Bulletproof Your CPG Brand

Daniel Lohman
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the founder-first podcast for entrepreneurial and growth-stage CPG brands that want to protect runway, improve execution, and compete smarter at retail. Hosted by Daniel Lohman, CPSA, founder of Retail Solved, the show helps natural, organic, better-for-you, food, beverage, wellness, and mission-driven CPG founders understand what really drives profitable retail growth. Most brands do not have a spend problem first. They have a clarity problem. Each episode helps founders think more strategically about category management, retail sales, trade marketing, promotion ROI, deduction management, broker accountability, distribution gaps, assortment strategy, shopper insights, retailer relationships, data analytics, and retail execution. You will hear practical solo episodes, expert interviews, founder stories, and real-world lessons from the retail system — not theory. The goal is simple: Help you see what others miss, make better decisions, and build a stronger CPG brand with the resources you already have. Learn more and access free CPG growth resources at RetailSolved.com. Topics include CPG brand growth, retail strategy, category management, trade marketing, trade spend, promotion planning, deduction prevention, broker management, distributor execution, retail analytics, shopper insights, natural products, food and beverage brands, omnichannel retail, sales dashboards, scorecards, and CPG founder strategy.

  1. 7h ago

    Your Promotion Increased Sales. So Why Did Cash Get Tighter?

    332.  A promotion can increase sales, make the retailer happy, and still quietly drain cash, margin, and runway. That is the part most post-event recaps miss. In this episode, Dan Lohman explains why a promotion can look successful on paper while quietly creating margin pressure, deduction issues, forward buys, execution gaps, and weaker baseline sales later. He shares the promotion lesson he learned selling chips against a much larger competitor and breaks down five questions every CPG brand should ask before repeating an event. In this episode, you will learn: Why sales lift alone is not proof a promotion worked The hidden costs most promotion recaps miss Why smarter timing can outperform deeper discounts How retailer value creates leverage Five questions to ask before you repeat a promotion How to turn a promotion recap into a decision, an owner, and a next action Download the free guide: RetailSolved.com/guide7 Show notes and resources: RetailSolved.com/session332 ⏰ Timecode 00:32 the most expensive promotion may become the one you repeat because sales went up 01:44 Why rinse and repeat is not a good strategy 02:50 Every ineffective promotion is more expensive 03:35 The lesson I learned selling chips - It's not what you think 05:52 How a massive free display helped double my paycheck 06:36 The costly promotion mistake every brand makes - avoid this 07:41 Earning a voice in the retailers strategy became an unfair advantage   08:04 How a small daily improvement produced an result over time 08:25 5 questions you MUST ask before repeating a promotion 08:51 A promotion with no job = a discount. A discount without measurement becomes a leak 11:08 The ethical easy button that I trust 11:58 The real easy button is a simple, repeatable decision process 12:03 This is Retail Clarity in practice 12:51 The goal is to make every promotion earn its place in the plan 13:07 Here is a practical next step 13:12 Get the FREE 8 Strategies to Maximize Your Trade Marketing ROI RetailSolved.com/guide7 14:25 When every dollar has to work harder, a slightly better decision repeated across every retailer and every event can create a very large advantage

    Your Promotion Increased Sales. So Why Did Cash Get Tighter?

  2. Jul 21

    More People. More Software. Why the Same Decisions Keep Coming Back.

    331. Most growing brands are being sold some version of an easy button. Hire another person. Add a dashboard. Plug in AI. Automate the report, and the business will finally become easier to run. Those tools can help. The problem begins when the business expects them to replace the commercial decision capability it never built. Dan Lohman explains why the same recurring decisions keep returning to the founder even after the company adds more people, information, technology, and outside partners. You will learn: Why the founder often becomes the company's original operating system Why hiring around confusion can make it more expensive How software and AI can accelerate the wrong answer The four parts of repeatable decision capability How stronger operating rhythm improves shopper trust and business value Why better capability changes the terms with retailers and investors The Decision Clarity Trilogy helps you listen, understand, and decide. Episode 331 shows you how to build those lessons into the way the business operates. This is the Build chapter of the Retail Clarity series. Retail Clarity Series Podcast playlist 328: Listen 329: Understand 330: Decide 331: Build Bring one report, workflow, or recurring decision your team still debates: RetailSolved.com/DecisionTools Download the free 15-Minute CPG Runway Leak Finder™ and get the show notes: RetailSolved.com/session331 ⏰ Timecode 01:24 The founder becomes the original operating system 02:44 The missing layer between the people and the tools 04:17 When visible growth hides a weakening foundation 06:56 Software is not the enemy 07:36 The sequence matters. First define the decision. 08:28 Four things must come before the easy button 09:34 Shared accountability usually becomes no accountability 10:44 Better capability changes the terms of the conversation 13:03 Listen. Understand. Decide. Build. 14:47 Start with one recurring decision 15:45 The next step 17:10 The spreadsheet is not the product. The decision is. 17:17 When the margin for error gets smaller, clarity becomes your competitive advantage

    More People. More Software. Why the Same Decisions Keep Coming Back.

  3. Jul 14

    More Reports Aren't the Problem. Your Decisions Are.

    330.  Your Dashboard Can Be Accurate—and Still Mislead You More dashboards. More reports. More spreadsheets. More software. So why do so many CPG leadership teams still struggle to make confident decisions? In this episode, Daniel Lohman explains why more reporting doesn't automatically create more clarity. You'll learn: • Why accurate reports can still mislead • The $100,000 reporting lesson that changed how Daniel thinks about data • Why databases don't always reflect how shoppers actually shop • The four biggest reporting blind spots • Why every report should start with a decision—not a spreadsheet • How Retail Clarity helps founders ask better questions before expensive mistakes happen One idea sits at the center of this episode: The spreadsheet isn't the product. The decision is. ⏰ Timecode 01:35 when the margin for error gets smaller, decision quality matters more 03:15 The $100,000 source of truth 05:16 Don't confuse a polished report with a complete answer 05:38 Blind spot number one: the data is accurate but incomplete 06:07 An accurate number can tell an incomplete story. And an incomplete story can lead to a bad decision. 06:13 Blind spot number two: data not organized around the shopper 08:28 Blind spot number three: every department is optimizing in isolation 10:04 Blind spot number four: the report arrives after the decision has already been made 10:47 The best decision tools should help answer: 11:06 This is why I built the Retail Clarity Framework, it has 4 lenses  12:34 The difference between a report and a decision tool 13:42 Five questions to ask before trusting your next report 14:50 A decision tool should reduce debate—not create more of it 16:39 When the margin for error gets smaller, clarity becomes your competitive advantage. 17:10 The practical next step 17:53 See Decision Tools examples at RetailSolved.com/DecisionTools. 18:37 The spreadsheet is not the product. The decision is.

    More Reports Aren't the Problem. Your Decisions Are.

  4. Jul 8

    Your Brand Is Not Broken. The Margin For Error Got Smaller.

    329. Growth feels harder right now. That does not necessarily mean your brand, product, mission, or founder instincts are broken. The environment around the business changed, and the margin for error got smaller. Sales may be growing while cash still feels tight. Promotions may move volume while compressing margin. Shoppers may still love the brand but buy it less often, wait for a promotion, or make different choices at the kitchen table. Dan Lohman explains why the old playbook is less forgiving and why stronger decision quality has become one of the most important ways CPG founders can protect runway. You will learn: Why sales growth does not always make the business stronger How changing shopper behavior affects founder economics Why reports often explain the pressure too late How Retail Clarity connects internal, shopper, competitive, and predictive signals Your brand may not be broken. The margin for error got smaller. Start with the free 15-Minute CPG Runway Leak Finder™: RetailSolved.com/leakfinder This is the Understand chapter of the Retail Clarity series. Retail Clarity Series Podcast playlist 328: Listen 329: Understand 330: Decide 331: Build ⏰ Timecode 03:03 Growth feels harder right now because: 04:10 Solving todays problems with yesterdays playbook can get expensive 05:58 Shoppers are doing their own version of runway management 06:46 Shoppers need your brand to make sense inside their current reality 07:44 One of the biggest traps in CPG 08:57 That is what Retail Clarity Decision Tools are built to do 09:31 The promotion example founders need to understand 11:12 The four questions that change the conversation 11:46 Why the Shopper Signal Flywheel™ becomes so important 12:55 The old playbook was more forgiving 14:20 The leak is not always obvious 15:29 What founders should do now

    Your Brand Is Not Broken. The Margin For Error Got Smaller.

  5. Jul 1

    Your Email List May Know Before Your Dashboard Does

    328.  Your sales report may be one of the last places you learn that the shopper changed. By the time velocity slows, repeat purchase weakens, or a retailer starts asking harder questions, the shopper may have already made a different decision. This episode uses trade shows as a practical example, but the bigger lesson is not really about trade shows. It is about turning shopper conversations, demos, email replies, community engagement, buyer questions, and event follow-up into a listening system. Dan Lohman explains why your email list should be more than a coupon channel and how better signal capture can help your team understand what shoppers are thinking before the numbers finally explain it. You will learn: Why sales reports often reveal shopper change too late How to capture useful signals from conversations and events Why segmentation makes follow-up more relevant How email can strengthen relationships, validate ideas, and create retail proof The event creates the moment. Your system creates the return. Download the free Shopper Signal Flywheel™ at: RetailSolved.com/guide31 This is the Listen chapter of the Retail Clarity series. Retail Clarity Series Podcast playlist 328: Listen 329: Understand 330: Decide 331: Build ⏰ Timecode 02:17 What most founders already know but few will say out-loud  04:03 The problem: brands think the show is the strategy. It is not 05:17 When runway is tight, hope gets expensive.  06:14 Booth traffic ≠ the win. The win is what happens next 07:31 A good follow-up system does three things 08:15 Make the comment personnel and memorable 09:02 And that is the bigger opportunity I want founders to see 09:52 Imagine the buyer may thinking, "I have been waiting for this." 10:33 But there is a second layer 11:39 That is another reason trade show follow-up matters  13:21 With it, the show becomes an asset 13:42 Get more value from the money you are already spending  14:14 Think about every trade show in three stages 15:32 An email system can bridge the show and more  17:55 The show gives you the moment.The system creates the return. 19:19 Download the free guide at:RetailSolved.com/guide31

    Your Email List May Know Before Your Dashboard Does

  6. Jun 23

    The Future Belongs To Brands That Build Community With Chrissy Hammer, Sunshine Buns

    327. What if your biggest growth opportunity isn't another retailer? What if it's the customers you already have? In this episode, Chrissy Hammer, co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Buns, shares her journey from family recipe to national retail expansion. She shares the story behind Sunshine Buns, the lessons she's learned scaling a founder-led brand, and why the future belongs to brands that build authentic communities, create meaningful customer relationships, and turn shoppers into loyal advocates. We discuss: • Community building • Founder storytelling • Authenticity • First-party customer data • Email marketing strategy • Customer co-creation • Hiring the right team • Scaling without losing your brand One of the biggest lessons: Most brands collect customer emails. Very few build customer relationships. And that difference may determine who wins in the future. Download the free The Shopper Signal Flywheel™ at https://RetailSolved.com/guide31 ⏰ Timecodes 02:04 The DNA and Legacy of Sunshine Buns 06:39 The origin behind our story, why this matters 08:47 Why founders need and want guidance  10:06 How a lean team drives explosive growth 12:25 How A+ talent is an import growth accelerator  14:56 Why founders need to drive strategy - what that looks like 16:25 How to amplify your message through others 18:45 The achilles heal of every brand - don't let this derail you 20:23 The importance of having a solid brand universe 21:47 How to turn an email platform into a strategic growth lever 2641 The benefit of building strategy around loyal customer feedback  28:04 Where my genuine authenticity come from - why it matters  34:16 Why tenacity matters - how it drive results 37:49 Embracing the journey - growing and becoming more as CEO  44:39 Your brand is a promise delivered

    The Future Belongs To Brands That Build Community With Chrissy Hammer, Sunshine Buns

  7. Jun 16

    Growth Doesn't Break Brands. Complexity Does. With Mike Fata

    326. Most founders believe growth solves problems. More distribution. More retailers. More sales. More opportunities. But what if growth isn't the thing that's putting pressure on your business? What if the real problem is complexity? In this episode, I sit down with Mike Fata, founder of Manitoba Harvest and author of Grow, to discuss one of the most overlooked challenges facing entrepreneurial brands today. Scaling. Not the exciting part. The messy part. The part where communication breaks down. Departments become disconnected. Priorities drift. Execution suffers. And founders find themselves working harder while feeling less in control. Mike shares the systems, rhythms, governance structures, leadership disciplines, and planning processes that helped him scale Manitoba Harvest into a $100 million business and what he teaches founders today through his mentoring and advisory work. We discuss: • Why growth creates complexity • How communication breaks down as teams scale • The Rhythm of Scale framework • Why governance is not a corporate exercise • The transition from founder to CEO • How to buy back your time • The role of KPIs and scorecards • Why planning matters more than hustle • How founders can avoid scaling chaos • Why sustainable growth requires alignment One of my favorite takeaways: Most founders don't need more opportunities. They need more capacity to absorb the opportunities they already have. Because growth doesn't break brands. Complexity does. And clarity is what helps you scale through it. ⏰ Timecodes  03:26 The founder bottleneck 04:42 The brand story - why it matters 05:38 The secret to effective communication  07:49 Lack of surprises - how to avoid problem 08:42 What changes at $1M, $5M, $10M, and beyond 12:15 What does the founder need to stop doing personally 14:21 The value of a founder's time 16:41 The real value of a work life balance 18:48 The danger of scaling chaos 22:02 The power of AI in CPG 24:27 The value of scorecards and KPI's  26:12 KPI's are the roadmap to success 28:17 Founder education versus founder obedience 30:30 Mastery - a founders superpower 32:16 Building a company buyers want

    Growth Doesn't Break Brands. Complexity Does. With Mike Fata

  8. Jun 9

    Seth Goldman — How to Build a Profitable Brand with Values With Just Ice Tea

    325. Retailers don't reward the biggest mission. They reward the clearest value. What happens when one of the most influential founders in natural products decides to start over? In this episode, I sit down with Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and co-founder of Just Ice Tea, to discuss what it takes to build a mission-driven brand in today's retail environment. We explore: • Why Honest Tea's discontinuation created an unexpected opportunity • How Just Ice Tea scaled faster than Honest Tea did in its early years • Why retailers actively sought out the brand when shelves went empty • The importance of authenticity and transparency • Why mission alone is not enough • How mission-driven brands can create profitable category growth • The pressure today's shoppers are facing • Why value and values must work together • What founders can learn from the changing retail landscape One of my favorite moments in the conversation is Seth's reminder that consumers can tell when a brand's mission is authentic—and when it isn't. Because the brands that endure don't just sell products. They stand for something bigger. And they consistently deliver value for the shopper, the retailer, and the communities they serve.  Time Codes 01:57 38 Mission-Driven Brands Win at Retail With Seth Goldman, Honest Tea and Beyond Meat 02:40 The story of Honest Tea 05:00 How Coke failed Honest Tea 06:14 How we are growing Just Ice Tea 07:31 Mission-driven brands - a strategic growth lever 10:09 How to operate in a challenging economy  12:04 How the tea category changed - the opportunity for Just Ice Tea 13:48 Growing the category with innovation - connecting with consumers 16:18 The importance of authentic consistent messaging  17:45 The mission behind the brand - doing real good!  19:35 Giving back - Mission Guardians  20:39 Why is plant-based struggling  25:05 The importance of meeting the consumer where they are  26:16 The importance of transparency  28:52 What makes Just Ice Tea unique - how we make it  30:55 Our goal to democratize organic and healthier drinks + do good 33:58 What's next for Just Ice Tea 36:11 Labeling confusing + why organic, the gold standard

    Seth Goldman — How to Build a Profitable Brand with Values With Just Ice Tea
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5
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the founder-first podcast for entrepreneurial and growth-stage CPG brands that want to protect runway, improve execution, and compete smarter at retail. Hosted by Daniel Lohman, CPSA, founder of Retail Solved, the show helps natural, organic, better-for-you, food, beverage, wellness, and mission-driven CPG founders understand what really drives profitable retail growth. Most brands do not have a spend problem first. They have a clarity problem. Each episode helps founders think more strategically about category management, retail sales, trade marketing, promotion ROI, deduction management, broker accountability, distribution gaps, assortment strategy, shopper insights, retailer relationships, data analytics, and retail execution. You will hear practical solo episodes, expert interviews, founder stories, and real-world lessons from the retail system — not theory. The goal is simple: Help you see what others miss, make better decisions, and build a stronger CPG brand with the resources you already have. Learn more and access free CPG growth resources at RetailSolved.com. Topics include CPG brand growth, retail strategy, category management, trade marketing, trade spend, promotion planning, deduction prevention, broker management, distributor execution, retail analytics, shopper insights, natural products, food and beverage brands, omnichannel retail, sales dashboards, scorecards, and CPG founder strategy.

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Lohman
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    332
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2016-2026 | CMS4CPG LLC
  • Show Website
    Bulletproof Your CPG Brand