Startup Confidential

Business & Economics Podcasts

Who is it For? Founders of CPG start-ups. What is It? Zero B.S. perspective on running your start-up well, understanding the biases of industry stakeholders and getting the industry to work for you, not the other way around. When? Every month. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com If you want to take my founder's Quiz to see if you are ready for exponential growth, please visit : www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/founder_resources and sign up for my e-mail list to download it. Transcripts and an entire episode library are on my podcast site. https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/podcast

Who is it For? Founders of CPG start-ups. What is It? Zero B.S. perspective on running your start-up well, understanding the biases of industry stakeholders and getting the industry to work for you, not the other way around. When? Every month. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com If you want to take my founder's Quiz to see if you are ready for exponential growth, please visit : www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/founder_resources and sign up for my e-mail list to download it. Transcripts and an entire episode library are on my podcast site. https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/podcast

Location:

United States

Genres:

Business & Economics Podcasts

Description:

Language:

English

Contact:

206-909-6129

Website:

https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/podcast

Email:

admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Episodes

Episode 73 - Embedded Digital Commerce with Guest, Rishabh Jain

7/1/2022

Tired of throwing money at influencers with no way to understand ‘influence’ on sales in a multi-tactic marketing playbook? You should be. Introducing Fermat, a brand-new technology that enables 100% embedded shopping directly inside your favorite content, without changing its layout on your screen of choice. I normally ignore people pitching to get on my show. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that Rishabh Jain and his team are on to something. Thought you should be first to know, since...

Duration:00:12:18

Episode 72 - Stop Staring at Your Laptop And Do This

6/15/2022

Consider this a non-violent, verbal kick in the rear. I continue to see too many digitally native founders sit on screens too much of the day. Get out in the field and meet stakeholders, including your fans. Respect the big, broad world out there that builds your brand with you. This is how you achieve an unfair advantage over others. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to:...

Duration:00:05:47

Episode 71 - Affirmative Action for End Caps

6/1/2022

In this episode, I'm just going to say what SO many are mumbling. Why can't chain retailers gift end cap space to select high-performing minority founders as a market advantage? It's one thing to onboard minority founders. But, since they're wildly under-capitalized, this rarely works out well. What they need is an initial velocity surge from retail display space. To pull this off, pringles and the retailer need to lose some real profit. This is what affirmative action requires, that the...

Duration:00:09:53

Episode 70 - Gregory Shepard Interview Part 2

5/15/2022

Have you ever wanted a founder who is also an investor to peel back the real challenge of investor alignment? I've been looking for two years for such a person. It's hard to find folks like this who will talk honestly. And Greg Shepard is one of them. Greg is the co-founder and CEO of BOSS Startup Systems, an open-source methodology developed to empower entrepreneurs. Greg has built and sold 12 businesses in BioTech, TransitTech, AdTech, and MarTech, is a recipient of four private equity...

Duration:00:13:28

Episode 69 - Gregory Shepard Interview Part 1

5/1/2022

Duration:00:18:07

Episode 68 - The Law of Frito-Lay and Why it Matters

4/15/2022

Enjoy a clip from the Audible version of Ramping Your Brand on why focus matters so much when scaling a consumer brand AND getting it to grow well into the nine figures. It’s short and sweet. Enjoy! Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC Premium Growth Solutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Duration:00:06:06

Episode 67 - The SkinnyPop Trap of Sales-Driven Growth

4/1/2022

This episode is based on one of my most popular, recent blog posts. In it, I explain the problem that arises in the nine figures if founders built a well-timed business primarily using sales and trade techniques. Getting to $100M is getting easier and easier on the back of paced distribution and superbly timed product design, in part because inflation means you don’t have to sell to a lot of repeat consumers to generate that kind of money. Learn from Skinnypop’s surprising stall-out. Your...

Duration:00:07:42

Episode 66 - Why Blitzscaling Doesn’t Work for Consumer Brands

3/15/2022

The last gasp of the easy-money tech venture era has been heard. There are still investors though who want to isolate the latest thing, overfund it, and blitz scale to glory. In this episode, I explain why most consumer brands have category limits to acceleration and scaling that new technologies do not. Those are cultural limits deep inside our brains and not easily altered. Altering these assumptions literally takes time. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC...

Duration:00:06:32

Episode 65 - Artisan Pricing Doesn’t Scale - Watch Out Founders

3/1/2022

One of the more common problems lurking at the Fancy Foods show, if you’ve ever been, is sitting at every booth in plain sight. It’s on the sell sheets of various specialty food brands that exhibit there. It is their SRPs. They’re not just premium. They’re artisanal. And they just won’t scale. Pricing 100% above the market share leader in a category is one thing. Pricing 400% above is another thing and won’t scale no matter what you throw at it. It will create a holiday ‘gift’ business...

Duration:00:06:12

Episode 64 - Don’t Let Anyone Pester You Into a Hasty Exit

2/15/2022

This is a cautionary episode as the worst of the worst deal hunters and predators are out in force trying to find something to sell before interest rates spike. And those of you with boards may find individuals suddenly advocating for an exit. Don’t be bullied into exiting prematurely due to temporary market forces on Wall Street. Have a listen. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes...

Duration:00:06:08

Episode 63 - A Structural Solution for Low-Levels of Funding for Female Businesses

2/1/2022

The most practical thing for female founders to do in the face of investor sexism is a) seek money from female-only funds or b) learn how to negotiate a stronger impression to disarm skeptical male investors. But, in this episode, I want to share a structural solution publicly that investment firms could easily employ…if they wanted. Have a listen. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other...

Duration:00:07:53

Episode 62 - The Fascinating and Infuriating Case of Bright Farms

1/15/2022

It’s not hard to groan at the crazy sums food/tech crossover companies are able to raise these days. Bright Farms was one of the early mega-fundraisers in the urban/indoor farming trend. In this episode, I explore what I’ve learned from publicly available data points on the surprisingly strong performance of this 11-year old business. It’s still an early-stage company, but, like Vital Farms, before it, it may wind up surprising us all in another ten years. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson...

Duration:00:08:13

Episode 61 - Why Your Business Strategist Should Work With Real Consumer Data

1/1/2022

In this episode, I explain the history of consumer data in CPG companies and why understanding about your fans is no longer a luxury for early-stage brands intent on scaling rapidly. Yet, most early-stage consumer brands just don’t collect this info after they enter the market. They are throwing away critical intelligence they can use to iterate and optimize all 4Ps of growth. And given that your competitor is probably NOT doing this, it’s the ultimate competitive tool. A must listen as you...

Duration:00:16:05

Episode 60 - Jeremy Smith on the Future of Brokering Part 2

12/15/2021

In part two of our conversation, things get more constructive. Jeremy Smith of Launchpad shares thoughts on how brokers are better off functioning as account-specific consultants in today's world. Or as generalized retail sales coaches. He shares how he does this for clients selling into Costco, one of the more fussy and complex accounts founders will hopefully end up serving. And shares invaluable tips on how to really prepare for buyer meetings like a pro. Your Host: Dr. James F....

Duration:00:10:47

Episode 59 - Jeremy Smith on the Future of Brokering Part 1

12/1/2021

This is part one of my conversation with Jeremy Smith of Launchpad on the future of brokers. Jeremy Smith is most likely the most successful Costco broker/advisor out there. We discuss where brokering went wrong, the myths, and the false promises of bad actors in the sector. You don't want to miss his amazing sense of humor. He pulls no punches. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes...

Duration:00:10:22

Episode 58 - The Puppet Startup CEO

11/15/2021

In this episode, I ask founders to consider how they would feel if they took investment capital and then saw an inexperienced puppet CEO with a fancy resume replace them as the operating leader. Listen in to understand why this happens still and how to avoid this scenario. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Duration:00:07:55

Episode 57 - Founder Archetypes - The Missionary

10/26/2021

There’s nothing wrong with having a mission unrelated to the consumer experience of a product. Could be climate change. Could be recycling. Could be supporting women’s empowerment. But, you have to decide what kind of missionary you are before you use a CPG brand to pursue it. Learn why by tuning in to this episode! Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to:...

Duration:00:08:02

Episode 56 - The Emerging Caste Hierarchy Among Founders

10/15/2021

Are you a ‘professional’ entrepreneur or just an amateur founder? Start-up land is full of folks new to their industry and even new to capitalism itself. The hordes of amateurs are one reason that public firm employees look down on start-ups traditionally. But, increasingly, even in CPG, there is a caste hierarchy between the pros and the newbs. Despite the disadvantage new founders face, more and more are professionalizing to succeed, very well. But the need to professionalize is more...

Duration:00:11:57

Episode #55 - Why I Said No to $255K in Work And What You Should Learn From it

10/1/2021

In this episode, I look back to explain why I tossed away $250,000 in billable work as I grew my own business and why my rationale is simply a B2B version of what you should be doing as you plot your own path to scale. Strategic growth requires saying ‘no.’ In CPG, you will actually have to say ‘no’ more as you start getting traction and industry visibility. That’s an irony that professional services firms rarely encounter. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC...

Duration:00:09:10

Episode #54 - I’ll Commit More Time Once There’s Traction...

9/15/2021

Don’t be a fence-sitter. Don’t run your startup via laptop-as-remote control. You have to do all the right things internally or yourself early on if you want to up your chances of finding market validation and a way up the Skate Ramp. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Duration:00:10:05