UMAI Social Circle

#25: Early Stage Essentials for CPG with Sari Kimbell

Join Alison and Karin, Co-Founders of UMAI Marketing, as they talk CPG business tips that brands need to know before marketing with Sari Kimbell, founder of Sari Kimbell Coaching. Learn all about what you could be forgetting, and what you need to be keeping in mind, with running your CPG business.

#24: Get to Know the Ins and Outs of Food and Beverage CPG with Consultant Trish W.

Join Karin and Alison, co-founders of Umai Marketing, as they interview Trish Wesevich, founder of Capital Kitchens and LaunchPoint Culinary Services. Get the inside scoop on challenges and some key tips on how to start and grow your dream CPG business.

#23: Navigating In-Person Brand Activations with Dragon Spirits Marketing

Dragon Spirits founder Lamar Romero joins Alison and Karin to discuss his brand activation strategy in a post-pandemic world, offers hope in the form of humanity’s need to congregate, and shares his business philosophy. Romero revolutionized the brand ambassador marketplace by creating a more inclusive workplace. He does not believe in the need to hire models to sell products, instead focusing on personality and work ethic. The result is a flourishing business specializing in the marketing of wineries, distilleries, breweries, and consumer products. Romero is always thinking ahead. In a world filled with uncertainties, he’s prepared Dragon Spirits to be a certainty within the marketing industry.

#22: Formulating Authentic Better-For-You Products With Marissa Epstein

You’re at the grocery store, heading down the chip aisle. 💭 There’s a bag of fairtrade plantain crisps to your right and a box of sustainably packaged pretzels to your left. As a mindful consumer with an equal appetite for both flavors, you’re torn. So… as a CPG brand or marketer, how can we ease the burden of choice for our customers? We’ve invited Marissa Epstein of Springdale Ventures onto the pod to address exactly that! Y’all, this is a big deal. 👏  Marissa has worked with emerging brands to build innovative products, technology, and services for 10+ years. And, she led nutrition initiatives at The White House alongside Michelle Obama!!! For more from us, head to umaimarketing.com

#21: Joi Chevalier on Thoughtful, Repeatable Management Systems

If you wanna work smarter, not harder, you’ve got to MoSCoW it! And, we’re not talking about the mule variety. 🍸It’s an acronym for… M - Must have, S - Should have, C - Could have, W - Won't have. Or, creating priority-based systems that truly move the needle. Joi Chevalier is the Founder and CEO of The Cook’s Nook - a culinary incubator at the intersection of food and tech made for CPG entrepreneurs as well as the plethora of professionals needed to develop consumer products. Many more thoughtful nuggets of wisdom await on this episode of UMAI Social Circle. For more from us, head to umaimarketing.com

#20 Financial Planning Success with The Good Food CFO

The Good Food CFO, Sarah Delevan, breaks down the best processes and strategies for creating and implementing a stand-out financial model that will help your business become more profitable.

#19: Andy Kurtts Unwraps the Mysteries of Branding and Packaging Design

Alison picks Buttermilk Creative’s Founder, Andy Kurtts’, brain to discover the inside scoop on branding and packaging. Find out what buyers look for, how to draw consumers in for a bite, and the small details that can make or break packaging.

#18: Food Styling and Product Photography Tips with Ashleigh Amoroso

Photographer, Food Stylist, and Educator Ashleigh Amoroso joins the podcast to discuss what CPG brand owners should know leading up to that big day. She’s worked with such household names as Magnolia Home (Chip and Joanna Gaines, how cool?!), Patron, and Tillamook - now, she’s sharing some of those lessons learned with YOU. Ya better listen.

#17: Amplify Snack Brands’ Sr. Supply Chain Planner Explains Big-Picture Inventory Strategy

How MUCH of your product should you STOCK? Whether it’s your first product run or your 100th - it’s a question you’re continuously asking yourself! While it’s tempting to consult your nearest fortune teller on this matter, it’s 100% not recommended. 🙅 Instead, check out this interview with Ellen Wilson! She’s Amplify Snack Brands’ very own Senior Supply Chain Planner and answering the above question for clean snack brands is her expertise... For more from us, head to umaimarketing.com

#16: Surviving to Thriving on Grocery Shelves with Alli Ball, Creator of Retail Ready®

Of course your product is delicious! But, that’s just the baseline. 😜 It takes so much more work to get your product on to grocery shelves AND into consumers’ pantries. Luckily, we have Alli Ball on our latest episode of the pod - spilling the beans on retail success! She’s the creator of Retail Ready®, host of the Food Biz Wiz® Podcast, and founder of her own CPG consulting business. And together, we discuss: 1) Problems for growing CPG brands to avoid, 2) how smaller CPG retail brands can stand out on the shelves, and 3) how to form a stronger bond with your grocery buyers + retailers. Plus, many more juicy tidbits that we know extra-small to small to medium CPG biz owners need to hear. Ya better listen now!! For more from us, head to umaimarketing.com