Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
If you’re building a CPG brand and running out of runway, this podcast is your unfair competitive advantage. Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the go-to podcast for emerging and growth-stage CPG founders navigating retail, e-commerce, and omnichannel growth with limited resources and zero margin for error. Hosted by Daniel Lohman—former CPG founder, category management expert, and trusted advisor to natural, organic, and better-for-you brands—this show delivers practical, retailer-relevant strategies most brands never get access to. Each episode breaks down what actually drives sales at retail: • category management and fact-based selling • trade marketing and promotion ROI • broker performance and retail execution • pricing, assortment, and shelf strategy • brand valuation, velocity, and profitability Let me explain why this matters. Most advice shortens your runway. This show is designed to extend it—by helping you earn an equal seat at the table with retailers, convert occasional buyers into loyal evangelists, and compete head-to-head with far bigger brands. This isn’t theory. It’s a turnkey roadmap built from hundreds of real-world case studies, expert interviews, and proven frameworks. If you’re a mission-driven CPG brand that wants to grow profitably, fund innovation, and do more good—this is where you start. Subscribe and start building a bulletproof brand.
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299. Why Great Products Still Don’t Sell at Retail
02/03/2026
299. Why Great Products Still Don’t Sell at Retail
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 across all channels, is crucial for conveying this value to customers and retailers. This approach fosters trust, loyalty, and sustainable growth, enabling brands to lead their categories rather than simply compete on price. Action step: write your “turnkey sales story” and train the team. Is your team telling the same story? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 139 Solid Brand Position Key to Explosive Sales Growth, Suzie Yorke with Love Good Fats 🎙️ 57 Importance Of A Powerful Brand Message In Marketing, Steve Hoffman with Compass Natural Marketing 🎙️ 60 The Importance With Remaining Relevant At Retail, Michael Sansolo with Sansolo Solutions, Morning News Beat, and Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council This is episode: 299 Day 27 of the Free 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth Tip of the day: Storytelling is the most effective way to communicate. The power of a good storyteller cannot be underestimated. Your brand's success relies on how effective your storytelling is. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session299
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298. How To Develop Performance Indicators for Success (KPIs)
02/01/2026
298. How To Develop Performance Indicators for Success (KPIs)
298. KPIs are crucial for ensuring flawless retail execution and driving brand growth. They provide clarity, accountability, and eliminate guesswork, helping brands avoid costly mistakes and maintain consistency across all customer-facing elements. By implementing clear and measurable KPIs, brands can gain a competitive advantage, improve retailer relationships, and deliver a predictable and scalable brand experience. KPIs act as the guardrails that keep your brand on track. They ensure flawless execution at retail—and flawless execution is where real growth happens. KPIs are the guardrails that keep your brand from drifting off course. This is one of the most overlooked areas in natural CPG and one of the simplest ways to immediately out-execute your competitors—even those with deeper pockets and larger teams. And if you’re truly ready to level the playing field, KPIs are how you do it. Action step: pick KPIs that predict outcomes: contribution, repeat, availability. Which KPI do you track that doesn’t actually help? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 160 Reach Your Goals Tomorrow and Beyond, Top Strategies Revealed 🎙️ 84 Perseverance & Overcoming Obstacles in Retail Strategy, David Perkins with Beetnik Foods 🎙️ 218 Retail Horror Stories – How To Avoid Failures This is episode: 298 Day 26 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge Tip of the day: KPI’s act as the guard rails that keep everyone on track. They help to ensure flawless retail execution. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session298
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297. How To Ensure Flawless Execution Using Scorecards
02/01/2026
297. How To Ensure Flawless Execution Using Scorecards
297. Scorecards map out objectives in bite-size, manageable pieces that keep you focused, aligned, and on track. They can be the difference between success and failure. Scorecards are the most underutilized project-management tool in the CPG industry. And that’s a problem—because scorecards are also one of the most effective tools to keep the business moving forward predictably. It’s time for the tool that actually brings all of that to life. A tool that eliminates chaos. A tool that keeps everyone accountable. A tool that removes guesswork and replaces it with clarity. That tool is the scorecard. Here’s why: They break big goals into small, doable action steps. They clarify exactly who is responsible for what. They eliminate assumptions that lead to mistakes. They create cross-functional alignment. They build accountability without micromanagement. If the MBO is the strategic what, the scorecard is the tactical how. And you need both to scale with confidence. Action step: create a weekly scorecard for distribution, OOS, promo, deductions. What would you measure weekly if you had to pick 5 things? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 124 Celebrating Real Food The Farmer’s Essential Role, Phil Lempert with Supermarket Guru 🎙️ 134 Category Review Strategies to Maximize Sales 🎙️ 157 Tools To Ensure Sales Success with Scorecards 🎙️190, Promotion Analysis Growth Strategies to Maximize Your Trade Marketing ROI This is episode: 297 Day 25 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge Tip of the day: Scorecards map out objectives in bitesize manageable chunks that keep you on-track and focused. They help you achieve your goals - they can be the difference between success and failure You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session297
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296. How To Use Management By Objective (MBOs) To Boost Sales
01/31/2026
296. How To Use Management By Objective (MBOs) To Boost Sales
296. Management By Objectives (MBOs) are a powerful system for aligning teams around common goals. By breaking down strategic objectives into actionable steps, MBOs create clarity, coordination, and accountability across departments. This system reduces risk, improves performance, increases ownership, and makes execution scalable, ultimately driving predictable growth. MBOs break your biggest strategic goals into clear, bite-sized, accountable actions that move the entire business forward. If the last few episodes focused on helping YOU stay centered, focused, and productive… today’s conversation shifts to your team—the people who help carry the weight of your brand every single day. Because here’s the truth: You can’t scale a business on personal effort alone. You scale through systems, structure, and people. And one of the most powerful systems ever created for aligning a team around a common mission is Management By Objectives, commonly known as MBOs. Action step: set 1 objective + 3 measurable results for each function. Do you have measurable results—or activities? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 24 Brand Success 10 Strategies for Sustainable Profits 🎙️ 169 How To Gain A Competitive Edge In Business Today 🎙️ 217 Strategies To Help Natural Brands Grow and Expand Globally, Charlie Knight with Mr Lee’s Noodles This is episode: 296 Day 24 Tip of the day: MBO’s break strategic business objectives into bitesize chunks making them easier to digest and more attainable. Individual MBO’s rollup to accomplish larger organizational objectives driving the business forward. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session296
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295. Be Laser Focused- Say “No” to Distractions and Thrive
01/30/2026
295. Be Laser Focused- Say “No” to Distractions and Thrive
295. If there’s one universal truth in CPG, it's this: Your results—not your intentions—determine your success. You can have the best heart, the best mission, and the best intentions… but if distractions derail your execution, none of that moves the needle. Let’s be honest: running a business means being pulled in a thousand different directions at once. Every day feels like a fight for focus. Tasks that seem urgent lure you down rabbit holes. Hours disappear. You come up for air wondering, “How did I get here?” Sound familiar? The hard truth is this: distractions are one of the biggest silent killers of emerging brands. They dilute your energy, delay progress, frustrate your team, and ultimately show up at the shelf as missed sales, missed opportunities, and missed connections with your shoppers. This is where old habits find you trying to manage the day-to-day stuff you previously delegated. Action step: list your distractions and pick one “no” for the week. What do you need to stop doing? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 11 Sales Growth Strategies That Focus On Shopper Satisfaction, Tim Joseph With Maple Hill Creamery 🎙️ 53 The Power Of Perseverance & Mission Focus in Business, Megan Reamer with Jackson’s Honest 🎙️204 Why Regenerative Organic Is An Important Step For Sustainability, Birgit Cameron with Patagonia Provisions This is episode: 295 Day 23 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge Tip of the day: 295 Your success is measured by your sales. Anything that does not drive sales needs to be secondary or needs to be delegated to so someone better equipped to handle it. Say “no” to these distractions! You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session295
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294. Maximize Productivity- Prioritize Important Tasks
01/28/2026
294. Maximize Productivity- Prioritize Important Tasks
294. Founders should shift their focus from managing every aspect of their business to leading and innovating. This involves delegating tasks outside their expertise to subject-matter experts, prioritizing time for deep work, and eliminating distractions. By doing so, founders can reduce overwhelm, increase execution, and foster a more productive and enjoyable work environment. Its now time to take your business to the next level. Its time step back and let other lead. Its time for you to shift your focus from business manager to an operator. At operator focuses on the big picture and the future while the business runs smoothly in the capable hands of your team. Surround yourself with talented subject-matter experts so you can focus on what you do best — innovate. Running a business requires founders to wear far too many hats. And the truth is, most founders don’t love every part of running their company. Yet many force themselves to keep doing tasks they dread… and that’s exactly where brands stall, burn out, or lose their spark. Today’s conversation is all about reclaiming your time, your energy, and your creativity — because without that, none of the strategies in this series can truly work. This is where you take what you have learned so far to maximize your time with clarity and pinpoint focus. Action step: choose 3 outcomes for the week and delete everything else. What’s stealing your time right now? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️ 164 How To Swim With The Sharks On Shark Tank – Lessons Learned, Dustin Finkel with KAPOP 🎙️ 21 Trust and Transparency Drive Consumer Loyalty, Robert Craven with MegaFood 🎙️ 259 Explode Sales By Unlocking Your Profitability Now, Doug Brown with Business Success Factors This is episode: 294 Day 22 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge Tip of the day: Surround yourself with talented subject matter experts to give you the freedom to focus on what you do best - to innovate. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session294
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293. How To Know the Value of Your Promotions- An Effective Strategy
01/28/2026
293. How To Know the Value of Your Promotions- An Effective Strategy
293. Trade marketing, often misunderstood as just discounts and promotions, encompasses a wide range of activities aimed at getting products into shoppers’ hands. To maximize the impact of promotions, brands should focus on increasing base sales rather than just generating short-term spikes. By analyzing the effectiveness of promotions and understanding their true impact on base sales, brands can extend their runway, improve profitability, and build stronger relationships with retailers. If you’re feeling like promotions are a necessary evil… you’re not alone. Most founders I talk to say some version of: “We promote because we’re told we have to… but honestly, I don’t really know if it’s working.” Here’s the hard truth: Roughly 25% of a brand’s gross sales go to trade spend 70% or more of that is wasted or ineffective Whether you agree with the exact percentages or not is irrelevant. If even a fraction of your trade spend is wasted, that’s lost runway, lost growth, and lost negotiation power. Today we’re going to fix that. Action step: define break-even lift before you run the promo. Do you know your promo break-even point? Tip of the day: The best way to reduce wasted spending and explode sales is to maximize your promotional effectiveness. Get more runway to grow and scale, better valuations, and give retailers a reason to say yes to your recommendations. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session293
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292. How To Become An Expert In Your Retail Partner
01/27/2026
292. How To Become An Expert In Your Retail Partner
292. Brands that succeed in retail combine book smarts with street smarts to become indispensable to retailers. Street smarts involve anticipating retailer needs, understanding shopper behavior, and adapting strategies to each account. By becoming the trusted go-to resource for retailers, brands can move from chasing opportunities to having opportunities brought to them. If there’s one theme that runs through everything in this 30-day series, it’s this: Knowledge is power — especially in this industry. And the brands that win at retail are the ones that combine book smarts with street smarts to become indispensable. Today you’re going to learn how to rise above your competition by becoming the trusted go-to resource retailers turn to when they need an edge. Because once that happens, everything changes: You stop chasing opportunities… Retailers start bringing opportunities to you. Action step: build your “retail playbook”: placement, promo, execution, story. What’s your weakest pillar today? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at:
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291. How To Become An Expert In Your Retail Partner
01/25/2026
291. How To Become An Expert In Your Retail Partner
291. Brands should view retailers as partners, not vending machines, by understanding their business models, priorities, and challenges. By providing value and insights, brands can build trust and become indispensable category leaders, gaining preferential treatment and opportunities. This approach, based on the law of reciprocity, fosters long-term success for both the brand and the retailer. If we’re honest, most brands treat retailers like vending machines: “I want this.” “I need that.” “Put me on an endcap.” “Run this promotion.” Everything is framed as, “Here’s what I need from you.” And then we wonder why buyers dodge our emails, cut meetings short, and default to the biggest brands with the deepest pockets. Let me flip that for you: No two retailers are the same. They deserve to be respected and valued. Their success is your success. When you become an expert in your retail partners—how they operate, what they care about, how they win in their markets—you gain a real, durable edge. This is how you stop being “just another brand” asking for favors… …and start becoming a trusted, respected, ind Action step: write one page: strategy, shopper, margin drivers, risks, goals. Which retailer do you need to study next? For additional inspiration listen to the following Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast episodes: 🎙️62 Proven Strategies To Level The Playing Field Effectively, Todd Kluger with Lundberg Family Farms 🎙️ 99 Sales Management Success Strategies that Build Brands, Bob Burke with Natural Products Consulting 🎙️ 123 In-Store Marketing Strategies Every Brand Should Use, Andrew Therrien with Sampler This is episode: 291 Day 19 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge Tip of the day: No two retailers are the same. They deserve to be respected and valued. Their success is your success. Personalizing your relationship will pay huge dividends and give you the edge you deserve. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session291
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290. How To Make And Sell Products Your Customers Want
01/25/2026
290. How To Make And Sell Products Your Customers Want
290. Big brands often fail to innovate because they prioritize manufacturing efficiency over consumer needs, leading to missed trends and wasted resources. Natural brands can leverage their loyal customer communities to co-create products, reducing risk and increasing success rates. By directly engaging with their audience, brands can gain valuable insights, pre-sell products, and build stronger relationships with retailers. If you want to dramatically improve your innovation, reduce the cost of new item failures, and create products shoppers are eager to buy before they ever hit the shelf, then today’s episode is for you. Because the truth is this: Natural is the R&D engine for the entire CPG industry. Innovative ideas start here. Trends start here. New product categories start here. And the brands that win are the ones that co-create with their consumer long before they show up in a category review. Innovation isn’t what you love. It’s what your shopper needs. Action step: talk to 10 customers and write the “need state” in their words. What problem are they hiring you to solve? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at:
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289. How To Use Fact-Based Selling For a Competitive Edge
01/24/2026
289. How To Use Fact-Based Selling For a Competitive Edge
289. Fact-based selling, a crucial skill for competing with big brands, involves using data, shopper insights, and clear recommendations to tell a compelling story. This approach goes beyond traditional category management by providing retailers with actionable insights and solutions, rather than just data points. By combining POS data with shopper insights and community feedback, brands can create personalized, impactful stories that resonate with retailers and drive growth. If you want an equal seat at the table with big brands, this is one of the most important skills you can learn: Fact-based selling. Not “pretty charts.” Not generic ranking reports. Not whatever falls out of the canned template your data provider gives you. I’m talking about advanced storytelling using facts, shopper insights, and clear recommendations. This is what I call true category management. When you master it, you stop sounding like every other brand in the line review… …and you become the founder retailers look to for leadership, clarity, and direction. Why Fact-Based Selling Is Your Secret Weapon In the last episode, we talked about using data analytics as the roadmap to future sales and profits. Today we’re going to turn that roadmap into a sales vehicle—your fact-based story. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session289 Action step: build one slide: shopper → problem → your solution → category benefit. Do you sell your brand story—or the category story?
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288. How To Use Data Analytics for a Competitive Edge
01/23/2026
288. How To Use Data Analytics for a Competitive Edge
288. To compete at a higher level in the natural channel, brands must master data analytics beyond surface-level metrics. This involves understanding shopper behavior, identifying category gaps, and using data to validate problems and propose solutions. By doing so, brands can earn retailer trust, influence category decisions, and future-proof their business. If you want to compete at a higher level, you must understand data. Not surface-level numbers. Not canned reports. Not push-button dashboards. I’m talking about true data literacy — the ability to uncover insights that others overlook and turn them into compelling stories retailers cannot ignore. Because knowledge is power — especially in this industry. Today I’m going to show you how to use data analytics as a roadmap to future sales and profits. And I want you to know this upfront: No brand wins long-term without mastering data. But every brand can learn how to do it — even if numbers aren’t your thing. Ask a different question: Why did what happened happen? That question will save you countless hours. It focuses your analysis. It guides your curiosity. It helps you find the signal in the noise. And the best part? With practice, you begin to instantly see patterns that others miss. Just like an experienced coach who can watch 10 seconds of film and diagnose exactly what’s going wrong. Action step: identify 3 numbers that drive action: contribution, basket, retention. What metric do you wish you had weekly? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session288
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287. Trusted and Respected Retail Partner Today (A True Category Leader)
01/21/2026
287. Trusted and Respected Retail Partner Today (A True Category Leader)
287. Retailers face immense pressure from online competition and changing shopper behaviors. Brands can gain a competitive edge by becoming category leaders, not just category captains. This involves understanding the retailer’s shopper, leveraging complementary brands, providing actionable insights, and thinking like a retailer to help them win. Retailers are under more pressure than ever. Competition from online. Razor-thin margins. Shoppers changing how and where they buy. Most brands look at that and think, “How do I get more from my retailer?” I want you to flip that. Retailers want and need your help. You hold the key to giving them a huge competitive edge. When you step up as a strategic partner – not just another line item on a shelf – savvy retailers will reward you with incremental opportunities you cannot buy: Extra displays Premium placement Early access to resets A real voice in how the category is built That’s what becoming a category leader is all about. Action step: bring one insight + one solution to every retailer conversation. What’s one insight you could bring this week? Tip of the day: Retailers want and need your help! You hold the key to giving them a huge competitive edge. Become an indispensable trusted resource and partner and savvy retailers will reward you with incremental opportunities You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session287
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286. Identify Your Ideal Retail Partner (Including Online)
01/21/2026
286. Identify Your Ideal Retail Partner (Including Online)
286. Not every retailer is suitable for every brand. Brands should focus on partnering with retailers that align with their ideal customer’s shopping habits and values, rather than chasing big-name banners. By prioritizing contribution over coverage and owning their distribution strategy, brands can build impactful and profitable relationships with retailers. Not all doors are good doors. If there’s one lesson that doesn’t get talked about enough in this industry, it’s this: Not every retailer is right for your brand. And chasing the wrong ones can quietly drain your runway and jeopardize your future. Just like every customer is unique, every store is unique. Every chain has its own priorities, its own shopper base, and its own definition of success. You are not supposed to be everywhere. You are supposed to be where your ideal customer shops and where the retailer actually values what you bring to the table. Action step: define “ideal retailer” by shopper, category, execution support, and terms. Which retailer is your best fit right now? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session286
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285 Use Clarity and Consistency to Amplify Your Brand
01/20/2026
285 Use Clarity and Consistency to Amplify Your Brand
285. Clarity and consistency are crucial for building a successful brand. When customers are confused or unsure about a product, they are more likely to choose a familiar or cheaper option. By providing a straightforward and predictable customer journey, brands can increase confidence, leading to more sales and customer loyalty. Consistency is a growth lever. Confusion pushes shoppers away. When a customer is overwhelmed, unsure, or can’t quickly understand what your product is, who it’s for, or why it matters, they default to the easiest option: They walk away. Or they grab whatever’s familiar. Or they choose the cheapest thing on the shelf. Your job is simple: Make the customer’s journey straightforward, predictable, and consistent—everywhere they encounter your brand. Do that well, and you become the easy “yes.” Do it poorly, and you unintentionally push shoppers toward your competitors. Clarity + Consistency = Confidence Action step: choose 3 brand truths and repeat them everywhere for 90 days. What are your 3 non-negotiables?
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284. How To Make It Easy For Shoppers To Buy Your Brand
01/18/2026
284. How To Make It Easy For Shoppers To Buy Your Brand
284. To increase sales and build customer loyalty, brands must make their products easy to find and purchase. This involves understanding the shopper’s buying journey, identifying complementary products, and strategically placing products in stores. By removing friction and confusion from the shopping experience, brands can create a seamless journey that encourages repeat purchases and strengthens retailer relationships. Availability beats awareness. If a shopper can’t find your product, they can’t buy your product. It doesn’t matter how powerful your story is, how compelling your WHY is, or how aligned your mission is with your customer’s values—if your product isn’t easy to find, understand, and purchase, everything else falls apart. Today we’re going to talk about how to remove friction from the buying journey, how to help your customer succeed at shelf, and how to help retailers deliver the seamless and frictionless shopping experience their customers crave. Because when you make it easy for shoppers to find your brand, you don’t just increase sales—you build trust, loyalty, and repeat purchases. Action step: audit friction: search, shelf placement, OOS, PDP quality. Where is it hardest to buy your brand? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session284
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283. How To Become a Great Storyteller and Connect With Customers
01/17/2026
283. How To Become a Great Storyteller and Connect With Customers
283. Storytelling is a powerful tool for building a brand that resonates with customers. By understanding your customer’s internal dialogue and articulating your brand’s value proposition, you can create a compelling story that positions your product as the guide to their success. This approach fosters loyalty, advocacy, and ultimately, brand growth. If you want to build a brand that people love—really love—you must become a master storyteller. Not in the sense of crafting clever taglines or flashy ads, but in the deeper sense of communicating your mission, your WHY, and your value in a way that resonates with your ideal customer. Because here’s the truth: Shoppers want personalization. But personalization doesn’t begin with data—it begins with humanity. Action step: write your story in 3 lines: problem → promise → proof. Is your story consistent everywhere? You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session283
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282. How To Create a Thriving Engaged Community Today
01/16/2026
282. How To Create a Thriving Engaged Community Today
282. The Fastest Way to Avoid Costly Mistakes in Retail Building a loyal customer community is crucial for brand growth. Simply placing a product on a store shelf doesn’t provide valuable customer insights, making it difficult to market effectively. By understanding customer behavior and needs outside of retail, brands can tailor their messaging, innovation, and retail strategy, leading to increased sales and customer loyalty. Building a community around your brand is crucial for predictable, profitable, and sustainable growth. By understanding your customers’ needs and behaviors beyond retail, you can tailor your marketing, innovation, and retail strategies to foster loyalty and drive organic growth. This approach, exemplified by a struggling oatmeal brand that discovered its product’s use as baby food, leads to more effective messaging, packaging, and content, ultimately boosting sales. If you want your brand to grow predictably, profitably, and sustainably, you need more than a great product on a retail shelf. You need a community—a living ecosystem of people who know you, trust you, love you, and advocate for you. Because here’s the truth: The brands that win in the future are the brands that own the relationship with their customer today. Welcoming shoppers into your community, embracing them, making them feel seen, heard, and valued—that’s how you convert casual interest into deep loyalty. And loyalty is the engine behind every thriving natural brand. This is the exact information retailers need and can’t get from anyone else. Leveraging the Power of Your Unique Shopper, is how you can go into every retailer meeting with insights no competitor can offer. Day 10 of the Free 30 Days To Prosperity Challenge You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session274
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281. How To Convert Your Dream Customers Into Raving Fans
01/15/2026
281. How To Convert Your Dream Customers Into Raving Fans
281. Brands must prioritize building a thriving, connected community around their brand to achieve predictable, profitable growth. Traditional customer targeting methods are failing because they oversimplify customers and miss their values and motivations. By nurturing a loyal tribe, brands can gain valuable insights, reduce acquisition costs, and differentiate themselves beyond price. If you want your brand to be unshakable—if you want predictable, profitable growth—then you must internalize one truth: You need to own your customers. They are your most valuable asset. They are the engine behind your sales, your innovation, your brand story, and your runway. When you build a thriving, connected community around your brand—one that you engage, nurture, and celebrate—you transform occasional shoppers into loyal evangelists. Today’s episode is about mastering that transformation. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at: RetailSolved.com/session281
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280. How To Master Your Why and Connect With Customers
01/15/2026
280. How To Master Your Why and Connect With Customers
280. A brand’s WHY is its greatest competitive advantage, but only if communicated clearly and consistently. By embedding your WHY into your selling story, you can differentiate your brand, attract loyal customers, and increase your value to retailers. Understanding your unique shopper and their values is crucial to effectively communicating your WHY and driving growth. If you want to build a brand that grows, scales, and earns fierce loyalty, there’s one foundational truth you must embrace: Your WHY is your greatest competitive advantage— but only if you communicate it clearly, consistently, and authentically. Today’s episode is about mastering your WHY, embedding it into your selling story, and communicating it with the same passion, enthusiasm, and authenticity as the founder—everywhere your brand shows up. Because when you get this right, you unlock a level of customer connection that big brands can’t replicate. Your Unique Shopper Is More Valuable Than Any Fee You’ll Ever Pay Understanding Your WHY Strengthens Your Retail Pitch When you bake your WHY into your selling story, you don’t walk into a retailer trying to compete with big brand playbooks. Instead, you walk in saying: “We bring a unique shopper to your store. Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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279. The Importance of Knowing the True Cost of Your Products
01/13/2026
279. The Importance of Knowing the True Cost of Your Products
279. Understanding the true cost of products is crucial for brand success, enabling accurate pricing, forecasting, and strategic planning. Many brands, however, lack this knowledge, relying on estimates and assumptions, which hinders profitability and scalability. By building a comprehensive cost model, brands can gain control over their finances, optimize margins, and make informed decisions for growth. If you want to extend your runway, maximize profitability, and build a brand that scales sustainably, there’s one capability you cannot overlook: You must know the true cost of your products—down to the penny. Managing down to the penny might seem like small details. But small details compounded over thousands—or millions—of units can determine whether your company is profitable or operating at a loss. The Promotion Problem: Where Most Brands Lose Money Did you know? About 25% of a brand’s gross sales go toward trade spend. Over 70% of those dollars deliver little or no sustainable lift. You cannot have a profitable business if you do not understand the cost of every promotion. Your brand deserves better than guesswork. This episode gives you the framework to confidently grow and scale your brand. You can get the episodes free guide and todays show notes at:
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278. How To Hire Wisely To Fill Strategic Skill Gaps
01/12/2026
278. How To Hire Wisely To Fill Strategic Skill Gaps
278. The strength of a leader lies in their ability to build a team that complements their strengths. Founders should focus on their unique genius zone and delegate tasks that others can do better. Hiring strategically, prioritizing revenue-generating roles, and leveraging mentors and advisors are crucial for scaling a business effectively. The real strength of any great leader isn’t measured by how much they do alone—it’s measured by who they surround themselves with and how effectively they empower those people to succeed on behalf of the organization. This is a truth most founders learn the hard way. You launched your brand because you’re passionate, creative, mission-driven, and ready to make an impact. But at some point the business grows, complexity increases, and you hit a wall where the “I’ll just do it myself” approach no longer works. Today’s episode is about helping you avoid that wall altogether by learning how to hire wisely, fill key skill gaps, and build a team—or ecosystem—of people who elevate your strengths instead of draining them. Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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277. How To Develop Strategic Goals With Accountability Strategies
01/12/2026
277. How To Develop Strategic Goals With Accountability Strategies
277. Traditional goal-setting often fails because it lacks specificity, measurability, and accountability. To achieve ambitious goals, founders should use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) to break down goals into actionable steps. A business plan and scorecard are essential tools for tracking progress, maintaining accountability, and ensuring alignment across the team. Goals without accountability are wishes. In business, this leads to missed sales targets and disappointed retailers and customers Here’s the part most founders miss: Your biggest dreams only matter when they’re connected to clear, strategic, and measurable goals… supported by accountability. Use scorecards to manage your goals. Scorecards: The Most Underrated Accountability Tool One of the most important tools in goal-setting is a scorecard. A scorecard: Breaks goals into tasks Assigns ownership Tracks progress Highlights gaps Drives accountability Keeps everyone aligned Action step: pick one goal, assign an owner, a number, and a weekly checkpoint. What goal are you committing to this quarter? Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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276. How To Set Yourself Up for Success in Business Today
01/10/2026
276. How To Set Yourself Up for Success in Business Today
276. Founders often neglect their well-being, negatively impacting their businesses. Prioritizing personal health is crucial for effective leadership, strategic decision-making, and brand success. By setting goals, delegating tasks, and utilizing AI, founders can free up time and energy to focus on high-impact activities and lead from strength. Most founders I meet don’t actually make themselves a priority. They allow life’s distractions to pile up until they’re buried beneath them. But here’s the reality: If you’re not grounded, focused, and confident, your business cannot reach its potential. Day 4 Action Item: Build Your Personal Success System 1. Identify your personal reset practice. What brings you clarity? Commit to doing it at least 3x this week. 2. Write down your top 3 goals in broad terms. We’ll refine them tomorrow—just start with the big picture. 3. Identify one task you will delegate or automate this week. Freeing up time is step one. 4. List 5 recurring tasks AI could take off your plate. Begin experimenting today. 5. Choose one high-impact activity that moves the brand forward … and block time for it on your calendar—non-negotiable. Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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275. Surround Yourself With Trusted Advisors & Experts
01/10/2026
275. Surround Yourself With Trusted Advisors & Experts
275. Building a successful food brand requires more than just hard work; it demands strategic support. Founders should seek mentors, advisors, and experts to accelerate growth, avoid costly mistakes, and gain a competitive edge. By surrounding themselves with a diverse advisory team, founders can benefit from accountability, expertise, and a broader perspective, ultimately leading to sustainable growth. You don’t need more opinions. You need fewer, better inputs. Mentors have already made the mistakes you haven’t yet. Advisors have conquered the mountain you’re climbing. Mastermind peers help you see what you can’t see yourself. They shorten your learning curve. They hold you accountable. They expand your network. They give you perspective. They remind you that you’re not alone. This is how you get that competitive edge. Action step: list your “board of 5” (ops, finance, retail, marketing, leadership). Where’s your biggest gap right now? Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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274. Understand How Your Business Works with Confidence
01/09/2026
274. Understand How Your Business Works with Confidence
274. Understanding how your business works, particularly your sales engine, is crucial for scaling and achieving growth. This involves knowing the rules of the game, simplifying your business to its core functions (making and selling), and learning from both successes and failures. By mastering these aspects, you can gain a competitive advantage, build trust with retailers and investors, and align your team for success. Most founders struggle with the day-to-day mechanics of running a business. It’s normal. But here’s the truth you can’t afford to ignore: You cannot scale what you don’t understand. And not understanding how sales really work at retail is one of the fastest ways to sabotage your own runway. Once you understand those rules, you can stop playing defense. You can start using the advanced strategies we’re talking about in this series, my podcast, my webinars, and my guides to maximize every opportunity instead of constantly feeling like you’re behind. You were not born knowing how to launch and scale a brand. No one is. But you can learn how your business works at a deep level. And when you do, everything changes: Retailers trust you more. Investors see you as less risky. Your team feels more aligned. You gain control over your growth instead of feeling dragged by it. Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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273. How To Launch & Scale a Profitable Food Business Step-by-Step
01/08/2026
273. How To Launch & Scale a Profitable Food Business Step-by-Step
273. If you’re trying to scale a food brand, stop improvising. Growth isn’t luck. It’s sequence: strategy → execution → retail trust → repeatable demand. If you’re building a food brand right now, you’re probably feeling the weight of a thousand decisions—distribution, cashflow, supply chain, retail expectations, investor pressure, and the constant push to “scale faster.” But here’s the hard truth most founders don’t hear until it’s too late: Your brand will only grow as strong as the foundation beneath it. And most brands don’t realize their foundation is cracked until the damage is already showing up on the shelf. Building a strong foundation is crucial for food brand growth, as it prevents collapse and accelerates profitable growth. A robust business plan, clear goals, and regular foundation audits are essential components of this foundation. By focusing on these fundamentals, brands can achieve clarity, stability, and the confidence to scale successfully. Here’s what that looks like. 1. A Robust, Living Business Plan 2. Goals That Guide Your Decisions 3. Annual (and Ongoing) Foundation Audits 4. Investor Readiness Is Retail Readiness The 30 Days to Prosperity Challenge 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. Action step: write your next 90 days as 3 phases: build / prove / scale. What phase are you in right now? Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
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272. How To Profitably Scale a Food Business Successfully
01/07/2026
272. How To Profitably Scale a Food Business Successfully
272. If you’re an emerging CPG founder, you’re probably feeling it right now—the rising cost of doing business, the pressure to scale faster than your infrastructure is ready for, and the nagging fear that one wrong move could shorten your runway. Most of the advice you’ve heard—isn’t only outdated, it’s dangerous in this economy. Here’s the part no one says out loud: the path most founders are following is built on assumptions that were never designed for small, mission-driven brands. And when the rules don’t serve you, you need a better rulebook. This series a masterclass to help you extend your runway, strengthen your retail partnerships, and convert occasional shoppers into loyal evangelists. The 30 Days to Prosperity Challenge 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. Download the free accompanying guide for this episode at
/episode/index/show/brandsecretsandstrategies/id/39638360
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271. WHY TRADE SPEND FAILS (AND HOW TO FIX IT)
12/30/2025
271. WHY TRADE SPEND FAILS (AND HOW TO FIX IT)
271. Discover the common pitfalls that lead to trade spend failures and learn how to fix them with effective brand management and marketing strategies. In this video, we'll delve into the world of trade marketing, exploring the importance of data analytics and business intelligence in informing your brand strategy. By understanding consumer behavior and implementing a solid category management process, you can improve customer retention and drive sales. We'll also discuss the role of brand positioning and branding 101 in creating a strong brand awareness, as well as the benefits of strategic planning and merchandising in the natural products expo and plant based markets. Whether you're an entrepreneur or a small business owner in the fmcg industry, this video will provide you with valuable insights and tips on how to optimize your trade spend and achieve your business goals through customer experience management and retail solved strategies. By leveraging data analyst expertise and applying a well-crafted positioning statement, you can take your brand to the next level and stay ahead of the competition. Learn how to create a successful brand strategy that drives results and grows your business. Trade spend often fails for emerging CPG brands due to a lack of strategy, leading to excessive spending and reduced profitability. This episode explores the five main reasons for trade spend failure, including a lack of understanding of true costs, incomplete promotion agreements, and promoting the wrong SKUs. By implementing a fully loaded cost model, creating detailed promotion agreements, and focusing on promoting the right products, brands can turn trade spend into a strategic growth lever. Promotions should drive trial and build awareness, not reward existing customers. To be effective, promotions should focus on SKUs that drive repeat purchases, increase basket size, and reflect core brand attributes. Measuring post-promotion retention is crucial to determine the success of promotions, as it indicates whether shoppers are becoming loyal customers.
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270. How To Land Shelf Space & Win at Retail
12/23/2025
270. How To Land Shelf Space & Win at Retail
270. The Uncomfortable Truth About Why Retailers Say No is a crucial topic for entrepreneurs and small business owners, particularly those in the natural products and plant-based industry, to understand the intricacies of trade marketing and brand strategy. In this video, we delve into the world of consumer behavior, customer retention, and customer experience management, highlighting the importance of data analytics and business intelligence in making informed decisions. By examining the category management process and merchandising strategies, brands can better position themselves in the market, creating a strong brand awareness and brand building foundation. Whether you're attending the Natural Products Expo or simply looking to improve your marketing strategy, this video provides valuable insights into the uncomfortable truth about why retailers say no, and how to use this knowledge to inform your strategic planning and brand positioning. With a focus on branding 101, fmcg, and category insights, this video is a must-watch for anyone looking to improve their customer journey and ultimately drive sales. By leveraging data analyst expertise and understanding the complexities of customer behavior, brands can develop a robust positioning statement and improve their overall brand management, leading to increased customer retention and a stronger brand presence in the market. Emerging CPG brands often fail to secure retail placement because they focus on pitching their product rather than demonstrating how it contributes to the retailer’s category growth. Retailers prioritize products that increase basket size, drive traffic, and differentiate their assortment. To succeed, brands must align with retailer strategies, understand shopper behavior, and showcase how their product solves a specific need and drives profitable category growth. To successfully pitch a brand to retailers, focus on selling category growth rather than the product itself. This involves understanding the retailer’s persona and strategy, using data effectively, and demonstrating how the brand can help the retailer achieve their objectives. By positioning the brand as a strategic partner, rather than just a vendor, and providing unexpected insights and merchandising solutions, small brands can compete with larger ones and secure shelf space.
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