The Nombase Podcast

Charlie New is the Global Category Merchant for Refrigerated Beverages at Whole Foods Market, overseeing coffee, tea, juice, and soda. He's spent years watching what separates brands that build lasting shelf presence from brands that stall. In this episode, he walks through how he'd approach building a brand, from spending strategy to team building.You will learn:Where Whole Foods Market shoppers are trading down, and where they're still paying a premiumHow the path into Whole Foods Market actually works, from local foragers to global category managersWhich certifications and claims actually matter to shoppers, and how that shifts by categoryWhat separates functional beverage brands that succeed from those that struggle to find a laneHow brands with a cultural or community-rooted story can expand without losing what made them workWhere Charlie would put his money first if he were building a brand today

New York's density makes it one of the best cities to build retail distribution — and one of the hardest to crack. Namik Soltan, founder and CEO of GNGR Labs, spent six years self-distributing into hundreds of NYC bodegas, independents, and chains before handing accounts to a distributor. Sean Rosenberg, founder of Goldie, is about to do the same. In this episode, Namik shares tips with Sean through the exact playbook, store by store.You will learn:How to build a retail footprint in NYC without a distributor, starting from zeroWhat it actually takes to get into bodegas, independents, and regional chainsWhen to bring on a distributor, and how to prep your territory before they arriveHow to use free product, sales sheets, and intro deals to drive trialWhat separates brands that scale past their first 50 stores from those that stallHow self-distribution today sets you up for regional and national growth later

Many founders think private label can compromise opportunities for their brand. Derek Brawley thinks that's backwards. He's spent nearly two decades running private label programs internationally, most recently at Prana, and mentors emerging brands on how to make the most of private label business. In this episode, he makes the case for private label as one of the most underused tools for cash flow, accurate forecasting, and long-term growth — and explains how to use it without compromising the brand you're building.You will learn:Why "brand dilution" is often backwards thinking, and what private label actually protectsHow private label partners deliver forecasting accuracy brands can't get on their ownWhat margins, trade spend, and pricing actually look like compared to selling brandedThe certifications and standards you need to be private label readyHow to pitch private label to retailers, and what buyers are quietly looking forHow to use private label to fund your brand's growth toward a future sale

CVS may not be the first retail opportunity food and beverage brands evaluate, but it's important to know when it can be the right fit. Ashley Czerwien spent two and a half years as a CVS buyer and now manages the CVS relationship at KeHE, and she breaks down what actually needs to be true about your business before CVS makes sense.You will learn:What CVS's 9,000 doors actually look like, and which ones fit your brandThe real submission process, from ECRM events to award lettersWhat CVS costs versus what brands assume it costsThe readiness signals CVS looks for: production, lead times, marketingTwo programs built for emerging brands: Open Air Cooler and Healthy ConsumablesWhat buyers listen for in a category review pitch