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 navigating the real challenges of building a product-based business. If you’re ready to turn your product into a retail success story, discover what retail buyers look for, and gain insider tips on wholesale strategy, retail readiness, and in-store growth, this is your podcast. New episodes drop every week, subscribe to Shelf Talks and learn how to get your brand retail-ready and thriving on the shelf. Also if you are looking for more knowledge, host Roberta Townes book 'Shelf Talk: A Step by Step guide to getting your Product in Retail Stores' is available on Amazon.
Episodes
Struggling to get your product in front of retail buyers—even though you know it belongs on the shelf?
In this solo episode of Shelf Talks, I’m breaking down the 5 biggest mistakes product-based founders make when trying to connect with retail buyers and how these missteps could be the exact reason you’re not getting responses, meetings, or retail opportunities.
As a retail buyer with 15+ years of experience, I’ve see...
If you’ve ever felt like your emails are getting lost in a buyer’s inbox or questioned why your retail pitch isn’t landing, this quick-hit segment is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately.
Marisa pulls back the curtain on how to stand out to retail buyers in a saturated market sharing her strategic approach to timing, tailoring, and simplifying your outreach to increase open rates and get real res...
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 sh...
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...
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 p...
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...
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...
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...
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 accoun...
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 ...
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 spac...
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 i...
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 unannou...
In the Retail Readiness Round, Julie breaks down:
- What founders must stop doing when trying to scale in retail
- Why growing too fast can actually kill your brand on shelf
- The importance of repeat purchase, local velocity, and data
- What every founder should do before walking into a buyer meeting
- The mindset required to build a brand that lasts decades — not seasons
If you’re a product-based founder trying to get in...
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 pay...
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 ...
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 i...
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 ...
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 tr...
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 velo...
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