PODCAST · business
Express Checkout
by Express Checkout
The Express Checkout podcast digs deeper than headlines to uncover the context, connections, and cultural shifts driving the world of consumer products. Join hosts (and CPG nerds) Nate and Jenna for analysis and conversations with the people and businesses shaping tomorrow's shopping cart. www.expresscheckout.co
Episodes
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Durable brands, bad capital, and the death of the VC/PE playbook
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast! This week, we’re sitting down with wildly impressive Tristan Walker, who built and sold Walker & Company (the parent company behind Bevel) to Procter & Gamble. He also sits on the board of Shake Shack and recently joined…
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How ice cream actually gets made
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast!This week, we're sitting down with Aaron Butterworth, Senior Specialist in Product Development at Häagen-Dazs, who's been developing flavors for the brand for over 20 years!She walks us through the entire journey of making ice cream...
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Have we reached peak function?
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast! This week, we’re catching up on a bunch of launches from the past few weeks, from David Protein’s new ready-to-drink milkshake, to the Liquid Death’s founder’s new brand and Beyond Meat’s latest (bizarre) attempt to regain…
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The next wave of “functional” drinks
This week on the pod, we’re thrilled to be joined by Adam Terry, CEO and co-founder of Cantrip and On the Brightside—and absolute WEALTH of knowledge on all things THC regulation and functional beverages. Adam walks us through his journey in the cannabis beverage industry and pivot into a new…
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The creator marketing playbook for brands
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast! This week, we’re sitting down with Arthur Leopold, CEO and co-founder of Agentio, the buying platform for creator media. We dive into how creator marketing has evolved beyond the old influencer model and why most digital attention…
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The next wave of coffee is decaf.
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast! This week, we’re talking about AG1’s entrance in the greens gummy space, the decaf coffee movement, and why Alex Cooper’s beverage brand couldn’t make it. Plus, we’re getting into the headlines on Liquid Death’s weirdest new…
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Ulta's sexual wellness bet
Welcome back to another episode of The Express Checkout Podcast! This week we’re exploring sexual wellness's leap into mainstream beauty retail with plusOne launching at Ulta, and how it differs from Sephora’s wellness strategy. Check out our full deep dive on sexual wellness here! Then, we dig...
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How Sauz built a $22M pasta sauce disruptor
Welcome back to another episode of Express Checkout (surprise! new name)!! This week, we sit down with Troy Bonde, Co-Founder of Sauz, the brand that's rewriting the rules of the $10 billion tomato sauce category. Troy takes us through his wild journey—from a COVID-era hand sanitizer dropshipping...
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How coconut water is making a comeback
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we dive into coconut water's surprising resurgence—why a 2010 darling is suddenly back in the spotlight and what brands are doing to capitalize on it. Check out our full deep dive on coconut water here! Then, we dig into how the...
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Is this the next "it" grocer?!
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! We're excited to kick off this week's show with an interview with Kristina Garrido, Director of Emerging Categories at Whatnot. Whatnot is the fastest-growing livestream shopping platform in the U.S currently valued at nearly $12 billion.…
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How this THC brand is fighting the ban
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! We're excited to share a fascinating full-episode interview with Jake Bullock, the Co-Founder and CEO of Cann—the pioneer of the microdose THC beverage category. Jake breaks down the whole hemp-derived THC beverage landscape, from how it…
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Real sugar is unapologetically back
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! We're excited to kick off this week's show with an interview with Tara Bosch, the founder of SmartSweets (exited) and the new better-for-you potato chip brand, Snackish.We then get into some of the themes we saw at this week's Fancy Food…
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Protein-rich food is a physics problem.
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today, Jenna is joined by Mike Messersmith, CEO of Lasso Labs—a Harvard-born food tech startup using a patented fiber spinning platform to create high-protein, high-fiber foods with cleaner labels and no compromise on texture or taste. Mike...
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Thrilled to try Tom Brady's Good Nuts.
Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! This week, we're getting into e.l.f's foray into haircare, Tom Brady's Good Nut (this is not a joke), how AG1 is striving to stay relevant, the bubble-free boom, and the derm-as-creator skincare brand that's taking off in Target. Chapters:0:51 e.l.f. enters...
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Performative grocery shopping + pro-peptides.
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today, we’re joined by Priyanka Ganjoo, the founder of South Asian beauty brand Kulfi Beauty—the first South Asian female-owned makeup line to be carried at Sephora. Priyanka shares her journey building an inclusive beauty brand, and the...
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Why every brand is leaning into nostalgia
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week’s episode is brought to you by Ever Ledger, the full-service accounting and finance partner specializing in high-growth CPG (they handle your books, tax, and modeling all under one roof). If your books are messy, your accountant…
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Supplement brands are lying to you.
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week, we have one of our most fascinating interviews yet: Dr. Mastaneh Sharafi, SVP of Science & Innovation at Ritual, a supplement company known for its science-backed formulas. She’ll be answering some of our biggest questions around...
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Calm your mind, one beverage at a time
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we sit down with Stacey Hartnett, SVP of Marketing at Chomps to talk about their biggest product launch yet: chicken sticks. Then, we dive into the week’s biggest CPG news. The L-theanine and caffeine combo taking over the...
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The THC loophole (and why it could close...)
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we sit down with Mark Rushmore, co-founder of Suri (short for Sustainable Rituals)—the UK-based electric toothbrush brand that caught Gwyneth Paltrow’s eye organically before landing in Erewhon, and now Target stores nationwide....
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The best drink you've never heard of
This week, we're sharing the second episode of our interview series, Brand’s Biggest Fan—featuring Evan Burns, CEO and Co-founder of The Finnish Long Drink—and Long Drink's biggest fan, DJ!We (admittedly) recorded this a few months ago, but were excited to share it today after the news of Long...
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Keeping up with the Kardashians…CPG launches
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we sit down with Daniel Solomons, CEO of Update—the caffeine-free energy drink that caught Kim Kardashian’s eye organically before she became a full creative partner. We break down the science behind paraxanthine, the surprise of...
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Betting on meal replacements
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week we dive into Danone’s $1.15B acquisition of Huel—and what it says about the future of meal replacement, GLP-1 consumers, and food as pure function. We also cover Alix Earle’s skincare launch (Reale Actives), Cardi B’s surprisingly...
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Drinkable sunscreen, protein mac, and killer brownies
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we’re joined by the incredible Chimene Ross, CEO of Killer Brownie, for a discussion on the power of branding in bakery, running a family business, and moving from private-label to a branded product. We also dive into the convergence…
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What wholesale data tells us about beauty & wellness
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! We're coming at you with a special episode today with our lovely partners over at Faire, the global online marketplace for wholesale for independent retailers. Because Faire works with thousands of retailers and brands from around the…
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Expo West 2026 Trends and Insights
We just got back from the “Super Bowl of CPG”, AKA Expo West, and we have thoughts. In this episode, we’re digging into the overall vibe of the show, the trends we saw, the brands that left an impression, and what Expo even is. If you’re looking for a deeper dive into these trends, check out our...
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Big food is killing health trends
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we’re joined by the incredible Jenna Goldring, co-founder of The High Confectionary, to talk about navigating the complex world of hemp-derived THC, building low-dose edibles for a new generation of consumers, and breaking cannabis...
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OLIPOP's Biggest Fan
Welcome to the first episode of our interview series, Brand’s Biggest Fan—featuring Ben Goodwin, CEO, Co-founder, and formulator of one of our favorite brands of all time: OLIPOP!The premise: We sit down with a self-proclaimed “biggest fan” of some of our favorite buzzy CPG brands—not influencers...
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The truth about "functional" products
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we are joined by the wonderful Sarela Herrada, co-founder of SIMPLi foods, to talk about regenerative organic agriculture and building authentic supply chains. We also dive into function-washing, the creator-led candy revolution, and...
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What Super Bowl ads told us about consumer trends
This week, we're diving into the Super Bowl ads (CPG trend version), what Once Upon a Farm’s IPO tells us, how BigCo brands are getting squeezed by private label, and more. Check out our most recent newsletter: The Breakdown: 00:00 What Super Bowl ads tell us about CPG trends 12:45 Once Upon a...
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Why gummy supplements are everywhere now
Welcome back! Today we have our very first guest, the one and only rachel mansfield. Rachel is a recipe creator, and influencer with over 1M followers on Instagram, she pens a Substack called more, please by rachel mansfield, and most recently co-founded Cadootz Snacks, a new organic kids'…
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"Clean" medicine and non-ultraprocessed soda
Welcome back! This week, we're sharing our favorite products of the week (and yes, Nate's is packed with protein...), some of the unique challenges of building a celebrity brand, the inside scoop on the new Non-Ultraprocessed Food Verification, the weirdly big business of hand sanitizer, and…
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Every single trend in one can
Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! This week, we've got another roundup of protein launches (shocking!)—but this time from some unlikely sources. Plus, we're exploring how Target became the new go-to retailer for emerging brands, actually exciting innovation from a food tech company, and the...
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Protein for pleasure
Another week of countless protein launches—this time, positioned for women—plus Target’s wellness expansion, the latest THC retailer launch, how Good Culture won the unsexiest category, and more. The breakdown: 00:00 Intro 00:20 Food + bev trade show highlights 01:45 The next big flavor of 2026:...
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Frozen food's glow-up era
Welcome to our first episode of The Curious Consumer in 2026!! We're excited to be back and sharing some of the latest stories in consumer brands, from how the frozen aisle is changing to the next big format in protein (hint: it's weirdly.... juvenile). The breakdown: 00:00 Intro + snacking...
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A year in consumer brands + retail: 2025 in review
Welcome to our final podcast of 2025! We’re walking through some of the biggest themes and headlines from the year, from redefining “function” (with protein, THC, and caffeine) to the new target demographics for skincare + fragrance and the future of retail. Thank you for being a listener this...
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Why every brand has a lip balm now
This week, we’re chatting about the sneaky strategy behind lip balms, the future of female-focused energy drinks, Rao’s rise to success, why Oreo and Instacart are getting heat, and so much more. Our latest newsletter gets into more details on all of the above. Read it here:...
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I want my Cheez-Its via drone.
This week, we’re ogling over crazy-fast shipping, wondering how “delicious” and "visceral fat reduction” have managed to enter the same product copy (@ Lemme), unpacking Live Nation’s latest bev partnership, and, obviously, learning how Nate dodged laced brownies in high school. Our latest...
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The private-label takeover
We’re coming in hot off of Black Friday/Cyber Monday! In this episode, we’re sharing some results from this sale weekend, thoughts on Quince’s foray into food + wine, Aldi’s massive US expansion (and what that says about consumer behavior), and more. If you’re fascinated by “dupe culture”, check...
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How non-alc brands can still win
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week, we’ve got a great lineup of consumer goods stories—from the beverage brand that’s secretly winning through foodservice, to the new era of medical-grade skincare platforms. The breakdown: 00:00 Intro 00:48 Tractor Beverage: From...
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Skincare for three-year-olds
Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! In our weekly podcast, we break down the latest news in consumer brands and retail. This week features some of the most controversial news we’ve covered yet (with our unfiltered, hot takes to boot). Our Express Checkout newsletter subscribers know: we had a...
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Betting BIG on... blueberries?
We are SO excited to share that this episode was sponsored by our friends at Glimpse! Glimpse is offering brands 30 days FREE plus a 12-month lookback at their deductions to see where they could’ve saved $. Getting started is super easy—onboarding takes 15 minutes with a specialist. No CC or...
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Why plant-based cheese can't work (right now)
Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! In our (now) weekly episode, we break down the latest news in consumer brands and retail. Today, we get into: * Why your dog is probably eating better than you * Culture Pop x Noah Kahan * Why plant-based alternatives aren’t working right now * The new brand…
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Last Week in Consumer Brands: Fragrance Trends, Protein Innovations, and AI Retail
Hello hello! We’re excited to test out a new format on the pod :) Every Monday, we share the previous week’s biggest news in consumer + retail in our newsletter, Express Checkout. Now, we’re bringing that newsletter to life—walking through each Monday edition on the pod. This week, we chat about…
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Protein's New Era
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This is our part 2 episode of our dive into protein. If you haven’t watched our first one, you can check that out here! Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders anymore. It’s everywhere. It’s in your cereal, your ice cream, even your condiments.…
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Protein is not a trend
Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we’re talking about the hottest topic right now…..PROTEIN. Let’s get one thing straight: protein isn’t just a trend. It’s a fundamental part of our nutrition, and it’s been essential long before it started trending on social media....
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Energy drinks are for the girls
Energy drinks are for the girls: a deep dive into the drink that's all of a sudden everywhere! In this episode of 'The Curious Consumer,' hosts Nate and Jenna explore the evolving energy drink market, discussing everything from nostalgic brands like Red Bull and Monster to newcomers like Celsius...
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Man Cereal, caffeinated chips, and the rise of wellness retail
Here we are—our first-ever podcast!!! After yapping via written word for almost 3 years, it’s time to go verbal (visual?) with our new pod, The Curious Consumer. In our ~ inaugural ~ episode of The Curious Consumer podcast, we partake in a fun yap sesh about consumer habits, wellness trends, and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Express Checkout podcast digs deeper than headlines to uncover the context, connections, and cultural shifts driving the world of consumer products. Join hosts (and CPG nerds) Nate and Jenna for analysis and conversations with the people and businesses shaping tomorrow's shopping cart.
www.expresscheckout.co
HOSTED BY
Express Checkout
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Express Checkout have?
Express Checkout currently has 47 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Express Checkout about?
The Express Checkout podcast digs deeper than headlines to uncover the context, connections, and cultural shifts driving the world of consumer products. Join hosts (and CPG nerds) Nate and Jenna for analysis and conversations with the people and businesses shaping tomorrow's shopping cart....
How often does Express Checkout release new episodes?
Express Checkout has 47 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Express Checkout?
You can listen to Express Checkout 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 Express Checkout?
Express Checkout is created and hosted by Express Checkout.
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