OH tonight from N8 “Trail mix is just peanut M&M’s surrounded by obstacles.”

Expectations of taste, wellness and convenience will rise but the trade-offs between them will continue to disappear as innovation changes the variables in the equation #convenient #betterforyou #healthylifestyle

Great CPG companies can start small too. I mean REALLY small, without any outside funding at all. But it takes patience. A long term view. And you need to love what you are doing. AND put your ego to one side. This can be the hardest part of all. It’s hard to tell your friends, family and former coworkers that you’re selling potato chips or ice cream at a few local grocers and farmers markets when you used to work at a respectable tech company, accounting firm or technical job. So how can you start your dream CPG business with little to no investor funding? The answer lies in being self-sufficient and resourceful. This is not as crazy or unachievable as you might think. Providing you are willing to put your ego to one side and do the work for your goal. Product development – this is the most fun part and should be owned by you anyway. Packaging – starting small means using stock packaging. You can differentiate by looking further afield beyond local suppliers for unique shapes and formats. Manufacturing – the leanest, most self-sufficient way to start will be to do this yourself. For a food product, start in a small commercial kitchen that you can rent for a short time. Once you see some sustained success and you are stretched beyond capacity, you can find a small production facility to co-pack. Or not, perhaps you will determine that keeping your recipe and production methods in house is important and you will find a way to grow by self manufacturing in a larger facility. Distribution – start with local stores, farmers markets, anywhere you can deliver easily and quickly. When you reach a size where this is unsustainable, hire a driver to do some deliveries, or find a small local distributor. You don’t need to be with UNFI or KeHE on day one. Sales – no one can explain your product with more passion than the person who has spent years dreaming, months researching and developing, and was up until midnight the previous night making. Your enthusiasm should be infectious. Once you refine the key messages, you will be in a good place to hire a sales rep as the product starts to show traction. Marketing – In these early days, there is no better marketing than performing sampling and demonstrations in local grocery stores. Or standing at the farmers market speaking directly to potential customers. You will also build deep relationships with the early retail customers that will last a lifetime. They don’t forget that effort from the early days and they want you to win. In fact, they will become your advocate against competitors coming in. Once you get started down this path, the next step will become evident. It might be that a bigger retailer with 20-30 stores asks for your product, or a bigger distributor who has a couple of hundred relevant stores they can put your product in. This will set off a panic that you can’t fulfil the orders. But you will find a way. You might need to make the leap to a small production facility. And so it continues. Add employees slowly. Start with a family member or friend helping out part time, employ hourly workers from your personal network, young and enthusiastic university students or someone you know is reliable. Each further step and signs of traction will give you the confidence to commit to full time employees when required. When you put one foot in front of the other and move forward, you can then see a little bit more of the path ahead. But if you stay at home thinking about the path, it will never appear. Just get started. If this is really what you want, a lack of funding shouldn’t hold you back.

Just had coffee with a guy wearing boat shoes and a typical Finance Bros vest. You gotta pick a season, dude 🤷‍♂️

Bessie O’Rourke’s win rate in turning my frown upside down is 💯%

The best brand extension during the past few years might be @pedialyte Sport. Entirely new addressable market from base brand. Well done 👏

Actually, haven’t done any cowboy sh&t today, but just love the shirt #yellowstonetv

Just a guy from New Jersey listening to another guy from New Jersey 🎸🎷🎤

Huntington, NY to Stamford, CT through new @LIRR Grand Central Madison terminal today. This is a game changer 👏

Think I am going to use the “I gave at the office” response 🚫

Zoom Meeting Organizer: Any questions? Me: Why were there fire trucks without cab roofs at Station 51 in TV show 🚒𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙂𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙔!🚒? #KMG365

Leading retailer installs security in Oral Care and multiple other departments, but leaves unlocked and opened because, according to store personnel, “the bell rings the intercom constantly” 🥴#Retail #shoplifting

When someone tells you this country is no longer great, ask in how many other countries they’ve spent >1 week, and not within walls of an all inclusive resort. United States has its challenges which need to be overcome, but global perspective matters in how you view situation.

To me, he is Country Chuck, but to others he is "Chuck Essigs, who is widely regarded as understanding Arizona’s school finance system better than anyone."

[Used to be] Listen to radio waiting for a specific song to play so you could record for a mix tape. [Now] #SiriusXM alerts me when a pre-selected favorite song is playing on any of 91 channels while driving.

I probably shouldn’t admit to having notifications for @NeilRetail activated, but I do want to see the winner of the “lamest merchandising” award from Mall Day. 🤪

Line (queue for my mates) in @BJsWholesale during a weekday morning. Feels a little better each day👍 A focus group of one, so I’ll leave the interpretation of the observation to gurus such as @NeilRetail

Happened just now at construction site for The Smyth Tresser Blvd. and Washington Blvd. Looked bad early, but fortunately under control after 10-15 minutes without injuries @SFDPIO @StamAdvocate

Lots of interesting survey data within-spending, trips, confidence, etc. I remain focused on what I believe will be idicator of recovery "Americans are now at the lowest level of worry about the virus (23%) since the crisis began." risnews.com/retail-sales-reb… #Retail #CPG

Loved 2020 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit opening keynote. @Tom__Szaky on sustainability breakthrough innovation in #CPG, #retail "Paradox is there needs to be as little disruption as possible (consumer, retailer, manufacturer) to achieve maximum disruption." #CGSM2020