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
Jessica Taylor on Blending Coffee, History, and Heritage with her Brand Ezra Coffee Co.
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On this episode of Shelf Talks, host Roberta Townes sits down with Jessica Taylor, founder of Ezra Coffee, to share how she turned a pandemic idea into a fast-growing retail brand. Jessica reveals what it really takes to go from small-batch coffee experiments at home to winning shelf space at major retailers like H-E-B and Central Market.
If you’re a female founder with a product-based business or dreaming about getting your brand into retail stores, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. Jessica opens up about:
- How she developed flavors and packaging that stand out on shelf.
- The importance of connecting with your community before pitching buyers.
- Lessons from joining Target’s accelerator program and pitching to retailers.
- Why consistent demos, smart marketing, and relationship-building keep sales strong after launch.
- How she built Ezra Coffee with both culture and purpose, including a scholarship program for students.
Whether you’re just starting your brand or you’re ready to scale into retail, this episode will help you understand how to pitch with confidence, compete with bigger brands, and stay successful on shelf.
✨ Tune in to hear Jessica’s journey and get the strategies you need to grow your product-based business into a retail-ready brand.
Link to Ezra Coffee:
Ezra Coffee Website: https://ezracoffeeco.com/
Ezra Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ezracoffeeco/
Event Partner: Nourish Summit & Expo (Oct. 5-7, 2027 | Baltimore) - Use code SHELFTALKS10 for 10% off full registration https://bit.ly/4sx0Zba
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Contact us via email: Hello@shelftalks.com
Reach out if you know of a female founder with an impactful brand and retail story and leave a review if you found value in this episode! Hello@shelftalks.com
Purchase the book Shelf Talk: A step by step guide to launching your product in Retail Stores by Roberta Townes Buy Book