Episode Details

#84 If you're an emerging food or beverage founder selling at pop-ups, online, or farmers markets and aiming for specialty retail (or foodservice), this episode is your reset. Jacinta breaks down the 3-part "Retail Ready in 15 Minutes" check and introduces the ETS Method—Evaluate → Transform → Scale so you can stop guessing and start building real retail structure.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

• Why "a good product" isn't the same as being structurally retail-ready
• The 3 checks buyers and account managers quietly evaluate (even if they don't say it)
• How to pressure-test your readiness around profit, shelf life, and scale
• What the ETS Method looks like in real life: Evaluate → Transform → Scale
• A quick beverage founder example: what changed after the Evaluate phase (pricing, shelf life plan, manufacturing approach, launch strategy)

The Retail Ready in 15 Minutes Checklist

1. Profit: Do your numbers work for wholesale (true COGS + margin layers)?
2. Shelf life: Do you have a shelf-life testing plan (not assumptions)?
3. Scale: Can your production method scale without chaos?

Mentioned in This Episode

Retail Readiness Program (6 months, weekly calls)

Enrollment opens September 5 at 9:00am EST and closes September 12 at 11:59pm EST.
This intake is capped at 10 founders.

✅ Fast-action bonus available until September 6 at 9:00am EST (or until 5 founders enroll—whichever comes first). Details on the application page.

Apply here: Apply to Join

Who This Episode Is For

• Food & beverage founders already selling (pop-ups, farmers markets, online)
• Launch-ready founders working from a commerc