the Joshua Schall Audio Experience

Hosted by Joshua Schall

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807

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the Joshua Schall Audio Experience On my podcast, you’ll hear episodes of my popular short-form Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) news segment "Consumed", a long-form CPG entrepreneurship interview segment "Formula For:", deeper dive segments "Deep Dish CPG", public speaking engagements, and any of my new and current thoughts that I record specifically for this audio experience! Leave a review on iTunes and let me know what you think!

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60 recent

June 15, 202610 min

Why "Protein Mania" Is About to Cause a Massive Market Reckoning!

Is the golden age of protein over, or is the market hiding something much worse? While mainstream pundits point to falling average retail prices as a sign of consumer fatigue or market saturation, the reality is far more dangerous. CPG brands are trapped in a brutal macroeconomic vice: unprecedented, structural commodity inflation for whey protein vs. an already strained consumer. In this content, I break down why the "health halo" of the protein market is approaching a catastrophic breaking point, how brands are quietly altering your favorite protein snacks, and why the ultimate threat to your protein powder might actually come from the butcher counter. In my latest content piece, I'll cover topics like:Pricing (ARP) Illusion: Why category prices look lower on paper while individual products (UPCs) are actually getting more expensiveProtein Product "Format Shift": How low-ticket, immediate-use items like RTD shakes are masking deep market friction▪️ Formulation Trap: Why substituting protein inputs isn't as simple as swapping sugar or fat, and how it leads to "chalky, brick-like" productsConsumer Surplus Theory: The exact economic mechanism that could trigger a massive market contractionSubstitution Threat: How government actions and downward price corrections in real whole foods (beef, poultry) could pull shoppers out of the center aisleIndustry Warning Signs: Sneaky ingredient changes happening right now across protein powders, protein bars, and lifestyle snacksUltimately, "protein mania" won't end because you stop wanting better nutrition...it will halt because the industry broke its promise of quality!

June 15, 20260 min

[MONDAY MINUTE] The Problem With "Viral" Product Innovation | Brilliant Strategy or Just Novelty?

“Why complicate it?” Oftentimes, I’ll ask that question repeatedly when developing a product innovation strategy. While rethinking traditional product presentation (whether packaging or form factor) can help disrupt normal consumer behavior, effective strategy almost always lies in finding the simplest, most elegant solution that delivers the desired outcome. As an example, I recently came across Roxii Supercube…which created frozen nutrient-dense, functional cubes designed to make wellness as simple as putting ice into any beverage. Novelty will certainly capture attention…and its social media shareability is undeniable. Although I’m unsure functional ice cubes offer a compelling enough reason to switch from the ubiquitous wellness CPG product formats (like ready-to-mix powders) and truly become embedded into today’s daily routines.

June 11, 20268 min

Hidden Battle Inside the Practitioner Supplement Market

Is the practitioner supplement market dead? Or is it just evolving into something completely unrecognizable? In this video, I break down why the traditional "insulated fortress" of practitioner dietary supplements (which accounts for around 9% of the total U.S. supplement industry) has officially been dismantled. With the death of information asymmetry, the rise of virtual dispensing systems like Fullscript, and precision AI-driven personalized manufacturing, a brand-new strategic playbook is required to win. I'll analyze the battle between legacy supplement giants (defending clinical prestige) and newcomers inverting the funnel through "Reverse-Channel Entry." Discover why the future of health optimization belongs entirely to data interoperability...bridging wearables, lab diagnostics, and virtual prescription pads. If you are a practitioner, brand owner, or health-tech founder, this is the blueprint for how supplements are being manufactured, sold, marketed, and prescribed.

June 10, 20260 min

McDonald’s DIRTY Strategy For Higher Profits | Why McDonald’s Is Ditching Burgers For TikTok Sodas

McDonald’s is officially getting “dirty.” After watching a tiny soda shop called Swig explode in recent years, the “Golden Arches” is ditching burger innovation for TikTok-inspired beverage concoctions. So, why the sudden pivot? There’s no secret here…it’s about blending up profit margins! Beef is getting expensive to make and harder to sell. But flavored fizzy sugar water (sometimes with a splash of cream), those cost pennies and sell for a premium (even against the "clean eating" backdrop). Then, are we saying the era of the $12 burger is over, and the era of the $7 soda is just beginning? Regardless, I’m interested to see if McDonald’s can weaponize their scale to steal the "treat culture" crown.

June 8, 20269 min

Milk to Muscle: Strategy Behind Lactalis Buying Protein Works

Is this the deal that changes the future of the world’s largest dairy company? 🥛➡️💪 In this content, I break down Lactalis Group acquisition of the UK-based supplement brand, Protein Works. Discover how a $36B+ traditional dairy behemoth is breaking out of the dairy aisle to conquer the high-margin world of functional nutrition. 📌 What You'll LearnProtein Works Story: How a brand started in a spare bedroom scaled to $74M in revenue with 15%+ profit margins.Lactalis Strategic Shift: Why legacy dairy processors face a low-margin battlefield and how Lactalis plans to escape it.Hidden M&A Value: How Lactalis will turn raw dairy byproducts (whey and casein) into premium, direct-to-consumer profits.Dairy Industry Blueprint: A comparison of how industry titans like Lactalis, Danone, Chobani, and Glanbia are racing to fuel (not just feed) the modern consumer.Do you think the Lactalis and Protein Works deal can successfully replicate Glanbia's historic success with Optimum Nutrition?

June 8, 20260 min

[MONDAY MINUTE] The High Standards of "MAHA Moms" Are Changing CPG

Your kid wants to drink exactly what you’re drinking. And honestly…CPG brands are finally letting them by taking grown-up wellness trends and making them playground ready. We’re talking about No Seed Oils, extra protein, and "Adult Functionality" in a lunchbox-sized serving. Although I wouldn’t consider this just a trend, as CPG brands are responding to the “MAHA Moms” wanting clean labels and showing an unwillingness to compromise just because their kid is small. So, a question to my fellow parents…would you give your kid a "mini" version of your favorite protein shake?

June 5, 202610 min

Creatine in Cookies? Next Generation of the Mrs. Fields "Cookie Code"

The cookie industry is experiencing a massive renaissance. But to understand where the future of cookies is going, we have to look back at the woman who wrote the original "Cookie Code" Debbi Fields. In this video, I break down how Mrs. Fields pioneered modern single-product retail, and how modern titans like Crumbl and new wellness startups like Fields Good are remixing her 1980s blueprint for the 21st century.💡 What You'll LearnSensory Marketing Transition: How brands replaced the real-world smell of fresh cookies with high-definition digital "visual hunger" videos.Algorithmic Skeleton: How Mrs. Fields used microcomputers and predictive algorithms in the 1980s to manage inventory, paving the way for Crumbl’s modern tech-stack app.New Luxury Economy: How Ashley Fields (Debbi’s daughter) is taking her inherited culinary DNA to build a functional health-cookie empire for the GLP-1 and wellness era.

June 3, 202612 min

$16M Applied Nutrition "Operations-First" Gamble To Conquer the U.S. Sports Nutrition Market

Is this UK supplement company smart or crazy? For decades, the U.S. sports nutrition market has been a graveyard for ambitious British brands. They cross the Atlantic with huge UK market share, only to get crushed by the brutal realities of the American marketplace. But Applied Nutrition is throwing out the traditional expansion playbook. Instead of spending millions to acquire their own brand name trademark in the United States (forcing them to launch under the clunky moniker AN Supps) they are betting everything on operational excellence. In this content, I break down Applied Nutrition’s massive $16 million cash acquisition of Buffalo-based manufacturer Nutrablend Group. Also, I explore why building supply chain resilience matters more than flashy marketing, and how their genius "Trojan Horse" flavor partnerships with Mondelēz International (Sour Patch Kids & Swedish Fish) might just unlock success on Walmart shelves.Key Takeaways From This Video:Margin Fix: Shifting manufacturing to Upstate New York instantly eliminates transatlantic shipping costs and import duties.Retail Security: Localized production capacity gives them the operational resilience required by retail giants like Walmart.North American Revenue Catalyst: The Nutrablend facility is projected to contribute $30 million in third-party manufacturing revenue by FY2027.What do you think? Can Applied Nutrition officially conquer America without using their own brand name?

June 1, 20260 min

[MONDAY MINUTE] How the "Matcha Male" Ruined Your Morning Ritual

Are you upset about that morning matcha ritual getting A LOT more expensive? Maybe blame all those performative males who are seemingly adopting emotionally sensitive progressive personas (such as drinking matcha and carrying tote bags) to attract women. Regardless, whether it's the matcha latte craze or the proliferation of packaged matcha products, supply can’t keep up with the unprecedented demand…as record heat and severe droughts in Japan throttled yields, while labor shortages further strain production. With no end in sight regarding these higher prices, maybe it’s time every “green goddess” denounces this current performativity example…so even the most dedicated "matcha men" switch back to chugging Monster Energy.

May 28, 202611 min

Why the Beverage Bubble is About to Pop | Carbonation Crisis Explained

Is there a carbonation crisis bubbling up across the beverage industry? For decades, beverage executives stayed awake worrying about the war on sugar, anti-alcohol laws, and Gen Z trends. Today, the biggest liability might be the bubbles themselves. A massive shift in human biology and consumer habits is quietly threating the multibillion-dollar packaged beverage landscape:Surge in Gastrointestinal Distress: Roughly two-thirds of adults regularly suffer from distressing digestive symptoms like bloating and IBS. Their first medical directive? Cut the carbonation.GLP-1 Effect: Weight-loss medications chemically delay gastric emptying. When trapped carbon dioxide hits a slow-moving stomach, it causes intense pain, nausea, and reflux. GLP-1 households cut their spending on sugary, carbonated drinks by nearly 10% within just six months.The alcohol sector (particularly traditional beer) is facing an existential contraction. Meanwhile, non-alcoholic brands are rapidly launching defenses...Functionality: Rebranding fizz into a gut-health hero using prebiotic fibers (e.g., Olipop, Poppi).Going "Fizz-Free": Growing massive platforms with non-carbonated energy drinks (e.g., CELSIUS). Altering the Gas: Experimenting with nitrogenation for a creamy, stomach-friendly mouthfeel.What's next? Expect front-of-pack labeling to evolve. Standardized visual "fizz scales" and terms like “lightly effervescent” will soon become mainstream retail standards.The modern consumer’s biology has fundamentally changed. Executives who view digestive health and GLP-1 side effects as a passing trend are misjudging the market. The bubble hasn't popped yet, but it’s noticeably losing air!