Episode # 96. Our guest on today's show is Brooks Powell - the Founder & CEO of Cheers Health. A high energy discussion around the genesis of the Cheers brand and the unique way Brooks and his team drive growth. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. We cover many topics with Brooks in this episode- including references to "Bill Nye the Science Guy", competitive swimming, and Southwest Airlines Herb Kelleher. Other discussion points include: - A very interesting brand origin story that came out of a college assignment. - The importance of building the brand YOU want and hope others will like it too.- A chemistry lesson about how Cheers works in the human body and the story of getting the product approved in the US for sale.- With regard to marketing- don't move on to 'the next thing' until you have nailed 'the current thing'.- Why having a profitable DTC business was vital prior to the move into brick & mortar retail. - A billion impressions anyone? Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.

Episode # 95. On today's show we speak with Dan Frieber - the Founder & CEO of Tango Chile Sauce. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Dan shares the unique origin story of his brand- from his grandmother's recipe to its launch in local bodegas and street fares. Topics covered include: - In the spirit of true entrepreneurship- Dan discusses tuning out those that said he had no shot- he followed his instincts and looked for opportunities to get his brand into people's hands.- The importance of believing in yourself.- Hear about his big break at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn.- The importance of taking feedback and remaining curious- led to several packaging breakthroughs!- Don't assume all equipment purchases are out of reach! An induction sealer was a great investment!- Interestingly, Nancy Kalish of Rule Breaker Snacks led us to Dan & Tango Chile Sauce when she named it as a favorite brand!- Always great to have a Deadhead on the show! Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.

Episode # 94. On today's show we spend time with Jason Paulus- the Founder & CEO of the emerging brand: Acid Rain Water. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Jason Paulus shares his backstory on how Acid Rain Water went from an idea to a product following Jason's mantra of 'get 1% better every day'. Topics touched on include: - What drove him to sell a vitamin infused brand of water in a can?- The B-12 in Acid Rain Water offers a hydration product that is part pure water with a trait of an energy drink- How he overcame the brand's first huge challenge of launching during a pandemic when cans were tough to source - The importance of testing, learning, tracking and course correcting with regard to your marketing spend in order to find where your target consumers can be found- Jason discusses how working with good people right from the start helps you find (and build a network of) other good people. There is no substitute!- 'Welcome to the Jungle' - you will have to listen to get his view on this one! Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.

Episode # 93. On today's show we are joined by Roberta Townes - Senior Category Merchant at GNC. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Roberta shares with us the role emerging brands play at GNC and what she looks for in these brands. Specific discussion points covered include: - What do you look for in an emerging brand? Spoiler alert: a great story, solid marketing, and the potential to add incremental performance to the category.- How to get a meeting with a buyer and what should be included in a presentation deck.- She discusses GNC's commitment to high quality products- all brands are vetted through their legal and science team members.- Roberta shares the variety of ways they launch products at GNC and how she helps brands navigate the onboarding process and her performance expectations.- A common theme across successful emerging brands is the presence of a solid and effective marketing plan put in place at the start (and ongoing) to drive demand. Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.

Episode # 92. Today we speak with RJ Talyor - Founder of the unique, tech enabled email marketing firm: Backstroke. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. RJ Talyor speaks to us with specifics about how email marketing can help drive the business for emerging brands while at the same time being a very efficient use of marketing dollars. Today we cover topics including: - How Backstroke utilizes AI to customize messaging for their clients, so they speak to different consumer targets in their voice- Email marketing can effectively be utilized to drive both new sales conversions and as a very effective retention tool to keep your consumers inside your brand franchise- Backstroke's tech driven process delivers 31% more revenue than email campaigns cobbled together "the human only way"- Backstroke can design and target your email campaign to a specific geography and even target it to drive business at a specific retailer. Another account specific tactic to utilize- The Backstroke team's experience and their use of AI will free up your team to work on other business building initiatives versus building out email campaigns in house using old technology Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.www.Backstroke.com

Episode # 90. On today's show we speak with Dr. Alexandra Sowa. Author of the book The Ozempic Revolution and founder of the brand SoWell Health. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Dr. Alexandra Sowa shares her expertise on how GLP-1 drugs work, what your body needs while on these medications to address side effects, and how these needs led her to develop her brand of supplements: SoWell. Topics touched on include: - What led her to write her new book The Ozempic Revolution (available at local bookstores and Amazon)?- Many users of GLP-1's discontinue using the products within a year due to side effects- Dr. Sowa explains what the body needs to replenish while on a GLP-1 in order to keep the body properly nourished and to minimize side effects - The importance of being very discerning when partnering with a contract manufacturer- How she and her team are thinking about when to seek growth capital and what they will look for in an investor Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.The Ozempic Revolution

Episode#  90.  Today the Road 2 Retail team shares our observations fromattending the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Self-Care LeadershipSummit (SLS) earlier this week in San Antonio, Texas.  The ConsumerHealthcare Products Association does a fantastic job representing theinterests of members and consumers by advocating for access, innovation, andaffordability of self-care products in an effort to help keep consumershealthy, safe, and confident in their self-care choices.  To learn more aboutthe Consumer Healthcare products Association (CHPA), please visit their websiteat www.chpa.org.  Please subscribe to the Road2 Retail podcast at  Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTubechannel.  Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn.  Learn more at www.road2retail.com.

Theannual CHPA Self-Care Leadership Summit offered its usual slate of timely andcompelling content as well as ample time to network and conduct business withother attendees at the meeting.  Specific topics touched on todayinclude:    

- A welcoming address by CEO Scott Melville outlining the issues in front ofthe industry during these interesting times and a reminder of CHPA's importantmission.

- A great presentation by Circana discussing industry trends andobservations.  Learn about what makes a trend a trend vs a fad!  Arecap of ROIs for self-care products across advertising platforms.

-Professor Joe Fuller from Harvard offered a very interesting take on the statusof AI and how it is currently impacting business as well as some thoughts onfuture impact.

-A couple of CEO panels.  Trends were discussed by Ron Lombardi (PrestigeBrands), Tiffany McLaud (Ultima) and Greg Bradley (Foundation).  SusanRoddy of Perella Weinberg hosted an M&A panel with Abigail Buckwalter (CEO-Nestle Health Science) and Mike DeBiasi (CEO of Arcadia Consumer Health)where they shared 'lessons learned' over the course of the various deals theyhave participated in: tips and watchouts!

-Scott Melville led an insightful discussion with "Face the Nation"host Margaret Brennan around navigating today's political landscape.

-A very informative presentation of the ever evolving retail landscape. The rate of change continues to be high and consumers have never had greateraccess to information to help them remove at least some of the uncertainty inmaking their self-care choices.

-Leading retailer HEB closed the activities with a discussion by Chief MerchantScott Mitchell and then a store tour so all could see and learn about theirfirst class operation. 

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

Episode # 89. On today's show we are joined by Rob Catanzariti - Vice President with The Emerson Group. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Rob takes us through what The Emerson Group looks for in an emerging brand before bringing them on as a client. Deep, honest, and ongoing communication are key to an emerging brand being properly prepared to grow and succeed. Some great commentary for leaders of small, emerging and challenger brands to understand when preparing for growth and seeking a business partner to drive sales. Among the topics we touch on with Rob include: - Emerging brands generally need a sales agent or broker sooner than later! The smart play is to engage early and to be properly prepared to launch or expand your brand. - Signs that an emerging brand is ready to go for growth: brand claims & benefits are identified and validated with the consumer detailing that the product will actually serve a financially viable market segment. Manufacturing partners are vetted and capable of supporting your launch or expansion. You have the funding to drive demand and build inventory.- The questions you as a brand should ask a broker to ensure they are the match to help you drive growth. This match includes capabilities, experience and personality. Relationships matter. A lot.- We also address the questions you should expect a broker to ask of you as a brand. They will have expectations as well.- A good broker brings much more to the table than simply representing your brand to retailers. They can help with marketing, data analysis, business development, and constructing high quality go to market strategies.- We also discuss the importance of communication on many fronts- often the key ingredient to any successful business partnership. Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.

Episode#  XYZ.  Today the Road 2 Retail team shares our thoughts on therecently concluded Expo West conference.   Tracey Priest, along time attendee of the show, offers his insights and observations ofthis massive and important show.  Please subscribe to the Road 2Retail podcast at  Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTubechannel.  Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn.  Learn more at www.road2retail.com.

Themajor Expo West natural products show recently concluded.  It was heldMarch 3-7 in Anaheim, CA.  In today's episode, Tracey Priest shareshis detailed observations about the show and offers future attendees andexhibitors solid advice on what to expect from the show and how to get the mostout of your participation.  Specific topics touched on todayinclude:    

- An overview of the Expo West show: who attends and the primary purpose of theshow

- Before you decide to exhibit- you may be best served by going for the firsttime as an attendee.  Hear his rationale

-Aside from exhibiting or walking the show- what else goes on at Expo West froma content standpoint?

- A point of view on hot trends and some unusual products

- And finally- how to best go about following up with contacts from theshow.  Spoiler alert: don't send them your 80 page deck in an email!

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

Episode # 87. On today's show we welcome Lydia Lee- Founder and CEO of For The Clout. Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast at Apple podcasts, Spotify or our YouTube channel. Plus- give us a follow on LinkedIn. Learn more at www.road2retail.com. Lydia Lee has built a business helping brands harness the power of social media and influencers to drive brands business success. Lydia's wide-ranging discussion with us covers a lot of ground about the interesting topic of utilizing influencers to build a brand- she has been at it for 15 years! Among the points we cover include: - If you want to be successful with using influencers- you need to do math! Set goals and establish metrics for success. - Math will help you understand both the cost to acquire an effective influencer and the lifetime value of your consumers.- Influencers can help you shape and tell your brand story- but the core of the brand story comes from the brand!- It takes some time for an influencer program to take root and show results. Not an overnight homerun. Planning and some patience are critical.- There are infrastructure tools in the influencer space (such as GRIN) that can help you manage and measure the business impact of your efforts. Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to 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.Episode Link- https://www.fortheclout.co/