Winning Pitches with RangeMe & ECRM

Joe Tarnowski
  • 3.0 (4)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Stories, insights & advice from Retail & Foodservice Pros.Every day, RangeMe and ECRM empower brands and buyers from retail and foodservice industries to make connections that matter. Now, we're collecting stories, insights, and advice from the entrepreneurs and professionals who are shaping markets today to help you grow your business tomorrow.

  1. 4D AGO

    Episode #44 RangeMe/ECRM - CatTongue Grips

    In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Matt Kelly and Scott Sommers from CatTongue Grips, a company dedicated to helping people "do epic shit" by providing a better grip on everyday items. CatTongue Grips shares the journey of how a homemade hack for a cell phone grip turned into a patented product to help older consumers maintain their independence –  and landed them an award and a deal at ECRM's Home Health Care Session. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The Origin of Gription: How a slippery smartphone and a scratchy piece of skateboard tape led to a two-and-a-half-year mission to create the perfect non-abrasive, recyclable gripping material.Product Versatility: An overview of CatTongue Grip’s line of products, including Gription tape for utensils, bathtubs, and other areas of the house, Gription pads for laptops and cutting boards, and even glow-in-the-dark products for nighttime safety.The Aging in Place Market: Why CatTongue Grips is prioritizing physical retail to reach the aging demographic looking for independent living solutions.Winning at ECRM: Inside the strategy that led to the brand’s Buyer's Choice Award and its recent onboarding with Cencora to reach independent pharmacies.Scaling for Growth: How this woman-owned business leverages a U.S.-based supply chain to support massive retail distribution and innovative marketing like geofenced Connected TV ads.

    37 min

  2. APR 21

    Episode #43 RangeMe/ECRM - Industrias T.TAiO

    In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Emilio Smeke from Industrias T.TAiO, a company with a fascinating origin story that has recently seen explosive growth through the power of viral social media. From manufacturing kids' clothing to becoming a global powerhouse in personal care products, Emilio shares how a single organic TikTok video transformed the brand’s production from 40,000 pieces per week to a staggering 200,000 pieces per day. Emilio unpacks some of the strategies behind the brand’s viral success and how they are strategically leveraging digital content to drive massive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar retailers like CVS, Walmart, and HEB. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: The "Lemonade" Origin Story: How a devastating earthquake in 1985 led a clothing manufacturer to accidentally discover its future in bath scrubbers.The Anatomy of a Viral Hit: The story of Esponjabon, the soap-filled sponge that cleared a user's acne and sent the internet into a frenzy.Founder-Led Content: Why Emilio’s authentic, self-recorded journey to a retailer in Budapest garnered 6 million views and outperformed high-budget productions.TikTok Strategy for Retail: A breakdown of how to use TikTok Shop affiliates and in-house content creators to support physical store sales.The Power of Authenticity: Why T.TAiO chooses to work with influencers who already love the product rather than just paying for reach.Advice for the Modern Brand: Emilio shares his insights from 25 ECRM sessions on building long-term retail relationships and the importance of thorough follow-ups.

    25 min

  3. APR 14

    Episode #42 RangeMe/ECRM - Fresh Scents

    In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Fresh Scent’s Andrew Allen to dive deep into the topic of developing strong retail partnerships, specifically focusing on what buyers actually need from brands to get (and stay) on the shelf. During the discussion, they examine three pillars of a successful buyer-supplier relationship: Transparency, Service, and Expertise, and how each impacts your retail engagement.  Key Takeaways: The Power of Radical Transparency: Andrew discusses why brands get points for being honest about their limitations. Rather than hiding weaknesses, being transparent about your capabilities builds long-term trust and allows buyers to rely on you as a true partner.Defining the "Two-Way Street": It’s not just on the brand; retailers need to be clear about their priorities. Andrew shares a brilliant question every brand should ask their buyer: "What’s most important to you—margin, velocity, or differentiation?".Mastering Patient Persistence: Buyers are barraged with emails and meetings. The secret to a successful follow-up is staying pleasantly persistent without being a nuisance, providing value with every touchpoint, and knowing when to give the buyer an out.The Importance of Incrementality: Understanding category dynamics and incrementality is what separates amateur brands from pros. Andrew explains how to prove your product is adding new growth to a category rather than just swapping one SKU for another.

    17 min

  4. APR 7

    Episode #41 RangeMe/ECRM - Ballard House

    Amazon is a competitive landscape where brands often find themselves navigating a maze of shifting fees and algorithmic hurdles. In this episode, Anders Carlson, Co-Founder of Ballard House joins ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski to share how his company acts as a force multiplier for brands looking to thrive in the marketplace without the traditional agency headaches. Unlike standard agencies that charge retainers or a percentage of ad spend, Ballard House operates as an exclusive retail buyer. They take possession of inventory, share the risk, and align their success directly with the brand's growth.  Among the topics discussed: The Ballard House Model: Why having skin in the game by purchasing inventory creates better incentive alignment than a traditional agency-client relationship.Avoiding Costly Foundations: How proper merchandising—like creating three-packs instead of single units—can save a brand from tripling its shipping fees.Navigating Logistics: Overcoming the inbound placement fee and utilizing Ballard House’s own trucking lines to achieve economies of scale.The "Amazon Whisperer" Strategy: Understanding how to talk to the algorithm to build and maintain sales momentum.The 3 P's of Partnership: The specific criteria Ballard House uses to select partners: People, Product, and Potential.

    24 min

  5. MAR 31

    Episode #40 RangeMe/ECRM - Brothers Nuts

    In this episode, Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Caleb and Austin Majors, the innovative co-founders of Brothers Nuts, to discuss their journey in transforming the healthy snack market. They have already gained momentum as a regular on the RangeMe Top Brands lists, and celebrated a recent ECRM win with Gelson’s Markets. The story of Brothers Nuts began in 2010 when the Majors' father was diagnosed with stage four multiple myeloma and given only seven weeks to live. Faced with a lack of truly healthy snacks on the market, their mother began creating sprouted nut recipes in their home kitchen. With this as part of his lifestyle shift toward healthier eating, their father lived another seven years, inspiring Caleb and Austin to turn this family setback into a professional mission. Innovation in the Nut Aisle  Austin and Caleb discuss why they chose sprouted nuts as their flagship product:  The Sprouting Process: By soaking nuts in water, the brothers simulate a natural growth process that releases phytic acid, making the nuts easier to digest and improving nutritional uptake.Superior Texture: Sprouting results in a crunchier, more "craveable" product compared to traditional oil or dry-roasted nuts.Clean Ingredients: The brand maintains a commitment to USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and seed-oil-free ingredients.Flavorful Product Lineup: They highlight their core offerings, including Garlic Salty Walnuts—their #1 seller—alongside Cocoa Crunch Almonds and Crackled Cheesy Almonds.Navigating the CPG Industry as Young Entrepreneurs Starting at just 13 and 15 years old, Caleb and Austin (now 23 and 21) have moved from local farmers' markets to a full-scale retail presence. They offer insights into their growth strategy, including:  Leveraging Modern Tools: How they use LinkedIn, AI, and platforms like RangeMe and ECRM to stay lean and secure meetings with major retailers like Gelson’s Market. The Power of Face-to-Face: Why 10 minutes of direct time with a buyer is more valuable than hundreds of emails.The Importance of Demos: Managing an in-house team of 15 people to get samples directly into consumers' hands. Tons of great insights in this one for any founder-led emerging brand!

    26 min

  6. MAR 24

    Episode #39 RangeMe/ECRM - 3rd Day Beverages

    In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Chris Clark, a retired military veteran and police officer who – despite having zero prior industry experience – has scaled his company, 3rd Day Beverages, to thousands of stores in just over a year. You’ll learn how a Tennessee family farm with a high-flow spring became the foundation for a rapidly growing beverage brand. Chris shares the unconventional origin story of his company, starting with a business plan sketched on a cocktail napkin while waiting for his daughter’s dance class to finish. He shares his experience with the hurdles of navigating FDA and EPA clearances, the strategic "zero-risk" offer that wins over skeptical retail buyers, and how Third Day Beverages is outperforming national bestsellers on retail shelves. Key Highlights From the Interview:  The Power of Preparation: How Chris uses "intel packets" and thorough research to master the 10-minute buyer meeting at ECRM Sessions.A "No-Risk" Strategy: Details of Chris’s 8-to-12-week test run he proposes to buyers with 100% buyback guarantee that makes it virtually impossible for buyers to say no.Networking Over Competition: Why Chris believes "a rising tide lifts all ships" and how networking at ECRM Sessions led to massive distribution deals, including US Navy ship stores.Scaling Smarter: Advice on utilizing existing resources and third-party logistics to achieve growth without doing it all yourself.Innovations for 2026: A sneak peek at the upcoming Spring Biotic – a probiotic spring water designed to meet the growing consumer demand for gut health and GLP-1 support. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned industry veteran, this episode is a masterclass in how to leverage every available opportunity!

    36 min

  7. MAR 17

    Episode #38 RangeMe/ECRM - NIQ's Chris Costagli

    ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Chris Costagli, NIQ’s VP of Thought Leadership for Food & Beverage to deconstruct how shifting consumer intentionality – fueled by economic pressure and increased interest in wellness – is transforming the traditional C-store mission. From the surprising impact of weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s to the confusion surrounding SNAP benefits, they explore how this traditionally "vice-driven" destination is evolving into a wellness-conscious hub. Among the topics they discuss: The SNAP Benefit Shake-up: How new state-level waivers on candy and sugary drinks are putting nearly $4 billion in spending at risk and creating massive friction at the point of sale.The "Ozempic Effect": Why GLP-1 users are ditching salty snacks for meat snacks (up 90%) and—unexpectedly—driving a surge in fragrance and mint sales to combat medication side effects.A New "Anchor" for the Ship: As cigarette and alcohol consumption hit new lows, we look at the rise of THC beverages (up 134%) and nicotine pouches as the new drivers of store traffic.The Rise of the Scanning App: Why 25% of shoppers are now using third-party apps like Yuka or Olive in-store to vet ingredients, and why 87% will put a product back if the app gives it a "bad" score.Foodservice vs. Fast Food: How C-stores can win against Quick Serve Restaurants (QSRs) by leveraging their speed and addressing the 39% of consumers who are desperate for healthier prepared options.Tons of great insights here for convenience store operators and buyers, as well as brands looking to enter the c-store space!

    37 min

  8. MAR 6

    Episode #37 RangeMe/ECRM - HRR Foods

    If you are a new or emerging brand trying to navigate the complex world of retail, this conversation is a masterclass in why working with distributors that service independent grocers is a smart way to scale.  In this episode, ECRM’s Joseph Tarnowski sits down with Roaldo Sulejmani from HRR Foods, a specialized distributor servicing the Midwest and Northeast Atlantic.   Roaldo breaks down the unique advantages of working with independent retailers—those family-owned shops where decisions are made quickly and relationships matter. He shares how HRR Foods helps brands avoid the trap of premature expansion without massive financial backing that often leads to failure.  Key takeaways from the conversation:  The Power of Independents: Learn why 95% of HRR Foods' business is with retailers having 10 locations or fewer, and why these stores are the perfect organic training ground for new products.Direct Drop Shipping: Discover HRR Foods' new low-risk model that allows brands to prove their sales data in a new region without the heavy cost of warehouse spoilage.Packaging is Everything: Roaldo explains why packaging accounts for 50% of his decision-making process when meeting a new brand.Iterate and Improve: Hear why making mistakes at the independent level is an easy fix, while a mistake with a major chain can be very costly.The Everyday Consumer: A reality check on why your product needs to appeal to the family shopper in Chicago or New York, rather than just the high-end boutique shopper.Regardless of what category your brand sits in, this episode provides a roadmap for moving your product from the warehouse to the store shelf—and ensuring it actually sells through.

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

3
out of 5
4 Ratings

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Stories, insights & advice from Retail & Foodservice Pros.Every day, RangeMe and ECRM empower brands and buyers from retail and foodservice industries to make connections that matter. Now, we're collecting stories, insights, and advice from the entrepreneurs and professionals who are shaping markets today to help you grow your business tomorrow.

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