PODCAST · business
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand
by Daniel Lohman
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the founder-first podcast for entrepreneurial and growth-stage CPG brands that want to protect runway, improve execution, and compete smarter at retail.Hosted by Daniel Lohman, CPSA, founder of Retail Solved, the show helps natural, organic, better-for-you, food, beverage, wellness, and mission-driven CPG founders understand what really drives profitable retail growth.Most brands do not have a spend problem first. They have a clarity problem.Each episode helps founders think more strategically about category management, retail sales, trade marketing, promotion ROI, deduction management, broker accountability, distribution gaps, assortment strategy, shopper insights, retailer relationships, data analytics, and retail execution.You will hear practical solo episodes, expert interviews, founder stories, and real-world lessons from the retail system — not theory.The goal is simple:Help you see what others miss, make better decisions, and build a stronger
Episodes
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343. Sales Went Up. What Did You Actually Buy With the Promotion?
343. Imagine a promotion lifts sales by 35%. That sounds like a win. But did you acquire a valuable shopper, create a new occasion, increase the basket, earn repeat purchases, or simply pay someone to buy three weeks of product early? In Episode 343 of Bulletproof Your CPG Brand, I explain why...
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342. The Data Said, Delete It. Here's Why That Could Have Been an Expensive Mistake.
342. A category management report can be mathematically correct and still point you toward the wrong decision. In this episode of Bulletproof Your CPG Brand, I share what happened when one of the lowest-velocity, highest-margin items in an assortment looked like an obvious candidate for deletion....
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341. I Didn't Make the Decision. I Still Paid for It.
341. I didn't make the decision. I fought against it. And I still paid for it dearly. Years ago, I helped build a mission-driven CPG company that I believed could make a meaningful difference. I put my consulting practice on hold. I invested my savings, retirement money and eventually credit…
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340. Getting Onto the Shelf Isn't the Win. Becoming Irreplaceable Is.
340. We were the category leader with nearly twice the sales share of our nearest competitor. The retailer still planned to remove us. By the time I walked into the meeting, they told me the decision had essentially already been made. What changed their mind taught me one of the most important...
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339. Your Brand Grew. Why Did Everything Get Harder?
339. Growth is supposed to make your CPG brand stronger. So why do more stores, more sales, more people, and more data so often leave a brand with tighter cash, more fires, and harder decisions? In this episode, Dan Lohman breaks down one of the biggest problems growing brands face. As the…
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338. We Finally Got the Stores. Now How Do We Make Them Work? With Julia Klein, LiveMore Superfoods
338. Getting into retail is a big win. But for many founders, that is where a different set of problems begins. In this episode of Bulletproof Your CPG Brand, Dan Lohman sits down with Julia from Livemore Superfoods to talk about what happens after the retailer says yes. Julia shares how Livemore...
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337. More Retail Doors. Less Cash? The Hidden Cost of CPG Growth.
337. A CPG brand can add distribution, grow revenue and become financially weaker at the same time. I've watched it happen. A profitable brand expanded into more distributor DCs and markets. Distribution increased. So did inventory, free fills, chargebacks, distributor costs and the resources...
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336. The $15M Opportunity Hiding in Stores They Already Had.
336. I found a roughly $15 million growth opportunity gap inside a brand that was already in the stores. They did not need another retailer. They needed the right products in the retailers they already had. The brand had 16 SKUs, growing distribution, brokers, promotions, and plenty of reasons to...
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335. What Retail Buyers Need to See Before They Say Yes.
335. If you're trying to get into retail stores, a better-looking CPG pitch deck is not enough. Retail buyers hear versions of the same founder, product, traction, growth, and market-size story every day. The brands that stand out make the retailer's decision easier. In this episode of…
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334. The Promotion Was Approved. So Why Is the Shelf Empty?
334. Your promotion is live. The retailer approved it. The funding is committed. Inventory shipped. The team believes everything is ready. Then someone walks into the store. The sale tag is there. The shelf is empty. Or the display never got built. Inventory is sitting in the back room. The…
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333. The Best Product Doesn't Win. The Product That Solves the Right Problem Does. With Marise May, Cha's Organics
333. What makes one shopper willingly pay more while another keeps chasing the lowest price? It is not always the product. It is whether the product solves a problem the shopper recognizes and whether the brand communicates that value in a way the shopper and retailer can understand. In this...
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332. Your Promotion Increased Sales. Why Did Cash Get Tighter?
332. A promotion can increase sales, make the retailer happy, and still quietly drain cash, margin, and runway. That is the part most post-event recaps miss. In this episode, Dan Lohman explains why a promotion can look successful on paper while quietly creating margin pressure, deduction issues,...
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331. More People. More Software. Why the Same Decisions Keep Coming Back.
331. Most growing brands are being sold some version of an easy button. Hire another person. Add a dashboard. Plug in AI. Automate the report, and the business will finally become easier to run. Those tools can help. The problem begins when the business expects them to replace the commercial...
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330. The Numbers Said Yes. $100,000 Later, We Learned What They Couldn't See.
330. Your Dashboard Can Be Accurate—and Still Mislead You More dashboards. More reports. More spreadsheets. More software. So why do so many CPG leadership teams still struggle to make confident decisions? In this episode, Daniel Lohman explains why more reporting doesn't automatically create…
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329. Your Brand Isn't Broken. The Math Got Less Forgiving.
329. Growth feels harder right now. That does not necessarily mean your brand, product, mission, or founder instincts are broken. The environment around the business changed, and the margin for error got smaller. Sales may be growing while cash still feels tight. Promotions may move volume while...
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328. Trade Shows Don't Create ROI. Follow-Up Systems Do.
328. Your sales report may be one of the last places you learn that the shopper changed. By the time velocity slows, repeat purchase weakens, or a retailer starts asking harder questions, the shopper may have already made a different decision. This episode uses trade shows as a practical example,...
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327. Your Email List Isn't the Asset. The Relationship Is. With Chrissy Hammer, Sunshine Buns
327. What if your biggest growth opportunity isn't another retailer? What if it's the customers you already have? In this episode, Chrissy Hammer, co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Buns, shares her journey from family recipe to national retail expansion. She shares the story behind Sunshine Buns…
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326. Growth Exposes Every Weakness in the Business With Mike Fata
326. Most founders believe growth solves problems. More distribution. More retailers. More sales. More opportunities. But what if growth isn't the thing that's putting pressure on your business? What if the real problem is complexity? In this episode, I sit down with Mike Fata, founder of…
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325. Mission Isn't Enough. Value and Values Both Have to Win With Seth Goldman, Just Ice Tea
325. Retailers don't reward the biggest mission. They reward the clearest value. What happens when one of the most influential founders in natural products decides to start over? In this episode, I sit down with Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and co-founder of Just Ice Tea, to discuss what…
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324. The Shopper Contract Has Changed. Did Your Strategy?
324. Sales are up. Distribution is expanding. Retailers are saying yes. The team is working harder than ever. So why does cash still feel tight? In this episode, Dan Lohman explores one of the biggest blind spots facing entrepreneurial CPG brands today: Growth is not the same as health. The…
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323. See Where the Shopper Is Going Before the Market Catches Up With Suzie Yorke, The Little Cacao Co.
323. The brands that win long term are rarely the brands chasing short-term trends. They are the brands that understand: • changing shopper behavior • emerging category shifts • evolving health priorities • and how to position products before the market fully catches up In this episode, I sit…
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322. Margins Are Tightening. Don't Make the Leak Worse.
322. Most CPG founders are feeling pressure from every direction right now. Costs are rising. Retailers expect more. Promotions are harder to predict. Shoppers are becoming more cautious. And margins are getting compressed everywhere. The dangerous part? Many founders react before they fully...
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321. What Happens After Production Can Quietly Drain Your Runway. With Caitlin Wilson, FULL GOOD
321. But very few spend enough time thinking about what happens AFTER manufacturing. And that blind spot quietly creates: • operational friction • retailer problems • deduction exposure • execution failures • damaged customer experiences • and hidden profit leaks In this episode, I sit down with...
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320. Most Brands Don't Have a Spend Problem. They Have a Clarity Problem.
320. Margins are tighter. Costs are rising. Retailers still expect performance. And most founders are working harder just to maintain momentum. But here's the uncomfortable truth: Most brands do not have a spend problem. They have a clarity problem. In this episode, I break down why so many CPG...
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319. The Strategy That Worked Before May Be Failing You Now.
319. Everything feels harder right now—costs are rising, demand is slowing, and margins are getting squeezed. If you're doing everything right but still not seeing predictable growth… you're not alone. Here's the problem: most brands are making decisions based on data—but not understanding what's...
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318. A Great Product Can Still Lose When Shoppers Don't Understand It. With Hank Watt, Nature's Wild Berry
318. Your biggest retail mistake (it's not what you think) Your product isn't failing because it's bad—it's failing because shoppers don't understand it fast enough. That gap is costing you sales, shelf space, and runway. In this episode, I sit down with a founder whose product creates an instant...
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317. Sampling Isn't the Win. Turn Trial Into Repeat. With Andrew Therrien, Samplers
317. From Checkpoint to Growth Engine: Reimagining In-Store Sampling Most brands treat demos like a checkbox. Hand out samples, move on, hope sales follow. That approach fails—and it matters because you're wasting money while missing one of the most powerful growth levers in retail. In this...
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316. You Have the Data. Why Don't You Know What to Do Next?
316. You have data. Reports. Dashboards. And still… you don't know what to do next. Which SKU should you scale? What should you produce? Why didn't that promotion work? That's not a data problem—and it matters because guessing leads to wasted spend, missed opportunities, and slower growth. In…
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315. Your Brand Can't Outrun an Exhausted Founder With Mark Samuel, Mark's Snacks
315. You don't need to work more hours to grow your brand. You need more clarity, more discipline, and better focus. Most CPG founders are burned out, overwhelmed, and stuck reacting—because they've stopped prioritizing the one thing that drives everything: their health. In this episode, I sit…
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314. You're Not Overspending. You're Leaking Trade Spend.
314. You're looking at your trade spend, your promotions, your deductions—and it feels like you're spending too much. But here's the truth: most CPG brands don't have a spend problem. They have a visibility problem. And that matters because the money you can't see leaking is the money shortening...
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313. Building a CPG Brand Alone Is Expensive With Kristine Carey, Naturally Colorado
313. Building a CPG brand can feel isolating. You're making decisions alone, solving problems from scratch, and trying to figure out retail, marketing, and operations without a roadmap. That's expensive—and it slows your growth. In this episode, I sit down with Kristine Carey, Executive Director…
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312. The Right Tool Can Still Be Used for the Wrong Job.
312. You've invested in better dashboards, better reporting, and better trade marketing software. You're tracking everything—promotions, lift, ROI, deductions—and yet your margins still feel unpredictable and your growth still feels inconsistent. If that sounds familiar, here's the truth: what…
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311. Trade Marketing Isn't a Cost. It's a Growth System.
311. Trade marketing feels like a tax for most CPG brands. You spend money, run promotions, follow retailer plans—and still watch your margins shrink, cash flow tighten, and growth stay unpredictable. The problem isn't trade marketing. It's that you were never taught the system. In this episode…
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310. Tactics Won't Save a Broken Retail System.
310. You're doing everything "right"—promotions, social media, brokers, distribution—and still not growing. Your cash flow feels tight. Your strategy feels reactive. And your product is at risk of being discontinued. The problem isn't you. It's the advice. Most CPG advice fails because it's...
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309. Retailers Don't Buy Your Brand Story. They Buy Category Growth.
309. You're not losing at retail because of weak marketing. You're losing because you don't understand how the category works. Most brands rely on reports, velocity, and promotions—but retailers don't buy products, they buy category performance. In this episode, I break down True Category...
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308. They Cut Price to Grow Faster. The Business Almost Broke.
308. Most CPG brands think promotions grow sales. They don't. Pricing strategy does. If your pricing architecture is wrong, deeper discounts and more promotions will only destroy your margins, train shoppers to wait for deals, and drain your cash flow. In this episode, I break down the pricing…
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307. Profit Isn't Cash. Why Growing CPG Brands Still Run Out of Money With Nate Littlewood, Future Ready CFO
307. You can be "profitable" on paper and still go bankrupt. If you don't understand cash flow, margin, and focus, your CPG brand is at risk — and that matters because running out of cash is the #1 reason businesses fail. In this episode, I sit down with Nate from Future Ready CFO to simplify...
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306. Expo West Is Not a Sampling Event. It's a Leverage Event.
306. Expo West is expensive. If you're "hoping" it grows your brand, you're already losing ROI. Booth fees, travel, freight, samples, staffing — this is one of the biggest trade investments you'll make all year. And most brands waste it because they treat Expo like a sampling event instead of a...
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305. Recovering the Deduction Isn't the Win. Preventing the Next One Is.
305. You're not losing money because you failed. You're losing it because your systems allow deductions to drain your margin before you see it. If you've ever opened a check that was thousands short — filled with vague codes, freight charges, compliance penalties, or unauthorized promo deductions…
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304. Stop Pitching Your Brand. Become the Advisor the Retailer Trusts.
304. If you're still pitching your product instead of guiding the category, you're leaving leverage on the table. Retail buyers don't reward brands with the best velocity — they reward brands that help them win. And if you don't shift from vendor to advisor, you'll stay stuck chasing space,...
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303. You Are Now a Category Leader- The Final Roadmap
303. You now think, plan, and execute like a category leader. In this final episode of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, I recap the full journey—from foundation and shopper insights to retail execution, systems, and discipline—and show you how to turn these lessons into a lasting competitive...
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302. Help Retailers Win- The Key Trends Category Leaders Know
302. Retailers don't need more discounts—they need partners who help them win. In Day 30 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down the key trends retailers care about most and how you can use them to become a trusted, go-to category leader. You'll learn how to help retailers drive traffic,...
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301. Look for & Close Category Gaps to Win at Retail
301. Most brands lose shelf space because they sell products—not solutions. In Day 29 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I show you how to uncover and close category gaps by starting with the shopper's market basket and working backwards. You'll learn how to identify need states, remove friction from the...
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300. Why Your CPG Brand Is Losing Shelf Space
300. Shelf space isn't lost because your product isn't good—it's lost because your competitors are more prepared. In Day 28 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I show you how preparation and competitive intelligence create a true, sustainable advantage at retail. You'll learn how to study competitor…
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299. Why Great Products Still Don't Sell at Retail
299. If your product isn't selling, it's rarely a product problem—it's a story problem. In Day 27 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down why inconsistent, fragmented messaging kills sales at retail and how a unified brand voice becomes a true growth lever. You'll learn how clear storytelling...
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298. Stop Getting Rejected by Retailers—Use KPIs Instead
298. Retailers don't reject great products—they reject poor execution. In Day 26 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down how KPIs act as guardrails that prevent mistakes, eliminate guesswork, and ensure flawless execution at retail. You'll learn which performance indicators actually matter, how to...
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297. The Framework Retailers Actually Respect
297. Great strategy fails without flawless execution. In Day 25 of 30 Days to Prosperity, I break down how scorecards turn goals, MBOs, and plans into predictable results retailers trust. Learn how top CPG brands use scorecards to eliminate chaos, assign clear ownership, prevent execution...
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296. Why MBOs Turn Teams Into Sales Engines
296. When runway is tight, execution must be flawless. In Day 24 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we break down how Management By Objectives (MBOs) turn big goals into clear, accountable actions across sales, operations, marketing, and finance. Learn how top-performing brands use MBOs to…
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295. Why Focused Brands Win While Others Stall
295. Distractions are silently killing emerging brands. In Day 23 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we tackle one of the most overlooked growth killers: lack of focus. Learn how to distinguish real priorities from noise, delegate with confidence, and protect your time so execution doesn't…
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294. Why Founders Who Do Everything Never Scale
294. Wearing too many hats is the fastest way to stall growth. In Day 22 of 30 Days to Profitable CPG Growth, we tackle one of the biggest execution killers: founder overload. Learn how to shift from business manager to true business owner, reclaim your time, and focus on the work only you can…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the founder-first podcast for entrepreneurial and growth-stage CPG brands that want to protect runway, improve execution, and compete smarter at retail.Hosted by Daniel Lohman, CPSA, founder of Retail Solved, the show helps natural, organic, better-for-you, food, beverage, wellness, and mission-driven CPG founders understand what really drives profitable retail growth.Most brands do not have a spend problem first. They have a clarity problem.Each episode helps founders think more strategically about category management, retail sales, trade marketing, promotion ROI, deduction management, broker accountability, distribution gaps, assortment strategy, shopper insights, retailer relationships, data analytics, and retail execution.You will hear practical solo episodes, expert interviews, founder stories, and real-world lessons from the retail system — not theory.The goal is simple:Help you see what others miss, make better decisions, and build a stronger
HOSTED BY
Daniel Lohman
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Bulletproof Your CPG Brand have?
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand currently has 343 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Bulletproof Your CPG Brand about?
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is the founder-first podcast for entrepreneurial and growth-stage CPG brands that want to protect runway, improve execution, and compete smarter at retail.Hosted by Daniel Lohman, CPSA, founder of Retail Solved, the show helps natural, organic, better-for-you, food,...
How often does Bulletproof Your CPG Brand release new episodes?
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand publishes regularly with 343 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Bulletproof Your CPG Brand?
You can listen to Bulletproof Your CPG Brand on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Bulletproof Your CPG Brand?
Bulletproof Your CPG Brand is created and hosted by Daniel Lohman.
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