Building a Pet Brand for the Silent Majority | Jess Berger, Bundle X Joy

On this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Berger, Founder & CEO of Bundle X Joy, the female-founded, purpose-driven pet brand rethinking dog nutrition, branding, and community.Jess brings nearly two decades of experience from inside the pet industry, including building private label brands and working across major retailers, before stepping out to create the brand she wished existed.We get into the realities of launching a modern pet brand from scratch - how early formulation and R&D decisions shape everything that comes next, how to think about initial SKU strategy, and what founders should know about pet co-packers and commercialization before scaling.We also dig deep into brand identity and packaging design and why Jess trusted her gut despite some tough feedback. Jess shares how she built community before launch, the go-to-market strategy that unlocked early traction, and what it really took to land major retailers like Walmart and Costco.---------------Episode Highlights:🐶 Jess’s origin story and journey through “Big Pet”🏭 Building private label brands and lessons from inside the industry🧪 Formulation, R&D, and early SKU decision-making📦 Working with pet co-packers and commercializing products🎨 Brand identity and packaging design decisions✏️ The naming process behind Bundle X Joy🤝 Building community before launch🚀 Go-to-market strategy and early traction🛒 What it really took to land Walmart🏬 Lessons from selling into Costco🔮 Brands and trends Jess is watching next---------------Table of Contents:00:00 - Intro00:43 - Origin story03:33 - “Big Pet” experience, building private label brands07:07 - Formulation and R&D, go-to-market SKU decisions10:53 - Pet co-packers and commercialization14:44 - Brand identity and packaging design, sticking with your gut19:49 - The naming process22:12 - Building community pre-launch23:56 - Go-to-market strategy29:45 - Walmart and beyond34:17 - Costco35:46 - Brands and trends Jess is watching---------------Links:Bundle X Joy – https://bundlexjoy.comFollow Jess on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarberger/Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.