In this episode of the Tapped In Sales Podcast, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike sit down with Dan Deufel of Superior Beverage to unpack one of the most important cultural shifts happening in beer distribution today: transparency.

Dan shares how Superior moved from a traditional volume-first mindset to a profit-aligned organization — and how opening up GP/CE, returns, pricing logic, and incentive structures to the entire team reshaped behavior, improved decision-making, and unified sales, operations, and delivery around a single North Star.

This is a masterclass in leading change inside a wholesaler.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode1. Why Transparency Became the Turning Point for Superior Beverage Dan explains why keeping GP data hidden limited alignment — and how sharing it unlocked better decisions from reps, middle management, and senior leadership.

2. The Cultural Shift from Volume to Profit Hear how GP/CE became the company’s guiding metric, and how that shift improved:

👉 Reps’ compensation clarity

👉 Pricing conversations

👉 Supplier negotiations

👉 Sales meeting tone and outlook

3. The Real Challenges (and Surprises) of Going Transparent It wasn’t the reps who resisted — it was middle management. Dan breaks down:

⚡ Legacy thinking that had to be unwound

⚡ Why questioning the “why” matters

⚡ How rewiring assumptions took time

4. Survivor’s Guide to GP-Based Leadership Dan shares:

💬 Why reps embraced GP faster than expected

💬 How transparency reshaped discounting conversations

💬 Why rep attitudes improved when they understood how money really moves

5. How Superior Took Control of ABP Season Instead of sitting through supplier-led presentations, Superior:

📄 Built a one-page plan for every supplier

📊 Reviewed GP trends and SKU performance live

🗓️ Set incentive calendars on the spot

🧹 Delisted dead SKUs collaboratively

✅ Left every meeting aligned on next year’s plan

This is the blueprint distributors have been asking for.

6. Where the Beverage Industry Is Really Heading Dan gives his take on:

🚀 The rise of functional beverages

🍺 The next wave of NA beer

⚡ Energy drinks and “benefit-based” beverages

🏷️ Why brand consistency still beats great liquid

💬 Best Quotes

“You can’t coach in the dark. You can’t sell in the dark. And leadership can’t fix what they can’t see.”

“GP became our North Star. When we aligned everyone to it, the entire business moved differently.”

“Transparency didn’t create chaos — it created clarity.”

“If you're only focused on volume in a declining industry, you’re missing the one number you can control: profit.”

👤 Guest: Dan Deufel — Superior Beverage

Dan is from Superior Beverage in Illinois, helping lead the transformation toward a Total Beverage strategy, profit-first alignment, and a more transparent organizational culture.

📨 Email: [email protected]

📬 Have Questions or Want to Learn More?

Email the show at [email protected]

Visit us at vxptech.com

Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Transparency in Business

04:53 Aligning Sales and Operations for Success

12:12 Feedback and Collaboration with the Team

21:04 Navigating Industry Challenges and Opportunities

30:23 Innovative Approaches to ABP Season

39:43 Future Trends in the Beverage Industry

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

About Tapped In Sales: Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

In this episode, Bud, Mike, and Ross dive into one of the most interesting conversation threads we’ve seen in beverage in years: the growing chatter around Pepsi potentially refranchising its distribution network and what that could mean for beer distributors. Is this just noise, or the beginning of a strategic pivot similar to Coke’s move? And if it happens—who’s truly positioned to play?

But that’s just the start.

We also unpack Thanksgiving 2025 data, the fourth consecutive year of declines, and what changing consumer behavior tells us about where the industry is heading. From weather-related impacts to demographic realities and shifting drinking culture, we look at both macro signals and micro execution.

Then we go deeper: Why is Gen-Z drinking less? What occasions are disappearing? And what does that mean for portfolio strategy and execution?

Finally, we close on mindset. In a challenging market, how you think drives how you act—and how your team shows up. The boys discuss the “Eeyore problem,” the power of positive projection, and why leaders can’t afford to reinforce doom loops, even when the data feels heavy.

This episode blends industry analysis, strategic forecasting, and leadership thinking—with a little holiday sarcasm and a reminder to stay relentlessly optimistic.

🔍 Topics Covered

🥤 Pepsi refranchising rumors — real opportunity or industry speculation?

🤝 Alliances & consolidation — are statewide networks the future?

📉 Thanksgiving sales declines — what the data tells us about the market.

👀 Gen-Z drinking behavior — culture shifts, missing occasions & NA growth.

🧠 The Eeyore problem — mindset, momentum & staying positive in a down market.

📬 Have thoughts, feedback, or episode ideas?

Email us: [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Festive Beginnings: The Christmas Spirit

00:14 The State of Distribution: Challenges and Opportunities

02:59 Pepsi's Strategic Moves: Refranchising Rumors

05:55 Operational Challenges: The Cost of Distribution

09:02 Financial Perspectives: Balancing Control and Margins

12:10 The Future of Distribution: Consolidation and Alliances

17:38 Navigating Capital and Control in Distribution

19:06 The Role of AB and Southern Glaciers

21:25 Market Trends and Control Dynamics

23:18 Thanksgiving Trends and Consumer Behavior

24:07 Goal Setting and Industry Challenges

28:47 Generational Shifts in Drinking Culture

32:08 The Impact of Social Media on Alcohol Consumption

35:10 Trends in Goal Setting and Market Performance

36:56 Mindset Shifts for Positive Outcomes

40:31 The Power of Positive Thinking

44:34 Convergence of Mindset and Reality

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

Beer distributors build billion-dollar brands… and then watch the big boys swoop in and take them. This episode breaks down the real history, the real economics, and the real pattern behind NA brands that rode the beer network to explosive growth—only to be pulled out and absorbed into Coke, Pepsi, or KDP.

Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike dig into 30+ years of deal history, the distribution shifts behind each move, and why the beer network is still the best brand-building engine in beverages—despite repeatedly getting cut out at the finish line.

🔍 In This Episode:

🛻 The Beer Truck Effect

How distributors take unknown NA brands from bottom-shelf afterthoughts to billion-dollar household names.

💰 The Buyout Pattern (and Why It Keeps Repeating)

Snapple → Vitamin Water → Monster → Celsius → Ghost → Poppy Different eras, same playbook.

⚠️ Why Big Soda Terminates Every Time

Coke, Pepsi, and KDP aren’t just buying brands— they’re buying distribution control.

📉 “Can’t Beat ’Em? Delete ’Em.”

How Bang went from 10% market share to bankruptcy and obliteration.

🧠 Ross’ S-Curve: When Suppliers Should Sell

And why distributors always lose the most value right when the brand starts rolling downhill (in the good way).

💼 The Termination Fee Problem

Why 1–3x GP is outdated How Monster paid ~$200M in termination Why distributors must negotiate differently in the next cycle.

🛒 The Power of the C-Store Channel

Why NA brands win in beer distribution— and why they struggle when moved into high-SKU soda networks.

🔮 Prediction Corner

What category gets “taken” next?

• Functional beverages

• Energy 2.0

• Delta-9

• Protein/functional hybrids

🧩 Key Takeaways

• Beer distributors are the invisible kingmakers of the beverage industry.

• NA brands scale because of low time-preference, relationship-driven execution.

• Big Soda acquires for two reasons: growth + elimination of future competition.

• Distributors need to rethink termination clauses, investment models, and growth multipliers.

• The next wave of billion-dollar NA brands is already forming— and the beer network will build them again.

📥 Got thoughts or want us to cover a topic?

Email: [email protected]

🎧 Listen, subscribe, and share with a friend.

YouTube • Apple Podcasts • Spotify

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

In this Thanksgiving Week episode of the Tapped In Sales Podcast, Bud, Mike, Ross, and George break down the biggest stories shaking the beverage industry — from the fall of a craft pioneer to a potential billion-dollar RTD acquisition and the uncertain future of THC beverages.

Along the way, the crew debates Thanksgiving food, tells Rainey Street war stories, and serves up a mix of humor, perspective, and practical takeaways for beer distributors heading into 2026.

In This Episode

🔥 Rogue Ales shuts down — what killed a 37-year pioneer and why mid-tier craft keeps getting squeezed.

📦 BeatBox + AB rumors — why a ~$700M RTD deal makes perfect sense for the network.

🍺 NA beer momentum — Athletic, Ultra Zero, Best Day, and the rise of the “sober-ish” drinker.

🌿 THC beverage update — 2026 ban talk, lobbying misses, and the fastest-growing new consumer.

🚗 DUI crackdown — Oklahoma’s strict new rule and what it means for on-premise.

💪 Protein alcohol (yes, really) — the newest “fitness meets RTD” crossover trend.

🦃 Thanksgiving chaos — Rainey Street fights, frozen BeatBox hacks, and Ross’ hangover saga.

Chapters

00:00 Thanksgiving Plans and Traditions

05:46 The State of the Craft Beer Industry

11:36 The Rise of RTDs and Market Dynamics

22:27 The Hangover Chronicles

25:53 The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Beers

29:43 Navigating the NA Beer Market

32:55 THC Beverages and Market Dynamics

39:48 The Future of Alcohol and THC Regulation

44:49 Drunk Driving Laws and Their Implications

49:54 Protein-Infused Alcohol: A New Trend?

🎙️ Connect With Us

Have a question or story for the pod? Email [email protected]

Follow VXP at vxptech.comListen, share, and subscribe — and have a very happy Thanksgiving.

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

Most distributors think they have a technology problem. Nine times out of ten? They actually have a people or process problem in disguise.

In this episode, Bud, Data Mike, and the Silver Fox himself, George, break down one of the most common operational traps in beverage distribution: assuming software is the solution… when the real fix is upstream.

We cover:

👉 The Three-Legged Stool: People, Process, Technology

Why all three must be aligned — and what happens when even one is off balance.

👉 The WIIFM Factor (What’s In It For Me?)

How behavioral psychology drives rep adoption, resistance, and performance.

👉 When Good Processes Become Villains

Why your once-great incentive program, audit process, or workflow may now be slowing you down — and how to unwind it.

👉 The Tech Trap

The uncomfortable truth: tech doesn’t fix a people problem, and it doesn’t cure a broken process. It just exposes both.

👉 Real Distributor Examples

• Backdoor audits and Finished Product Loss• Pricing accountability (including Bud’s infamous “I was the problem” story)• How reps shift instantly when they understand the WHY behind the work

👉 When Technology Does Unlock Performance

How guardrails, visibility, and real-time data can accelerate accountability — when the foundation is right.

👉 Bonus Segment: THC Legislation Shake-Up

We debrief the biggest federal hemp/THC news of the week: • The 0.4mg per container limit

• The Senate vote

• Why the industry got blindsided

• What distributors and THC suppliers must do next

• Why you need to be at the table, not on the menu

Why This Episode Matters

If you’re a distributor leader constantly fighting fires, feeling stuck, or wondering why new systems don’t “stick,” this episode gives you a roadmap to diagnose the real issue — and fix it before it becomes culture.

Links & Resources

Work with VXP: vxptech.com Apply for the Customer Success Lead role: vxptech.com/hiring Send us a question: [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to People, Process, and Technology

03:56 Understanding the Three-Legged Stool

07:55 The Importance of Accountability

10:23 What's In It For Me?

14:35 Motivating Teams and Individual Contributions

16:44 The Balance of Technology and Process

20:40 Understanding the Technology Trap

24:31 Empowering Sales Teams with Technology

29:01 Diagnosing People and Process Challenges

33:16 Navigating Legislative Changes in the Hemp Industry

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

When businesses stall, it’s rarely because the market moved too fast — it’s because leadership didn’t. In this episode, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike sit down with Dr. Diane Keil-Hipp, COO of Knight Insurance and creator of the Spinning Wheels Model, to unpack how resistance to change, dysfunctional culture, and assumed continuity quietly drive once-great organizations into decline.

Together, they explore:

🧠 The psychology behind why teams resist change — and how to move them forward.

🏌️‍♂️ “Country-club leadership” in beer distribution — and what it really costs.

📸 What Kodak and Sears can teach every family-run business about innovation and decline.

⚠️ The danger of assuming “we’ve always been fine.”

🧰 Practical steps leaders can take to diagnose decline before it’s too late.

Diane also introduces her Organizational Traction Survey, a free tool that helps leaders see if their teams are spinning wheels or gaining traction.

🎧 Listen if: You’re leading a team that feels stuck, fighting complacency, or trying to push change in a “that’s-how-we’ve-always-done-it” culture.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:32 Meet Dr. Diane Keil-Hipp

07:02 The Spinning Wheels Model Explained

12:20 Resistance to Change and Organizational Decline

16:46 The Importance of Metrics and Gut Checks

21:39 Navigating Change in the Beer Distribution Industry

26:37 Navigating Generational Leadership Transitions

28:04 Overcoming Fear in Leadership

29:07 The Psychology of Change Resistance

32:27 Strategies for Driving Organizational Change

34:24 Practical Approaches to Managing Long-Tenured Employees

43:10 Introducing the Organizational Traction Survey

47:50 Understanding Organizational Structures and Change

49:40 The Importance of Actioning Survey Results

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

📊 The Organizational Traction Survey https://bgsu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cO4Kxfdo06hYSy2

👩‍🏫 Connect with Dr. Diane Keil-Hipp on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/diane-keil-hipp-ph-d-4490bb4

📬 Contact the VXP Team ✉️ [email protected] | 🌐 vxptech.com

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

The headlines say, “Make Beer Dumb Again.”But the truth? Beer isn’t getting dumber — it’s getting simpler.

In this episode, Bud, Moneyball Ross, and Data Mike dig into a viral Business Insider article that claims craft’s complexity is dying and “cheap, chuggable beer” is back. The crew breaks it down through the lens of distributor reality — from the economics of a K-shaped economy to what’s actually happening in coolers across America.

🎯 The Real Story Behind “Make Beer Dumb Again” — Why simplicity and approachability are driving the next wave of growth, not a race to the bottom.

📉 The K-Shaped Consumer — Ross explains how the middle-class squeeze is reshaping what shoppers buy, and why both value and premium are winning.

🍷 What Beer Can Learn from Yellow Tail Wine — Mike draws the line between over-complicated craft and how one simple wine label re-energized an entire category.

🧊 Cooler Space = Real Estate — Why reps need to think like landlords, not stockers. Optimize your high-earning space and stop wasting time on dead SKUs.

🧮 Execution Tip: The 80/20 Focus — Bud shares a way to chunk strategy into small wins — reviewing one section of your set per visit to drive incremental gains.

🧠 Key Takeaway:Consumers aren’t getting “dumber” — they’re exhausted. The brands (and sales teams) winning in 2025 are the ones making it easier to buy, sell, and drink. Simplify your message, simplify your shelf, and the sales will follow.

Subscribe to Tapped In Sales wherever you get your podcasts, and send us your thoughts or questions at [email protected] — we might feature them in an upcoming episode.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:29 Consumer Preferences: Cheap vs. Premium Beer

06:35 The Shift Towards Simplicity in Beer

09:10 The Role of Retro Brands in Today's Market

12:06 Conclusion and Future Trends in Beer Consumption

16:41 The Rise of Non-Alcoholic Brands

19:12 Navigating Market Complexity and Consumer Preferences

20:29 Optimizing Sales Strategies in a Changing Market

24:17 Breaking Complacency in Sales Approaches

28:31 Aligning Operations with Sales Strategies

33:04 Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Fun

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

Budget season is here… and so are the tricks. This week, Bud, Ross, and Mike pull the mask off one of the biggest haunted houses in beer distribution: supplier ABPs becoming your distributor budget.

It’s a scary pattern we see every fall — suppliers hand out pie-in-the-sky numbers, and wholesalers just roll them into their plan. Not this year.

In this episode, the crew digs into:

🍺 Why your ABP is not your budget

📉 How to build forecasts that reflect your market reality, not supplier fantasy

📊 12-month vs 3-month moving totals – how to anchor your targets in data

💬 When to blend quantitative models with “Bud Bias” – the art and math of planning

💡 How the best distributors separate forecast, budget, and execution – and how that drives real GP per CE growth

They also touch on the latest industry news — from layoffs at Molson Coors to the rise of sober-curious marketing — and what it means for your 2026 planning cycle.

If you’ve ever sat through an ABP PowerPoint and thought, “there’s no way that number came from my market,” this episode’s for you.

💬 Got a question or want to challenge our process? Hit us at [email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Halloween Banter

04:25 ABP Season vs. Real Budget Season

10:20 Forecasts, Not Fantasies

16:00 Building Budgets That Reflect Reality

21:10 Data, Bias, and the Happiness Equation

28:30 Supplier Forecasting and Partnerships

44:25 Industry News and Market Headwinds

51:00 The Future of Beer and Beyond

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

Live from Las Vegas and the floor of the NBWA 2025 Annual Convention, Bud, Ross, and Mike break down what they saw, heard, and learned — from the rise of Delta-9 and functional drinks to the growing supplier pressure across the industry.

They unpack how the landscape is shifting beyond beer, what “profitless prosperity” really means, and why distributors can still win even when the category is down.

In This Episode:

🍺 The surge of Delta-9, THC, and “functional” beverage brands

⚙️ How suppliers are flooding Q4 with dollars — and what to watch for

📉 The dangers of chasing topline growth without profit

🏆 Why distributors who adapt now will own the next category wave

💡 Lessons from Constellation, Boston Beer, and other NBWA headlines

If you were in Vegas — or wish you were — this one’s your recap and reality check.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties

10:50 Recap of the NBWA Conference in Vegas

19:15 Emerging Trends in the Beverage Industry

30:47 Supplier Dynamics and Market Pressures

36:44 Brand Identity and Consumer Connection

41:57 Celebrity Insights and Industry Disruption

52:44 Closing Thoughts and Listener Engagement

🎧 Subscribe to stay tapped in: https://vxptech.com/podcast

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!

The market’s down. Margins are tight. But some distributors are still winning—and doing it on purpose.

In this episode, Bud, Ross, and Mike break down three common traits they’re seeing across the top-performing beer distributors heading into 2025. These are the teams outperforming the market, driving profit growth in a down year, and building stronger, more aligned organizations while everyone else waits for things to get better.

Here’s what they all have in common:

1️⃣ Culture trumps everything. The best teams are rebuilding trust, giving reps a voice, and aligning every layer of the business around a clear “true north.”

2️⃣ Diversification with focus. Winners are expanding into RTDs, NA, and Delta-9—but they’re doing it intentionally, not just chasing trends.

3️⃣ Portfolio discipline. Smart leaders are pruning SKUs, doubling down on what works, and using data to drive decisions instead of emotion.

You’ll also hear:

💡 Why “extreme alignment” beats command-and-control leadership

📊 How top wholesalers are redefining success beyond spreadsheets

🚫 The portfolio pitfalls to watch heading into ABP season

If you’re looking for what’s working right now—and what separates today’s best operators from the pack—this episode is a playbook for 2025.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Context Setting

00:50 Cultural Alignment in Organizations

05:34 The Importance of Feedback and Trust

10:07 Extreme Alignment and Its Impact

15:08 Navigating Challenges in the Beer Industry

20:07 Financial Diversification Strategies for 2025

22:14 The Importance of Non-Alcoholic Beverages

25:25 Navigating Market Changes and Risks

30:22 Portfolio Discipline and SKU Management

35:04 Understanding Success Beyond Numbers

44:24 Embracing Change in a Challenging Market

===============

YouTube: Watch on YouTube: Tapped In Sales Spotify Podcast: Listen & Watch on Spotify Podcasts Tapped In Sales

Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple Podcast Tapped In Sales

===============

Connect with Us:  

Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest episodes, industry news, and insights from the beer distribution world.

About Tapped In Sales:  

Tapped In Sales is a podcast dedicated to beer distributors and beverage industry professionals who are looking to elevate their sales strategies and drive profitability. Hosted by industry experts Bud Dunn and Mike Hall, we dive deep into real-world stories, actionable insights, and the latest trends to help sales teams and managers unlock their full potential. Each episode blends data, strategy, and motivation, making complex topics easy to understand and implement.

This podcast is powered by VXP Tech – the leading Sales Strategy Management system designed for beer distributors. VXP simplifies the complexities of goal setting, variable compensation, and sales team performance, helping you master your market and grow profits, case by case.

Stay tuned for expert advice, fresh perspectives, and tools to sharpen your sales approach!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend!