Nombase Podcast

Consumers are increasingly turning to AI to discover products and decide what to buy. But how do you get your brand recommended? Deana Burke, co-founder of tech media company Boys Club, has studied thousands of AI shopping searches and even got a fictional brand recommended in just three weeks. She shares what she's learned about the new AI shelf and practical ways brands can improve visibility, stand out from competitors and get recommended. You will learn: How AI platforms decide which brands to recommend How to find searches where you can outperform competitors What website and product information improves AI visibility How to test your brand's visibility across AI platforms and spot missed opportunities How smaller brands can compete with established players for AI recommendations

The obvious path to growth isn't always the right one for your product. Burlap & Barrel has built a successful spice business by making some decidedly unconventional choices about where it sells, how it reaches consumers and what it refuses to compromise. Founder Ethan Frisch joins Sourcery founder Bhavna Kolakaluri, to dig into the creative ways brands can work around the realities of their products instead of forcing them into a growth model that doesn't fit. You will learn: How to decide whether coveted retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's actually make sense for your business How to sell a product that's difficult to sample through traditional in-store demos How to make a premium product feel worth the money when consumers are watching their spending How to work around long production cycles using multiple sales channels and other operational strategies How changing something as simple as case-pack size can make your product work for smaller retailers

Every brand eventually changes something big — price, packaging, format, the category it sits in — and that puts existing distribution on the line. After raising its prices to match true production costs, Vermont Creamery walked away from an unprofitable Walmart relationship, then earned its way back into 400 stores. Tuyyo Foods fell off roughly 1,100 doors of shelf space after a merger brought a full rebrand and repackaging. Harrison Kahn, President and GM of Vermont Creamery, and Stephanie Garcia Turner, co-founder and CCO of Tuyo Foods, break down how to make a major change and still get your retail partners to come along for the ride. You will learn: How to notify and prep retail buyers before a repackaging or UPC change, so your product doesn't quietly fall off shelf What to do when a retailer's promotional demands push your pricing below what your product actually costs to make How to build a compelling case for re-entry after leaving a retailer, including what data and proof points actually move a buyer How to prioritize which retail partners and categories to carry forward after a merger or repositioning, instead of trying to keep everyone What to do the moment a retailer signals your velocity is too low and discontinuation is on the table

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 premium How the path into Whole Foods Market actually works, from local foragers to global category managers Which certifications and claims actually matter to shoppers, and how that shifts by category What separates functional beverage brands that succeed from those that struggle to find a lane How brands with a cultural or community-rooted story can expand without losing what made them work Where Charlie would put his money first if he were building a brand today

Most founders think getting a distributor is the hard part. Scott Rosenbaum, co-host of the Business of Drinks podcast, has spent 20 years in beverage alcohol distribution and knows landing one is just the beginning. In this episode, he mentors Daeyna Grant, a first-time founder building Gold Crush, an RTD rum-based cocktail, one bar and liquor store at a time. Together, they break down what it actually takes to land the right distributor — and how to make the relationship work once you do. You will learn: What a distributor actually owes you — and what you still have to earn on your own How to get a distributor's attention before you have much leverage The trade-off between a bigger distributor and one that can give your brand more attention What data and reporting you should expect — and how to fill the gaps when you don't get it How to build enough demand that distributors start coming to you instead of the other way around

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 protects How private label partners deliver forecasting accuracy brands can't get on their own What margins, trade spend, and pricing actually look like compared to selling branded The certifications and standards you need to be private label ready How to pitch private label to retailers, and what buyers are quietly looking for How to use private label to fund your brand's growth toward a future sale

Building a differentiated brand is only half the battle. The other half is making sure consumers actually understand why it matters. Join Sahra Nguyen, founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, and Kyle Nguyen, co-founder of Lucky Ox, to discuss one of the biggest challenges growing brands face: how to stay true to what makes your product unique while communicating it in a way that resonates with mainstream consumers. You will learn: How to figure out what consumers actually care about—and build your messaging around it instead of your assumptions How to use Meta ads, Google Search Console, and customer reviews to test positioning before investing in it Why "meeting consumers where they are" isn't always the right strategy—and when to lean harder into what makes your brand different How to decide where limited retail marketing dollars will have the biggest impact on trial and velocity How to simplify product names, packaging, and messaging without losing what makes your brand unique How to identify merchandising problems that quietly hurt sales—and what brands can do to fix them Why PR should support your business strategy, not become your business strategy