We’re back from fall break! 🎉 After a 5–6 week reset, The Brand Blueprint returns with a special Seed Spot Founder Series rolling out over the next several weeks. We’re kicking it off with Tristan Gandolfi, VP of Programming at Seed Spot, to unpack what actually gets founders retail-ready: data-driven storytelling, buyer psychology, live buyer simulations, and non-dilutive support that turns proof into POs.
In this episode (Capsule 6 | Sales & Distribution):
• Why buyer pitches must lead with data (velocity, margin, trend fit)
• How to make a buyer’s job easy (answer their questions before they ask)
• DTC → regional → chain: building your proof trail
• Why “Shark Tank pitches” ≠ buyer pitches
• Seed Spot’s national programming, mentor network, and outcomes
• New Seed Spot Emerging Brand cohort for pre-buyer founders
00:00 We’re back from fall break + Seed Spot Series kickoff
01:00 Why Sales & Distribution matter (Dana’s Big CPG background)
02:18 Rapid Fire + Midwest ↔ AZ life
10:58 What Seed Spot is & why it’s different
15:40 Going national/virtual: access anywhere
22:10 Why the Retail Accelerator (who it serves)
25:10 NEW “Emerging Brand” cohort (pre-buyer)
28:05 Data > drama: the buyer’s POV
31:05 Iterating curriculum to real founder needs
33:15 Live buyer simulations (why they work)
39:15 Build a buyer-ready, data-driven deck
46:10 Adapting to category shifts (Ozempic effect)
47:30 KPIs & outcomes: tracking success
53:05 Making mentor meetings high-ROI
54:20 Other Seed Spot tracks (nonprofit, health equity, spring training)
58:05 Spanish/English programming
59:30 How to evaluate accelerators (equity vs non-dilutive)
1:03:15 What’s next in the Seed Spot Founder Series
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