Episode # 139. Today the Road 2 Retail team visits with Greg Vetter- Founder of Tessemae's salad dressing.

Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast (details below). Enjoy the show!Apple podcasts-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/road-2-retail/id1642173151Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5MmvhUkvFsukmbl1RDzNAJSpecific points covered with Greg today include: - The brand started by getting a Whole Foods Store manager to try a salad out of a Tupperware container! And the manager loved it!- The challenges of being so early to the 'clean eating' trend in the USA- from retailers to searching for manufacturing partners that could meet their standards- "Burn the boats". They were all in on making the brand successful by removing as much risk as possible for retailer taking on the brand- Initial Tessemae's demand created by working with "clean eating mommy bloggers" - When creating your brand- ask people you don't know what they think- these people will tell you the truth- Look at all kinds of funding options before giving away equity- Has jumped on the Indiana Hoosiers football bandwagon!Thanks to our sponsors:Retail and Response-https://www.retailandresponse.comFloret: https//:www.tryfloret.comPlus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 139. Today the Road 2 Retail team visits with Greg Vetter- Founder of Tessemae's salad dressing. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast (details below). Enjoy the show!Apple podcasts-https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/road-2-retail/id1642173151

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5MmvhUkvFsukmbl1RDzNAJS

Specific points covered with Greg today include: - The brand started by getting a Whole Foods Store manager to try a salad out of a Tupperware container! And the manager loved it!- The challenges of being so early to the 'clean eating' trend in the USA- from retailers to searching for manufacturing partners that could meet their standards- "Burn the boats". They were all in on making the brand successful by removing as much risk as possible for retailer taking on the brand- Initial Tessemae's demand created by working with "clean eating mommy bloggers" - When creating your brand- ask people you don't know what they think- these people will tell you the truth- Look at all kinds of funding options before giving away equity- Has jumped on the Indiana Hoosiers football bandwagon!Thanks to our sponsors:

Retail and Response-https://www.retailandresponse.com

Floret: https//:www.tryfloret.comPlus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Today the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Luke Schneider – CEO and Founder of Fire Department Coffee. Luke shares his journey from the military to being a fire fighter to creating Fire Department coffee and his passion to help fire fighters.Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on: 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. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Points covered in detail with Luke today include: - The key decision considerations to move from a DCT brand into brick-and-mortar retail and how to pick the right retail partner - Managing SKU’s and pricing across multiple platforms- DTC, Amazon, different classes of trade: Food, Mass, Club - How to choose the right broker and how to manage them when issues arise - What to look for in an investor-Must be value added, not just money - The best advice to an entrepreneur wanting to start a CPG brand - A boxing and MMA fanThanks to our sponsors: Market Performance Group-https://www.marketperformancegroup.comRetail & Response-https:///www.retailandresponse.com

Episode #137 Today we speak with Andrea Cherkerzian – CEO & founder of the gluten-free chocolate chip cookie brand PS I Love You. We learn that the inspiration for the brand came from her Grandma Rose! 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 topics covered with Andrea today include: - The story behind the creation of PS I Love (the brand story is so important)- The importance of relationships and clear communication with retailers, brokers and suppliers- What to look for in a contract manufacturer - Andrea’s first retailer- Hy-Vee (a great fit for the brand!)- How she utilizes RangeMe - A fan of the Ralph Lauren brandPlus- give us a follow-on LinkedIn. Want to be on the show? DM us on LinkedIn!

Episode # 136. Today the Road 2 Retail team recaps the SFA Winter FancyFaire show that was held in San Diego this week. We want to thank SFA for asking us to host a sold out "Ask The Expert" session about how to best work with distributors. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast (details below). Enjoy the show!Apple podcasts-https://lnkd.in/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Observations from the SFA Winter FancyFaire show: - It is always remarkable to see the creative range of specialty food and beverage emerging brands that companies and entrepreneurs are working on- This was a great opportunity for emerging brands to drive awareness and trial (many tasty samples!) for their brands and catch the eye of a retailer. These informal discussions are what lead to future meetings with a buyer- The show was organized into sections in some cases by both region (ie Italy) and by product type (ie coffee) and by truly emerging brands- Learn more about the SFA "Maker Prep" program. A great way to learn about the industry and how to create and sell a CPG brand. Program culminates with a booth for your brand at the summer SFA show in New York City this summer.- The show attracted a wide range of food and beverage brands both domestic and international- Who knew there were so many kinds of cheese in the world!Show links:https://www.specialtyfood.com/https://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-shows/summer/https://www.specialtyfood.com/education/makerprep/

Episode # 135. On today's show we spend time with Michael Law - the Chief Commercial Officer of Eagle Labs Inc. Michael offers his counsel regarding how an emerging brand should think through hiring a contract manufacturer (CMO) as well as stating what a CMO looks for in a client brand. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on :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. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Discussion points today include: - The diverse services offered by Eagle Labs Inc to brands working in the OTC/HBA/VMS space- Specific questions to ask and actions to take by a brand when considering hiring a CMO: pay attention to certifications!- The traits a CMO will look for in an emerging brand client- How to best manage and work with your CMO to increase the odds of a successful partnership- A fan of the Toronto Blue Jays! A tip of the cap to Joe Carter!Thanks to our sponsors:Eagle labs-https://www.eaglelabsinc.comMarket 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 # 134. Today the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Patrick Gibbons - Founding Partner & President of The Emerson Group. Patrick takes us on a deep dive into exactly what a 3PL (Logistics) provider does for a brand, how they work, and why selecting the right one is so important. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on:

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. Learn more at www.road2retail.com.Points covered in detail with Patrick today include: - The three pillars of support a logistics firm provides for their clients- A discussion around what a vendor of record number is and why they are important- Why too much inventory is necessary for an emerging brand- especially at launch- A key set of questions a brand should ask of a potential logistics partner during the vetting process- What will a logistics firm expect from an emerging brand they are thinking of bringing on as a client?- Fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and the bands ELO & The CarsThanks to our sponsors:Eagle Labs-https://www.eaglelabsinc.comAgency Habitat-https://www.agencyhabitat.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!

The Road 2 Retail team today spends time with Chris Stanton- Founder of Retail Brand Discovery. Chris shares his views on the importance of properly connecting brands to retailers and the ways this can be done. Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple podcasts [insert link], Spotify [insert link] or our YouTube channel [insert link]. 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/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Discussion points with Chris today include: - An overview of his interesting new endeavor- Retail Brand Discovery and how his multi platform business helps connect brands to retailer decision makers- A discussion of the evolution of the Trade Relations Manager and how components of this legacy role within a CPG company still matter a great deal- How the "celebrity entrepreneur" can play a positive role in the establishment of an emerging brand- How emerging brands can effectively utilize the online path to test & learn and build their business before approaching traditional brick & mortar retailers- His belief that retailers WANT emerging brands to winThanks to our sponsors of the episode:Floret- https://www.tryfloret.comMarket Performance Group-https://wwwmarketperformancegroup.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 # 132On Wednesday of this week, the Road 2 Retail team attended the 2nd Annual Founder's Innovation Day. This event was presented by ECRM, RangeMe, and RetailMedia IQ. The purpose of this very well attended event was to allow emerging brands to hear directly from many of the nation's leading retailers exactly what is expected of them in order to be successful. Rather than try to call out all of the presenters, Wayne Bennett- SVP ECRM & RangeMe- joins us on this event recap episode. Below are brief bullets highlighting some of the major themes covered. Listen to the entire episode on Spotify or Apple podcasts. Time well spent for emerging brand founders and leaders! 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/gs3BfXbdSpotify- https://lnkd.in/ewWcnYpY YouTube channel- https://www.youtube.com/@road2retail327. Key Themes from the 2025 Founder's Innovation Day: - The importance of being both Retail Ready AND Supply Chain Ready- Retailers and investors get behind products- not ideas. Are you viable as a brand? Do you have data? Do you understand your target consumer?- A panel of founders discussed why it is best to start small and local so you can keep your hands on everything as you start out. They also discussed the real risk of expanding too fast too soon- An overview of what to look for in a co-manufacturing supplier. The key questions to ask and capabilities to look for as the selection of a co-manufacturer can make or break your business. Choose wisely!- Think through all aspects of your packaging. The design, the physical structure, your shipper configuration. Much more. An impactful design will close sales for you in that critical last three feet of the consumer's decision making process- All of the retailers talked about building bridges beyond your buyer within each retailer you are working with. Be open to feedback. Be very transparent with all communication. Bad news needs to travel faster than good news- discuss the issue, what you are doing to fix it, and when it will be fixed. Don't hope your retailer won't notice- they will.Thanks to our sponsors:Eagle Labs- https://wwweaglelabsinc.comRetail & Response-https://www.retailand response.comEpisode linkshttps://www.rangeme.comhttps://www.ecrm.marketgate.comEnjoy the show! 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 # 131. Today the Road 2 Retail team spends time with the CEO & Cofounder of the organic plant-based milk brand - Mooala. Give us a follow on LinkedIn. 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. Topics we cover with Jeff include: - Why he left an investment banking job to found an organic plant based milk brand- Saw a market opening as the limited competition in the category was quite comfortable with the status quo- The challenge of finding a contract manufacturer when you are an emerging brand- The importance of selecting the right broker and building a strong relationship with your broker- Views on the various marketing tactics they have tested and utilized over the years to effectively drive velocities- A fan of Third Eye Blind Thanks to our episode sponsors:Agency Habitat-https://agencyhabitat.comFloret- https://tryfloret.comRetail & Response- https://retailandresponse.comhttps://www.mooala.comEnjoy 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!