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PODCAST

Shelf Talks

Shelf Talks is the podcast for female founders, CPG entrepreneurs, and product-based business owners who want to get their products into retail stores and build brands that thrive once they"re on the shelf.Hosted by Roberta Townes, a retail buyer with more than 15 years of experience discovering and launching products at national retailers, each weekly episode features honest conversations with female founders who have successfully landed on retail shelves. Together, they pull back the curtain on

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

41:36

From Family Business to Retail Powerhouse: How Marisa...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/03/23

Send us Fan Mail If you're a product-based founder trying to get into retail stores—and actually stay there—this episode is your blueprint. In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Marisa Sergi, CEO and co-founder of a multi-brand wine company, to break down what it really takes to build a retail-ready brand, pitch buyers with confidence, and scale from small beginnings to major retail shelves across the country. Marisa shares her journey from earning just $500 paychecks while starting...

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10:13

How to Follow Up With Retail Buyers After a Trade Show

Shelf Talks ·

2026/03/16

Send a text Trade shows like Expo West are exciting for product founders. You spend months preparing your booth, sampling your product, and finally getting the chance to meet retail buyers face-to-face. But here’s what many founders don’t realize: Getting your product into retail stores rarely happens at the trade show itself. It happens in the follow-up. In this solo episode of Shelf Talks, I’m breaking down 5 strategic ways to follow up with retail buyers after a trade show so your brand st...

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3:39

Rapid Retail Questions with Jing Gao, Founder of Fly...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/03/11

Send a text In this special Retail Readiness Round from Shelf Talks, Fly By Jing founder Jing Gao shares what it really takes for a product-based business to succeed in retail. If you're a founder working toward getting your product onto store shelves, this rapid-fire segment breaks down the essential elements buyers and retailers expect before saying yes. Jing dives into the fundamentals of retail readiness, including why proof of concept matters, how a clear value proposition should show up...

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43:23

How Jing Gao Built Fly By Jing From Supper Clubs to...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/03/09

Send a text What does it take to turn a cultural idea into a global CPG brand—and land on thousands of retail shelves? In this episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta Townes sits down with Jing Gao, Founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, the flavor-forward food brand that brought authentic Sichuan flavors into mainstream grocery stores across the U.S. Before Fly By Jing became a breakout CPG success found in Whole Foods, Target, Costco, Walmart, and 12,000+ stores, Jing was hosting supper clubs around the w...

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5:19

MINI DIVE TRADE SHOWS: She Didn’t Just Blend In at...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/27

Send a text Trade shows aren’t just about foot traffic they’re about getting in the right rooms. In this final Expo mini dive, Brittany Lo shares how exhibiting at a major beauty trade show led directly to landing her first retail account with Neiman Marcus and eventually opening doors with Urban Outfitters and Free People. We talk about: • Using trade shows strategically to meet buyers • Why industry expos aren’t about consumers — they’re about retail relationships • The po...

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8:06

MINI DIVE TRADE SHOWS: She Went to Expo West Without...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/26

Send a text What if you went to Natural Products Expo West… without finished product? In today’s mini dive, Jess Berger, founder of Bundle x Joy, shares how she showed up to Expo West with mock-up packaging, no confirmed retailers, and massive MOQs hanging over her head — knowing she had to make something happen. Instead of waiting until everything was perfect, she leaned into scrappiness, bold differentiation, and a clear retail pitch. The result? A retail opportunity that changed the trajec...

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9:34

MINI DIVE TRADE SHOWS: How to Use Trade Shows to Get...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/25

Send a text In this Trade Show Mini Dive, Olivia Abrams, co-founder of TiCK MiTT, shares how she strategically used viral social media momentum and in-person trade shows to break into retail without a massive budget or elaborate booth build. From exhibiting at Global Pet Expo with a simple 10x10 booth… to capturing the attention of major buyers… to intentionally starting in independent retailers before scaling into larger accounts, this conversation is a masterclass in scrappy, smart retail g...

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8:14

MINI DIVE TRADE SHOWS: She Almost Didn’t Submit… Then...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/24

Send a text With Natural Products Expo West right around the corner, today’s Shelf Talks mini dive is one every CPG founder needs to hear. In this clip from my conversation with Molly Blakeley, founder of Molly Bz Cookies, we dive into what really happens behind the scenes at major trade shows. Think: • Last-minute product pivots • Packaging mishaps • Running across massive expo halls on zero sleep • Imposter syndrome when you’re surrounded by legacy brands • And...

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12:43

MINI DIVE TRADE SHOWS: She spent $20K on Her First...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/23

Send a text This is a mini clip from my full conversation with Jia Liao, founder of Hot Pot Queen pulled especially since we are nearing Expo West week. In this short drop, Jia shares the story of launching her brand the exact same day she showed at Natural Products Expo West. One day old. No retail accounts. And a booth build-out she now admits she didn’t need to spend that much on. From hiring a company to custom-build her space to flying to California to film a promo video, she went all in...

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2:13

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Toni Covington,...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/18

Send a text In this Retail Readiness Round of Shelf Talks, I put Toni Covington in the hot seat for three rapid-fire questions every product-based founder needs to hear. If you’re preparing to pitch your first retail buyer, this segment is key for some major gems. Toni shares why understanding your consumer is non-negotiable and how something as simple as visualizing your product on a specific retailer’s shelf (and putting that image directly into your pitch deck) can elevate your buyer prese...

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48:32

How Toni Covington, Co-Founder of Oktane Energy,...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/16

Send a text What does it really take to break into C-stores and hospitals in one of the most competitive categories in CPG? In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Toni Covington, Co-Founder & CEO of Oktane Energy, to unpack how she scaled a clean energy drink brand into 120+ C-store locations — without outside investors. Toni shares how Oktane: Landed its first distribution deal by walking into a warehouse unannouncedSold out at Olympia and used that momentum to growPivoted and r...

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5:08

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Julie Smolyansky, CEO...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/11

Send a text In the Retail Readiness Round, Julie breaks down: What founders must stop doing when trying to scale in retailWhy growing too fast can actually kill your brand on shelfThe importance of repeat purchase, local velocity, and dataWhat every founder should do before walking into a buyer meetingThe mindset required to build a brand that lasts decades — not seasonsIf you’re a product-based founder trying to get into retail stores, stay on shelf, and build a brand with real staying power...

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52:55

How Lifeway Foods Went from Immigrant Startup to...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/09

Send us a text On this episode I’m sitting down with Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, a true retail powerhouse who took over a public company at just 27 years old and helped turn kefir into a nationally recognized category. In this episode, Julie shares: ✨ How Lifeway grew from an immigrant family business to nationwide retail shelves ✨ The scrappy, unconventional strategies they used to get into stores without paying slotting fees ✨ What it’s like leading through doubt, b...

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2:47

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Kim Brown, Founder &...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/04

Send us a text Getting into retail isn’t just about having a great product it’s about being retail ready before you ever sit across from a buyer. In this Retail Readiness Round bonus episode of the Shelf Talks podcast, Roberta sits down with Kim Brown, founder of CocoExo, to break down the non-negotiables every product-based founder must have in place to win shelf space and stay there. Kim shares real, practical insights on: Why inventory clarity and pricing can make or break your first retai...

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42:47

Pricing, Scaling & Trade Shows: Lessons from Kim...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/02/04

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta sits down with Kim Brown, founder of CocoXo Body Care Love, to break down what it really takes to build a product-based brand that’s ready for retail and stay on shelf. Kim shares her journey from making body butters in her kitchen to landing in independent retailers, TJ Maxx, Macy’s, and retail channels, all without shortcuts. This conversation is packed with real-world insight on pricing for retail, scaling production, navigating t...

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8:14

Olivia Abrams Co-Founder of TiCK MiTT Talks Shark Tank

Shelf Talks ·

2026/01/22

Send us a text What does it really take to walk into the Shark Tank — and walk out stronger as a founder? In this episode clip from this week's full episode, Roberta sits down with Olivia Abrams, co-founder of TiCK MiTT, to unpack her unforgettable journey from building a mission-driven product to pitching on Shark Tank’s season finale and Mark Cuban’s final episode ever. Olivia shares the behind-the-scenes reality of getting on Shark Tank (including the surprising referral that landed ...

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3:47

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Tina Chamoun, Founder...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/01/21

Send us a text In this Retail Readiness Round, Roberta sits down with Tina Chamoun, Founder of Terranean Herbs, to break down what it really takes to prepare for retail success. Tina shares practical, buyer-focused advice for founders getting ready to pitch their first retail buyer—why having accurate data, a clear story, and a category-first mindset matters more than hype. She explains how founders should position themselves as true partners to buyers by focusing on how their product will gr...

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44:42

From Law to Lebanese Flavors: How Founder Tina...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/01/19

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta sits down with Tina Chamoun, founder of Terranean Herbs, to unpack her journey from practicing law to building an authentic Lebanese food brand now stocked in grocery stores across the country. Tina shares how she turned a culturally rooted product into a retail-ready brand scaling with intention, navigating early retail without a pitch deck, and learning what truly drives velocity once you’re on shelf. From pricing strategically and leve...

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2:29

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Psyche Terry, Founder...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/01/14

Send us a text In this Retail Readiness Round, Psyche Terry—co-founder of Urban Hydration—drops unfiltered, real-world advice every product-based founder needs before pitching a retail buyer and after landing on shelf. Psyche shares: The non-negotiables founders must know before their very first buyer conversation (hint: margins matter more than you think)The most underrated skill required to win and stay on shelf—especially when things don’t go as plannedThe key metric founders must track cl...

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50:54

Plant-Based Innovation, Retail Strategy & Impact: The...

Shelf Talks ·

2026/01/12

Send us a text What does it really take to build a shelf-ready brand that lasts in retail? In this episode of Shelf Talks, I’m joined by Psyche Terry, founder and CEO of Urban Hydration, one of the fastest-growing Black-owned, plant-based beauty brands in mass retail. From TJ Maxx to Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Ulta, Psyche shares the real journey behind scaling a purpose-driven brand into national retail—without hype, shortcuts, or overnight success. We dive deep into what founders ...

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180 results

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