Cannabis Matters with Dr. Swathi Varanasi of Element Apothec More than just a CBD brand, Element Apothec is at the intersection of wellness and beauty. Its founding members came together through LinkedIn networking and, after several conversations, the company was born. Through innovation and impact, Element Apothec seeks to address health and well-being through a preventative and integrative lens — all while taking care of […] CATEGORIES Cannabis PUBLISHED April 20, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
How the Modern CFO Is a Strategic Business Partner to the C-Suite Whether organizations are in the midst of navigating economic hardship or releasing quarterly financial results, the actions and words of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) are often front and center. But, as organizations tackle other enterprise challenges and initiatives, the CFO remains a pivotal figure not only in partnership with the CEO but also in […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED April 18, 2023 AUTHOR Melanie Haniph
The Rise of Alternative Education: How Companies Are Embracing Job Candidates Without Four-Year Degrees Although conventional candidate qualifications within the job market have always been governed by having earned a college degree, in recent years there has been a shift in mindset. Job candidates are increasingly skipping the traditional four-year degree in favor of alternative paths, such as vocational training and coding boot camps. This trend is driven in […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED April 12, 2023 AUTHOR Patrick Proctor
Nick Rex Nick Rex has been named Sales Director at Costa Coffee. CATEGORIES Beverage PUBLISHED April 10, 2023 AUTHOR ForceBrands
Leading with Purpose: 4 Female Executives Who Are Making a Difference Explore the key principles of purpose-driven leadership through the stories of female executives who are making a difference through their impactful approach. CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED April 4, 2023 AUTHOR Patrick Proctor
Industry Veteran Joey Angelo Launches SU CASA MEZCAL Mezcal is having a moment. Now the fastest growing liquor category in the United States, mezcal’s global market is expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2031 with North America driving this growth. Despite this surge in popularity, a true market leader has yet to emerge — most consumers would be hard-pressed to name a single […] CATEGORIES Beverage PUBLISHED March 30, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
How Naturally Network Keeps Its Nationwide Community Connected Naturally Network, a national organization for the natural and organic consumer product industry, is all about community building. Its mission is to harness, accelerate and elevate the power and impact of conscious business practices in the natural and organic products ecosystem through community-based programming, networking, influence, and collaboration. What began as a support system in […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 27, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
How to Use ForceBrands’ Salary Reports to Plan Your Hiring Strategy When it comes to attracting and retaining talent in today’s competitive job market, compensation is table stakes. Fair market compensation — the salary or wage that an employee would receive for a particular job in a specific geographic location, taking into account factors such as the job responsibilities, required skills and experience, and the prevailing […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 27, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Understanding the Difference Between Lead Generation and Performance Growth Marketing Lead generation and performance growth marketing are fundamental in the world of digital marketing. While they share some similarities, there are key differences between the two that marketers and brand professionals should be aware of to maximize their marketing strategy. Read on to explore the differences between lead generation and performance growth marketing and discover […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 27, 2023 AUTHOR Patrick Proctor
For Calirosa, Tequila Is the Celebrity Not all creator brands are created equal. Some put the creator at the forefront of their branding and messaging while others focus on implementing the creator’s talent behind the scenes. Calirosa Tequila, the brainchild of couple Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, is a blend of both. “What we’ve tried to do differently is let Calirosa be […] CATEGORIES Beverage PUBLISHED March 24, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
Cannabis Matters with Jason Vegotsky of Petalfast Petalfast helps power today’s most exciting consumer brands to scale through sales, marketing, and capital. With its roots in California, the company has since expanded into other states and, as a result, its team has grown. For serial entrepreneur Jason Vegotsky, Petalfast’s CEO and Co-Founder, building resilient, sustainable teams starts with fostering a culture of growth […] CATEGORIES Cannabis PUBLISHED March 21, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
ForceBrands Partners with Project Potluck for Expo West Networking Luncheon ForceBrands joined forces with Project Potluck — a nonprofit on a mission to help People of Color (POC) build successful companies and careers in consumer packaged goods (CPG) — for an invite-only lunch during the week of Expo West. Hosted at the Hilton Anaheim, just steps from the trade show, more than 150 attendees from […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 20, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Highlights From Whipstitch’s “2023 Capital Markets and Building Value” Panel Specialized investment firm Whipstitch Capital kicked off Expo West with a “2023 Capital Markets and Building Value” panel conversation that explored the status of the capital markets for consumer businesses, both M&A and private placements. Moderated by Whipstitch Capital’s Managing Director Michael Burgmaier, panelists included: Josh Wand, CEO and Founder of ForceBrands; Ryan Lewendon, Partner […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 20, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Get to Know Some of ForceBrands’ #FemaleForces The ForceBrands team is made up of incredibly talented individuals who work remotely, coast to coast — from Boston to Los Angeles. In celebration of Women’s History Month (March), we’re highlighting some #FemaleForces on our own team (it is 76 percent female, after all) who are helping to build today’s most exciting and impactful consumer […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 19, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
We Talked to ChatGPT About Creators and Creator Brands; Here’s What Happened Hi ChatGPT! Let’s talk about creators. Sure, I’d be happy to talk about creators! What specifically would you like to discuss? What is a creator? A creator is someone who makes something original or innovative. They can be artists, musicians, writers, designers, programmers, inventors, or anyone who produces something new and unique. Creators can work […] CATEGORIES CreatorForce PUBLISHED March 16, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Company Proves Marketing Goes Beyond Celebrity Emma Chamberlain, the “Cold Brew Queen” wanted to share her passion for java with the world, so she created Chamberlain Coffee. Almost immediately, her followers and coffee lovers around the country were hooked. Now, you can find Chamberlain Coffee in stores and online — and you can rock highly sought-after merch. But it took time […] CATEGORIES Beverage PUBLISHED March 7, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
#FemaleForces: 6 Industry Founders On Hiring and Leadership When it comes to the consumer brand universe, women have found great success in launching game-changing startups that translate into household names. Billion-dollar brands like Glossier (valued at $1.8 billion) and Savage X Fenty (valued at $3 billion) are two that come to mind. According to Pitchbook, companies with at least one female founder comprised […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 5, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Get to Know Impactful Search: Executive Hiring for Purpose-Driven Leadership We’re excited to introduce and invite you to Impactful SearchⓇ, ForceBrands’ latest hiring solution for purpose-driven executive leadership. Finding a transformative leader who can drive and align commercial success and social mission is critical for growth, so we’ve designed an Executive Search practice focused exclusively on C-suite, executive, and board talent for consumer brands that align profitability and social impact. Why […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED March 1, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Hiring for a Creator Brand? Focus on These Positions First Hiring for a new brand is a unique challenge that requires attention and skill. Deciding where to begin can be tricky, especially when you’re balancing new hires with the voice and thought leadership of a creator, but we’re here to help. While you might initially want to gravitate toward filling executive positions, it’s important to […] CATEGORIES CreatorForce PUBLISHED February 23, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
ForceBrands Releases 2023 Salary Reports for Consumer Brands ForceBrands has released its 2023 Salary Reports for the following industries: beverage, food, beauty/wellness, and cannabis. The reports offer salary data across marketing, operations, sales, finance, and human resources. ForceBrands surveyed companies generating $10M-150M in revenue with under 500 employees. The data was compiled between January 2022 and February 2023. “Given the current economic climate, […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED February 21, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
This Creator Launched a Brand Based Off of His Viral Videos With more than nine million followers, Chris Olsen is a TikTok sensation. While he’s shared snippets of so many different parts of his life — from moments with Meghan Trainor to climbing poles in Croc high heels — one theme truly stuck and not only grew his following, but also kept his current followers coming […] CATEGORIES CreatorForce PUBLISHED February 15, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
ForceBrands Is the Force Behind Building Creator Brands One of the things we pride ourselves on at ForceBrands is having a unique, front-row seat to the world of consumer brands. Because we focus on executive search and leadership recruitment, we’re able to assess a brand’s potential and scalability through its investment in human capital. There’s a direct relationship between hiring and profitability. And […] CATEGORIES CreatorForce PUBLISHED February 13, 2023 AUTHOR Alexis Benveniste
How Boosting Your Online Employer Brand Keeps Your Talent Funnel Stoked at All Times In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to have a strong employer brand. Employer branding refers to the reputation and perception of a company as an employer, and a strong employer brand can help you attract top talent and improve employee retention. One key aspect of employer branding is a strong online […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED February 12, 2023 AUTHOR Patrick Proctor
How Marketing Is the Most Difficult, But Rewarding Hire The three Ps of marketing have historically been product, price, and promotion. But given the challenges of finding and keeping great marketing talent, there is a fourth critical P: people. Every organization needs people who can speak to its customers and influence their buying decisions. However, while marketing talent is essential to your success, finding […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED February 6, 2023 AUTHOR Melanie Haniph
Cannabis Matters with Nancy Whiteman of Wana Brands Dubbed by media outlets as the Queen of Legal Weed and the Martha Stewart of edibles (before the celebrated lifestyle entrepreneur entered the category herself), Nancy Whiteman has reached celebrity status in the cannabis industry. And rightfully so. It doesn’t get much more grassroots than Wana, Whiteman tells us in this episode of Cannabis Matters. […] CATEGORIES Cannabis PUBLISHED January 31, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Who Is Bailey Brown? Get to Know the Senior Executive Recruiter and Bachelor Contestant Who is Bailey Brown? You may have seen Bailey Brown on season 27 of ABC’s popular Bachelor franchise. She made her debut during the live finale of last season’s show when the new Bachelor was announced and was shortly introduced to a few of the women he would soon be dating. Perhaps more memorable was […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED January 26, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Looking to Be Promoted? This Book’s for You With more than two decades of experience working in the beverage industry, Randy Ornstein has helmed leadership roles at both Anheuser-Busch InBev and Gopuff, an e-commerce company at the forefront of the instant needs category. As a manager and a leader, Ornstein continually strived for his team to be timelier in communications, better participants at […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED January 24, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Inside the Creator Economy: 5 Creator Brands That Are Influencing the Consumer Industry This is the golden age of content creation — 2023 is the year of the creator economy. Estimated to be worth more than $100 billion as of July 2022, content creation has proven its value, especially when it comes to powering marketing for brand building. Companies continue to make big investments in the creator economy […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED January 15, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
4 Tools to Make 2023 Your Most Productive and Successful Year at Work A new year is a great time to set goals that help you maximize your productivity and professional development. With the right tools, you can make sure that you’re getting the most out of your work and career. From team collaboration platforms that improve workflow to online courses that help you level up your area […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED January 8, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Our 2023 Predictions for Work, Business, and Hiring What will 2023 have in store? If it’s anything like 2022, change is guaranteed. Already we’re entering into a year defined by record inflation, hybrid workplaces, economic uncertainty, and the influx of Gen Zers — the largest generation to enter the workforce. Considering these factors alone, we’re in for a year of great challenges but […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED January 1, 2023 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Cannabis Matters with Gary Seelhorst of Justice Cannabis Co. Justice Cannabis Co. is one of the largest private multi-state operators in the United States. Founded on the premise that feeling good is always the destination, the team at Justice has a long-standing and impressive reputation for quality products, unique dispensaries, and a modern approach to service. In this episode of Cannabis Matters, we caught up […] CATEGORIES Cannabis PUBLISHED December 21, 2022 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Watch: CPG Accelerator SKU Premieres Dallas Showcase Pitch Video Founders of the five startup brands participating in SKU’s (CPG) Dallas accelerator celebrated the culmination of the rigorous 12-week program with the premiere of the virtual pitch event. The brands span multiple categories, from beverages to women’s sexual health. “In addition to being our first cohort of all female-founded brands, these were some of the […] CATEGORIES Food PUBLISHED December 19, 2022 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Christian Liu Christian Liu has been named Chief Marketing Officer at Allermi. He had been Head of Growth at Phyla. CATEGORIES Beauty PUBLISHED December 11, 2022 AUTHOR ForceBrands
The Big Ideas of 2023 That Will Change Our World At the end of each year, the networking career platform LinkedIn releases its list of big ideas. The site’s editors aggregate feedback from its community of Top Voices and creators to offer predictions for the year ahead. What will 2023 have in store and what will it mean for the future of work, home, and […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED December 11, 2022 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Employees Have Spoken and Here’s What They’ve Said About the Four-Day Workweek The four-day workweek has been a popular topic of conversation since the start of the pandemic when workers largely embraced the transition to remote work. Since then, employers have entertained creating a shorter workweek and employees have asked for it. For many, the shift to remote work in the early days of Covid meant more […] CATEGORIES ForceBrands PUBLISHED December 4, 2022 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer
Cannabis Matters with Tyneeha Rivers of Curaleaf For Curaleaf‘s Chief People Officer Tyneeha Rivers, cannabis is personal. A true believer in the power of the plant, she overcame insomnia after being introduced to the healing properties of cannabis. Now, she combines her passion for the industry and experience in human resources to make Curaleaf a leading place to work in the space. […] CATEGORIES Cannabis PUBLISHED November 29, 2022 AUTHOR Rebecca Fryer