Gaylord shares with us the backstory of launching their unique infant care brand - Buddle. Their team invested a lot of time and resources upfront on R&D, consumer testing, and pricing before making the move to selling product. The discussion also covers:

- Buddle's launch hiccups (everyone has them!)

- His view on building out a team and advisory panel that are highly skilled in their areas of expertise

- Why they have launched exclusively online and what Buddle will look for in a partner when they think to move into brick and mortar retail

- Their goal to build a community as well as a brand

- How marketing performance metrics differ for an emerging brand vs those of an established brand

- How Gaylord thinks about raising money and what he looks for in an investor

Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast on Apple Podcast or Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review.

On today's show we are fortunate to spend time with Elliot Begoun, the founder of TIG Brands. Elliot discusses their very comprehensive approach to helping founders grow their emerging brands by focusing on building a sustainable business and not just a brand. Elliot describes how TIG Brands utilizes 'The Collective' allowing brands within their ecosystem to utilize subject matter experts and then their "Accelerator" process to grow these brands once the foundation is set. We also learn why the tardigrade is superior to the unicorn! Other topics covered in detail include:

- How founders need to learn to live with their constant companions: fear and doubt

- When seeking investors, understand you will get 'no' the majority of the time, but learn from each rejection

- Potential investors will bet on the people and the category- but they must see a business and not just a brand

- The importance of viable unit level economics

- The different types of financing available to emerging brands and how to appeal to these investors

Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast on iTunes or 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 how emerging brands can effectively work with Amazon from Anu Bliss - General Manager of Digital Commerce at The Emerson Group

Getting your brand on Amazon is all many small, emerging and challenger brands think they need to do to be successful. As we learn in our discussion with Anu today- it is far easier said than done. The Amazon beast is constantly changing, and your business must be monitored very closely. Anu goes into detail on the following key points:

- Before getting started with Amazon, make sure you fully understand the financial and operational implications of working with Amazon

- Confirm that you have worked through the financials of working with Amazon

- Amazon changes its strategy on the fly and along with these changes- fees and the cost of doing business with Amazon can change as well

- Provides a crisp explanation of the differences between being a 1P vs 3P seller on Amazon

- The importance of fresh, compelling content about your brand

- How to avoid head-to-head price comparisons with other retailers

- Understanding the critical importance of the Buy Box

- Given the traffic on Amazon- every day has a Super Bowl audience!

Enjoy the show! Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast on iTunes or Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review.

Getting an Emerging Brand Ready to Promote on Facebook

On today’s episode, Erin lead's us in a discussion around what it takes for a small, emerging or challenger brand to get set up to advertise on Facebook. Specifically, we cover:

- Do you know the process for setting up a business account on Facebook?

- What do you need with regard to content (images and copy) to attract consumers?

- Resist the temptation to rush into your advertising on Facebook: 'Front end work saves back-end headaches'. So true!

- Once you begin, watch your metrics closely- but give your initial plan some time and here's why.....

- What are the key metrics to watch with your campaign to judge its effectiveness?

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Spotify, iTunes and on LinkedIn. Please leave us a review and share the episode with those who may find the content useful.

An Approach to Investing in Small & Emerging Brands

Today we discuss investing in small, emerging and challenger brands with the co-founder of Loft Growth Partners- Andy Whitman. Over the course of his extensive career investing in small brands, Andy shares his thoughts on many topics including:

- Raise money for the right reasons- not because others are

- Don't raise too much money too soon

- Investors want a "reason to believe" in what you are doing

- The importance of your current gross margins

- What materials you should have available to share with potential investors

- Loft Growth Partners offers a number of resources on their website for small brand owners to utilize

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Spotify, iTunes and on LinkedIn. Please leave us a review and share the episode with those who may find the content usefull.

How to source, manage and utilize an influencer for your brand

Many small, emerging and challenger brands are anxious to work with influencers to help build their brands, but where to start and how best to proceed? Alexis offers her insights into the critical role establishing goals for an influencer program plays (awareness, conversion, change in positioning, etc?), how to identify an ideal influencer, how to evaluate the impact of your program, and how to manage, compensate and collaborate with your influencer. For all this and much more- please give the show a listen!

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Spotify, iTunes and on LinkedIn. Please leave us a review and share the episode with those who may find the content useful.

On this episode of the Road 2 Retail, we speak with Corey Scholibo, co-founder of Dayo and Wile. Corey and the Road 2 Retail team explore Corey’s experiences starting mission-driven brands such as Wile and Repurpose. Corey shares his experiences in developing these brands that resonate with both retailers and consumers. Corey also shares his insights into:

• Best tactics to drive consumer demand

• Lessons in raising money

• Best advice for emerging brands just starting out

Please subscribe to the Road 2 Retail podcast on iTunes or Spotify or our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on LinkedIn. Please share the show with a colleague and leave us a review.

On today’s episode, the Road 2 Retail team speaks with Wade Yenny - an experienced retail buyer with several high-profile natural and specialty retailers. Wade shares his views on the importance of differentiation and his observations related to small, emerging and challenger brands. Wade shares his insights on the following topics:

• How important is traction for a brand online before going to retail?

• What are the critical elements of a retail presentation?

• Consumer demand tactics that he has seen work

• Hits and misses he has seen small and emerging brands make over his career

Please enjoy the show and follow us on our Road 2 Retail iTunes and Spotify channels.

Dan Mack is a passionate advocate for challenger brands like those we work with and try to help here on the Road 2 Retail podcast.  Dan shares his views on

what small, emerging and challenger brands really need to think through prior to making the move into a regional or national retailer.  He points out

the challenges all of these brands will undoubtedly face, and he offers his views on how to best prepare to be successful at retail.  Note: it is not easy nor is the move into retail for the faint of heart!  

Dan Mack is a passionate advocate for challenger brands like those we work with and try to help here on the Road 2 Retail podcast. Dan shares his views on what small, emerging and challenger brands really need to think through prior to making the move into a regional or national retailer. He points out the challenges all of these brands will undoubtedly face, and he offers his views on how to best prepare to be successful at retail. Note: it is not easy nor is the move into retail for the faint of heart!

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Spotify, iTunes and on LinkedIn. Please leave us a review and share the episode with those who may find the content useful.

DARK HORSE: How Challenger Brands Rise to Prominence.

It was 10 Years of Interviews, Research and BEST Practices from 100 companies.

THE 10 TRAITS

1. Their business is personal, is an extension of their identity, and is inspired by a story.

2. They listen until it hurts, stay in alignment, and are ONE with customers, team, retailers.

3. They create a simple, flexible business blueprint and share it with their community. There are NO COMPETING INTERESTS.

4. They are experiential, storytellers who carefully pick their customers and partners.

5. They quickly co-create innovation w/ customers, becoming more invaluable. Fix Things.

6. They pay attention to emerging trends at the convergence of culture / design / tech shifts.

7. They authentically partner w/ influencers & they carry the message creating a movement.

8. They are specialists, who experiment creating brand love with their zealous followers.

9. Their corporate culture is contagious, human, and likeable, creating soulful connection.

10. They use their hidden intangible assets to create differentiating value for everyone The Intangibles Include: Ideas, Insight, unique skills digital know-how, their Network of Creative People, and corporate curiosity, agility, experimentation, speed to market and a likeable culture.

Episode #56 A detailed discussion with Eric Koppelman - CEO of Ruby Jewel Ice Cream Sandwiches

Today we were fortunate to spend some time with Eric Kopplelman to discuss how he and his team are building out their brand of super premium ice cream sandwiches. He leads with a very interesting history of Ruby Jewel and how they went about bringing the focus of the business back to the core: delicious ice cream sandwiches. Eric also provides detail around the following topics:

- As you consider retail expansion- ability to hit velocities is vital

- Sales is a profession and not anyone can do it

- Take the time to really understand working with distributors- it is a complex relationship

- Solid plans are a must - as is the ability to be flexible

- Dealing with investors: their expectations and yours when accepting their money

Enjoy the show! Please follow the Road 2 Retail podcast on Spotify, iTunes and on LinkedIn. Please leave us a review and share the episode with those who may find the content useful.