CPG Operator Podcast

CVS may not be the first retail opportunity food and beverage brands evaluate, but it's important to know when it can be the right fit. Ashley Czerwien spent two and a half years as a CVS buyer and now manages the CVS relationship at KeHE, and she breaks down what actually needs to be true about your business before CVS makes sense.

You will learn:

• What CVS's 9,000 doors actually look like, and which ones fit your brand

• The real submission process, from ECRM events to award letters

• What CVS costs versus what brands assume it costs

• The readiness signals CVS looks for: production, lead times, marketing

• Two programs built for emerging brands: Open Air Cooler and Healthy Consumables

• What buyers listen for in a category review pitch

Building a differentiated brand is only half the battle. The other half is making sure consumers actually understand why it matters.

Join Sahra Nguyen, founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Kyle Nguyen, co-founder of Lucky Ox, to discuss one of the biggest challenges growing brands face: how to stay true to what makes your product unique while communicating it in a way that resonates with mainstream consumers.

You will learn:

• How to figure out what consumers actually care about—and build your messaging around it instead of your assumptions

• How to use Meta ads, Google Search Console, and customer reviews to test positioning before investing in it

• Why "meeting consumers where they are" isn't always the right strategy—and when to lean harder into what makes your brand different

• How to decide where limited retail marketing dollars will have the biggest impact on trial and velocity

• How to simplify product names, packaging, and messaging without losing what makes your brand unique

• How to identify merchandising problems that quietly hurt sales—and what brands can do to fix them

• Why PR should support your business strategy, not become your business strategy

Most founders know they need a board. Far fewer know how to build one that makes the business materially better.

In this episode, Brad Charron, CEO of Aloha, and Kierstin Rielly, CEO of the Women on Boards Project, break down what separates a board that simply fills seats from one that helps you make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and build a stronger company. Using Aloha's board as a real-world case study, they share a practical framework for choosing the right people, compensating them fairly, and turning your board into a real competitive advantage.

You will learn:

• How to build a board around your business—not your cap table

• Who belongs on your board (and who doesn't)

• Why operators often make better board members than career directors

• How board compensation and equity typically work

• When advisors make sense—and when it's time for a formal board

• How to get more value out of every board meeting

• How the right board can help you make better decisions as you scale

Today's grocery aisle is splitting between shoppers looking for the best deal and those who are happy to pay more for brands they believe are worth it.

In this episode, Scott Sanders, Business Intelligence Lead at Carbone, and Jeff Lovering, Chief Data Scientist at Customer Marketing Group, talk through what that shift means for CPG brands. They share practical ways to think about pricing, promotions, and growth—and how to figure out whether your biggest opportunity is pricing, awareness, positioning, distribution, or something else entirely.

You'll learn:

• How to determine whether your brand has earned a premium price

• The difference between a pricing problem, an awareness problem, and a positioning problem

• Why premium brands can thrive—even in a value-driven economy

• How consumers decide whether your product is "worth it"

• When promotions drive growth—and when they simply mask bigger issues

• How to use data to diagnose what's really limiting your growth

• What today's split economy means for your long-term brand strategy

Functional ingredients are everywhere, but adding a trending ingredient to a label doesn't guarantee a product that actually works—or one consumers will buy again.

Philip Bromley, CEO and co-founder of Viron, and Sarah Fenn, Viron's Director of Marketing, explain the science that separates effective functional products from those that simply make functional claims. Drawing on decades of experience in formulation, ingredient stabilization, and delivery systems, they explain why bioavailability, stability, packaging, and format matter just as much as the ingredient itself.

You'll learn:

• Why bioavailability matters more than adding another functional ingredient

• How formulation and packaging affect ingredient stability and efficacy

• Which delivery formats work best for different functional ingredients

• The biggest formulation mistakes brands make—and how to avoid them

• How to evaluate ingredient quality, sourcing, and clinical support

• Why taste and consumer experience drive repeat purchases

• What separates functional products that consumers try from the ones they come back for

Founders are constantly told they need to build in public - but is it actually the best way to grow?

In this episode of the Nombase Podcast, Nick Elliott, Founder of Esprizio, joins Sara Brooks, Co-Founder of Goldilocks, to discuss the role of founder-led content, social media, PR, and brand strategy in building a successful CPG business.

You Will Learn:

• When building in public makes sense—and when it doesn't

• How to develop a repeatable social strategy instead of posting randomly

• Low-cost ways to build awareness and generate PR

• How to create content that builds community instead of just chasing views

• Why consistency matters more than posting frequency

• How to decide where founders should spend their limited marketing resources

Getting onto retail shelves can feel like a big accomplishment—but what happens when strong velocity, national distribution, and real sales still don't add up to a profitable business?

Lauren Chew of Love + Chew Superfood Cookies shares the story behind her decision to exit 2,500 retail doors through UNFI and KeHE—even with velocities buyers were happy with. Abby June Richards of The CPG CFO breaks down where the P&L falls apart for emerging brands and what founders need to understand about cash conversion cycles, trade spend, and channel-level profitability before signing a retailer contract. And Liana Krasnow of Noodo, a premium bone broth pasta sauce just 21 doors in, asks the questions every early-stage brand should be asking right now.

You Will Learn:

• Why a brand can have great velocity and still be losing money on every case

• The hidden cash conversion cycle that can turn a modest monthly loss into a $3M cash problem

• How to evaluate whether a specific retailer is actually a fit—before you sign anything

• What trade spend really is, why it's not an operating expense, and how misreporting it can hurt you in due diligence

• The factors Lauren would weigh differently with her next brand, including shelf facings, direct shipping, and which retailers to avoid entirely

• Why regional, direct, and foodservice channels may deliver more profit than national distribution—and how to know when you're ready to scale

As brands grow, it's easy to focus on the next retailer, the next marketing initiative, or the next distribution opportunity. But sustainable growth starts with a deeper understanding of your brand identity, who it's for, and what makes it truly different.

In this episode, Eric Ramstad of Farmwell Drinks, Shaakira DeLoach of Ginja Snap, and brand strategist Kelly Criswell of Mudge to discuss how emerging brands can build around a niche, attract the right consumers, and create a foundation for long-term growth.

From rebrands and packaging decisions to demos, consumer feedback, and community building, the conversation explores the questions founders should be asking as they refine their positioning and prepare to scale.

You Will Learn:

• How to identify the consumers most likely to become loyal customers

• Why simplifying your messaging can strengthen your brand and improve consumer understanding

• How to use demos and direct customer feedback to refine positioning and packaging

• What creates meaningful differentiation when competitors can copy your ingredients or category

• How to evaluate whether your current positioning can support future growth and expansion

Hope to see many of you at BevNET Live this week on June 10 + 11 in NYC! And for everybody else, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled podcast next week. Thanks for being part of our community!

Getting ready for BevNet Live June 10–11 in New York City? Or on the fence? BevNet's Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Klineman, walks through a practical "how to do BevNet Live" guide — covering the agenda, key speakers, and how to make the most of every hour at the show.

We cover:

• Tips on how to get the most out of networking, speaker presentations, 1:1 meetings with retailers and investors, and everything else at the show

• What you need to do at BevNET Live and what you can catch up on when you're back home

• Agenda highlights from Athletic Brewing, Culture Pop, and Dirty Shirley on building without outpacing your business

• Retail sessions with Walmart, Whole Foods, and Vitamin Shoppe on getting — and staying — on shelf

• Five investor-focused sessions including a term sheet tutorial and a former PepsiCo M&A lead

• The delta-9 hemp category under the microscope as Congressional pressure threatens its future

• Early intel on AI and agentic commerce — what CPG brands need to do now before big players lock it in

There's still time to register at Bevnetlive.com - see you there!!