273. Most Food Brands Break Before They Ever Scale
Release Date: 01/08/2026
299. Why Great Products Still Don’t Sell at Retail
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
299. If your product isn’t selling, it’s rarely a product problem—it’s a story problem. In Day 27 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down why inconsistent, fragmented messaging kills sales at retail and how a unified brand voice becomes a true growth lever. You’ll learn how clear storytelling communicates value (not price), aligns brokers and retailers, reduces friction, and builds trust at scale. Master this, and you stop competing on deals—and start leading the category. A brand’s value, not its price, is the key to success. A unified brand story, consistently communicated...
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298. Stop Getting Rejected by Retailers—Use KPIs Instead
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
298. Retailers don’t reject great products—they reject poor execution. In Day 26 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down how KPIs act as guardrails that prevent mistakes, eliminate guesswork, and ensure flawless execution at retail. You’ll learn which performance indicators actually matter, how to set clear expectations for brokers and teams, and why brands that measure execution outperform competitors with bigger budgets. If you want consistency, trust, and momentum at shelf, this is your playbook. KPIs are crucial for ensuring flawless retail execution and driving brand growth. They...
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297. The Framework Retailers Actually Respect
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
297. Great strategy fails without flawless execution. In Day 25 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down how scorecards turn goals, MBOs, and plans into predictable results retailers trust. Learn how top CPG brands use scorecards to eliminate chaos, assign clear ownership, prevent execution breakdowns, and scale with confidence. This is the framework retailers respect—and the discipline that separates reactive brands from true category leaders. Scorecards map out objectives in bite-size, manageable pieces that keep you focused, aligned, and on track. They can be the difference between success...
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296. Why MBOs Turn Teams Into Sales Engines
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
296. When runway is tight, execution must be flawless. In Day 24 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we break down how Management By Objectives (MBOs) turn big goals into clear, accountable actions across sales, operations, marketing, and finance. Learn how top-performing brands use MBOs to align teams, reduce risk, eliminate confusion, and grow sales predictably—without micromanaging. This is how strategy turns into results. Management By Objectives (MBOs) are a powerful system for aligning teams around common goals. By breaking down strategic objectives into actionable steps, MBOs create...
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295. Why Focused Brands Win While Others Stall
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
295. Distractions are silently killing emerging brands. In Day 23 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we tackle one of the most overlooked growth killers: lack of focus. Learn how to distinguish real priorities from noise, delegate with confidence, and protect your time so execution doesn’t break down at shelf. This episode shows founders how to stay laser-focused on what actually drives sales, strengthens retail relationships, and fuels sustainable growth. Distractions are a major threat to emerging brands, hindering focus and ultimately impacting sales and growth. Leaders must prioritize...
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294. Why Founders Who Do Everything Never Scale
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
294. Wearing too many hats is the fastest way to stall growth. In Day 22 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we tackle one of the biggest execution killers: founder overload. Learn how to shift from business manager to true business owner, reclaim your time, and focus on the work only you can do. Discover practical strategies for delegation, prioritization, and time blocking so your brand can scale with clarity, discipline, and momentum. Founders should shift their focus from managing every aspect of their business to leading and innovating. This involves delegating tasks outside their...
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293. The Promo Mistake That’s Draining Your Runway
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
293. Roughly 25% of your gross sales go to trade spend—and most brands have no idea if it’s working. In Day 21 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I break down how to measure the true value of promotions so you stop burning cash and start extending your runway. Learn how to separate promo spikes from real growth, evaluate base sales lift, and turn trade marketing into a strategic weapon retailers and investors respect. Trade marketing, often misunderstood as just discounts and promotions, encompasses a wide range of activities aimed at getting products into shoppers’ hands. To maximize...
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292. Why Retail Winners Build Playbooks Their Rivals Don’t
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
292. Knowledge wins at retail—but applied knowledge changes the game. In Day 20 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I show how combining book smarts with street smarts turns brands into indispensable retail partners. You’ll learn how to spot patterns competitors miss, anticipate retailer needs, and build playbooks that protect the shopper experience and drive predictable growth. This episode explains why retailers reward brands that make their job easier—and how to become that brand. Brands that succeed in retail combine book smarts with street smarts to become indispensable to...
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291. Stop Treating Retailers Like Vending Machines
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
291. Most brands approach retailers asking for space, promotions, and favors—and wonder why buyers tune them out. In Day 19 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I show how to flip that dynamic by becoming an expert in your retail partner. You’ll learn how understanding a retailer’s business model, shopper, people, and priorities turns you from a vendor into a trusted category leader. This episode explains how respect, insight, and value creation earn influence, access, and long-term growth. Brands should view retailers as partners, not vending machines, by understanding their business...
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290. The Simple Question That Slashes New Product Failures
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
290. Most new products fail because brands guess instead of asking. In Day 18 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I show how to dramatically reduce innovation risk by co-creating with the customers who already love your brand. You’ll learn why focus groups mislead, why natural brands are the true R&D engine of CPG, and how using your community as your innovation lab leads to faster launches, lower costs, and products shoppers are waiting to buy before they ever hit the shelf. Big brands often fail to innovate because they prioritize manufacturing efficiency over consumer needs, leading...
info_outline273. Most food brands don’t fail because of product—they fail because the foundation cracks under growth. In Day 1 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I explain why scaling without strong fundamentals quietly destroys margins, forecasts, and retailer trust. You’ll learn how distraction hides the real growth drivers, why foundations must be revisited continuously, and what systems retailers and investors expect before saying yes. This episode resets how you think about scale—and why strong foundations accelerate profit instead of slowing it down.
The 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth is relaunched as a masterclass to help emerging CPG founders scale profitably. The series focuses on building systems, discipline, and retail execution for sustainable growth, rather than simply increasing distribution. It provides actionable strategies, retail insights, and tools to help founders align their brands with retailer goals and convert shoppers into loyal customers.
If you’re trying to scale a food brand, stop improvising. Growth isn’t luck. It’s sequence:
strategy → execution → retail trust → repeatable demand.
Action step: write your next 90 days as 3 phases: build / prove / scale.
What phase are you in right now?
For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes:
🎙️ 142 Maximize Sales With A Solid Business Plan Today, Michael J. O’Donnell
🎙️ 4 Strategies To Grow Sales And Profits Effectively
🎙️ 115 Success = Brand Strategy + Execution Essentials, Michael J. O’Donnell
Day 1 of the Free 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth
Tip of the day: You put your whole heart and soul into creating a product to revolutionize the category, shouldn’t your go-to-market strategy be as innovative as the ingredients in your package. Building a solid foundation today will support explosive growth tomorrow and beyond.
What do you plan to do to strengthen your brands foundation?
You can get the episodes free guide and show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session273