Expert Segment: How to Build a Brand that Stands Out — with Katie Mleziva

4 Things I'm Tracking Right Now in My Mid-Year Food Product Launch Strategy

We're at the mid-year mark, and if you're building a food product business, this is the moment things stop being theoretical. In this episode, I'm giving you an honest, behind-the-scenes look at four things I'm tracking right now: our September/October launch window, narrowing down our co-manufacturer, growing local retail distribution, and how it's all building toward a bigger retail launch next year. Plus — I'm sharing details on a free training I'm running later this month on the exact framework I use to get retail-ready. What We Cover * [00:45] Why mid-year is actually a more important planning checkpoint than January * [02:30] The September/October launch window — why it's really an August deadline in disguise, and the four things that have to be locked first (production lead time, packaging & compliance, marketing runway, retail readiness) * [05:30] Narrowing down our co-manufacturer — the five-part framework I'm using (MOQs, quality consistency, capacity to grow, communication, geographic/logistics fit) * [08:30] Growing local retail distribution — why independent stores matter beyond the revenue, and what we're doing to expand our footprint * [11:00] The bigger picture — how this year's decisions are building the track record for next year's retail launch * [13:30] Free training: Unlock the Secret to Retail Success with the ETS Method Key Takeaways 1. A fall launch date is really an earlier deadline in disguise — everything meaningful (production, packaging, compliance) has to be locked 6–8 weeks out. 2. Choosing a co-manufacturer is one of the highest-leverage decisions you'll make all year — vet in parallel, not sequentially, and prioritize consistency and capacity over a single great sample batch. 3. Local retail accounts aren't just revenue — they're proof points that make the bigger retail pitch credible. 4. Everything happening this year (co-man, fall launch, local stores) should be sequenced toward one goal: walking into next year's retail conversations with a track record, not a pitch deck. Free Training Unlock the Secret to Retail Success with the Exclusive ETS Method 📅 July 27th | 🕐 1:00–2:00 PM EST | Live & Free Join me for a live walkthrough of the exact framework I use to get a food product genuinely retail-ready — how manufacturing, distribution, and retail positioning fit together into one repeatable system. 👉 [Reserve your spot here [https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uT_K7dZkRCmPfnFSkxkDQA]] Spots are limited — save your seat. Links & Resources * Registration link [https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uT_K7dZkRCmPfnFSkxkDQA] for July 27th training * Plant trial podcast episode [https://www.scalinghealthyfood.com/episodes#68]:What a plant trial actually is Why Skipping it is the most expensive shortcut in food. * Join Emerging Food Business Newsletter here [https://cama-research-development-consulting-inc.kit.com/] Connect With Me * Instagram: @jacintakemboim * Website: https://camaresearch.com [https://camaresearch.com/resources] * Email: info@camaresearch.com

Why Your Emerging Food Brand Should Sign Up for that Contest

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 standard-markdown"> You worked for months on your product. You finally got it retail-ready. You started applying to every opportunity that could get your name in front of buyers. And then… you saw a contest deadline in your industry and scrolled right past it. Here's the truth nobody tells emerging founders early enough: building a good product is not the finish line. Getting other people to notice it is. And one of the most overlooked ways to do that — sitting in plain sight, usually for free — is something founders talk themselves out of before they even try. A contest. In this episode, Jacinta breaks down why contests are one of the most underrated growth tools available to emerging brands, why a submission deadline can do more for your business than another month of "getting ready" ever will, and how the relationships built in a contest room often outlast the competition itself. 🎯 In This Episode: * Why "I'm not ready yet" is the wrong reason to skip a contest — and what a deadline actually does for your business * The free marketing and exposure that comes with simply entering, win or lose * Why contest judges are a source of expert feedback you'd otherwise pay for * The peer relationships from contest rooms that turn into collaborations, referrals, and long-term support * What separates founders who use contests as a growth strategy from founders who wait until they "deserve" to enter ➡️ Apply to join upcoming Retail Readiness Program Cohort — Apply to Join [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSefHpNyT42vFqHGEMGwf5RJZeJJrVwnaT-Jv3BzD877x-4P1A/viewform?usp=header] 🌟 Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a founder who's been sitting on a contest submission — this one might be the push they need. Quick note: I carried over the same CTA links from your shelf life episode since I don't have the actual contest/registration link for this one — swap those for whichever offer you want to point to here.

Expert Segment: How to Build a Brand that Stands Out — with Katie Mleziva

You have a great product — but is it a strong brand? There's a big difference, and most food founders don't realize it until they're already stuck. In this episode, Jacinta sits down with food brand strategist Katie Mleziva to break down what it actually takes to go from making a great product to building a brand that makes people want to choose you — every single time. If you've ever struggled to explain what makes your product different — or found yourself leading with "it tastes great and uses quality ingredients" — this episode is for you. Katie Mleziva, founder of Real Food Brands [https://realfoodbrands.com/] and host of the Food Business Marketing Podcast [https://realfoodbrands.com/podcast/], walks us through the brand strategy framework she's used with food founders across the country. From identifying your purpose, vision, and values, to building brand pillars that give your whole business a backbone — this conversation will help you get out of your own head and into a brand that truly connects. 💡 In This Episode You'll Learn * Why great products don't automatically become strong brands — and what bridges the gap * The "know thyself" approach to brand strategy that Katie starts every founder with * What features, benefits, and fire-in-the-belly really mean — and why you need all three * How to build brand pillars that organise your thinking and guide every business decision * Why your brand history and your brand story are two very different things * How to extend your brand experience beyond the farmers market or tap room to the shelf * What "shaking up shopping carts" actually looks like in practice for real food brands * How to know if you're ready to expand regionally or nationally — and what to check first 🎧 Listen to Katie's Recommended Episode Katie's suggested starting point if you want to go deeper on brand strategy: Food Business Marketing Podcast — Episode 101: Where to Get Started with Brand Strategy 🔗 Connect with Katie Mleziva 🌐 Website: realfoodbrands.com [https://realfoodbrands.com] 📱 Instagram: @realfoodbrands 🎙️ Podcast: Food Business Marketing Podcast (formerly Real Food Brands Podcast) — available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts Spotify Playlist to Get Started [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7G64EvCL5yAA5GvFJX3UnF?si=-hsmv4UmT12-RG_TeusyBw] 📣 READY TO SCALE? ➡ Take the Scale Up & Retail Readiness Quiz to find out exactly where you are — and what to focus on next. [Take the Quiz [https://retailreadyquiz.scoreapp.com/]] ➡ Join the Emerging Food Business Hub waitlist to be the first to know when doors open. [Learn more about the Hub [https://camaresearch.com/efbh]]

When Is the Right Time to Move from a Commercial Kitchen to Co-Manufacturing?

Most food founders ask the wrong question. They ask "Am I ready for a co-manufacturer?" when the question they should be asking is "How much time do I have?" In this episode, I share the story of a snack bar founder who called me frustrated after approaching three co-manufacturers with six months until his retail launch date. He made it — but the process was painful, rushed, and strained relationships he'll be managing for years. I don't want that story for you. Today I break down the three signals that tell you it's time to start the co-manufacturing conversation — before urgency forces your hand — plus a concrete backwards-planning timeline so you know exactly how early "early" actually is. In this episode: * The real reason the best co-manufacturers are hard to get into (and it's not your product) * The three signals that tell you to start the conversation now * Why your margin getting worse as your volume grows is a sign, not a coincidence * How to work backwards from your retail date to know when to act * The difference between a proactive founder and a reactive one — and what it costs you to be the latter Take the Scale Up & Retail Readiness Quiz: [Get to Know Your Score [https://retailreadyquiz.scoreapp.com/]] co-manufacturing co-packer commercial kitchen food founder scaling food business food startup retail ready minimum order quantity MOQ food business margins COGS food product development emerging food brands healthy food brand snack brand food entrepreneur retail launch food scale up plant trial ETS Method food business strategy CPG founder better for you food food manufacturing production planning

How Do You Get Your Product OFF the Shelf — Not Just Onto It?

You worked for months on your recipe. You got your labels designed. You landed the shelf space. And then… nothing moved. The store called. They're pulling your product. Here's the truth nobody tells food founders early enough: getting your product onto the shelf is not the goal. Getting it off the shelf is. And one of the most overlooked reasons products stop selling — or never get approved in the first place — comes down to something that sounds almost too technical to matter. Shelf life. In this episode, Jacinta breaks down what shelf life actually means for your product, why retail buyers think about it before you even walk in the door, and how a real coaching conversation about packaging size turned into a masterclass in why every decision you make connects back to this one thing. 🎯 In This Episode: * Why "getting into retail" is the wrong finish line — and what to chase instead * What shelf life actually means: safety, stability, and compliance explained simply * The packaging size decision that is also a shelf life decision (and a loyalty decision) * Four things successful food founders do differently to stay on the shelf * What separates founders who get discontinued from founders who get reordered ➡️ Register for the 3 Day Shelf Life Mini Course — [Register here [https://camaresearch.com/workshop#3dayminicourse]] 👥 Join the Emerging Food Business Hub → [learn more [https://camaresearch.com/efbh]] 🌟 Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a food founder who is getting ready for retail — this one could save their business.