Shelf Talkers

Adam Feller
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business
  • Biweekly

Join Adam Feller, Founder and Creative Director of Avidity Creative, as he explores the ever-evolving world of CPG. Through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers, discover the insights, trends, and strategies shaping the future of food and beverage brands. Whether you’re scaling a brand or navigating the complexities of the CPG landscape, “Shelf Talkers: CPG Insights” is your go-to source for inspiration and actionable advice.

  1. 2d ago

    The Artificial Dye Shift: What Every CPG Brand Needs to Know

    Summary: Artificial dyes are becoming one of the biggest topics facing food and beverage brands. As regulations evolve and consumer expectations continue to shift, many companies are asking the same question: how do you reformulate without sacrificing product quality? In this episode, Adam talks with Kelly Anderson, founder of Dye Converter, about what brands should be thinking about now—from regulatory timelines to the real-world challenges of replacing synthetic colors with natural alternatives. Kelly also shares the story behind launching Dye Converter after nearly two decades leading innovation at some of the world's best-known food companies. In this episode, we discuss: Kelly's journey from corporate food innovation to entrepreneurshipWhy artificial dye regulations are creating urgency for CPG brandsWhat product reformulation actually looks like—including costs, timelines, and common challengesHow brands can transition to natural colors while protecting quality, consistency, and consumer experienceGuest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyai/Website: https://dyeconverter.comLearn more: See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com.

  2. Oct 26

    Building a Premium Pet Brand: What Dogistry's Founder Learned the Hard Way

    Summary Building a premium brand takes more than a great product. In this episode of Shelf Talkers, Adam sits down with Lauren Ephrat, founder of Dogistry, to discuss how she identified an opportunity in the luxury dog accessory market, navigated the realities of inventory management, and discovered the power of investing in creative and strategic business guidance. In this episode, we discuss: Lauren's founder journey and the market opportunity that inspired DogistryWhy investing in professional creative direction and photography changed the trajectory of the brandHow the SKU Accelerator program helped her better understand her business and unlock new growthLessons learned from early inventory challenges and the realities of building a physical product business Guest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenephrat/Website: https://dogistry.com Learn More See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com.

  3. Oct 19

    From Personal Care to Beverages: Lessons from a Three-Time CPG Founder

    Summary: You'd think starting your third company would be easier than starting your first. But that's not necessarily how entrepreneurship works. Kevin Brodwick has spent his career building consumer brands that challenge conventional thinking. After founding Thinkbaby and Brixxy in the better-for-you personal care space, he's now tackling an entirely different category with ATOMICO, a sparkling vitamin water brand. And despite his experience, Kevin has found that building a beverage brand comes with a whole new set of challenges. In this episode of Shelf Talkers, Adam Feller talks with Kevin about the lessons he's learned across three businesses, how his approach to entrepreneurship has evolved, and why experience doesn't always translate into an easier path forward. They explore what it takes to introduce products consumers don't yet realize they need, how to recognize which lessons from previous businesses still apply, and why moving into a new CPG category can challenge even experienced founders. For emerging CPG brands, it's a useful look at the realities of building a business, navigating unfamiliar markets, and learning when to trust your experience—and when to rethink everything. In this episode, we discuss: How Kevin identified opportunities that led him to start his first businesses What he's learned from building three consumer brands Why launching ATOMICO in the beverage category has been more challenging than his previous ventures How experienced entrepreneurs balance pattern recognition with assumptions that may no longer apply The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people What Kevin would tell himself before starting his first company Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-brodwick-8539014b/ Website: https://goatomico.com Learn more: See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com.

  4. Oct 12

    Bootstrapping a Better Snack Brand from the Ground Up

    Summary:What does it take to build a snack brand that stands out in one of the most competitive aisles in retail? In this episode, Adam sits down with Caleb Majors, co-founder of Brothers Nuts, to discuss how a deeply personal mission evolved into a fast-growing CPG brand that's expanding from hundreds of stores to national retail. From early packaging decisions to retail strategy and product education, Caleb shares what they've learned while building a bootstrapped business focused on clean ingredients and sprouted nuts. In this episode, we discuss: The personal story that inspired Brothers NutsWhat makes sprouted nuts different—and why consumers careLanding their first retail accounts through persistence and outreachUsing in-house demos to drive retail velocityHow retailer feedback shaped their packaging and pricing strategyWhy they chose to stay bootstrapped while scaling nationallyGuest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-majors-745598185/Website: https://www.brothersnuts.comLearn more: See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com.

  5. Aug 11

    What Retail Buyers Actually Want to Hear (And What Founders Get Wrong)

    Landing a retail meeting is only half the battle. The real challenge is knowing what buyers actually care about once you're in the room. In this episode, Adam sits down with Tia Ellis, founder of Wildflower Insights and former retail broker, to unpack what separates successful retail pitches from the ones that never turn into purchase orders. Drawing from years of helping brands generate more than $200 million in retail sales, Tia shares practical advice for founders who want to build retailer relationships, pitch with confidence, and avoid costly mistakes. Whether you're preparing for your first buyer meeting or rethinking your retail strategy, this conversation offers actionable guidance you can apply right away. In this episode, we discuss: Why selling to retail buyers is different from selling to consumersThe biggest mistakes founders make during buyer meetingsHow to build relationships with buyers before asking for shelf spaceWhen brokers make sense—and when founders should do it themselvesCreating messaging that attracts buyers instead of chasing themPreparing for retail meetings with confidence and clarityGuest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiaellis/Website: https://wildflowerinsight.comLearn more:See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com. Adam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfeller/

  6. Jul 28

    Why Wild Monkey Bar Said No to Whole Foods (And Other Founder Lessons)

    Wild Monkey Bar wasn't created in a boardroom. It started after a climbing trip in Rocky Mountain National Park when founders John and Brooke Campbell realized the snacks they packed simply weren't good enough. In this episode, John shares the deeply personal story behind building Wild Monkey Bar, from leaving corporate life behind to hand-making every bar in Boulder while growing the business one relationship at a time. For founders and emerging CPG brands, this conversation is a reminder that sustainable growth often comes from patience, discipline, and saying no to opportunities that aren't the right fit. In this episode, we discuss: John's journey from commercial real estate to entrepreneurshipHow a backcountry climbing trip inspired Wild Monkey BarBuilding a premium snack brand with limited resourcesWhy they turned down early retail opportunities—including Whole FoodsLessons on branding, customer acquisition, and long-term thinkingThe importance of building a business alongside your partnerGuest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-campbell-97579467/Website: https://wildmonkeybar.comLearn more: See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at https://aviditycreative.com.

  7. Jul 14

    Turning Authentic Indian Flavors Into a Fast-growing Snack Brand

    Keya Wingfield never planned to start a snack company. A pastry chef by trade, she found herself pivoting during the pandemic when customers couldn't stop asking for one unexpected item: her Bombay spice potato chips. That simple side offering became Keya's Snacks, a brand introducing authentic Indian flavors to mainstream grocery shelves across the country. In this episode of Shelf Talkers, Adam sits down with Keya to talk about building a CPG brand without a traditional CPG background, scaling from handmade production to thousands of retail stores, and why authenticity, not watered-down global flavors, is at the heart of everything her company creates. In this episode, we discuss: How a pandemic pivot unexpectedly launched Keya's SnacksWhy authentic flavor can become a competitive advantageLessons from scaling from 12 stores to more than 2,000Building a memorable brand through intentional packaging and positioningThe operational realities of growing a young CPG companyAdvice for founders navigating uncertainty and rapid growthGuest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keya-wingfield/Website: https://keyassnacks.comLearn More See how Avidity helps emerging CPG brands create packaging that earns attention at shelf and drives sales. https://aviditycreative.com

  8. Jun 30

    Shark Tank and Shelf Success With the Founder of PrideBites and Tantos

    What does it take to build not one successful consumer brand, but two? In this episode, Adam sits down with entrepreneur Sean Knecht, founder of PrideBites and co-founder of Tantos, to discuss the realities of building brands from the ground up. Sean shares how a simple idea for custom college-themed dog toys grew into a nationally recognized pet products company, how a Shark Tank appearance accelerated growth, and why he decided to jump into an entirely new category with Tantos, the world's first puffed pasta chip. Along the way, he opens up about the decisions that paid off, the mistakes that taught the biggest lessons, and what founders should know about scaling a brand in competitive markets.  In this episode, we discuss: Building PrideBites from a college sports-inspired dog toy idea into a national pet products brandThe impact of appearing on Shark Tank and what happened after the cameras stopped rollingHow a friendship with Chef Joe Sasto led to the launch of TantosLaunching a new snack category with puffed pasta chipsThe best decisions Sean has made as a founderMistakes, lessons learned, and advice for growing consumer brandsGuest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-knecht-a1398b11/PrideBites: https://pridebites.comTantos: https://www.eattantos.comLearn more:See how Avidity can improve your shelf impact at aviditycreative.com.

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About

Join Adam Feller, Founder and Creative Director of Avidity Creative, as he explores the ever-evolving world of CPG. Through conversations with industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers, discover the insights, trends, and strategies shaping the future of food and beverage brands. Whether you’re scaling a brand or navigating the complexities of the CPG landscape, “Shelf Talkers: CPG Insights” is your go-to source for inspiration and actionable advice.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Feller
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Adam Feller
  • Show Website
    Shelf Talkers