Retail is not dead people. It's actually very alive. If 20% of sales are happening across e-commerce, where do you think the rest of those purchases are happening? Yes, it's in an actual store. Brands in the DTC space have had a ton of growth but as those brands mature, retail is the way they can really build legs. 1REC CEO Andrew Neelon joins us on Episode 9 of The Longer Game to talk about just that. Community is at the core of retail and Andrew is helping us better understand how to rebuild communities within the retail space. Looking to grow your brand into retail? This is your episode.

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How you make your products, when you order them, how much you order, and how you get them to fulfillment centers or the end consumer is a core process in the retail environment and yet it's something that brands routinely struggle with. Do this inefficiently and you've got poor cash flow. Do it well and you maximize sales while keeping yourself liquid to be flexible as a brand. Richard Prasojo, CEO of AiStock, a software that gives brands more power over inventory resulting in better cash flow, has much to say on why the Product Supply Chain should be one of the sexiest things in your business. Nailing the basics never gets old and we lean into that concept on this episode of The Longer Game.

Every business starts with an idea. And it's easy to get jazzed up about that idea, so much so that you've forget to properly plan ahead for what you're going to need to make that happen. We're talking capital and runway. In this epsidoe, the 2nd most popular breakdancer off Wall Street, Kenny Jen, and I talk about what brands need to think about when prepping to launch and how you can succeed. Going big isn't necessarily the answer. In fact, in may be the opposite of that. Kenny's vast experience in everything from his current role of providing CFO Services to Consumer & Retail brands to product creation and retail strategy for Cannabis brands in LA give him a unique perspective that's hella fresh.

The Longer Game is a podcast focused on leaning into the trends and advancements in retail so brands see a clearer path to success across ALL channels. We’re looking at retail in a whole new way, looking to better understand the future of retail. It’s Retail Reimagined. Sharing hope about the future. No one channel can a business sustain. Go omnichannel.

A common theme among food & beverage entrepreneurs, as well as in almost any industry, is settling on the "Just For Now" branding that gets you by until you make more money. Do you start going to the gym once you lose 10 lbs? No! You get your ass in there and start doing the work and the results come later. The other problem with this way of thinking is it gets you "Just For Now" results, i.e. don't expect your brand to be successful if you aren't willing to invest the time and money into it that is necessary. Ainsley Moir, the Founder of Healthy Food & Beverage Group, joins us to share her extensive knowledge of creating successful CPG food & beverage brands and why the struggle to fight off shiny object syndrome and play #thelongergame with your brand is real.

While the title of this episode is a tad dramatic, the conversation does go pretty deep. Elizabeth Presher, the Owner of Hite Digital Dayton, is an experienced Entrepreneur helping other business owners grow their presence online. She has an advantage here because she knows the pressure that those business owners face. She is one, after all. The lessons she has learned, along with our host Michael, show you how steep the learning curve is when you get into business. Retail, and how consumers shop, are constantly evolving so staying ahead of the curve is important. Want to know more lessons from being an Entrepreneur? Have a listen.

Variables are the theme that runs throughout the conversation with Veena Giridhar, the CEO of salesBeat, an AI-driven platform that helps brands generate better efficiency with their inventory. When a customer gets "cheesed off," as Veena diplomatically puts it, how does that affect the consumer journey? The factors that alter that journey are numerous but let's simplify this; the consumer may not be back to that store, hurting your chance at building brand equity with them. The journey is now even more complicated with the mixture of in-store and online purchasing. Let's get into it.

The Longer Game is a podcast focused on leaning into the trends and advancements in retail so brands see a clearer path to success across ALL channels. We’re looking at retail in a whole new way, looking to better understand the future of retail. It’s Retail Reimagined. Sharing hope about the future. No one channel can a business sustain. Go omnichannel.

Veena is the CEO of salesBeat - a company dedicated to improving efficiency in retail and FMCG. salesBeat's AI-driven platform uses micro & macro factors to model consumer buying behavior and makes predictive recommendations to eliminate lost sales due to stocks and overstocking.

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Podcastify Me is designed to help coaches of all kinds enter the podcasting space with minimal lift for them. And, inviting past, current, and future clients to your show as part of your marketing and sales process sets you apart from your competition, at a time when podcasting is really gaining popularity.

Website: https://podcastify.me

As we dig back into the ever-evolving world of retail in the Season 2 opener of The Longer Game, we're talking with Carter Jensen, the Sr. Manager of Global Commerce at GMI, aka General Mills, about how they're taking brands we all grew up with and loved into the future with us. How we engage with these brands has to change because, well, how we engage with each other is different. Listen in to find out what Carter eats for lunch these days and what's going on in CPG in 2022. 

The Longer Game is a podcast focused on leaning into the trends and advancements in retail so brands see a clearer path to success across  ALL channels. We’re looking at retail in a whole new way, looking to better understand the future of retail. It’s Retail Reimagined. Sharing hope about the future. No one channel can a business sustain. Go omnichannel.  

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Head over to https://thelongergame.com to read show notes, watch more episodes, or contact us. 

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Our guest Guest Name is Carter Jensen. Carter is the Sr. Manager of Global Commerce at GMI, aka General Mills. Carter joined General Mills in 2020 amid ecommerce disruption driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. With a mission to help accelerate ecommerce capabilities, he supported the vision of “Connected Commerce” across the organization, transforming the go-to-market strategy for the company's collection of leading, global brands. 

You can find them at... 

Website: CarterJensen.com 

Find them on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/CarterJensen

Michael Maher, the host, would love to connect with you. 

Reach out to him at… 

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/immichaelmaher  

This podcast is sponsored by Cartology and Podcastify Me. Cartology is a customized done-for-you service agency that helps brands accelerate growth and get profitable on the Amazon marketplace. They work directly with brands to create a strategy and then go right out and execute it. 

Want to find out more? 

Website: https://thinkcartology.com 

Find Cartology on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/cartology

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Podcastify Me is designed to help coaches of all kinds enter the podcasting space with minimal lift for them. And, inviting past, current, and future clients to your show as part of your marketing and sales process sets you apart from your competition, at a time when podcasting is really gaining popularity. 

Website: https://podcastify.me 

Find Podcastify Me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcastify-me/

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Find Podcastify Me on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf2biqOTN2UbZ5aaM4Sx6NQ

We gather at the end of Season 1 of The Longer Game to talk LIVE about the current state of Amazon, the largest e-commerce retailer in the US,  and where the future of retail is headed. I've got the best and brightest minds with me to chat it out and answer questions.