Nicole Malcolm-Manyara is the Founder and Principal at AG Brands, a boutique consultancy that helps growth-stage companies transform brand strategy into measurable business growth. With a career spanning senior marketing roles at Procter & Gamble, organicgirl, and Newman's Own, where she served as CMO, Nicole has modernized legacy brands, led rebrands, and driven innovation across the food, beverage, and personal care sectors. She holds an MBA from Stanford and brings deep expertise in brand positioning, consumer insight, and building consumer-centered brands that shape culture and drive impact.

Purpose can make a food brand more meaningful, but it cannot make a mediocre product worth buying twice. So when taste and mission are both central to the story, which one should lead?

For CPG growth strategist Nicole Malcolm-Manyara, the key lies in putting taste first and mission second. Mission can strengthen differentiation, she explains, but the product still has to justify the purchase and any premium, especially because consumers ultimately vote with their wallets. A compelling cause may earn attention, but a superior product experience is what gives a purpose-driven brand staying power.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce is joined by Nicole Malcolm-Manyara, Founder and Principal at AG Brands, to discuss why taste must lead purpose-driven food brands. They explore how product superiority supports mission, how packaging can turn impact into tangible stories, and why repeat purchase matters more than promotional trial. Nicole also shares how brands can modernize without losing what loyal consumers already love.

Casey Harshman is the Founder and CEO of Frooishen Strategy & Design Collective, a branding and package design collective that helps CPG brands build clear, distinctive identities and bring them to life across the marketplace. With 22 years in branding and package design, Casey leads strategy and creative work for emerging and established brands, shaping brand platforms, packaging, storytelling, and activation. His approach centers on building strong foundations that create consistency, differentiation, and lasting consumer connection.

Building a food and beverage brand that lasts takes more than a great product and strong packaging. It starts with a clear brand strategy that can guide growth, marketing, and every consumer touchpoint. So what does it really take to build a food and beverage brand that can scale and stand out?

As a branding and package design expert, Casey Harshman believes the answer starts with defining the brand before scaling the business around it. He recommends creating a clear platform for mission, values, positioning, messaging, and design so decisions are driven by the brand rather than personal preference. From there, Casey says founders can sharpen packaging for retail, prioritize the messages consumers need most, validate key decisions with research when possible, and evolve established brands without throwing away valuable equity. The result is a more distinctive, consistent brand that can grow efficiently while earning consumer recognition and trust.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce sits down with Casey Harshman, Founder and CEO of Frooishen Strategy & Design Collective, to discuss building a food and beverage brand that lasts. Casey covers brand foundations, retail-ready packaging, and balancing founder vision with consumer needs. He also touches on consumer research, AI in creative work, and protecting brand equity during a refresh.

Caroline Dai is the Founder and CEO of TofuGo Snacks, a company creating savory, high-protein, shelf-stable tofu snacks for modern, on-the-go lifestyles. In her role, she leads the brand's product innovation, growth strategy, and community building. Since launching in March 2026, TofuGo has gone viral, generated $20,000 in revenue in its first month, and is on track for $1 million in revenue in 2026. Caroline previously worked in strategy and finance and draws on that experience while celebrating her Chinese heritage through flavors like Soy BBQ and Spicy Chili.

Innovative food products can generate buzz, but scaling a CPG brand takes more than a strong idea. Founders need clear positioning, steady demand, and a growth strategy that can evolve with the business. So how do you turn early traction into sustainable brand growth?

Caroline Dai, a CPG entrepreneur with a background in finance and strategy, believes scalable growth comes from combining product differentiation with constant testing, strategic partnerships, and direct customer feedback. A big part of her strategy is building trust through founder-led marketing, using organic social performance to guide decisions, and creating long-term partnerships with manufacturers and retailers that support growth. Caroline also emphasizes staying lean, using organic traction to guide paid marketing, and maintaining strong customer relationships as the brand expands. Together, these strategies offer a practical roadmap for turning early momentum into a scalable food and beverage brand.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Caroline Dai, Founder and CEO of TofuGo Snacks, about turning an innovative product into a scalable brand. Caroline covers founder-led content, manufacturing partnerships, and retail growth strategy. She also discusses organic social testing, AI tools, and whole-food trends shaping the CPG market.

Matt Williams is the Founder, CEO, and a Partner for The CPG Collective, a food and beverage brokerage helping emerging CPG brands win in California and prepare for national scale. Matt leads the firm's retail growth strategy and hands-on sales execution across more than 4,000 California retail doors. With three decades of CPG experience, including senior roles at Dean Foods, PepsiCo, Odwalla, and Bowery Farming, he specializes in building regional retail density, distributor relationships, and the performance foundation brands need to scale.

For emerging food brands, scaling retail distribution too quickly can stretch marketing budgets, sales teams, and distributor support. Building stronger traction in one market first can create a more efficient path to growth. Is regional density the key to scaling a CPG brand more successfully?

With three decades of CPG sales experience, Matt Williams believes emerging brands can build a stronger foundation by focusing deeply on one geography before expanding. A regional strategy allows brands to support anchor retailers, strengthen distributor relationships, improve operational efficiency, and develop the sales data buyers want to see. Matt also recommends showing up to buyer meetings with a clear category story, realistic pricing, and proof that the product fills an unmet consumer need. The goal is to prove demand, build retail velocity, and create a repeatable model before taking on broader distribution.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Matt Williams, Founder, CEO, and a Partner for The CPG Collective, about how regional density helps food brands scale. Matt explains how focused geography improves marketing and distribution, why buyer readiness matters, and how local sales data builds a stronger case for expansion. He also touches on geo-targeted marketing and AI-driven data aggregation.

Mitchel Dumlao is the Founder and Executive Producer at Creative Haven, a video production and creative agency that helps brands grow through strategic, story-driven content. With more than 20 years of experience in film, content creation, and marketing, Mitchel has worked with brands including HBO, Sony, Spotify, and Colgate. Earlier in his career, he represented 40 clients across TV, film, animation, and comic books. Today, he helps food, beverage, and CPG companies build awareness and drive growth through strategic video content.

Great video content can do more than make a food brand look polished. When it is built around the right story, audience, and message, it can support brand awareness, customer engagement, and long-term growth. So what does it take to turn food and beverage video marketing into a strategy that actually performs?

Mitchel Dumlao, a video production and content strategy expert with more than 20 years of experience, says it starts with understanding what your audience actually responds to. Brands should research their ideal customer, focus on the product benefits and pain points that matter most, test different hooks and formats, and use performance data to guide future creative. Mitchel also recommends mixing authentic content like UGC and founder videos with more polished brand storytelling, while planning shoots to create content for multiple channels at once. The result is a more efficient video strategy that helps food and beverage brands create content with a clear purpose behind it.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Mitchel Dumlao, Founder and Executive Producer at Creative Haven, about scaling food brands with story-driven video. Mitchel shares how to create stronger hooks, balance authentic and polished content, and get more value from every shoot. He also discusses AI tools and building creative teams that understand marketing.

Nicole Rogers is the Founder of GriffJack, a marketing consultancy for food, beverage, agriculture, and retail brands, and CMO of True Origin Foods, a pantry-staples brand focused on flavor and quality. With 25-plus years in marketing across food, beverage, lifestyle, and the arts industries, Nicole brings big-picture strategy, creative direction, and trusted specialist teams together to build clear, memorable brands that connect with consumers and create long-term value. She also helped shape Sacramento's Farm-to-Fork identity and held leadership roles with Chipotle Mexican Grill and Nugget Market.

Food brands are remembered for more than a clever campaign or polished package. Trust grows when the product delivers, the brand knows what it stands for, and the story feels relevant to the people it hopes to reach. So how can brands create that kind of connection without losing sight of what actually drives consumers to buy?

According to food and beverage brand strategist Nicole Rogers, it starts with delivering a product people genuinely want, then using storytelling to deepen the relationship. Taste remains the strongest driver in food, with price and convenience close behind, so brands should avoid expecting sourcing, sustainability, or founder stories to carry a product that does not first earn trial and repeat purchase. Nicole stresses the importance of listening closely to consumers, defining a clear brand identity, and resisting the urge to be everything to everyone. When brands understand both their own convictions and what their audience values, they can make smarter decisions, build credibility, and create connections that last.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce joins Nicole Rogers, Founder of GriffJack and CMO of True Origin Foods, to talk about building food brands consumers trust and remember. Nicole explains why taste drives trial, how clear brand identity builds confidence, and why authentic storytelling creates stronger consumer connection. She also touches on retail partnerships and staying relevant without chasing every cultural moment.

Jill McLewis is the Executive Director of Naturally NorCal, a nonprofit that connects and supports Northern California's emerging and established natural-products brands through education, events, peer forums, and partnerships. She leads strategy, operations, community growth, and programs that link founders with experienced industry leaders. Jill also helped guide the merger of Naturally North Bay and Naturally Bay Area and brings a unique background as Sebastopol's mayor, a nonprofit executive, and a classically trained pastry chef and chocolate entrepreneur.

Strong industry communities grow when people share knowledge openly, make space for honest conversations, and help others avoid familiar mistakes. How can food and beverage leaders turn professional connections into lasting support?

For Jill McLewis, whose expertise spans nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, and natural-products community building, strong communities begin when people stop treating connection as a transaction. Bringing emerging founders together with experienced leaders creates opportunities for practical guidance, while peer forums allow members to discuss real challenges and learn from one another. In that spirit, Jill recommends shaping educational programs around current business needs and using AI for focused, time-saving tasks without losing the human relationships that make a community valuable. These practices help individual brands grow while strengthening the broader industry.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Jill McLewis, Executive Director of Naturally NorCal, about building a stronger food and beverage community through authentic connection. Jill explores the merger of two regional groups, the value of peer forums and events, and ways experienced leaders can support emerging brands. She also touches on AI, omnichannel growth, and how legal, financial, marketing, and other industry partners help emerging brands succeed.

Seth Bahler is the CEO of Oakridge Dairy and the Founder of Moozy and the U.S. Modern Milkman, businesses modernizing how farm-fresh dairy is produced, branded, and delivered. A fifth-generation dairy farmer, Seth guides growth, innovation, brand development, and strategic partnerships while advancing technology and sustainability across the operation. He specializes in transforming a legacy commodity business into consumer-focused brands built on quality, transparency, convenience, and fresh thinking.

Milk is a familiar staple, but younger consumers expect products to feel convenient, distinctive, and connected to their values. Reaching them takes more than updated packaging; it requires a stronger story and a better fit with modern life. How can a traditional category become relevant again?

According to fifth-generation dairy farmer and consumer-brand builder Seth Bahler, the answer is to combine great flavor with modern packaging and a transparent farm story. His approach includes placing fresh milk in aluminum cans, learning directly from Gen Z students, and emphasizing where the product comes from across social media and in-store sampling. Seth recommends treating innovation as an entry point into retail while using consumer feedback to shape branding, messaging, and distribution. Together, these ideas show that legacy categories can evolve without losing the quality and heritage that make them valuable.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Seth Bahler, CEO of Oakridge Dairy, about rebranding dairy for Gen Z. Seth shares how canned milk can refresh the category, why flavor and transparency matter, and how student research shaped the brand. He also discusses retail growth, farm technology, AI, and building a fifth-generation startup.

Gagan Levy is the Founder and CEO of GURU, an award-winning, Certified B Corp creative agency that helps conscious brands and purpose-driven movements grow through strategy, storytelling, digital marketing, and culture-centered design. A spiritual strategist with two decades of movement-building experience, Gagan guides founders and senior leaders through brand positioning, creative direction, organizational culture, and purpose-led growth. He is also the author of Start Your Own Damn Cult: A Founder's Field Guide.

A strong brand needs more than a meaningful mission; it also needs a clear reason for customers to care. Purpose creates depth, while research, relevance, and disciplined storytelling turn that depth into sustainable growth. How can a company expand its reach without losing the values and identity that made it distinctive?

Gagan Levy, a brand strategist specializing in purpose-driven growth and culture-centered design, believes the answer lies in balancing soul with strategy. Brands should lead with the benefit customers value most, support creative decisions with research, and introduce the impact story at the point where it can deepen loyalty rather than compete for attention. Gagan also recommends studying the deeper human truths behind cultural trends instead of simply chasing what is popular. When leadership practices, customer messaging, and organizational values reinforce one another, growth becomes an extension of the mission rather than a threat to it.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Gagan Levy, Founder and CEO of GURU, about building brands with soul and strategy. Gagan explains how to lead with customer value, use culture-centered insights, and scale devotion without losing purpose. He also touches on regenerative storytelling and yoga-inspired leadership.

Edward (Ed) Hoffman is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the American Egg Board, the producer-funded national organization that increases demand for US eggs through research, education, and promotion. In this role, Ed directs integrated marketing across consumer, retail, foodservice, manufacturing, and export audiences while supporting industry reputation and growth. Drawing on more than 25 years in food marketing, he brings expertise in brand strategy, research, communications, product launches, and stakeholder engagement.

When nearly every household already buys eggs, growth depends less on awareness and more on inspiring new habits. How can marketers make such a familiar staple feel fresh, useful, and worth reaching for more often?

Food marketing expert Ed Hoffman says that the answer lies in increasing usage rather than simply reaching more households. By identifying consumers most likely to change their habits, marketers can focus on addressable barriers, create campaigns around new occasions, and use research to support bold experimentation. Ed also highlights the value of creator relationships, immersive media, and real-time measurement, showing how relevance and engagement can turn a commodity into a stronger platform for growth.

In this episode of The Missing Ingredient, CJ Bruce talks with Ed Hoffman, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the American Egg Board, about cracking the egg marketing code. Ed explores audience targeting, creator partnerships, and campaigns that increase consumption. He also touches on immersive media, AI, measurement, and career self-advocacy.