On The Rise - a CPG Guys Production

In this episode of The CPG Guys, we speak with Josh Bruns, Vice President of Digital Business Development at GenesisX, a tech-enabled creative studio built for retail media. Their creative strategists and producers bring years of craft and pair it with the latest in enhanced VFX to deliver cinematic-quality video at scale, versioned for every retailer, placement, and season. Brands use GenesisX to create, iterate, and deploy content that drives sales.Follow Josh on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshbruns/ Follow GenesisX online at: http://www.genesisx.com/Josh ansered these questions:GenesisX has an interesting origin story— for our listeners who haven’t heard, can you walk us through how the company evolved into what it is today, and how you would describe what the company does in a single elevator pitch? From the start, let’s talk about the rapidly changing landscape of technology.  Knowing that things are accelerating at an unprecedented pace, how do marketers keep up? So let’s take the first side of that.  You mentioned ‘tech-enabled video content’.  How does that impact a Retailer or Supplier’s strategy?Why do you think brands underinvest in Video Content?How does tech-enablement storytelling change what's creatively possible—not just cheaper or faster than a traditional agency workflow, but able to produce hyper-relevant, one-to-one brand stories at a scale that wasn't possible before?That's one half of the model. Walk us through the other half—your APP>LESS platform—what does it actually do, and how does it deliver a personalized, app-like experience without a download?Geo-targeted personalization is a big claim—what does that look like in practice for a Fortune 100 CPG brand launching a retailer-specific campaign?Walk us through your managed-service model: what does a brand actually hand you, and what does GenesisX's team take off their plate?You came into this role from the CPG and agency side rather than a software background—how has that shaped the way you sell and support GenesisX's platform?As a challenger going up against established shopper marketing agencies, what's been the biggest hurdle in getting Fortune 100 CPG brands to trust tech-enabled storytelling and media partner with their dollars?To close us out on On the Rise, if you could give one piece of advice to a founder or operator trying to bring tech-enablement into their own marketing organization, what would it be?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

In our inaugural episode of The CPG Guys, we speak with John Foraker, Co-Founder & CEO of Once Upon a Farm, the next generation childhood nutrition company sold in more than 25,000 stores nationwide and online with a growing product portfolio of organic, farm-fresh snacks and meals for babies and big kids! John's co-founders are actress Jennifer Garner & Cassandra Curtis.Follow John on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-foraker-0061732/Follow Once Upon a Farm online at: https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/John ansered these questions:Let’s start with the obvious, you scaled Annie’s, sold it to General Mills, what inspired you to start Once upon a farm - I mean it takes guts.Let’s talk about life - starting, scaling and running a brand is 24X7 - or is it? What should founders think of this life of 24X7 - or is it our imagination that it’s 24X7?John, you took on the traditional center-store baby food aisle by demanding a fresh, cold-pressed cooler set in retail. When you’re an emerging founder trying to convince a retail merchant to create a brand-new physical space in their store, what is the pitch that actually breaks through?Once Upon a Farm has built a powerhouse omnichannel engine—a thriving Direct-to-Consumer subscription model alongside 22,000+ brick-and-mortar retail doors. How should early-stage founders balance their DTC capital spend versus scaling retail distribution early on?You’ve always operated with a sharp focus on sustainability, B-Corp standards, and social impact—working closely with organizations like Save the Children. How do you ensure that purpose and social responsibility are built into the financial DNA of a startup rather than treated as a secondary marketing tax?Having Jennifer Garner as an active co-founder brings tremendous organic reach. But as you know better than anyone, star power gets you a trial; it doesn't guarantee a repeat purchase. How do you bridge high-profile brand awareness with cold-hard velocity and unit economics on the shelf?Having scaled Annie's to an $820M exit and now driving Once Upon a Farm past $100M+, what is the #1 mistake you see early-stage founders make when they start scaling from $5M to $50M?John, this has been an absolute masterclass for every founder, operator, and retail practitioner listening today. To close us out on On the Rise, if you could give one piece of "Monday Morning" advice to a young founder reading their retail sales data or struggling to raise their next bridge round, what would it be?CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

On November 2nd, we're launching our second podcast. It's called On the Rise.And here's what makes it different. Every other episode, we spotlight the challengers, the disruptors, and the visionaries reshaping the future of CPG and retail.And every other episode we will go where you don't usually hear on an industry podcast: the human side of the job.Human adaptability. Managing change. Handling stress. Because this industry isn't slowing down. Between retail media, AI, M&A, and constant disruption, the pace is relentless. We are partnering with someone to join us in this discussion every other week.The question isn't just "how do you win this quarter?" It's "how do you last?"We call it being a corporate athlete, built for duration. Performing at a high level, year after year, without burning out.So that's On the Rise: the companies that are rising, and the people who can keep up with them.The first episode drops November 2nd. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or TikTok, and follow us on LinkedIn so you never miss one. Every week, one episode.CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comDISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.