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Samuel Anderson shared thisFour categories declined and one grew. A distributor is going to court to hold brands that already left. Half a state's grape crop had no buyer before harvest even started. None of that is a headline problem. It is a demand problem wearing four different hats. The only person in today's brief who sounded like he had a plan was the guy telling his own distributors to stop making excuses. What are you doing differently in Q4 than you did last year? Tell me in the comments. ONE ASK Anthony DiVenuti asked the network what distributors look for before taking on a brand. Brokers answered. That happens in one place. beveragebrokernetwork.com Truthfully, Sam #BeverageIndustry #RTD #Wine #BeverageDistributionTue, September 29, 2026 Half of California's crop had no buyerTue, September 29, 2026 Half of California's crop had no buyer
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Samuel Anderson shared thisFRONTLINE BEVERAGE now accepting applications from beverage brands looking to get picked up by a distributor in nine states: California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, Illinois, and Wisconsin. If you are building a brand and can't get the right distributor to take your call, that's exactly where we come in. FRONTLINE BEVERAGE connects you with the right distributor in each market, then the field team runs the on-the-groundwork so what gets placed actually sells. Getting on the truck is step one, not the finish line. Applying takes about five minutes. Link below. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gBpDcwMC
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Samuel Anderson shared thisAbercrombie made the moose smaller and sold more clothes. For years the logo was the product. Big moose across the chest. You paid so people could see it. Then it got loud. Then it got uncool. Then the stores emptied out. The comeback wasn't a better moose. It was jeans that fit. I think beverage is living the same story right now. Watch someone at the cooler. They're not looking for a name. They're looking for a job to get done. Calm me down. Wake me up. Let me stay out late and feel fine tomorrow. Make me look like I know what I'm ordering. Some people call that commoditization. I think it's the opposite. A commodity is something you buy on price because they're all the same. This is people paying for a feeling. That's brand at its purest. It just doesn't wear a logo anymore. The ones who should be nervous are the brands in the middle. Nice label. Decent liquid. No reason to exist beyond the emblem. So I'm curious where you land. Are we headed toward commodity, or is this the most brand driven this business has ever been? Truthfully, Sam #BeverageIndustry #BrandBuilding #Spirits #RTD #CPG
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Samuel Anderson shared thisHe Sold Pickle Shots Out Of His Trunk. Now He Runs The Co-Packer That Won't Bury You In MOQs. Dan Graves built Dirty Dill from a garage in Denver, then built Scaleaway to fix the exact problem that almost broke him: co-packers who want sixteen thousand cases from a brand that hasn't sold one yet. Everybody wants to hear the version where the brand takes off. Nobody wants to hear the version where you hand pump shooters into bottles in a garage that was, in his words, embarrassing to show people. That second version is the one that actually built something. Dan Graves lived both, and now he owns the facility that decides whether other founders have to. Click Below to watch the entire episode with Dan Graves 👇 Truthfully, Sam #beverages #distribution #pickleshots #DirtydillHe Sold Pickle Shots Out Of His Trunk. Now He Runs The Co-Packer That Won't Bury You In MOQs.He Sold Pickle Shots Out Of His Trunk. Now He Runs The Co-Packer That Won't Bury You In MOQs.
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Samuel Anderson shared thisGetting authorized at a big chain is not a win. It's an audition. The buyer says yes. The founder calls home. Somebody pops a bottle. Nobody's asking what happens at the next reset. The chain gave you a slot on the shelf. They didn't give you a shopper. That spot is rented, and the rent is velocity. If you don't turn, the next brand in line gets your facing. I've watched good liquid get cut because the founder spent everything winning the meeting and had nothing left for the store. No demos. No field visits. Nobody checking if the product even made it to the shelf. Somehow when I say that, I'm the guy who doesn't believe in the brand. I believe in the brand. I just don't believe in the parade. Getting in is the easy part. Staying in is the job. Truthfully, Sam On behalf of every buyer who's had to cut a brand they liked. #Retail #CategoryManagement #BeverageIndustry #FounderLife
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Samuel Anderson shared thisSorry, founders, but I have to say it. Getting picked up by a big distributor is not a win. It's a hunting license. I've been on that side of the table. The book has thousands of items. The rep has a bag full of brands paying for attention. Your brand is one more SKU they'll get to if they have time. Founders celebrate the signed agreement like it's the championship. It's the first practice. Somehow when I say this out loud I'm the guy raining on the parade. The distributor moves cases. You create the demand. Nobody's coming to do that part for you. Truthfully, Sam On behalf of every rep with 800 items and one set of hands. #Distribution #ThreeTier #BeverageIndustry #FounderLife
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Samuel Anderson shared thisHere's what worries me about AI. Companies are going all in and cutting the people who catch the mistakes. The person who knows Pumpkin is a boy. The rep who knows the buyer's kid plays travel ball. The manager who reads the draft and says "that's not us." Pull those people out and the mistakes don't stop. They just ship. AI makes a good person faster. It makes an empty chair dangerous. Keep the humans in the real jobs. Put the AI in the passenger seat and hand it the map. You drive. Tell me I am wrong? Truthfully, Sam #AI #BeverageIndustry #Leadership #FieldSales #FutureOfWork
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Samuel Anderson shared thisDRINKUP LIVE PODCAST — SATURDAY MORNING 🥃 This Saturday from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM CST, Adam Smith and I will be joined by Michael Fors, winemaker of 26 years and inventor of the patented Liquid Jazz Rocking Decanter. Michael has spent 26 years learning what makes a wine sing — and then he built something to prove it. After more than two decades as a winemaker, he channeled that expertise into the Liquid Jazz Rocking Decanter, a patented take on one of wine's oldest rituals: aerating and opening up a bottle to bring out everything that's in the glass. It's the kind of innovation that only comes from someone who's spent a career on both sides of the craft — making the wine and obsessing over how it's experienced. We'll talk about: 🥃 What 26 years of winemaking teaches you about a great pour 🥃 The science and art of aeration and decanting 🥃 Inventing — and patenting — a product in the wine world 🥃 Turning deep craft expertise into a consumer product 🥃 How the right ritual changes the way wine tastes 🥃 Building a brand around a better drinking experience If you've ever wondered how a lifetime of winemaking becomes a patented innovation, this is one you won't want to miss. Join us live: https://lnkd.in/dBfu7iMu Bring your questions. Bring your coffee. Maybe bring a cocktail. Saturday. 9:30 AM CST. See you there. Truthfully, Samuel Anderson & Adam Smith #DrinkUpPodcast #Wine #Winemaking #Decanter #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #FounderStory #BrandBuilding #WineLovers #ProductDesign
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Samuel Anderson shared thisIt is Friday night. Somebody is about to hand you a beer with protein in it. Not a startup. Not a gimmick brand. AB InBev, the largest brewer on earth, has already launched a protein Spaten in Brazil and plans to expand low calorie and zero alcohol beers with protein and electrolytes. Their stated reason, in their own words: to increase consumption among people who drink beer occasionally. Now, two things are true at the same time, and that is what makes this worth arguing about. Protein does not offset ethanol. Adding electrolytes to a diuretic is a strange pitch. The health writers are right about the chemistry. And AB InBev is right about the market. Occasional drinkers are the only growth pool left. Their low and no alcohol range is already about 11% of the company and growing three times faster than the industry. So which is it? Smart adaptation to where the consumer actually went, or the beginning of the end of what beer is? I have been in this business 39 years and I genuinely cannot decide. I keep landing in a different place depending on whether I am thinking like a marketer or like somebody who just wants a cold one after work. Tell me in the comments, and tell me why. I read every one. Then go have a beer tonight. Whatever is in it. Truthfully, Sam #BeverageIndustry #Beer #NonAlcFri, September 25, 2026 The world's biggest brewer wants to put protein in your beer.Fri, September 25, 2026 The world's biggest brewer wants to put protein in your beer.
Samuel Anderson replied to a comment
11h
Ronald Bolden Jr what tactics are you putting into play.
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisI am excited to attend Founderland.us! I am looking forward to catching up and meeting more incredible people at Malibu. See you there!
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisSome brands do exactly what you expect them to do. Boring. Some brands prioritize practicality over fun. Boring. Free Bird is not just “some brand”. We sure as hell aren’t boring. Meet Biscuit 🦅🦅🦅 Our new Chief Flock Officer…..and definitely one of the best things ever!!!!! Follow him @biscuitthebird on insta and TikTok and Facebook and whatever social media platforms your mama lets you use.😎 Cheers y’all.
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisI don’t know how to tell you this. I don’t think you’re gonna make it. ☠️ (And that is the best possible news.) History tells us we resisted the automobile. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 horse.” Last month I shared Brick Meets Click’s July data. Online grocery up 21.5%. In-store grocery down 2.6%. And I got a few of the usual comments. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦.” Spoiler: We’ll never stop walking into stores. Take a breath Gramps. But you should know that August’s numbers are here. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆: ⬆️ 𝟮𝟰.𝟵% 𝗜𝗻-𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆: ⬇️ 𝟰.𝟭% This may be the most compelling month I’ve seen. In-store is down pretty substantially. And before you tell me e-grocery growth is inflation… Average online order value rose just 0.5% YoY. Almost all of that growth was people ordering more. “𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵, 60% 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵.” 😳😳😳 Now before you get upset… I know you love walking the aisles. Newsflash: I do too. I do it weekly. I ate meatballs at Costco just last Sunday. ✔️ But you know what the future of shopping looks like? You’ll go into the store to enjoy the things you do want. But tech will strip away the things you don’t want. Breathe a sigh of relief. Those Costco meatballs are going to be just fine. So were you one of the 60% who ordered groceries online in August? If so, have you tried DoorDash Grocery yet? ——— 🔹 We help drive retail sales through digital platforms. 🔹 DM me for details. #ecommerce #amazon #retailmedia #business #food https://lnkd.in/ecaUbCUb
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisWhen does the growth constraints shift from Strategy to Talent? + Critical roles are underfilled anchored in legacy needs + The senior team may have strong talent, but not the correct mix for the next stage + Hiring is reactive and not strategic - There is no consistent Search Process + New hires do not see onboarding consistency and they underperform When Scaling the business is most important and you think you have all set up for success- The failure of your talent model will trip you up and create havoc on your growth! #Talent #Leadership #Performance
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisI am exactly the person wine should have an easy time selling to. I like wine. I know wine. I’m on vacation. I’m eating dinner out every night. And I’ve barely ordered any. At the resort we’re staying at in Cancun, the wine experience has been almost comically bad. The only BTG option is the house wine, which I find undrinkable. Most of the bottles I’d actually consider are around $100 or more. The markup is INSANE. (Literally Matua is on the menu for almost $100) Even the sangria is half wine, half lemonade (found that out the heard way). Cocktails are everywhere, but after one or two they start to feel palate-saturating and tiring. There are no RTDs, no hard seltzers, none of the lighter alternatives that have become so normal in the U.S. So I keep ending up with beer. And I’m not even much of a beer drinker. But it’s cold, familiar, predictable, relatively affordable and easy to order without thinking too hard. Wine is asking for a much bigger commitment, with a much higher chance of disappointment. We spend a lot of time talking about how wine can recruit younger drinkers, modernize itself, or become more approachable. But sometimes the problem is much simpler: the category is MUCH harder to choose in the moment. And when every other option creates more friction, “the default” becomes a pretty powerful position to own.
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisThis is the look I make when another LinkedIn Genius uses AI to pontificate on RNDC or the barrel market. 1st - you will eventually realize that AI is not a substitute for an original thought or long form written prose and 2nd- all the negative prompts in AI breed negative spin to all the articles and research on barrels. The free form research will show you two main points. 1) RNDC over levered at the wrong time and it failed 2) the bourbon market is still growing from its base but down from covid highs. If distillers did not build into covid growth numbers then the fall from grace would not be so dramatic at all. Stabilization is happening in market. #doyourhomework InvestBev
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Samuel Anderson liked thisSamuel Anderson liked thisD&D. Less Dungeons & Dragons. More ❤️ Duncan Alney 🔥, Dinos Stamoulis, and a bag of beef jerky from Snake River Farms Introduce the D&D Series: What is it Duncan? Food, founder perspectives, and some bad manners....a couple rebels in the house... So here's how it went down.... D&D went to Costco. We got some Snake River Famrs Wagyu Jerk and Abby Thomas Mosley roped us in to do a tasting! With Abby of course asking the questions! Now check it out.... It looks premium, packaging is strong and the Wagyu definitely sets the expectations! Our reaction: Softer than we expected, moist, definitely got that steak flavor, savory! Softer than expected, a direct steak flavor—and Dinos’s observation that the beef does the work, rather than the seasoning. Abby's Point: It relies on the beef NOT the seasoning. Bravo! The marketing Angle: The packaging got our attention. I think the product is strong and I'll buy it again! What shold we text next? “
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Finance & Accounting for Non Financial Managers
Villanova University College of Professional Studies
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