204. Your food system is broken—and most brands are making it worse. If you care about regenerative agriculture, sustainable seafood, and building a mission-driven CPG brand that actually makes a difference, this episode matters.

In this powerful conversation with Patagonia Provisions, we unpack how regenerative organic agriculture, responsible wild-caught seafood, and supply chain transparency create real competitive advantage. You'll hear why soil health drives nutrient density, how better fishing practices regenerate oceans, and how storytelling builds consumer trust and retail leverage.

This isn't greenwashing. It's science-backed innovation, premium positioning, and values-driven brand building done right.

If you want to grow your CPG brand while helping fix our food system, this episode is your roadmap.

Download the free episode guide to go deeper into these strategies, and listen to more episodes to strengthen your retail execution, trade marketing ROI, and brand leadership.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session204

203. Struggling to raise capital without giving up control—or your brand's soul? If you choose the wrong investor, you can lose far more than equity.

In this episode, I sit down with Stu from Green Circle Capital to unpack what founders must understand before raising growth capital. We break down today's valuation reset, why chasing top-line growth without profitability is dangerous, and how to choose an investor who adds real strategic value—not just money.

You'll learn the difference between opportunistic and strategic distribution, why execution beats hype every time, and how to perform due diligence on investors before they invest in you.

Download the free episode guide to go deeper into capital strategy, valuation expectations, and investor alignment. Then listen to related episodes on trade spend, execution, and category leadership to build a sustainable, fundable brand.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session203

202. Retail is broken—and it's costing you shelf space, margin, and momentum. If your brand is trapped in constant promotions and fighting for visibility, you're playing the wrong game. Retailers are addicted to trade spend, but shoppers want value, clarity, and solutions. When you understand the market basket and how your ideal consumer shops, you stop competing on price and start driving sustainable category growth.

In this episode, I show you how to leverage market basket data, shopper need states, and true category management to increase basket size, strengthen retailer partnerships, and grow base sales without relying on deep discounts. You'll learn how to educate retailers, close category gaps, and position your brand as a trusted category leader.

Download the free episode guide at retailsolved.com/session202 and go deeper into these strategies. Then listen to related episodes on trade marketing, retail execution, and fact-based selling to extend your runway and scale with confidence.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session202

201. Your sales stalled. Retailers stopped responding. And the playbook that used to work suddenly feels broken.

If you're trying to grow your CPG brand during disruption—whether it's a pandemic, economic stress, or retailer pullback—you cannot rely on outdated strategies. Waiting it out isn't a strategy. Hoping velocity improves isn't leadership.

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Retell of Summit Sales Consulting to break down how emerging brands can accelerate growth by leveraging fractional expertise, tightening retail focus, and avoiding costly expansion mistakes. We discuss how to go deep instead of wide, how to build a compelling selling story that buyers actually respond to, and why contribution—not just velocity—wins shelf space.

You'll learn how to protect cash flow, strengthen retailer relationships, and build a smarter omnichannel strategy without overextending your team.

Download the free guide for this episode and explore more sessions at RetailSolved.com to go deeper into these proven CPG growth strategies.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session201

200. Are your promotions draining cash instead of driving growth? If you don't know your true trade promotion ROI, you're shortening your runway and giving retailers margin while your brand struggles.

In this episode, I break down how to review your trade promotions the right way—starting with flawless retail execution. We'll cover why out-of-stocks, poor signage, and inconsistent store-level compliance quietly destroy results before you ever analyze lift. I'll show you how to measure real incremental sales, how to evaluate base vs. promo spikes, and how to use fact-based insights to guide retailers toward smarter, more profitable programs.

You'll learn how to turn trade marketing from an expense into a strategic investment that fuels sustainable CPG growth, strengthens retailer partnerships, and protects your margins.

Try the free Trade Promotion ROI Calculator and the episode's free tool to go deeper into these strategies. Then listen to related episodes on category leadership, retail execution, and data-driven selling to sharpen your edge even further.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session200

199. Unlock the secrets of brand longevity Discover how to keep your brand alive today and tomorrow with proven strategies. Andrew discuss the importance of staying calm and strategic during uncertain times. They emphasize the need to reassess business situations, prioritize top accounts, and focus on customer needs. Providing value to retailers and building strong relationships can position brands for long-term success.

Today's Free Downloadable Guide: Trade Marketing Optimization Checklist. Tired of throwing money away? This checklist outlines key steps to optimize trade marketing promotions. It emphasizes the importance of planning and forecasting, managing deductions, laser targeting your ideal shoppers, aligning with retailer objectives, and utilizing data-driven strategies. The checklist highlights the importance of flawless execution, monitoring promotions, and winning at retail - to give you a sustainable competitive edge.Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session199

198. Retail changed overnight—and if you don't understand how your customer shops now, you're already losing shelf space. In this episode, I sit down with Jessica Malach from Social Nature to unpack how natural CPG leaders are adapting to retail disruption, shifting shopper behavior, and explosive online growth.

You'll learn how to leverage real consumer insights (not generic data), strengthen your digital and brick-and-mortar strategy, build community-driven demand, and use rich product attributes to personalize your selling story. We break down online growth trends, DTC strategy, review optimization, and how to align shopper marketing with retail execution.

This is about helping retailers drive traffic, grow basket size, and increase profit—by understanding your unique shopper better than anyone else.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session198

197. Struggling to grow your CPG brand profitably? Most founders chase distribution before they build margin—and that mistake can cost you everything.

In this episode, I sit down with master brand builder Eric Skae to unpack what it really takes to scale from startup to national success. We dive into the importance of 50%+ margins, why focus beats expansion, how to align brokers and distributors, and how fact-based selling using real retail data separates leaders from brands that burn cash.

You'll learn why sustainable EBITDA matters more than vanity velocity, how to build a showcase route that drives retail execution, and how to develop a team that executes your vision consistently.

Try the free Trade Promotion ROI tool to protect your margin and grow smarter. Then listen to more episodes at RetailSolved.com to deepen your retail strategy and build predictable, profitable growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session197

196. Your brand isn't stalled because of strategy—it's stalled because your team isn't aligned. And misalignment kills growth, margin, and momentum.

In this episode, I sit down with one of the most sought-after advisors in the food and beverage industry to unpack what actually separates good brands from exceptional ones: leadership clarity, disciplined process, and a unified way of thinking.

We break down why most CPG founders unintentionally disempower their teams, how ego quietly limits scale, and why process isn't bureaucracy—it's focus. You'll learn how elite CEOs think about ROI, capital efficiency, trade spend, and decision-making frameworks that create predictable growth.

If you want to scale profitably, you need more than velocity—you need alignment.

Check out the free Promotion ROI tool at RetailSolved.com, then listen to this episode and explore related sessions to go deeper into building a high-performance CPG organization that wins at retail.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session196

195. If you're trying to grow your CPG brand alone, you're making it harder than it needs to be — and it's costing you shelf space, sales, and staying power.

Your brand's strength is directly tied to the community you attract. In today's environment — where shoppers crave connection, transparency, and shared values — community isn't optional. It's your competitive advantage.

In this episode, we break down how to build a robust, engaged community that evangelizes your brand, answers your toughest growth questions, and helps you compete more effectively at retail and online. You'll learn how to turn loyal customers into ambassadors, how to structure a value-driven ecosystem, and how community becomes your most powerful growth lever.

Then listen to more episodes to go deeper into retail strategy, storytelling, and execution systems that give you an unfair competitive edge.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session195