The Nombase Podcast

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

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 showWhat you need to do at BevNET Live and what you can catch up on when you're back homeAgenda highlights from Athletic Brewing, Culture Pop, and Dirty Shirley on building without outpacing your businessRetail sessions with Walmart, Whole Foods, and Vitamin Shoppe on getting — and staying — on shelfFive investor-focused sessions including a term sheet tutorial and a former PepsiCo M&A leadThe delta-9 hemp category under the microscope as Congressional pressure threatens its futureEarly intel on AI and agentic commerce — what CPG brands need to do now before big players lock it inThere's still time to register at Bevnetlive.com - see you there!!

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 positioningWhy taste and founder hustle matter more than launch hypeHow placement at small format retail stores can lead to press, investors, and new accountsHow to think about hotels, offices, coffee shops, and other nontraditional channelsWhy operational readiness matters before expanding into new outletsHow to use customer feedback to understand what drives repeat purchase

Growth is exciting, until your operations start pushing back.Many founders try to solve this by working harder, producing more, or expanding faster. But the brands that actually scale learn a different lesson: at some point, you have to stop forcing it and start building systems that work with your business, not against it.In this Nombase podcast, Dirty Gut founder Daniel Berlin sits down with Jesse Barruch, co-founder of Whims, to get some advice on how to navigate that shift without breaking your business.Find out:How to know when you're forcing growth instead of building real scaleHow to schedule smaller production runs early to save you from costly mistakes laterHow to approach co-manufacturer selection and avoid the wrong partnersWhat to track when you have little to no data and how to build useful systems over timeHow to think about inventory, forecasting, and demand planning in the early stagesThe operational problems that only reveal themselves as you growHow to decide what to handle yourself and what to outsource as a founderThe tradeoffs between control, cost, and efficiency in your operationsHow to structure your time around high impact work that actually drives growthWhy your vision for the business should guide every operational decision you make

After raising capital, most founders feel like they have finally unlocked the ability to grow. But what you do next can determine whether that capital creates momentum or quietly sets your business back.In this episode, Day Out Snacks founder Becky Pleat sits down with Phil Trowler, former finance lead at Olipop, to discuss the specifics on how early stage CPG brands should actually think about deploying capital, building financial discipline, and preparing for what comes next.You will learn:The most expensive mistake founders make right after raising capitalWhy expanding into more retail doors too early can hurt your businessHow to prioritize velocity over distribution when deploying capitalWhat burn rate and contribution margin actually mean in practiceThe key financial metrics every founder should know weeklyHow to think about fundraising timing, milestones, and dilutionWhat strong unit economics look like and how to improve them over timeThe difference between scaling your business and just getting biggerWhen to invest in people versus systems as your company growsHow profitability changes your leverage in fundraising conversationsMake smarter decisions with your capital and avoid costly mistakes early!

In today’s CPG landscape, profitability isn’t always the first milestone founders should focus on. As capital markets and deal structures, investors and acquirers are often looking for something earlier in a brand’s lifecycle: clear product market fit, strong velocity, and the potential to scale efficiently. In this episode, Ryan Williams, founder of Northall and creator of the Fabid deal database shares what recent investment and acquisition activity reveals about how value is actually being built in food and beverage CPG. Together they explore why some brands attract premium valuations while others struggle to raise, how founders should think about capital efficiency, and what recent exits say about the paths companies take to reach a successful outcome.

What happens when three CPG investors decide to build a brand themselves? Kiva Dickinson of Selva Ventures joins fellow cadootz! cofounders Jordan Carpenter and Rachel Mansfield, all seasoned CPG investors, with Rachel also bringing her perspective as a leading creator, to share how experienced industry insiders launch differently. They break down how they defined their non negotiables before formulation, modeled margins and profitability from day one, and avoided common pricing and channel strategy mistakes. The cadootz! team also unpacks key decisions around manufacturing, reformulation for scale, retail sequencing, capital discipline, and building real demand through community before hitting shelves.

Brandon Lennox of Lemon Perfect, Neha Soi of BERO, and Vivian Keena of Luxent share how timing, technology, and the right partners can define a brand’s growth curve. They open up about scaling challenges, system decisions, and the pivotal role an ERP like NetSuite played in transforming their operations. From manual chaos to structured efficiency, their stories reveal what happens when growth outpaces infrastructure, and how investing early in the right systems can prevent the hidden cost of waiting.  This episode is a paid collaboration with Luxent.

THC and CBD fueled the early growth of the cannabis beverage world, but today an expanding palette of cannabinoids is giving formulators license to design experiences that build a feeling and create distinct mood states. Cannabis brand FABRIC’s Tom Eddleston, Magic Cactus founder Jonny Locarni and SōRSE Technology’s Michael Flemmens explore how minor cannabinoids and other emerging compounds are reshaping flavor, feel and functionality, discussing the science behind emulsions, stability and sourcing while sharing real-world lessons from building next-generation drinks. Find out how minor cannabinoids shape mood, how formulation choices influence flavor and effect, and how evolving regulations are driving the next wave of innovation.

Foodservice can be a powerful marketing arm to lift retail and DTC, but only when brands choose the right partners and know how to use it to build awareness. Poorva and Rajus Korde, co-founders of Aaji's, join Clay Lichterman, VP of Business Development at Sol-ti and former chef, to explore both the opportunities and pitfalls for emerging brands. The group explores how to select the right segments and securing menu mentions to creating trial that ultimately drives retail velocity.

Sunnie co-founders Katy Tucker and Lisette Howard recount their path from self-funding to securing a million-dollar raise, navigating manufacturing hurdles, investor rejections, and strategic pivots along the way. They discuss knowing when an investor is the right fit, structuring raises to protect equity, and using customer relationships to unlock capital. Their story highlights the persistence required to push through difficult moments, the signs that momentum is building, and the practical steps that helped them move from uncertainty to a stronger, more sustainable growth path.

Does social media feel like one more thing you need to tackle when everything else is already so busy? You’re in good company. Chikka Chikka co-founders Arif Khan and Sabeen Hassan share their challenges showing up online, while Isaac Brody (Socialike) and Francine Voit (Pistakio) offer real-world advice. Hear ideas on how to simplify content creation, build consistency without burnout, connect authentically with your audience—and maybe, just maybe, even enjoy the process along the way.