Will Nitze, the founder/CEO of brain health-focused CPG brand IQBAR, shared candid takes on how to scale a food/beverage company, including those on funding (“bootstrapping is the worst thing you can do”), staffing (“how to build a $50M brand with a staff of six”) and retail (“choose channels that scale well).

Trademarks are important. Just ask MrBeast. The hosts discussed the YouTuber’s recent legal dilemma as well as the impact of Uber’s decision to shut down Drizly. We also spoke with Ponyboy Slings co-founders Mike and Janell Bass, who shared insights and advice on how to win a pitch slam.

Marcus Sakey, the co-founder of Ritual Zero Proof, spoke about why Diageo invested in his non-alcoholic spirit brand pre-launch, how it became an anchor in an increasingly crowded category, the evolution of its marketing strategy and how he assesses challenges from new and existing brands.

While the volume of videos and images posted daily on popular social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok makes it challenging to capture users’ attention, the hosts highlighted brands that create consistently authentic and entertaining content as a way to break through the clutter.

Alix Peabody, the founder of pioneering canned wine brand Bev, chronicled the three years leading up the acquisition of her company by global wine and spirits company E & J Gallo, how she analyzed the timing and opportunity to sell, and the resulting – and surprising – fallout with confidants.

The hosts discussed the retailer’s new curated endcaps of non-alcoholic RTD cocktails and wine, and why a fast-growing hydration brand has taken a bigger-is-better approach to its packaging. We also spoke with master distiller Will Fabry about his stewardship of CraftCo’s acclaimed spirit brands.