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
5 Biggest Mistakes Founders Make After Getting Into Retail (And How to Win on Shelf)
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Getting on Shelf Isn’t the Win, Here’s How to Actually Succeed in Retail
Getting your product into retail feels like the ultimate milestone… but what if that “yes” is just the beginning?
In this solo episode of Shelf Talks, Roberta breaks down the hard truth that most founders don’t hear: getting on shelf doesn’t equal success staying and selling does.
After working closely with emerging brands and seeing firsthand what separates those who thrive from those who quietly disappear, she’s sharing the 5 biggest mistakes founders make after landing their first retailer and exactly what to do instead.
Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why getting on shelf is only the starting line (not the finish)
- The critical mindset shift every founder needs to make
- How to create a retail launch plan that actually drives sales
- Why you must own your traffic (and how to do it effectively)
- What retail buyers really expect from you post-launch
- The mistake that kills your chances of staying on shelf fast
- How to use your first retailer as a blueprint for scaling
If you’re preparing to pitch retailers, launching soon, or already on shelf but not seeing the traction you expected this episode is your wake-up call and your roadmap.
Because the goal isn’t just to get into retail… it’s to win there.
🎧 Hit follow, share with a founder friend, and don’t forget to leave a review if this episode helps you think differently about your retail strategy.
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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