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PODCAST

Shelf Talks

Shelf Talks is the go-to podcast for female founders, product-based entrepreneurs, and emerging brands who want to learn how to get their products into retail stores and thrive once they’re there.Hosted by Roberta Townes, a seasoned retail buyer, each weekly episode features unfiltered conversations with founders who’ve landed on shelves at top retailers. You’ll learn exactly how they pitched to buyers, built retail partnerships, scaled wholesale distribution, and grew brand awareness all while

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

25:01

Press Worthy: Gloria Chou’s No-Fluff PR Tips for...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/05/05

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Gloria Chou, an expert in public relations for small businesses. Gloria shares her unique journey from being a US diplomat to becoming a PR coach, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and visibility for female founders. She introduces her CPR pitching method, which focuses on credibility, point of view, and relevance, and provides actionable tips for crafting effective pitches, finding the right journalists, and foll...

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4:54

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Sarah McNamara &...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/05/01

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Sarah McNamara & Rochelle Jacobs, Co-Founders of Naturally Serious Skincare and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Sarah & Rochelle specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). What is the one thing you wish you knew before you launched in retail?What’s one piece of advice you’d give to beauty entrep...

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32:20

Clean Beauty with a Conscience: Sarah McNamara &...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/28

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Sarah McNamara and Rochelle Jacobs, co-founders of Naturally Serious Skin, a clean beauty brand. They discuss their backgrounds in the beauty industry, the inspiration behind their brand, and the innovative product development process that led to their patented blend of ingredients. The conversation also covers their marketing strategies, the importance of consumer feedback, and the challenges they faced in their first yea...

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3:18

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Mika Shino, Founder of...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/23

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Mika Shino, Founder of Issei Mochi Gummies and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Mika specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). What is a learning that you didn’t know until Mochi was actually on retail shelves?What advice would you give to other founders trying to secure their first retail deal?What tra...

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43:08

How Issei Mochi Gummies Found Its Sweet Spot in...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/22

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Mika Shino, founder of Issei Mochi Gummies. Mika shares her journey from working at the United Nations to launching her innovative gummy brand inspired by traditional Japanese mochi. The conversation covers her challenges in product development, the importance of consumer feedback, and her strategies for breaking into major retailers like Whole Foods. Mika discusses her marketing tactics, including winning awards to gain r...

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19:52

SHELF BITES: Navigating Trends and Inventory in a...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/17

Send us a text In this mid week drop, I’m going back in the vault to carve out some insightful tips and learning from past guests. In this clip, Christina Kao discusses the strategic approach to influencer marketing, particularly through platforms like TikTok, and how it has significantly impacted brand visibility and sales. She shares insights on managing inventory challenges in a trend-driven market, the importance of collaborative relationships with retail buyers, and the lessons learned ...

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2:42

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Mehek Khera, Founder of...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/15

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Mehek Khera, Founder of Niramaya Foods and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Mehek specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). What was the most challenging part about securing placement in retail stores?What advice would you give to founders who are just starting out and looking to get into retail?What ar...

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55:36

Feeding Wellness: How Mehek Khera Built a Brand...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/14

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Mehek Khera, founder of Niramaya Foods, who shares her journey from a corporate career to launching her own brand focused on Indian-inspired, health-conscious foods. Mehek discusses the challenges and triumphs of building her brand, including product development, sourcing ingredients, navigating the retail landscape, and responding to consumer feedback. She emphasizes the importance of marrying convenience with nutrition a...

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8:57

SHELF BITES: Producing Inventory at Scale While...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/10

Send us a text In this mid week drop, I’m going back in the vault to carve out some insightful tips and learning from past guests. In this clip Brianna Arps shares her insights on launching a retail product, highlighting the importance of inventory management, marketing strategies, and the power of exclusivity. She emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adapting in the retail landscape, as well as the significance of building strong relationships with retail partners and engaging the...

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1:20

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Brittany Lo, Founder of...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/08

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Brittany Lo, Founder of Beia and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Brittany specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you knew before launching Beia Beauty in retail?What would you say are the benefits of being in retail stores vs selling direct?What’s one piece of...

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55:32

The Business of Beauty: Brittany Lo on Retail,...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/07

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Brittany Lo, founder and CEO of Beia, a beauty brand focused on lifestyle skincare. Brittany shares her journey from starting a beauty service concierge to launching her own product line. The conversation covers the challenges of product development, the importance of market research, and the strategies behind successful retail launches. Brittany emphasizes the significance of storytelling in branding and the need for adap...

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13:16

SHELF BITES: Stand Out & Sell - Differentiation &...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/02

Send us a text In this mid week drop, I’m going back in the vault to carve out some insightful tips and learning from past guests. In this clip talk with Morgan Potts as she shares her entrepreneurial journey with Granarly, a unique granola brand that incorporates whiskey. She discusses the challenges and lessons learned from starting small, navigating retail, and the importance of branding and packaging. Morgan emphasizes the significance of building a core customer base before expanding int...

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2:11

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Keta Burke-Williams,...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/04/01

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with EKeta Burke-Williams, Founder of Ourside Perfume and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Kea specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). What advice would you give to emerging founders in the beauty and fragrance space?What was the biggest challenge you faced when launching Ourside in retail, and what steps ...

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33:05

Inside Ourside: The Fragrance Brand Redefining Luxury...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/31

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside Perfume, who shares her journey from a traditional career path to launching a unique fragrance brand. Keta discusses her early influences, the challenges of breaking into the fragrance industry, and the importance of storytelling in her brand. She highlights the significance of consumer feedback, the transition from D2C to retail, and her experiences with Credo Beauty and Bergdorf Go...

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8:55

SHELF BITES: Navigating the Ups and Downs of...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/27

Send us a text In this SHELF BITES Rachel Klein, founder of Revival Food Co. shares her journey of launching a food product into Walmart, detailing the challenges she faced during production, logistics, and communication with buyers. She recounts a significant labeling issue that led to her products not scanning at registers, and how she navigated these hurdles through effective problem-solving and relationship building. Ultimately, she decided to rebrand her product to overcome the initial n...

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3:25

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Elina Wang, Co-Founder...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/25

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Elina Wang, Co-Founder and CEO of ESW Beauty and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Elina specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). 1. What’s one piece of advice you wish you had known before entering retail? 2. What’s your best advice for beauty brand founders looking to break into major retailers? 3. Ho...

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43:47

How Elina Wang’s Life Pivot Led Her to Launch & Scale...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/24

Send us a text In this conversation, Elina Wang, Co-Founder and CEO of ESW Beauty, shares her journey of launching a clean skincare brand inspired by her personal wellness journey. She discusses the challenges and successes of building her brand, the importance of trade shows, and the strategies she employed for marketing and retail partnerships. Elina emphasizes the significance of community feedback, adapting to market changes, and the evolution of her product offerings as she navigates the...

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4:27

SHELF BITES: Finding People to Help Guide Your Retail...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/19

Send us a text Success in retail isn’t just about having a great product—it’s about building the right connections. In this Shelf Bites episode, we dive into how networking, strategic advisors, and even unexpected encounters helped shape the journey to landing in big-box stores. From leveraging LinkedIn to joining founder groups, Heather and Enwei share their top insights on finding the right people to guide your retail strategy. Tune in to learn how to make connections that can accelerate yo...

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5:40

3 Rapid Retail Questions with Ardean Miller, Founder...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/18

Send us a text Hope you have enjoyed the full episode with Ardean Miller, Founder of Mah Melanin and took away some learning about the readiness it takes to launch in retail stores. On this mini drop, here are 3 powerful questions I asked Ardean specifically about launching into retail stores - Enjoy! (and learn). If another founder told you they wanted to start exploring getting into retail stores, what would you tell them they should do first?What would you say are the benefits of starting...

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57:46

The Power of Representation: Ardean Miller, Founder...

Shelf Talks ·

2025/03/17

Send us a text In this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta interviews Ardean Miller, founder of Mah Melanin, a groundbreaking brand in the gift wrap industry that focuses on diversity and inclusion. Ardean shares her inspiring journey from humble beginnings to becoming the first Black-owned brand to partner with major retailers like Sam's Club and Hallmark. The conversation delves into the challenges she faced, the importance of preparation, and the strategies she employed to successfully la...

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127 results

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