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Build Your Retail Operating System Before You Scale.
Most emerging CPG brands don’t fail because of product.
They fail because they lack operational discipline at retail.
Install the same structured framework big brands use to protect margin, optimize trade spend, and create category leverage — simplified for entrepreneurial brands.
Without a Retail Operating System, brands struggle with:
• Deductions draining cash
• Trade spend inefficiency
• Broker misalignment
• Forecasting errors
• Poor retail execution
• Weak category positioning
With the System:
• Protect your margin
• Control trade capital
• Improve retail contribution
• Strengthen buyer conversations
• Extend runway
• Scale with confidence
“Listening to a half a dozen of your podcasts with the breadth of them being as many as they are, you can listen to half of those and get an MBA in entrepreneurship” –Scott Jensen, CEO, Rhythm Superfood and Stubbs Legendary BBQ Sauce
Retail Operating System™
The complete 11-module framework for protecting margin, optimizing trade spend, and scaling distribution with confidence.
“Dan, Thank you for giving me hope again. I believe that our brand and the mission behind it is important. I know that we provide a unique solution to consumers who really need us because they write to us and tell us so. Listening to your courses over the past two days gives me hope that we can stay on shelf and compete with the big boys even though we are bootstrapped. Before I met you I was growing weary and questioning whether we could survive. Thank you for sharing your incredible guidance with brands like mine so we can help people lead healthier and happier lives. It is an incredible service to humanity” – Laura Katleman, Founder BHU Foods
“Daniel is the foremost expert in brand building in today's marketplace. Daniel's common sense approach to helping all companies from small to large become successful in a sound process. Daniel provides passion and intelligence to ensure your success in every retail format. Daniel provides sound strategies to guide your brand for increasing, profitable sales. I've been a follower of Daniel's for years, I feel his process makes sense in today's competitive business environment.” – Michael J. O'Donnell, The Belmullet Food and Beverage Group, LLC
Retail Operating System™
Built on the New Item Essential Framework
The Complete 11-Module Framework for Protecting Margin, Optimizing Trade Spend, and Scaling at Retail.
Here's what's included
Effective Deduction Management
The Deduction Prevention System
You’re not losing money because you’re failing. You’re losing money because the system is designed to take it.
Category Review Strategies to Grow Sales & Profits
How to turn category reviews from a threat into one of your greatest growth opportunities
Why category reviews feel risky—even when your brand is “doing fine”
TRUE Category Management
The Roadmap to Sales Success
Why your brand keeps fighting for shelf space instead of earning it
How to Assess the Health of Your Brand
A clear, practical way to diagnose what’s holding your brand back—and where to focus next
Why growth feels harder than it should—even when sales are increasing
How to Land Shelf Space and Win at Retail
How to earn distribution without begging for space, racing to the bottom on price, or over-promising results
Why great products still get rejected by buyers
Maximize Sales with the Right Product Assortment Strategies
How to stop carrying the wrong products—and start earning your space at retail
Why adding more SKUs often hurts sales instead of helping
Merchandising Checklist to Grow Sales and Shopper Loyalty
How to make sure your brand shows up right—every time a shopper walks the aisle
Why great merchandising ideas fail in the real world
Merchandising Strategies to Increase Sales & Shoppers
How to turn shelf presence into real shopper action—without more trade spend
Why getting on shelf isn’t the same as getting chosen
Mining the Data Maze
The Only Report You’ll Ever Need
Why you have more data than ever—and less clarity than you should
Simple Solutions to Maximize Broker Effectiveness
How to turn your broker from a cost center into a true growth partner
Why “having a broker” isn’t the same as getting results
Strategies to Increase Market Basket Size & Sales
How to grow revenue at retail without more promotions, more stores, or more spend
Why your sales growth is stalling—even when velocity looks “fine”
“Daniel has been extremely helpful in cleaning up and re-categorizing our data so we can accurately assess our brand's performance and the product categories/segments we are in. Our ability to perform accurate and insightful category management today is directly related to Dan's expertise in data analysis and knowledge of the natural products industry. If you are seeking to understand your market and category dynamics, I strongly recommend Dan as a reliable, thoughtful and well-informed category consultant to assist in developing brand strategies based on real and accurate data/facts.” – Stacy Gillespie – Director of Product Marketing, FoodState/MegaFood
Retail Operating System™
The complete 11-module framework for protecting margin, optimizing trade spend, and scaling distribution with confidence.
Effective Deduction Management
The Deduction Prevention System
How To Land Shelf Space And Win At Retail
Why great products still get rejected by buyers
How To Assess The Health Of Your Brand
Why growth feels harder than it should—even when sales are increasing
Mining the Data Maze
The Only Report You’ll Ever Need
Maximize Sales with the Right Product Assortment Strategies
Why adding more SKUs often hurts sales instead of helping
TRUE Category Management
The Roadmap to Sales Success
Strategies to Increase Market Basket Size & Sales
Why your sales growth is stalling—even when velocity looks “fine”
Category Review Strategies to Grow Sales & Profits
Why category reviews feel risky—even when your brand is “doing fine”
Simple Solutions to Maximize Broker Effectiveness
Why “having a broker” isn’t the same as getting results
Merchandising Checklist to Grow Sales and Shopper Loyalty
Why great merchandising ideas fail in the real world
Merchandising Strategies to Increase Sales & Shoppers
Why getting on shelf isn’t the same as getting chosen
This checklist walks you through the critical building blocks retailers expect before saying yes. Avoid costly missteps and launch new items with confidence, credibility, and retail readiness.
“The words passion, expertise and thought leader are words that come to mind when describing Daniel. As an advisory board member to several young and growing brands at the Innovation Center of the Rockies, Dan brought deep and specific guidance to develop our clients business strategy. He is a regular and expert contributor to our blogs and magazines at New Hope Natural Media and always provides targeted insights to help young manufacturers understand and thrive in the grocery space. He is truly and gem and I recommend him without reservation” – Diana Mercer, Community Manager, NEXT Natural Products Accelerator, New Hope Natural Media Natural and Organic Program Manager, Innovation Center of the Rockies
The Retail Operating System™
Most brands operate on hustle.
Retailers operate on systems.
That gap is expensive.
What This Solves
If you’ve ever struggled with:
• Unexpected deductions
• Trade promotion waste
• Broker underperformance
• Forecasting chaos
• Category pushback
• Weak merchandising execution
You don’t need more advice.
You need infrastructure.
The 11 Modules (Structured)
Margin Protection Layer
– Deduction Prevention
– Trade Architecture
Retail Execution Layer
– Merchandising
– Assortment
– Broker Alignment
– KPIs & Scorecards
Leverage Layer
– Category Reviews
– Data Mining
– Market Basket Strategy
– Retail Strategy
“Scaling mission-based brands takes a specific playbook. Bulletproof Your Brand podcast sheds light on getting to shelf, it's working for HonestTea and BeyondMeat.” – Seth Goldman, Founder, Honest Tea and Beyond Meat
“Dan and I talk about what retailers and shoppers really want, how to get your brand on the shelf, market changes, insights, trends, small brands and the future of the CPG industry! Always a great time and discussion with Dan!!!! One of the smartest most intuitive natural food leaders in the industry, thanks for having me on!” – Phil Lempert , CEO Consumer Insight, The Lempert Report, SupermarketGuru
Hi there, I’m Dan
A former CEO/Co-founder of a mission based organic brand and I’ve been in your shoes. 
I’ve seen first hand how unfairly entrepreneurial brands are treated including how difficult it is to get the support you deserve.
Let's face it, retail is pay-to-pay and entrepreneurial brands are at a significant competitive disadvantage. Let's change that! I’m committed to leveling the playing field and giving you an equal seat at the retailers table.
Retail Solved, including the Bulletproof Your CPG Brand podcast, empowers Entrepreneurial CPG brands to get more runway from their available resources giving them an Unfair Competitive Advantage. The guides, podcast, courses, and resources are all dedicated to helping you launch, scale, and thrive.
Discover how to get your brand onto more store shelves and into the hands of more shoppers with expert advice from top CEO’s and leading industry Thought Leaders. You’ll learn how to Future Proof your brand by converting occasional customers into Raving Brand Evangelists so that you can maximize profits while saving valuable time and money. Build authority in your category across all channels by maximizing your Broker Effectiveness, Optimizing Your Trade Spending, improving your Brand Valuations, and getting more runway to Fund Innovation. To learn more, visit RetailSolved.com.
“Hi Dan, I have to applaud you again, as you are consistently providing the most relevant content that I am seeing in the natural foods industry. Your topics are spot-on, and you feel like some sort of guardian angel that speaks up just at the right time, just as I am starting to formulate the question!” – Debra St. Claire – CEO, Claire's Organics, Inc.
Another Valuable Resources from Retail Solved!
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