The Real Tea On Building A CPG Brand In 2025 With Nate Rosen
This week on After Hours x Above The Fold, I chopped it up with Nate Rosen—founder of Express Checkout and the go-to snack whisperer. We talked big shifts in CPG land, why money’s drying up, and how brands can stop flopping when they hit retail. Also, we taste-tested a wild lineup of snacks and drinks on-air. Chaos ensued. The good kind.
If you’re in brand or ops, building something in CPG, or just trying to decode the hype vs. reality of getting on shelf in 2025—this one’s for you.
VC Money Isn’t Hitting Like It Used To
A few years ago, it was giving easy money era. Founders were raising quick, going all-in on DTC, and launching SKUs off vibes.
Now? It’s tighter out here. Founders are bootstrapping, hiring slow, and doing the actual work of building ops-tight, margin-smart businesses. Imagine that.
Yes, people are still raising—but it’s more traction over hype, more relationships over retweets. If you don’t have receipts, it’s not happening.
Retail Is Not the Flex People Think It Is
Getting on shelf sounds like a glow-up. It’s not. It’s just the beginning.
You still have to drive velocity, stay in stock, and actually get people to buy your stuff IRL.
A lot of brands treat retail like a finish line. But if you don’t know how to work the shelf, you’ll get dropped faster than a TikTok trend.
Everyone Wants Poppi Numbers, No One Wants the Poppi Patience
Poppi didn’t pop off overnight. It used to be called Mother. Yes, really.
They had to rebrand, figure out their vibe, and slowly build a playbook that slapped. It was awkward at first. And that’s normal.
The truth? Most “overnight success” brands are just a bunch of tiny pivots that finally compound. Slow growth is the move.
Crowdfunding Is Cute... Until It Isn’t
We ran through the usual suspects: Kickstarter, Republic, WeFunder.
Nate’s take? Unless you’ve already got a riled-up audience, most food and bev brands don’t crush it on crowdfunding.
And even if you do have an audience, there are often better, faster ways to grow. Time is money, and crowdfunding eats both.
Founder Story? Cool. But Your Brand Still Has to Slap
Founders matter. At first. It gives people something to vibe with.
But eventually, your product has to hold its own. A good founder story can open the door, but a solid brand is what keeps people coming back.
The sweet spot? One founder who’s great at storytelling, another who’s head-down in ops. Dream team energy.
Creator Brands: Some Hit, Most Flop
Yes, we talked Prime. Feastables. Joyride. All of it.
Some creator brands make sense—they’re involved, they care, the product isn’t just glorified merch.
Others? You can tell they slapped their face on a label and dipped. And consumers can smell that from a mile away.
Hot take: not every creator needs a brand. Sometimes being an investor or brand partner is the smarter play.
Hydration Is Having a Moment—But It Better Come With Chill Vibes
Our taste test MVP? Leisure Hydration.
It’s giving fun, cool, and low-key—none of the intense “extreme performance” branding that turns casual drinkers off.
According to Nate, most people don’t need 500mg of electrolytes—they just want water that feels cooler than Gatorade. Leisure nails that.
Also, PSA: clear whey protein is having its moment. Especially with the Ozempic crowd. Big crossover potential in hydration + protein land.
TikTok Shop Is QVC for the Dopamine Scroll
TikTok Shop isn’t just for beauty anymore. CPG brands are sliding in—and if you play it right, it hits.
We’re seeing supplements, hydration powders, even mood drinks blow up. The key? Understanding scroll-to-cart behavior and keeping your creative tight.
If it doesn’t catch attention in 3 seconds, it’s a wrap.
Real Ones Focus on the Boring Stuff: Ops, Margins, and Chaos-Proofing
We closed with the gritty stuff. Tariffs. Shipping delays. Global messiness.
Nate’s advice? Assume something will go sideways. Probably multiple things.
Keep your margins clean. Know your cash flow like it’s your love language. And get real cozy with your manufacturers. This is the part no one posts about—but it’s the difference between lasting and fading.
Some Real Talk From Nate
“Not everybody needs to start a brand.”
“A lot of buyers don’t want funky flavors—they just want stuff that sells.”
“LinkedIn is for adults. But the adults are getting unhinged in a good way.”
This episode had everything: hydration hot takes, mushroom coffee slander, founder tea, and ops gospel.
Full convo is live on Above the Fold. You’re don’t wanna miss it.
– Jess
