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A rare source of expert advice for your CPG business? Someone who is  a) non-dilutive, b) offers sustained attention, plus c) deep industry experience. Most founders have tons of 'free', shallow (often wrong) advice that does not dilute their position. Then they have investors all up in their SMS stream who are biased towards excessive risk-taking. Then, there are folks who control their destiny who benefit the most from paid advisors. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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The Skate Ramp metaphor in my book is really the front half of the S-curve, or lifecycle of any business or brand. But this curve is not fixed. It is always in formation. And founders DO have the power to raise the S-curve's height and affect its slope. This requires analytics, monitoring, and risk-taking, where many founders become complacent.

#cpg
#strategy
#entrepreneurship

My book? Ramping Your Brand: How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve. 

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The single biggest problem I sniff out in otherwise very successful, high-growth companies is under-communication. It is very easy for overwhelmed founders to forget that their most important role is to provide direction and assured vision. Listen as I explain how your culture will devolve if you do not do this. It may sound familiar. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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CPG brands that start in retail easily get sucked into fulfilling requests for exclusive UPCs. Negotiating your way out of these situations, including walking away, is critical to focused strategic growth. Listen in as I kick your sales team in the proverbial butt. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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If you’re running a high-growth business, chances are you’ll need to reach out to an executive recruiter at some point. When you do, make sure you watch for this dangerous filter of “executive presence.”

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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In this episode, I walk founders through a key difference in perspective that founders and employees have, a difference that never, ever goes away. It does not doom any high-growth business, but you need to accept it to succeed as a leader.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Most high-growth consumer brands need to re-position as they scale. The niche positioning that got you into the eight figures will drive you into a ditch. In this episode, I share four advanced tips I once kept behind an online training paywall. Don’t miss this content. In fact, copy the transcript off your screen.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Don’t confuse anything I’m about to talk about with Marketing Mix Analytics, an old BigCo statistical machine designed to distinguish which of 15 marketing buckets had the most influence on sales growth in the past year. Just mentioning the topic makes me want to rage at the naivete with which people purchase its promises. Separate video required. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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A humorous exploration of my favorite analogy for the experience of growing a consumer brand, whether or not you make it onto the Skate Ramp. It's harsh out there. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Consider the unconventional org move as a scrappy founder. This episode briefly explains the mistake many high-growth founders make once they can hire a recruiting firm. Private equity has twisted much of the hiring ecosystem to suit itself, not you. Have a listen and LMK if you agree in the comments!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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This episode is part 2 of my interview with Michelle Razavi of Elavi protein brownies, where we delve deeper into the psychology of consumers who love her products AND the psychology of highly successful founders. The most important point she makes is the power of effective storytelling about your business to all manner of stakeholders, including the end consumer. 

Check out Michelle's brand -  www.elavi.co

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Elavi is the second brand in my Rising Stars Series. Michelle Razavi, Founder and CEO of Elavi Protein Brownies, joins for this two-part series. She tells the story of how she repeatedly adjusted their product mix to make their mission of clean, allergen-free protein take off. She had to kill off the original product line to keep focused on what was growing, which is never easy for new founders. In this episode, Michelle also makes a compelling case for a fitness background as a CPG founder. Can you guess why? 

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In the final chapter of Ramping Your Brand, I walk readers through the crucial transformation every new founder must go through - Operator to Strategist to Leader. In some cases, this has happened in a matter of years, or the culture will probably break, bogging everyone down in slow or chaotic decisions. This episode explains the personal traits founders need to cultivate in order to accomplish this transition.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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The most efficient Skate Ramp brands earn large amounts of money in small geographies. In this episode I explain how to measure this and why it’s so important to set such a high standard for an undercapitalized business early on. You have to listen to learn the benchmark. This is contained in my book, deliberately. Sort of. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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If your brand does not Ride the Ramp, it most likely attained nine-figure scale by stair-stepping its way upwards. Distribution gains with sustained, not growing velocity. In this episode, I explore what causes this and why you should get off the staircase as soon as possible if you want to sustain growth.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Marketers obsess with platform metrics, because these are the numbers they can tactically control the most. However, buried in every CPG product’s design are hidden sensory variables that work with or work against the efficiency of marketing. Let me explain in this episode.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Megatrends are ones that grow for decades in a steady linear fashion regardless of hype cycles that occur within that time span. They often start decades before the industry leaders pile on. In this episode, I call the not-surprising next trend, the one that has been building for decades quietly as Americans become more educated about the hidden problem in the traditional foodways of most Americans of European, African, and Latin descent. And Gen Z is leading the charge. Have a listen and see if you agree!

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The survival rate of brands at $1 is brutal enough. And at $10M, even more hit a wall or die. But the real problem that survivors face as they scale into eigth figures is stagnation. The grand delusion is that adding more and more retail accounts will keep the brand growing. But this is an illusion whose fragility exposes itself once deceleration begins and doesn’t reverse with new accounts. Growing past $100M and deep into the nine figures is NOT a sales game. It is a marketer’s game. But most brands need to c...

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The majority of early-stage brands chase investors way too late and with a mindset of moderate-to-extreme desperation. Investors can smell it, and you attract the worst actors, who, themselves, do not have the track record to develop a deal flow pipeline properly. As investors get pickier than ever, you need to court them for longer than ever in advance. And just as carefully as you courted a spouse.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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These four tips derive straight from my best-selling business book, referred to by many as “The CPG Bible” for founders new to the industry - Ramping Your Brand. It’s about discipline. The discipline to work on the business and on yourself. Check it Out!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Brands crossing the $100M line, roughly speaking, face a privileged danger : deceleration. It happens very quickly once you hit max ACV or even ¾ of your category’s max ACV. If you didn’t prepare for this, you will have to act fast. It’s very hard to an emerging brand to get past $500M and stay growing like KIND. The solution is to aim for the opposite - acceleration, even when it seems least likely to happen.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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In the last episode I described the content studio revolution inside high growth brands and how it is upending traditional assumptions about how to use promotional agencies, especially social media agencies. Have a listen!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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The agency-brand partnership axis is evolving really fast as the cost of creating video content plummets with AI. Brands got in earlier on distributing social content from their own desks in the 2010s, but now they can create and distribute at scale with decent quality and much faster than any contract agency. Listen to my take. Read more in my recent piece at the Food Institute. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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It’s possible to have strategic premium pricing and a profitable business model. But this is NOT easy. Few founders spend enough time getting their business model right before they hit the gas. This episode explains why there is such a sharp fork in the pricing road and why it matters.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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This is part two of my interview with Yoni Reisman, founder of Tip Top Cocktails. 

In this episode, we explore how he came to realize others were better suited to manage the day-to-day operations of the business, a very tough call for any founder Riding the Ramp. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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This episode launches a new series I’m calling Rising Stars - Founders new to CPG who have defied the odds, built growing eight-figure businesses without the interference of premature institutional money.  

This is part one of my interview with Yoni Reisman, Co-Founder, Chairman, and former Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta-based Tip Top Proper Cocktails. Established in 2018 by Yoni and his childhood friend and fellow music industry veteran, Neal Cohen, Tip Top offers high-quality, classic cocktails in a can. 

In this episode, we explore the origins of the business and...

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Every creative mind on LinkedIn has railed against the upcoming launch of Pepsi prebiotic. That’s because it’s NOT very creative. Growth strategy for a legacy brand is very different from what works in the early-stage. Making trends and following trends each have their place in the ecosystem. Watch my take on what’s going on here. It’s not AI-psychosis, I assure you. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Hopping from buyer meeting to meeting may get you into the seven figures, but it won’t garner your business fast growth through $100M and beyond. Not without really lucky amounts of word-of-mouth. Really lucky. Waiting until you’re $10M in ARR to get strategic is a surefire path to misfires and stagnation.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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How could creativity be a founder liability? When it distracts you. This is the third installment in my series on founder archetypes. I think many of you will recognize yourselves in this episode. The good news? You can be cured! Check it out and let me know if you agree.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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This is the second installment in my series on founder archetypes. While I’m glad to see MBAs and finance-trained folks launching CPG brands, they do have a huge problem taking some of the most critical risks necessary to achieving fast growth. Have a listen!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Business doesn’t teach you how to say “no” to bad deals. Yet, it’s the most important skill you have to learn, not just to deflect unsolicited pitches from creepy agencies and suppliers. You need to learn how to say “no” to a bad deal you originally sought out…but which now looks horrible. This is very hard for new founders. Have a listen!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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If you want to Ride the Ramp, you must hire superb functional executives. Hold on, though. What makes you think you’re ready to do this? In this episode, I explore two hidden attitudes that make it hard for founders to find above-average talent. Hint: it’s not your salary frugality that is the biggest barrier. Have a listen!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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You do not need a 85-page defensive Powerpoint plan. But you do need a plan. And one-page is more than enough to keep your business disciplined in the early Phases. This episode makes the case and explains one key data source you need to have to make even a 1-page plan useful. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Many founders worry about diluting the quality of their product in order to scale. Understood. Yet, diluting the ‘quality’ of your audience is essential. Snobby brands do not scale. Listen in as I explain why.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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 I finally spent some time to prove to all you door-counting crazies that doors do not equal value to your business. In the process, I developed a tool to plan your ACV build in a restrained manner, a tool you can reproduce (legally) on your end with your SPINS or NIelsen IQ retainer. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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How do mission-driven founders get in their own way? It’s not that hard, depending on how ideological your company’s foundations. The most fundamental issue with missionary zeal, when you do not channel it professionally into scaling a disciplined brand is this - you become overly anchored in the end goal and don’t take the journey seriously. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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It’s time for a contrarian view. Most founders in CPG should not be focused on rapid growth. It is far easier to create a stable, satisfying seven-figure CPG business if you let go of a need to scale (and grow fast to get there). In this episode, Sarah and I explore the key financial math that forces your hand as a founder. Do you really want to pursue rapid growth? 

E-mail Sarah at : [email protected] 
Website: thegoodfoodcfo.com
Instagram: @thegoodfoodcfo YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo
LinkedIn: @Sarah Delevan

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It’s not uncommon for brands to scale mostly as B2B enterprises with minimal emphasis on sophisticated consumer marketing. When product design carries you that far, it can be easy to overlook the marketing department. Then, when you turn to ask them for acceleration, you realize you do not have the right team at all. Or, even worse, you don’t even believe. For the founders who delay and doubt the power of marketing, please have a listen. 

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I never urge anyone to become an entrepreneur. Ever. That’s because I am one. Sometimes, continuing the business could endanger more than your finances. In this episode, I give you five clear signals that, when combined, make it clear you should wind down. Remember, you can always try again later in your life. Always. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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Believe it or not, I used the same fieldwork techniques to build my own B2B brand that I urge you to deploy in my book. In this episode, I explain how I used a flywheel of goodwill connecting tradeshows to LinkedIn to build my business. Fans are critical oxygen for any entrepreneur.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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