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Hey  ,

I just had an action packed weekend between mine and my daughter’s birthdays. It was fun, but definitely exhausting. With the holidays now approaching it’s a time of both opportunity and challenge as a founder. Between managing year-end sales, preparing for next year, and trying to enjoy some well-deserved time off, it can feel like there’s too much to juggle.

But here’s the thing: the holidays are also a perfect time to step back, prioritize, and set yourself up for success. Here are three things I think every founder should focus on during this time:

1. Maximize Sales Without Burnout: The holiday rush can be intense, but make sure you’re focusing on what drives the most impact. Lean into promotions that work, keep inventory tight, and prioritize activities with the highest ROI.

2. Reflect and Celebrate Wins: Take a moment to look back on the year. What worked? What didn’t? And most importantly, what are you proud of? Even the small wins deserve celebration—they’re the foundation of long-term success.

3. Recharge and Plan Ahead: Building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Use this time to recharge your energy and sketch out your top priorities for Q1. A clear head going into January can make all the difference.

As founders, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle. But the holiday season is a chance to not only finish strong but to build momentum for what’s ahead.

What’s your top priority as the year wraps up? Hit reply—I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

Let’s make this season count,

–Jordan Buckner

CPG NEWS

A roundup of CPG news that happened last week.

🛒 Retail Rollouts

• 🥤 Koia, founded by Christopher Hunter, now offers an 18-pack of Vanilla Bean Nutrition Shakes for $39.99 at Costco.

• 🍸 Inspiro Tequila, founded by Mara Smith, celebrates a hometown launch with their Luna Blanco Tequila now available in 140 Jewel/Osco locations in Illinois.

• 🥞 Belgian Boys, co-founded by Anouck Gotlib and Greg Galel, expands its pancake lineup to H-E-B stores in Texas, featuring Original and Belgian Chocolate Chip flavors.

🚀 New Product Launch

• 🍸 Inspiro Tequila, founded by Mara Smith, unveiled a limited-edition Special Reserve Añejo Tequila aged in rosé and pinot noir barrels.

• 🍯 Burlap & Barrel, co-founded by Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar, launched a new line of Tanzanian single-origin honeys in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute.

🤝 Brand Partnerships

• 🧁 BāKIT Box, founded by Shelley Gupta, launched its bestselling kits on Amazon, aiming to bring cultural baking experiences to families everywhere just in time for the holiday season.

💸 Investments and Acquisitions

• 💼 Wild Bay, founded by Sid Sharma, is close to closing its fundraising round after months of tireless networking, with just $100K left to raise.

🎉 News to Celebrate

• 🫛 Actual Veggies, co-founded by  Jason Rosenbaum, Alex Swartz and Hailey Swartz, celebrated their Super Fries being named one of Nosh.com’s best new products of 2024.

• 🍟 Rind Snacks, founded by Matt Weiss, won Nosh.com’s Rising Star Award, a testament to their innovative and sustainable approach to snacking.

• 🫚 MāKā, founded by Brian R. Hill, earned a feature in Entrepreneur Magazine as one of Pepperdine Graziadio’s Most Fundable Companies.

• 🫙 AubSauce, founded by Aubrey Lenyard, earned a 2024 Best of Georgia Award in the Food & Beverage category for its gourmet barbecue sauces.

• 🥣 The Real Cereal Company, co-founded by Daniel Abramovich and Tom Binder, skyrocketed from 30 to over 1,000 store placements nationwide in just one year.

In collaboration with Amber Caro from Marketbite.

Have news to share?

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

PODCAST

199. Acquiring Buzzd - A Look Behind the Scenes

 In 2024, Sarjesa, founded by Alexandra Sangster announced that she acquired Buzzd Nutrition, a superfood creamer brand founded by Lauren and Alex Burrows. 

What’s really exciting is that Sarjesa is an emerging brand itself and co-manufactured the Buzzd product. I had a lot of questions for Alexandra about what it looks like for one emerging brand to acquire another, and we break down all the details in this episode. 

Listen on:

APPLE PODCAST

SPOTIFY

198. Banking for Startups - Aion Financial

As a startup you need a bank account to transact business, but who should you partner with? Retail banks like Chase and Wells Fargo? Or online banks?

Let’s talk with one of my favorite partners, Aion Financial that offers free online banking tools for businesses of all sizes including:

• Banking

• Debit Cards

• Bill Pay

• Receivables

• Credit and Lending

Listen on:

APPLE PODCAST

SPOTIFY

OPERATION

Transitioning Order Taking from Excel to EDI

A few years ago, I found myself buried in an overloaded spreadsheet managing customer orders. I built out an elaborate “Business Dashboard” for TeaSquares that captured everything from our inventory to sales and purchase orders. It worked great to start, but quickly started breaking every time we made a change to our business. The constant back-and-forth of updating, checking, and cross-referencing data was not only time-consuming but also fraught with the risk of errors.

Learn more

BRANDING

Unearth Your Brand Story: The Key to Building Authentic Connections

Learn how to articulate your unique story to connect with your audience, build trust, and stand out in the marketplace.

Did you know that 64% of consumers cite shared values as the primary reason they have a relationship with a brand.

Learn more

FINANCE

Reclaiming Your Team’s Time: 3 Strategies for Handling Deductions

In the daily operations of your business, certain tasks drive immediate progress, easily justifying the use of your team’s time. However, others, like deductions, aren’t as straightforward to prioritize. On the one hand, it can be seen as a priority because it directly affects the bank account and bottom line. On the other hand, the severity of impact and urgency is directly tied to the volume and amounts of deductions we’re talking about.  

Learn more

SALES

Strategy Guide: Increasing Share of Wallet With Retail Ecommerce

Share of wallet represents how much a consumer regularly spends on your brand as opposed to competitor brands. Capturing a greater share of wallet involves successfully driving awareness, trial, and repeat purchases through retail ecommerce.

Follow these best practices to increase your brand’s overall share of wallet.

Learn more

JOIN

BRANDS

FOR BRANDS

If launching or scaling your own food and beverage business is a  goal of yours, let us help you realize your dream and avoid unnecessary struggle. Join as a Premium Member.

PARTNERS

FOR PARTNERS

Work with Founders to identify their problems and share solutions to help them overcome the challenges of growing their companies. Join as an Expert Partners.

About Foodbevy

Foodbevy helps food and beverage brands grow from startup to scale through inspiration, education, and partnership.

Jordan Buckner

Founder

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