Let's Eat with Mark Samuel

We talk frozen fruit, starting in smoothie bars, growing to thousands of distribution points and growth consulting.

We talk better for you cookies, understanding macros, raising capital and offering support to brands.

We talk boiled peanuts, farmers markets, moving to commercial production and brand strategy in CPG.

We talk soups in a pouch, manufacturing in Mexico, the story, the category and what's next.

We talk Latin American brands, where they're made, how they're positioned here in the States and how to identify opportunities for growth.

We talk about the early days of the brand, a huge pivot, learning from the past, the analogy of picking fruit and chopping wood (never giving up) and graphic design.

We talk olives in a pouch, newness to the category, how to compete, and brand packaging.

We talk all things data when it comes to CPG and why that's so important for success, plus how you can scale with a lot less capital.

We talk beans, innovation in a sleepy space, the size of the category and product photography.

We talk nut butter sandwiches, scaling, taking on the big guys and content marketing.

We talk water from Hawaii, logistics, distribution and how to separate the story + talk on influencer agency.

We talk plant based cheese, the market in general, what works and what doesn't, and brand identity.

We talk nutrition and its connection to our physical and mental health.

We talk about starting a company with meat sticks and then creating an additional brand of sauce and seasonings, and how that came to be, plus we talk about influencer marketing. 

We talk frozen foods, innovation in the wings and cheese sticks category, CAN and US distribution, diving into what works, and strategic digital marketing. 

We talk about gut health, how foods affect us, and health in general as it relates to exercise and nutrition. 

We talk about his background in CPG, general investments, what they look for in a company, brand and founder, what the market looks like now and how to get through it. 

We talk seafood, tuna, lobster, mussels, and more, all premium, building out that growing category and growth marketing. 

We talk all things sales when it comes to CPG over the last couple years. 

We talk zero sugar chocolate, working and distributing from home, educating the consumer, and helping brands grow. 

We talk sauces, NorCal, raising capital, Costco, profitability and how to scale on Amazon. 

We talk better for you candy and go-to-retail strategy. 

We talk yogurt, building through social media, guy health and innovation in packaging. 

We talk better for you snacks, specific distribution, innovation, and digital and social marketing.

We talk sales, in the face of all the obstacles happening in CPG today. 

We talk food sauces and sustainability, innovation in that category, direct to consumer and the impact of storytelling. 

We talk granola, state of the CPG space, the brutal headwinds ahead for many brands, plus brokers. 

We talk bone broth, health benefits, growing over the last 8+ years and shopper insights. 

We talk dried fruit and other snacks, vertical integration with facilities in Mexico, owning the P&L and innovation, and helping brands sell on Amazon. 

We talk going from college basketball to making lemon water, mile deep in sales, raising capital and spending to get trial and big revenue, plus matching brands with content creators. 

We talk Liquid Death, going hard after your core customer and advertising with no filter, plus Dude Wipes and Chomps mentioned. 

We talk about upcycled beverages, new category, educating the consumer, and buying experience through tech.

We talk current state of CPG, market fit, and how to scale.

We talk better for you candy, taste and texture, expansion and getting product off the shelf.

We talk all things CPG, from DTC to retail to Costco roadshows, the good, bad and everything in between.

We talk about better for you chocolate, starting yet another CPG brand after seeing the good, bad, and everything in between, and helping brands grow on Amazon. 

We talk frozen pizza, better for you category, the right retailers and PR for the health and wellness space.

We talk beverages, San Francisco, scaling at retail, differentiating with flavor and bridging data between brands and retailers. 

We talk on functional beverages, moving to Bend, leaving a corporate job and advising those in CPG.

We talk protein bars, rebrand, lay of the land in CPG today (not all good), and branding and packaging. 

We talk about his book, Ramping Your Brand, and dive into all things growth, packaging, capital needs, trial, velocity, and more. If you're in CPG, read or listen to his book, and hopefully listen to this, it's just a glimpse of the knowledge he has in CPG. 

We talk cookies, improving margin, distribution, innovation with protein and branding. 

We talk frozen section, kids smoothies, convenience and all things CPG design. 

We talk beverages, launching with experience in digital, going to retail instead of DTC, and marketing. 

We talk investors, early stage investment, the contacts they have, how to present, what to know and how to be prepared. 

We talk beverages, working on a small budget and being scrappy, testing DTC before any retail launch and working with good food brokers. 

We talk about Magic Spoon's recent $85M raise, what investors are looking for in founders, market fit, unit economics and more.

We talk better nutrition for pets, price points at premium, and CPG strategy. 

We talk fresh fruit, then frozen, regional farmers, growing to 4K doors and how to sell on amazon. 

We talk founder's, personality, story telling, sales decks, and 3 key ingredients needed to help sell a CPG product into retail.