Mar 18, 2020
James Richardson is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions, a strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer-packaged-goods brands. As a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, he has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Brands, and Frito-Lay as well as emerging brands such as Once Upon a Farm, Mother Kombucha, Bobby Sue’s Nuts, Rebel Creamery, Zaca recovery, and others. He also hosts his own podcast—Startup Confidential. His thoughts appear regularly in industry publications such as Foodnavigator.
As a kid, James aspired to become a college professor, as he puts it, a Professor of Something. And so he did. His career journey started on the academic path as a cultural anthropologist, studying the analysis of value systems, symbol systems, and how those do or do not get enacted in different cultures. He specialized in Southeast Asia and lived in India for three years where he studied and witnessed their caste system. It took nine years to get a Ph.D. in anthropology, and after all of that, he made the difficult choice to leave the academic track to work in the private sector. Fortunately, he joined a small startup company that needed someone with his credentials to work with consumer packaged goods product brands. He spent 17 years with them and today runs his own consulting business and recently published his book, Ramping Your Brand.
In this episode we discuss:
- How James spent 9 years achieving his Ph.D. in anthropology, including three years in India and two near-death experiences.
- He dreamed of being a professor as a child. Toward the end of his degree program, he realized he had become disenchanted with the academic path.
- James then spent significant time investigating the options available for Ph.D. anthropologists in the private sector.
- Fortunately, he identified a startup company, The Hartman Group. They needed someone with his credentials to work with consumer packaged goods (CPG) product brands.
- As James grew with The Hartman Group over 17 years, he went from Senior Analyst and then finished there as a Vice President of the company.
- He has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning.
- Today James runs Premium Growth Solutions and recently published his book, “Ramping Your Brand, How To Ride The CPG Growth Curve.”
Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.tammygoolerloeb.com/podcasts/ - episode 066