On this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere takes a deep dive with Blue Circle Foods Product Manager Nina Damato on what it takes to outsource seafood for retailers. They discuss the ins and outs of farming and why it has a bad rap, the birth of “Happy Fish”, and educating consumers on the safety and sustainability of seafood consumption. Nina also provides insights on the downsides of plant-based seafood and what it means for food to be “certified” under specific criteria.

Natasha Davis, affectionately known as “The Chief Visionary”, is a brand strategist, government contractor, strategic planner, registered nurse, and the Owner of Impact Branding Consulting. She emerged as a branding strategist and corporate trainer in 2007 with the launch of her third company, Impact Branding Consulting. Her specialty is helping executives, entrepreneurs, and companies create brands that have a lasting impact.

Natasha also developed a CRM software platform called The Profit Enhancer Analysis. She has published three books focusing on business development and branding, and has been recognized by former President Barack Obama with the Lifetime Achievement Award. She believes that every business owner should think big, build momentum, and scale fast.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Why Natasha Davis changed careers from nursing to business management and consulting

What Natasha learned about what makes some companies great

Steve Cleere talks about Honda’s distinctive culture and what he learned from working with them 

What Natasha looks for in the companies she works with, how she helps companies improve and create a big impact, and what she does to mitigate rigging Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Natasha talks about her books and her biggest takeaways from running successful businesses

The industries Impact Branding Consulting works with and the services they provide

Why Natasha developed a consulting software for managing prospects

Natasha's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a business

In this episode...

What makes a company great? What distinguishes a stellar business from one that’s just okay? What do these organizations do to build momentum, grow, and scale quickly?

Having spent a lot of time working with business leaders, Natasha Davis realized that companies that invested in quality infrastructure and architecture ended up building great businesses. Those that thrive well into the long term focus on their customers and work on creating a distinctive culture.

Natasha Davis, the Owner of Impact Branding Consulting, is Steve Cleere's guest in this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast. Together, they talk about business consulting and branding. Natasha explains what it means to brand from the inside out, talks about the value of having a mission and vision, and shares how she uses KPQs to evaluate KPIs for her clients. Stay tuned.

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Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Impact Branding Consulting 

Natasha Davis' website

Natasha Davis on LinkedIn

Natasha Davis' books

Honda 

The Profit Enhancer Analysis

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web at Lucky #7!!! You can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25, and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Maureen Mwangi is the Founder and CEO of Startward Consulting, a growth firm for product brands, and the Host of The Product Entrepreneur Podcast. Maureen is a storied brand growth strategist who has worked with some of America's most lovable brands like L'Oreal, Dove, Lay's, and Chobani. She is the Creator of Big Brand Academy and the Product Profit Lab, where she shares her expertise with product-based entrepreneurs. 

Maureen's zone of genius is a rare ability to connect with the market and turn real data into brand growth strategies that drive multimillion-dollar growth. She also gives back through her nonprofit organization, the Taji Foundation, which supports boys in Kenya to get the education they need to lift their families out of poverty and build generational wealth.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Maureen Mwangi's background and how she got started in brand management

The projects Maureen worked on at Nielsen and what she learned from them

Maureen talks about the challenges she faced entering the CPG industry and explains how she handled the entrepreneurial itch while working in the corporate world

What Maureen learned from working with Chobani and how she helps emerging brands handle distribution for optimal growth

Maureen's thoughts on the growth of e-commerce and the future of emerging brands

How changing consumer behavior affects brand building

Are there more opportunities for emerging brands now than there were five years ago?

Maureen talks about building a team, the brands she wants to work with, and her future plans 

Maureen's advice to fellow entrepreneurs and her reasons for starting the Taji Foundation 

Where to learn more about Maureen and her businesses

In this episode...

At a young age, Maureen Mwangi found out that the secret to her parent's successful business was their good reputation, well-made products, and trustworthy brand. While others in the industry were taking shortcuts, her parents focused on building a great reputation. This gave them a lot of financial freedom, success, and access to more opportunities.

Over the years, changes in consumer behavior have meant that people are more deliberate about what they buy and consume. They want to support businesses that are authentic, credible, and in it for more than the money. As a result, brand and reputation management has become essential.

In this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere is joined by Maureen Mwangi, the Founder and CEO of Startward Consulting, to talk about building a reputable and credible CPG brand. Maureen explains how her parents influenced her career in brand management, talks about the challenges of joining the CPG industry, and explains how she helps emerging brands handle distribution. Stay tuned.

Subscribe and Listen on:

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TuneIn

Amazon Music

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Startward Consulting

Maureen Mwangi on LinkedIn

Maureen Mwangi's email: [email protected]

Big Brand Academy

Product Profit Lab

Nielsen

Chobani

Kendra Scott 

"Expanding Your Marketing Team with Beyond Broth" with Grace Ventura and Sarah Bird

Grace's Goodness Organics (formerly Beyond Broth)

Grace Ventura on LinkedIn

Sarah Bird on LinkedIn

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web at Lucky #7!!! You can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Ken Ojuka is the Founder and CEO of Fiddle, an inventory platform for CPG brands and manufacturers. Fiddle helps small businesses move their spreadsheets to an innovative software that ensures visibility, accuracy, and high-growth management.

Before starting Fiddle, Ken was the Founder of Webular, LLC and a Corporate Account Manager for AtTask Inc. He has a background in health and wellness, fitness, and tech. He earned his bachelor’s in information systems from Brigham Young University.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Ken Ojuka explains what Fiddle is and what the software does

How the Fiddle software fits in with your CPG brands' existing accounting and inventory software

Ken explains how Fiddle helps manufacturers manage their production runs and the main pain points they solve for emerging CPG brands

How does Fiddle help manufacturers avoid shipping delays?

How Ken started working with contract manufacturers and CPG brands

Ken explains how to set up Fiddle, how the software helps manage packaging and raw materials, and how it treats distributors

Fiddle’s method for handling different SKUs and product sizes

Who are Fiddle’s ideal clients?

Ken's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building a successful business

Where to learn more about the Fiddle software

In this episode...

Running a CPG brand is a juggling act: you have to manage employees, sales, inventory, and finances all at once. Many brands, including manufacturers, still use spreadsheets to manage their inventory because most of the accounting software on the market doesn’t actually speak to their needs. The result is a time-consuming process that’s prone to errors. 

Ken Ojuka created an easy-to-use software to help one of his friends better manage his company inventory. He later started selling the product to other businesses like CPG brands, who use it to manage raw materials, production runs, sales, purchases, packaging, and finished inventory. With Ken’s software, these brands are keeping up with their stock and avoiding losses.

Ken Ojuka, the Founder and CEO of Fiddle, joins Steve Cleere in this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast to talk about the inventory software he created to help manufacturers and CPG brands manage their inventory better. Ken also explains how the software helps brands find top suppliers for their inventory, manage their production runs, and better manage their stock levels to avoid stock-outs. Stay tuned.

Subscribe and Listen on:

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Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Fiddle

Ken Ojuka on LinkedIn

Nu Skin

Dollar Shave Club

Twitch

Justin Kan on LinkedIn

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web at Lucky #7!!! You can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Annalea Krebs is the Founder and CEO of Social Nature, a product discovery and trial platform in the better-for-you space. Since 2015, Social Nature has helped over 500 food and health brands launch their products into retailers like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, and more. Today, there are almost one million shoppers across North America who use Social Nature to help them switch to better products. 

Annalea is a frequent keynote speaker on next-gen retail marketing, DTC marketing, natural products, and consumer health trends. When she’s not working with green businesses, Annalea can be found hiking, rock climbing, and paddling throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Annalea Krebs' entrepreneurial background and how she started Social Nature

Why Annalea changed her business model from giving discounts to giving free trials

Annalea explains how she found brands to work with and grew Social Nature organically

How social sampling works and the origin of VIP coupons

The strategies Annalea uses to connect products with people and how a referral program helped her build her members list

Annalea shares some lessons learned from bad sampling experiences 

How Annalea's clients receive and utilize feedback from users

Where to learn more about Social Nature and social sampling

Annalea talks about her company's future plans and how they were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

In this episode...

Annalea Krebs' professional mantra is “profit with purpose.” She started her business with a mission of helping promote green businesses and grow the green economy — and since then she has worked with more than 500 better-for-you brands. 

However, similar to conventional businesses, green companies were greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past 18 months, they have had to pivot and find alternative ways of sampling and reaching consumers. With these changes, Annalea saw an opportunity to help brands by creating a fully digital sampling channel. This service has not only helped with marketing these brands, but also growing their customer base and generating better feedback about their products. 

Annalea Krebs, the Founder and CEO of Social Nature, joins Steve Cleere on this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast to talk about growing the green community and generating profit with a purpose. Annalea explains how social sampling works, the ways it benefits green brands, and how her clients use consumer feedback to create winning pitch decks. Stay tuned.

Subscribe and Listen on:

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Deezer

iHeartRadio

TuneIn

Amazon Music

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Social Nature

Annalea Krebs on LinkedIn

Nature's Path

Vega

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web at Lucky #7!!! You can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts. Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Michele Davis is the President and CEO of Cocacao, a healthy and delicious chocolate company based in Beaverton, Oregon. After her 26-year marriage ended in divorce and she was left with no job, Michele left her comfort zone. She headed to Portland and helped co-found Cocacao with her new partner, Jeffrey Davis. She is also a mother of four, a stepmother, and a grandmother to 13.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Michele Davis shares her death, divorce, and chocolate story

How Michele and her husband, Jeffrey Davis, started their chocolate company and their process for moving production from their home to a commercial kitchen

Cocacao's ingredients and the challenges of dealing with a refrigerated product

How Cocacao entered the retail market

Michele's first experience approaching a buyer and how she has been handling the shipping of samples

How Michele and her husband share their company's responsibilities

Cocacao's growth and Michele’s plans for keeping up with production to meet the increased demand

Michele talks about bootstrapping, the company's future capital injection plans, and their line of chocolate flavors

How Cocacao has handled tests and sampling during COVID-19

 Michele shares her company's future growth plans and advice for fellow entrepreneurs

In this episode...

Did you know that educating your buyers and customers about the right way to handle your products can have a big impact on your sales? Leaving your consumers in the dark can lead to big losses if your product requires special care — and can even affect the growth of your company in the long term.

As an entrepreneur who produces and sells refrigerated products, Michele Davis learned that it is essential to explain your product’s best practices for displaying and selling your goods in retail stores. Why? Michele faced great challenges when buyers would delay in refrigerating her chocolate treats, leading to huge losses. So, how do you develop these strategies and communicate them to your buyers?

In this episode of the Nexxtlevel Brands Podcast, co-hosts Steve Cleere and Debra Armstrong are joined by Michele Davis, the Co-founder, President, and CEO of Cocacao, to talk about the story behind the founding of Cocacao and how they have grown to sell in different retail locations. Michele also talks about promoting growth by entering competitions, bootstrapping, and keeping up with increased demand. Stay tuned!

Subscribe and Listen on:

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TuneIn

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Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Debra Armstrong on LinkedIn

2-Do Tuesdays by Kitchen2Shelf

Cocacao

Cocacao's Cayenne + Cinnamon Chocolate

Cocacao's Blueberry Chocolate

Cocacao's Mint Chocolate

Michele Davis on LinkedIn

Honey Mama's

Founders Live

TiE Oregon

Beaverton Startup Challenge

Oregon Angel Food

KeHE Food & Natural Products Trade Shows

KeHE elevate Program

Erewhon Market

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Yuval Selik is the Co-founder and CEO of Promomash, a software and services platform that helps emerging CPG brands dominate their promotions in stores and on the field. Yuval co-founded Promomash after facing various retail execution challenges with his own organic skincare brand, L’uvalla. Now, his mission is to help emerging brands thrive on the retail shelves by leveraging their technology and services and gaining a competitive edge in the market. 

Yuval is also the Host of The Seven Hats Podcast, where he helps entrepreneurs gracefully balance and develop the seven critical areas of their life that will provide them with the impact they seek.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Yuval Selik's entrepreneurial background and the mistakes he made in his first businesses

How the 2008 financial crisis impacted Yuval's skincare business

Why Yuval started Promomash and how he uses it to help emerging brands manage their marketing and trade spend

How Promomash has evolved since its founding and what sets it apart from other trade management platforms

How businesses benefit from working with Promomash and where to learn more about it

Yuval talks about the seven hats behind his podcast

What people need to know about entrepreneurial fulfillment and balancing work with their personal lives

Steve Cleere shares his experience podcasting

How Yuval prepared for the launch of his podcast and how he finds guests for the show

Yuval's advice to fellow entrepreneurs

In this episode...

For many first-time CPG entrepreneurs, seeing their products on the shelves is a huge achievement — and a sign of great things to come. However, these entrepreneurs soon realize that staying on the shelves can be a big challenge. If you’re not well-prepared, you may find your products dropped from the retail stores.

From experience, Yuval Selik knows that the best way to stay on the shelves is by creating more awareness about your CPG product. Getting the word out about your brand can drive your sales, win new customers, and encourage repeat purchases. But, all this is only possible if the business has a well-laid trade management plan that helps the business better promote their products and track their trade spend.

Yuval Selik, the Co-founder and CEO of Promomash, joins Steve Cleere in this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast to talk about founding CPG businesses, trade promotions, and deductions management. Yuval also talks about the benefits of field marketing and shares his experience launching The Seven Hats Podcast.

Subscribe and Listen on:

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TuneIn

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Resources Mentioned in this episode

• Kitchen2Shelf
• NexxtLevel Marketing
• Promomash
• Yuval Selik on LinkedIn
• Yuval Selik's email: [email protected]
• L’uvalla 
• The Seven Hats Podcast
• Grace Ventura on LinkedIn 
• Grace’s Goodness Organics (formerly Beyond Broth)
• "Expanding Your Marketing Team with Beyond Broth" with Grace Ventura and Sarah Bird

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Lori Taylor is the Founder and CEO of The Produce Moms, a widely recognized consumer brand that is devoted to bringing fresh produce to everyone’s table. She has sold fresh produce to retailers for more than 10 years and often appears in the media as a produce industry spokesperson. 

Lori is the host of The Produce Moms Podcast, a seasoned keynote speaker, and a recipient of many produce industry accolades including the Forbes “Next 1000,” which spotlights startup entrepreneurs that are changing the world through their influence and innovation.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Lori Taylor's career background and how the idea for The Produce Moms was born

Who is the target audience for The Produce Moms and what is their company mission?

How Lori has been helping increase awareness about different fruits and vegetables

Lori talks about the sale of geographic produce and the growth of lifestyle diets, flexitarian diets, and plant-based foods

Lori's thoughts on food deserts and how her company has been supporting food security

How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted fresh produce consumption and The Produce Moms

How the change in the US government is likely to impact fresh produce consumption in the country

Labor concerns in the fresh produce industry and the use of mechanical harvesters

Lori's plans for The Produce Moms

Where to learn more about The Produce Moms and Lori's advice to fellow entrepreneurs

In this episode...

Although there has been a lot of movement in the fresh produce industry in recent years, many people don't eat as many fruits and vegetables as they should. There are many processed foods in the market that claim to be plant-based, but in reality, only contain a small amount of healthy food. 

Despite all of this, there has been considerable growth in the distribution and consumption of fresh produce in the country. The government has also been playing an active role in supporting the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the school system, providing free meals to kids, and developing agricultural policies that support healthy eating. 

In this week's episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere is joined by Lori Taylor, the Founder and CEO of The Produce Moms, to discuss fresh produce consumption in the US. They talk about The Produce Moms' mission of creating more awareness around fresh foods and supporting healthy living, the growth of lifestyle diets, flexitarian diets, and plant-based foods, and labor concerns in the fresh produce industry.

Subscribe and Listen on:

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Google Play

Deezer

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TuneIn

Amazon Music

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

The Produce Moms 

The Produce Moms Podcast

The Produce Moms on Facebook

The Produce Challenge

Lori Taylor on LinkedIn

Indianapolis Fruit Company

Fresh Express Salad Kits and Recipes

Dollar General

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Tim Angelillo is the Founder and CEO of Sourced Craft Cocktails, a craft cocktail home delivery service. The Austin-based company currently serves customers from 10 US states and enterprise clients like Tinder and Grubhub. 

Tim has vast experience in running divisions of publicly traded companies and has worked with companies like Yahoo! and Time Warner. He has also founded different startup businesses in Austin, Texas.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

How Tim Angelillo came up with the idea for Sourced Craft Cocktails

The history of prohibition and the three-tier regulatory system for the alcohol industry in the US

How Sourced Craft Cocktails enables the legal distribution of alcohol in a curated cocktail format

Tim explains how he started his business, how delivery works, and how the company differentiates itself from other brands

How selling tons of alcoholic brands in-store affects your shopping experience

How Tim distributes his cocktails in different counties

The strategies Tim used to market his products to the right audience

How Sourced Craft Cocktails was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic

How to find Sourced Craft Cocktails

Steve Cleere and Tim's thoughts on meeting customer expectations and investing in your team

Tim's advice to fellow entrepreneurs on building great CPG brands

In this episode...

Regulations in the US sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages have been in existence for a long time. These rules often prohibit some practices in the industry that make it difficult for brands to market and distribute their products.

For Tim Angelillo, his secret to growing a thriving business has been focusing on serving customers in a more convenient way. He does this by delivering curated cocktails to his customers across different states and by working with different companies to market his services. So, how can you do this, too?

In this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast, Steve Cleere is joined by Tim Angelillo, the Founder and CEO of Sourced Craft Cocktails, to talk about Tim’s company and the challenges faced by alcohol brands in the US. They also talk about the history of the three-tier regulatory system in the US, the distribution of alcoholic beverages in retail stores, and the strategies Tim uses to market to his target audience.

Subscribe and Listen on:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Deezer

iHeartRadio

TuneIn

Amazon Music

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

Sourced Craft Cocktails

Tim Angelillo on LinkedIn

Beefeater

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.

Les Hine is the CEO and Executive Vice President of Global Brand Strategy and Planning at Otsuka Nutraceutical Emerging Ventures (ONCE Ventures). He joined ONCE Ventures in 2016, starting out with a focus on corporate strategy and M&A. 

Before joining ONCE Ventures, Les was the Chief Strategy Officer of Pharmavite, spent four years as the President and CEO of Mxi Technologies, and two years as CMO and Regional President of Molson Brewery. He was also sharpening his skillset in general management at Procter & Gamble for 21 years. Les is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University with a BBA in business.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: 

Les Hine talks about his work and some of the brands ONCE Ventures has invested in

What are some of the future plans for ONCE Ventures?

Current trends in the nutraceuticals industry and how changes in dietary habits have impacted food marketing

What CPG entrepreneurs need to know before seeking venture funding

Les talks about ONCE Ventures’ regular business operations and their contact details 

How awareness around healthy living has been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic

Les shares his advice for entrepreneurs on building a great business

In this episode...

Over the last couple of years, there has been a growing emphasis on healthy living as more people choose to pay attention to what they consume. Innovation in the nutraceuticals industry is at an all-time high, and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is even more need to eat — and feel — better. 

With an increased demand for healthy food alternatives, entrepreneurs need to seek capital funding to grow their businesses. This is where venture capital firms like ONCE Ventures come into play. The ONCE Ventures team helps provide the capital and advisory resources that brands need to grow and scale. But, according to the CEO of ONCE Ventures, there are some key things CPG brands need to know before looking for their venture funding. 

Les Hine, the CEO and Executive Vice President of Global Brand Strategy and Planning at ONCE Ventures, is Steve Cleere's guest in this episode of the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast. They discuss current trends and innovations in the nutraceuticals industry and venture fund investments in CPG brands. They also talk about some of the brands ONCE Ventures has invested in and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lifestyle habits. Stay tuned.

Subscribe and Listen on:

iTunes

Spotify

Stitcher

Google Play

Deezer

iHeartRadio

TuneIn

Amazon Music

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Kitchen2Shelf

NexxtLevel Marketing

ONCE Ventures

Les Hine on LinkedIn

Daiya

Nature Made

Uqora

Mid-Day Squares

DSM Nutritional Products

Chivas

Cool News: The NexxtLevel Brands Podcast has just been named as one of the Top 15 CPG-Themed Podcasts on the web!!! We're at Lucky #7 and you can get more information about Feedspot and how you can watch more of your favorite shows here: Top CPG Podcasts – Thanks to Feedspot, Rise25 and our Production Team! Sponsor for this episode...

Our podcast today is sponsored by Kitchen2Shelf, the educational arm of NexxtLevel Brands. Kitchen-2-Shelf provides online and in-person courses and workshops for CPG entrepreneurs at any stage of growth. 

Whether you're an early-stage startup, a local growing business, or if you want to just expand your distribution to a national level, Kitchen-2-Shelf can help you learn what you need to know to grow.

Visit their website to get access to some free tools that can help you understand where your business stands. 

Contact them today to find out how they can help you grow your brand and expand your business to reach its full potential.