If you are in the Startup CPG Slack #finance channel, you’ll regularly see tons of questions about projections, cash flow, and unit economics, so I’m so excited today that we are joined by Paul Bianco, CEO and Founder of Graphite Financial. Born out of a VC fund, Graphite provides startup accounting, finance & tax services for high growth brands. For the past few months, Graphite has even been offering 1:1s with our community members for free to get specific advice for their business (keep an eye out in Slack for more opportunities). Today we’ll focus on the topic of unit economics for CPG companies.

Listen in as Paul shares about:

• Tips for calculating gross margin correctly
• Issues with commonly used terms like LTV (Life Time Value) and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) and what metrics he recommends instead
• Using cohort analysis in LTV calculations
• How much data is enough data to create a meaningful analysis
• Best practices and tools for projections
• Tips on when and how to find the right finance service for your company
• And more!

This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg
This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Promomash + Crisp. Go to promomash.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com

Episode Links:

• Graphite Financial website
• Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
• Paul’s LinkedIn
• Brands mentioned: Plated, Brightland, Funky Mello

Shopify Links:

• Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month

Promomash/Crisp Links:

• Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
• Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
• Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why

Strategy Maven Agency Links:

• Strategy Maven website
• Book your free account audit here

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

One of the hottest topics in our Slack community is brands looking for the right co-packer, and since this is something that I often help brands navigate outside of my work at Startup CPG, it’s a topic near and dear to my heart and I wanted to bring on one of my favorite co-packers to talk with, Motherlode Co-Packing in Colorado. Our guests today are Kit Maxfield, their Chief Marketing Officer and Partner, and Adam Bender who is their New Product Development Manager. I met Kit and Adam through my work at Boyle Brands and have always been impressed by their organization and willingness to educate, so I’m so excited to share this 101 level conversation where we establish some of the basics of working with a co-packer.

Listen in as Kit and Adam shares about:

• The co-packer business model
• Day-in-the-life of a co-packer that affects communication, timing, and relationships with brands
• How a co-packer scales up a recipe for their facility
• Why co-packer relationships are different than other vendors
• Best practices for outreach to co-packers
• Tips for successfully navigating onboarding with a co-packer
• And more!

Because this topic is near and dear to my heart as an operations person and it’s the area spend the most time freelancing in, I’ve added in some extra context and term explanations throughout the episode and linked a bunch of resources in the show notes that can help you navigate the world of co-packing. Now let’s hear from Kit and Adam!

This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Maven Agency. Go to strategymavenagency.com
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg

Episode Links:

• Motherlode website
• Kit’s LinkedIn
• Adam’s LinkedIn
• Brands mentioned: Primal Kitchen
• Useful resource articles on co-packing: 
  • 3 Things To Have Before You Reach out to a Contract Manufacturer
  • Turnkey vs. Tolling in a Contract Manufacturing Relationship
  • The Thrill of the Search - The Journey of Searching for the Right Contract Manufacturing Partner
  • 3 Costly Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Working with Co-packers
  • Co-Packing 101

Shopify Links:

• Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month

Strategy Maven Agency Links:

• Strategy Maven website
• Book your free account audit here

Kickfurther Links:

• Kickfurther website
• See how much inventory funding you qualify here

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

I’m so excited to bring back a very popular guest from last year, Jenna Cameron, for another foodservice episode! We released episode #74 with Jenna during December of last year as part of the First Hire Series, and our conversation focused on first hires for foodservice sales. Our community seems hungry for foodservice knowledge and so we asked Jenna to come back on the show to walk us through the biggest players in foodservice from distributors, to operators, to buying groups and more. Jenna is currently the sales lead at SIMULATE and has 10+ years of experience in plant-based foodservice sales for growing brands.

Listen in as Jenna shares about:

• Key term definitions to frame the conversation including operators versus buying groups versus redistributors
• Major distributors to know in foodservice, including details on Dot, Sysco, US Foods, and more, plus other regional distributors and how to work with each
• Some of Jenna’s favorite operators from campus stores to Disney to Red Robin and others and specific nuances
• An overview of key buying groups like Compass and Aramark and how to get started with a buying group
• C-store & convenience store channel ideas
• Resources for finding a regional broker for foodservice or an advisor
• And right at the end we cover Groceraunt, which is incidentally my new favorite word
• And more!

Please note that Jenna drops a ton of detailed information in this episode and if you are worried about catching the company names she’s dropping, fret not! I included all the distributors, buying groups, and operators she mentions in the show notes with links.

Enter the July 2023 podcast review giveaway by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/28zyjr3e

This episode was sponsored by Shopify. Go to shopify.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg

Episode Links:

• SIMULATE website
• Jenna’s LinkedIn
• Link to our other podcast episode with Jenna: #74 First Hire Series: Foodservice Sales with Jenna Cameron
• Foodservice 101 webinar recording
• Companies mentioned: 
  • Distributors mentioned: Dot Foods, Sysco, US Foods, BiRite, PFG / Vistar, Gordon Food, Chefs’ Warehouse, Vegan Distribution, Shamrock, Webstaurant, FoodServiceDirect, Sunbelt
  • Redistributors mentioned: Alpine, Dot Foods
  • Operators mentioned: Follett Bookstores/Campus Stores, Peet’s Coffee, Bareburger, Philz Coffee, Lemonade, Red Robin, Disney, Next Level Burger, Plant Power Fast Food
  • C-Store Operators mentioned: Loop Convenience, 7-11, Plaid Pantry
  • Buying Groups mentioned: Compass (Chartwells, Foodbuy), Aramark, Sodexo
  • College & Universities Trade Show: NACUFS
  • Regional brokers: Herspring-Gibbs, Acclaim, Fidler Marketing
  • Advisors: Elohi Strategic Advisors (general foodservice strategy), Green Nature Marketing (strategic nationwide coverage), Advanced Natural Group (micromarket/c-store/corporate cafeterias)
  • Groceraunt Trade Show: IDDBA

July 2023 Podcast Review Contest:

• Enter the giveaway by completing this form (it only takes 1-2 minutes!)
• By completing the form, you’ll be entered to win one of six prize packages, each filled with goodies from past guests: Tsubi Soup, GoNanas, Forij, Amazi, Chia Smash, Eureka Tortilla, and Nowhere Bakery.
• Giveaway open to US residents only, age 18+. Giveaway ends on July 31st, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST. The winner will be notified via email.
• Thank you for listening to the show and helping new listeners find us!

Shopify Links:

• Start a free trial and enjoy 2 months of Shopify for $1/month

Kickfurther Links:

• Kickfurther website
• See how much inventory funding you qualify here

Graphite Financial Links

• Graphite Financial website
• Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
• Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (13K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi Freitag's

I don’t always love talking about insurance, but I love talking about insurance with today’s guest, Danielle Holyoake, because I always learn so much and end up feeling more empowered with knowledge. Danielle, is the CRO and co-founder of Amelia Risk, a CPG insurance brokerage equipped to handle all lines of commercial insurance, and I actually met Danielle through the Startup CPG Slack back in 2021 when she helped me with an urgent insurance issue. Last year, in 2022, Danielle came on the show for a CPG insurance 101 level episode of Let's Demystify Insurance - How to navigate insurance in CPG, which is linked in the show notes and may be helpful to listen to before or after this episode, as it’s packed with really great information about general liability, product liability, recall, and worker’s comp insurance. Today we continue with our 100 level CPG insurance knowledge by focusing in on two areas of insurance that often get overlooked, but become super important as a CPG company scales: D&O or Directors & Officers insurance and stock throughput insurance, which come into play around conversations about fundraising and inventory respectively.

This episode was sponsored by Amelia Risk.

Listen in as Danielle shares about:

• Why D&O insurance comes up during fundraising and why it’s often a requirement of investors
• When to start thinking about D&O insurance and what it covers
• Why stock throughput insurance is important and surprising areas where your inventory may be unprotected
• How inventory is covered from an insurance perspective during freight transit, at 3PL warehouses, and why you might need insurance to protect it
• Examples of insurance claim and inventory loss scenarios when insurance can and cannot help, including spoilage, and temperature control issues
• How to find the right insurance broker and why choosing a broker before shopping for policies is important
• And more!

Get your ticket to the Expo East Mic Drop party for a chance to win a spot on the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nafz284

This episode was sponsored by Kickfurther. Go to https://www.kickfurther.com/startupcpg
This episode was sponsored by Graphite Financial. Go to graphitefinancial.com/cpg

Episode Links:

• Amelia Risk website
• Danielle’s LinkedIn
• Danielle’s email: danielle [at] ameliarisk.com
• Link to our other episode with Danielle: Let's Demystify Insurance - How to navigate insurance in CPG

Mic Drop Party at Expo East Giveaway:

• Enter the giveaway to win a spot on this podcast and The Dish by buying your ticket to the Mic Drop party in Philadelphia on September 21, 2023 here
• Note: Giveaway only available to CPG brands and must be present at party in-person to win. If you already bought a ticket, you’ve automatically been entered!

Kickfurther Links:

• Kickfurther website
• See how much inventory funding you qualify here

Graphite Financial Links:

• Graphite Financial website
• Download a free financial model template, chart of accounts template, and more here
• Listen to our episode with Graphite founder, Paul Bianco, episode #96 here.

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (14K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi Freitag's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics

Kirk Visola is an active member of our Startup CPG community with a heart for sharing his design expertise and helping people navigate the complex world of packaging and branding. He has a no-nonsense approach to life and client work. With over 20 years of design expertise working with some of the largest brands in the world, he now operates his own agency, Mind the Font, making his caliber of work available to brands of all sizes. Listen in as Kirk shares about why he started his own agency, tips for approaching a packaging project, and how to build a great relationship with a designer for long term success.

Episode Links:

• Mind the Font website & IG @mindthefont
• Kirk's LinkedIn & IG @kirkvisola
• Check out Kirk's weekly Clubhouse session with his mom: Mondays With Marilyn every Monday at 12 noon PST
• Check out Kirk's weekly Startup CPG Clubhouse session on packaging with Andy Kurtts from Buttermilk Creative, "Kirk & Kurtts," every Thursday at 12 noon PST
• Kirk mentions Brandon Hernandez as a resource for operations, co-packing, and more at Whole Brain Consulting
• Kirk mentions Unsplash as a free photo resource
• Get a blast from the past and look up Iomega Zip Drives

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

With 200 million prime members worldwide and 60% of online purchases starting with an Amazon search, CPG brands can't ignore the opportunities available on Amazon. At Startup CPG, we're committed to helping small brands succeed on all channels, including Amazon and that's why we've partnered with Marketplace Ops. Today we welcome Fernando Campos, co-founder of Marketplace Ops, a leading online marketplaces brand management agency that helps CPG companies accelerate their growth on Amazon and Walmart. Listen in as Fernando covers pre-launch and launch tips, how to handle negative reviews, Amazon's VINE program, data-based strategies for optimizing your main image, a better way to think about ACOS targets, tips for choosing an Amazon vendor, and strategies for Black Friday, Cyber Monday.

Marketplace Ops is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• MarketplaceOps website
• Fernando's LinkedIn
• Browser extensions for estimating market size: Helium, Jungle Scout, & Viral Launch
• Amazon IP Accelerator
• Amazon AI tools: PACVUE, Perpetua
• Tool for polling campaigns: PickFu
• Link to Marketplace Ops Resource page with blog posts and playbooks
• Popular "9 Things CPG Companies Commonly Miss When Selling on Amazon" blog post

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,500+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Have you heard of Oreos? Ritz? Cadbury? Then you know just a few brands in the portfolio of Mondelēz International, one of the largest snack companies in the world. Today we get the chance to talk with Brigette Wolf and Jackie Haney from SnackFutures, Mondelēz International's innovation and venture hub, about CoLab, SnackFutures’s start-up engagement program designed to support early-stage well-being brands. Brigette is the Global Head of SnackFutures, and Jackie is the Innovation and CoLab Program Manager. Listen in as Brigette & Jackie cover how to prep now for future potential acquisition, tips for forming lasting strategic partnerships, and everything you need to know about how the CoLab program works and how to apply to the 2022 cohort. 

SnackFutures is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• SnackFutures website
• If you’re a mission-driven well-being start-up, apply for CoLab here! 
• Article on the partnership between Startup CPG & CoLab
• Brigette's LinkedIn
• Jackie's LinkedIn
• Mondelēz International's State of Snacking annual report mentioned by Jessi

Exciting News: The Startup CPG Podcast has just been named the #2 CPG-Themed Podcast! Thank you for all of your support!

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,900+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

79% of consumers have bought a new product in the last month; how do you make sure your brand is one of the the new products in a consumer's cart? Today we welcome Annalea Krebs, founder and CEO of Social Nature, a product discovery and trial platform in the better-for-you space. Listen in as Annalea covers the landscape of product discovery and trial amidst the pandemic (including demos, subscription boxes, coupons), her recommendations for top consumer insights questions to ask, her tips for building communities (Social Nature's community has nearly 1 million people!), and actionable ideas for how to best create online brand awareness, drive offline purchase, get consumer feedback, and turn consumers into brand advocates.

Social Nature is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• Social Nature’s website 
• Annalea’s LinkedIn
• Join the Social Nature community as a consumer here 
• As a CPG Brand, learn more about Social Nature’s programs here or contact their team at marketing@socialnature.com
• Link to “The Complete Guide to Online-to-Offline (O2O) Marketing” mentioned by Annalea and Jessi
• Follow the #trynatural movement @socialnature 

Special offers from Social Nature for Startup CPG members:

• 20% off new Digital Demo subscription plans
• Complimentary Market Research Add-on for Sampling Projects ($2500 value)

Exciting News: The Startup CPG Podcast has just been named the #2 CPG-Themed Podcast! Thank you for all of your support!

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (4,900+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

What are the major watch-outs for a co-man contract? What should be there, and what shouldn't? What's boilerplate, and what might hurt you and the relationship in the long-run? Lauren Handel joins us to cover both the legal and the common-sense side of these agreements. Lauren is the Principal Attorney of Handel Food Law, a law firm dedicated to food, beverage, and farming businesses. Listen in as Lauren walks through the process of forming a great contract with your co-manufacturer from key contract provisions, to common red flags, to planning for amicable endings, and more.

Handel Food Law is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Note: This presentation provides general information, not legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice suitable for your specific needs. Unless you have entered into an engagement agreement with a specific law firm, you are not a client of that firm.

Episode Links:

• Handel Food Law’s website
• Lauren's LinkedIn
• Contact info@handelfoodlaw.com for more information

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

43 percent of small businesses in the United States don’t track inventory, or do so using a manual system. In CPG, our inventory has the added complexity of lot/batch tracking, expiration dates, recalls, compliance, and certifications. Brands who win have a handle on their inventory, margins, and operations. That's why we had Ken Ojuka join us to talk all things inventory and physical product movement. Ken is the CEO of Fiddle, modern inventory operations software for CPG brands and manufacturers. Listen in as Ken walks through how to think about inventory in CPG, how and when to choose an inventory system, and other best practice tips to manage your inventory like a pro.

Fiddle is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• Fiddle’s website
• Ken's LinkedIn
• Listen to the The Physical Product Movement Podcast
• Request a 30-min Fiddle demo here
• Get free access to "The Ultimate Supplier & Co-Packer List" here
• "The Ultimate Inventory Management Guide For Growing CPG Brands" by Fiddle is available here

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

This is the first episode of a very special new podcast series from Startup CPG. Seth Goldman, Startup CPG's Entrepreneur-in-Residence, will be joining us once a month for the next few months to talk about hot topics in CPG. Today we kick off by talking all things Expo West. With twenty-one Expo West events under his belt, who better to answer our community's Expo West questions! You may know Seth as the co-founder of Honest Tea and author of Mission in a Bottle, and Seth is now the Co-Founder and CEO of Eat the Change, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, and Chair of the Board for Beyond Meat. Listen in as Seth covers how to stand out among thousands of brands, how to craft your ten second pitch, a simple yet game-changing follow up/lead tracking plan, how to maximize Expo West even without a booth, why you should treat everyone like the most important buyer, and more.

Episode Links:

• Link to Seth's blog post: Going to Expo West? How to Make the Most of It
• Eat the Change’s website
• Seth’s book - Mission in a Bottle
• How I Built This episode with Seth about Honest Tea
• Seth’s TEDx talk: How Entrepreneurs Can Change Society

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today we get to talk about one of the newest Startup CPG resources - a list of CPG accelerators and incubators with all the details to help you find the perfect program for your brand. Sarah Nathan, founder of Bloom CPG, a CPG consulting group, helped build this resource and joins us to talk all things accelerators and incubators. Listen is as Sarah shares how to find the right accelerator or incubator for your brand and best practices for completing your application, participating in a program, and building long-term relationships. 

This resource is proudly sponsored by Buttermilk Creative, a leading packaging and design studio.

Episode Links:

• Read the Startup CPG article by Sarah about incubators & accelerators and get access to the database here
• Sarah's Linkedin
• Bloom CPG’s website
• Listen to our podcast episode with Mondelēz about their accelerator here

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Less than a year ago, I (Host Jessi) had an insurance emergency at LivBar. I searched "insurance" in the Startup CPG slack and found Danielle Holyoake's name. I sent her a quick email and we jumped on a call. In record time, she solved a problem that other brokers had told me wasn't possible (full story in the episode!). I was so excited when Amelia Risk became a proud partner of Startup CPG because it meant we could do a podcast episode packed with game-changing knowledge. Danielle, is the COO and co-founder of Amelia Risk, the better-for-you insurance broker. Listen in as Danielle shares the key roles of an insurance broker, the most common types of insurance applicable to CPG and when they become relevant (think product liability, workers comp, D&O, recall, general liability), navigating insurance requirements for retailers, how to find the best policies, how umbrella insurance might not be what you think it is, and more.

Amelia Risk is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• Amelia Risk's website
• Danielle's LinkedIn
• Danielle's email: danielle@ameliarisk.com

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Bonus Episode! At Startup CPG, we recently curated another new & free resource - the first list of freight carriers and brokers just for CPG companies. I (Host Jessi) had the pleasure of helping build this resource, and I thought it'd be fun to bring on one of the many brands who submitted their freight providers to be added to the list to chat about how some of the challenges and tips they've encountered related to freight. We'll start the episode with an interview with Alex Cree, co-founder of Baozza, followed by a few stories and insights from me. Listen in as Alex and I share about the process of finding freight partners, stories of freight gone wrong, and tips for getting your pallets from Point A to B safely and on time in a challenging environment.

Episode Links:

• Read the Startup CPG article by Jessi about freight carriers and brokers and get access to the database here
• Alex's Linkedin
• Baozza’s website

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (5K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Rohit Sabnis joins us to give an introduction to Prop 65 regulation, which applies to consumer products sold into California via retailer, Amazon, eCommerce, etc. Ro is a Partner at Keller & Heckman, an internationally renowned law firm with a broad practice in the areas of regulatory law, public policy, and litigation. Listen in as Ro covers the background of Prop 65, hot topic chemicals and how they may appear in your products even if they aren't on the ingredient list, how to assess your own product's risk, steps you can take now to avoid future issues and be prepared for larger retailers, and more.

Keller and Heckman is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Note: This presentation provides general information, not legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice suitable for your specific needs. Unless you have entered into an engagement agreement with a specific law firm, you are not a client of that firm.

Episode Links:

• Keller and Heckman’s website
• Rohit's LinkedIn
• Rohit's email is sabnis@khlaw.com

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (6K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today I'm thrilled to share a conversation with Miguel Leal, Co-Founder and CEO of SOMOS, a new brand bringing food from the heart of Mexico to your home. Miguel co-founded SOMOS alongside two former co-workers and KIND Snacks executives, Daniel Lubetzky and Rodrigo Zuloaga. With decades of food industry experience, Miguel most recently spent two years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Cholula following his three years as the CMO at KIND. As you'll hear in the episode, I may have developed a slight obsession for SOMOS products after trying, and once you try the Unusually Think and Crunchy Tortilla Chips, you'll understand. Listen in to this episode to hear Miguel share about the story behind SOMOS, building an authentic and clear brand identity, launching in thousands of retailers including HEB, Kroger, and Sprouts and supporting those launches with a digital strategy, the decision to launch with a large portfolio of SKUs in multiple categories, creating the SOMOS team, and more. 

Episode Links:

• Miguel's LinkedIn
• SOMOS website & IG @eatsomos
• Learn more about Alebrijes artwork and the Sobremesa tradition 

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (7K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today we get to chat about one of my favorite topics - ingredients. While the consumer sees a nice tidy ingredient list on the back of the package, the other side of finding the right ingredients with the right taste at the right price from the right supplier at the right time is no easy task. And we've got just the right expert to talk us through it - Lillian Cartwright the co-founder and CEO of ShelfLife, a B2B marketplace for wholesale ingredients built with emerging brands in mind. Listen in as Lillian shares about how to make the switch from sourcing from Amazon or Sysco to a wholesale supplier, what to prepare before reaching out to a supplier for a quote, logistics to think through when onboarding with a new supplier, how to use contracts to stabilize an ingredient's supply and pricing, tips for negotiating pricing and payment terms, how to streamline your supplier outreach efforts, and more. 

ShelfLife is a proud sponsor of Startup CPG.

Episode Links:

• ShelfLife website
• Lillian's LinkedIn
• ShelfLife article on the Startup CPG blog - "6 Key Things to Ready Before Approaching Ingredient Suppliers"
• Sign up for the Smirk's commodity report here
• USDA Market News resource mentioned

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (8K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Venture capital - a term we've all heard but maybe don't fully understand (this is a safe space to admit what we don't know and I'll be the first to say that fundraising and private equity are pretty confusing). What we do know is that many of the consumer brands we love that have had successful exits have received funding from VMG Partners - like Perfect Bar, KIND Bar, Pirates Booty, and Justin's to name a few. So we're lucky to have joining us today Wayne Wu, Managing Director at VMG Partners. If you aren't familiar with VMG, they are a private equity firm specializing in building iconic consumer brands. I'm a big fan of Wayne's podcast Unfinished Biz and reached out to ask him if he'd be willing to walk it way back for our Startup CPG community and take us through venture capital and private equity 101, and thankfully, he agreed. I learned a ton from this conversation and I hope you do as well.

Listen in as Wayne shares:

• Definitions for private equity and venture capital
• How a venture capital fund works (you've all maybe figured out at this point that I'm a nerd but I LOVED this part! You may need to listen to it twice though; it's just packed with info and such an interesting peek behind the curtain that helps us understand investor behavior and motivations)
• VMG's framework for evaluating brands, including total addressable market, gross margin, supply chain, founder fit, and velocities and key metrics and definitions for those areas
• How VMG sources deals and why you should reach out to VMG or talk to their team at the next trade show no matter your brand's "stage"
• What VMG's involvement with a brand looks like post-investment
• And more!

Episode Links:

• VMG Partners website
• Wayne's LinkedIn
• The Unfinished Biz Podcast

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (8K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Influencer and affiliate marketing. Topics with a lot of opinions, a lot of success stories, and unfortunately a lot of wasted time and energy when executed poorly. Thankfully, we've got resident expert Kim Biddle, founder of Clutch Affiliate to walk us through what we need to know. At Clutch Affiliate, Kim focuses on consulting with emerging brands on how to build and scale profitable affiliate programs for their DTC business. I got to meet Kim in real life at Expo West this year and she is an absolute delight and a long-time member and supporter of Startup CPG, so it so exciting to have Kim on the show today. Listen in as Kim shares about how to define influencer and affiliate marketing and key differences between the terms, considerations for launching affiliate and influencers programs, common compensation structures and tool ideas, how to measure success of a program, how to find affiliates and influencers, best practices and common mistakes, and more.

This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open! Go to applycolab.com

Episode Links:

• Clutch Affiliate website
• Kim's LinkedIn
• Kim's email: kim@clutchaffiliate.com
• Kim mentions Dovetale which is now part of Shopify Collabs
• Other affiliate tools mentioned: UpPromote, ShareASale, Refersion
• Brands with strong affiliate programs mentioned: Our Place, Seed Probiotics, Athletic Greens, Wise CBD, Redmond Electrolyte & Dr. James
• Tool mentioned for autosaving creator content: Archive 
• Podcast episode #59 with Oat Haus mentioned their influencer program (link to Oat Haus affiliate program)

Mondelēz International‘s SnackFutures CoLab program:

• Apply for the 2023 cohort here (open as of 9/20/22)
• Podcast episode #54 sharing the CoLab experience of alumni Pan's Mushroom Jerky and GoNanas
• Podcast episode with the Mondelēz International team about CoLab
• SnackFutures website
• Mondelēz International website

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (8K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

It’s November and we’re entering the biggest online shopping season of the year in the US. How is your ecommerce site functioning? Or are you thinking about launching a new website? Black Friday is in a few weeks, so hopefully you can take away some actionable tips for the upcoming holiday months or this can help you start thinking through your 2023 website planning. Here to help us navigate the topic of building a high-converting ecommerce site today is Kelly Ferris, Director of Sales for Small Business at BigCommerce. BigCommerce is a leading ecommerce software platform that enables companies of all sizes to sell physical and digital goods online.

Listen in as Kelly shares about:

• The definition of a “high converting” website
• How to build trust with consumers
• Considerations for collecting reviews
• Best practices for structuring your website
• Key elements of a great homepage design & product pages
• Considerations for choosing an ecommerce platform and the different types of platforms
• Advice to when and how to engage agencies
• And more!

This episode was sponsored by Mondelēz International - applications for the 2023 SnackFutures CoLab program are open now! Go to applycolab.com

Episode Links:

• BigCommerce website & IG @bigcommerce
• Kelly’s LinkedIn
• Brands mentioned: Sheets Laundry Club, Gourmet Fuel, Spiceology, Green Roads
• Services mentioned: Yotpo, smile.io, stamped.io, Bazaar Voice, ShipBob

Mondelēz International‘s SnackFutures CoLab program:

• Apply for the 2023 cohort here (open as of 9/20/22)
• Podcast episode #67 sharing the CoLab experience of Bunny James Boxes
• Podcast episode #54 sharing the CoLab experience of alumni Pan's Mushroom Jerky and GoNanas
• Podcast episode with the Mondelēz International team about CoLab
• SnackFutures website
• Mondelēz International website

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

You’ve all let me know that fundraising content is some of your favorite, so I thought I would bring my favorite angel investing expert on the show, Marcia Dawood, for a 101 level episode on angel investing. Marcia currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the Angel Capital Association, the professional society for angel investors in the US and globally. She is an investor in several early stage private companies, and in addition to her own investing, she is a Venture Partner with Mindshift Capital and a part of the investment committee for Next Wave Impact Fund. Marcia and I actually met at an Angel Capital Association event back when I worked in that industry and I’m so grateful we’ve been able to stay in touch and that I get to introduce you all to her today. I asked Marcia to help us understand angel investors and their motivations and I think she really delivered.

Listen in as Marcia shares about:

• Definitions of an angel investor and angel groups
• The prerequisites to being an angel investor and how angel investors make returns and impact
• The difference between crowdfunding and fundraising from angel investors
• Tips for deciding whether to seek outside investment from angel investors
• Inside the angel investor mindset and how to build your outreach and pitches to get the best response
• The function of a board of directors and the role of board members
• Resources for learning about angel investing and why you need a good startup attorney
• How to find and connect with angel investors and keep them up to date, whether they’ve invested already or not
• And more!

And, stay tuned at the end for the first ever bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Uproot Teas (at minute 52:53). Marcia and I will share our reviews of Uproot mid-episode and then at the end of the episode, you can catch a mini-interview with Uproot Tea’s founder, Cindy, to learn more!

Episode Links:

• Marcia’s website & LinkedIn
• Angel Capital Association website
• Marcia’s Podcast: The Angel Next Door Podcast
• Marcia's TEDx Talk: Do Good While Doing Well
• Resources mentioned by Marcia: 
  • Angel Funders Report
  • Angel Investor vs Venture Capitalist Rap Battle video by Marcia (a must watch!)
  • Video tool: Loom
  • Book: Build Your Board, Build Your Business by Barbara Clarke
  • National Venture Capital Association Document Library
  • StartEngine Platform
  • Demystifying Angel Investing:  An Introduction to the World of Startups Webinar Link
• Next Wave Impact Fund
• Coralus (formerly SheEO)
• Uproot Teas:
  • Cindy's Linkedin
  • Uproot Teas website & IG @uproot.teas
  • Use code STARTUPCPG for 10% off!

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today we get to chat with one of the most incredible champions for emerging CPG brands, Monica Watrous, Managing Editor of Food Business News and Food Entrepreneur. Food Business News is a trade publication covering all aspects of the food and beverage industry, from field to fork. Food Entrepreneur, a sub-brand, focuses on the innovations, trends and personalities in the food and beverage startup ecosystem. You’ve heard Monica on the show a few times during Expo West and East recaps, but this time, I asked Monica if she’d come on the show to share more behind-the-scenes about what her career looks like and how to best work with members of the press.

Listen in as Monica shares about:

• How trends and news become publications either digitally or in print
• What an editorial calendar is and how some types of content are planned
• How Monica stays up-to-date on the latest brands and trends
• Best practices for reaching out to the press and what to avoid
• Why your brand should release press releases and how other publications use them
• Monica’s strategy for tackling a trade show like Expo West
• And more!

Plus, mid-ish-episode Monica and I share our reviews of G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer (at 31:10), which won a Shelfie Award last year. Make sure to check out our bonus episode featuring founder Donna to learn more!

And…speaking of Shelfie Awards, let’s talk about how you, dear listener, could be a Shelfie Award winner this year! This will be the 3rd annual Shelfie Awards, and due to popular demand, we’re accepting samples by category. First up is health and beauty brands! So, if you are listening to this in March 2023 and you are a health and beauty brand, here’s what you need to do, head to the link in the show notes and complete the application form (it’ll take less than 10 minutes and it’s free!), ship samples to the two locations indicated and have them arrive before March 31st. And that’s it! And if you are listening to this after March, I’ll link to more info about the Shelfies in the show notes. Sample shipments for other categories will be open in April, May, and June. Stay tuned in the Slack as well!

Episode Links:

• Food Business News & Food Entrepreneur website
• Monica’s LinkedIn
• Monica’s Instagram
• Sign up for the next Food Entrepreneur Experience event
• Brands mentioned: Chubby, tbh, Oat Haus, Mmmly, Dream Pops, Olipop, Forij, Aura Bora
• Sign up for the Alley Rally event at Expo West
• Link to bonus episode with Donna at G’s Dry Hard Ginger Beer
• About the Shelfie Awards: 
  • Link to general Shelfie information
  • Form to complete with addresses for samples

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

I once received a check from a distributor for $500, but it listed a ton of invoices. I dug in and that check was for $40,000 worth of product - it was a combination of unauthorized free fills that led to a broker conversation and double charges for a big distributor promotion plan that was expensive before doubling it. But the amount of time it took to track down all the info, dispute, follow up, and receive a check back was astronomical, and that was just one of the many instances to investigate. So how can you protect your margins from invalid deductions and understand what’s going on in your business even with valid deductions? It’s not easy, so today we have Bill Poore, a Senior Client Success Manager at Inmar Intelligence with over a decade in deductions experience. Inmar has a DeductionsLink software platform that helps reduce invalid deductions and simplify workflows - reducing deductions administrative work by up to 80%.

Listen in as Bill covers:

• Types of deductions
• Common deduction pain points
• How technology can be leveraged to sort out all the portals, PDFs, and even stacks of paper and understand what’s going on in your business
• How to evaluate when to use a vendor for deduction management
• What insights to look for from a deductions management process and how to use that information in your business
• What it looks like to dispute deductions - with and without outside help
• How to prepare your brand for working with a deductions management vendor
• Questions to ask a potential vendor
• Expectations for the deductions management process and when to expect returns
• And more!

Thank you to our partner Inmar for sponsoring this episode.

Episode Links:

• Inmar website
• Bill’s LinkedIn

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Let’s talk demos! In-store demonstrations are an important tool in a CPG company toolbox, so we brought our favorite team of demo experts to help us navigate this topic: Bridget Aragon & David Heiser - Co-founders of Grassroots Demos. Grassroots Demos help brands boost sales and reach more customers by sampling their items in-stores. Shoppers get to taste items in a safe environment and give feedback, and brands get super valuable insights and support sell-through. 

Listen in as David and Bridget share about:
- The critical components to a successful demo
- How to hire and train the right brand ambassadors
- Tips for navigating demo logistics like sample sourcing and supply chain
- What demo performance data to track
- The pros and cons of managing your own brand ambassador team versus using a vendor
- How to hire a demo company vendor
- Best practices for retailer communication about demos
- How to incentivize brand ambassador performance
- How merchandising fits into the picture
- And more!

And stay tuned at the end of the episode (56:12) for a mini interview with Delisa from Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner Funky Mello - my new favorite marshmallow creme with a wonderful story. 

Episode Links:

• Grassroots Demos website & IG @grassrootsdemos & LinkedIn
• Bridget’s LinkedIn
• David’s LinkedIn
• Co-Branded Demo Opportunity mentioned - information here & form here.
• Funky Mello Links: 
  • Funky Mello website & IG @funky_mello
  • Delisa’s LinkedIn

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (9K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Trade spend and promotions. You want your product to have a shiny sale tag at the store and help people discover it, but how do we get there? It’s a topic that can get expensive and messy really quick, so I wanted to bring back one of our favorite podcast guests and community sales experts, Jake Huber, for a 101 level episode. Jake is the US Sales Director of St Pierre, Americas #1 brioche brand, and has previously been on the show to talk through brokers and first sales hires. Today we dig into how to set yourself up for success when creating promotional calendars, calculating trade spend, and tracking results - all with the goal of driving velocity.

Listen in as Jake shares about:

• How trade spend and promotions are defined, including common types like off-invoice, MCB or manufacturer charge backs, and scan-backs
• When trade spend and promotions are planned and how to make sure the promotions you plan actually happen in the store
• Tips for navigating free fills and BOGOs and how emerging brands fit in a system built for big CPG
• How to navigate distributor promo calendars versus retailer promo calendars
• Ways to keep track of promotions you’ve authorized and evaluate results
• Tips for utilizing shippers, getting display opportunities, and building rapport at the store-level
• And more!

And, stay tuned at the end for a bonus segment - today featuring Startup CPG Shelfie Award winner, Niramaya - Jake and I will share our reviews mid-episode and then at the end of the episode, you can catch a mini-interview with Niramaya’s founder, Mehek Khera, to learn more (at 53:16)!

Episode Links:

• Jake's LinkedIn
• St Pierre Groupe's website
• Link to trade spend planning resources
• Link to another episode with Jake: First Hire Series: Sales
• Niramaya’s Links 
  • Niramaya website & IG @niramayafoods
  • Mehek’s LinkedIn

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (11K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at jessi@startupcpg.com

Today we’re joined by two of my favorite Startup CPG community experts: Kirk Visola and Andy Kurtts. The world of printed packaging is complex to navigate, and I wondered what was top of mind for Kirk and Andy as they help brands daily with designing and executing branding and packaging at Kirk’s agency Mind the Font and Andy’s agency Buttermilk Creative. Our goal was some 101 level content around designing and printing packaging for your brand.

Listen in as Andy and Kirk share about:

• Common misconceptions when working on print projects and how the color you see on a screen translates to printed color
• The importance of being a good partner to your packaging vendors and considerations for choosing a printer
• Tips for navigating a re-brand
• Ideas for saving money while still creating custom packaging
• How to transition from packaging primarily for DTC to a successful package for retail shelves
• A review of Shelfie winner AWSM’s sauce’s unboxing experience (44:29) and how to maximize your DTC consumer experience with packaging
• And more!

And, stay tuned for a bonus episode this week featuring co-founder Carl from AWSM Sauce - not only a Shelfie winner, but also one of the fan favorites from our Backpack Brands event at Expo East last year.

Episode Links:

• Mind the Font website
• Buttermilk Creative website
• Kirk’s LinkedIn & wearables VSLA
• Andy’s LinkedIn
• Kirk & Kurtts Podcast (a few of Jessi’s favorite episodes below): 
  • #22: You're full of Shippers
  • #31 Jake, Not from State Farm
  • #41: It's AI'ght with Evelio Mattos
• Corrugated resource: Cory Connors, Sustainable Packaging Podcast
• Brands mentioned: granolust, AWSM Sauce, Mid-Day Squares

IFT Links:

• Exhibit at IFT FIRST
• Attend IFT FIRST
• IFT website

Promomash/Crisp Links:

• Try Promomash + Crisp free for 30 days here
• Webinar recording: Promomash + Crisp Present: The Next Big Thing in WFM Demo Analytics
• Webinar recording: Distributor Data 101: 5 Things Brands Should Be Tracking and Why

Social Nature Links:

• Social Nature website
• Social Nature team email: marketing@socialnature.com
• Learn from & get to know the Social Nature team: 
  • Episode #87 How Natural Shoppers are Responding to Inflation with Social Nature's Jessica Malach
  • Episode #50 The Data Behind the Modern Wellness Consumer with Social Nature's Jessica Malach
  • Overview of Digital Sampling with Social Nature founder Annalea Krebs
• Episodes that mention Social Nature campaigns: 
  • Episode #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge (Social Nature discussed at 41:15)
  • Episode #86 From Target Buyer to Nationally Launching Upcycled Pet Brand Shameless Pets with James Bello (Social Nature discussed at 37:33)

Show Links:

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (12K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Jessi's Linkedin or website
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Jessi at podcast@startupcpg.com
• Episode music by Super Fantastics