Supply chains continue to be unpredictable post-pandemic due to tariffs, environmental factors, and ongoing global trade volatility. Costs shift quickly, availability can tighten without warning, and decisions that feel like they should be routine carry real risk for food and beverage brands.

Hear the inside scoop on what's happening and how to secure your supply chain with Beth Brown, David van Wees, and Tim Near from Agrowgate, a strategic sourcing and supply chain partner for CPG brands. They'll uncov where hidden risk is showing up in ingredients and packaging, how brands can build flexibility into sourcing and inventory strategies, and what teams should be focusing on now to protect margins and avoid costly disruptions.

It has been a whirlwind year for food and beverage brands, with lawsuits, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and shifting rules creating real uncertainty across the industry. Justin Prochnow, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig who advises food, beverage, and consumer brands on regulatory compliance and litigation risk, joins us to help make sense of what's happening and how brands should respond. In this conversation, Justin breaks down the key legal and regulatory developments shaping 2025 and what brands need to be watching as they head into 2026, including ultra processed food scrutiny, GMO and bioengineered labeling following a recent Ninth Circuit decision, FDA attention on self affirmed GRAS and health related claims, protein and GLP one positioning, ingredient enforcement trends, and how state and federal priorities may shift under a new administration.

Getting into Whole Foods Market is a major milestone, but it's only the beginning. What follows is the work of proving velocity, maintaining placement, and deciding when and how to grow beyond your first region.

In this episode, Cecilia Rios Murrieta, co-founder of JAS alcohol free functional cocktails, and Jomaree Pinkard, co-founder of Hella Cocktail Co, share what it really takes to grow inside Whole Foods Market. Cecilia discusses JAS launch in ninety five stores through a regional program and the reality of staying on shelf, while Jomaree shares advice based on Hella's journey from regional placement to national distribution.

Cecilia and Jomaree discuss the demos, merchandising, distribution strategy, innovation timing, promo decisions, and navigating buyer relationships to pave the way from regional to national growth.

Scroll through LinkedIn and it can feel like everyone is winning. Skyrocketing growth charts, big announcements, nonstop momentum, and yes, even the cold plunges. Even when you know it's curated, the pressure can still feel very real.

In this episode of the Nombase podcast, wo seasoned CPG leaders cut through that noise with an honest and vulnerable conversation about what building a career and a company actually looks like. Karen Goldscher, founder of Karen Goldscher Coaching and former leader at Annie's, Chobani, and Ben and Jerry's, joins Dan Stangler, President and CEO of Kite Hill and former executive at Brew Dr. and General Mills.

Together, they talk candidly about burnout, confidence, and the behind the scenes decisions that rarely get shared. Find out why honest feedback, clear boundaries, and genuine human connection are essential to sustainable growth.

Private label has become one of the most prominent forces shaping CPG retail today. As retailers face margin pressure, shifting consumer behavior, and increased competition, store brands are no longer an add on. They are a core strategic priority.

We are rerunning this episode with Kim Greenfeld - formerly of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market, now founder of Campo Verde Solutions. Kim will explain private label business from the retailer's side to help brands understand how and why these decisions are made. You'll hear about how private label plays in assortment strategy, margin management, data ownership, and customer loyalty, and what that means for national and emerging CPG brands competing for shelf space.

Airline partnerships are a unique growth channel for food and beverage brands — and they operate very differently from traditional retail or on-premise sales. They offer unmatched consumer attention, meaningful trial, and widespread visibility, but they also come with their own rules around procurement, logistics, forecasting, and data access.

In this episode, Cy Cain, co-founder of Straightaway Cocktail Co., shares a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to work with an airline. From pitching and onboarding to forecasting demand, navigating compliance, and scaling operations, you'll find out how airline programs function in practice, and how brands can evaluate whether this channel makes sense for their business.

Amazon is one of the most powerful growth channels for CPG brands, but the rules are change fast. New fulfillment approaches, evolving advertising tools, and deeper access to customer data are reshaping how food and beverage brands compete on the platform.

In this episode with Straight Up Growth, find out what's changing on Amazon heading into 2026 and how those shifts affect growth strategy. The conversation covers grocery and fresh delivery, advertising and measurement updates, and how brands can use data to make smarter decisions about spend, product focus, and long term profitability.

Distributor deductions can be overwhelming, but understanding them is essential to running a healthy CPG business. Jenna Oviedo, founder of JAVE Insights, and Greg Esslinger of Floret. Together they explain the mechanics behind deductions, the patterns that lead to costly mistakes, and the dispute paths that actually work. You'll learn how distributors calculate and apply deductions, why certain fees are unavoidable while others are preventable, and how to manage relationships with supplier managers, buyers, and retailers when issues arise.