Caroline Grace

-- Podcast Teaser Alert -- "If you want to lead the consumer, you need to be the consumer." - Eric Ryan At one point, Eric Ryan and I were "frienemies". Friends personally, competitors professionally. He was the co-founder and CEO of Method Products PBC, while I led Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. ................ But in the real world, we were always on the same team. Our collective efforts, along with the team at 7th Generation, were revolutionizing the cleaning category. At Mrs. Meyer's, our mission was clear: 'Together, we dream of a world where the better way becomes THE way.' ................ Eric Ryan shares his insights on creating method products pbc, OLLY PBC, and Welly Bandages, along with his go-to-market approach. Stay tuned for the next drop of the CEO podcast. 🎙 You won't regret it. #cultureFIRSTleadership #ceoPodcast #ChiefEternalOptimist

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SAFE NOTES ARE NOW UNSAFE... OK so what is going to happen to the money that was poured into CPG Brands via these supposed SAFE Notes? Issue is that no priced round took place and now it is likely if it did happen it would be at a fraction of the valuation that was contemplated leading to massive dilution for the founder. Many have a cap...few have a floor. and unless they are converted it will be impossible to raise new money at any valuation. #cpg #safenotes #fundraising

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In 2024, energy drink sales in convenience stores are expected to remain robust despite anticipated price hikes. Sales surged 10.8% in the past year, with smaller brands like CELSIUS Holdings, Inc. and GHOST leading growth. These brands are forecasted to continue expanding shelf space significantly. C-store operators are preparing for higher prices by focusing on variety, promotional deals, and flexible sizing to maintain customer interest. Brands emphasizing functional and low-sugar claims are particularly popular, catering to consumer demand for health-focused beverages. Overall, while inflation poses challenges, the energy drink market in c-stores is poised for continued growth through strategic marketing and product innovation. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/e84H9Bbn C-Store Dive Branded Hospitality Ventures Sally Lyons Wyatt #hospitality #beverage #foodandbeverage #technology #innovation Joe Sobolewski Paul Storey John Fieldly Giancarlo Morena Jarrod Langhans Toby David Mark Magnesen Ryan Hughes

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Ending the week high on optimistic skepticism for the better-for-you CPG landscape. Big acquisition news leaves me optimistic that more money will start to flow back into BFY CPG companies, helping to further drive impact and food systems change. Anytime there is a big acquisition, investor FOMO reaches an all-time high. Skeptical though since the reality is that most of the money that will flow back into CPG because of this will come with similar exit and growth expectations. I truly believe that if we are going to make lasting, meaningful changes within our food system, then we need more independent companies invested in impact-centered long-term growth, and we need more investors willing to invest in companies like these. Creating further consolidation within a food system that has so much already is not the path to meaningful change. Creating a system in which Big Food gets bigger and uses acquisition to bandage over their core business that is destroying consumer health and planetary health is not the path to meaningful change. Creating short-term wins for shareholders while ignoring the impact that independent, evergreen, mission-driven companies can have on the world as they scale is not the path to meaningful change.   I get it. There’s an allure to big numbers– big returns. Money has allure, it has status, it has power. We love money. We praise it. We’re driven by it. But all of that money, status, power, ego, and praise really arent going to mean much if we continue to invest in short-term gains and shareholder value at the expense of investing in a better future. There are many ways to invest in mission-driven companies in which return is not predicated on an exit and companies can stay truly independent and impact-focused to drive long-term change. For the sake of our food future– we need more of those investors. Always happy to chat about those investment models for those curious.

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As any CPG founder will tell you, even the smallest sign of consumer validation can provide enough motivation to fuel years worth of 100+ hour weeks. While selling 28 bags of Low and Slow Snacks in a week from this display at a Kansas City Price Chopper grocery store doesn’t signal salty snack world domination, it’s a start. 🪵🔥💨 Eventually the small wins turn into bigger wins, don’t underestimate them. #cpg #entrepreneurship #startup #lowandslow #bbq #retail

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What they didn't tell me as a CPG entrepreneur is that dealing with supply chain issues, manufacturing mishaps, investor rejections, cash flow issues, distributor problems, and retailer rejections are all the easy parts of running a business. What they didn't tell me is that the hard part will come from within. The hard part is having to deal with that inner voice. We all know it. It’s the one that’s constantly trying to be sabotaged, constantly trying to be undermined, constantly trying to be silenced, and constantly trying to be turned against you. It’s the voice you have to convince to keep going when the chips are down, the cards are stacked against you, and when it looks like there’s no way out. It’s the voice that tells you you’re not good enough, haven’t done enough, and aren’t capable enough. It’s the voice that wants you to give up and give in. It will be the single hardest thing that you will ever face as an entrepreneur, and it will also be the only thing that is constant throughout your entire journey. You can work on margins, supply, investment, product development, and growth all day long, but without working on the mind none of it will really matter much. Conquer what you can control. 

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CPG founders, execs, sales people - I’ve saved our company over $25k in travel costs this year, traveled internationally in business class 2 free, and done it without crazy workarounds. I want to help you do the same in 2025. Here’s the thing… First, this is starting out 💯 free. I’m going to walk 5 people through their own choose your own adventure for traveling free (for work and for pleasure) and in comfort. I know I can help founders maximize credit cards and travel points, focusing on #cpg and expanding to other small and medium businesses. I don’t have a product yet. This is an idea to give back. Comment below if you’re interested and I’ll follow up. The requirements to be considered: -have good a good to great credit score. -have or work for a real business or dba -This game is not for people with credit debt. No heavy credit card debt (occasionally not paying a card is ok for cash flow but you won’t come out on top going into credit debt) -be spending on your business or on behalf of your business at least $5k+ monthly. -be willing to allow me to share your adventures (with your approval before sharing) Each person’s situation is different. From where you live to how often you travel for work (if at all) to what your travel goals are (first class? Cheapest way to travel? Family vacations?). So drop a comment if you’re interested and let the travel begin! #cpgindustry #creditcards #travelhack #businesstravel

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High school seems like forever ago, but I still see it play out all the time as an adult, especially in the CPG space. Brands/founders who want to be “popular” so they: > Chase trends and always try to be on top of the next diet/lifestyle craze. > Care so much about what people think that they never take a stand and say everything without saying anything at all. > Have lost their own authenticity to chase being what they think people want them to be. > Only want to befriend/partner/collaborate with the other “cool kids”. > Always act like they have it all going on and things are perfect, even when they’re not. > Sell their soul for “success” (or what they think others will define as successfull). But, just like in high school, it’s the kids [brands/founders] that know who they are (and aren’t afraid to be who they are), keep their heads down doing the work that matters (regardless of how much attention it gets them), stick to their opinions (even when it's unpopular), and would rather live a meaningful, authentic, and purposeful life than be a high school hero (industry darling) that are the most impressive. Your $30k trade show booth or eight-figure fundraise will never impress me nearly as much as the authenticity that you can bring to the world to help make the world a better place, regardless of how many people notice. To the admirably "unpopular" ones… No need to tag you here. You don’t need that kind of validation anyway. You know who you are. The world needs you. Know that you’re the ones that impress and inspire me the most. Please keep being you. Don’t let this world influence you otherwise. Sincerely, me.

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If you’re an emerging natural/organic CPG company, UNFI distribution to Whole Foods Market is going to be a cost center for you, not a profit center, especially if you have plans to grow your brand there (why wouldn't you). This is something that not many people in this industry really want to say nor admit, but it’s true. It can be good for marketing and visibility but don’t plan on making much money that way or using that model alone to scale to meaningful profitability. The more you scale that model the more it will simply cost you. This isn’t meant to throw shade at either of those companies (there are distributors and retailers that can be interchanged there). These are just factual elements of the system that has been created to get products on the shelf. Know where you can make money. Know where you can't. Choose your path wisely.

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I have more than one industry client who has expressed to me (often in a hushed tone in an offline convo) that despite so much internal attention on other brands as competitive threats, the real pressure to guard against is losing market share to private label. I can't disagree as private label comes on stronger every year by building more of a brand identity that consumers increasingly recognize as a "regular" brand not private label necessarily. This article argues the following.... Traditional private-brand innovation has focused on the removal of negatives (i.e., “free-from” artificial flavors/preservatives/sweeteners/hormones/GMOs) and increasing the affordability and accessibility of organics. Future innovation will focus on improving the nutritional quality of food products and the promotion of innately healthy whole foods that are the cornerstone of FAM initiatives (fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, beans/legumes, seafood). So, the question becomes will private label become the place of products of improved nutritional quality and "innately healthy whole foods" that support the Food As Medicine movement? I would like to think this future exists for private label, but I have my doubts. Private label is about cost savings for the consumer, and at the same time, margin increases for the retailer. This doesn't exactly line up with making say a better-for-you pasta sauce with tomatoes grown specifically to increase lycopene density. Your analysis of private label in grocery? #food #diet #health #nutrition #medicine #foodasmedicine #foodscapefinds

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If you're a CPG brand or if you don't have a CPG brand and want to be featured on our monthly newsletter please message me directly. We have a few hundred subscribers now, and I wanted to highlight people and their products and services that fits my newsletter audience. This allows people to get their name out there to the world about what they do. This is free of charge for a limited time. I have only 4 brands I will be adding to the newsletter each month. Send me pictures of your products/ services with a brief description. I will make sure you're featured in the next article if slots are available. Let's support and help each other grow. #community #engagement #newsletter #support #cpg #business #branding #audience #networking #entrepreneurship #affiliatemarketing #smallbusiness

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Interested in starting or scaling your CPG brand? I’m offering an exclusive opportunity to work 1:1 with me on building and scaling your CPG business — and 100% of proceeds will be donated to The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund, a program that has already donated over $350,000 in grants to minority small business owners. As the founder of SIA Scotch Whisky, I built and scaled a  one-employee company from a Kickstarter campaign to an exit in just 6 years. Now, I’m excited to share my playbook with you. The @Intro team has invited me to try out their new subscription feature, and I’m offering 5 exclusive mentorship slots. Here’s what we can cover together: ✔️ Brand building and product differentiation. ✔️ Retail distribution strategies for the spirits industry. ✔️ Early stage growth, PR, and preparing for acquisition. ✔️ Unlimited chat and 30-minute monthly video calls for hands-on support. $600/month — all proceeds go to The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund. Honored to be featured on Intro alongside other CPG Experts like Ariel Kaye (Founder of Parachute Home), Vanessa Dew (Founder of Health-Ade Kombucha), Nik Sharma (CPG Investor in brands like Feastables and Juneshine), Ben Zises (Founding Advisor for quip and Caraway), and Melanie Masarin (Founder and CEO of Ghia). Comment “interested” to secure your spot: intro.co/carin

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A successful promotion takes preparation, communication, and execution. Whole Foods Market executes two promotional cycles each month - July A and July B for example. New promotions drop every other Wednesday and on this day stores transition their old displays for what is newly on sale. Knowing this, a successful promotion begins two weeks prior to change over. During this time, it's imperative that decision-makers in store are aware of what’s coming on sale, what kind of sale it is (TPR, National Off Shelf), and what has been agreed upon in the buyers office. This information helps stores plan more effectively to ensure they are meeting global directives, while flexing their own in-store autonomy. It also ensures your brand is top of mind when store leadership is deciding what brands will go where. Communicating the information once is not enough. It takes weekly reminders and consistent check-ins to ensure that your brand sees the greatest ROI on the promotional spend. The difference between a successful promo and an unsuccessful promo occurs here, in the preparation and communication stage. The execution - the building of displays, the hanging of sales tags, the managing stock levels throughout the whole promotion - is equally important but good execution means nothing if the right people aren’t prepared and informed. The holy grail of promotional execution is when stores build displays and position your brand in prime position prior to the promo dropping. That’s what we see below for our partners at LOVE CORN. This beautiful display at a POP next to the registers is built and ready to go for Wednesday's price change. Fortunately for them, they get two more days of eyes and interest in a prime location, which will only drive their velocities heading into July A. This display is a result of preparation, communication, and some beautiful execution. It takes being present getting dirty to secure, but there’s no doubt - this display is clean. Great job, Chava! Dirty Hands

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If you've been waiting to dig into the Startup CPG Retail Sales Tracker - HERE IS YOUR SIGN. 🚨 It's a full list of all the national retail chains, by channel, mapped to DCs, store counts, whether they anchor, and even has CRM tools. Honestly the best resource I've ever made. We did a really fun Q&A / demo of the tool last week showing you how to make the most of it. Check it out below, and please tag anyone you think should be using the tool. Reminder - IT IS FREE (no email capture even), thanks to our friends from Cultivate, I really hope every early brand interested in retail checks it out. A tool like this would've put me miles ahead to figure out my strategy and then start submitting to retailers.

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Dear budding CPG Entrepreneurs, You can’t afford not to FOCUS on 1 category This business is filled with things you can’t control The Huge companies trying to squash you & a sea of competition that is UNIQUE to each category And You want to un focus and enter more categories? You just doubled your uncontrollable challenges Doesn’t sound like a good move to me 🤷‍♂️ Your FOCUS is the one thing you can control! The more you narrow your FOCUS on one thing The more you can stack the odds in your favor 💰Become the expert 💰Become the category king for consumers 💰Become the master of things you can control ✌️

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Today's #Foxtrot & #Dom's news is shocking and such a bummer for emerging CPG brands, as they've been early adopters. It does, however, serve as such a good reminder that: 1) Being sexy & raising tons of money does (necessarily) ≠ success. (Catherine tells me that being cool "can be a nice-to-have" though so maybe I should back off here. 😅) 2) Ops & execution matter (and I will happily show you not just co. ops any time.) 3) A reminder to stay true to my personality - all the way from HS sports to now - I have always cared more about fundamentals than flash. (Shoutout to my basketball coaches for working with me after hours on defense and post moves.) 4) Slow, thoughtful growth isn't the worst thing. Thoughts? Drop 'em below!

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Forget Whole Foods and Target for a second. The real opportunity for emerging CPG brands right now? Independent retailers. Here's why I believe independents can be a secret weapon: 1️⃣ Lower risk, higher reward: Smaller POs mean less financial risk if things don't work out. And if they do? You've got a loyal partner singing your praises. 2️⃣ Built-in brand cheerleaders: Independents often embrace new, innovative products. They're small businesses too—they get you! 3️⃣ Build local love: Independents help you establish presence in specific regions. This is especially important if you're bootstrapping or have an education-heavy product or local value prop. But here's the kicker—success with independents can also pay it forward for chain retail: 📍No more empty store locator. Chain retail buyers love seeing you're already on the map. 💰Cash flow without promo dependency = more margin. 📊 Real data (sales velocity, demographics, seasonal trends) to back your pitch. 🤝 You've already started to developed your systems for inventory, distribution, and customer service. Independents help you prove you can build relationships, sell consistently, and deliver on time—aka credibility and relationships that lead to valuable referrals down the line. Of course there's a point where you need to make the chain retail leap (even perhaps before you feel ready to), but independent retailers aren't just a stepping stone—they're your launchpad and your foundation to learn the ropes and sustain your business.

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I've been seeing a *lot* of CPG brands make this same mistake: They're seeing closures of many key paths to market (like Foxtrot), and taking it as a sign that they should go straight to big retail. But let's be clear: **Most brands should NOT launch straight into big retail.** Historically, brands that have found success by launching straight into big retail share these characteristics (from what I’ve analyzed): → They have an extremely large addressable market → They have pre-existing brand awareness → They have access to capital and a retail execution network → They have a relatively simple product innovation that most people will understand immediately Think: Oreo’s Double Stuffed, Liquid Death Water in a Can, Sugar Free Coke If this doesn't describe you, proceed with caution. Retail can be your biggest sales channel...when you’re ready. But we need to respect the growth curve. Instead? Invest your time into other entry points to market for emerging CPG brands, like: 🌟 INFRA 🌟 Pod Foods 🌟 Faire 🌟 Pop Up Grocer 🌟 National Co+op Grocers Want to take this build-up approach to retail...but don't know where to begin? I'd love to support you on your journey going to retail. Shoot me a DM!

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Calling all CPG experts! 🚀✨ I’m creating the ultimate industry list of no-BS, vetted CPG agencies, consultants, and early-stage investors—and I need your help. Every week, startup brands reach out asking for trusted referrals to support their growth, and I’m on a mission to connect them with the best in the business. If you know incredible pros or agencies specializing in: ✅ Amazon strategy ✅ Branding & design ✅ Digital marketing ✅ Finance & accounting ✅ Insurance ✅ PR & social media ✅ Packaging suppliers ✅ Small 3PLs ✅ Early-stage investors ✅ R&D, consulting, or more… Tag them below or comment with their info! Let’s build a powerful resource to help emerging brands thrive. 🙌📈 Your referrals = game-changers for these startups! 💡💥 PLEASE REPOST!🫶🏻🙏🏻

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