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
Rapid Retail Questions with Karishma & Tekla, Founders of KEY Energy
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this Retail Readiness Round, Karishma Thawani and Tekla Black get tactical about what actually keeps a brand on shelf. They break down which communities and trade shows delivered real value, why founders should prioritize velocity and density over vanity door counts, and how demos, retailer relationships, promotions, and full-margin math determine whether retail becomes profitable growth or an expensive lesson.
If you're deciding where to spend your next retail dollar, this is a concise masterclass in allocation, execution, and cash-flow discipline.
Key takeaways:
- Startup CPG, Expo West, BevNet, and Beverage Forum were highlighted as high-value ecosystems for connections and coverage.
- The biggest myth: getting into retail is not the same as succeeding in retail. Door count without velocity is a costly distraction.
- Slotting is often negotiable, but treat negotiations carefully and intentionally.
- To stay on shelf: founders should personally support demos, build relationships with store teams, plan promotions with clear cash-flow assumptions, and do the full margin math before every retail program.
Listen if you want practical retail execution advice, not just shelf-placement theory.
Listen to the full episode released 6.8.26
Event Partner: Nourish Summit & Expo (Oct. 5-7, 2027 | Baltimore) - Use code SHELFTALKS10 for 10% off full registration https://bit.ly/4sx0Zba
How to Follow Shelf Talks Podcast on social:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelftalkspodcast/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shelf-talks-podcast
Love what you hear on Shelf Talks? You can now support the podcast. Every contribution helps bring more indie voices to the mic. Thank you for being part of this journey! ✨
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2411532/support
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