More than one-fifth of the 150K+ convenience stores have spoken, and they shared some interesting opinions about the growing energy drinks category. And even if you aren’t familiar with every insight regarding this beverage category, I’m sure you intuitively recognize that convenience is the most important sales channel (by sales dollars) for energy drinks in the U.S. market. But here are my top “categorical” takeaways from the most recent Goldman Sachs Beverage Bytes survey. Firstly, c-stores are preparing to allocate more space for the female-focused, better-for-you energy drink brands…with 87% stating they’ll find more room for Bloom between now and January 2027. Similarly, after just lapping its first year in-market, Phorm Energy is expected to earn more “cooler space” between now and the start of next year. Finally for my category “inflation watchers,” around 81% expect pricing to increase across the energy drinks market throughout the year…with 25% believing price hikes will be “significant.”

When PepsiCo acquired Poppi for nearly $2 billion in early 2025, everyone assumed Olipop would be next. Rumors swirled, negotiations stalled with Coca-Cola, and then...Olipop walked away. Critics claimed they missed the peak of the prebiotic soda mania. But the truth could be much more rebellious. In this video, I break down why Olipop's independence isn't a failure, analyze Olipop's impressive financial health ($700M+ in tracked sales), and explore three hidden paths for unlocking their future enterprise value.

In this video, you’ll learn more about:

• Olipop "Mistiming Myth": Why critics are wrong about Olipop missing the prebiotic trend.
• Red Bull & Monster Energy Factor: How alternative distributors could change the convenience store game.
• Gut Health M&A Roll-Up Strategy: How Olipop could clone the Simply Good Foods playbook to target an IPO in 12-18 months.
• Food Tech Pivot: Transforming OliSmart into a B2B ingredient supplier.

What do you think? Should Olipop sell to Coke, or should they build an independent gut-health empire?

Is the golden age of protein over, or is the market hiding something much worse? While mainstream pundits point to falling average retail prices as a sign of consumer fatigue or market saturation, the reality is far more dangerous. CPG brands are trapped in a brutal macroeconomic vice: unprecedented, structural commodity inflation for whey protein vs. an already strained consumer. In this content, I break down why the "health halo" of the protein market is approaching a catastrophic breaking point, how brands are quietly altering your favorite protein snacks, and why the ultimate threat to your protein powder might actually come from the butcher counter.

In my latest content piece, I'll cover topics like:

• Pricing (ARP) Illusion: Why category prices look lower on paper while individual products (UPCs) are actually getting more expensive
• Protein Product "Format Shift": How low-ticket, immediate-use items like RTD shakes are masking deep market friction▪️ Formulation Trap: Why substituting protein inputs isn't as simple as swapping sugar or fat, and how it leads to "chalky, brick-like" products
• Consumer Surplus Theory: The exact economic mechanism that could trigger a massive market contraction
• Substitution Threat: How government actions and downward price corrections in real whole foods (beef, poultry) could pull shoppers out of the center aisle
• Industry Warning Signs: Sneaky ingredient changes happening right now across protein powders, protein bars, and lifestyle snacks

Ultimately, "protein mania" won't end because you stop wanting better nutrition...it will halt because the industry broke its promise of quality!

“Why complicate it?” Oftentimes, I’ll ask that question repeatedly when developing a product innovation strategy. While rethinking traditional product presentation (whether packaging or form factor) can help disrupt normal consumer behavior, effective strategy almost always lies in finding the simplest, most elegant solution that delivers the desired outcome. As an example, I recently came across Roxii Supercube…which created frozen nutrient-dense, functional cubes designed to make wellness as simple as putting ice into any beverage. Novelty will certainly capture attention…and its social media shareability is undeniable. Although I’m unsure functional ice cubes offer a compelling enough reason to switch from the ubiquitous wellness CPG product formats (like ready-to-mix powders) and truly become embedded into today’s daily routines.

Is the practitioner supplement market dead? Or is it just evolving into something completely unrecognizable? In this video, I break down why the traditional "insulated fortress" of practitioner dietary supplements (which accounts for around 9% of the total U.S. supplement industry) has officially been dismantled. With the death of information asymmetry, the rise of virtual dispensing systems like Fullscript, and precision AI-driven personalized manufacturing, a brand-new strategic playbook is required to win. I'll analyze the battle between legacy supplement giants (defending clinical prestige) and newcomers inverting the funnel through "Reverse-Channel Entry." Discover why the future of health optimization belongs entirely to data interoperability...bridging wearables, lab diagnostics, and virtual prescription pads. If you are a practitioner, brand owner, or health-tech founder, this is the blueprint for how supplements are being manufactured, sold, marketed, and prescribed.

McDonald’s is officially getting “dirty.” After watching a tiny soda shop called Swig explode in recent years, the “Golden Arches” is ditching burger innovation for TikTok-inspired beverage concoctions. So, why the sudden pivot? There’s no secret here…it’s about blending up profit margins! Beef is getting expensive to make and harder to sell. But flavored fizzy sugar water (sometimes with a splash of cream), those cost pennies and sell for a premium (even against the "clean eating" backdrop). Then, are we saying the era of the $12 burger is over, and the era of the $7 soda is just beginning? Regardless, I’m interested to see if McDonald’s can weaponize their scale to steal the "treat culture" crown.

Is this the deal that changes the future of the world’s largest dairy company? 🥛➡️💪 In this content, I break down Lactalis Group acquisition of the UK-based supplement brand, Protein Works. Discover how a $36B+ traditional dairy behemoth is breaking out of the dairy aisle to conquer the high-margin world of functional nutrition.

📌 What You'll Learn

• Protein Works Story: How a brand started in a spare bedroom scaled to $74M in revenue with 15%+ profit margins.
• Lactalis Strategic Shift: Why legacy dairy processors face a low-margin battlefield and how Lactalis plans to escape it.
• Hidden M&A Value: How Lactalis will turn raw dairy byproducts (whey and casein) into premium, direct-to-consumer profits.
• Dairy Industry Blueprint: A comparison of how industry titans like Lactalis, Danone, Chobani, and Glanbia are racing to fuel (not just feed) the modern consumer.

Do you think the Lactalis and Protein Works deal can successfully replicate Glanbia's historic success with Optimum Nutrition?

Your kid wants to drink exactly what you’re drinking. And honestly…CPG brands are finally letting them by taking grown-up wellness trends and making them playground ready. We’re talking about No Seed Oils, extra protein, and "Adult Functionality" in a lunchbox-sized serving. Although I wouldn’t consider this just a trend, as CPG brands are responding to the “MAHA Moms” wanting clean labels and showing an unwillingness to compromise just because their kid is small. So, a question to my fellow parents…would you give your kid a "mini" version of your favorite protein shake?

The cookie industry is experiencing a massive renaissance. But to understand where the future of cookies is going, we have to look back at the woman who wrote the original "Cookie Code" Debbi Fields. In this video, I break down how Mrs. Fields pioneered modern single-product retail, and how modern titans like Crumbl and new wellness startups like Fields Good are remixing her 1980s blueprint for the 21st century.

💡 What You'll Learn

• Sensory Marketing Transition: How brands replaced the real-world smell of fresh cookies with high-definition digital "visual hunger" videos.
• Algorithmic Skeleton: How Mrs. Fields used microcomputers and predictive algorithms in the 1980s to manage inventory, paving the way for Crumbl’s modern tech-stack app.
• New Luxury Economy: How Ashley Fields (Debbi’s daughter) is taking her inherited culinary DNA to build a functional health-cookie empire for the GLP-1 and wellness era.

Is this UK supplement company smart or crazy? For decades, the U.S. sports nutrition market has been a graveyard for ambitious British brands. They cross the Atlantic with huge UK market share, only to get crushed by the brutal realities of the American marketplace. But Applied Nutrition is throwing out the traditional expansion playbook. Instead of spending millions to acquire their own brand name trademark in the United States (forcing them to launch under the clunky moniker AN Supps) they are betting everything on operational excellence. In this content, I break down Applied Nutrition’s massive $16 million cash acquisition of Buffalo-based manufacturer Nutrablend Group. Also, I explore why building supply chain resilience matters more than flashy marketing, and how their genius "Trojan Horse" flavor partnerships with Mondelēz International (Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish) might just unlock success on Walmart shelves.

Key Takeaways From This Video:

• Margin Fix: Shifting manufacturing to Upstate New York instantly eliminates transatlantic shipping costs and import duties.
• Retail Security: Localized production capacity gives them the operational resilience required by retail giants like Walmart.
• North American Revenue Catalyst: The Nutrablend facility is projected to contribute $30 million in third-party manufacturing revenue by FY2027.

What do you think? Can Applied Nutrition officially conquer America without using their own brand name?