Strategy Before Spend: How to Avoid the Most Expensive Pre-Launch Mistakes
Release Date: 02/09/2026
Motif
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Michael Zabar’s culinary roots run deep. As a fourth-generation member of the family behind the iconic NYC deli, Zabar’s, Michael’s first job was scooping coffee for customers. After a successful career in tech and e-commerce at Walmart, he felt a pull back to his roots. The spark came from his own kitchen, where he and his wife began crafting homemade syrups to fix a problem in the market: coffee syrups that were packed with processed sugar, artificial dyes, and preservatives. This led to the creation of Motif, a clean-label alternative designed for the discerning coffee drinker. Motif...
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DEFI Snacks
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Tatyana Jones is a true powerhouse in the CPG world. After managing a $500M snacking portfolio at Mars Wrigley and turning around massive innovation portfolios at GSK, she realized the $27B chocolate category was missing something vital: a high-protein option that didn't taste like a compromise. Leveraging years of big-brand firepower and an NYU Stern MBA, Tatyana founded DEFI Snacks to shatter the idea that "healthy" has to be boring. DEFI—short for Delicious Energizing Fitness Indulgence—is a woman-owned revolution in the chocolate aisle. Each gluten-free, grain-free bite delivers 25g+...
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SIPPL Mixology
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Healthy living shouldn’t mean sitting out on the social moments you love. Created by Parker Papaccio, SIPPL Mixology (Simple. Supplemental. Sipping.) was built on the belief that the best lives prioritize balance over restriction. By creating a functional margarita mix that lives in the "gray area" where wellness meets real life, SIPPL is proving you can care about how you feel without sacrificing a great cocktail. Made with all-natural ingredients and lightly sweetened with agave, SIPPL delivers a premium taste with just 4g of sugar. But it’s what’s inside that sets it apart: a subtle...
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Strategy Before Spend: How to Avoid the Most Expensive Pre-Launch Mistakes
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Before you lock in a co-manufacturer, print packaging, or order your first production run… pause. In this solo episode, I’m walking through the biggest (and most expensive) mistakes I see first-time CPG food & beverage founders make — and how brand strategy should guide every decision before you spend a dollar on inventory. Because your logo, packaging, flavors, and even your brand name shouldn’t come first. Strategy does. Inside the Episode: Why you shouldn’t design packaging too soon Why it’s too early to pick your brand name How to nail your category positioning How...
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Staff
Emerging Brands Podcast®
After years as a Guinness World Records judge and advertising executive, Charlie Weisman realized that the household items we use every day are often dull and uninspired. While stuck in his NYC apartment during the pandemic, he founded Staff to bring joy to the mundane. By reimagining functional tools with bold colors, unique materials, and helpful characters, Charlie is turning overlooked essentials into high-design conversation pieces. Staff peps up living spaces by adding personality to chores, starting with its disruptive first product, The Plunger—a nostalgic nod to Charlie’s...
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The Founder Mindset: Why Strategy Outperforms Hustle Pre-Launch
Emerging Brands Podcast®
In this solo episode, I’m breaking down the founder mindset I’ve seen make or break brands before they ever hit shelves. After 15+ years working alongside hundreds of founders — and currently supporting 20+ pre-launch brands coming to market this year — I’ve learned that success isn’t about doing more. It’s about getting clear first. Inside the Episode: Why strategy should come before packaging or production My honest take on founder-led content (pros, cons, and what actually works) How retailers and investors are watching your content pre-launch Why you should test...
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Afternoon Toast
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Kimmy Pace, a former technology consultant, turned her lifelong struggle with chronic dehydration and gut sensitivity into a mission after discovering Korean roasted barley tea in a novel. Realizing that most "better-for-you" drinks were too sugary or carbonated for her system, she began brewing her own at home. This gentle, grounding ritual became the foundation for a beverage brand designed for those seeking hydration without the digestive stress. Afternoon Toast is a line of ready-to-drink, caffeine-free teas crafted from steeped ginger and roasted barley. With a unique nutty and toasty...
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Launch Lab
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Danielle Calabrese is a CPG powerhouse with over 16 years of experience scaling brands from zero to $40M and guiding more than 100 founders to collective sales of over $100M. Known for her "build smarter, not harder" philosophy, Danielle has secured dozens of SKUs with top-tier retailers and distributors, making her one of the industry's most sought-after advisors for navigating the complex journey from kitchen table to retail shelf. As the creator of Launch Lab, Danielle has developed a 10-week, cohort-based program designed to take early-stage founders through a proven, step-by-step...
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Strip Jerky
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Nicole Schlesinger traded her corporate NYC desk for butchery classes at the Institute of Culinary Education after realizing the jerky market was dominated by sugary, "candy-like" options. Obsessed with quality, she squeezed two oversized dehydrators into her tiny apartment to perfect small-batch, chef-driven recipes that prioritized premium meat and clean ingredients over the industry standard. This experimentation led to the birth of Strip Jerky, a brand redefining the protein-packed snack with an artisanal, modern approach. By blending culinary integrity with bold flavor profiles, Nicole...
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CHUZA
Emerging Brands Podcast®
Daniel Schwarz, Founder and CEO of CHUZA, is a leader who finds inspiration in the concept of poise under pressure. In Mexico, the word "CHUZA" carries a powerful double meaning: it signifies a strike for success, that precise moment when perfection is reached and the momentum continues. This philosophy was personified during the early days of the pandemic by a daily visitor to Daniel’s window, an unflappable owl who remained calm while being challenged by crows. This "COwl-Founder" became a symbol of the resilience required to build a brand and served as the motivation Daniel needed to...
info_outlineBefore you lock in a co-manufacturer, print packaging, or order your first production run… pause.
In this solo episode, I’m walking through the biggest (and most expensive) mistakes I see first-time CPG food & beverage founders make — and how brand strategy should guide every decision before you spend a dollar on inventory.
Because your logo, packaging, flavors, and even your brand name shouldn’t come first. Strategy does.
Inside the Episode:
- Why you shouldn’t design packaging too soon
- Why it’s too early to pick your brand name
- How to nail your category positioning
- How strategy should inform flavor choices
- How to test messaging before launch
- And what to clarify before committing to a production run
If you’re pre-launch and about to invest serious money into formulation, packaging, or manufacturing, this episode will save you time, money, and a lot of rework.
Consider this your pre-launch checklist — from product idea → brand people want to shop.
This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.