Basemakers

The $500B Shift in CPG Is Happening Right Now... Legacy brands are getting outpaced. Retail shelves are shifting. Investors are chasing the next billion-dollar bet. ?? Bain just dropped its 2025 Insurgent Brands list. It’s a cheat code for spotting what’s next in CPG. ?? 120 high-growth brands. ?? Less than 2% of market share but grabbing 39% of category growth in 2024. ?? Moving faster than incumbents & rewriting the playbook in Food, Beverage, Alcohol, & Personal Care. ?? Here’s what’s happening & how to capitalize ?? 1?? Non-Alcoholic Beverages Are Eating the World ?? 25% of the list is non-alc beverages. -Functional sodas → OLIPOP, Poppi -Energy drinks → Celsius, Alani Nu, Prime -Hydration killers → DripDrop, Liquid Death Pepsi dropped $550M on Celsius. OLIPOP raised $50M at a $1.85B valuation. Then Pepsi JUST acquired Poppi for $1.65B. Retailers: If your set is still just Coke & Pepsi, you’re behind. Investors: This category is seeing 8-9 figure exits left and right. 2?? Food Insurgents Are Printing Money ?? Snack disruptors → Chomps, SmartSweets, Hippeas ?? Plant-based winners → Impossible Foods raised $2B+ & dominates retail. ?? Sauces & condiments are premiumizing → Mike’s Hot Honey, Rao’s ($2.7B exit), Truff. Niche brands are scaling to billion-dollar businesses. -Better ingredients + cult branding = pricing power. -Retailers will pay premiums for brands that drive trial. 3?? Alcohol Is Being Rewritten in Real-Time ?? RTD cocktails are taking over. BeatBox, BuzzBallz, Carbliss. ?? Athletic Brewing raised $50M to dominate non-alcoholic beer. ?? It’s not a trend. It’s a category shift. Retail buyers who lean into single-serve & better-for-you drinking will win big. 4?? Personal Care & Supplements: The Silent Goldmine ?? Supplements → Lemme, Bloom, Force Factor ?? Haircare is scaling fast → Kitsch, Odele, Eva NYC ?? Oral care is getting a DTC glow-up → Grin, Quip Private equity is circling. Expect big exits in 2025-2026. Where This Is Going Next.. 1. Big CPG is not innovating fast enough → They will buy these insurgents instead. 2. Retailers who move now win. Get these brands in-store before your competitor does to optimize category growth. 3. Founders: Solve a clear problem, build a cult audience, scale strategically. Here’s the Kicker: ?? 35% of the Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverage brands on Bain’s 2025 Insurgent Brands list have worked with Basemakers to drive sales velocity! The lesson? Winning in grocery isn’t just about getting on shelves—it’s about velocity, moving units and growing categories. ?? Distribution alone won’t make a brand. Velocity at the shelf is what separates breakout brands from stagnant ones. ?? Which insurgent brand do YOU think is next? Drop a comment. ?? -- ?? Reshare if you found this helpful! (More insights to come!)

"If there is ONE quality that executives seek for themselves & their employees... it is sustained HIGH PERFORMANCE in the face of ever-increasing pressure & rapid change. The problem with most approaches... is that they deal with people only from the neck up, connecting high performance primarily with cognitive capacity. Effective energy management has two key components. The first is the rhythmic movement between energy expenditure (stress) & energy renewal (recovery), which we term “oscillation.” While it isn’t always in our power to change our external conditions, we can train to better manage our INNER STATE." - excerpt from HBR's "Making of A Corporate Athlete" Training to get into an Ideal Performance State (IPS) has 4 key layers rooted in sports science. It has now been tested & proven across thousands of business professionals. 1?? Physical Capacity - Energy Starts in the Body Rituals: -Sleeping 7-8 hrs (quality sleep) -Eating healthy (nutrient density) & hydrating well (8-10 cups min./day) -Exercise - movement generates the right neurochemistry to generate energy, change physiology & set up a great emotional state. 2?? Emotional Capacity - Effectively Manage your Emotional State Rituals: -Empathy - When you find yourself mad at someone, close your eyes, take 3 deep breathes & imagine yourself in that person's shoes, shift from a state of anger to a positive state of love for a fellow human being. -Music - music has the proven ability to change our emotional state. -Body language - expand the space your body takes up & move in a confident manner (heres where act as if - plays a factor) -Close relationships - Connecting with positive friends/family who make you laugh & feel good. (releasing serotonin & oxytocin) 3?? Mental Capacity - Focus your Physical & Mental Energy towards a Specific Task or Action. Rituals: -Meditation - Use "box breathing" 5 count in, 5 count hold, 5 count exhale, 5 count hold. Repeat for 5-10mins. This helps train your ability to focus. -Imagery - Visualize yourself with pristine clarity accomplishing the task you wish to accomplish for the day. Walk through each step in your mind to build neuro pathways so when you actually perform the task - it feels like you have been there before. 4?? Spiritual Capacity - In this context "spiritual" is rooted in deep purpose; living in alignment with your values & your personal "Why" for Motivation. Rituals: -Focus on the deeper purpose & meaning of how the tasks you do help serve others. -Align thoughts, beliefs & actions with your personal values & vision. -Journaling When we are able to effectively move from energy expenditure (stress) & energy renewal (recovery), using these rituals, we are able to get into our "Ideal Performance State" more often & help others do the same. This framework has helped me get through tough times at Basemakers & losing our home. ?? If this post helped you, please share with a friend or colleague.

The difference between decline and dominance? Knowing where to invest... It was 2001 in Norway when Voss was born. A glass bottle so sleek, it could’ve walked a runway. Voss wasn’t just hydration—it was luxury. High-end restaurants stocked it. Celebrities flaunted it. It became a status symbol overnight. But by the 2020s, the market had changed. The premium water category turned into a brawl. Fiji. Evian. Dozens of new players fighting for shelf space. And Voss? Still premium. Still iconic. But slipping. Sales were flat. Costs were rising. The brand was stuck in a dangerous middle ground—too premium to compete on price, too unfocused to defend its turf. It wasn’t heading toward bankruptcy, but it was on a path to losing serious money. Then came Jack Belsito The CEO who’d once built VOSS Water into a powerhouse. The board called him back with one job: Stop the bleeding. Make Voss financially sound again. Jack didn’t flinch. But he knew the playbook for today's time. This couldn’t be about chasing top-line revenue at all costs. It had to be about impact—putting resources into what actually moves the needle. That’s when he shot me a DM on Linkedin. “Max, have a few minutes to chat?” We scheduled a call and he filled me in. "I'm rejoining Voss! Let's make some power moves." Voss wasn’t failing because of product. It was failing because it was hiding. Tucked away on shelves. Overlooked. Out of sight. And in retail, if you’re invisible, you’re losing. So we refocused resources where it mattered most—retail execution. Not a flashy marketing stunt. Not a massive ad spend. Just fixing the basics. And this is where the real turnaround begins. Not by chasing unsustainable revenue growth. Not by throwing money at the wall (Or The Rock) But by building a financially sound brand that wins where it matters. This is the game now. Smart resource allocation. Targeted execution. Focusing on the fundamentals that drive long-term success. Voss isn’t all the way back to it's peak. But it’s on the right path. A controlled, strategic climb. Not a reckless sprint. Because in today’s world, profitability beats vanity growth. Great execution by the Basemakers team! ? What’s your favorite turnaround story? Woud love to hear more of these

From an nine-figure exit to #1 growth driver in energy at Whole Foods—round 2 is here! ?? Almost a decade ago, Hi Ball was one of Basemakers' first brand partners. Back then, Todd Berardi was pioneering a completely new category—caffeinated sparkling water—at a time when the idea of clean energy in a can was still in its infancy. He built Hi Ball into a powerhouse, ultimately selling it for an epic eight-figure sum to Anheuser-Busch InBev. After waiting out his time post-acquisition, Todd is back with his next game-changer. Meet Ardor Energy. Ardor is an organic sparkling energy water packed with 200mg of L-theanine, 100mg caffeine, electrolytes and ZERO JUNK! Ultra Clean Energy with a Functional Twist. And retailers in the natural channel are responding in a big way... Ardor is now the #1 highest growth contributor to the energy category and the #3 energy brand overall at Whole Foods! Coming full circle, Todd and I are back in business together, and I couldn’t be more honored to have the Basemakers team supporting Ardor’s growth. The best part of this industry is getting to work with great people again and again—especially when they’re shaping the future of beverage. Here’s to round two, Todd. Let’s make history (again!) ??????

The Last Two Days in Austin were a Whirlwind of Laughs, Business, & Bonds Over two epic days, I dove headfirst into a whirlwind of events, connections, and unforgettable moments that reminded me why getting in person is the ultimate catalyst for business deals and lifelong memories. Here’s the story of how it all went down—and why relationships are the real MVPs. ?? Day 1: Por Osos with Bert Kreischer—Where Comedy Meets CPG The adventure kicked off with the Por Osos vodka launch, hosted by the one and only Bert Kreischer. If you know Bert, you know chaos and hilarity are guaranteed—and he didn’t disappoint. Brian Goldberg & I had the chance to connect with Bert as well as Kevin (KFC) from Barstool, diving into a raw, unfiltered convo about how content creators are shaking up the CPG ecosystem. From leveraging authenticity to building brands that resonate, it was a masterclass in cutting through the noise. The energy was electric, the vodka was smooth, and the takeaway was clear: in today’s world, creators aren’t just influencers—they’re game-changers for supercharger CPG brand success. ?? Day 2: SuperGut Event—Fiber, Gut Health, and Brand Trust Next up, we headed to the SuperGut event, where I got to hear from visionary David Friedberg (All In Podcast Co-Host) & the brilliant Tracey Warner Halama (former CEO of Vital Proteins, now leading SuperGut). Their talk on “fiber being the new protein” and the power of the gut microbiome was nothing short of inspiring. Tracey’s insights on building a trusted brand hit home—especially in a world where consumers crave transparency and REAL results. SuperGut’s mission to revolutionize health through science-backed nutrition reminded me that innovation isn’t just about products; it’s about storytelling and trust. Supergut is a brand to watch ?? ?? The Grand Finale: High Desert Happy Hour with Ryan Springer To cap it all off, I joined one of my best friends, Ryan Springer, for a happy hour celebrating his luxury vodka brand, High Desert Cactus Vodka. This isn’t just any vodka—it’s sustainably made from cactus, using far less water than traditional methods. Sipping on those crisp, clean cocktails, surrounded by friends old and new, I couldn’t help but feel the magic of the moment. (Aka the feeling when the second cocktail kicks in ??) ?? The Power of Relationships As the sun set on Austin, I reflected on the whirlwind of the past 48 hours. From laughing with comedy legends to strategizing with CPG trailblazers to toasting with my bestie, one truth stood out: relationships are the heartbeat of it all. In-person connections don’t just spark business deals—they create memories, trust, and a shared vision for what’s possible. So here’s my challenge to you... Make time to get in the room. Say yes to the event. Book the flight. Because in the end, it’s the people—and the relationships we build—that drive success, joy, and impact we see in the results of Basemakers (and all your other ventures!)

How Guayakí Became the King of Energy at Whole Foods ???? In the ‘90s, two friends had a wild idea: sell yerba mate out of a van. Fast-forward, and Guayakí is now a $100M+ powerhouse, outselling all competitors in Whole Foods. So how did a niche tea take over? 1?? They Won Whole Foods First Guayakí positioned yerba mate as the clean caffeine alternative—Whole Foods gave them prime shelf space. But they didn’t stop there. That success became their ticket into Target, Costco & c-stores. Nail your niche first—then go big. 2?? They Built a Cult, Not Just Customers Instead of ads, Guayakí fueled a movement—college reps, music festivals, surf events. Fans weren’t just buying a drink; they were buying a lifestyle. That loyalty led to a massive repeat purchase rate. 3?? They Adapted When Consumers Asked As shoppers demanded lower sugar, Guayakí listened—launching new flavors like Peach Revival, which became bestsellers. Trends shift—brands that evolve, win. 71% repeat rate unlocked! They weren’t the first, they weren’t the cheapest, but they owned their lane. Great job by Basemakers team in keeping the growth going with big displays!

Want a 70% sales velocity boost? Good eatn’s secret isn’t wild—but it’s stealing the game! The real game-changer in CPG is retail execution. It can be the difference between a product gathering dust and FLYING off shelves. And Good Eat'n? They’re not just playing—they’re dominating. Why? Because their founder, NBA legend Chris Paul, isn’t just a celebrity face on a billboard. He’s in the trenches, building the business—leading calls with our team at Basemakers and hitting stores to motivate us all. Too many celebrity founders slap their name on a product and call it a day. Not Chris Paul. He’s part of a rare breed of CPG founders who roll up their sleeves, obsess over the details, and drive real results. And it’s working—big time. Did you know optimized displays can lift sales velocities by up to 70%-400%?! That’s the power of getting it right, store by store, shelf by shelf. Check out Chris Paul at HEB, standing proud in front of a Good Eat’n display that screams “retail gold”—brought to life with a little help from the sales pros at Basemakers Curious, do you know any other celeb founders that are actively hitting stores & joining retail execution calls? Woud love to hear more stories! ?? reshare to show CP3 some love

Travis, in NorCal, was able to secure this Mocktail Club display at Andronico's in Los Altos! Catching up on all of the amazing wins our Basemakers team landed while I was at Expo West last week. Reach out if you would like to learn how we can win for your brand at retail! #cpg #sales #merchandising #displays

Wild flavors, high protein, and booze-free buzz—Expo West just gave us a glimpse of whats to to come... Fifteen years ago, I walked into my first Expo West at 21 years old, repping Just Chill—a functional relaxation drink loaded with L-theanine and magnesium. I had no idea that moment would kick off a career leading to where I stand today running Basemakers, one of the fastest-growing sales agencies in CPG working with some of my favorite brands on shelf. Back then, the natural products industry felt like a small club. Today? It’s a full-blown movement. And if this year’s Expo taught me anything, it’s that the pace of change is only accelerating. Here are my top three takeaways from Expo West 2025: 1. Protein is King ?? GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the way people eat, and wellness icons like Andrew Huberman & Peter Attia are hammering home the idea that 1g of protein per pound of body weight is ideal. The result? I've never seen this many brands slap 'Protein' on their front label. Even protein drinks are leveling up the amount per bottle as seen by Koia's new 32g ELITE line. 2. Wild Flavors Are Trending ?? Pre-Pandemic, I was the lead consultant to one of the oldest beer companies in America as they looked to launch their first energy drink. My research showed that the fastest-growing energy brands had 200mg caffeine/12oz., zero sugar, and wild, nostalgic flavors. That was before the Ghost RTD existed. Before C4’s Skittles collab. Now? Brands like Cove Soda & Not Beer are running with Rocket Pop-flavored SKUs, and the demand is exploding. The natural set is no longer afraid to get loud with flavors. 3. Social Tonics & Non-Alc Cocktails Are Everywhere ?? And this one hits home. 15 years ago, I was at Expo West selling Just Chill. Back then, the idea of a ‘functional social drink’ felt like an uphill battle. Today? Gen Z is leading the way, demanding more from their drinks—whether it’s adaptogens, nootropics, or alcohol alternatives. Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have sold Just Chill… because this is its moment. Functional is no longer a niche—it’s the new normal. The brands that win big in 2025 and beyond won’t just be great products; they’ll be the ones that best serve unmeet consumer needs while relentlessly executing to win each day. Excited to see which brand becomes "The Next Big Thing!" Thoughts?

?Up to 70% of purchase decisions happen in-store—but only if shoppers actually see the product. That’s why Halfday Iced Tea doesn’t just focus on getting on the shelf. They focus on winning at retail. Placement, promotions, and execution turn distribution into velocity. Here’s how: -Stockouts kill revenue. 30-50% of shoppers switch brands when their pick isn’t there. Staying stocked stops the bleed. -Perimeter placement drives trial. Only 25-40% of shoppers hit the dry beverage aisle—secondary spots catch the rest. -End caps ignite sales. A killer display can spike same-store sales 200-400%+. Winning brands don’t gamble on retail success. They execute. Great execution by the Basemakers team on this beautiful display!