Ugly Talk: The Growing Pain In Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Business
💡 What’s the Big Deal
CPG founders know the road from scrappy startup to scaled-up success is anything but smooth. That’s why this edition of Ugly Talk pulls back the curtain on the gritty realities of growing a consumer packaged goods brand. We’re bringing together CPG entrepreneurs who have not only scaled their companies but have also weathered the messiness that comes with rapid growth. Think operational bottlenecks, bad hires, retail headaches, supply chain chaos, and product pivots. It’s the side of scaling no one talks about until now.
🎯 Why You Should Attend
Gain actionable insights from seasoned CPG founders who have navigated the toughest phases of growth.
Understand the realities of fundraising, distribution, and building long-term retail relationships.
Learn practical strategies that go beyond surface-level advice and grounded in real experience, not theory.
Connect with a room full of industry peers who understand your challenges and may become valuable collaborators, advisors, or partners.
🙋 Who You’ll Meet
CPG founders who’ve been through it
Operators, investors, and retail strategists
Brand builders, growth hackers, and partners ready to scale with you
Investors who understand that building a brand isn’t always pretty, but it’s always worth it
🎤 Who’s on the Panel
Denise Jane - Founder & CEO of Seed & Shell
More speakers will be announced soon! Stay tuned!
Moderator:
Glenn Johnson - Marketing Consultant at Fractional CMO
Glenn Johnson works with small brands, startups, and founders to address their marketing needs. Formerly a VP/Creative Director at a Madison Avenue marketing and branding agency specializing in luxury and bespoke audiences, he brings expertise across multiple verticals. As a category-agnostic brand storyteller, he helps founders define their vision and develop their brand.
💬 What We’ll Talk About
The bottlenecks nobody tells you about until you hit them
Real stories of failed product launches, ops disasters, and hard pivots
How to protect your margins while scaling
Mistakes that cost founders money, time, and sometimes sanity
The mindset it takes to scale a CPG brand that lasts
🤝 Previous Event
🤝 Partner Brand
doola is the Business-in-a-Box™ for e-commerce founders—helping you launch, manage, and grow a US business from anywhere.
🤝 Co-Hosted With
GREY Journal – Media partner spotlighting modern entrepreneurs (featured on Apple News + Google News).
🤝 Venue Partner
The Malin SoHo - a workspace where the most ambitious go to work beautifully.
🎥 Get a taste of past Ugly Talk energy:
⭐ About Ugly Talk:
Started in 2019, Ugly Talk has been transforming business setbacks into breakthrough “aha!” moments by hosting unfiltered, no-nonsense events where battle-tested entrepreneurs share their raw lessons and insights.
With a growing presence in cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami, we’ve built a vibrant community of thousands of founders and industry leaders making a profound impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.