20 Episodes of re:COGs Reveals Essential Insights and Dives Deep into Operational Strategies for Growing Consumer Brands
Manufactured is proud to announce a media milestone with its new podcast, “re:COGs” the series which takes a deep dive into the essentials of inventory supply chain management and the fundamentals of operations for consumer brand owners.
With podcasts exploding in popularity in recent years, we would often hear from business leaders that they would be interested in listening to stories that focus on operational strategies and scaling solutions. Since this is our area of expertise, we decided to rise to the occasion and meet the demand for this kind of content by teaming up with host, Mike Gelb to bring the re:COGs series to life.
Launched in April 2023 the podcast has been gaining popularity with listeners and has even been host to both in-person meet-ups and live online webinar events where thought leaders share their experience and knowledge with their professional peers. Now celebrating its 20th podcast episode, the series provides a rare glimpse behind the scenes of rising companies, talking to founders and operational experts about how they’re tackling tough business issues.
Through storytelling and inquisitive conversation, host Mike Gelb takes listeners on a journey to discover the essential strategies and unique approaches behind a slate of growing businesses.
The series explores what the top consumer brand owners and operators think about production expansion as they scale, and reveals many of the troubles and triumphs along the path to success. These discussions not only provide insight and advice on how leaders have adapted their business practices and leveraged expert support to overcome operational challenges but also share real solutions on topics such as inventory management, financing, sustainable manufacturing, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions.
Discover Insider Tips and Strategies for Operational Excellence by Exploring the re:COGs Lineup
Podcast Series Rundown:
Episode 1: David Greenfeld of Dream Pops shares how launching a new frozen specialty food SKU impacts supply chain management. He emphasizes investing in manufacturing and making data-driven retail decisions.
Episode 3: Gainful CEO Dean Kelly discusses balancing personalization and scale as they expand into nationwide Target locations. He shares their approach to ramping up inventory.
Episode 5: Caroline Cotto of Renewal Mill shares how they upcycle food byproducts into new superfood ingredients. She discusses evaluating business models and flour production processes.
Episode 7: DUDE Products VP Greg Brown compares scaling operations at RXBar versus DUDE. He discusses inventory planning and timing on ERP investments.
Episode 9: LonoLife CEO Jesse Koltes shares what marketers should understand about operations. He explains determining inventory amounts and why he started a bone broth company.
Episode 11: Justin Seidenfeld compares durable consumer goods manufacturing. As CEO of Doris Dev and Canopy, he explains vetting factories and inventory volume decisions.
Episode 13: Michelle Razavi and Nikki Elliott of ELAVI discuss evolving from bars to nut butters. They share how they evaluate new sales channels.
Episode 15: Jacob Zuppke of Litter-Robot discusses leveraging waitlists, new product releases, and rejoining Amazon.
Episode 17: Jimmy Semrick of Brella talks early pivots to cocktail drops, product formulation, and liquor store placement.
Episode 19: Matt Gornstein of Harry‘s discusses vertical integration strategy, make vs. buy decisions, and operations role in incubation.
Episode 2: KURU Footwear’s Bret Rasmussen describes his journey from traditional retail to a successful DTC e-commerce shop. He shares insights on transitioning to specialized products and discovering quality means investing in people and processes.
Episode 4: Greg Shugar of Beau Ties of Vermont explains DTC in the early 2000s. He talks online tie arbitrage opportunities and introducing new product categories.
Episode 6: Lalo CEO Greg Davidson explains how being an industry outsider became an advantage when starting a baby brand. He talks planning for long-term new product growth.
Episode 8: Cody Berenson of Siddhi Capital shares tips on inventory scaling alongside brand growth. He discusses optimizing supply chains, managing DTC vs. retail inventory, vertical integration, and helping marketers understand operations.
Episode 10: Jay Velasco of Sunday discusses building operations from scratch for the lawn and garden startup. He talks balancing marketing and operations.
Episode 12: Katina Mountanos of Kosterina shares insights on olive oil inventory cycles, improving product quality, and timing retail expansion.
Episode 14: Hugh Thomas of Ugly Drinks and Top of the Mornin talks aluminum costs impacting margins and building brands with creators.
Episode 16: Alex Duong of Fair & Square shares starting a cracker brand, approaches to ingredients and sales channels.
Episode 18: Jody Polishchuk of Sundays explains the origin story, supply chain ownership, and focus on DTC model.
Episode 20: Tommy Tickenoff of Fresh Vintage Farms shares insights on launching nut-based cooking oils. He discusses creating new markets, choosing manufacturing partners, and differences between olive and almond oils.
Listen to re:COGs Now
Tune in for authentic conversations with founders and experts across CPG, food, fashion, and other industries and discover insights you can apply to tackle your own business challenges as you scale up operations.
Live Webinar: How to Invest and Scale: Beauty & Personal Care Brands
The beauty and personal care industry is buzzing with excitement, attracting visionaries and investors drawn to its high-profit margins, consumers’ openness to new products, and lucrative exit prospects. But scaling has its challenges. While the barriers to entry may have shrunk with the explosion of exciting DTC opportunities, sustainable growth, and consumer retention has become more challenging and costly than ever before.
Please join us Tuesday, August 29 at 12:00 PM PDT for a chat with an esteemed panel of experts from CULT Capital, PROVEN Skincare, EXPERIMENT, and K2 Group who will discuss:
- How to shatter growth barriers and overcome scaling challenges
- How investors evaluate beauty and personal care opportunities
- How the finest minds in beauty and personal care have adapted their business to succeed in the current marketplace
Our very own Mike Gelb will be joined by special guests:
Sarah Woelfel, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of CULT Capital
Ming S. Zhao, Co-Founder & CEO of PROVEN Skincare
Lisa Guerrera, Co-Founder & CEO of Experiment
Keith Kohler, President of K2 Group, LLC
for an informative conversation that you won’t want to miss. Secure your virtual seat today by RSVPing to the link below.
Here’s the link to RSVP.
It will be available on replay as well if you RSVP.
In Case You Missed It:
Re-Stream These Past Webinars
Scaling Your Brand Through Manufacturing, Fulfillment, and Global Expansion
Pranay Srinivasan, David Field, and David Miller share expert tips on 3PL advantages, cost-effective international sales, domestic vs. overseas manufacturing, omnichannel fulfillment, and seamless global shipping. Discover how to scale your consumer brand operations with key partners.
Financing Your Consumer Brand with Debt and Equity
Cessna Mac, Keith Kohler, and Jonathan Maroko from Amberstone VC, K2 Group, and FlowFi share their perspectives on financing options to scale consumer brands. Learn how to choose between debt vs. equity and understand term sheets. Gain insights on venture capital, private equity, fractional CFOs, and more.
ARE YOU A BRAND MERCHANT LOOKING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?
Whether you need sourcing assistance, inventory optimization or financing, Manufactured’s end-to-end manufacturing support platform can help. Contact us to speak with one of the inventory experts at Manufactured. Our solutions specialists can help you navigate complex financing options while providing valuable information and insights, so you can choose the option that’s best for you.
Learn how to apply for vendor financing, and get help receiving purchase order financing. Manufactured helps customers in over 20 categories across 25 countries with product manufacturing and inventory financing.
