Episodes

On the heels of BevNET Live Summer 2024, the hosts revisit the final round of the New Beverage Showdown and explain why evaluating emerging brands at different stages of development can be challenging. They also highlight a handful of new products and talk about the influx of saucy condiments.

Jean-Charles Boisset, the proprietor of globally renowned wine company Boisset Collection and co-founder of luxury tequila brand Casa Obsidiana, explains why taste, not trends, is at the heart of new business ventures and product development, and what drives consumer communication and marketing.

Frank Sinatra famously crooned "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." The "there," of course, is New York City, which was the backdrop for BevNET Live Summer 2024. In this episode, the hosts reflect on presentations in the semifinal round of the New Beverage Showdown and reveal the details that retail buyers want to hear in pitch meetings.

Andrew Benin, the co-founder and CEO of Graza, talks about how the olive oil brand and viral sensation has developed influencer relationships “at scale,” why taking a bet on the upside has guided its demand planning strategy, being an “early team-led company” versus a founder-led one and his nuanced perspective on profitability.

How did Harken Sweets, an upstart brand of better-for-you candy bars, land placement in the checkout aisles of thousands of Walmart stores just months after its debut? Founder & CEO Katie Lefkowitz explains how she secured and prepared for her pitch meeting with Walmart and why the category buyer said “yes” almost immediately.

Jocko Willink, a decorated, retired Navy SEAL and founder of better-for-you beverage and supplement brand Jocko Fuel, explained why having a “military mindset” means more than you might think and how he empowers his team to navigate the complexities of running a modern consumer brand.

Milan Martin, the founder and CEO of The Free Spirits Company, which markets hand-crafted, non-alcoholic spirits and RTD cocktails, explains his belief that “there’s no such thing as a non-alcoholic cocktail menu anymore,” why flavor improvement is a process, how to convince someone who didn’t like a product the first time to give it a second try and why he’s bullish on the brand’s RTD cocktails.

This episode is the first in a special series in which we examine the state of Black food and beverage entrepreneurship within the CPG landscape. The series highlights conversations on various aspects of the challenges felt by all entrepreneurs filtered through the experience of Black founders.

If you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a retail buyer or merchandiser, this episode, in which we sit down with key executives representing mass, specialty and natural grocery retail chains, is required listening.