I've got to say, wizes: I'm a little bit nervous to share this episode. While we typically focus on directly CPG-related topics here on the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I'm going to talk about taking rest unapologetically in our business journey. Though you've likely heard me mention the importance of rest, I'm coming to you vulnerably as a reformed workaholic! You'll hear me discuss... My relationship to hustle culture and how it might relate to your work ethic as well How we can recognize our...

In the CPG industry, we often feel the pressure to “grow, grow, grow” in order to reach success. We have to keep our foot on the gas in order to get to where we want to be, faster. Truthfully though…it’s usually not sustainable for our mental health or for building a business that works for us. That’s why Anjali Bhargava joins this week’s episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast. Anjali Bhargava is the founder and CEO of Anjali’s Cup, which makes ayurvedic-inspired drink mixes and spice blends....

As we approach the new year, goal-setting advice is par for the course. The thing is, everyone’s course might look different! That’s why in this brief episode, I encourage you to do things differently with your goals. You’ll hear me talk more about… The value of knowing YOUR “why” in setting your goals My controversial a-ha moment that I want all CPG founders to hear when goal setting And an invite to join us in our FREE Not Another Goal Workshop on December 5th to set our 2024 goals...

We have a brief episode this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, but we still wanted to take a moment to connect with you, wizes! In this episode, you’ll hear… About resources to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving and Indigenous people in the United States and how you can learn about whose land you might live on An ask to share our podcast with YOUR food founder network so that we can reach more founders! PLUS an invitation to set 2024 intentions...

In this week's episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I'm answering the fourth quarter questions from YOU that have come up in our DMs over the past weeks. This episode hits multiple topics in one! You'll hear my rapid-fire, short and sweet answers to these questions: Should you give your retail buyers a gift? If so, what? What margins are buyers looking for during the holidays? Should I be giving buyers a minimum advertised (MAP) or maximum advertised price? And what can I do to plan...

One of the most common questions we hear emerging brands ask is: how many SKUs should I launch into stores with? And for good reason. Determining the number of SKUs that you'll sell into retail depends on many factors AND it impacts many other aspects of your business. That's why in this week's "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, Charlie and Kim Meyer (the CEO & Chief Kimbar Maker at Real Food For The Journey, LLC) team up to discuss the number of SKUs that she...

Instagram stories receive over 400 million views per day. Over a third of those views are for business accounts. As you double down on connecting with your audience during Q4 and beyond, does your brand have a strategy for creating engaging and effective Instagram stories? In this episode, we're revisiting a past episode to ensure that you have a do-able system in place for making story content. You'll hear more about... Alli's 3 simple steps for creating engaging Instagram...

If you've been listening into this fourth quarter focus mini-series, then you'll know that for most brands, Q4 is not the time to pitch to buyers. So...what next, then? In this episode, I'm sharing the top THREE things that you can work on before Q4 ends to prepare for the new year, when buyers come out of the chaos of the holidays. You'll hear more about... What THREE things you need to work on Why it's essential to use this pitching "downtime" before Q1 rolls around And how you can be...

The holiday season is almost upon us. Whether you're pitching your product or not -- and check out my last episode if you're not sure whether you should! -- then there are still steps that you can take NOW to maximize your holiday sales. In this episode, I'll share my top, simple tips for ensuring that you're ready to capture as many sales as possible. Tune in to hear... What you can do to build trust with your wholesale accounts in Q4 My MOST important tip for dealing with buyers during...

Now that we're IN Q4, time is ticking. Are you thinking about pitching your product before the year ends? If so, I want you to listen into this episode FIRST. I'll share more about what you need to know about pitching before the year ends, including... Whether you should pitch your product in Q4 at all What points your pitch needs if you are pitching your product in Q4 What you can do instead of pitching if your product isn't a Q4 fit And strategies that you can use to entice retail...

There's so much buzz around the 4th season and what it means for the retail and CPG world. How do we separate fact from fiction, when it comes to buyers in the 4th quarter? In this episode, I'm re-capping what you need to know about pitching in Q4 so that you make the most of your limited time. In this episode, you'll hear.. A month-to-month breakdown of what Q4 looks like for busy buyers How a potential staffing pinch will affect the grocery landscape Why it's "all bets off" for...

I WISH that Faire existed back when I was a buyer. If you're not familiar with Faire, Faire is an online B2B marketplace allowing independent retailers to find and to connect with brands like YOURS. In today's episode, Colin Ainsworth and Andy Bluestein from the Faire team join the podcast to share… How Faire works, both from a brand and retailer perspective Ways that brands can optimize their profiles for retailer discovery The perks that retailers and brands receive for using...

Q4 is nearly upon us. Before your holiday D2C sales start ramping up, there's one, one hour task that can increase your holiday sales: implementing an abandoned cart automation. Even if you already have an abandoned cart automation set up, this episode will confirm best practices for you. This episode will share... Reasons why your consumers might abandon a cart Resources to help determine where consumers are leaving in YOUR checkout process The step-by-step procedure for establishing...

A successful wholesale pitch depends on multiple factors. But one thing is certain: without these 5 P's, you are all the less likely to nail your pitch. In this episode, I share these 5 key topics that you need to have prepared for buyers.   In this episode, you will be able to... Recognize the 5 P's in a successful wholesale pitch: product, placement, pricing, promotion, and purchasing Understand the nuances of each "P" & how you can BE prepared for pitching Know where you might...

If you're reading this, chances are high that you're a savvy founder. You want to learn more about navigating our CPG landscape and look for resources to do that even more successfully. Well, you're in extra luck today!   Kathleen Casanova, the Executive Director of Project Potluck, joins us on this week's episode of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast. Project Potluck is a non-profit organization that connects CPG founders of color with resources & mentorship in our industry. Kathleen has TONS...

This week on the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, Charlie checks back in with Patricia Beets, the co-founder of Dell Cove Spices & More Co., in another "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode. Charlie and Patricia originally connected on whether or not she should exhibit at a trade show in episode 143 from April 2022. They discussed how to quantify the ROI for a trade show, what a realistic timeline for trade show prep is, and how she might otherwise use their potential trade show budget.  In this...

A packaging designer friend and I were chatting recently at an industry event about our CPG experiences. Within 10 minutes, we were listing off the common mistakes that we keep seeing well-meaning brands make over and over again. As industry vets, it’s easy for us to spot these mistakes instantly, but less easy for emerging brands. That’s why I'm taking our conversation and condensing it into this episode, so that we can save you time and money and help you avoid making these 5 CPG...

You want to land on more shelves. So, you stop by your retail target and leave samples...but you might be doing more harm than good for your brand. In this week's episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I'm debunking myths about sharing samples with wholesale buyers and what you need to do to make sure you get it right. You’ll hear all about… The #1 mistake I see eager brands make when sharing their samples What happens when you make this mistake How you can be savvy about sharing your...

Many CPG founders have been in this situation. A potential retail partner or a distributor or co-packer is asking you for something that you cannot afford or do not feel comfortable with -- but you do not feel like you can say "no." In this episode, Alli dives into how you can navigate these difficult conversations with negotiation. She’ll equip you with the mindset to know that you can work to create agreements that work for both parties and that ultimately, result in less stress for...

If you're wondering how other brands' journeys with co-packers or co-manufacturers are going, then this is the episode for you! In this "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode, Charlie checks back in with Kathrin Henon, the CEO and Founder of Planet Bake, around how her search for a co-packer has gone over the past year. Charlie and Kathrin first discussed whether co-packing was "worth it" for her in the August of 2022, in episode 158 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast. Planet Bake makes vegan,...

The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed how the CPG industry does business. Where we used to do primarily in-person events and meetings, much of our industry has now pivoted to include both virtual and in-person events. In this week’s episode 205 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I sit down with Sarah Davidson, the Executive Vice President of ECRM, the parent company of RangeMe, to talk about how they connect buyers and producers through their curated buyer meeting events.   When you listen in,...

Each week, I receive questions in my DMs around how brands can improve their D2C sales from their websites. I’ll often hear brands talk about how their sales aren’t where they want them to be or how they feel like they’ve put in so much effort and dollars to improve their sales – with little actual improvement.   Frustrating, right? In this episode, I’m taking a moment to discuss just why e-commerce sales can be so difficult. Listen in to hear…   Why your D2C sales might have...

Every brand is feeling the pinch of increased costs for shipping, packaging, ingredients, and more. If you're thinking about how you'll increase your prices to keep up with costs, then join us for this week's episode. We're re-airing an episode where Alli shares her simple steps for completing a price increase. In this brief, 15 minute episode, you'll hear... That price increases are normal and an expected part of business What 4 steps should be in your price increase plan Why...

You've poured your heart and soul into your brand and now you're in the classic "chicken and egg" CPG challenge: “I need to build brand awareness for sales, but it’s hard to get into stores without a distributor.” Does this sound like what you've been thinking? In this “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode, Charlie Berkinshaw and Giulietta Octavio, the founder and CEO of Ceybon, sit down and chat again. Charlie is our Retail Ready® VP of Student Success and the founder and CEO of Element...

Are you a founder balancing multiple hats and self-funding your biz? Then this is the episode for you! Regina Trillo, former Retail Ready® student and the founder of Nemi Snacks, joins me to share her strategies for how she learned to prioritize all the life, work, and biz responsibilities. In this episode, you'll hear Regina and I talk about... Why she actually strives for prioritization instead of “balance” The decisions that led her to stay self-funded Why checking in with your...