The CPG Operator Podcast

The obvious path to growth isn’t always the right one for your product. Burlap & Barrel has built a successful spice business by making some decidedly unconventional choices about where it sells, how it reaches consumers and what it refuses to compromise. Founder Ethan Frisch joins Sourcery founder Bhavna Kolakaluri, to dig into the creative ways brands can work around the realities of their products instead of forcing them into a growth model that doesn’t fit.You will learn:How to decide whether coveted retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s actually make sense for your businessHow to sell a product that’s difficult to sample through traditional in-store demosHow to make a premium product feel worth the money when consumers are watching their spendingHow to work around long production cycles using multiple sales channels and other operational strategiesHow changing something as simple as case-pack size can make your product work for smaller retailers

Charlie New is the Global Category Merchant for Refrigerated Beverages at Whole Foods Market, overseeing coffee, tea, juice, and soda. He's spent years watching what separates brands that build lasting shelf presence from brands that stall. In this episode, he walks through how he'd approach building a brand, from spending strategy to team building.You will learn:Where Whole Foods Market shoppers are trading down, and where they're still paying a premiumHow the path into Whole Foods Market actually works, from local foragers to global category managersWhich certifications and claims actually matter to shoppers, and how that shifts by categoryWhat separates functional beverage brands that succeed from those that struggle to find a laneHow brands with a cultural or community-rooted story can expand without losing what made them workWhere Charlie would put his money first if he were building a brand today

New York's density makes it one of the best cities to build retail distribution — and one of the hardest to crack. Namik Soltan, founder and CEO of GNGR Labs, spent six years self-distributing into hundreds of NYC bodegas, independents, and chains before handing accounts to a distributor. Sean Rosenberg, founder of Goldie, is about to do the same. In this episode, Namik shares tips with Sean through the exact playbook, store by store.You will learn:How to build a retail footprint in NYC without a distributor, starting from zeroWhat it actually takes to get into bodegas, independents, and regional chainsWhen to bring on a distributor, and how to prep your territory before they arriveHow to use free product, sales sheets, and intro deals to drive trialWhat separates brands that scale past their first 50 stores from those that stallHow self-distribution today sets you up for regional and national growth later

Many founders think private label can compromise opportunities for their brand. Derek Brawley thinks that's backwards. He's spent nearly two decades running private label programs internationally, most recently at Prana, and mentors emerging brands on how to make the most of private label business. In this episode, he makes the case for private label as one of the most underused tools for cash flow, accurate forecasting, and long-term growth — and explains how to use it without compromising the brand you're building.You will learn:Why "brand dilution" is often backwards thinking, and what private label actually protectsHow private label partners deliver forecasting accuracy brands can't get on their ownWhat margins, trade spend, and pricing actually look like compared to selling brandedThe certifications and standards you need to be private label readyHow to pitch private label to retailers, and what buyers are quietly looking forHow to use private label to fund your brand's growth toward a future sale

CVS may not be the first retail opportunity food and beverage brands evaluate, but it's important to know when it can be the right fit. Ashley Czerwien spent two and a half years as a CVS buyer and now manages the CVS relationship at KeHE, and she breaks down what actually needs to be true about your business before CVS makes sense.You will learn:What CVS's 9,000 doors actually look like, and which ones fit your brandThe real submission process, from ECRM events to award lettersWhat CVS costs versus what brands assume it costsThe readiness signals CVS looks for: production, lead times, marketingTwo programs built for emerging brands: Open Air Cooler and Healthy ConsumablesWhat buyers listen for in a category review pitch

Building a differentiated brand is only half the battle. The other half is making sure consumers actually understand why it matters.Join Sahra Nguyen, founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Kyle Nguyen, co-founder of Lucky Ox, to discuss one of the biggest challenges growing brands face: how to stay true to what makes your product unique while communicating it in a way that resonates with mainstream consumers. You will learn:How to figure out what consumers actually care about—and build your messaging around it instead of your assumptionsHow to use Meta ads, Google Search Console, and customer reviews to test positioning before investing in itWhy "meeting consumers where they are" isn't always the right strategy—and when to lean harder into what makes your brand differentHow to decide where limited retail marketing dollars will have the biggest impact on trial and velocityHow to simplify product names, packaging, and messaging without losing what makes your brand uniqueHow to identify merchandising problems that quietly hurt sales—and what brands can do to fix themWhy PR should support your business strategy, not become your business strategy

Getting onto retail shelves can feel like a big accomplishment—but what happens when strong velocity, national distribution, and real sales still don't add up to a profitable business?Lauren Chew of Love + Chew Superfood Cookies shares the story behind her decision to exit 2,500 retail doors through UNFI and KeHE—even with velocities buyers were happy with. Abby June Richards of The CPG CFO breaks down where the P&L falls apart for emerging brands and what founders need to understand about cash conversion cycles, trade spend, and channel-level profitability before signing a retailer contract. And Liana Krasnow of Noodo, a premium bone broth pasta sauce just 21 doors in, asks the questions every early-stage brand should be asking right now. You Will Learn:Why a brand can have great velocity and still be losing money on every caseThe hidden cash conversion cycle that can turn a modest monthly loss into a $3M cash problemHow to evaluate whether a specific retailer is actually a fit—before you sign anythingWhat trade spend really is, why it's not an operating expense, and how misreporting it can hurt you in due diligenceThe factors Lauren would weigh differently with her next brand, including shelf facings, direct shipping, and which retailers to avoid entirelyWhy regional, direct, and foodservice channels may deliver more profit than national distribution—and how to know when you're ready to scale

Getting ready for BevNet Live June 10–11 in New York City? Or on the fence? BevNet's Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Klineman, walks through a practical "how to do BevNet Live" guide — covering the agenda, key speakers, and how to make the most of every hour at the show.We cover:Tips on how to get the most out of networking, speaker presentations, 1:1 meetings with retailers and investors, and everything else at the showWhat you need to do at BevNET Live and what you can catch up on when you're back homeAgenda highlights from Athletic Brewing, Culture Pop, and Dirty Shirley on building without outpacing your businessRetail sessions with Walmart, Whole Foods, and Vitamin Shoppe on getting — and staying — on shelfFive investor-focused sessions including a term sheet tutorial and a former PepsiCo M&A leadThe delta-9 hemp category under the microscope as Congressional pressure threatens its futureEarly intel on AI and agentic commerce — what CPG brands need to do now before big players lock it inThere's still time to register at Bevnetlive.com - see you there!!