This week in CPG was absolute chaos. Tom Brady's selling protein powder, Beyond Meat launched beverages, and someone raised $10 million for alcoholic sports drinks that taste like Gatorade. Categories officially don't exist anymore.

In this episode:

[0:00-25:00] This Week's CPG Madness

• SpikedAde's brilliant $10M sports drink cocktail thesis
• Tom Brady and Mike Repole's NOBULL nutrition expansion
• Beyond Meat's desperate beverage pivot
• $110M+ in M&A deals including Kroger's strategic acquisitions
• AG1's Vitamin Shoppe conquest and Target's premium food acceleration
• Why category convergence is accelerating exponentially

[25:00-60:00] Michael Zabar Interview - Building Motif

• From Zabar family legacy to coffee innovation
• Why coffee shops are stuck with terrible syrup options
• The strategic four-flavor launch (Pistachio, Cinnamon Babka, Vanilla, Chocolate)
• Competing against International Delight and Torani giants
• Plans for retail expansion beyond the coffee shop channel
• Building naturally flavored products in an artificial world

Key Takeaway: Whether you're making coffee syrups or sports drink cocktails, follow customer behavior, not category definitions.

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