Shelf Talks
Shelf Talks is the podcast for female founders, CPG entrepreneurs, and product-based business owners who want to get their products into retail stores and build brands that thrive once they're on the shelf. Hosted by Roberta Townes, a retail buyer with more than 15 years of experience discovering and launching products at national retailers, each weekly episode features honest conversations with female founders who have successfully landed on retail shelves. Together, they pull back the curtain on how they pitched buyers, built wholesale partnerships, scaled distribution, increased brand awareness, and overcame the challenges of growing a product-based business. Whether you're preparing for your first retail pitch or looking to expand into more stores, you'll gain practical strategies for retail readiness, wholesale growth, buyer expectations, merchandising, and increasing sell-through once your product hits the shelf. If you're ready to turn your product into a retail success story, you're in the right place. New episodes drop every week. Subscribe to Shelf Talks and learn what it really takes to get your brand retail-ready and winning in stores. Looking for even more retail guidance? Roberta's book, Shelf Talk: A Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Product in Retail Stores, is available on Amazon.
Episodes
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a retail buyer is that bigger isn’t always better, especially when you’re building a brand.
That’s why I’m bringing back this Founder's Flashback episode, which has become the most-listened-to episode in Shelf Talks history.
In this solo episode, I break down 10 reasons why starting in local retail can give emerging brands a powerful advan...
What does it really take to build a product-based brand and get it onto retail shelves?
In this Founder’s Flashback episode of Shelf Talks, I revisit my conversation with Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside, a luxury fragrance brand built around bold, intentional scents, storytelling, and self-expression.
Keta’s entrepreneurial journey is especially compelling because she didn’t come from the fra...
Originally aired in May 2025. Re-released because the lessons are just as relevant today.
Some podcast conversations are worth revisiting, and this is one of them.
When this episode first aired, Candace Wu, co-founder of Wonder Monday, shared how she disrupted the traditional cheesecake category with a high-protein, low-sugar, gluten-free dessert and the strategy behind getting onto retail shelves.
Since then, Wonder M...
Getting a meeting with a retail buyer is a huge accomplishment. Walking out of that meeting feeling confident, only to receive a "no," can be frustrating.
In this solo episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta Townes breaks down the five biggest reasons great products still get rejected by retail buyers, even when the product itself is strong.
You'll learn:
• Why timing matters more than most founders realize
...
Every great retail brand starts with a story.
In this Retail Readiness Round, Alysa Seeland, founder of Fond Bone Broth, shares the deeply personal experience that inspired her business. After facing a serious postpartum health crisis, Alysa discovered the healing power of bone broth and turned that journey into a mission-driven brand that's helping consumers nourish themselves with real food.
Her story is a powerful ...
What does it really take to build a premium brand that retailers believe in?
In this episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta Townes sits down with Alysa Seeland, founder of FOND Regenerative, to discuss the journey from selling bone broth at local farmers markets to becoming a nationally distributed brand found in Whole Foods, Sprouts and Albertsons.
Alysa shares how customer feedback shaped every product, why authentic relat...
Getting your product onto a retailer's shelf is only the beginning.
In this Retail Readiness Round, Belle Robinson, founder of ROXII Supercube, shares three quick but powerful lessons every product founder should hear before pursuing retail.
You'll learn:
• Why you need to know exactly where your product belongs before pitching.
• The biggest mistake founders make after getting into stores.
• Why pop-ups and ...
What happens when you realize the wellness aisle is too complicated?
Belle Robinson did something no one else had done before.
Instead of another powder, capsule, or ready-to-drink beverage, she created ROXII Supercube, nutrient-infused functional ice cubes designed to make wellness as simple as dropping ice into your favorite drink.
In this episode of Shelf Talks, Belle shares:
• How a trip to Expo West changed everyth...
Thinking about getting your product on retail shelves? Start here.
In this Retail Readiness Round of Shelf Talks, Hannah Perez, co-founder of SEEQ shares three actionable insights every founder should hear before pursuing retail growth.
In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why attending Expo West can fast track your learning as a CPG founder
• How connecting with founders already selling in retail can open doors and help...
What does it really take to build a category defining consumer brand?
In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Hannah Perez, Co Founder of SEEQ, to talk about the journey from a simple product idea to becoming one of the fastest growing brands in the clear protein category.
Hannah shares how saying yes to opportunities, validating the product with real consumers, and building an authentic social media presence ...
What does it really take to succeed in retail after you've landed on the shelf?
In this Retail Readiness Round, Lindsay Holden, co-founder of Odele Beauty, shares three powerful lessons every founder needs to hear before pursuing retail growth.
Lindsay challenges the common belief that getting into retail means you've "made it," explaining why the real work begins once your products hit store shelves. She also reveals...
How do you build a beauty brand that earns shelf space at Target, Ulta, Walmart, and CVS and keeps growing once it's there?
In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Lindsay Holden, Co-Founder of Odele Beauty, to discuss her incredible journey from being a Target merchant to building one of the most recognized clean hair care brands in mass retail.
Lindsay shares the strategic decisions that helped Odele disrupt...
What separates brands that stay local from those that scale nationally? According to Rachel Krupa, founder of The Goods Mart, it starts with passion, purpose, and the willingness to build something bigger than just a product.
In this Retail Readiness Round, Rachel shares the early signs of brands destined for retail success, why packaging is often the first thing that drives product discovery, and why emerging brands...
What if the best retail strategy isn’t going national—but going local first?
In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Rachel Krupa, Founder and CEO of The Goods Mart, the better-for-you convenience store concept redefining what discovery, community, and retail can look like. From launching her first store without a business plan to becoming a platform that helps emerging brands gain exposure in hot...
In this Retail Readiness Round, Karishma Thawani and Tekla Black get tactical about what actually keeps a brand on shelf. They break down which communities and trade shows delivered real value, why founders should prioritize velocity and density over vanity door counts, and how demos, retailer relationships, promotions, and full-margin math determine whether retail becomes profitable growth or an expensive lesson.
If...
This week's Shelf Talks Podcast I sat down with Karishma Thawani and Dr. Tekla Black founders of KEY energy.
From Karishma's personal health journey that inspired the idea to Tekla's deep expertise in nutrition science and retail strategy, they share how complementary skills, consumer research, and relentless persistence helped them launch into retail and secure placements with retailers like Erewhon, Market District...
In this Retail Readiness Round, Stacie Skinner, founder of Superb Bakehouse, shares three powerful insights every founder should hear before pursuing retail growth.
From knowing when you're truly ready for retail to preparing for buyer meetings and staying connected to the joy behind your business, Stacie offers practical advice grounded in her journey from farmers markets to national retail shelves.
In this short but...
What happens when a mom can't find safe, nutritious, and delicious food for her child with severe food allergies?
She creates it herself.
In this episode of Shelf Talks, I sit down with Stacie Skinner, founder of Superb Bakehouse, to discuss how a homemade solution for her son's food allergies evolved into a nationally distributed frozen waffle brand found on retail shelves across the country.
Stacie shares her remarka...
Denise Woodard didn’t launch into national retail overnight. Before building Partake Foods into the powerhouse brand it is today, she was hand-unloading pallets, storing inventory in a storage unit, and walking into stores with cookies in a backpack.
In today’s Shelf Talks episode, we’re revisiting a part of my powerful conversation from October 2025 where Denise shares the scrappy, early-stage stra...
Sarela Herrada, co-founder and CEO of SIMPLi, joins Shelf Talks for a candid conversation packed with actionable retail insights every product-based founder needs to hear before pitching buyers and launching into stores.
If you're trying to get your brand into retail shelves in the next 6–12 months, this episode breaks down what actually makes a product retail-ready beyond simply having a great product. Sarela ...
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