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 $40M Lesson: What CPG Founders Need to Know About Secured Debt Before You Sign
What Jeff Church learned when $40M in secured debt came due at Suja — and why revenue growth alone can never save you from a debt maturity crisis.
CPG Equity Crowdfunding: Should You Raise From Your Customers?
Regulation CF crowdfunding is seductive for CPG founders. Here's an honest look at when it works, when it backfires, and what it does to your cap table.
The CPG Family Office Playbook: How to Raise from Investors Who Think in Decades, Not Quarters
How CPG founders can identify, pitch, and close family office investors — the patient capital that actually aligns with consumer brand timelines.
CPG Brand Naming Strategy: The Decision That Follows You to $100M
The wrong CPG brand name can cost you $500K and 18 months at the worst possible time. Here's what I learned almost naming Suja the wrong thing.
The CPG Co-Manufacturer Operating Playbook: What Happens After You Sign the Contract
Jeff Church's playbook for managing your co-manufacturer day-to-day — protecting IP, maintaining quality, and staying at the top of their priority list.
The LTO Playbook: How to Use Limited Edition SKUs as a CPG Growth Weapon
Limited-time offers aren't just for big brands. A well-executed LTO unlocks new distribution, drives trial, generates press, and reveals your next permanent SKU.
The Art of the Strategic Concession: How CPG Founders Give to Get
Jeff Church breaks down why strategic concessions in retail negotiations aren't losses, with real stories from Walmart and Costco that changed Suja's trajectory.
CPG Marketing Attribution: How to Know What's Actually Driving Sales
Jeff Church explains how CPG founders measure marketing ROI, connect spend to velocity, and stop wasting budget on awareness that doesn't convert at shelf.
Chasing Trends vs. Building a Category: What CPG Founders Get Wrong
Trend-riding feels like strategy in CPG. Here's why it almost never is — and the framework Jeff Church uses to tell the difference before it costs you.