first, opening distribution, and then asking distributors for broker recommendations.He contrasts that with his own model at FS Octopus, which he describes as transparent, retainer-based, and focused on shared visibility into calls, samples, and account activity.He explains why he does not work on commission, citing cash flow, time investment, transparency, and the need for both sides to be fully committed.He frames the right relationship as fractional sales support, not a passive outsource arrangement.

  7. Sep 14

    What is TOM & Why Should I Care?

    Grocery retail can be a trap for emerging food and beverage brands. Mike Levinson explains why the real growth may be hiding in your backyard—and how smaller, fragmented channels can create faster traction, better feedback, and less painful sell-through. He breaks down the mistake too many brands make when they chase big-box grocery shelves before they’ve earned local momentum. Instead of fighting for space in a bloodbath of 35,000 to 50,000 SKUs, Mike makes the case for building in independent accounts, micro markets, hospitality, campuses, convenience, and other alternative channels where brands can actually get noticed. In this episode, you will discovery: Why “owning your backyard” matters more than chasing distant national accountsHow grocery retail and food service buy completely differentlyThe channels Mike prioritizes for single-serve snacks, drinks, and grab-and-go itemsWhy private label and giant incumbents are squeezing out smaller brandsHow the TOM method organizes outreach across multiple food service and alternative channel segments Mike also opens up his operating model behind FS Octopus, including his straight-retainer approach, the TOM cohort program, weekly office hours, WhatsApp collaboration, sample requests, and the education framework he uses to help brands navigate distribution without getting buried in paperwork.If you’re an emerging CPG brand, a founder trying to build distribution, or a food service operator looking for a smarter path to growth, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for where to focus next—and why the biggest shelf is not always the best one. Perfect for brand owners who want real traction without burning time and money chasing the wrong retail strategy.

  8. Sep 7

    Skip the Shelf. Feed the Machine.

    Mike Levinson and Hunter Hebestreet break down how AI-powered smart vending machines are turning overlooked spaces into high-conversion retail channels, why multifamily has become the sweet spot, and what brands need to know if they want a shot at repeat purchases instead of one-and-done trial. You’ll discover: Why Hunter walked away from burnout in healthcare sales to build an AI vending businessHow his North American Micromart machines work like “Amazon Go in a box”Why multifamily buildings can outperform traditional vending locations when branding, convenience, and product mix alignThe data behind a Denver property where more than 85% of residents used the machine monthlyWhy drinks drive more than 60% of sales, and why snack, beverage, and freezer assortment matters more than most operators realizeHow AI-generated proposals, free goods, and relentless follow-up help win placementsWhy packaging can matter more than product education when shoppers are making impulse decisions on the spotMike also pushes on the bigger question every brand should care about: where does trial actually happen if grocery is a bloodbath? Hunter’s answer makes a strong case for micro markets, smart stores, and vending as a channel built for emerging brands that have the right product, the right price, and the right presentation.Hunter shares what sells, what doesn’t, and where he’s expanding next, including new Colorado Springs locations and a growing appetite for brands that can stand out without needing a huge ad budget. If you’re a founder, operator, or brand trying to break through retail noise, this is the kind of episode that could change how you think about distribution.Perfect for emerging CPG brands, snack and beverage founders, and anyone looking for a smarter way to reach customers outside traditional grocery.

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About

The clear, concise, to the point, no BS, in your face approach to foodservice and alternative channels for food & beverage brands. Micro-markets, vending, OCS, GPOs, college campuses, c-stores — how CPG brands actually get placed and hit 100 units/day per location. Hosted by Mike Levinson, founder of FS Octopus.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Levinson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mike Levinson