We're pumped to welcome back Steve Black for this week's episode.

Steve has a storied history in the retail business with over 50 years experience (WOW) across multiple chains and channels including Sprouts Farmers Market, Lucky's Market, and Rouses Markets among others.

These days Steve is focused on his Business/Leadership Coaching Firm:

https://abrighterday.life/

If you missed the first episode with Steve, you can check that out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube... but we HIGHLY encourage you to tune in this week as we focus on Leadership.

Regardless of your profession or personal situation, we're confident this week's show will bring you value while still being fun.

This week, we chat anything and everything CPG.

There is a lot of positives in the industry for companies looking to sell as two major cpg companies sold for over a billion dollars collectively!

Lots of talk about innovation, whitespace, brand awareness and the right "fit".

We are 3 weeks post expo and the big trade show season is about to start.

This week we chat with Kenny Hausmann from Fresh Thyme Market! Kenny oversees the Healthy Living Department and we will be chatting all things emergings brands, Expo West and Retail Leadership!

This week we are LIVE with Mike Levinson, Founder of FS Octopus.

Mike brings 25+ years in foodservice/alternative channels and retail, with deep expertise in CPG distribution — aka how products actually move, not just how they look on a pitch deck.

He’s worked with startups and big brands, so he understands both the hustle and the scale. His FS Octopus approach breaks foodservice/alt. channel sales down to what really drives results: distribution, marketing, buyer relationships, and sharp brand positioning.

FS stands for Food Service and it's always an underlooked channel for CPG Brands - but not anymore!

IF you want to learn about the Food Service side of CPG - TUNE IN!

https://fsoctopus.com/

This week on CPG Vibes, We talk with Yuval Selik.

Yuval is the Co-Founder and CEO of Promomash and Host of the 7 Hats Podcast! Y

uval is a fantastic follow on LinkedIn where he drops CPG wisdom nearly daily with more than 20+ years of CPG leadership experience.

Promomash is the people + platform solution CPG brands rely on to achieve more in trade. Powered by CPGenius™, we help brands improve trade spend efficiency across trade promotion planning and execution, deduction management, and field marketing — combining purpose-built software with hands-on industry experts who work as an extension of your team.

http://promomash.com

http://the7hats.com/

This week, we will be talking CPG SHOP - everything and anything. We are one month out from Expo West - and finishing up the mini-tradeshow season of UNFI/KEHE/Fancy Faire etc!

This week we chat everything CPG! The start of trade show season is around the corner, category reviews are in full swing and are we in peak innovation?

This week we are LIVE chatting with Jomaree Pinkard, one of the co-founders and Chairman from Hella Cocktail and the founding member of INCLUDED CPG, a non profit committed to empowering entrepreneurs and leaders of color in the food and beverage industry!

Hella Cocktail Co. was established in 2011 by three curious friends, Jomaree Pinkard, Eddie Simeon, and Tobin Ludwig, who share a love of gathering, celebration, sharing knowledge, and of course, craft cocktailing.

Hella is a brand that makes botanically-inspired mixers and bar-quality beverages with all real ingredients and no fake stuff, ever.Jomaree is ACTIVE in life and business and we cannot wait to chat CPG and the NFL playoffs or mentorship!

Wade and Gavin will be catching up solo this week! Topics will be anything and everything CPG - focusing on Winter Fancy Faire in San Diego!

Some great conversation about Food Show follow up, tips, and suggestions.

This week WE are BACK after taking some time over the holidays! Wade and Gavin will be bringing on Shannon Peffley of CPG Xperience. Shannon has 20+ years in the CPG Industry from distribution to brand to now founding CPG Xperience. CPG Xperience is about bringing the industry together, brands, retailers and service providers to help emerging brands early on in their startup phase. Shannon will be diving into what makes this DIFFERENT from other tradeshows and events that are aleady out there and how his disruption will positively impact brands!