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
3 Rapid Retail Questions with Psyche Terry, Founder of Urban Hydration
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In this Retail Readiness Round, Psyche Terry—co-founder of Urban Hydration—drops unfiltered, real-world advice every product-based founder needs before pitching a retail buyer and after landing on shelf.
Psyche shares:
- The non-negotiables founders must know before their very first buyer conversation (hint: margins matter more than you think)
- The most underrated skill required to win and stay on shelf—especially when things don’t go as planned
- The key metric founders must track closely once in stores to avoid “buying customers” and hurting long-term profitability
This conversation goes beyond buzzwords and dives into the mindset, preparation, and financial discipline required to build a brand that lasts in retail—not just one that gets a yes.
🎧 Listen to the full episode to hear Psyche’s honest perspective on retail readiness, resilience, and protecting your profit while you scale.
Full episode released 1/12/26
Event Partner: Nourish Summit & Expo (Oct. 5-7, 2027 | Baltimore) - Use code SHELFTALKS10 for 10% off full registration https://bit.ly/4sx0Zba
Looking for more? Visit our Linktree for the latest episodes, free resources, retail tips, and ways to connect with the Shelf Talks community.
https://linktr.ee/shelftalkspodcast
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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