On this episode, we’re joined by Ryan Gill, the Director of Marketing at Three Chord Bourbon, and a spirits industry veteran with deep roots in off-premise retail.

Before joining the team at Three Chord, Ryan spent over a decade running top-tier off-premise locations across the South, managing $XXM+ stores and building high-performance teams. That front-line retail experience gave him a rare lens on what really moves bottles - insights he now brings to one of the fastest-growing bourbon brands in the U.S.

Ryan unpacks how his time on the floor shaped his philosophy on brand building, distributor management, and the power of field marketing. He shares tactical advice for emerging brands trying to stand out on crowded shelves, plus his playbook for training retail staff, building local market awareness, and executing limited drops that actually drive velocity.

We also dive into Three Chord’s unique origin story, why music plays into their blending process, and how they’re scaling into 40+ states while staying connected to the whiskey community.

Episode Highlights:
🏪 What 10 years in off-premise retail taught Ryan about winning in spirits
📊 Why so many brands misunderstand the off-premise buyer
🛒 Tactical tips for activating in retail without huge budgets
🏀 How spirits distribution has become like the NBA
🥃 How Three Chord Bourbon trains retailers to become brand evangelists
🎸 From guitar riffs to mash bills: Three Chord’s musical roots
📍 Building a national brand with limited resources
🔁 Navigating the 3-tier system from the brand side
🧃 Lessons in merchandising, demos, and field marketing

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Retail Background
05:00 – Lessons from Off-Premise Retail & Frontline Sales
12:00 – Joining Three Chord & Shifting to Brand Side
18:30 – Field Marketing & Retail Training
25:00 – Limited Drops & Community Building
30:00 – Scaling Distribution with Focus
40:00 – Final Thoughts & Industry Advice

Links:
Three Chord Bourbon – https://www.threechordbourbon.com
Follow Ryan on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-gill-3chord/
Follow me on LinkedIn – Adam Steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support

On this episode, we’re joined by Tara Foster, the COO of Evergreen (a better-for-you waffle brand), and the former COO of Nutpods.

Tara was part of the founding team at Nutpods, where she helped scale the plant-based creamer brand to a nine-figure run rate and the #2 brand in the category.

With over a decade of experience across ingredient sourcing, supply chain strategy, and operational leadership, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.

Tara dives into her co-manufacturing playbook. From evaluating partners and negotiating agreements to scaling production without losing control, she unpacks what most brands get wrong about COGS, how to manage risk through supplier redundancy, how ops teams evolve as brands scale, what she learned from bumpier moments like warehouse moves and formulation changes, and why continuous improvement is key.

Episode Highlights:
🥥 Scaling Nutpods to a nine-figure brand
🏭 What to look for in a great co-manufacturer
⚠️ “Take or pay” clauses and how to avoid them
🚚 Hidden costs that destroy your margin
📦 Packaging decisions that drive retail success
📉 Redundancy and de-risking the supply chain
📊 Forecasting COGS with real-world benchmarks
🚀 When it does make sense to vertically integrate
👥 Hiring your first ops lead vs. building a full team

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Evergreen Overview
02:00 – Early Nutpods Journey & Co-Man Lessons
06:00 – How to Source and Pitch a Co-Packer
10:00 – Scaling, Formulation Shifts, and Loss of Control
14:00 – Supplier Redundancy & Risk Mitigation
18:00 – COGS, Margins & Avoiding Common Pitfalls
21:00 – New Product Launch Best Practices
24:00 – Packaging for Efficiency vs. Shelf Appeal
28:00 – COO Role Evolution from Startup to Scale
33:00 – Trends Tara’s Watching in CPG
34:00 – Where to Follow Tara & Evergreen

Links:
Evergreen – https://www.eatevergreen.com
Follow Tara on LinkedIn – Tara Foster
Follow me on LinkedIn – Adam Steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Will Nitze, the Founder and CEO of IQBAR, a functional nutrition brand pioneering “brain + body” fuel for the modern consumer.

Launched in 2017, IQBAR is on track to hit $125M this year with just nine full-time employees, spanning 10,000+ retail doors including Walmart, Costco, and Target.

Will unpacks how he built one of the most capital-efficient brands in CPG, his unique “hub and spoke” operating model, and how he engineered each year of growth around a new business “unlock.”

We dive deep into IQBAR’s multi-category expansion strategy, pricing philosophy, agency management tactics, and how Will strips cost out of his supply chain while still scaling velocity.

Will also reveals a pretty game-changing upcoming product launch (that’s now in market as of today).

Episode Highlights:
📦 Building a $125M brand with just 9 employees
📊 The “hub and spoke” model that drives $7M+ revenue per head
⚡ How faster iteration unlocked IQBAR’s biggest growth leaps
💰 Pricing to maximize volume (and a 50% velocity bump at Walmart)
🏷️ Rebrand learnings that doubled shelf velocity
🌱 Supply chain control as a gross-margin unlock
📈 Why category “durability” matters more than trend-hopping
👨‍🍳 Tease: upcoming product collab with chef Thomas Keller

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & IQBAR Origin Story
04:00 – Lean Team, Big Business: The $125M Org Chart
08:00 – Broker Management & Third Party Ecosystem
14:00 – Agency Diligence & Accountability
18:00 – Rapid Iteration vs Long-Term Strategy
23:00 – COGS Reduction via Ingredient Sourcing
27:00 – Product Roadmapping & Category Selection
31:00 – Functional Ingredient Strategy
34:00 – Premium vs Value Pricing Strategy
38:00 – Rebrand Strategy That Boosted Velocity
42:00 – Trends (Liposomal Gels, etc.)

Links:
IQBAR – https://www.eatiqbar.com
Follow Will on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-nitze/

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Jim Baudino, the President of Iconic Tonics - a joint venture with Snoop Dogg - and Partner at Harmony Craft Beverages, an incubator focused on cannabis and hemp beverages.

Jim joined Shelf Help to break down one of the most exciting categories in CPG today. From velocity benchmarks and dosing trends to on-premise strategy, retail readiness, and the ever-changing compliance landscape, we dive deep.

We also talk about the state of the market, the misperceptions, what’s overhyped, and what’s actually working for scaling brands.

Episode Highlights:
🍹 Why Minnesota became the blueprint for national hemp drink growth
🏛️ How inconsistent state regs are shaping brand strategy
📦 Why high-dose drinks (10mg) are outselling microdose (2–3mg)
🎤 What makes a celebrity partnership actually work
🧾 What retailers want to see in your pitch (and what they don’t)
🍋 Why lemonade and tea are gaining on seltzers
📈 The future of infused beer, wine, and functional beverages
🤝 Why compliance + ops are your first two hires

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Jim’s background & Harmony/Iconic overview
03:30 – State of the THC beverage market
07:00 – Hemp vs Regulated cannabis channels
10:30 – Why high-dose SKUs dominate today’s sales
14:00 – Overhyped vs underhyped trends
18:00 – Retail distribution & buyer expectations
22:00 – Best-performing sales channels right now
26:00 – Demo strategy & retail tools
30:00 – On-premise + festival performance
34:00 – DTC marketing, Meta strategy, & sampling laws
38:00 – What flavors & formats are resonating
41:00 – Who to hire first & where talent is needed most

Links:
Iconic Tonics – https://www.instagram.com/drinkiconictonics
Follow Jim on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbaudino/
Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support

On this episode, we’re joined by Laura Morris, VP of Marketing at Sempio Foods, Korea’s oldest registered food brand.

Sempio was founded in 1946 on a simple promise: never sell a product the founder wouldn’t serve his own family. Today, they’ve grown into a global powerhouse in fermented sauces, noodles, kimchi, teas, and more that’s distributed in 75+ countries.

Before Sempio, Laura led marketing at Kayco, the owner of iconic Kosher brands like Manischewitz and Dorot Gardens.

Now at Sempio, Laura’s helping bridge the gap between Korean authenticity and U.S. consumer behavior.

Laura breaks down how to localize global brands, adapt packaging for a new audience, plan around ambiguous inventory lead times, and why sometimes the right move with retailers is saying “not yet.”

Episode Highlights:
🌏 What it’s like marketing a fully international brand in the U.S.
🧂 Why Sempio stays true to its fermented roots
📦 Packaging tips for balancing authenticity and accessibility
🇰🇷 How to market gochujang without losing its Korean identity
🚢 Why global logistics shape campaign planning
💡 Lessons from the Dorot Gardens rebrand (“Pop, Drop, Done”)
🛒 Retail strategy: when to say yes, when to say “not yet”
📊 Sales tools, aisle violators & using data to win shelves
💥 The product launch flop that became a 10x comeback

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Laura’s Background
01:00 – Sempio Origin & U.S. Expansion
04:00 – Working with a Global HQ
07:00 – Naming & Packaging Strategy
10:00 – What Gets Prioritized in the U.S.
12:30 – Aisle Placement: Ethnic vs. Center Store
16:00 – Tips for Import Brand Marketers
18:30 – Campaign Planning Around Global Transit
21:00 – Dorot Gardens Rebrand Case Study
25:00 – Packaging Strategy Questions to Ask
27:30 – Retail Tools: Decks, Data, and Displays
30:00 – Managing Retailer Requests vs. Margins
32:00 – Learning from a Product Launch Flop
34:30 – Trends Laura’s Watching
36:00 – Where to Follow Laura & Sempio

Links:
Sempio Foods – https://www.sempio.com
Yondu (plant-based umami) – https://www.yondu.us
Follow Laura on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-morris-cpg

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Tyler Mayoras, Managing Director at Manna Tree Partners.

Tyler has spent over 15 years in private equity CPG, partnering with brands like Simple Mills, Health-Ade, New Primal, and Verde Farms. But he’s also been on the operator side, building Cool Beans from scratch, launching into retailers like Sprouts and Wegmans, and learning firsthand how to navigate the frozen aisle, regenerative sourcing, and repeat purchase velocity.

Tyler dives into the reality of regenerative, demo strategies, hero SKUs, what he focuses on when working with management teams, how he evaluates potential investment opps, and how the CPG PE landscape has changed over the past decade or so.

Episode Highlights:
📦 Digital demos vs. in-store: what actually works
📊 Unit economics red flags (and how to fix them)
🔥 Why taste is the #1 investment filter
🧠 What makes a founder “coachable” and a brand a real target for Manna Tree
🛒 The problem with early national rollouts (velocity vs distribution)
💥 How one brutal Expo West conversation changed a founder’s trajectory
🐶 Two categories Tyler “missed”

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro & Background
02:00 – Regenerative Ag: Promise vs. Reality
06:00 – Digital Demo Strategy & Social Nature
11:00 – Velocity vs. Distribution: What Founders Miss
16:00 – COGS, Margins & Pricing Power
18:00 – Hero SKUs and Hyper-Focus
27:00 – Investment Criteria & Team Dynamics
34:00 – Why PE Targets $25M–$75M Brands
39:00 – Trends Tyler Missed & What He’s Watching Now
41:00 – Where to Follow Tyler

Links:
Manna Tree (join their newsletter!) – https://www.mannatreepartners.com
Follow Tyler on LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/tylermayoras

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Ian Montgomery, a sustainable design strategist at EcoEnclose and the former founder of Guacamole Airplane, a studio known for pioneering some of the most creative and technical work in sustainable packaging.

Ian has worked with top-tier brands like Nike, Whole Foods, Allbirds, Dell, and Flamingo Estate, helping them radically rethink how materials, storytelling, and infrastructure intersect. Today, he's helping scale regenerative and circular solutions at EcoEnclose, one of the most innovative packaging suppliers in North America.

Ian shares the messy realities and exciting breakthroughs shaping the future of sustainable packaging - from seaweed polybags and algae inks to the limits of compostables and why infrastructure (not innovation) might be our biggest barrier - and what he’d do with a $500B budget to fix the system.

Episode Highlights:
🌎 What the packaging industry gets wrong about sustainability
♻️ Why flexible plastics are the “final boss” of recycling
🧠 Smart strategies for early-stage brands with tight budgets
🌿 The promise (and pitfalls) of seaweed, mushroom foam & hemp
🔥 Why he's surprisingly pro-plastic—if done right
📉 Compostability vs. recyclability: which path makes sense today?
🏛️ How he’d reallocate $500B to fix end-of-life infrastructure
🔬 Processing tech and non-tree fibers that could change everything

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Ian’s background & EcoEnclose intro
04:00 – State of the sustainable packaging union
10:00 – Breakthrough materials & market shifts
17:00 – Advice for DTC brands scaling sustainably
23:00 – Recyclable vs. compostable: real talk
30:00 – What makes a material “valuable”?
36:00 – What Ian’s changed his mind about
38:00 – If Ian had $500B to move the world to 100% sustainable packaging

Links:
EcoEnclose – https://www.ecoenclose.com/
Follow EcoEnclose on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ecoenclose/?hl=en
Follow Ian on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-montgomery-414a0964/

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.

On this episode, we’re joined by Sam Rose, the founder and CEO of RoseBud Ice Cream, a Denver-based brand crafting nostalgic, indulgent ice cream with unapologetically high standards.

Sam launched RoseBud after years of self-teaching, boxing, and perfecting pints out of a Walmart ice cream maker. What began as a THC- and CBD-infused experiment has since evolved into a super-premium brand stocked in hundreds of stores, and recently expanded into a game-changing new format: squeezable soft serve pouches.

In this episode, Sam breaks down how he built RoseBud from a commissary kitchen to a national brand, the painstaking R&D behind his signature vanilla and chocolate flavors, and the very real challenges of building a frozen CPG company with no formal training, no capital, and no quit.

We dig into what makes a great package, how to pitch Whole Foods without a barcode, and why he believes founder-led demos outperform paid ones every time.

Episode Highlights:
📦 How RoseBud landed retail with mockups and Sharpie-labeled pints
🥄 The birth of their new squeezable soft-serve pouch
🎨 Packaging that “jumps off the shelf” and how he pulled it off
🚛 Distribution and cold chain chaos
🧾 What buyers actually care about in a pitch deck
💸 Planning for margin loss when working with a distributor
🧊 Why frozen is tough—and ice cream is tougher
🚀 How Sam thinks about trends (spoiler: he doesn’t)

Table of Contents
00:00 – Intro & Origin Story
03:30 – Building the Brand Solo
06:00 – Packaging Design & Flavor Naming
09:00 – Squeezable Soft-Serve Innovation
15:30 – Retail Buyer Response & Market Opportunity
18:40 – How Sam Pitched Early Retailers
22:00 – Retail Tools & Lessons in Pricing
24:50 – Distributors, Margins & Scaling
30:00 – Frozen-Specific Supply Chain Realities
34:00 – Trends, Brands Sam Respects & What’s Next

Links:
Rosebud Ice Cream – https://rosebudicecream.com/
Follow Rosebud on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rosebudicecream/
Follow Sam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-rose-19998b1b0/

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.