I’ll probably lose some LinkedIn Connections once again with this content. Don’t care. The reality is that new founders to retail CPG need to get super real about 3P distributors, especially the national players specializing in natural and organic products. Listen up and learn the one stunning oversight most new founders make when starting to work with UNFI, KEHE, and others.  

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]

Goldilocks was right. The middle path is the way forward when you are trying to scale quickly and actually get to scale in good enough shape to keep growing in the double digits. Listen in to a ‘dramatic’ reading from my forthcoming audiobook edition of Ramping Your Brand. I think you’ll enjoy it!

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]

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 more years in the market and, regardless of your actual topline growth rate or scale, the more likely you will no longer be able to notice the subtle signs of underperformance in your business. This is most pronounced when growth is strong. But that's when it's most important to look underneath the topline hood and pressure-test for solid, healthy $ growth. In this episode I share some initial tips straight from the toolkit I use with my clients every month at PGS. 

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]

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]

Unfortunately, the folks who talk loudest about brand-building are either a) branding agencies, b) venture capitalists or c) overly enthusiastic founders. Curb your enthusiasm. You can design a brand identity, a symbolic system. But, 'brand' is an outcome. It is an outcome based on influencing real human behavior, entering social networks with memorable consumer experiences, potent symbolism, and grassroots 'influence,' not social media puffery. Learn the rules of behavior-based brand-building or get ready to struggle unnecessarily on your journey up the Skate Ramp. 

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]

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]

It's no secret that Placement is the "P" that dominates strategy among most early-stage consumer brands, selling into retail primarily. And there's no shortage of brokers, fractional sales VPs and consultants ready to focus you on manipulating the trade to win narrowly. The problem with this 'normative' viewpoint is that brands don't grow via TPR programs. There is NO marketing science to prove this common myth. Brands grow by adding households and growing velocity inside those households (generally most common for beverages). So, in this episode, I take on the myth and explain why you need to understand the limits of trade techniques in the later phases of the Ramp.

If you're a Founder and want to see how well your team is set up for exponential growth, please take my Founder's Quiz online right now and get your score immediately.  

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

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]

Retail buyers. Either right now or eventually, you will need to convince buyers you are a key new addition to their sets. In this episode, I share some pros and cons of developing relationships with these important stakeholders. I also discuss why the Skate Ramp is just not on their radar, even though one of your key KPIs - velocity - absolutely is. 

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]

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]

Well...Well..Well, I never...I mean, what a rude title!  Then stop writing plans not based on market and consumer data. Then I'll take this episode down right away. It's a plague among early-stage startups in ALL industries. Dataless plans based on wholesale case projections. Your review mirror of case sales to the distributor is not sufficient to make a smart plan for exponential growth. In fact, it sentences you to repeat the growth rate in the mirror itself. If you're growing at 10% and want to grow 100%, the rear-view mirror of case sales doesn't help you much. 

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]

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]

You might think saying 'no' is simply the luxury of an established business who has the privilege to turn down an opportunity that isn't dead-on perfect.  But you'd be wrong. Dead wrong.  In this episode, I introduce the perfect training ground for saying no: the onslaught of service providers who 'prey' on the ocean of startups, most of whom will fail or stagnate as hobby businesses. A small % are actually really good. But they never come to you...
If this episode intrigues you, you might like my recent on Episode on How to Filter Advice.

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]

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]

It's time to share thoughts on one of the more important stakeholder classes for your fast growing early stage brand. I focus on the pros and cons of angels, venture capitalists and private equity firms. I'm very keen on angels for reasons you'll want to listen in and discover. The big challenge for most entrepreneurs is their de-leveraged situation early on up the Ramp. Maximizing your leverage is a sociological challenge, not a financial one in the face of very, very rich people.

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]

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]

Grab onto your handrails, folks. You may hear the thunderous retort of the entire global branding industry in the middle of this one. Branding is one of the most over-rated arts in the early years on the Ramp. Without a data-refined strategy in place, you just can't finalize your brand's symbolic system. Yes, you can try to research it in advance and over-determine everything like a Big Company. But since that rarely works out well for them either, I advise patience. Don't launch a product line hoping initial branding will carry you. Professional branding is expected by consumers. It's not impressive or distinctive any more in premium CPG.

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]

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]