ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski and entrepreneur, speaker and author Sterling Hawkins discuss how we can drive breakthrough results in business and life by regularly seeking activities that bring us out of our comfort zone, a topic Hawkins writes about in his new book, "Hunting Discomfort: How to Get Breakthrough Results in Life and Business, No Matter What."  

They cover several topics from the book, including: 

Sterling also outlines how we can incorporate discomfort into our lives to drive growth, and invites you to join his #nomatterwhat community of like-minded individuals actively hunting discomfort. Learn more at https://www.sterlinghawkins.com/

Over the past couple of years, consumers have broadened their view of wellness to one that is more holistic and includes both physical and mental health. Not only are they more aware of the ingredients in the products they put on and in their bodies, but also the social and environmental impacts of the companies that manufacture those products and the retailers that sell them.

CVS has been on the forefront of addressing these consumers evolving beauty and wellness needs through its supplier partnerships, unique and innovative retail concepts, and a finger on the pulse of trends that impact its shoppers.

In this recent webcast, the first of a series of ECRM Beauty Talks fireside chats, Wayne Bennett spoke with Andrea Harrison, VP of Beauty and Personal Care at CVS, about the retailer’s vision, strategy and opportunities it sees around the intersection of beauty and wellness. They also discuss best practices for suppliers looking to do business with CVS. 

In just three years since launching, healthy snack brand Solely Inc. has grown its distribution to more than 30,000 locations by checking off all all of the boxes that grab buyers attention these days. It makes healthy, organic products with minimal ingredients. It’s vertically integrated and controls its entire supply chain (translation: no out of stocks). It has a low carbon footprint and minimizes waste. Plus, it takes exceptional care of those farmers who grow the fruit for its products. 

With the growing popularity of zero-ABV cocktails, it's no surprise that Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails was among the first wave of brands to receive a wholesale order on RangeMe shortly after the service became available on the platform. According to NielsenIQ, off-premise sales of non-alcoholic grew 87 percent versus last year. And a survey by CGA - Americas revealed that 11 percent of consumers have recently tried a non-alcoholic cocktail at an on-premise location.

A 12,000-unit order from a major retailer, just months after launching. That's what Fichi Fig & Nut Bites Co-Founder Steven Tripoli experienced at ECRM's Plant-Based Foods session last year. Here's why he crushed it at our meetings: 

First, the products: Fichi Fig & Walnut Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Walnuts. Then there are Fichi Fig & Almond Bites: Ingredients: Figs, Almonds. Clean, simple ingredients. Beautiful packaging. A delicious, plant-based snack. Nailed it on the product front. It was hard to resist eating the whole bag at once.  

Second: He's got his biz squared away. Knows his numbers inside and out; has his supply chain locked down, test-marketed his products at local retailers for feedback.  

Third: He crushed his ECRM virtual buyer presentations. Conducted deep research for every retailer on his appointment list. Selected the 5-minute meetings and kept his presentation concise: only 5 slides that covered the products and how he would help buyers drive category sales as a partner. Left most of the meeting time for buyer engagement and questions.  The result: In addition to the initial 12K unit order, that retailer already re-ordered, plus Steve also has a few more opportunities in the works!  

View the website here: https://fichisnacks.com/

Once you've landed ON THE SHELF, you have to move your products OFF THE SHELF, and into shoppers baskets. In this presentation, Food Biz Wiz founder Allison Ball shares a 3-step plan to boost sales once you have secured that coveted shelf space.

Dr. PAWPAW has grown from a small emerging self-funded brand from the UK into an international success in some of the largest markets in the world, including USA and more recently, China.  

Hear directly from Founder Johnny Paterson himself on topics including key successes and learnings when tackling new markets, their focus on the emergence of Gen-Z consumers, and as a loyal participant of ECRM programs, how they have utilized ECRM programs in the past to assist in their growth as an indie brand.

Green Global Foods CEO Santiago Urti discusses how he has found success with retailers and foodservice operators worldwide in the face of adversity caused by the pandemic and supply chain issues. He also provides insights on how he prepares for and executes successful buyer meetings.

Urti is a regular ECRM program participant, a RangeMe Premium member, and has participated in the previous two ECRM Global Markets. He'll be at Global Market: Spring Buying Days this coming March. 

In this episode, Sean Georges and John Buford, Ph.D., Co-Founders of On Mission Leadership and Co-Authors of "On Mission, Your Journey to Authentic Leadership, discuss the importance of building authentic relationships with your teams that are based on mutual trust as a key element of leadership. 

Among the topics discussed are:

John is a certified Leadership Coach, retired Marine Corps officer, Professor Emeritus, and professional wilderness guide with decades of experience developing leadership competence in young adults and adult professionals in business, higher education, the military, the nonprofit sector, and outdoor education.

Sean is a former Human Resource executive and General Counsel for a national, publicly-traded retailer. He previously served as an Officer of Marines for 13 years, to include duty as a Marine Judge Advocate. His TEDx presentation, The Essence of Authentic Leadership, has more than 24,000 views on YouTube.

Relationship and partnership blind spots can do more than hurt you; they can put you out of business.

These days, our industry is facing increased costs, looming inflation, limited face-to-face interactions, and an evolution in consumer behaviors, making strong retailer-supplier relationships more important than ever before.

“Partnerships are under more pressure than ever,” says Dan Mack, Founder and Managing Director of Mack Elevation.  “They are under duress because of the pandemic, digital transformation, hyper-competition and a lot of additional factors.”

During his presentation at ECRM’s Global Market: Fall Experience, Dan Mack, Founder & Managing Director of Mack Elevation, discussed insights from his interviews with 25 CPG sales VPs as well as 10 leading retailers on how today's fast-evolving retail landscape has impacted their relationships, and how they can best work together. This podcast includes his full presentation, as well as the audience Q&A with Wayne Bennett, ECRM SVP of Retail, who moderated the session.

Click here to read the blog post summary of this presentation.

Click here to view Dan Mack's profile on LinkedIn.

Click here to view the video presentation on YouTube.