#162 - Ops Nightmares, Powered by Crstl

In this new series on the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff and Jamie Valenti-Jordan from Catapult Commercialization Services take callers who have had 'Ops Nightmares' that plague many brands. Joining them are Katherine Harvey, co-founder and CEO of Bare Bones Broth, who faced a bone broth launch disaster at Costco due to manufacturing and contamination issues; Brett Perrotta, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Chubby Snacks, who recounts his own ops nightmare involving production errors with a co-packer, underscoring the critical nature of founder involvement during initial production runs; and Brady DeLong, VP of Sales & Ops at Clean Age, who reveals chaos from a major inventory mix-up with Walmart.Teva from our sponsor, Crstl, provides expert advice on leveraging Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) for managing high order volumes, as well as for reducing chargebacks and driving revenues.Crstl: No-Code EDI for Modern BrandsTired of ops nightmares? Crstl is here to help! Whether you’re new to retail or looking to migrate off your existing EDI platform, Crstl can onboard you to any retail trading partner for EDI in 2 weeks or less. Additionally, Crstl seamlessly integrates with all the platforms you need to run your business, such as Shopify, QBO, your ERP, your WMS, and more. Our best-in-class customer experience ensures you are never alone when challenges arise. Say goodbye to operational headaches and focus on what you do best—growing your brand!Learn more at https://www.crstl.so/demo and mention Startup CPG for 25% off your first annual subscription.Today's topics:Advice on Handling Ops NightmaresKatherine Harvey’s Ops Nightmare at CostcoBrady DeLong's Operational Nightmare with WalmartBrett Perrotta’s Operational Nightmare with a Co-PackerTeva's ( Crstl EDI ) DiscussionCommunication with BuyersHandling Freight ProblemsLegal and Insurance ConsiderationsDamage Control and TransparencyPlanning and Risk ManagementOperational and Product LossesCommon Business ChallengesPackaging and Labeling IssuesEpisode Links:Catapult Commercialization Services WebsiteJamie Valenti-Jordan LinkedInBare Bones Broth Website Katherine Harvey LinkedInClean Age WebsiteBrady DeLong LinkedInChubby Snacks WebsiteBrett Perrotta LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected] music by Super Fantastics