What if your dietitian skills could help you build a fresh career in consumer packaged goods (CPG) - including CPG sales, brand strategy, product development, or consumer insights?

In this episode, I’m joined by Ed Coffin, RDN, a dietitian who has built his career at the intersection of nutrition, consumer packaged goods, brand building, and sales.

Ed takes us behind the scenes of the natural products industry and explains what it really takes to move a product from an idea to the retail shelf. He also shares why dietitians may be especially valuable to CPG brands - even when the available job titles don’t include the word “dietitian.”

In This Episode

✅ What a national key account manager actually does - from analyzing sales data to visiting stores and managing retailer relationships

✅ How a food product moves from an initial idea to distribution and placement on retail shelves

✅ The transferable skills dietitians already have that support careers in consumer insights, marketing, product innovation, sales, and brand strategy

✅ Four essential CPG terms to learn: distribution, velocity, margin, and trade spend

✅ Which job titles to search for and how to begin preparing for a CPG career - even without previous industry experience

Whether you’re interested in working for a food or wellness brand, developing your own product, or simply exploring dietitian careers beyond traditional practice, Ed offers a practical introduction to the business side of CPG.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Startup CPG: https://www.youtube.com/@startupcpg

CONNECT WITH ED COFFIN, RDN

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-coffin-rd-7ab5aa25/

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RESOURCES

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