#248 - How to Work with a Formulator with Rebecca Urciuolo from BevSource (FB Solutions Group)

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of working with a formulator in building a CPG brand, featuring insights from expert Rebecca Urciuolo.

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Daniel Scharff sits down with Rebecca Urciuolo, a formulator with over 23 years of food and beverage experience at BevSource (FB Solutions Group), to dig into one of the most exciting and most misunderstood parts of building a CPG brand: working with a formulator to bring your product to life. From how to write a great project brief to what happens when things go sideways at the co-manufacturer, Rebecca shares hard-won lessons and insider knowledge that every founder — at any stage — needs to hear. Rebecca opens with a clear message: the best founders are partners, not passengers. They come with a firm goal in mind, stay present through the iteration process, and actively want to learn — because understanding what you don't know will inevitably make your product better. Daniel reflects on his own experience formulating a beverage during the early pandemic days, calling it one of the most joyful parts of his CPG career. The conversation covers the most common early-stage mistakes founders make when approaching a formulator: coming in too vague, being too rigid, or not understanding the regulatory and packaging constraints that shape…

People in this episode

Host: Daniel Scharff

Guest: Rebecca Urciuolo

Topics covered

• formulation
• CPG brand building
• project brief writing
• founder mistakes
• beverage industry

Keywords

• formulator
• CPG
• project brief
• founder
• beverage
• feedback process
• regulatory constraints

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BevSource, FB Solutions Group

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