The Rectified Podcast

Sandy Dedeian

The Rectified Podcast is the go-to resource for founders navigating the complexities of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C), e-commerce, and retail brands. We dive into real conversations with fellow founders and experts who share authentic insights to help you scale your business with clarity. Join us to gain actionable strategies on: ✅ Scaling E-commerce, D2C & Retail operations ✅ Modern Brand Building across online and physical channels ✅ Social media & content strategies that drive traffic and conversions Hit FOLLOW to get actionable insights every week & turn your vision into a profitable reality!

  1. APR 9

    #92 E-Commerce Brands: Stop Spending on Ads Until You Do This First

    Most e-commerce brands pour money into paid ads before their foundation is solid, and that's exactly why they're not converting. In this episode, Sandy sits down with Nora Arzoumanian, Head of E-Commerce at Mobilia, with over two decades of experience scaling e-commerce for product-based brands across multiple industries. Together, they break down what actually drives e-commerce conversions, why email marketing and SMS outperform paid ads for product brands, and what small and mid-size brands can do today to move the needle without burning through their budget. What you'll learn in this episode: Why your paid ads are not converting and what to fix first How to use email marketing and SMS to drive consistent revenue for your product brand The trust signals every e-commerce website needs to reduce friction and increase conversions The difference between SEO and GEO and what it means for product brand visibility How to optimize your e-commerce website for both search engines and real buyers Whether you are just launching your DTC brand or trying to scale past a plateau, this episode is packed with practical e-commerce marketing strategies you can apply immediately. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist ⚡️Join the Rectified Founders Community, a FREE space where you connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Nora on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noraarzoumanian/ Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters:  00:00 Meet Nora Arzoumanian 07:18 Paid Ads Reality Check 10:20 Email Marketing Goldmine 20:27 Selling High Ticket Online 25:46 Website Content and UGC 29:29 Analytics and Journey Mapping 31:57 SEO Meets GEO 37:44 Designing for Humans and AI 40:31 Three Quick Wins

    43 min
  2. APR 3

    #91 The Go-To-Market Strategy To Launch a New Product Category

    What do you do when your brand name feels like a barrier to growth? In today’s episode, I sit down with Tamar Panossian, the visionary behind 57 Végane, to discuss her bold decision to launch Oudélic. Instead of a simple rebrand, Tamar is tackling the "Great Vegan Reset of 2026" head-on by moving away from ultra-processed "faux meats" and introducing a clean, high-protein, plant-based staple designed for everyone.  In this episode, we cover: The Pivot from 57 Végane to Oudélic: Why Tamar decided to keep her original brand while launching a second one to reach a broader, non-vegan audience. The "Great Vegan Reset" of 2026: Understanding the massive consumer shift toward transparency, clean labels, and recognizable ingredients. Scaling via Co-Packing: The emotional and operational challenge of "letting go of your baby" to move production to a large-scale facility. CPG Logistics & Family Business: The reality of managing delivery, rising costs, and working alongside parents in a growing startup. The #1 Advice for CPG Founders: Why you should stop using your personal cash and start looking for grants and networking within your industry. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Website: https://57vegane.com/ 57 Végane on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/57vegane/ Oudélic on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oudelic_officiel/ Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur 2:15 – Why a new brand? Introducing Oudélic 4:45 – Navigating the "Great Vegan Reset": Clean vs. Ultra-Processed 8:10 – The Science of TVP: Pea protein and fava bean concentrates 12:30 – From the freezer to the fridge: Why placement in the "Fresh Aisle" matters 16:45 – Scaling up: Moving to a co-packer and simplifying recipes 21:20 – The reality of running a family business in 2026 25:10 – Essential advice for CPG founders: Grants and Networking

    32 min
  3. MAR 27

    #90 How to Make Customers Say 'I Want That'

    Every product category has a "need" product, the thing people buy on autopilot. Mariela Katz of Nutterie figured out that the real opportunity is in the "I want" product. The one thing people did not know they needed until they saw it. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she built that strategy into every decision from her packaging to her collaborations to her limited edition drops. Mariela is back for her second episode on The Rectified Podcast, and a lot has changed. She launched a brand new mini collection, landed her first retail distributor, built collaborations with Cafe Depot and Les Filles Fattoush, and did all of it while becoming a mom of three. If you are a product founder trying to stand out in a crowded category without slashing your prices, this episode is the blueprint. Join The 3R Strategy Workshop & let’s scale your brand together! ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Nutterie Website: https://nutterie.ca/ Nutterie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutterie/ Find me here: I nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters:  00:00 Welcome Back Mariela 00:14 Nutterie Origin Story 01:23 What Changed Since Last Time 02:39 Mom Life Balance 06:38 Expo Prep And Events 08:20 Connecting Over Selling 10:22 Local Collabs For Growth 13:46 Effort Behind The Scenes 15:39 Introducing The Minis 16:30 Unique Mix Philosophy 17:02 Retail Expansion Plans 17:39 Differentiation and Freshness 20:19 Cherry Cherry Origin Story 21:50 Packaging as Brand Edge 23:35 Packaging Costs and MOQs 25:03 Staying Lean and Vertical 28:46 Limited Editions Strategy 34:08 What’s Next for Nutterie 34:56 Final Advice for Founders

    38 min
  4. MAR 20

    #89 The Bold Move That Nobody Else Would Make

    ⚡️Join The 3R Strategy Workshop & let’s scale your brand together! ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy Most product founders obsess over cutting costs wherever they can. Olivia Lovenmark did the opposite. She chose the most expensive bottle on the market for Duchess Cocktails, and it became the single biggest reason her brand stood out on shelves. In this episode, she breaks down exactly why that decision worked and what product founders can learn from it. Olivia shares her unconventional journey from Silicon Valley fintech to building a premium ready-to-drink cocktail brand from scratch, including the moment she realized no co-packer in Western Canada could produce her product and had to build her own factory nine months into launching. If you are a product-based founder wrestling with packaging costs, distribution strategy, or the question of how to stand out in an overcrowded market, this episode is a masterclass in betting on your product and winning. FIND ME HERE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ DUCHESS COCKTAILS: Duchess Cocktails Website: https://duchesscocktails.com/ Duchess Cocktails on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duchesscocktails/ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:29 Launching Duchess Cocktails 05:24 Bottle Design and Branding 09:40 Founder Life and Motherhood 16:51 Marketing Without Ads 21:51 Label Rules And Shipping 24:55 Lightning Round Favorites 27:38 Beverage Industry Myths 31:21 Legacy Plans And Wrap

    33 min
  5. MAR 13

    #88 He Went From 10 to 150+ Stores Without Paid Ads — Here Is How

    If your product has a great story but your sales don't reflect it, this episode is for you. Alessio Monterosso of Ariana Naturals spent three years in near-zero sales before cracking the code and scaling to 150+ retail stores in under 12 months. He explains the exact moment everything changed and how you can apply the same thinking to your brand. Most founders believe a powerful "why" is enough to guarantee success, but Alessio discovered a hard truth: a great story doesn't matter if you haven't mastered the mechanics of your market. We dive into the "Education Tax" of being first-to-market and the exact strategic shifts he made to go from 10 stores to 150+ in less than a year. Alessio shares his raw journey from corporate burnout and depression to discovering the science-backed power of saffron as a natural alternative to antidepressants. He explains how the product's failure to fit the consumer's daily habits was the real obstacle — and exactly how he fixed it. If you are a product-based founder struggling to bridge the gap between your "story" and your "sales," this episode is a tactical roadmap for finding your niche in a noisy industry. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/3rstrategy ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Ariana Naturals' Website: https://ariananaturals.com/Ariana Naturals on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ariananaturals_/ Find me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeianLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters:0:00 - The Gap Between Story and Sales2:15 - Corporate Burnout: The Personal Origin of Ariana Naturals5:10 - Discovering Saffron: The Science vs. The "Rice Condiment" Label8:45 - The Education Tax: Why being "First to Market" nearly killed the brand12:30 - The 3-Year Plateau: The reality of poor sales in year one16:15 - Finding Product-Market Fit: Moving from Saffron Threads to Tea Blends20:40 - Consumer Psychology: Why you must solve for existing habits24:50 - Sustainability & Giveback: 1% for Mental Health & The Planet28:30 - Scaling Distribution: How to go from 10 to 150 stores in 12 months32:45 - CHFA Vancouver: The chance encounter that changed everything37:10 - Marketing Focus: Why B2B is the smart play for bootstrapped founders41:20 - The "Solo Founder" Warning: Why you shouldn't build alone44:55 - Rapid Fire: The hardest lesson and what success looks like in 3 years

    40 min
  6. FEB 27

    #87 The “Nike” Niche Strategy: How This Product Brand Is Going Small to Go Mainstream

    In this new episode, we discuss how Kristyn Carriere is using the “Nike” niche strategy for her product brand to go from small to mainstream. Drawing on her experience at global giants like Godiva and Mondelez, Kristin explains why the secret to mass-market appeal often starts with a hyper-focused niche. We break down the "aspirational flywheel", designing for elite endurance athletes to capture the everyday consumer, and discuss the raw operational hurdles of scaling a physical product, from surviving a six-month manufacturing blackout to navigating the sudden inventory demands of Amazon. Inside this episode: ✅ The "Nike" Strategy: Why winning a specific niche is the fastest way to build mainstream brand equity.✅ Supply Chain Survival: How Kristin managed six months of zero revenue after losing a manufacturer.✅ Pricing & Retention: The strategy behind raising prices by 25% while rebuilding a customer base.✅ The Amazon Reality Check: Why "instant demand" can be a nightmare for bootstrapped inventory.✅ Corporate to Founder: Transitioning from executive roles to the "all-in" reality of a startup. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Seven Summits Snacks’ Website: https://sevensummitssnacks.com/ Seven Summits Snacks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7summitssnacks/ Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters: 0:00 - The “Nike” Niche Strategy: How This Product Brand Is Going Small to Go Mainstream 4:05 - Identifying the Gap: Functional Chocolate vs. Traditional Energy Gels 7:45 - The Corporate Pivot: Applying Big Brand Experience to a Bootstrapped Startup 12:15 - Surviving the Nightmare: 6 Months of Zero Revenue and Supply Chain Crisis 18:30 - The Growth Playbook: Scaling Through Niche Marketing and Retail Expansion 23:05 - The Amazon Reality Check: Navigating Unpredictable Inventory Demands 27:10 - Founder Mindset: The "Not-To-Do" List and the Power of Networking

    30 min
  7. FEB 20

    #86 Clean Macros, Playful Branding, Real Growth: How to scale a $4 CPG product

    In this Rectified podcast episode, Sandy interviews Julian Hattem, founder of Juju’s Protein Snacks, about building a standout protein snack brand in a fast-growing global market projected at $8–$10B.  Julien shares how his career as a personal trainer led him to create better-tasting, clean-label snacks, including Juju’s early protein donuts and the pivot to refrigerated protein cookie dough driven by customer demand and nostalgia.  He explains product formulation priorities—clean ingredients, strong macros, 24g protein per tub, low sugar (about 3g), keto-friendly net carbs, and sweeteners like honey and monk fruit—plus the strategy behind bright, playful packaging to stand out in refrigerated cases.  The conversation covers launching a freeze-dried version for 18–24 month shelf life and easier portability, retailer growth from Popeye’s Supplements to Metro, and upcoming expansion to Super C.  Hattem also discusses CPG fundamentals such as the importance of team, margins, accounting, managing refrigerated logistics, raising capital through partners who believe in the product, handling manufacturing and formulation mistakes, delegating social media to his brother, and scaling carefully one account at a time while staying calm and operating in solution mode. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️ https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Juju’s Protein Snack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jujusproteinsnacks/ Find me here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ Chapters:  00:00 Protein Snacks Boom + Meet Juju’s Founder Julian Hattem 01:40 From Personal Trainer to CPG Leap: Shutting Down the Gym 05:56 New Innovation: Freeze-Dried Cookie Dough Bites for Shelf Stability 10:22 Clean Macros Breakdown: Keto-Friendly, Low Sugar, High Protein 14:24 Branding That Pops: Fun Colors, 2-Second Hook & Clean Label Trust 18:27 Surviving CPG: Team, Margins, and Scaling Without Going Broke 20:36 First Retail Wins: Popeye’s, IGA, Metro—and Getting Buyers to Call You 25:56 Freeze-Dried Pivot: Shelf-Stable Snacking & New Tech 32:05 Founder Mindset: Staying Calm, Managing Cash Flow & Clean Accounting 39:13 The Volume Game: Margins, Manufacturing Costs & Co-Packer Tradeoffs 43:06 Final Takeaways: Belief, Plan, Team, and Relentless Action

    45 min
  8. FEB 13

    #85 Scaling Your CPG Brand: How Innovation Helps You Position Yourself in the Market

    How do you take a "fun" idea from a home kitchen to retail shelves across the country? In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Yu, co-founder of Ohme Foods, a Vancouver-based brand revolutionizing the healthy snack space with freeze-dried innovation. Jenny shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of how she and her husband pivoted their brand name, bootstrapped their growth while working full-time jobs, and navigated the steep learning curve of retail expansion. If you are a product founder wondering how to balance "on-trend" innovation with the strict financial realities of CPG, this conversation is a masterclass in resilience and strategic agility. The "Accidental" Business: How a New Year’s resolution and a message from a local cafe turned a weekend hobby into a wholesale brand. The Rebranding Mistake: Why Jenny changed her company name from "Oatme" to "Ohme" and the importance of avoiding confusing brand names for retail success. Bootstrapping Strategy: Why they chose not to quit their day jobs immediately and how that financial safety net allowed them to reinvest in the brand. The Realities of Retail: Navigating the "hardest part" of business—figuring out pricing, margins, and the cost of goods sold (COGS). Innovation & Trends: How Ohme stays relevant by combining "cool ideas" with massive market trends like protein and probiotics. Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more deep dives into the strategy behind successful product brands. ⚡️Join the waitlist to be notified about our monthly workshops ➡️https://learn.rectified.co/2026-workshop-waitlist   ⚡️Join the Scale Partner Community, a FREE space where founders connect, exchange ideas, and support each other ➡️ community.rectified.co/scalepartner Ohme’s Website: https://www.ohmefoods.com/ Ohme on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohmefoods Find me here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandydedeian/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandydedeian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandydedeian/ ⚡️Subscribe to our Substack and receive the podcast in your inbox ➡️ https://sandydedeian.substack.com/ Chapters:  00:00 Introduction to Omi Foods 03:12 The Journey of Health and Wellness 06:16 Evolution of Omi Foods 09:03 Challenges in the Food Industry 12:11 Funding and Financial Strategies 15:13 Innovation and Product Development 17:20 Creating a Joyful Brand Identity 20:18 Omnichannel Marketing Strategies 24:36 The Power of Customer Connection 27:08 The Benefits of Co-Founding 29:09 Personal Growth Through Entrepreneurship

    31 min
5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Rectified Podcast is the go-to resource for founders navigating the complexities of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C), e-commerce, and retail brands. We dive into real conversations with fellow founders and experts who share authentic insights to help you scale your business with clarity. Join us to gain actionable strategies on: ✅ Scaling E-commerce, D2C & Retail operations ✅ Modern Brand Building across online and physical channels ✅ Social media & content strategies that drive traffic and conversions Hit FOLLOW to get actionable insights every week & turn your vision into a profitable reality!