Marc Jonna’s career in the specialty retail and wine industry spans more than two decades. He began in his family’s business, The Merchant of Vino, where he studied wine and specialty foods from a young age and helped expand the company into an eight-store chain. After its acquisition by Whole Foods in 1999, Marc became the company’s National Wine Buyer and later joined the National Leadership Team—playing a pivotal role in elevating Whole Foods into a major wine retailer.

In 2006, Marc co-founded Plum Market with his brother, creating a Midwest-based chain that has become a leader in natural, organic, and specialty grocery. In this episode, he shares his journey from family business to national leadership, and the lessons he’s learned about building a modern grocery brand that thrives in today’s competitive market.

• How Marc’s experience at The Merchant of Vino and Whole Foods shaped the vision for Plum Market

• Philosophy of merchandising natural, organic, and artisanal products

• Advice for CPG brands on scaling, differentiation, and staying competitive in retail landscape

Find Plum Market

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

While working long hours for Oscar-winning producers, Xeba fell seriously ill with a debilitating gut condition. Her healing journey—focused on diet and lifestyle changes—sparked the idea for the snacks she wished existed during her recovery: clean, indulgent, and designed for sensitive stomachs.

Preme is a gut health brand that believes true nourishment comes from both premium ingredients and a sense of indulgence. Using prebiotic fiber prescribed by functional medicine doctors, Preme crafts snacks with sensitive stomachs top of mind—helping people feel good while enjoying food they love.

• How Xeba’s personal health journey inspired the creation of Preme

• How to build a gut-health brand that balances function and flavor

• What emerging founders can learn about turning personal challenges into breakthrough products

Shop here!

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Ashli Pollard is a powerhouse in strategic business development and marketing, renowned for her direct, results-oriented approach. With over a decade of hands-on experience across diverse sectors—including B2B, agency work, product development, and wholesale—she has driven transformative growth for ambitious brands and emerging leaders alike. As the founder of three successful businesses—The Doers, Dial Zero Marketing, and Fast Forward Production—all launched without external investment, Ashli understands what it takes to build thriving companies from the ground up.

Through her venture arm, Cocky Ventures, she invests in and elevates the next generation of bold, high-potential businesses. Ashli’s career includes integral roles in scaling iconic brands like Prada, Gucci, Rebecca Minkoff, and Kendall + Kylie, where her strategic yet trend-conscious approach to marketing redefined brand trajectories in a fast-paced, content-driven world. She mentors and empowers thousands of women through The Doers, her membership community dedicated to fostering success for female entrepreneurs. Ashli’s mission is clear: to equip and inspire women to win at every level, with tailored insights and practical steps toward lasting success.

• How Ashli became a 4x founder and built a career empowering female entrepreneurs

• Cocky Ventures approach to helping pre-seed brands scale faster with the right marketing foundation

• Ashli’s best tips for founders ready to launch bold ideas and build with confidence

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Aparna Avasarala is the founder of Denimrush Experience, an agency working at the intersection of merchandise and brand experience for CPG and lifestyle companies. In this episode, she shares how merch can become a powerful brand tool—and what every emerging founder needs to know before investing. Aparna breaks down how to choose the right merch, when it’s worth launching, and how to maximize impact without wasting time or money.

• When merch makes sense (and when it doesn’t) for emerging CPG brands

• How to select products that align with your brand strategy and resonate with your audience

• Aparna’s best-of advice for founders ready to bring their brand to life through merchandise

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Chef and artist Zoe Messinger created Gelée to inspire play, connection, and joy around the table. Gelée blends the wisdom of gelatin’s ancient origins with modern molecular science to reimagine a timeless classic—transforming it into luminous delights that are gut-healing, collagen-rich, and endlessly versatile.

Born from a time of personal healing, Zoe combines her culinary artistry, hospitality background, and playful creativity to craft jiggly creations that are as nourishing as they are beautiful. From morning parfaits and spritz-ready jelly marbles to cheese plate accents and show-stopping art pieces, Gelée challenges convention and brings new life to gelatin.

Inside the Episode:

• How Zoe’s culinary journey—from Cornell to LA’s top restaurants to artistic experiences—shaped Gelée

• The inspiration behind creating a gut-healthy, collagen-rich brand rooted in joy and play

• Creative ways Gelée can be used to spark connection and transform everyday meals

Shop here!

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more! 

Daniel Goetz founded GoodPop with a mission to create clean, nostalgic treats that taste amazing—without the artificial sweeteners or additives. What started with just four sales at a music festival has grown into a 16-year journey of building a purpose-driven brand that’s now a leader in the frozen treats category.

In this episode, Daniel shares his early entrepreneurial beginnings, why he wanted to build a business with a positive impact, and how he’s scaled GoodPop into a household name while staying true to its values.

• How Daniel’s lemonade stand days shaped his entrepreneurial journey

• The scrappy launch strategy that kicked off the business

• The lessons behind growing GoodPop into a category leader with purpose at the core

Shop here!

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

In this solo episode of Emerging Brands Podcast®, I’m taking you behind the scenes of building a brand strategy that can turn an early-stage idea into a standout CPG brand. I share how I help first-time, bootstrapping food & beverage founders create a clear roadmap for success—one that earns shelf space, generates buzz, and connects deeply with consumers.

From crafting a compelling brand story and defining clear differentiators to identifying your hero product and truly understanding your ideal customer, I walk you through the key elements every founder needs before launch. We’ll dive into retail positioning, activation strategies, brand partnerships, and storytelling techniques that help you not only get on shelves—but stay there.

• How to identify what will make your brand stand out

• How to define who will shop your brand

• How to create buzz and sales while bootstrapping your launch

Listen in for practical insights you can start applying today, and DM me your email to get my Brand Strategy Q&A—a powerful tool to help you organize your vision and spot the gaps before launch.

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Kif was founded by Caroline Brain, the fermentation fan girl herself—a Midwest native with a tenacious entrepreneurial spirit. Passionate about ethical food systems, holistic health, and gut-friendly living, Caroline blends culinary craft with strategy to make gut health delicious. Born and brewed in Los Angeles, Kif crafts kefir water using only real, natural ingredients, delivering a probiotic-packed, low-sugar, fizzy beverage that gives your gut the love it deserves. Coined ‘Nature’s Soda’

• How Caroline turned her love for fermentation into a gut-health brand

• Re-positioning Kif in better-for-you soda category

• Caroline’s tips for educating consumers and creating demand for a better-for-you drink

Shop!

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Sababa Foods was founded by Amy Dell, a passionate food entrepreneur with deep roots in Middle Eastern foods. With a background in marketing, hospitality, and customer service, Amy is on a mission to make authentic, high-quality Middle Eastern flavors accessible for modern kitchens. Sababa Foods offers convenient, nutritious options that bring families and food lovers together over delicious meals.

• How Amy turned her love for Middle Eastern cuisine into a CPG brand

• Making authentic flavors accessible and convenient without sacrificing quality

• Building a brand through experiences and hospitality

Shop here!

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!

Kelly Anne Parker is a self-funded founder who built Send Ribbon, a corporate gifting company, from the ground up—all the way to acquisition by UrbanStems in 2020. Now, through her advisory firm Launch Grow Exit, Kelly helps fellow founders navigate the full lifecycle of being a founder, from getting started to scaling and preparing for a successful exit. She’s on a mission to demystify the founder journey and make exits feel possible especially for female-founded, bootstrapped brands.

• The path from building a gifting brand to selling it—without outside funding

• Value of corporate gifting for emerging CPG brands

• What founders need to consider early if they want to build toward a future exit

• How to think differently about growth and define success on your own terms

Connect here!

Hummingbirds is a platform that connects everyday, smaller creators with brands to share in-store user-generated content, drive brand awareness in specific retailers, and capture competitive market share. They’re an awesome platform that I recommend to all my clients that you should absolutely check out. Go to hummingbirds.com for all the details!