It’s not uncommon for brands to scale mostly as B2B enterprises with minimal emphasis on sophisticated consumer marketing. When product design carries you that far, it can be easy to overlook the marketing department. Then, when you turn to ask them for acceleration, you realize you do not have the right team at all. Or, even worse, you don’t even believe. For the founders who delay and doubt the power of marketing, please have a listen. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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I never urge anyone to become an entrepreneur. Ever. That’s because I am one. Sometimes, continuing the business could endanger more than your finances. In this episode, I give you five clear signals that, when combined, make it clear you should wind down. Remember, you can always try again later in your life. Always. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

Believe it or not, I used the same fieldwork techniques to build my own B2B brand that I urge you to deploy in my book. In this episode, I explain how I used a flywheel of goodwill connecting tradeshows to LinkedIn to build my business. Fans are critical oxygen for any entrepreneur.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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 In ten days, the updated and expanded edition of Ramping Your Brand goes live in all formats. In this episode, I go over what has changed and why you should grab a copy even if you have the 1st edition. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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American media loves to reinforce the ideal of the visionary entrepreneur who ‘bootstraps’ to glory with no initial resources. The reality is that those who do pull this off usually have one or more superpowers as they started. My growing case study research suggests that having one of the following superpowers is key to beating the odds of making it through the Phases. Make sure you have one BEFORE you start. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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One of the more common problems lurking at the Fancy Foods show, if you’ve ever been, is sitting at every booth in plain sight. It’s on the sell sheets of various specialty food brands that exhibit there. It is their SRPs. They’re not just premium. They’re artisanal. And these prices just don’t scale. Pricing 100% above the market share leader in a category is one thing. Pricing 400% above them  is another thing and won’t scale without a truly Doctor Squatch-level media intervention.  Artisan pricing almost always creates a holiday ‘gift’ business though. Learn why in this episode.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Despite one or two “diet” food brands like Atkins that are still kicking around, diet food innovation is generally a graveyard of CPG innovation. But GLP-1 drugs raise the profile of a different outcome, indirectly supporting weight management  - satiety. But are GLP-1 users an innovation segment or a marketing audience? The difference matters, if you’re going to launch a brand with them in mind. And how you do this could steer you right toward, or away from, market leading brands’ GLP-1 innovation efforts. Have a listen to my fresh thoughts.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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A lot of us are sick of hearing about Liquid Death, the entertainment brand that happens to sell water. In this episode, I explain why it’s so hard for the average CPG startup to build an entertainment-based brand. It’s not the category. That’s not the barrier. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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 In 2025, the Trump administration’s stated policy moves may easily trigger a recession in the U.S. by late in the year or in 2026.  This is a great time of year to create a Plan B for your marketing playbook to adjust how recessions impact premium-priced early-stage CPG brands. Have a listen and spend a day getting ready in advance. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

The perils of the first $500,000 in recurring sales are many. Most are related to cash flow and getting paid by distributors or retailers. Without the proper seed monies, many companies evaporate despite the power of their innovation. In this episode, I’m updating the episode that launched this tough love podcast. There is less space on shelves than ever before, slotting fees have risen, and competition for access is worse than ever.  Learn how to get through it and thrive.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]