What does it really take to build a successful CPG brand? In a world where brands can launch overnight and retailers want products to scale fast, the biggest challenge may be knowing when to slow down.At the Talent Commerce Summit in West Hollywood, Danny Stepper, Co-Founder of L.A.Libations, sits down with Sarah Brooks, Josh Wand, and Jess Windell, for a candid conversation about the realities of building consumer brands, investing in founders, finding product-market fit, and creating products that genuinely resonate with customers.From founder communities and early-stage funding to consumer feedback, sleep innovation, and a potentially game-changing can lid, this conversation explores what it takes to build brands that last.

What happens when a 70-year-old salt company enters the booming electrolyte market—and builds a loyal following before going big in retail? For Josh Preator of Redmond, Utah, the answer starts deep underground in a salt mine and leads all the way to Walmart shelves. On this episode of Poor Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, Dino sits down with Josh Preator of Redmond to uncover the story behind Real Salt and Re-Lyte, the electrolyte brand that has earned a passionate following among athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers. Josh shares how Redmond evolved from its agricultural roots into a growing player in sports nutrition, why the company took a deliberate approach to building Re-Lyte, and how consumer demand for cleaner electrolyte products is creating new opportunities in retail. From the history of Redmond’s Utah salt mine to the future of ready-to-drink hydration, this conversation explores what it takes to turn a trusted legacy ingredient into a modern consumer brand.

In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, sits down with Dressi founders Kendall Toole and Alexander Brzozowski, alongside Don Clark, Chief Merchandising Officer at Sprouts Farmers Market, for a candid conversation about building better-for-you products, earning consumer trust and bringing emerging brands to shelf. Kendall and Alexander share the story behind Dressi, a protein-forward salad dressing and drizzle with four grams of protein per two-tablespoon serving. They reveal how the product evolved through months of formulation work, why they chose 100% olive oil and what it took to receive Non-GMO Project verification just days before their labels went to print. Don pulls back the curtain on how Sprouts discovers, develops and scales emerging brands. He explains why the retailer is comfortable working with lean, early-stage founders, how its foraging and merchandising teams collaborate and why taking calculated risks is essential to discovering the next major food trend. The group also explores the responsibility that comes with influence, the difference between an authentic founder and a celebrity endorsement, the growing demand for protein and the importance of separating science-backed nutrition from short-lived wellness trends.

What if the future of cake mix meant going back to the grains we've been eating for thousands of years? Meet Alyssa Fernandez, founder of OLLIN (All In Y’all), the Texas-born baking brand on a mission to rethink the traditional boxed cake mix with ancient grains, a simpler ingredient philosophy, and a whole lot of Lone Star spirit. In this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, Alyssa shares how she went from journalism, teaching, and Google to building a food startup from scratch. After turning her own wedding cake recipe into a commercial product, she's working to prove that consumers shouldn't have to choose between gluten-free alternatives and conventional cake mixes with long ingredient lists. From her Pitch Slam experience to landing Texas retail partners, navigating manufacturing, and raising capital, Alyssa gets candid about the realities of building a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand—and why she believes OLLIN can become the next iconic Texas legacy brand.

What happens when AI starts running behind the scenes of your grocery store—and eventually decides what ends up in your shopping cart? On this episode of Pour Decisions Podcast, hosted by Dino Sarti, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, we sit down with Evan Naylor, VP of AI Transformation at Sprouts Farmers Market, and Max from RELEX Solutions, who leads AI development, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping grocery retail, supply chains, and the future of commerce. From making it easier for emerging brands to get on store shelves to preparing for a world where AI agents shop on our behalf, this conversation gets into what AI transformation actually looks like inside a growing retail business—and what it means for brands, employees, and consumers.

Think your skincare routine is failing you? After 40, it might not be your products. It might be your hormones. 💄✨ In this episode of Pour Decisions, Christine Phan, Global Vice President at LA Libations sits down with Lisa Harris of Cheeky Beauty LA at the Talent Commerce Summit. Lisa is a licensed esthetician, makeup artist and midlife beauty creator with more than 30 years in the industry, including film, TV and salon work. She shares honest advice on aging well without overdoing it, why sunscreen is the most underrated step, how hormones change your skin, and why brands need to stop ignoring the 45+ beauty consumer.

Celebrity brands are launched with huge awareness and still fail. Danny Stepper explains why, live from the second annual Talent Commerce Summit in LA. In this Pour Decisions conversation, Danny sits down with Dhruv Patel, founder of Celebrity Package Goods, and Jacob McCort of Shopify. They cover how the summit started, why talent deals go wrong, and what separates a lasting creator brand from a one-hit launch. Danny shares what he learned from a celebrity energy drink that did $80M in year one but couldn't get repeat buyers. You'll also hear how Shopify works with creators, where AI fits in, and what retailers like Target and Walmart are doing with creator-led brands.

What if you could wear your favorite high heels without paying the usual price in foot pain? 👠 Shantel Jackson, inventor and founder of Shoe Gummy, joins Danny Stepper, Co-Founder of L.A. Libations, to share the story behind an innovative product designed to make high heels more comfortable. What started in 2009 as a personal solution for Shantel turned into a patented consumer product, a growing footwear-comfort company, and a journey that included failed lab testing, product redesigns, reality television, major brand partnerships, and more than a decade of persistence. In this episode, Shantel opens up about how she created Shoe Gummy, why the product works differently from traditional insoles, what she learned from failure, how she built the business without outside funding, and where she wants to take the company next.

What does it take to build a food brand that survives for nearly 30 years—and still has something to prove? In this episode of Pour Decisions, Dino Sarti, Co-Founder at L.A. Libations, sits down with Travis Baumgardner, Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer of Sambazon, to unpack the wild journey behind one of the most recognizable acai brands in the U.S. From discovering acai in Brazil to building a vertically integrated Amazonian supply chain, Sambazon’s story involves river pirates, 350 communities, more than 1,000 families, frozen-food battles, major business pivots, and a long-term bet that people, planet, and profit can scale together. Travis also explains why Sambazon moved away from single-serve beverages, doubled down on frozen acai, and is now focused on the next big opportunity: regenerative agriculture. If you’re interested in food entrepreneurship, CPG, supply chains, sustainability, regenerative agriculture, functional foods, or the behind-the-scenes decisions that build enduring brands, this conversation is worth a listen. This episode is powered by IM Collective — bringing ideas, stories, and experiences to life. Ideas in Motion. Discover more at https://www.imco.studio

The Beverage Forum Europe returns for year two—this time at one of the world’s most iconic venues, Abbey Road Studios. Today, we're joined by Danny Stepper and Dino Sarti, Co-Founders of L.A. Libations and Co-Owners of The Beverage Forum. With a powerhouse speaker lineup and a sold-out room of founders, retailers, investors and industry leaders, this year’s programme brings the drinks industry together for candid conversations, meaningful connections and opportunities to move business forward. Thank you to our partners, sponsors and the dedicated teams whose hard work has brought this experience to life.