Commerce is Chaos

Samantha Rose
  • 5.0 (8)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Look, we've all heard the polished founder story—the perfect pitch, the seamless scale, the overnight success. But what about the time you oversold by 100K units? Or when your 'seamless' integration crashed right before Black Friday? Host Samantha Rose has been there—from founding her first consumer business, GIR, managing fulfillment and industrial design for your favorite brands, or acquiring distressed brands on her own. Welcome to Commerce is Chaos, the podcast for founders who knows that building a real business is beautifully, chaotically messy.

  1. 11H AGO

    🌿 HUDSON DAVIS-ROSS // PLANT PEOPLE CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    Hudson Davis-Ross has spent nearly two decades building and scaling consumer brands, culminating in Plant People — the practitioner-grade supplement brand now ranking as the #1 seller at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Erewhon. After co-founding RISE Brewing Co., running CROSBY Advisory, and serving on the founding team at ALOHA, Hudson bootstrapped Plant People through a major category pivot, a pandemic that wiped out 70% of revenue, and into approximately 117% year-over-year gross revenue growth from 2023 to 2024 — now backed by strategic investor Manna Tree. 🔧 Category Pivot Framework — Decision-making process for adapting when external forces, not execution, stall your business 📊 Survival Mode Operations — How to triage a business mid-crisis: what to cut, what to protect, what to rebuild 🤝 Omnichannel Profitability — Approach to managing unit economics and margin across DTC, Amazon, and major retail simultaneously ⚙️ Consumer Education at Scale — Translating clinical credibility into shelf-ready brand positioning in a noisy supplement aisle 📈 Category Defense Strategy — How to protect brand position as a trend you helped create becomes overcrowded 🎯 Strategic Capital Selection — Framework for evaluating investors after years of bootstrapping, and what "right fit" actually means at growth stage Whether you're navigating a regulatory headwind, rebuilding after a setback, or managing the complexity of going omnichannel while staying profitable, Hudson's frameworks offer a grounded, experience-tested playbook for founders building in the wellness and functional food space. Perfect for: Wellness brand founders, functional food entrepreneurs, omnichannel CPG operators, bootstrapped founders approaching their first raise Guest: Hudson Davis-Ross — Co-Founder & CEO, Plant People Host: Samantha Rose — Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    1h 4m

  2. APR 1

    🍝 NAKUL KAPOOR // LAZY FOOD CO. CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    Nakul Kapoor left a career at the International Monetary Fund to build Lazy Food Co., a brand making authentic Italian one-pot pasta meals that are gluten-free, high-protein, and ready in under 20 minutes. Now available nationwide at Whole Foods Market and on Amazon, Lazy Food Co. was named to Whole Foods' Top 10 Food Trends for 2024 alongside some of the most talked-about names in modern food. 🔧 Retail Entry Framework — Approach to getting into premium retailers without a conventional playbook 📊 Positioning at Intersection — Strategy for leading with culinary identity while competing in the better-for-you convenience space 🤝 Buyer Relationship Building — Method for developing retail partnerships when you're early stage and resource-constrained ⚙️ SKU Complexity Management — Framework for evaluating product line decisions when you're operating with a small team 📈 Design as Competitive Advantage — Approach to packaging investment and brand-building at early scale 🎯 Supply Chain Constraint Navigation — Systems for managing demand surges and production limits without losing retail momentum Whether you're building in the better-for-you food space or trying to crack premium retail distribution, Nakul's frameworks will help you think about positioning, buyer conversations, and the operations that hold it all together. Perfect for: Food & beverage founders, better-for-you CPG operators, early-stage retail brands, founders navigating DTC-to-retail transitions Guest: Nakul Kapoor — Co-founder & CEO, Lazy Food Co. Host: Samantha Rose — Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    48 min

  3. MAR 24

    ✍️ ALI KRIEGSMAN // BRAND CONSULTANT & FORMER FOUNDER

    Description Ali Kriegsman built Bulletin, the B2B wholesale marketplace, from a side-hustle newsletter at age 24 to a full-scale platform connecting 3,000 independent brands with over 26,000 retailers — before selling to Emerald Holding for roughly $10 million in 2022. Since then, she's channeled that builder's lens into consulting for early- to mid-stage consumer and DTC brands, advising on ShopMy strategy and go-to-market, writing her Substack New Motives, and publishing two books: the non-fiction How to Build a Goddamn Empire and her debut novel The Raise — a psychological thriller about a founder who has to take over after her co-founder mysteriously dies mid-fundraise. 🔧 Neglected Vertical Identification — How Ali spotted what VC-backed startups had overlooked in wholesale and B2B, and how that shaped the decision to sell to Emerald 📊 Consumer Brand Go-to-Market as Book Launch — The unconventional, DTC-style strategy behind self-publishing The Raise, and why she treated it like a product drop rather than a traditional book release 🤝 ShopMy for CPG Founders — Who should and shouldn't be on the platform, what founders consistently get wrong, and what good looks like before engaging a consultant ⚙️ Traction Without Structural Advantages — What founders without networks or runway actually need to know about getting early traction in today's market 📈 Founder-to-Consultant Identity Shift — The mental and operational transition from being the figurehead to supporting other founders behind the scenes — and whether she'd build again 🎯 Cross-Portfolio Operator Insights — The most common mistakes CPG founders are making right now, spotted across multiple brands simultaneously Whether you're preparing for an exit, figuring out how to grow without paid ads, or navigating what comes after the founder chapter — Ali's frameworks will help you operate with more clarity and less noise. Perfect for: DTC founders, early-stage CPG operators, brand consultants, founders considering an exit Guest: Ali Kriegsman — Exited Founder (Bulletin) | Author | Consultant Host: Samantha Rose — Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    42 min

  4. FEB 18

    💼 BRIAN ROSE // ENDLESS COMMERCE CO-FOUNDER

    Brian Rose is Co-founder of Endless Commerce, an AI-powered commerceOS serving consumer brands scaling from $1M to $500M+ in revenue. With nearly a decade at BlueMountain Capital as a Consumer & Retail Investment Analyst, Brian brings a unique perspective combining investment analysis, brand operations as CFO of GIR (sold to Pattern Brands in 2021), and infrastructure building through Mvnifest’s full-stack brand accelerator. 🔧 Investment-to-Operations Translation - Framework for understanding what sophisticated investors miss when evaluating consumer brands versus what actually breaks operationally 📊 Revenue Milestone System Rebuilds - Approach to identifying operational breaking points at different growth stages and rebuilding infrastructure proactively 🤝 Multi-Brand Pattern Recognition - Process for extracting operational patterns across dozens of brands to inform infrastructure design ⚙️ White Space Product Strategy - Method for building between Excel and enterprise systems for the overlooked mid-market segment 📈 Complex Channel Integration - Framework for managing operational requirements across 40+ channels without overwhelming operators 🎯 AI Trust Architecture - Approach to building AI-powered forecasting and recommendations that operators can understand and trust Whether you’re evaluating operational investments, building infrastructure for scaling brands, or navigating multi-channel complexity, Brian’s frameworks will help you understand what actually breaks in consumer operations and how to build systems that scale. Perfect for: Operations leaders, infrastructure builders, consumer brand CFOs, multi-channel operators, commerce platform founders Guest: Brian Rose - Co-founder, Endless Commerce Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    41 min

  5. FEB 2

    💀 JAKE KOUNS // DEAD MEAT SOCIETY FOUNDER & CHIEF GRILLING OFFICER

    Jake Kouns has built Dead Meat Society into a mission-driven grilling community after founding and scaling Risk Based Security, a cybersecurity company acquired by Flashpoint in 2022. Transitioning from B2B SaaS to consumer products, he's launched a grilling tools brand with a social purpose - fighting the loneliness epidemic by bringing people together around flame, family, and community. Dead Meat Society combines DTC commerce, local chapters, charitable giving, and community engagement to build something bigger than just grilling gear. 🔧 Tech-to-CPG Transition Framework - Approach to translating B2B operational principles to consumer brand operations 📊 Mission-Product Balance Strategy - Process for balancing SKU development with community building investments 🤝 Custom Manufacturing Navigation - Framework for finding co-manufacturers for unique branded products as a first-time CPG founder ⚙️ Multi-Channel Community Operations - Systems for managing DTC, local chapters, content, and community engagement simultaneously 📈 Purpose-Driven Commerce Model - Method for operationalizing social mission alongside profitability in early-stage scaling 🎯 Distributed Community Governance - Strategy for maintaining brand consistency and authenticity across local chapters Whether you're pivoting from another industry into consumer products or building mission-driven brands that prioritize community, Jake's frameworks will help you operationalize purpose, manage complex multi-channel models, and scale community without losing authenticity. Perfect for: Tech founders entering CPG, mission-driven brand builders, community-first entrepreneurs, lifestyle brand operators Guest: Jake Kouns - Founder & Chief Grilling Officer, Dead Meat Society Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    54 min

  6. JAN 23

    🧇 EMILY GRODEN // EVERGREEN FOUNDER & CEO

    Emily Groden has built Evergreen into one of America's fastest-growing frozen breakfast brands, scaling from a household Vitamix to $9.3 million in retail sales across 8,000+ stores. A Harvard Law graduate who cold-emailed her way from corporate law to General Counsel at three-Michelin-star Alinea, she launched Evergreen in 2020 with zero CPG experience. Now her fruit-and-vegetable-packed frozen waffles are stocked at Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, and Kroger nationwide, with 2025 revenue projected to more than double to $26 million. 🔧 Status Quo Disruption Framework - Method for applying challenger mindset from high-end hospitality to mass-market CPG operations 📊 Manufacturing Insourcing Decision Matrix - Process for evaluating when to build your own facility versus continuing co-man search during scaling 🤝 Customer Feedback Integration - Approach to using trade show insights to drive complete rebrands that increase sales 50% overnight ⚙️ Multi-Line Portfolio Management - Framework for expanding product lines to serve different customer segments while maintaining operational focus 📈 Hyperscale Distribution Strategy - System for managing 600 to 8,000 retail doors in two years without breaking operations 🎯 Frozen Category Unit Economics - Methods for structuring pricing and efficiencies to compete against legacy players in capital-intensive categories Whether you're launching in the frozen aisle or scaling clean-label products, Emily's frameworks will help you challenge category assumptions, make strategic manufacturing decisions, and execute operational infrastructure for hypergrowth. Perfect for: Frozen food entrepreneurs, clean-label brand founders, lawyer-to-founder transitions, category disruptors Guest: Emily Groden - Founder & CEO, Evergreen Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    42 min

  7. JAN 14

    💊 JAMIE NORWOOD // WINX HEALTH COFOUNDER

    Jamie Norwood has built Winx Health into a profitable women's health brand revolutionizing sexual and vaginal wellness. Since launching in 2019, she's scaled from a single DTC pregnancy test to a nationwide presence in over 7,000 Walgreens stores, achieved profitability in early 2024 by eliminating paid marketing entirely, and built Real Talk - an educational platform with 900+ medically-reviewed articles that organically drives nearly 20% of sales. With approximately $8 million raised, celebrity investor Kerry Washington, and a TIME Best Invention award for their UTI Test & Treat kit, Winx is redefining accessible women's health care. 🔧 Pain Point Validation Framework - Process for testing whether personal frustrations represent viable market opportunities versus just individual annoyances 📊 Strategic Product Portfolio Development - Approach to expanding product lines in complex health categories while maintaining operational simplicity 🤝 Education-as-Marketing Model - System for building profitable businesses through free educational content instead of paid customer acquisition ⚙️ Regulatory Retail Navigation - Framework for getting novel diagnostic health products into major retail chains without obvious shelf placement 📈 Physical-Digital Retail Integration - Strategy for leveraging brick-and-mortar presence to win on delivery platforms against legacy competitors 🎯 Brand Identity Evolution Management - Methodology for executing major rebrands without disrupting operations or customer relationships Whether you're building mission-driven health brands or navigating complex retail categories, Jamie's frameworks will help you validate opportunities, scale through education, and balance advocacy with sustainable business growth. Perfect for: Health and wellness founders, DTC-to-retail operators, mission-driven consumer brands, regulatory-heavy CPG entrepreneurs Guest: Jamie Norwood - Co-founder & CEO, Winx Health Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    47 min

  8. 11/07/2025

    🛒 LOUISE FRITJOFSSON // MARTIE CO-FOUNDER & CEO

    Louise Fritjofsson is the co-founder and CEO of Martie, an online discount grocery marketplace that rescues surplus food from waste while making quality groceries accessible nationwide. A four-time founder with two exits across Europe and the United States, Louise has scaled Martie since 2021 to 48 states, partnered with 4,500+ brands, and saved millions of pounds of food from landfills – all with just seven employees. 🔧 Pivot Recognition Framework - Method for distinguishing between solvable problems and market-defining opportunities worth rebuilding around 📊 Brand Recognition vs. Loyalty Strategy - Approach to building retention when customers recognize brands but won't repeatedly buy the same ones 🤝 AI-Powered Chaos Management - System for applying machine learning to fundamentally unpredictable inventory flows ⚙️ Anti-Convenience Positioning - Framework for competing on value instead of speed in a delivery-obsessed market 📈 Mass Market Customer Development - Strategy for serving suburban, middle-income consumers instead of affluent urban early adopters 🎯 Circular Economy Infrastructure - Operational playbook for turning surplus challenges into systematic competitive advantages Whether you're building circular economy businesses, managing complex inventory marketplaces, or rethinking conventional CPG positioning, Louise's frameworks will help you turn constraints into competitive advantages while scaling sustainably. Perfect for: Circular economy entrepreneurs, surplus inventory innovators, lean operations executives, anti-conventional positioning strategists Guest: Louise Fritjofsson - Co-Founder & CEO, MartieHost: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    47 min
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Look, we've all heard the polished founder story—the perfect pitch, the seamless scale, the overnight success. But what about the time you oversold by 100K units? Or when your 'seamless' integration crashed right before Black Friday? Host Samantha Rose has been there—from founding her first consumer business, GIR, managing fulfillment and industrial design for your favorite brands, or acquiring distressed brands on her own. Welcome to Commerce is Chaos, the podcast for founders who knows that building a real business is beautifully, chaotically messy.

Information

  • Creator
    Samantha Rose
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Samantha Rose