Shelf Talks
Shelf Talks is the podcast for female founders, CPG entrepreneurs, and product-based business owners who want to get their products into retail stores and build brands that thrive once they're on the shelf.
Hosted by Roberta Townes, a retail buyer with more than 15 years of experience discovering and launching products at national retailers, each weekly episode features honest conversations with female founders who have successfully landed on retail shelves. Together, they pull back the curtain on how they pitched buyers, built wholesale partnerships, scaled distribution, increased brand awareness, and overcame the challenges of growing a product-based business.
Whether you're preparing for your first retail pitch or looking to expand into more stores, you'll gain practical strategies for retail readiness, wholesale growth, buyer expectations, merchandising, and increasing sell-through once your product hits the shelf.
If you're ready to turn your product into a retail success story, you're in the right place.
New episodes drop every week. Subscribe to Shelf Talks and learn what it really takes to get your brand retail-ready and winning in stores.
Looking for even more retail guidance? Roberta's book, Shelf Talk: A Step by Step Guide to Getting Your Product in Retail Stores, is available on Amazon.
Shelf Talks
Latest Episodes
FOUNDER'S FLASHBACK: 10 Reasons Why Starting in Local Stores Builds Stronger Brands
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a retail buyer is that bigger isn’t always better, especially when you’re building a brand.That’s why I’m bringing back this Founder's Flashback episode, which has become the most-listene...
FOUNDER'S FLASHBACK: From Harvard to Retail Shelves, Keta Burke-Williams of Ourside
What does it really take to build a product-based brand and get it onto retail shelves?In this Founder’s Flashback episode of Shelf Talks, I revisit my conversation with Keta Burke-Williams, founder of Ourside, a luxury fragrance brand b...
FOUNDER'S FLASHBACK: Candace Wu, Co-Founder of Wonder Monday
Originally aired in May 2025. Re-released because the lessons are just as relevant today.Some podcast conversations are worth revisiting, and this is one of them.When this episode first aired, Candace Wu, co-founder of Wonder Mond...
The Real Reason Retail Buyers Reject Great Products (It's Not What You Think)
Getting a meeting with a retail buyer is a huge accomplishment. Walking out of that meeting feeling confident, only to receive a "no," can be frustrating.In this solo episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta Townes breaks down the five biggest re...
Retail Readiness Round: Alysa Seeland, Founder of Fond Bone Broth
Every great retail brand starts with a story.In this Retail Readiness Round, Alysa Seeland, founder of Fond Bone Broth, shares the deeply personal experience that inspired her business. After facing a serious postpartum health crisis, Al...