Summary: What You’ll Learn in This Post Bain & Company’s 2026 Insurgent Brands report identifies 113 high-growth CPG brands that captured 36% of total FMCG market growth in 2025 despite holding less than 2% of market share. These brands grew volumes by ~55% year over year in a flat market. This post breaks down the five patterns that separate the brands that sustain insurgent-level growth from the hundreds that flame out: building velocity before distribution, riding hero SKU

Summary: What Growing Companies Need to Know •       Most CPG founders default to a just-in-case inventory management strategy: buying more than they need because the cost of running out feels higher than the cost of carrying too much. In practice, the carrying cost is often more damaging. •       Just-in-time inventory management optimizes for cash efficiency by tying purchasing closely to actual demand. It requires reliable supplier lead times, a functioning demand plan, an

Summary: What Growing Companies Need to Know •       Most CPG brands between $5M and $50M in revenue make inventory, sales, and financial decisions in separate conversations. The result is misaligned stock levels, cash flow surprises, and teams that are always reacting. •       A Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process connects those conversations. It is not a reporting cadence or a status meeting. It is a decision-making system that keeps purchasing, selling, and planni

Summary: What Growing Companies Need to Know •       Inventory is the largest working capital drain for most CPG brands; when managed reactively, it quietly strangles cash flow before revenue catches up to exposure. •       Over-buying SKUs that don't turn fast enough ties up capital in dead stock, increases carrying costs, and leaves brands unable to fund growth or weather disruption. •       Effective cash flow inventory management starts with demand planning: knowing exact

What $5M-$25M Founders Need to Know The hardest transition in building a business isn't 0 to $1M - it's $5M to $25M  - at $5M, you can't operate like a scrappy startup anymore, but you can't afford full executive teams either. Operational complexity multiplies faster than your ability to handle it alone, and decision fatigue becomes the hidden constraint that stalls growth. No one can sell your vision better than you, but operations will drown you if you try to do both  — the

Summary: What Growing CPG Brands Need to Know About Retail Expansion Retail expansion without operational readiness destroys brands faster than it builds them  — launching into hundreds of doors before you have manufacturing capacity, cash reserves for promotions, or DTC traction to prove demand turns promising opportunities into cash flow nightmares and retailer disappointment that's hard to recover from. The right broker makes or breaks your retail success  — we've seen bra

Summary: What Growing CPG Brands Need to Know Capital without operational readiness burns money faster than it creates value  — investors write checks expecting disciplined execution, healthy margins, and scalable systems. When operations are chaotic, funding accelerates problems instead of solving them, leading to missed milestones and difficult conversations six months later. Clean operations unlock better fundraising terms and faster closes  — VCs and angels evaluate opera

Summary: What Growing Companies Need to Know When brands hit $5M-$25M, operational complexity multiplies faster than founder bandwidth  — inventory tracking breaks, production timelines slip, and freight costs balloon. Strong operators prevent this by assigning one dedicated person accountable for execution, not spreading thin across multiple clients. Knowing what needs fixing doesn't solve the problem  — founders understand they need better demand forecasting or tighter COGS

In today’s unpredictable business landscape, companies must move fast without compromising strategy. But hiring full-time senior leaders isn’t always practical—or affordable. This is where fractional leadership  steps in as a powerful solution, combining agility, expertise, and cost efficiency. A Fractional COO, CFO, or CMO  brings the same high-level strategy and execution as a full-time executive—without the long-term financial commitment. Businesses gain access to decades

For many growing companies, cost reduction feels like a trade-off — cut spending, and growth suffers. But in reality, smart operational optimization can help you reduce costs while accelerating performance . At Kedia Consultants , we help businesses find these hidden efficiencies every day. Here’s where most companies can make immediate impact. 1. Rethink Your Supply Chain Network Outdated sourcing or fragmented logistics often eat into margins. A Fractional COO  can evaluate

A founder recently told me, “We’re growing faster than ever — but I feel like we’re constantly one mistake away from breaking everything.” It’s a familiar story. Many businesses hit a “$10M bottleneck”  — that stage where sales are up, the team is bigger, but operations start straining under the pressure. The good news? It’s not a dead end. It’s a signal. The Hidden Friction Points in Fast Growth When companies scale quickly, a few things tend to happen behind the scenes: Tea

In the rush to grow, most companies obsess over sales targets, funding rounds, and marketing campaigns. But here’s the truth — none of it matters if your operations can’t keep up. I’ve seen brilliant founders burn out because their teams were chasing fires instead of strategy. The turning point? Clarity. Operational clarity is the hidden superpower that separates fast-growing chaos from sustainable success. The Problem Isn’t Growth — It’s Misalignment When a company scales fr

Every business wants to scale — but few actually do. The problem isn’t the lack of strategy; it’s the lack of execution. Growth often stalls not because leaders don’t have the right vision, but because they don’t have the operational bandwidth or systems to make it real. That’s where a Fractional COO comes in — turning plans into performance. The Hidden Reason Growth Strategies Fail Most businesses hit a plateau when leadership is stretched thin across too many priorities. Te

Every founder dreams of hitting record sales — but very few are ready when it happens. Without the right systems, surging demand can overwhelm production, drain cash flow, and damage customer trust. That’s where demand planning  becomes your most valuable growth tool. At Kedia Consultants , we help businesses turn unpredictable sales into predictable success by aligning data, teams, and strategy. 1. From Guesswork to Strategy Demand planning replaces “gut feeling” with data-b

Every growing company faces the same challenge: how to increase revenue without watching profits disappear . Scaling too quickly without managing costs can quietly drain resources, leaving even the most promising businesses struggling with cash flow. That’s where strategic cost management  comes in — not as a one-time fix, but as an ongoing discipline that fuels long-term growth. 1. Move from Cost Cutting to Cost Optimization Many founders think “cost management” means cuttin

Most growing companies focus heavily on sales — but sustainable growth isn’t just about how much you sell. It’s about how well you plan, track, and use your money. That’s where Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A)  becomes a game-changer. At Kedia Consultants, we help founders bridge the gap between vision and numbers — transforming financial data into clear strategies for scaling efficiently and profitably. 1. Turning Data Into Decisions FP&A is more than budgeting — it’s

Taking your brand from DTC or regional sales into retail sounds like the dream—but it’s also one of the biggest operational tests a company will ever face. Retail can multiply your reach, but if the backend isn’t ready, it can also magnify your weaknesses. So how do you know if your business is truly retail-ready? 1. Your Operations Can Handle Predictable Scale Retail demands consistency. Orders come in bulk, with strict delivery schedules, packaging standards, and compliance

Every business knows the pain of a late shipment or a stockout. But behind these small disruptions often lies a much bigger problem: poor supply chain planning. It’s one of the most expensive—and avoidable—mistakes a growing company can make. When Growth Outpaces Planning Fast-growing brands often focus on sales, leaving supply chain strategy to “figure out later.” But when orders spike, the cracks appear: Excess inventory tying up cash Shortages of top-selling SKUs Distribut

Many businesses grow by accident, not by design. They start strong, win clients, and expand — until they hit a wall where operations can’t keep up with opportunity. Scaling isn’t just about doing more; it’s about building smarter systems that can grow with you. Growth vs. Scalability Growth means adding more resources to increase output — more people, more time, more cost. Scalability, however, means increasing output without proportionally increasing effort or expense. The d

Many businesses have bold visions but struggle to bring them to life. The gap between strategy and execution is where great ideas often fade. A skilled Chief Operating Officer (COO) bridges this divide — transforming plans into measurable progress. 1. The Execution Challenge Leaders often set ambitious goals for growth, innovation, or market expansion. But without an operational framework, even the best strategy stalls. Execution requires systems, alignment, and accountabilit