In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Roger Velasquez, Co-Founder of The Purple Drop, about introducing chicha morada, a traditional Peruvian drink made from purple corn, to American consumers. Roger shares the realities of moving from a family kitchen to the retail shelf, from sourcing the right ingredients and preserving traditional methods to educating consumers and winning over retail buyers. 

They explore why branding may earn the first purchase, but product experience earns the second, and how sampling, storytelling, and social media can turn unfamiliar flavors into lasting habits. The conversation also examines sustainability, consumer behavior, and the countless operational decisions required to scale a heritage product without compromising its identity. 

Roger Velasquez is a senior media and growth leader with 18+ years of experience building integrated marketing ecosystems for global brands and high-growth businesses. He has led multi-million-dollar investments across CTV, social, search, commerce, sponsorships, and platform partnerships, helping brands accelerate growth through data, creativity, and channel intelligence. Roger is also Co-Founder and Fractional CMO of Purple Drop, a Peruvian purple corn beverage rooted in functional wellness and Latin heritage. He focuses on building culturally grounded, consumer-centric strategies that turn marketing into measurable, repeatable business results.

Roger reveals that every successful product is built on hundreds of decisions consumers never see; from formulation iterations and supplier negotiations to production challenges, distribution logistics, and late-night doubts. For founders and product leaders, the lesson is simple: marketing is only one part of the journey. Before scaling demand, brands need reliable sourcing, consistent production, and a product that works. Operational excellence isn't behind growth; it's what makes sustainable growth possible.

Roger explains why Purple Drop sources its purple corn exclusively from Peru, where regional soil, farming practices, and seasonality influence both flavor and nutritional properties. For CPG leaders, authenticity becomes more than a brand story; it becomes a defensible competitive advantage. While sourcing locally or switching suppliers may appear easier, preserving ingredient specificity can strengthen differentiation, support premium positioning, and give brands a credible reason for consumers and retailers to choose them.

Roger shares a powerful two-stage framework: branding creates curiosity and earns the first purchase, but product experience determines whether consumers return. This is particularly important when introducing unfamiliar global flavors, where expectations can differ dramatically from reality. Purple Drop's experience shows that consumers may initially say, "not what I expected," but return when the taste delivers. For emerging categories, exceptional product experience must ultimately validate the brand promise.

Roger describes the difficult choices involved in scaling a cultural product while protecting its identity. For Purple Drop, sourcing Peruvian purple corn and preserving traditional brewing methods remain non-negotiable, while alternative formats such as powders or concentrates offer room to adapt. The broader lesson for CPG founders is to identify which ingredients and processes define cultural authenticity and competitive advantage, then find flexibility everywhere else. Scaling doesn't require abandoning what makes the product distinctive.

Roger explains why education is essential when introducing consumers to an unfamiliar category. Sampling, social content, retailer education, and demonstrations help answer basic questions and give consumers reasons to incorporate a new product into their routines. For Purple Drop, showing different consumption occasions, from cocktails to everyday meals, helps transform chicha morada from an unfamiliar Peruvian drink into a versatile beverage. Education, Roger argues, isn't simply marketing support; it's part of the distribution strategy.

Roger highlights a significant gap between what consumers say they value and what actually influences their purchases. Despite strong stated interest in sustainability, conversations at consumer events showed that it rarely becomes a priority unless someone prompts the discussion. For CPG brands, the implication is clear: lead with the benefits consumers actively seek- taste, experience, health, or authenticity, and make sustainability a supporting layer. Values can strengthen loyalty, but they don't necessarily drive initial trial.

In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack speaks with Sean Knecht, cofounder of Tantos, and President of PrideBites LLC,  about transforming a chef's accidental discovery into the world's first pasta chip. Sean shares how early sellout launches validated demand, why combining familiarity with novelty lowers the barrier to consumer trial, and how thoughtful branding can make all the difference in a crowded snack aisle. 

He also explains why great taste must come before health messaging, how retailers evaluate emerging brands, and why proving shelf velocity is essential to earning long-term retail placement. Beyond the product itself, Sean offers an honest look at the operational realities of building a CPG company, from inventory forecasting and production planning to managing expiration dates and fulfillment. 

Sean Knecht is the co-founder of Tantos, the first and only pasta chip brand, transforming a casual dinner innovation into a scaled CPG business available in 1,500+ U.S. retail locations. With a background in product validation and entrepreneurship, Sean has built two revenue-generating companies while mastering the intersection of consumer psychology, operational efficiency, and retail dynamics.

Rather than relying on surveys or focus groups, Sean validated demand by releasing three small batches of 500 units that sold out in just 13, 8, and 7 minutes. More importantly, customers kept coming back. Those repeat purchases proved the product had staying power beyond initial curiosity. Sean explains why small, controlled launches can reveal genuine product-market fit while providing better insights than expensive traditional market research.

Sean believes every food brand should solve one problem before anything else: make the product taste exceptional. Health benefits, clean ingredients, and nutrition matter, but they won't drive repeat purchases if consumers don't enjoy eating the product. Working with a Michelin-trained chef ensured Tantos delivered on flavor first, with healthier attributes refined later. For Sean, taste is the foundation of lasting customer loyalty.

Instead of positioning Tantos as a replacement for chips like Doritos or Fritos, Sean introduced it as a new option that complements existing favorites. That simple shift reduced resistance from both retailers and consumers. Because pasta is already universally recognised and loved, the product felt familiar despite being innovative. Sean explains why expanding an established category is often easier than convincing people to embrace something entirely new.

Sean reveals that the name "Tantos" was carefully designed to stand out while feeling instantly familiar. Inspired by iconic snack brands ending in "-os," the name also reflects the company's Italian roots. Since shoppers often make purchasing decisions in just a few seconds, every branding element must quickly communicate confidence and credibility. Sean explains why thoughtful naming can become a powerful competitive advantage on crowded retail shelves.

For Sean, success isn't measured by social media buzz or impressive launch-day sales. The real indicator is how quickly products move off retail shelves and whether retailers continue placing repeat orders. By closely monitoring sales velocity across more than 1,500 stores, Tantos can distinguish genuine consumer adoption from short-lived curiosity. Sean explains why repeat purchases provide the clearest signal that a brand is built for sustainable growth.

Sean shares how managing inventory, production schedules, supplier relationships, forecasting, and expiration dates became just as important as developing the product itself. While these operational challenges are often overlooked, they create a significant competitive advantage for brands that master them. Sean explains why disciplined supply chain management enables sustainable growth and makes it harder for much larger competitors to successfully replicate your success.

In this episode of Behind the Shelf, host Keren Novack sits down with Jacob Trumbull, founder of Roaring Fork Mill, to explore the hidden forces shaping the future of food brands. Jacob reveals why the biggest challenge facing healthier, more sustainable food products isn’t consumer demand; it’s consumer behavior. Together, they unpack the “say-do gap,” where shoppers express interest in better ingredients and sustainable practices but often choose based on convenience, price, and availability. 

Jacob shares lessons from behavioral science, regenerative agriculture, and building a scalable grain ecosystem, explaining why accessibility, shelf placement, and frictionless purchasing matter more than education alone. From redefining the role of transparency to understanding what turns niche products into everyday habits, this conversation reveals how food innovators can build brands that truly connect with consumers and create lasting category change. 

Jacob Trumbull is the Founder of Roaring Fork Mill, a Colorado-based stone mill dedicated to rebuilding local grain systems through regenerative agriculture, heritage grains, and behavioral science-informed food innovation. With a unique background spanning environmental studies, behavioral science, and regenerative farming, Jacob brings a distinctive perspective to why consumers make the food choices they do and how to shift those behaviors at scale. 

Jacob reveals the surprising gap between perception and reality: while 32% of Americans believe they are gluten sensitive, only around 3% actually are. He explains that the issue often comes from highly processed, bleached flour rather than gluten itself. By focusing on better processing methods and heritage grains, Jacob shows how brands can solve real consumer problems, create healthier alternatives, and transform restrictive eating habits into sustainable food choices.

Jacob explains why accessibility, not just product quality or marketing claims, is what separates niche products from mainstream success. He shares how pricing, availability, and shelf placement determine whether consumers actually adopt better food choices. For brands looking to scale, Jacob emphasizes that the distribution strategy must be considered from the beginning. A great product cannot change behavior if shoppers cannot easily find it, afford it, or fit it into their everyday routines.

Jacob explores the power of choice architecture and how retail environments influence consumer decisions. He explains that shelf placement is more than a logistical detail, it is a behavioral science tool that directly impacts discovery and sales. From eye-level positioning to retailer strategy, Jacob reveals why brands must think beyond product development and understand how physical placement affects purchasing behavior, especially when trying to move from specialty markets into mainstream retail.

Jacob breaks down the disconnect between what consumers say they value and what they actually purchase. While shoppers express interest in healthier ingredients and sustainable products, convenience, price, and availability often determine the final decision. He explains why transparency and education alone are not enough to change habits. Brands must remove friction and make better choices easier through accessible pricing, wider distribution, and smarter retail strategies.

Jacob applies the principle of least effort to both online and physical shopping experiences. He explains how small barriers, like a slower checkout process or poor shelf placement, can significantly reduce conversions. For brands, every consumer touchpoint matters, from website design to retail positioning. Jacob highlights that reducing friction is a competitive advantage because even the best products struggle when customers have to work harder to discover, evaluate, or purchase them.

Jacob reveals why national expansion creates unexpected challenges for growing food brands. Moving from local sales to major retailers introduces complex distribution systems, longer approval cycles, database requirements, and increased operational costs. He explains that scaling requires more than a great product—it demands strong business models, careful margin planning, and strategic partnerships. Brands that overlook distribution complexity risk losing profitability even after achieving retail success.

In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Maggie Schmieder, founder of Bitty Balm, to explore how a simple kitchen experiment evolved into a thriving clean beauty brand with an impressive 55% repeat customer rate. Maggie shares the lessons she learned from building products by hand, listening closely to customer feedback, and prioritizing relationships over traditional marketing tactics. The conversation dives into product innovation, brand positioning, consumer trust, and the challenges of standing out in the crowded beauty industry. 

Maggie explains why simplicity can be a competitive advantage, how transparency builds loyalty, and why understanding customers on a personal level creates lasting growth. This episode offers valuable insights for founders, marketers, and anyone interested in building brands that customers genuinely love. 

Maggie Schmieder is the founder of Bitty Balm, a clean beauty brand revolutionizing multi-use cosmetics for health-conscious consumers. A special education teacher and lifelong maker by nature, Maggie identified a critical gap in the beauty market: the near-total absence of dye-free, ingredient-conscious makeup options safe for both kids and adults. Since launching Bitty Balm in February 2024, she has hand-formulated and manufactured every product, earning recognition including a Clean Beauty Award in her first year and placement in premium retail locations across the North Shore of Chicago.

Maggie learned that positioning Bitty Balm as “makeup for girls” limited its appeal because younger consumers aspire to use the same products adults use, not simplified versions designed specifically for them. By shifting from age-based marketing to aspirational, lifestyle-focused positioning, she broadened the brand’s reach and attracted loyal repeat buyers. The experience highlights how values-driven branding can outperform demographic segmentation and create stronger connections across multiple generations of consumers.

Maggie discovered that seemingly minor inconveniences can have a major impact on customer satisfaction and retention. Bitty Balm redesigned packaging so customers could quickly identify colors and transitioned from pots to sticks to improve usability, even though it required significant reformulation and extra production work. By treating small customer frustrations as important product opportunities, she improved the overall experience and strengthened loyalty, proving that repeat business is often earned through thoughtful details rather than large marketing initiatives.

Rather than viewing complaints as problems to resolve quickly, Maggie treats them as opportunities to deepen customer relationships. When a customer questioned product variability, she explained the hand-crafted process behind Bitty Balm and provided personalized guidance to help find the ideal product match. This combination of education, transparency, and individual attention transformed skepticism into trust. Her approach demonstrates how thoughtful service recovery can create stronger loyalty than a frictionless experience and generate powerful word-of-mouth advocacy.

Operating in a crowded beauty market, Maggie built strong repeat purchase rates by prioritizing genuine human relationships over traditional customer acquisition tactics. She invests time in remembering customers, engaging personally at events, and creating meaningful community connections that extend beyond transactions. These authentic interactions frequently lead to referrals, partnerships, and repeat purchases. Her experience challenges brands to view relationship-building not as a supplemental activity but as a primary growth strategy capable of outperforming expensive paid marketing channels.

Maggie argues that many beauty brands rely on complex ingredient stories and exaggerated claims that often confuse consumers. Bitty Balm takes the opposite approach by emphasizing streamlined formulas, transparency, and realistic product benefits. Rather than adding more ingredients or promises, the brand focuses on creating effective products with fewer components and greater clarity. As consumers increasingly value authenticity and regulatory scrutiny rises, simplicity becomes a meaningful form of innovation that helps build trust and differentiation.

In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Jason Burke, founder and CEO of New Primal, to explore the realities of building a food brand that survives, and thrives, on crowded retail shelves. Drawing from his journey of growing New Primal from a homemade jerky business into a brand carried in more than 10,000 stores, Jason shares why consumer behavior is often misunderstood and why repeat purchases matter far more than initial curiosity.

The conversation dives into product development, retail strategy, consumer trust, and the economics of shelf space. Jason explains why familiar products often outperform flashy innovations, how brands should think about expansion, and why authentic credibility is difficult for legacy companies to recreate. He also reveals why taste remains the ultimate competitive advantage, regardless of trends, health claims, or marketing campaigns.

Jason Burke is the founder and CEO of New Primal, a leading clean-label food company whose products are sold in more than 10,000 stores nationwide. Inspired by his parents' health challenges, Jason transformed a homemade jerky recipe into an eight-figure business with multiple #1-selling product lines across jerky, kids' snacks, sauces, and seasonings. Known for challenging industry norms, he has helped prove that clean ingredients can succeed at scale while influencing legacy brands to rethink their products. Jason regularly shares insights on building category-defining consumer brands.

Jason explains that while consumers often claim to prioritize health benefits, certifications, and clean ingredients, their purchasing behavior tells a different story. Taste remains the single most important factor behind repeat purchases. He advises brands to build products around exceptional flavor first and use nutritional benefits as supporting proof points. New Primal succeeded by offering familiar, enjoyable flavors while improving ingredient quality, proving that authenticity and great taste create stronger loyalty than health-focused marketing alone.

Jason shares how New Primal introduced chicken meat sticks by anchoring them to the familiar taste of rotisserie chicken rather than leading with novelty. Consumers are more willing to try something new when they can connect it to a flavor they already understand and enjoy. He argues that successful innovation starts with familiarity, allowing brands to build trust and trial before expanding into more adventurous offerings. Winning the basics first creates the foundation for long-term product innovation.

Jason challenges the common belief that more retail doors automatically create growth. He argues that emerging brands should focus on dominating a smaller group of stores before expanding. Strong repeat purchases and sales velocity create a flywheel that supports profitable scaling, while weak performance across many locations often leads to costly retailer exits. Since most revenue comes from existing customers, building loyalty and performance in core markets is far more valuable than chasing rapid distribution growth.

Jason encourages brands to distinguish lasting consumer movements from temporary industry trends. He points to protein as an example of a long-term shift rooted in human nutrition rather than a recent fad. Instead of relying on trend reports or survey data, he recommends looking for behaviors connected to ancestral eating patterns, nutrient density, and real food. Brands that align with these enduring movements can create sustainable growth opportunities that last for decades rather than a few years.

Jason observes that younger consumers are already highly aware of nutrition and ingredient quality. During a visit to a high school entrepreneurship class, students instinctively examined ingredient labels and nutritional information before tasting products. He believes this signals a permanent shift in consumer expectations. For brands, transparency and clean ingredients are quickly becoming standard requirements rather than competitive advantages. Companies that establish credibility early will be better positioned than legacy brands trying to rebuild trust later.

Jason highlights the hidden financial realities of retail distribution. Emerging brands face the same slotting fees, promotional expenses, and placement costs as major food companies, despite lacking the scale and resources of major food companies. This creates pressure to prioritize carefully and avoid launching too many products too quickly. Understanding these economics helps founders make smarter decisions about retailer partnerships, product portfolios, and expansion plans while avoiding costly distribution opportunities that fail to generate sufficient sales velocity.