The COO Playbook for Scaling from Zero to Nine Figures | Tara Foster, Evergreen

On this episode, we’re joined by Tara Foster, the COO of Evergreen (a better-for-you waffle brand), and the former COO of nutpods.Tara was part of the founding team at nutpods, where she helped scale the plant-based creamer brand to a nine-figure run rate and the #2 brand in the category.With over a decade of experience across ingredient sourcing, supply chain strategy, and operational leadership, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.Tara dives into her co-manufacturing playbook. From evaluating partners and negotiating agreements to scaling production without losing control, she unpacks what most brands get wrong about COGS, how to manage risk through supplier redundancy, how ops teams evolve as brands scale, what she learned from bumpier moments like warehouse moves and formulation changes, and why continuous improvement is key.—---------------Episode Highlights:🥥 Scaling nutpods to a nine-figure brand🏭 What to look for in a great co-manufacturer⚠️ “Take or pay” clauses and how to avoid them🚚 Hidden costs that destroy your margin📦 Packaging decisions that drive retail success📉 Redundancy and de-risking the supply chain📊 Forecasting COGS with real-world benchmarks🚀 When it does make sense to vertically integrate👥 Hiring your first ops lead vs. building a full team—---------------Table of Contents:00:00 – Intro & Evergreen Overview02:00 – Early nutpods Journey & Co-Man Lessons06:00 – How to Source and Pitch a Co-Packer10:00 – Scaling, Formulation Shifts, and Loss of Control14:00 – Supplier Redundancy & Risk Mitigation18:00 – COGS, Margins & Avoiding Common Pitfalls21:00 – New Product Launch Best Practices24:00 – Packaging for Efficiency vs. Shelf Appeal28:00 – COO Role Evolution from Startup to Scale33:00 – Trends Tara’s Watching in CPG34:00 – Where to Follow Tara & Evergreen—---------------Links:Evergreen – https://www.eatevergreen.comFollow Tara on LinkedIn – Tara FosterFollow me on LinkedIn – Adam 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.