CPG Insiders

When you've been category captain at brands like Coppertone and Dial, shelf space is handed to you. But what happens when you leave the big leagues and start from zero?

In this episode, Tony Guiliano shares the raw, behind-the-scenes story of going from running household names to helping Blue Lizard, an unknown sunscreen brand, break into retail and change the game.

He shares war stories, unexpected lessons, and real tactics any challenger brand can use to compete (and win) against giant brands.

What you'll learn:

• The dangerous assumptions big-brand marketers make in startups
• How Blue Lizard flipped the retail model to avoid slotting and returns
• Why authenticity and brand integrity matter more than ever
• The power of sampling, grassroots strategy, and real customer demand

Listen now to learn how to outthink—not outspend—the competition.

How do you hire a celebrity for your CPG brand without getting burned? In this episode, Mark and Justin pull back the curtain on the celebrity endorsement game — from navigating inflated egos to structuring deals that actually make sense. Mark shares rare insight as someone who's been on both sides of the table — managing talent and negotiating for brands — and lays out the hidden traps most companies don't see coming. You'll learn: • Why "we'll give you equity" almost never works • How to avoid overpaying (or under-leveraging) celebrity talent • The surprising way exposure can hurt a brand and a celebrity • What managers really look for when saying yes to a product Want a celebrity to actually sell your product — not just show up? Start here. ???? Listen now to decode the playbook before you spend a dime.

Most brand leaders say they value transparency — but few truly live it. In this episode, Mark and Justin pull back the curtain on what honesty really looks like inside a CPG business — from your marketing claims to your retailer relationships to the way you work with your agency. They explain why every shortcut built on exaggeration eventually destroys credibility — and how facing hard truths can actually accelerate your growth, deepen partnerships, and open up surprising new opportunities. You'll learn: • Why all progress starts with the truth (and how to find it in your brand) • The #1 lie that kills credibility with retailers — and how to fix it • What happens when you're not honest with your agency or your team Listen now and discover why the most profitable brands are also the most transparent.

TikTok might look like cat videos and dance challenges—but for CPG brands, it's a massive opportunity. In this episode, Dr. Mark Young and Justin Girouard are joined by special guest Mark Young II, Founder + CEO of Ryze Agency, to break down how brands can use TikTok effectively without wasting budget.

From understanding why TikTok works on impulse buys, to navigating creative fatigue, to exploring how AI and user-generated content are reshaping the ad world—this conversation pulls back the curtain on what's really driving results in digital.

Whether you're skeptical about TikTok or itching to test it, this episode will help you decide if it's the right platform for your brand, and how to approach it strategically.

Retail isn't dead—it's evolving. Despite the noise about Amazon taking over, brick-and-mortar still drives the majority of CPG sales, and the smartest brands are using it as their exponential growth engine.

In this episode, Mark and Justin break down why e-commerce isn't replacing retail, which categories thrive in stores versus online, and how omni-channel strategies are shaping the future of CPG. You'll discover what retailers like Walmart are doing right, why "commodities" are in trouble, and how to position your brand for both stability and growth.

Listen now to find out why the future of CPG isn't about choosing online or in-store—it's about mastering both.

Most business leaders are unprepared for the wave of AI that's already reshaping entire industries. In fact, only 1 in 1,000 CEOs are ready to integrate it into their companies. In this episode, Mark and Justin break down what's driving that hesitation—and why ignoring AI could cost you everything. From driverless trucks to AI-powered marketing to "Virtual Mark," they explore the real risks and game-changing opportunities that CPG leaders can't afford to miss.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why fear, not technology, is holding leaders back from AI adoption
• How AI is already replacing entire job categories
• The difference between losing your job to AI vs. losing it to someone who knows AI
• How forward-thinking brands are using AI to cut costs, scale faster, and future-proof

Listen now to learn how to pivot from fear to future before it's too late.

Too many brands pour endless time and money into "perfecting" their logo, thinking that's the brand. It's not.

In this episode, Mark, Justin, and Jekyll+Hyde's Creative Director, Paul Perzyk, break down what truly makes a brand memorable — and why overcomplicating your design can hurt more than help. From international slogan mishaps to why Jaguar's rebrand tanked sales, this conversation is packed with insights that can save you from expensive mistakes.

You'll learn:

• Why your logo should be simple enough to draw in the sand
• How to make packaging work for new, unknown brands
• The right way to choose slogans that connect with customers
• When and how to evolve your brand identity without losing its essence

Listen now and start building a brand people actually remember.

Everyone's chasing influencers and TikTok—but there's one old-school channel quietly crushing it for CPG brands: radio.

In this episode, Mark and Justin pull back the curtain on how they've used radio to drive explosive in-store sales, cut through media clutter, and dominate overlooked markets with laughably low CPMs.

They're not just talking theory—they break down real campaigns that worked (and why), including how to target truckers with satellite radio, trigger impulse grocery buys on drive-time, and hijack weather reports to sell skin cream.

• Why most marketers are dead wrong about radio's reach
• How to geo-target and time-target ads without digital
• The art of making radio creative that actually converts
• A "vomit or no vomit" campaign that beat Pepto at their own game

Want a media edge your competitors aren't even thinking about? Listen now.

You’re not stuck because you don’t know how to grow. You’re stuck because you don’t know who can help you do it.

In this episode, Mark and Justin unpack one of the most powerful mindset shifts for CPG entrepreneurs: the “Who Not How” philosophy popularized by Dan Sullivan. If you’ve been trying to do it all—handle retail, ops, legal, marketing—you’re slowing your brand down.

They get real about what happens when you hire the wrong people (especially from big CPG) and how founders sabotage growth by clinging to loyalty instead of capability.

You’ll learn:

• Why the right “who” beats a mediocre “how” every time
• The surprising mistake CPG founders make when hiring from big brands
• Why firing a loyal team member might save your company

Listen now—and start scaling smarter.

Want your product on store shelves? It’s not as simple as you think. In this episode of CPG Insiders, Dr. Mark Young and Justin Girouard reveal the step-by-step guide for building a bulletproof retail channel strategy.

You’ll learn why getting into the wrong store can kill your brand, how to identify the perfect retail partners, and why your first retailer sets the tone for your entire launch. Plus, discover why hope is never a strategy—and what to do instead.

• How to map out your ideal retail “dream team”
• The surprising costs of launching with regionals vs. nationals
• Why retail cadence can make or break your brand
• The shelf placement puzzle: where you belong and who you replace

Ready to build a channel strategy that wins? Listen now.