Before You Spend More on Growth, Ask These 5 Questions

Before You Spend More on Growth, Ask These 5 Questions

As brands grow, it's easy to focus on the next retailer, the next marketing initiative, or the next distribution opportunity. But sustainable growth starts with a deeper understanding of your brand identity, who it's for, and what makes it truly different. In this episode, Eric Ramstad of Farmwell Drinks, Shaakira DeLoach of Ginja Snap, and brand strategist Kelly Criswell of Mudge to discuss how emerging brands can build around a niche, attract the right consumers, and create a foundation for long-term growth. From rebrands and packaging decisions to demos, consumer feedback, and community building, the conversation explores the questions founders should be asking as they refine their positioning and prepare to scale. You Will Learn: • How to identify the consumers most likely to become loyal customers • Why simplifying your messaging can strengthen your brand and improve consumer understanding • How to use demos and direct customer feedback to refine positioning and packaging • What creates meaningful differentiation when competitors can copy your ingredients or category • How to evaluate whether your current positioning can support future growth and expansion

A Quick Note From BevNET Live

Hope to see many of you at BevNET Live this week on June 10 + 11 in NYC! And for everybody else, we'll get back to our regularly scheduled podcast next week. Thanks for being part of our community!

What You Need to Know Before BevNET Live with Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman

Getting ready for BevNet Live June 10–11 in New York City? Or on the fence? BevNet's Editor-in-Chief, Jeff Klineman, walks through a practical "how to do BevNet Live" guide — covering the agenda, key speakers, and how to make the most of every hour at the show. We cover: * Tips on how to get the most out of networking, speaker presentations, 1:1 meetings with retailers and investors, and everything else at the show * What you need to do at BevNET Live and what you can catch up on when you're back home * Agenda highlights from Athletic Brewing, Culture Pop, and Dirty Shirley on building without outpacing your business * Retail sessions with Walmart, Whole Foods, and Vitamin Shoppe on getting — and staying — on shelf * Five investor-focused sessions including a term sheet tutorial and a former PepsiCo M&A lead * The delta-9 hemp category under the microscope as Congressional pressure threatens its future * Early intel on AI and agentic commerce — what CPG brands need to do now before big players lock it in There's still time to register at Bevnetlive.com - see you there!!

Small Format Retail is More Than A Shelf. Here's How It Can Turn Early Placement Into Bigger Opportunities.

Rachel Krupa, founder of The Goods Mart, shares what emerging CPG brands can learn from small format retail, curated placements, and real shopper behavior. She also breaks down the reopening of The Goods Mart in Brooklyn, a new South Williamsburg location with double the space, expanded grab and go, frozen, pantry, beauty, home, vintage snack finds, and a front row view into what consumers actually buy. You will learn: * How small format retail can help brands test packaging, price, and positioning * Why taste and founder hustle matter more than launch hype * How placement at small format retail stores can lead to press, investors, and new accounts * How to think about hotels, offices, coffee shops, and other nontraditional channels * Why operational readiness matters before expanding into new outlets * How to use customer feedback to understand what drives repeat purchase

What Actually Breaks First When a CPG Brand Starts Working

This conversation began as a Nombase webinar, and due to listener demand, we turned it into a podcast episode. In this episode, Evan Walther of Oceans walks through a discussion with Troy Bonde, co-founder and CEO of Sauz, William Hicks, CEO and co-founder of Magic Mind, and Ian Myers, founder of Oceans, on what really happens when a CPG brand moves from early traction into serious growth.They get into the messy middle between roughly $2M and $20M in revenue, when product market fit is real, but the team, cash flow, operations, and retail systems are suddenly under pressure. You will learn: • How Sauz handled a Target PO bigger than its lifetime revenue • Why founder bandwidth becomes the first real scaling bottleneck • How Magic Mind improved cash flow by renegotiating supplier terms • Why unit velocity matters more than top line revenue in retail • When to spend on packaging before paid marketing • How to use retail media, demos, and display to drive trial • Why early hiring mistakes can create more drag than leverage • How to know when your systems are breaking before your team does If your brand is working, but everything is starting to feel stretched, this episode will help you understand what's normal, what's avoidable, and what to fix before growth breaks the business.