Episode # 126. Today we speak with Paul Gerner. Paul was a long time HEB merchandising executive and currently a consultant to the CPG industry. Paul shares his views on what a major retailer looks for (and expects from) an emerging brand. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast:

Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd

Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY

YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327.

Among the many topics covered with Paul today include: - How does an emerging or challenger brand get the attention of a major retailer?- What are the core considerations a retailer has when thinking of adding an emerging brand to their assortment?- How should an emerging brand think about their competition?- Why do retailers charge fees? An interesting perspective- What do best in class emerging brands need to do to win at retail? Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 125. On today's show we spend time with Ryan Moore- CEO & Cofounder of Modus Planning. If you don't understand trade spend management and planning- this is a can't miss episode. Even if you are a CPG veteran, you will pick up valuable insights from Ryan today. Trade spending is generally the #2 or #3 line item on a brand P&L. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast:

Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd

Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY

YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327.

Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Discussion points today include: - We cover a definition of trade spending, its reason for being, and define some of the components of this line item- The trade promotion "hierarchy of needs"- The importance of building trust with the buyers at your distributor and the important role they play- How to evaluate your trade spending effectiveness, course correct, and navigate towards efficient promotions- "No one ever regrets taking the time to get their trade spending well organized"Special thanks to our sponsor-Eagle Labs- https://wwweaglelabsinc.com

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 124. On today’s episode the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Kat Weaver the founder of Power to Pitch. Kat chats with us about the different ways small and emerging brands can raise money and the insights she has gained in helping multiple brands. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Among the topics covered with Kat today include:- The different types of funding available to brand founders- What separates founders who get funded from the those who don’t?- What type of funding is available to brands that are early in the fund raising journey?- How do you use grants to raise money? What is the process?- A fan of Sarah Blakley, the founder of SpanxThanks to our sponsor Markey Performance Group-https://www.marketperformancegroup.com/ Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 123. On today's show we spend time with Allison Ball. Alli is founder of Food Biz Wiz and the creator of Retail Ready. The discussion centers around some of the errors emerging brands tend to make as they move to expand their business to retail. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Topics covered today include: - Don't skip the strategy stage and jump right to selling. Strategy is your road map of what you will, and won't, do to grow- Why a brand can't use their DTC selling approach when dealing with a buyer at a retailer- As a former buyer, Alli shares what she looked for in a brand before bringing it into her set- The importance of persistent, but professional, follow up. 80% of sales take five follow ups to close a sale!- Why she admires the Golden State WarriorsSupport us by supporting our sponsorsEagle Labs: Contract manufacturing of OTC and HBA products: https://www.eaglelabsinc.com Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 122. On today's show the Road 2 Retail team discusses how a brand should prepare for a line review or category review meeting with a retailer. You worked hard to get into this retailer- but happens as the time to review your brand performance approaches? Based upon our long history working in the CPG industry, we share our views on what to expect, how to prepare, and what the results of this meeting may be. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast at:Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Specific topics around the line review process covered today include: - What exactly is a line review? - How to prepare for this meeting? Spoiler alert: bring facts and proof- not opinions alone- If there are issues with your brand- bring them up early and directly. Don't hope no one noticed- they did- Detailed review of your performance versus expectations: sales, margins, service levels- Key questions to ask and the importance of fast, accurate follow up Enjoy the show! Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 121. On today’s episode the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Eli Moore VP of data strategy at Burke, about AI and its potential impact on the CPG industry. Eli shares how AI can best be utilized by emerging CPG brands.

Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or on our YouTube channel. Plus, give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Among our discussion points, we cover:

• How AI is changing the CPG industry- including a definition of generative AI and how AI can be harnessed to assist an emerging brand across multiple disciplines.

• AI is math, not magic!

• How AI can clean your datasets and can customize the output in the custom manner a specific retailer likes to review brand data.

• Which AI tool should an emerging brand use? Hint: Start with ChatGPT and just start using it.

• How AI can help an emerging brand grow by driving speed, scale, and efficiency. Example: Claude.co is a great AI tool for web site development.

• A fan of Jose Altuve: small, but powerful!

Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel-    / @road2retail327  . Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 120. On today’s episode the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Alex Gelbert Cofounder and CEO of Let There Be. Alex shares his insights on the importance of innovation in healthcare products and how to best utilize video to communicate innovation to the end consumer. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel-    / @road2retail327  . Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Among the topics covered with Alex today include:

• The importance of innovation in healthcare products and how best to communicate innovation to the consumer: the art of storytelling and explaining the science clearly are paramount

• How to best educate the consumer on Amazon. Imagine you are the shopper – what process do you follow and what do you want to learn when in the shopping process?

• A detailed discussion about how to best utilize video to educate consumers and how you can manage production costs

• Consumer health trends in 2025: What Alex is seeing and some of the sources his firm finds useful

• An F1 fan and a Williams supporter. Pulling for the “challenger brand”- just the way we like it!

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 119. On today's show we are joined by Jeff Lovering- Chief Data Scientist at Customer Marketing Group (CMG). Our discussion centers on all things pricing today - one of the most critical elements for any brand to get right.

Episode # 118. On today's show we speak with Raj Shah - Head of Sales Operations at the fast growing collagen brand, Obvi. Raj discusses in detail the highs and lows of bringing their brand from its DTC beginnings into the brick & mortar retail world and what they have learned along the way. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast at:

Road 2 Retail podcast at: Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd

Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY

YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Additional points discussed with Raj today include: - The origin story of the brand led by people that had been helping other DTC brands grow- and saw an opportunity to build their own - What motivated them to move into brick & mortar retail? And how they learned the DTC playbook does not translate perfectly to the brick & mortar environment- Some hard truths about brick & mortar distribution: slotting, trade spending, deductions and other matters a brand will have to deal with- What to look for in a contract manufacturer- and it goes far beyond price alone- Hiring, managing and working through rough patches with your brokers. Hint: treat your brokers like they work inside your company and not as an outside vendor to your company- Finally, a Knicks fan!Enjoy the show! Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 117. Today we spend time with Adam Brown- Founder and President of Sircle Media. Our discussion covers how Sircle Media helps their clients think about, navigate, and drive their business across social networks. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts , Spotify our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast at:

Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbd

Spotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY

YouTube channel-https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Among the keys points covered today: - The Sircle Team has a focus on brands in traditional brick & mortar distribution. They are very focused on helping drive sales and hit sales velocity hurdles- We spend time discussing 'social interest' versus 'social media'.- The potential risk to an emerging brand of bringing on creative people that may focus more on art than on creative and content that drives the brand- The benefit of working with boutique marketing agencies that do a very few (or one!) thing VERY well versus a larger integrated agency- Key to work with agencies that not only know the social networks, but they know your category. Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!