FAQ

My ideal client?

    • Companies with at least 40% GM
    • Companies operating in categories purchased multiple times per month (spreads, beverages, snacks, candy)
    • Hungry for aggressive growth that is sustainable
    • Capable fundraisers
    • Has immersed themselves in my public content 
    • Wants my rare expertise (and believes it’s rare) to be applied to their business
    • Facing an inflection point in their ramp up
    • Willing to let me (1) decide which business questions are relevant; (2) diagnose business performance; (3) and suggest the best solutions that can lead to real growth while working within current budgets
    • Has no hesitation about my fee’s possible impact on their business 
    • Open to a different perspective, though likely testing each piece of advice rather than accepting it blindly.

 

What size companies do you work with?

    • I work with companies of all sizes, but most tend to be at least $500K in trailing 52 week revenue with several years in market. 

 

What expectations of clients do you have?

    • I expect them to understand the difference between a consultant and a business partner.  They realize that change is still dependent on them, but they want to be pointed in the right direction based on what has been successful for other fast-growing premium CPG brands in similar competitive situations. 
    • I expect them to understand the difference between a strategy consultant (growth focused) and an operations consultant (solving internal, ‘mechanical’ issues with the business). I know a lot about CPG start-up operations, but it is not my expertise. I can share the names of folks who can better help here.
    • I expect clients to be ready to be challenged on some or all of their go forward assumptions. The transition from a B2B company to a fully realized B2C growth brand is not easy and you want to be ready for the learning curve.

 

Who will be working with us?

 

What sets you apart from the other management consultants serving premium CPG entrepreneurs?

    • My expertise is based on rigorous case-study research (ongoing) of premium brands that have scaled to nine-figures and the patterns in their strategic execution
    • I’m a Ph.D. holding cultural anthropologist who has spent years understanding how symbolism works in premium CPG to generate trade up and repeat purchase. 
    • I’m a consumer behavior expert who knows how consumers tend to react to trade and consumer marketing tactics across all major channels
    • I offer strategic planning advice built on years of work with some of the most successful food and beverage companies in the world. 
    • I am very direct and candid, holding nothing back (though it’s always done with kindness). I’d rather get you the truth you need to hear, so your business will succeed long-term, than accumulate friends. 
    • I am focused only on manufacturer success. My LinkedIn posts are the best evidence of this. To that end, I have absolutely no referral relationships with trade associations, retailers, brokers or distributors that might otherwise cloud my strategic counsel. 

 

Can you share references for the value of your work or examples of your work?

    • No. I have public testimonials from prior clients on my site for this purpose. If prospective clients are looking to probe for engagement details regarding the post-engagement impact of my advice, they are welcome to network on their own. However, my clients have all signed NDAs to protect the privacy of their business operations from competitors. They are unlikely to share much. I have published a great deal of free content, including a book (!), to demonstrate my expertise and to build your trust as an advisor. See my tips for finding the ideal consultant here.