Blog
Insights on fundraising, retail, margins, and scaling CPG brands from Jeff Church and the CPG Founders Group.
The CPG Founder's Playbook - Every Play You Need to Launch and Scale Your Brand
23 battle-tested plays from Jeff Church covering KPIs, fundraising, gross margins, trade spend, retail strategy, team building, and more. The complete operating system for CPG founders.
The CPG Pivot Playbook: How to Change Direction Without Losing Everything
How Suja survived Coca-Cola's rejection by making one brutal product pivot. Jeff Church shares the framework for knowing when and how to change direction.
What Building Suja Really Cost Me: The Thing Nobody in CPG Talks About
Jeff Church shares what 8 years of building Suja to $300M really cost him — burnout, rehab, and near-misses — and the 5 lessons for protecting yourself while you build.
The Product Mix Trap: How One Decision Moved Suja's Gross Margin 8 Points
Jeff Church reveals how killing 12% margin kombucha for 60% margin wellness shots moved Suja's gross margin from 32% to 40% and saved the company.
The CPG Make vs. Buy Decision: When to Build Your Own Manufacturing
Jeff Church breaks down when CPG founders should invest in vertical integration vs. co-manufacturing, with real numbers from Suja's journey from 28% to 50% gross margins.
The CPG Trade Show Playbook: How to Make Expo West Work for Your Brand
Most CPG founders waste $40K+ at Expo West. Here's how to prepare, who to target, and what follow-up actually converts conversations into purchase orders.
The Strategic Investor Playbook: What I Learned from Coca-Cola's $90M Check
Jeff Church shares the real lessons from landing — and nearly losing — Coca-Cola's $90M investment in Suja Juice. A CPG founder's guide to strategic investors.
CPG Influencer Marketing: What Actually Works (and What's Just Expensive Noise)
Most CPG brands waste influencer budgets chasing followers. Here's the framework every CPG founder needs before signing a creator deal.
Retail Media Networks: The New Trade Spend Every CPG Founder Needs to Understand
Walmart Connect, Target Roundel, Kroger Precision Marketing — retail media is the fastest-growing budget line in CPG. Here's how to spend it right.
How to Take a Price Increase in CPG Without Getting Delisted
When ingredient costs spike, CPG founders freeze. Here's how to take a price increase that retailers accept and consumers don't abandon.