Allison Luvera has built Juliet into a category-disrupting wine brand that's completely reimagined boxed wine. She's raised $6 million, achieved 150% year-over-year growth, scaled to 700+ retail doors including Costco and Whole Foods, and is projecting revenue to triple between 2024 and 2025. Taking luxury marketing principles from her years at Pernod Ricard working on brands like Perrier-Joüet and The Glenlivet, she's transformed a stigmatized product category into award-winning luxury wine.

🔧 Premium Positioning Framework - Approach to maintaining luxury brand principles while scaling affordably across different formats and price points

📊 Innovation-Speed Balance Strategy - Decision framework for when to invest heavily in product differentiation versus prioritizing speed to market

🤝 DTC-to-Retail Transition Management - Process for operationally managing the shift from controlled customer experience to retail partner relationships

⚙️ Complex Distribution Navigation - Framework for building distributor relationships and navigating three-tier alcohol industry requirements as a new brand

📈 Competitive Efficiency Development - Methods for building operational efficiencies that enable quality competition against massive scale advantages

🎯 Channel Diversification Strategy - Approach to opening entirely new use cases and non-traditional venues for existing product categories

Whether you're repositioning stigmatized product categories or scaling luxury brands affordably, Allison's frameworks will help you navigate complex distribution, balance innovation with speed, and build operational infrastructure for aggressive growth.

Perfect for: Beverage brand founders, luxury CPG operators, category disruptors, DTC-to-retail scalers

Guest: Allison Luvera - Co-founder & CEO, Juliet Wine
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Lauryn Bodden has built S'noods into the first chef-driven noodle chip brand after winning Netflix's Snack vs Chef. In less than two years, she's scaled from a KitchenAid pasta maker in her home kitchen to 225+ retail locations including Fairway, ShopRite, and The Fresh Market—all while bootstrapping as a solo founder and actively fundraising.

🔧 Novel Product Validation Framework - Systematic approach to testing market demand when creating entirely new categories

📊 Manufacturing Partner Evaluation - Process for finding co-manufacturers willing to tackle unprecedented products and complex requirements
🤝 Solo Founder Operations Management - Systems for managing retail relationships, inventory planning, and growth without a team
⚙️ Strategic SKU Development - Framework for balancing product variety with operational complexity during bootstrap phases
📈 Category Creation Retail Strategy - Approach to positioning breakthrough products when traditional shelf categories don't exist
🎯 Bootstrap Cost Management - Methods for tracking hidden operational expenses and optimizing unit economics during rapid growth

Whether you're launching unprecedented products or scaling as a solo founder, Lauryn's frameworks will help you systematically validate new categories, navigate complex manufacturing, and manage operations efficiently while fundraising.

Perfect for: Solo founders, novel product creators, early-stage CPG entrepreneurs, category innovators

Guest: Lauryn Bodden - Co-founder & CEO, S'noods
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Charlotte Cruze has built Alice Mushrooms into a breakthrough wellness brand, creating functional mushroom chocolates that make mushrooms mainstream. Since launching in 2022, she's secured investment from L Catterton and celebrity backers like Zac Efron, scaled to over 400 retail locations including Erewhon, and is projecting eight-figure revenue with 175% year-over-year growth.

🔧 Category Education Framework - Approach to teaching consumers about products they didn't know they needed

📊 Complex Product Development - Process for balancing functional efficacy with consumer palatability and regulatory compliance

🤝 Specialty Manufacturing Management - Framework for finding and managing co-manufacturers for complex formulations

⚙️ Retail Category Navigation - Strategy for positioning products when shelf sets don't exist yet

📈 Creative Marketing Execution - Methods for balancing education with experiential brand-building on limited budgets

🎯 Regulatory Compliance Strategy - Framework for navigating evolving functional food regulations while making compelling claims

Whether you're developing functional products in emerging categories or creating entirely new wellness segments, Charlotte's frameworks will help you educate consumers, navigate complex manufacturing, and scale breakthrough products.

Perfect for: Functional food entrepreneurs, wellness brand founders, category creators, regulatory-heavy CPG operators

Guest: Charlotte Cruze - Co-founder, Alice Mushrooms
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Natalie Sportelli is a Director at Bullish, the unique early-stage consumer VC and creative agency that invests $500K-$3M while providing hands-on operational support. Working with portfolio companies like Warby Parker, Sunday Lawn, and Hally Hair, she brings a rare perspective from journalism at Forbes, platform work at Lerer Hippeau, and startup operations at Thingtesting to help consumer brands scale.

🔧 Operational Readiness Assessment - Framework for evaluating whether early-stage consumer brands are ready for intensive growth support

📊 Dual Capital-Creative Model - Approach to balancing investment capital with hands-on operational services

🤝 Authentic Customer Development - Process for building real customer love versus superficial marketing metrics

⚙️ Cultural Trend Operationalization - Method for translating cultural insights into actionable business strategies

📈 Scaling Transition Management - Framework for preparing founders for operational breaking points during growth phases

🎯 Brand-Operations Integration - Strategy for ensuring creative brand investments drive measurable business outcomes

Whether you're seeking VC partnership or building internal capabilities, Natalie's frameworks will help you align capital, creativity, and operations for sustainable consumer brand growth.

Perfect for: Consumer brand founders, VC-backed operators, brand-building executives, growth-stage entrepreneurs

Guest: Natalie Sportelli - Director, Bullish
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Blakely and Jordan have built SaladSprinkles into a distinctive category-creating CPG brand, launching sprinkle-sized rice puffs that are replacing croutons with their #NoMoreCroutons positioning. Within their first year, they successfully launched three SKUs, built customer loyalty, and exhibited at major trade shows while bootstrapping their growth.

🔧 Category Creation Framework - Step-by-step process for identifying and validating white space in established markets

📊 Multi-SKU Launch Strategy - Systematic approach to determining optimal product variety without operational chaos

🤝 Co-Manufacturing Management - Framework for evaluating and managing specialty food production partners

⚙️ Bootstrap Trade Show Strategy - Tactical approach to maximizing trade show ROI on limited budgets

📈 Customer Education Playbook - Methods for building awareness when creating new product categories

🎯 DTC to Retail Transition - Operational frameworks for scaling from direct-to-consumer into retail partnerships

Whether you're launching an innovative product in an established category or creating an entirely new market segment, Blakely and Jordan's frameworks will help you validate, launch, and scale category-creating products.

Perfect for: Early-stage CPG founders, specialty food entrepreneurs, category innovators, bootstrap-growth operators

Guest: Blakely and Jordan - Co-founders, SaladSprinkles™
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Building Better-for-You Products That Actually Taste Good: The WHIMS Playbook for Premium CPG

Jesse Barruch cracked the code that stumps most better-for-you brands: creating a 1-gram sugar chocolate that actually tastes like the original. As co-founder of WHIMS, he's proven that healthy alternatives don't have to sacrifice on flavor—but getting there requires systematic operational excellence.

In this episode, Jesse breaks down the frameworks he's developed to balance taste, health benefits, and manufacturing reality while building a premium CPG brand. You'll get actionable insights for:
Product Development - His systematic approach to formulation when balancing competing constraints like taste, nutrition, cost, and shelf life
Manufacturing Partnerships - How to evaluate and manage co-manufacturers for complex specialty products
Ingredient Sourcing - Framework for balancing cost, functionality, and supply chain reliability with specialty ingredients
Retail Strategy - His approach to channel selection and retailer relationships in the premium better-for-you space
Unit Economics - Key financial metrics for managing premium ingredients and specialized manufacturing costs
Consumer Education - Systematic approach to overcoming skepticism and converting people to better-for-you alternatives

Whether you're developing better-for-you products or just want to understand how to systematically innovate in established categories, Jesse's frameworks will help you build products customers actually want to switch to.
Perfect for: CPG founders, product developers, anyone building premium consumer brands

Guest: Jesse Barruch - Co-Founder, WHIMS
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless CommerceThis episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

How a VP of Process Turns Operational Chaos Into Scalable Systems: Frameworks from Inside ARMRA

Noah Averbach holds one of the most critical roles in modern consumer brands: VP of Process at ARMRA. As companies scale, the operational complexity becomes overwhelming—and that's exactly what Noah was hired to solve.

In this episode, Noah breaks down the systematic approaches he's developed to identify bottlenecks, design scalable processes, and create cross-functional coordination that actually works. You'll get actionable frameworks for:

🔧 Operational Diagnostics - His methodology for identifying which bottlenecks to tackle first when everything feels broken
📊 Process Design - How to build systems that work whether you're doing 1,000 or 10,000 units monthly
🤝 Cross-Functional Coordination - Creating visibility and accountability across departments without slowing down growth
⚙️ Technology Integration - His framework for evaluating operational tech and deciding when to systematize vs. stay manual
📈 Quality Control - Building compliance and quality checkpoints into processes without killing velocity
🎯 Crisis Management - Creating resilient operations that handle disruptions and demand spikes

Whether you're drowning in operational chaos or just want to build more systematic processes before you scale, Noah's frameworks will help you turn complexity into competitive advantage.

Perfect for: Consumer brand operators, founders scaling operations, anyone managing cross-functional teams

Guest: Noah Averbach - VP of Process, ARMRA
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Scaling CPG in the Most Competitive Category: Oat Milk Founder's Playbook for Retail Success

Christina Dorr Drake built Willa's Oat Milk from concept to national distribution in one of the most brutal CPG categories. Competing against giants like Oatly and Califia, she's developed battle-tested frameworks that any consumer brand can use to win at retail.

In this episode, Christina shares the systematic approaches that helped her navigate the complexities of scaling a CPG business. You'll get actionable frameworks for:

🏪 Retail Strategy - Her scoring system for evaluating which chains to pursue and deal-breaker terms
📊 Velocity Management - The leading indicators that predict retail success in your first 90 days
💡 Product Portfolio Strategy - Her decision tree for launching new SKUs vs. optimizing existing ones
📈 Marketing Allocation - How to balance brand-building with performance marketing in crowded categories

Whether you're launching your first CPG product or scaling an existing brand, Christina's frameworks will help you navigate the operational complexity of consumer goods without losing your sanity.

Perfect for: CPG founders, consumer brand operators, retail buyers, anyone scaling physical products

Guest: Christina Dorr Drake - Founder, Willa's Oat Milk
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, ⁠Endless Commerce⁠

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

How to Build Better Products That Actually Work: Frameworks from the Founder Who Disrupted Shaving & Body Care

Adam Simone has cracked the code on sustainable product innovation. As co-founder of Leaf Shave (helping thousands ditch plastic razors) and Smoosh (revolutionizing body care), he's proven that eco-friendly alternatives can actually work BETTER than conventional options.

In this episode, Adam breaks down his systematic approach to product development, from identifying broken categories to engineering solutions that customers love. 

You'll get actionable frameworks for:

🔧 Product Development - His repeatable process for balancing innovation with manufacturing reality
🏭 Manufacturing Partnerships - How to select and manage suppliers for complex physical products
📈 Scaling Operations - Moving from Kickstarter success to global distribution
💰 Unit Economics - The key metrics that drive tactical decisions in hardware businesses
🎯 Go-to-Market Strategy - When to use crowdfunding vs. D2C vs. retail partnerships

Whether you're building physical products or just want to understand how to systematically innovate in established categories, Adam's frameworks will help you build products that customers actually want to switch to.

Perfect for: Consumer brand founders, product managers, anyone building physical products

Guest: Adam Simone - Co-Founder, Leaf Shave & Smoosh
Host: Samantha Rose - Managing Partner, Hologram Capital & Founder, Endless Commerce

This episode was recorded live and is part of our series on operational frameworks that drive real business results. Subscribe so you never miss an episode.

On today's episode of Best Day Ever, Sam is joined by Isabelle Steichen. Isabelle founded Lupii in 2019 and reflects on the wins and headwinds from its lifetime-- and how those learnings have lead her to find her "why" on the other side.