#228 - Spotlight on Grocery Run Events with Amna Mettmann of Brause and Jocelyn Ramirez from Todo Verde

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with two founders who've leveraged Startup CPG's Grocery Run events to accelerate their retail growth: Amna Mettmann of Brause and Jocelyn Ramirez of Todo Verde. The conversation provides an inside look at how these curated retailer events create high-ROI opportunities for emerging brands to close deals, build relationships, and gain invaluable feedback from buyers—often in a single day.

Amna shares how Brause used their very first Grocery Run in April as a launch pad for B2B, meeting dream retailers like Woodland Markets, Luke's Local, and Good Stuff Distributor within hours of officially launching on Shopify. She discusses attending four to five Grocery Run events since then, closing deals on the spot, and receiving critical product feedback that led to can redesigns and velocity improvements. Amna emphasizes the power of the community—from retailers offering actionable insights to "competitors" like All Phenoms taking her under their wing—and why Grocery Run's curated environment accelerates the typical 20-25 touchpoint sales cycle down to just 4-5.

Jocelyn recounts winning the pitch slam competition at the Chicago Grocery Run with Fresh Thyme Market—a milestone that came after months of unsuccessful cold outreach. She reveals what it felt like to pitch live on stage in front of hundreds of people, the importance of bringing authentic energy and storytelling to buyer conversations, and why treating judges and buyers as fellow humans (not pedestals) helps eliminate nerves. Jocelyn also shares how winning opened doors beyond the initial placement, including meetings with category managers from other departments and connections with service providers she'd only engaged with via email.

Whether you're considering attending your first Grocery Run or looking to maximize ROI at retail events, this conversation offers tactical advice on preparation, follow-up, booth setup philosophy, and why showing up—even without a table—can change the trajectory of your business.

Listen in as they discuss:

• How Brause used Grocery Run as a B2B launch pad with just a week on Shopify
• Closing deals with retailers and distributors on the spot vs. 20-25 touchpoint cold outreach
• Why Grocery Run accelerates sales cycles: curation, buyer expectations, and prep work
• Critical product feedback from buyers that led to can redesigns and velocity improvements
• The minimalist booth philosophy: letting the product speak for itself
• Building relationships with "competitors" and the unique community at Grocery Run events
• Winning the Fresh Thyme Market pitch slam: preparation, storytelling, and stage presence
• Why treating buyers as humans (not pedestals) eliminates pitch nerves
• Leveraging pitch competitions to meet category managers beyond your immediate buyer
• The importance of pre-event outreach and post-event follow-up
• Strategic advice: always buy a ticket and show up with samples, even without a table
• How Grocery Run differs from traditional trade shows and why ROI is consistently higher
  
  

Episode Links:

Brause:
Website: https://drinkbrause.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkbrause 

Todo Verde:

Website: https://todoverde.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/todoverde/ 

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Show Links:

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• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [e-mail]

Episode music by Super Fantastics

Creators and Guests

Host

Caitlin Bricker

Editor @ Startup CPG

What is The Startup CPG Podcast?

The top CPG podcast in the world, highlighting stories from founders, buyer spotlights, highly practical industry insights - all to give you a better chance at success.

Amna Mettman
I remember meeting Christian from all phenoms and technically they are a competitor at the first grocery run and at that event took me under his wings and he was like explaining to me all the different things that I didn't know about. And that is something very unique and it's not something you see in other industries. And so I think just learning from these brands and being open minded doesn't matter if you're a competitor or not. On paper, folks want to help each other out because it is, in the end, it is incredibly hard and you are in it together in a way.

00:39
Caitlin Bricker
Hey, everybody, this is Caitlin Bricker, managing editor at Startup cpg. You're probably expecting our founder, Daniel Scharf, but today I'm grabbing the mic and he'll be back next week. We've got a special episode all about Grocery Run ahead for you Today we're talking with Jocelyn Ramirez of Toto Verde and Amna Metman of Braza about their experiences at startup CPG grocery run events. Jocelyn won the pitch slam at the Chicago Grocery Run with Fresh Time Market, and Amna has attended several grocery run events, closing deals with both retailers and distributors, some on the spot. If you're thinking about attending a grocery run, here's our advice. Even if you don't get accepted to have a sampling table, always, always buy a ticket and show up with samples in a backpack. You never know what connections you'll make or what doors will open.

01:30
Caitlin Bricker
And who knows, you could be the next Braza or Toto Verde. Check out our upcoming events by visiting us on Eventbrite and staying tuned via our newsletter and announcements channel and Slack. Hope to see you soon. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Startup CPG podcast. This is Caitlin and today I'm here with Amna Metman, founder of Browza. Amna, welcome back to the show.

01:55
Amna Mettman
Thanks for having me, Caitlin.

01:56
Caitlin Bricker
It's fun having you back. I think this is now your third time on the podcast, but very good reason.

02:03
Amna Mettman
No, I'm super excited. Always love chatting about all things CPG with you guys.

02:06
Caitlin Bricker
We love it too. All right, today we have a very special episode because we're going to dive right into the world of grocery run. I know a lot of people are familiar with Grocery Run, but then there's a lot of people who maybe aren't so familiar with Grocery Run. So before we dive into that, for anybody who's not familiar with browser, can you just give us a quick rundown on what browser?

02:27
Amna Mettman
Yeah, absolutely. We are a premium take on German craft sodas. These are sodas that have been around in Germany and northern Europe for decades, centuries, for a very long time. And what we did is we took those recipes, we tailored them to the American palate, made them good for you, not just better for you, but actually good for you. And at the same time, they also serve as, you know, non alcoholic options because we use things like wheat malt and roasted barley in the drinks as well. So think of them as adult sodas, basically.

02:56
Caitlin Bricker
And they're delicious. Usually founders don't like to say that their products are delicious, but if somebody outside of the brand can say it works.

03:04
Amna Mettman
And I hear that every day. So, yeah, I agree.

03:07
Caitlin Bricker
I know I've said this to you before, but I love a founder that gets high on their own supply. It's just the best. That's the biggest testimonial.

03:16
Amna Mettman
You should see my fridge.

03:18
Jocelyn Ramirez
I would love to.

03:19
Caitlin Bricker
I actually had a stocked bar cart. I put that in quotes because I don't drink anymore. My husband barely drinks now. But we had browser, we had Jubilees, Ringa the Lucky Ox, uso. Hope I'm not forgetting anybody, but we had a stocked bar cart for my daughter's birthday party. And people are like, ooh, what's this? What's this? Where did you get all these? I'm like, let me hook you up.

03:43
Amna Mettman
The future. Honestly, that's awesome, truly.

03:45
Caitlin Bricker
All right, so I'm hooked up on Browza, but it sounds like from your grocery Run experiences, you've got retailers and distributors now hooked up with Braza. Can you just tell me what your grocery run experience has been like so far?

04:02
Amna Mettman
I wish we had more time because there's so much to tell you about Grocery run. The way that I would describe it, my experience with Grocery Run is that we kind of used the first Grocery Run back in April as our launch pad. We applied, we had just gone live on Shopify and Fair. That's it. Just for about a week or so. We applied and then we got accepted. We went and it was almost like, I don't know, the super bowl because there were so many retailers we had dreamed of meeting, including, you'll know, the likes of Woodland Markets, Luke's Local Buy Ride, and then obviously also Good Stuff back in April. And Good Stuff is an incredible distributor in the Bay Area.

04:40
Amna Mettman
And just meeting all of them within one day, within a few hours, Truly, it was an incredible way to really start browser and the entire experience, I think we've gone to now four or five grocery runs. Every time it pops up, we're like the first ones to apply, I feel like, just because it's the most. The highest ROI kind of opportunity. And throughout the experience, we've had several touch points. Not only just really high quality touch points, but also were able to close deals. We were able to get into the retailers that we had six months ago dreamed of getting into. And so it's been just phenomenal. And I still can't believe, like, we just apply. We get in and you get Tuesdays.

05:20
Amna Mettman
Really talk about your brand in front of all these phenomenal buyers, but also other brands that are trying to make this place a better world.

05:28
Caitlin Bricker
Can you tell us a little bit about the experience that you've had being on, we'll say the show floor at the grocery runs and maybe some feedback that you got from buyers, retailers, distributors on the show floor that maybe you weren't expecting that you've now incorporated into your brand?

05:44
Amna Mettman
Yeah, absolutely. I think that's the great thing. I think people really go there. They know these are emerging brands, so they also want to help. And these are oftentimes industry veterans when it comes to the retailers that we meet. They're also the distributors. So I think what was really exciting for me on the positive note was we kind of went to our first grocery run with very little. We just had our drinks, we just had a banner, and we had, like, a black table. That's it. We had nothing, really. No, you know, merchandise whatsoever. And the feedback, actually, from retailers also, including, I think yourself and Daniel, was like, you know, the sleek look really works, like, you don't need to do anything else. This is it. This is about the drinks. They are as clean as the look that you're bringing out.

06:28
Amna Mettman
And we've stuck to that. But we've had several times where we thought, hey, you know what, maybe we spruce it up because we see other beverage brands, like, doing amazing marketing, amazing merchandising. But we just stuck to it because it was the continuous feedback from various retailers and just industry veterans. On the flip side, what was interesting is that some of the retailers have told us that our drinks and our cans are almost too minimalistic. And it is something that we're actually tackling right now. There's going to be an interesting update, which we will announce very soon, but there was also a continuous threat of the same feedback. They said they love the minimalistic design. It is slightly too minimalistic because you can't even have the. You don't even have the brand name at the front. So this has been amazing.

07:11
Amna Mettman
This has been an Incredible learning. We've seen amazing velocity with the drinks, even the way they are. But now that we've changed it up and we've ab tested it in the market, we've seen an uptick in velocity and I think that's the kind of feedback you can't even buy, you can't even pay money for. And that's the beauty of the Grocery Run series. It's been really, actually life changing for us.

07:31
Caitlin Bricker
Life changing. We love to hear that. Can you show us your can? I see it peeking out right there. I know what the can looks like. For any viewers who are curious.

07:41
Amna Mettman
Yeah, absolutely. This is the old can. We want it to keep it clean, industrial, almost like an Audi design, you know, like a German industrial design, which we wanted to just say, hey, this is an apple soda. It has no added sugar.

07:53
Jocelyn Ramirez
That's it.

07:54
Amna Mettman
What we thought what were going to do actually is we're going to keep it very similar, but we do want to add a little bit more to it. The other thing is also the terms malt soda and malt beer are terms that really Americans don't know. These are drinks, as I said, that have been around in Germany and Denmark and Sweden for a very long time, but nobody really knows them here. So we're slightly changing up the way that we are naming our SKUs to make sure that the education is upfront that people know what's in there. So stay tuned, but you'll be the first one to get the first chance.

08:27
Caitlin Bricker
I love getting your messages. When you're like, hey, we just got this retailer, we just got this distributor. I'm like, oh, I feel so special. But it's also just such a special thing that you're landing these placements. I can't believe how much you've accomplished in such a short period of time. When did you launch?

08:46
Amna Mettman
March. As I said, we used the grocery run as our launch pad for B2B, quote unquote. And I was absolutely green. I had no idea. But I went in and I just remember meeting you for the first time, meeting Alex for the first time, meeting Daniel for the first time. And everybody was so warm and welcoming and so curious and wanted to know more. And it just like immediately helped me with my pitch, which I wasn't prepared for. And then once the retailers came around, I was able to tell them about the drinks, which was incredible.

09:19
Caitlin Bricker
You are the brand that I was the most excited to see because I had seen little snippets about the brand online. I'd seen you come across my Instagram feed before and I'm like, okay, I need to try it. And I never saw you before. I didn't know who the person was behind the brand. And then when I got to meet you, I was like, oh, this is even better. I do want touch on something that you mentioned about your setup at the grocery run event, especially that first one, which you've seemed to keep consistent throughout these events. Even trade shows that I've seen you at too. I do think that there is a lot of value in that minimalistic setup because at the end of the day, the reality of the situation is I'm buying your soda, I'm not buying your booth setup.

10:02
Caitlin Bricker
That's what I'm walking away with. And I think your products deserve to be in the spotlight more than a backlit banner or this monstrous installation that you might see other brands with which if you have the budget to throw around, why not? But again, the reality is for a lot of these brands, it's bootstrapping, it's self funding and the flashiness, that's not what we're buying. We're buying the product.

10:25
Amna Mettman
It's funny because at the last startup, CPG grocery run in la, there was a branded cybertruck and I remember looking at it and thinking, wow, that's burned BC dollars right there. Honestly, it's a practical reason. Also, we just don't wear bootstrapped. As you said, if we want to spend dollars, we want to spend it on curating the next SKUs and doing more things for our consumers versus buying something flashy. And I agree, it's been an interesting positive learning for me. Just stick to it and just let the drinks speak for themselves.

10:54
Caitlin Bricker
I agree with you. I think there's also something to be said for the brands who are going the flashy route because there's a market for everyone. I might just not be your target.

11:05
Amna Mettman
No, I agree. To be honest, it works also, right? Like there's lots of flashy brands that have amazing traction, amazing velocity and it just works with their brand. But it has to work with your brand. And for us, because we are German inspired, American brand, we want to stick to the industrial clean look, clean drinks and just focus on the products themselves.

11:25
Caitlin Bricker
I love it. I am curious to hear more about landing leads deals at the shows. So you show up, you go to the grocery runs, you've traveled quite a bit to these shows. Not just driving, but flying too. You go there, you're meeting the buyers, you're meeting the retailers, you're meeting the distributors. What has that experience looked like for you from the point of meeting them to then closing the deal? Do you have any frame of reference for what that looks like from a grocery run event versus reaching out to a retailer on your own outside of a grocery run event?

11:58
Amna Mettman
You. Yeah, I think the time to close is heavily accelerated if you do go to a grocery run. I think the first thing is that there's a filtering mechanism where I think you guys all are curating just the best brands to be in front of these retailers. So they go in with the perception there's going to be something there for them, which already does a lot of the heavy lifting, quite frankly. And now at this point, it's funny because when we go to Utopia now, or now we're heading to Expo west, we always hear the same thing. It's like buyers are really seeking out the startup CPG section. They think it's an industry standard at this point, which is really exciting. But it also means they're going there expecting to find the best brands.

12:37
Amna Mettman
And so I think that is why it's accelerating the close time for us as well. When I cold reach out to retailers, I would say it takes at least 20 to 25 touch points, whereas when I'd go to the grocery run, it takes another few, maybe four or five touch points before we can then close. And in some cases were able to close on the spot, which is something that is incredible. And oftentimes, yeah, as I said, you need a lot of touch points to make things happen. So it's an accelerator, it is curated. Retailers go in with the expectation that they will find something cutting edge, something that their consumers are looking for. And so it really helps with just the closing timeline.

13:17
Caitlin Bricker
And how do you feel from the brand side of things with the setup of the grocery run, being able to see who's going to be attending ahead of time. What's your strategy with that?

13:27
Amna Mettman
Oh, I immediately reach out. I reach out a couple of times in advance, actually, just if I have something to update them on. If you're on the shelfies or something exciting that I can continuously keep them up to date on. But that really also helps with, as I said, you need multiple touch points for every retailer. If you take advantage of the startup CPG grocery run series, you need to do the prep work as well. So if you're doing the prep work, then they're meeting you at the grocery run. They remember, hey, you're the one that sent me all the updates around your brand. Was very curious to try it then they try it and then you just accelerated your timeline with them, which is amazing. And then of course the follow up is just as important as every step in advance.

14:10
Caitlin Bricker
That is great feedback, great advice for brands who are considering grocery run. Anything else that you would want to share with brands who are considering attending a grocery run?

14:19
Amna Mettman
I think the first thing that I do is in the morning I always check the startup CPG slack just to see what else is out there, what can I apply for. Quite frankly, I think there's not a single event I don't apply to just because I think it's just, as I said, highest ROI for us. I think the other thing is also when you go there, it's not just the retailers that you're meeting, of course, it's the startup CPG team, which obviously is incredible, but it's also the other brands and I think the other brands. What I've noticed is this is an incredible community. Everybody's trying to help each other out.

14:48
Amna Mettman
I remember meeting Christian from all phenoms and technically they are a competitor at the first grocery run and he really like at that event took me under his wings and he was like explaining to me all the different things that I didn't know about and that is something very unique and it's not something you see in other industries. And so I think just learning from these brands and being open minded doesn't matter if you're a competitor or not. On paper. Folks want to help each other out because it is in the end it is incredibly hard and you are in it together in a way.

15:17
Caitlin Bricker
I love hearing that too. It's were you right next to Alphenoms at that event? That's what I was thinking. In my mind. Christian is a great guy, great brand, they're really nice people. I'm glad that you were able to be placed next to him because I love just picturing him taking you under your wing. That's just a very sweet visual but I think it says a lot because from my perspective, I see everything that goes down in the slack at these events. I very rarely see this like unhealthy competition. It really is. The brands in this community really are standout to me because everyone does want to help each other. Everyone wants to see each other win, our team included, of course. But seeing the brands who might be competitors with each other, it really is just.

16:02
Caitlin Bricker
I say this so often, but it's the truth. It's very refreshing.

16:06
Amna Mettman
Yeah, I agree. And it's. There's a saying that like you don't not make it because of a competition. You won't make it because of something that's internal and you can't figure out. But you don't die because of competition. It hardly ever happens. And also in this industry, I would.

16:21
Caitlin Bricker
Say what a great note to end on. All right, it's been a pleasure talking to you about this. I feel like I'm probably going to see you in my inbox again very soon with another win. I would not be surprised whatsoever. Maybe you're surprised. I feel like you're shocked every time you get a win. And I'm like, hello, do you realize what you're building here?

16:40
Amna Mettman
No. I know. It's funny because when you go through it, there are so many ups and downs every few hours, really. So every time there's a win, you're.

16:47
Jocelyn Ramirez
Like, wait, is this real?

16:49
Amna Mettman
We worked so hard, but yes, we got there. So, yeah, it is always very surprising.

16:53
Caitlin Bricker
Can confirm it is very real. For anybody who's listening and is now interested in browseit and wants to know about the hype and get it for themselves, can you tell us where we can find you online? What's your handle? What's your website?

17:06
Amna Mettman
Yeah, it is drinkbrowser.com we're also on Amazon at this point. We're on Walmart can get us there as well for any retailers. Obviously you can get us through fair, but we also have, like, vast distribution. We mentioned good stuff. We actually also just recently landed high touch and SoCal through the grocery run, which is amazing. But yeah, so you can get us through those platforms.

17:26
Caitlin Bricker
Wow. And so many more to come. I am sure of it. Well, up next, we are going to talk with Jocelyn Ramirez from Toto Verde, who won the pitch slam competition at our Chicago grocery run with Fresh time market. So, Amna, thank you very much. It has been so great talking to you as always.

17:47
Amna Mettman
Thank you so much, Caitlin. Always a pleasure.

17:49
Caitlin Bricker
All right, talk soon.

17:50
Amna Mettman
Talk soon.

17:51
Caitlin Bricker
All right. And now we're here with Jocelyn Ramirez, founder of Toto Verde. Jocelyn, it's great to have you here.

17:57
Jocelyn Ramirez
Thank you so much for having me. It's great to be here.

18:00
Caitlin Bricker
I'm very excited because you were the winner of the pitch slam at our Chicago grocery run that we did with Fresh Thyme market. So I cannot wait to talk to you about this. But first, tell us what Todo Verde is.

18:15
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah. So Tolo Verde right now has true to culture products that focus on regional delicious flavors of Mexico. So right now, the products are taco seasoning in al pastor carnitas and tinga. So definitely differentiating ourselves from what we currently see on shelf. A lot of the times in the taco seasoning space, which is like generic, spicy, mild. I'm just really trying to say, like Latinos, Mexicans, like, we actually eat flavors like this that are delicious and try to change up the taco seasoning space.

18:45
Caitlin Bricker
I can only imagine that flair that you're bringing to everything here with your products is exactly why you won the pitch competition. So this was a little different for us. Typically, we do not do pitch competitions when we are at grocery runs, but went pretty big with this one. We had over 200 applicants to pitch in front of the Fresh Time Market team, and you are one of five brands chosen. What did it feel like to be chosen as not only a participant in the pitch slam, but then to be chosen as the winner?

19:16
Jocelyn Ramirez
I know that I feel was like such overwhelming joy. I started the brand in back in 2022, initially got into retail. My first retail account was in 2023, once I changed up the packaging and I just feel like it's been such a process to get in front of people. It just takes so much longer than you think it would in KHI in that region. So I've tried pitching to Fresh Time and I just, like, couldn't get my foot in the door. And so to then be chosen for that, I felt like, okay, this is it. Like, I'm not going out anywhere. I'm just like, literally flying in. I'm going to go straight to Naperville. I'm not going to have do anything else. It's like this whole trip is win. So I was like, super locked in.

19:56
Jocelyn Ramirez
I saw the buyer at Nootopia and was like, hey, you see my apron right here? Todo verde. Don't forget it. Try the product. I felt like I was like, really pushing for it and then to ultimately get the win was so awesome. I mean, all the other brands were amazing. They have amazing products. So to feel like I was already amongst them was already a win. But then to actually win my space in Fresh Time market felt really incredible. Like, it's been a long time coming is what it felt like, and just such a relief and such a joy.

20:26
Jocelyn Ramirez
And then on top of that, like, it wasn't like I pitched and I got in the way a traditional conversation would go with a retailer, but there was just so much excitement and I got to meet, like, so many people from the Fresh Time team. So I met their marketing team. I met buyers from other categories, which is awesome. Like if I ever expand to other categories, like I've already started to build something there, a different type of visibility than if I would have just done like a virtual one one call with a buyer.

20:53
Caitlin Bricker
I really like that addition that you're putting in there about meeting the other category managers and buyers. Because yes, if you are planning to expand, you've already laid that groundwork. The foundation is there. So not something that popped into my mind for that. But it's great.

21:08
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah. And it's great. And there were so many other people there. There's people who even vendors who I had been or service providers who I had been in conversation with via email, who I got to meet with in person. Lots of great conversations were had. Like it just felt from beginning to end there was a lot going on because there was just such a good amount of people there. So just generally I felt like it was such an awesome event and what was it like?

21:32
Caitlin Bricker
You're talking about that aspect of getting in front of people, having those one one conversations, getting that feedback. What did it feel like to have to do that live on stage in front of not only the people judging the pitch competition, but everyone else and then getting that feedback live?

21:49
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah. So I used to be a college professor and like back in undergrad I used to be a student leader, like doing tours for all new students across campus. And I've done in my hospitality work lots of different types of like presentations, cooking demonstrations. So I feel like I'm pretty used to being in front of an audience. It's a little bit second nature to me. So I didn't get that like nervousness. I was just like, just be yourself. Now that I'm like in my 40s, that's my main thing is like just be yourself. Even if you're like a weirdo, which I know I am, just do it. And if people accept you, amazing. If they don't, eh, better luck next time.

22:26
Jocelyn Ramirez
And so I just felt like, yeah, I'm gonna just share my passion behind the product as best as I know how to do. And then as they're throwing me the questions, I mean I know the product inside and out, I know how it works, I just can't get tripped up about it. And if one thing I always used to tell myself is like, back from being a student leader to now is like, if you don't know, just say, hey, I'm not sure. Let me email you and get back to you on that. I'll have answer to you by the end of the week, and that's the best you could do.

22:53
Caitlin Bricker
I love that attitude as a human. Just saying, you know what? This is me. Take it or leave it. I'm going to be that weirdo. Because I have had to grow into myself in that same way. Going through years of being self conscious over whatever, who knows? And then looking at somebody like you who's just like, I'm gonna go up on this stage, I'm gonna present in front of hundreds of people, and I'm gonna crush this thing. It says a lot. I think it's definitely empowering for other people. I can only imagine that you felt empowered yourself and then also to just go up there and do it in front of the people who are decision makers. I can only imagine that it's a little scary, but you did it.

23:33
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah. Like, I feel like it's just about bringing that energy. I mean, the product is literally like this packet just sitting on the shelf. Right. And really what brings it to life is like, obviously the artwork, but the people behind it is like what get people energized around it. It makes them lock into, like, wanting to know more about it. And so if you don't come with that energy and you're just maybe coming from like a data focus or whatever, like, that only could take you so far. I feel like it's just not as exciting as, like, the storytelling. And the storytelling can include data, but really the why being something that people can connect with, they can resonate with, I think that is a little bit more long lasting for folks.

24:17
Caitlin Bricker
I agree with that and I agree with what you're saying about your brand too. And knowing that you know your brand, you know it better than anybody else. And I think there's a lot to be said with the judges too, because, yes, it can be nerve wracking to be up there, but they're also understanding that you're just a human. This isn't going to be perfect. And they're getting that inside scoop from you up there on that stage and hearing it straight from you. Not over the phone, not over email, but straight from you. And it's that human experience and nothing tops that.

24:50
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, like, I mean, they're human too, right? Like, I'll give an example which is actually not from this pitch competition, but it's another pitch. And I won't name where who, but, like, one of the judges was sampling the products. This was like before the pitch. And he was going around trying everything. He came up to me, it was just him and I talking. I shared A little bit about the product, who I am. But then I noticed that he had, like, his coat, he had, like, a blazer on, was all, like, dirty one side. I think I literally was like, hey, bro, before you go, I just have to let you know that, like, your jacket's all kind of jacked up right there, you know, like, you should clean it off. And he looked and he was just like, oh, my God.

25:26
Jocelyn Ramirez
I didn't know that. It was all full of whatever. I can't remember what it was. So he, like, went to the restroom to clean it off, and then he came back and he's like, I appreciate that we're just people. I think that it, like, we put people on pedestals and in different ways. I know I've done that mostly with, like, my yoga practice and, like, gurus and stuff. And then seeing, like, how that needs to be, like, broken down and we're all just on the same level. That's what helps me from getting caught up in the nerves.

25:54
Caitlin Bricker
That is really good feedback. And I just want to say, if I ever have a booger on my nose or there's something in my teeth or something on my face or something on my blazer, which you're probably never going to catch me in a blazer. Let's be serious. Tell me.

26:08
Amna Mettman
Yeah. Oh, yeah.

26:09
Jocelyn Ramirez
I'll be like, girl, you got a little something right here. Thank you.

26:15
Caitlin Bricker
All right, I want touch a little bit more on the judges. Can you tell me any feedback that you received live during that competition that you are now incorporating into your business today?

26:28
Jocelyn Ramirez
Ooh, that's a great question. I mean, let me backtrack my memory a little bit. I think some of the main things, it wasn't a lot of, like, criticism of the product. It was more just general excitement around it. I remember one of the judges, his family's from Michaan, and Carnitas is from Michaan, and he was like, this is actually, like, the best carnitas I've had in a dried product for being from the region where that dish is from. I don't remember any specific, like, feedback where I was like, I gotta, like, change that up or anything like that.

26:58
Caitlin Bricker
Well, that's a very good thing.

27:00
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, that is a very good thing. I'm, like, really trying to remember, and I'm sure there was, but I'm just not remembering right now.

27:06
Caitlin Bricker
I will say a plus to that, then.

27:09
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yes.

27:11
Caitlin Bricker
All right, I've got another question for you. So you won the competition. You're now going to get placement on the shelves at Brushtime Market. What has that process looked like for you since post pitch?

27:22
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, well, it's been a couple weeks, right? Or a few weeks. I'm actually just meeting with the buyer tomorrow for the first time. After that win, we've been in email communication and there's been some travel on his end, so we just haven't been able to lock in a date until tomorrow. And so tomorrow I'll learn more details of like, when it'll roll out. I'm also going through like some changes with my artwork and brand slightly, so I'm hoping that he doesn't want to wait until that's complete for the product to come in. So, yeah, tbd, more details coming soon.

27:57
Caitlin Bricker
Please keep us updated. I'm very excited.

27:59
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, yeah, I'm so excited too.

28:01
Amna Mettman
Yeah.

28:02
Caitlin Bricker
And what drew you to grocery run in general and how has it differed from other industry events that you've been to?

28:09
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, first of all, startup CPG has such an expansive network, especially with retailers, which is great. So I've applied for a few and this was the one where I was like, oh, I've been trying to lock in this retailer. Like, I really need to get in to this one. And then I got the email that I was selected and so yeah, it just for me, I felt like you all are going to put on a good event. It's going to be well curated, you're going to have good folks there to network. And then obviously the fact that there's all these other brands and founders, there is already a perk and a plus because you get to connect with different types of founders. So all around it was just like a great experience and something I definitely wanted to be a part of.

28:51
Jocelyn Ramirez
And I applied for a few others. Like even the LA one, I didn't get into those. So that was in my backyard. I think I should have like gone to the back alley and tried to figure out a way to get in.

29:01
Caitlin Bricker
Well, you can always attend even if you don't get accepted to exhibit. Even I threw a number out there just for the pitch itself. We had over 200 applicants for a single retailer, so you can imagine the scale of applications we get for individual events. It's wild.

29:19
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, it's great. And honestly, I've been to other startup CPG events and I feel like of all the different types of variety events that you've hosted, this for me feels like super dialed in. Like, you know, who's going to be there? You know, the retailer, like the main retailer, which is the star. So, like you already know how to pitch your product based off of who's going to be there. So yeah, it's just different. Like meant for people to network in a way that makes more sense for me specifically. So yeah, I think they're great events.

29:52
Caitlin Bricker
We're glad that you were a part of it and we'd love for more people to learn about Toto Verde. And I know I'm butchering the pronunciation, so don't judge me. I'm trying my best.

30:03
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, yeah.

30:05
Caitlin Bricker
Where can people who are listening find you online? Tell us your handle, Tell us your website.

30:10
Jocelyn Ramirez
Yeah, so the website is todo verde.org and it's.org because initially when I started as a hospitality brand, I was teaching people how to cook plant based foods and so I was like, maybe I'll make it a nonprofit element. It's.org for now. Sorg. And then I Instagram is at a little better there.

30:29
Caitlin Bricker
Perfect. Well, Jocelyn, congratulations again on winning the pitch competition. It's been great talking to you. I'm really looking forward to what you have in store for the future. Yeah.

30:38
Jocelyn Ramirez
Thank you so much. Thanks for the invite.

30:40
Caitlin Bricker
We'll talk to you later.

30:41
Amna Mettman
Talk to you later.

30:44
Speaker 4
All right, everyone, thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, do us a solid and leave us a five star review on Rate this Podcast.com. I'm Caitlin Bricker, the host of the Founder feature series and editor at Startup CPG. Feel free to find me on LinkedIn or reach out to me on Slack and get on my radar. I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for new and emerging brands to spotlight. If you're a potential sponsor who would like to appear on the podcast, please email partnershipstartupcpg.com and finally, as a reminder for anyone listening, if you haven't already, we would love for you to join our free CPG community on Slack. You can sign up via our website at startupcpg.

31:27
Amna Mettman
Com.

31:28
Speaker 4
See you around.