Startup Confidential

This is a cautionary episode as the worst of the worst deal hunters and predators are out in force trying to find something to sell before interest rates spike. And those of you with boards may find individuals suddenly advocating for an exit. Don’t be bullied into exiting prematurely due to temporary market forces on Wall Street. Have a listen.  Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

The most practical thing for female founders to do in the face of investor sexism is a) seek money from female-only funds or b) learn how to negotiate a stronger impression to disarm skeptical male investors. But, in this episode, I want to share a structural solution publicly that investment firms could easily employ…if they wanted. Have a listen. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

It’s not hard to groan at the crazy sums food/tech crossover companies are able to raise these days. Bright Farms was one of the early mega-fundraisers in the urban/indoor farming trend. In this episode, I explore what I’ve learned from publicly available data points on the surprisingly strong performance of this 11-year old business. It’s still an early-stage company, but, like Vital Farms, before it, it may wind up surprising us all in another ten years.  Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

 In this episode, I explain the history of consumer data in CPG companies and why understanding about your fans is no longer a luxury for early-stage brands intent on scaling rapidly. Yet, most early-stage consumer brands just don’t collect this info after they enter the market. They are throwing away critical intelligence they can use to iterate and optimize all 4Ps of growth. And given that your competitor is probably NOT doing this, it’s the ultimate competitive tool.  A must listen as you begin 2022.  Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

 In part two of our conversation, things get more constructive. Jeremy Smith of Launchpad shares thoughts on how brokers are better off functioning as account-specific consultants in today's world. Or as generalized retail sales coaches. He shares how he does this for clients selling into Costco, one of the more fussy and complex accounts founders will hopefully end up serving. And shares invaluable tips on how to really prepare for buyer meetings like a pro. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

This is part one of my conversation with Jeremy Smith of Launchpad on the future of brokers. Jeremy Smith is most likely the most successful Costco broker/advisor out there. We discuss where brokering went wrong, the myths, and the false promises of bad actors in the sector. You don't want to miss his amazing sense of humor. He pulls no punches. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

 In this episode, I ask founders to consider how they would feel if they took investment capital and then saw an inexperienced puppet CEO with a fancy resume replace them as the operating leader. Listen in to understand why this happens still and how to avoid this scenario.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

There’s nothing wrong with having a mission unrelated to the consumer experience of a product. Could be climate change. Could be recycling. Could be supporting women’s empowerment. But, you have to decide what kind of missionary you are before you use a CPG brand to pursue it. Learn why by tuning in to this episode! Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

 Are you a ‘professional’ entrepreneur or just an amateur founder? Start-up land is full of folks new to their industry and even new to capitalism itself. The hordes of amateurs are one reason that public firm employees look down on start-ups traditionally. But, increasingly, even in CPG, there is a caste hierarchy between the pros and the newbs. Despite the disadvantage new founders face, more and more are professionalizing to succeed, very well. But the need to professionalize is more urgent than ever if you want to compete with the growing number of pros in the space.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

 In this episode, I look back to explain why I tossed away $250,000 in billable work as I grew my own business and why my rationale is simply a B2B version of what you should be doing as you plot your own path to scale. Strategic growth requires saying ‘no.’ In CPG, you will actually have to say ‘no’ more as you start getting traction and industry visibility. That’s an irony that professional services firms rarely encounter.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.comYour Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com