Ep 14: The Data Reality Most CPG Founders Don't Talk About
EPISODE #14
Freestyle Snacks founder Nikki Seaman on scaling shelf-stable olives to 5,000+ stores and piecing together velocity data without expensive syndicated tools.
30 min
•
June 25, 2026
Episode Description
Nikki Seaman built Freestyle Snacks in one of the most overlooked grocery categories, shelf-stable olives, and took it from a pandemic-era idea to more than 5,000 retail locations including Whole Foods and Target. In this episode of Know Thy Shelf, she gets candid about what CPG data actually looks like for a growing startup, how she thinks about velocity without access to expensive syndicated data, and what it takes to earn and hold shelf space at major national retailers. Nikki is direct about the real costs of retail growth, working with distributors and brokers, and what she'd tell founders before their first major push.
Key Insights & Quotes
“There’s no easy button. You have to be willing to do the hard work.”
“As a new brand, you obviously don't really have data or velocity, so I think at this stage, storytelling is key.”
