CPG Insiders

Private label has changed.

Store brands used to wait for successful products, create a cheaper alternative, and sit next to them on the shelf.

Now? Retailers are building brands of their own—and in some cases, they may not need your brand on the shelf at all.

For CPG companies, getting retail distribution isn’t enough. You need to build a brand consumers actively demand.

Because if shoppers don’t care which brand they buy, the retailer has every reason to choose its own.

Getting a massive retail PO can feel like the breakthrough your CPG brand has been waiting for. But what if saying “yes” actually puts you out of business?

In this episode of CPG Insiders, Dr. Mark Young and Justin are joined by CPA and fractional CFO Scotty Palmer to break down one of the biggest challenges facing growing consumer brands: managing cash while scaling.

Scotty shares real-world examples of brands that looked profitable on paper but were nearly out of cash, companies trapped by expensive receivables factoring, and founders who landed major retail opportunities only to discover they couldn’t afford to fulfill them.

They also unpack why your best-selling SKU isn’t necessarily your most profitable, how rapid retail expansion can create a cash-flow crisis, and why looking backward at financial statements isn’t enough when your business is growing forward.

In this episode:

• The difference between profitability and cash flow
• Why a big retail PO can actually hurt your business
• The hidden cost of receivables factoring
• How to model cash needs before entering more stores
• Why more SKUs don’t always mean more profit
• How to identify your most profitable products and channels
• The difference between a bookkeeper, controller, and CFO
• Why growing brands need a forward-looking financial strategy

If you’re building a CPG brand and preparing to scale into brick-and-mortar retail, this episode will help you understand the numbers behind sustainable growth.

Learn more about CPG Insiders: https://cpginsiders.com/

Connect with Scotty Palmer / Take the financial quiz: https://palmersadvisers.com/cash

Get your copy of The 27 Unbreakable Rules: https://a.co/d/0bUR3OHe

Subscribe for more conversations about building, scaling, and growing successful consumer brands.

When is the right time to sell your CPG brand?

In this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark Young and Justin Girouard break down one of the biggest—and most emotional—decisions every entrepreneur faces: when to exit. They explain why the best time to prepare for a sale is years before you plan to sell, how buyers actually value brands, and what separates a $50M exit from a $500M+ exit.

You'll learn why buyers aren't purchasing your history—they're buying your future.

In this episode:

• Why founders should start preparing for an exit 3 years in advance
• The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make before selling
• How strategic buyers value growth differently than private equity
• Why momentum matters more than current revenue
• The 10 signs your company may be ready for an acquisition
• The exit readiness scorecard every founder should use
• Real acquisition examples including Rao's, RXBAR, Kind, Native, Cremo, - Primal Kitchen, and more
• How to build a company that can thrive without the founder

One of the biggest takeaways:

"The right price to sell your company is when someone offers you more than you'd pay for it yourself."

Whether you're planning to sell next year or ten years from now, this conversation will change how you think about building enterprise value.