))
Kyle Peters - From Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur at Jack Link's
Manage episode 494518901 series 3658694
Content provided by Adam Steinberg. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Adam Steinberg or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
On this episode, we’re joined by Kyle Peters, the Senior Director of Emerging Brands at Jack Link’s, where he leads brand strategy, P&L, and innovation across a portfolio of growth-stage and incubation brands - including Golden Island, Jack Link’s Chili, and more.
Kyle brings a unique lens to scaling emerging brands within a legacy organization, drawing on his experience as a founder of a high-protein ice cream startup and as a former growth leader at Nestlé’s R&D Accelerator.
We dive into navigating the post-founder journey, how to be a good partner to a distributor, and what makes for a truly scalable product strategy. We dive deep into COGS, margin planning, and when (if ever) it makes sense to vertically integrate. Plus: emerging CPG trends from the guy leading the emerging trends at Jack Link’s.
Episode Highlights:
🥩 Inside Jack Link’s emerging brand strategy
🧊 The post-founder handoff playbook
🏭 Copacker sourcing tips + trusted directories
📉 Tradeoffs when moving from self-manufacturing
📦 Packaging design lessons + rebrand advice
🚚 How to work with your distributor, not against them
💸 What C-store buyers expect, and how to deliver
📊 Forecasting margin erosion the right way
🔥 Trends Kyle is watching in protein and beyond
Table of Contents:
01:00 – Jack Links’ emerging brands portfolio
08:54 – The post-founder journey
21:29 – Copackers
24:18 – Where to find copackers
27:23 – Moving from self-manufacturing, tradeoffs in scaling
31:37 – If/when to vertically integrate
33:36 – Product mix strategy
39:23 – Being a good partner to distributors
43:18 – A distributor’s expected hit to your margin
44:43 – Projecting COGS and margins
46:51 – The C-store channel
50:47 – Packaging design: what matters
53:48 – When to rebrand
56:40 – Emerging trends from the emerging trends guy
57:46 – Why protein is exploding right now
Links:
Jack Link’s – https://www.jacklinks.com
Follow Kyle on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylempeters/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/
Check out https://www.kitprint.co/ for CPG production design support.
23 episodes
Share
