149. If your marketing sounds great but your sales calls fall flat, you don't have a sales problem—you have a brand alignment problem. That disconnect costs you distribution, velocity, and retailer trust.

In this episode, I sit down with Katie from Real Food Brands to unpack how emerging CPG brands can align branding, marketing, and sales into one unified, powerful voice. We dig into the Three C's framework—consumer, competitor, and company—and how to find your unfair advantage in a crowded category. We also challenge outdated tactics like traditional focus groups and talk about why community, contribution, and market basket strategy matter more than raw velocity.

If you want to grow sustainable retail sales, attract the right shoppers, and become a true category leader, this episode is your roadmap.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session149

148. You're leaving growth—and profit—on the table if you ignore upcycled ingredients. Food waste isn't just an environmental issue. It's a massive competitive opportunity. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Kurzrock, co-founder of ReGrained, to unpack how edible upcycling transforms brewery byproducts into high-protein, high-fiber ingredients that power scalable CPG innovation.

We break down how upcycled grain doubles protein, quadruples fiber, improves flavor, and creates a brand story retailers and shoppers care about. We also dig into packaging sustainability, supply chain partnerships, and how authenticity drives trust at retail.

If you want differentiation beyond price and promotion, this episode shows you how to build value, not just velocity.

Listen to related episodes on trade marketing, execution, and category leadership to go deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session148

147. Your brand is losing shelf space because retailers commoditize your shopper—and you let them. That's why this episode matters.

Big CPG competes on price and velocity. You can't win that game—and you shouldn't try. The real opportunity is leveraging your unique consumer as your sustainable competitive advantage.

In this episode, I sit down with David Lemley of Retail Voodoo to unpack why natural and better-for-you brands drive category growth—and how to stop being "one of many" after copycats flood your space. We break down citizen brandhood, category leadership, sustainable profit, and how to educate retailers so they see you as a strategic partner—not a SKU.

If you want to extend runway, protect margin, and turn shoppers into loyal evangelists, this conversation will shift how you think about brand building at retail.

Then listen to related episodes on category management and selling strategy to go deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session147

146. Struggling to scale your plant-based brand without losing margin, focus, or retail traction? If you're innovating in plant-based CPG but retailers don't know where to merchandise you—or copackers can't scale you—you're leaving growth on the table.

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel from PlantBased Solutions to unpack what it really takes to develop, launch, and scale a plant-based product successfully. We talk about why consistency is your brand's currency, how to translate chef-level innovation into scalable manufacturing, and why understanding your core shopper is your unfair advantage.

You'll learn how plant-based trends are driving category growth, how to use data to support retailer conversations, and how to avoid costly manufacturing mistakes that kill momentum.

If you want more runway, smarter trade decisions, and stronger retail partnerships, this episode is for you.

Be sure to explore other episodes to go deeper into retail strategy, trade marketing, and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session146

145. If 70% of your trade spend is wasted, you're burning runway—and risking your brand's survival.

Trade marketing represents roughly 25% of your gross sales, yet most brands can't clearly measure what works, what lifts base sales, or what simply rents volume. In this episode, I break down why in-store execution—not just discounts—determines your profitability at shelf. We unpack the real cost of promotions, why demos can outperform TPRs when executed correctly, and how poor planning, weak accountability, and bad data destroy ROI.

You'll learn how to measure lift properly, analyze base sales after the event, eliminate out-of-stocks, and hold brokers and field teams accountable. This is how you turn trade marketing from a cost center into a strategic growth engine.

Download the free Trade Promotion Blueprint and access the full Mastering the Shelf training in the show notes. Then listen to related episodes on trade strategy and retail execution to go even deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session145

144. Retail is broken—and shoppers are paying the price. Stores push what's on their shelves instead of listening to what customers actually want. That disconnect costs brands sales, retailers loyalty, and communities access to better food.

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Fogarty, founder of Choice Market, a disruptive retail concept redefining grocery, convenience, and community. We unpack how shortening the supply chain, celebrating local producers, reducing food waste, and curating smarter assortments creates stronger margins and stronger neighborhoods.

You'll discover how aligning with real shopper demand—not outdated retail systems—can unlock growth for emerging CPG brands and retailers alike. If you want your brand to win at retail, you need to understand how progressive retailers think.

Download the shows free guide to strengthen your retail strategy, and listen to more episodes to go deeper into category leadership, retail execution, and sustainable growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session144

143. Most CPG brands fail because they don't have a real business plan—and that's why they run out of money, miss retail targets, and lose leverage with investors. If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you ever hit the target?

In this episode, I sit down with Michael J. O'Donnell to break down what a winning CPG business plan actually looks like. We unpack the difference between a generic template and a strategic roadmap that aligns sales, marketing, retail execution, budgeting, and category data into one cohesive growth plan.

You'll learn how to build a plan that helps you secure funding, negotiate stronger retail terms, deploy resources intelligently, and scale sustainably. This isn't theory. It's a blueprint built from decades in the trenches.

Download the free episode guide and listen to related episodes to go deeper into category management, retail strategy, and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session143

142. Most CPG brands fail because they don't have a real business plan—and that's why they run out of money, miss retail targets, and lose leverage with investors. If you don't know exactly where you're going, how will you ever hit the target?

In this episode, I sit down with Michael J. O'Donnell to break down what a winning CPG business plan actually looks like. We unpack the difference between a generic template and a strategic roadmap that aligns sales, marketing, retail execution, budgeting, and category data into one cohesive growth plan.

You'll learn how to build a plan that helps you secure funding, negotiate stronger retail terms, deploy resources intelligently, and scale sustainably. This isn't theory. It's a blueprint built from decades in the trenches.

Download the free episode guide and listen to related episodes to go deeper into category management, retail strategy, and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session142

141. If your broker isn't driving distribution, flawless execution, and measurable retail growth, your brand is leaving sales on the table—and you may not even know it. Most CPG founders hand over the keys to their broker and hope for results. That's a costly mistake.

In this episode, I break down how to turn your broker into a high-performance extension of your sales team. You'll learn how to own your brand strategy, align internal and external teams, implement KPIs and scorecards, improve merchandising, and protect your shopper journey. Retailers don't reward hope—they reward preparation, clarity, and execution.

When you manage your broker strategically, you increase distribution, maximize trade spend, prevent out-of-stocks, and position your brand as a trusted category partner.

Download the free guide and listen to related episodes on retail execution, KPIs, and scorecards to go deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session141

140. Most CPG brands waste 70–90% of their trade spend—and they don't even know it. If your promotions create spikes but not sustainable base sales, you're burning runway and shrinking valuation. In this keynote from the Consumer Goods Trade Promotion Management Forum, I break down how to rethink trade marketing so it fuels long-term, profitable growth instead of short-term volume.

You'll learn why most promotions fail, how to design promotions that build base sales after the deal ends, and how to use scorecards, KPIs, and better planning to eliminate waste and protect margin. I also share how owning your customer relationship gives you leverage with retailers—so you negotiate from strength, not desperation.

Listen to related episodes to go deeper into trade marketing, retail execution, and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session140