We are going full-stalker with branding obsession, creative, messaging, process, leadership, and what it means to be a Brand Superfan.
🤘 Peter Jude Ricciardi 🤘,😂 Jeff Litcofsky, Allison Clay (of CPG Fan Girl), and Robert Cogan
Join Brandartica 🤘 Peter Jude Ricciardi 🤘 and 😂 Jeff Litcofsky, along with Robert Cogan, for: The Story Behind Startup Growth
Featuring Shawn Berg, Founder & CEO of SMB Sales & Marketing
Every CPG founder loves to talk about their product.
But the product isn’t what sells.
The story is.
And not the “we started in our kitchen” kind of story, the one that actually moves people. The one that connects, convinces, and converts.
This week, we’re howling with Shawn Berg, a 23-year CPG veteran, brokerage boss, and unapologetic music-fan-man (90s alt, 80s metal, Stones, Beatles).
He’s built brands across the Southeast that don’t just sit on shelves, they sell off them.
We’re talking:
🔥 Why most startups hit a wall around year 2 or 3
🎯 How to fix your messaging before you fix your marketing
🎸 The music-meets-mindset of selling with conviction
💀 And what it takes to stand for something loud enough to be remembered
Because great products fill shelves.
But great stories?
They move them.
No, Yes, and How?This edition of Where the Dogs of Society Howl" digs into it deeply. Our guest is the indubitable Adam Smith of Alias Advising. As always, we will have Robert Cogan in the green room, joining us at the mid-way point, with his unique takes and breaking updates.
Set aside 57 minutes, "Where The Dogs Of Society Howl" with Brandartica 🤘 Peter Jude Ricciardi 🤘and 😂 Jeff Litcofsky as we explore Satire, Branding, and hashtag#WeirdLinkedIn with our pal, 🍔 Briana BrughPlus, Robert Cogan drops by to tell you how it is... Also, hopefully, what it is.
Guest: Gregory Willis, former fine-dining chef, reality TV personality, ultra-endurance athlete, and Founder of Senspire (aka the brains behind Flavor Studio).
Topic:
Brand Recipes: Where Strategy Meets Soul (with a Pinch of Magic)
The best brands don’t come from templates.
They don’t taste like beige mush designed to offend no one.
They’re crafted. Stirred. Tasted. Tweaked.
And just like a perfect dish…
There’s always a little magic in the mix.
Gregory knows this better than anyone.
He’s built businesses in food, beverage, and tech, and he’ll be breaking down why most brands fail before they ever hit the shelf.
We’re talking:
🔪 Why flavor is a strategy
🥩 What bad brands taste like
💡 How to scale magic
📦 And why you should stop copying someone else’s recipe
This one’s for founders, flavor freaks, and brand builders who still believe in soul.
Brandartica's "Where the Dogs of Society Howl" LinkedIn Live with guest Zane Curtis, founder of Monday Morning Bottle Shop, Building San Diego’s NA scene | Founder, Monday Morning Bottle Shop.
We're digging into all of it. From Brand impressions, Guest experience, where are brands succeeding or failing?
What to look out for, how to fix it when things go wrong.
Originally aired on Aug 7, 2025
She’s not your CPA’s financial coach.
Natalie Cook is the Founder/CEO of Finance Fight Club. Natalie provides guidance, insights & strategies - beyond what a bookkeeper and CPA provide- to help small business owners and entrepreneurs make wise financial choices, gain confidence, and increase profits.
Brandartica's Peter and Jeff discuss Margins Or Death with Author Steven Dontingy.
The Marginless Abyss is where good ideas go to die. It’s the place brands end up when they build without truly knowing their costs, when they gamble on distribution without logistics in place, when they scale on hope instead of math.
The punishment? Eternal pallets of unsold product, frozen in warehouses, discontinued SKUs gathering dust, forgotten by buyers and consumers alike.
The Art of Noticing, and Why It’s EverythingThere’s a beautifully gentle children’s book called Noticing by New York Times bestselling author Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Elise Hurst. It tells the story of a painter who doesn’t call herself a painter; she calls herself a noticer. She isn’t just putting color on canvas, she’s slowing down enough to see the details most people miss. To notice is to really see.Join us, and invite your friends. As we discuss "The Art of Noticing and Why it is Important to Brands."
There is no silver bullet to succeeding on LinkedIn or in life. But other people's tales and experiences may inspire you to move forward on your own quest!
Most brands are out here sanding down their edges.
Safe. Polished. Forgettable.
Weird? Weird gets remembered.
Weird gets shared.
Weird sells.
That’s precisely what we’re unpacking in our next live event:
🤘 Making Weird Work: Why Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Move
Join us as we break down:
Why “fine” is the death of your brand
The Hall of Fame of brands that built empires by leaning into their quirks
How you can weaponize your weird to stand out in a crowded market
If you’re a founder, creative, or business leader tired of blending in—this is the conversation you can’t afford to miss.
Join Brandartica along with our buddy Chris Overlay, and Robert Cogan for the best 59 minutes of your day!
Because in 2025-26, the most dangerous move isn’t being too weird.
It’s being forgettable.
LinkedIn Live: Stars In Your Office Sky
Culture. Creativity. Engagement.
Let’s talk about what lights people up at work.
This one’s not a stiff panel.
This is an open forum. A conversation. A little chaos.
Bring your hot takes, bold ideas, and fundamental questions about:
✨ Building culture that means something
✨ Sparking creativity in cubicles, Zooms, or Slack
✨ Getting your team to give a damn (and why they don’t right now)
Do you want to hop on live with us?
DM me or drop a comment. We’ll send the link. No suits required.
Just your brain, your heart, and maybe your coffee.
Let’s find the stars in your office sky 🌌
(And maybe shake up your galaxy a bit.)
Join Brandartica as we discuss Branded Merchandise that Matters! With Lindsey Reid from emblm - maybe a visit from Robert Cogan, if we can catch up with him (he is always on the go).
Whether you’re a:
☑️ Marketer trying to make your booth not suck
☑️ Startup founder seeding the right hats to the right humans
☑️ HR leader hyping culture through onboarding kits
☑️ Retail brand building a fanbase that actually wears your logo
☑️ Social media manager craving organic unboxing content
☑️ Event planner curating kits people actually want
☑️ VC firm helping your portfolio show up strong
☑️ Podcaster dropping Patreon exclusives
☑️ University making pride gear people rep beyond campus
☑️ Or a business trying to be remembered for something other than sad swag…
This is your sign to stop slapping your logo on garbage.
You’re building a brand.
Make sure what you put in people’s hands feels like it.
If you have a CPG brand, Food and Bev brand, Product, Service...
Anything people spend money on, tune in.
We deliver another fire & brimstone episode with an injection of joyousness and advice, insight, and a wealth of awesomeness from our Special Guest Arielle Davis 🪞and our fearless man on the street Robert Cogan.
Everyone loves the underdog story—until you’re the underdog living it.
Starting small. Unknown. Not on the radar yet. You don’t have the big budget or legacy name. What you do have is speed, curiosity, and no old rules to follow.
Here’s how underdogs, disruptors, and “outsiders” can punch above their weight—and scale smart without selling their soul.
Nikeisha Daley joins Brandartica on Where the Dogs of Society Howl - as we discuss copywriting, life in Jamaica, her career arc, and how smaller brands can win the day against bigger brands, and more!
What: LinkedIn Live Where the Dogs Of Society Howl
Who: Brandartica and Courtney O'Brien
Why: Why the Hell Not?
This session is for brand founders, marketers, and CPG teams wondering why a great product isn’t turning into great sales. We’ll unpack why visibility, not quality, is often the missing link and how DIY marketing and content inconsistency silently kill brand momentum.
Courtney helped build and scale brands like Coke Zero, Apothic, Dark Horse, and Evian, turning liquids and labels into category leaders—brands people didn’t just buy—they followed.
She is also the Founder and Managing Director of The Outlier Initiative
Bring your questions.
This session is for brand founders, marketers, and CPG teams wondering why a great product isn’t turning into great sales. We’ll unpack why visibility, not quality, is often the missing link and how DIY marketing and content inconsistency silently kill brand momentum.
Courtney helped build and scale brands like Coke Zero, Apothic, Dark Horse, and Evian, turning liquids and labels into category leaders—brands people didn’t just buy—they followed.
She is also the Founder and Managing Director of The Outlier Initiative
We discuss Brand imagery and photography with Alison Ashton. As the founder of Los Angeles-based Content Kitchen, Alison combines extensive editorial experience and formal culinary training to specialize in food-focused content and strategy, including recipe development and photography, for national media outlets and brands. Plus, she is an incredible human! * Why don't you bring a knife to a gunfight* Refrigerate your mayonnaise or not?* When to hire a wedding photographer (hint - you're getting married)* The Taboo of Stock Imagery* What is Stock Roulette* Why composition matters* Owning an iPhone does not make you a photographer. It makes you one of millions of other people who are also not photographersAnd more!
We are back with Samuel Anderson on Thursday, May 8th, 1:30 EST! We're talking about what gets CPG into stores, on shelves, and selling like hell. Hosted by 🤘 Peter Jude Ricciardi 🤘😂 Jeff Litcofsky of Brandartica
Join us for a go-for-the-throat, in-for-the-kill discussion that will break down the walls stopping your beverage brand from succeeding right now!
LinkedIn Live: Ready to Rebrand? Let’s Make Sure.
Thinking about changing your logo, name, website, or brand identity?
Pump the brakes.
Let’s make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons — and with the right plan.
Rebranding isn’t just a glow-up. It’s a business move.
And if you get it wrong? You risk confusion, lost trust, and wasted money.
Join us with special guests Nicole Light and Lorde Astor West for a no-BS walkthrough of what it takes to rebrand smart — with strategy, not just style.
What you’ll learn:
How to tell if a rebrand is necessary — or just a distraction
- The #1 reason most rebrands fail
- The internal alignment you must have before touching your logo
- What questions to ask your customers (before the agency invoice)
- The difference between a “refresh” and a full rebrand
- Who you need on your team — and why
Brandartica hosts another LinkedIn Live this Thursday at 1:30 PM EST
Special guest Jaryn Dominique from Deviant Digital.
We're discussing Social Media, Organic, Paid, and how it can support your brand strategy and growth.
Who It's For
• CPG founders doing their own social
• Brands stuck between DIY and growth
• Anyone treating organic content like a side hustle
What You'll Learn
• Why organic social = your brand's growth engine
• How to use organic + paid the right way
• What works on IG, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn & FB
• Why founder voice matters (and how to use it)
• What a real content mix looks like (and why DIY fails)
Why Tune In
• Jaryn is bringing breakfast (potentially wet eggs)
• It will be the best LinkedIn Live you've attended all week