The Vision Behind the Spritz 🎨

Kate and Lauren didn’t just set out to make another beverage; they wanted to create an entire world. Drawing from Lauren’s 20-year bac

kground in apparel design and Kate’s experience in video production and business development, they approached the brand like a fashion house. Before the liquid was even finalized, they were building mood boards, crafting Spotify playlists, and defining the “Sistine” aesthetic.

Key Highlights from the Episode:

• Intentional Packaging: The duo explains why they chose a 750ml champagne bottle with a hand-applied blue wax seal to stand out in a crowded retail landscape.

• The “Sexy” Can Challenge: Transitioning from an elegant glass bottle to a 222ml slim can wasn’t easy. They discuss the technical hurdles of maintaining their brand’s “sexy” vibe while adhering to canning standards.

• Natural Vibrancy: The striking ruby-red color of the drink isn’t artificial—it’s derived entirely from beets and carrots to match their computer-generated “ideal” hue.

• Building Community: From hosting intimate dinner parties in LA to creating curated playlists for “spritz-worthy” moments, Sistine is built on the power of being present with others.

Connect with the Guests:

• Kate McLamb: kate@sistinespritz.com

• Lauren Alexander: lauren@sistinespritz.com

• Website: sistinespritz.com

• Instagram: @sistinespritz

Connect with the Label King:

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• TikTok: @thelabelking

In this episode of Beyond the Dieline, host Tom Seymour sits down with Keith McCullough, the founder of Junebar, to discuss his fascinating pivot from a 20-year career in video game development to the world of CPG 🎮➡️🍏. Keith shares the “level-up” moments and the glitches he faced while building a brand focused on clean, fiber-rich, and functional nutrition.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The Pivot to CPG: How Keith transitioned from leading a 50-person gaming studio to founding a plant-based snack brand.

• Transferable Skills: Why making a “mean spreadsheet” and managing technical operations in tech is surprisingly similar to managing inventory and co-packing in food.

• The Power of Fiber: Why fiber is the “unsung hero” of 2026 nutrition trends, competing with protein for the top spot in consumer health priorities.

• Packaging Pitfalls: Why start-up founders should start with small pouch orders and “hand-sealers” before jumping into high-speed automation.

• Founder Grit: How to handle the emotional rollercoaster of being a founder—from “imposter syndrome” to managing critical consumer feedback.

Key Highlights:

“I spent 20 years making entertainment software... but my interest shifted. I wanted to do something more present, less in the ‘ether’ of the digital world, and more in reality and my community.” — Keith McCullough.

• The “June” in Junebar: Keith reveals the personal meaning behind the name—it’s his favorite month and the birth month of his second daughter ☀️.

• Fiber > Protein? Tom and Keith discuss the “protein fatigue” in the market and how fiber is finally gaining its own “cool factor” for metabolic and gut health.

• The Village Mentality: Why having a mentor and a supportive “village” is the secret sauce for any successful entrepreneur.

Connect with the People of Packaging:

• Follow Adam Peek on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• Watch Adam on TikTok: @thelabelking

Check out Junebar: Visit junebars.com to try their all-natural, high-fiber bars or find them in local retailers across Rochester, Buffalo, and beyond! 🍎✨

This week on People of Packaging, we’re coming to you from the CERM User Group in Dallas, Texas! 🤠 I’m sitting down with Trent Bremer, the VP of Operations & Finance at Grand Rapids Label.

Trent isn’t just a numbers guy; he’s helping steer a company that’s been around for a staggering 142 years. We dive into what it’s like to maintain a family legacy that is now entering its 5th generation—a feat that less than 1% of family businesses ever achieve! 🚀

In this episode, we discuss:

• The 142-Year Legacy: How Grand Rapids Label evolved from printing Harry Houdini posters to becoming a leader in durable automotive and food-safe labels. 🏷️

• Durable vs. Disposable: The fascinating world of labels that have to survive under a car hood or on a plane wing. 🏎️✈️

• Direct Food Contact: The science and certifications behind those ice cream cone sleeves you take for granted. 🍦

• AI & The Future of MIS: Trent shares their journey of moving from a 40-year-old homegrown system to implementing Serm and exploring AI for forecasting and EDI mapping. 🤖

• The Grand Rapids Scene: Why you need to visit The Elbow Room for the best bar burger in town if you ever find yourself in Michigan. 🍔🍻

Trent’s background in finance and operations brings a unique perspective to the “grit” required to stay independent and innovative in an era of massive consolidation.

Connect with us!

• Guest: Trent Bremer, Grand Rapids Label

• Host: Adam Peek

• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• TikTok: @thelabelking 👑

Don’t forget to Like, Subscribe, and leave a review! ✨

I’m joined by a repeat guest, the brilliant Manya Rubinstein, CEO of Isco Spirits and Providence Distilling. If you missed our first conversation back in 2024, go check out Episode 295. But today, we’re talking about Isco’s “naughty little sibling” brand.

🎧 Episode Summary

Manya joins me from Rhode Island to pull the curtain back on one of the most playful (and provocative) launches in the spirits world. We talk about how Big Dick’s went from a riff-session joke to a high-quality, real-ingredient bourbon that’s taking over the golf courses and bars of New England.

We dive into the “dualism” of running a serious, sustainability-focused company like Isco while also making room for a brand that just wants to make people laugh. From “fruit-style” stickers on real bananas to the challenges of shipping alcohol to Utah, this episode is a reminder that business is better when you don’t take yourself too seriously.

🔥 Key Takeaways

• Humor as Community Building: Why a “naughty” brand name is actually a great way to build community and spark joy in a serious world.

• The “Short-Circuit” Quality: Even with a funny name, the product comes first. Manya explains why using real, less-processed ingredients makes a “silly” drink taste incredible.

• The Americana Aesthetic: A look at the 1950s Americana branding and the creative collaboration with designer Kiki Schulo.

• Marketing Outside the Box: How they are using everything from 6-inch banana stickers to QR codes to drive brand engagement.

🍌 The Product Breakdown

• The Liquid: A banana-flavored bourbon whiskey that is “silly delicious” and smooth enough to drink straight or in an Old Fashioned.

• The Sizes: We look at the 100ml “nip” and the upcoming 1-liter bar launch.

• The Laugh Factor: The power of pulling a bottle of “Big Dick’s” out of your pocket on the 9th hole.

🔗 Connect with Manya and Big Dick’s

• Manya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manyakay/

• Website: www.bigdicksbanana.com

• Instagram: @bigdicksbanana

Are you a “The Label King” regular? Make sure to follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek and catch the highlights on TikTok @thelabelking.

Enjoy the episode!

🧀 Beyond the Dieline Ep. 2: From Pharma Sales to Syrian Cheese Pioneer

What happens when a global pandemic shuts down your career in pharmaceutical sales? If you’re Benita Kasbo, you don’t just pivot—you preserve a culture.

In this episode of Beyond the Dieline, Tom Seymour sits down with the founder of Kasbo’s Market to discuss the “grit” required to introduce an entirely new category to the American dairy aisle.

💡 The Big Takeaways:

• The Power of the Pivot: Benita moved from a 15-year career in pharma to launching a CPG brand during the 2020 lockdowns.

• The Secret Ingredient: Ever heard of Mahlab? It’s a spice made from the pits of St. Lucy cherry trees, giving Syrian cheese its nutty, aromatic signature. Benita is currently working with Cornell University to see if these trees can be grown right here in New York.

• Retail Reality Check: Benita shares why being “your own biggest fan” is a requirement, not an option, when you’re pitching to buyers who have never heard of your product category.

• The “Chobani” Blueprint: Just as Hamdi Ulukaya transformed the yogurt aisle with Greek yogurt, Benita is on a mission to move Middle Eastern cuisine beyond the “Mediterranean” label and into its own authentic spotlight.

🕒 Key Moments:

• [04:45] – The transition from sampling medicine to sampling cheese.

• [09:20] – What exactly is Mahlab, and why is it a game-changer for flavor profiles?

• [22:15] – The “9 No’s for every 1 Yes” mentality in CPG sales.

• [38:40] – Finding a spice supplier in Lebanon via TikTok (yes, really!).

Here are the highlights and key takeaways from our conversation:

🎙️ Key Takeaways from the CERM On-Site Session

• Why CERM? It wasn’t about the sales pitch. It was about the roadmap. Most fast-growing, successful label companies in the US are using CERM, and their testimonials spoke louder than any brochure.

• The “Why” Matters: Implementing a new system is hard. Esteban was transparent from day one that it would take longer than I thought—and he was right! But understanding the “why”—having a single source of truth for estimating, production, and scheduling—makes the heavy lift worth it.

• Automation vs. “People-ing”: We want computers to compute so people can people. By automating invoicing, pre-press, and material tracking, we free up our team to focus on complex decision-making and interpersonal communication—the things humans are actually good at.

• The Power of On-Site Support: Shoutout to Dean from CERM. Having an expert physically in the building to help “break things” now so we can fix them before they matter is a game-changer. It compresses 8 weeks of back-and-forth emails into one productive week.

• Fall in Love with the Problem: My dad always told me: “Fall in love with your customer’s problems, not your company’s solutions.” That’s the driving force at Label King—using CERM to solve real-world bottlenecks like lead times and data transparency.

🔗 Connect with the Guest

• Esteban Garcia: LinkedIn Profile

• CERM: www.cerm.net

👑 Connect with The Label King

• LinkedIn: Adam Peek

• TikTok: @thelabelking

• Email: apeek@thelabelking.com

This wasn’t just a conversation about spirits; it was a masterclass in how brand story, heritage, and “un-compromised” design come together to create something truly rare—or as they say in Spanish, a Perro Verde.

🎧 Episode Summary

In our first-ever bilingual episode, we bridge the gap between the traditional palenques of Oaxaca and the luxury spirit market in the U.S. Juan and Mariana share their journey from the worlds of CPG and high fashion to the mountains of Mexico, where they discovered a 120-year-old family legacy and decided to bring a smoother, more approachable mezcal to the world.

We dive deep into the tension between “rustic” tradition and “pristine” production, and how every single element of their packaging—from the 3D-printed glass to the raw wood stoppers—was a conscious decision to respect the planet while honoring the liquid inside.

🚀 Key Takeaways

• The Meaning of Perro Verde: Why being a “Green Dog” is the ultimate compliment for a unique brand.

• Design Without Compromise: Mariana’s journey in creating luxury packaging that remains sustainable and “short-circuit” produced entirely in Mexico.

• The “Rustic” vs. “Premium” Balance: How Perro Verde uses innovation in distillation to create a smooth sipping experience without losing the smoky heart of traditional mezcal.

• The Power of Narrative: Why packaging is the primary storyteller for a brand before the bottle is even opened.

📦 Packaging Highlights

• Tactile Storytelling: The debossed logos and unique textures on the rigid board box.

• Innovation in Glass: A look at the 3D-printed branding directly on the bottle—eliminating labels and adding a premium, permanent feel.

• The Scent of Tradition: Evelio’s obsession with the “charred wood” aroma of the raw stopper (seriously, he wants to wear it as a fragrance).

🔗 Connect with Perro Verde

• Website: www.perroverdemezcal.com

• Instagram: @perroverdemezcal

Love this episode? If you’re a packaging nerd or a brand builder, make sure to follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek and catch the highlights on TikTok @thelabelking.

I just had a total “fanboy” moment listening back to this conversation between my good friend Tom Seymour and the absolute powerhouse that is Jessica Kwong. If you aren’t following Jessica yet, fix that immediately. She’s a Cornell food scientist turned founder who is literally redefining what’s possible in the CPG space with Jack & Friends Jerky and Moka Energy.

Tom and Jessica go deep on the “behind the scenes” of the founder journey—the stuff that isn’t always pretty but is totally necessary.

Check out the show notes below for the highlights!

Episode Highlights: Beyond the Dieline with Jessica Kwong

The Origin Story: From Food Science to Founder

Jessica didn’t just wake up and decide to make jerky. Her journey started at Cornell University, where she led product development teams and entered national competitions. The inspiration for Jack & Friends actually came from a personal place: her father developed severe food allergies later in life.

“I saw firsthand how difficult it was for him to essentially upend his whole lifestyle... I wanted to make his life easier and find a solution for him.” — Jessica Kwong

The “Unfiltered” Founder Reality

One of the most refreshing parts of this episode is the honesty about the early days. Jessica talks about:

• The 3 AM Kitchen Shifts: Working the most affordable (and most exhausting) shifts in commercial kitchens to bootstrap the brand.

• DIY Design Woes: Designing her first packaging in Photoshop, only to realize (at 2 AM!) that professional packaging requires vector artwork in Illustrator.

• The NYT “High-Low”: Getting featured in the New York Times was a massive win, but it also meant hand-packing orders for four straight weeks to meet the demand.

Packaging & Partnerships: The Secret Sauce

As a packaging guy, I loved hearing Jessica talk about her refresh with Wagon Design Studio. She emphasizes the importance of custom-printed packaging from the start.

• Pro Tip: Don’t be the “most expensive label applicator” by doing it all yourself. Custom printing looks more professional and saves you time to work on your business, not in it.

• The Power of “My Bad”: In manufacturing, things will go wrong. Jessica and Tom discuss how the best partners are the ones who own their mistakes and work to fix them immediately, rather than “ducking and covering”.

What’s Next? Moka Energy

Jessica isn’t stopping at jerky. She’s also a co-founder of Moka Energy, applying everything she learned from Jack & Friends to a new category. It’s a testament to the power of a “village” of proven operators coming together to build something great.

Connect with Jessica & Tom

• Jack & Friends: jackandfriendsjerky.com

• Moka Energy: mokaenergy.com

• Tom Seymour: Follow him on LinkedIn for more Beyond the Dieline episodes!

• Jessica Kwon: Connect on LinkedIn

Want more content like this? Make sure you’re following me on LinkedIn and over on TikTok @thelabelking.

What is going on, everybody! Welcome back to the People of Packaging. Today, we’re digging into the weeds of one of the biggest stories in the industry right now: the Multi-Color Corporation (MCC) Chapter 11 filing.

Last week, I made a post that stirred up a bit of a hornet’s nest. I got a lot of “Adam, you didn’t do your research” comments regarding what a “prepackaged” bankruptcy actually is. Well, friends, I did the research. I went through the 241-page court filing on my own and used AI to help as well. Both resources are listed below.

In this episode, we’re breaking down the macroeconomics, the management “Project Optimus” strategy, and the real reason why the global leader in prime labels is currently navigating a restructuring.

I state this in the episode, I 100% THINK OUR INDUSTRY IS BETTER WITH A SOLID AND GROWING MCC. The people at the company are great (at least the one’s I know) and we are better when the big companies are thriving. Period. Full Stop.

🕒 Key Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome to the show! Big week with the launch of “Beyond the Dieline” with Tom Seymour.

• 02:30 – Addressing the comments: What exactly is a “Prepackaged” Chapter 11? (hint, it’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy…the same thing essentially)

• 05:00 – The Data: Breaking down the 241-page filing from Garrett Gabel (Chief Restructuring Officer).

• 10:15 – Macroeconomics: Inflation, raw material constraints, and the “COVID boom” hangover.

• 18:00 – Project Optimus: MCC’s plan to fix operational inefficiencies and bolster customer loyalty.

• 25:40 – The Debt Problem: Converting $4 billion in debt to equity.

• 35:00 – Advice for Customers: Why you need to know your vendors’ financial health.

📝 Key Takeaways:

• It’s Not Just “Business as Usual”: Despite the rhetoric, having a Chief Restructuring Officer means significant changes are happening internally.

• The Revenue Drop: MCC saw a 14% decrease in revenue from 2022 through year-end 2025.

• Project Optimus: A holistic transformation plan intended to fix metrics like OTIF (On-Time In-Full), which had dropped significantly.

• Customer Attrition: The long onboarding cycles in prime labels (12-24 months) mean that once you lose a customer, it takes a long time to get them back.

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Official Court Filing: Download the full PDF here.

• Case Summary: Detailed breakdown via Bondoro.com.

• Connect with Adam: www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• Follow on TikTok: @thelabelking

In this episode, host Adam Peek takes us on a deep dive into his new book, Sales Exegesis: A Pastor’s Journey into Packaging Sales. Drawing from his unique background as a pastor and his decade-plus career in the packaging industry, Adam explores why so many sales professionals feel disconnected from their work and how to find dignity and integrity in the sales process.

Key Discussion Points:

• The Dignity of Sales: Adam discusses how the “manipulative salesperson” stereotype has stripped the dignity from the profession. He shares his passion for helping others rediscover that dignity and find wholeness in their roles.

• Integration of Self: Learn how Adam bridged the gap between his personal life as a father and pastor and his professional life in sales, finding that he could be his whole self in every environment.

• Exegesis vs. Eisegesis in Sales: * Eisegesis: Sales driven by emotional fear and subjective assumptions (e.g., “They won’t want to talk to me” or “Our prices are too high”).

  • Exegesis: Sales rooted in objective truth and observable data. Adam explains the importance of starting with facts about the prospect and their business before making interpretations.

• The Power of Objective Truth: Discover a practical process for gathering “observable facts” about your prospects to build a solid foundation for your sales strategy, free from “head trash” and self-defeating talk.

Memorable Quotes:

“Integrity comes from the word ‘integer,’ which means to be whole. I wanted to be whole in my job—to bring my full self as a father, husband, and pastor into my sales work.”

“When you root your sales process in objective truth rather than emotional fear, you’re on a much firmer path to success.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Buy the Book: www.salesexegesis.com

• Connect with Adam Peek on LinkedIn: Adam Peek

• Learn more about Label King: www.labelking.com

Host: Adam Peek

Episode Overview

In this intro to Tom Seymour, new host of the “Beyond the Die Line” series, Adam Peek sits down with Tom Seymour to discuss the human side of the packaging industry. Tom shares his journey from a “C-student” football player to a certified packaging professional, his philosophy on servant leadership, and the exciting launch of his new venture, Moka Energy.

Key Takeaways

• The Power of Partnership: Tom emphasizes that 75% of his day involves solving problems that have nothing to do with packaging. By focusing on the total supply chain and being a true partner, the packaging opportunities naturally follow.

• Servant Leadership: The core of Tom’s career is a love for people and problem-solving. He discusses the “law of the universe”—that doing good things for others without expectation leads to long-term success.

• The Science of Packaging: Beyond the business relationships, Tom nerdily dives into the “polymer science” behind flexible packaging, explaining why different foods require specific barrier levels and respiration rates.

• Material Agnosticism: A balanced look at the sustainability debate (Paper vs. Plastic) and the importance of using data and science rather than public opinion to make environmental decisions.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Tom details his 2-year journey to launch Moka Energy, a “portable cup of coffee” in the form of a whole-bean coffee bar.

Featured in this Episode

• Bison Bag: A family-based flexible packaging converter located in the Buffalo, NY area.

• Moka Energy: Tom’s new company featuring clean-label, vegan, and gluten-free coffee bars.

• IoPP (Institute of Packaging Professionals): Where Tom and Adam first connected.

• SUNY Brockport: Tom’s alma mater and the place where he transformed his academic career.

Links & Resources

• Visit Moka Energy: www.mokaenergy.com

• Connect with Tom Seymour on LinkedIn: Tom Seymour, CPP

• Bison Bag Official Site: www.bisonbag.com

Notable Quotes

“Our motto is: Your success is our success. But that’s not just based on packaging.” — Tom Seymour

“Time is socialist. Everybody has the same amount... it’s about who can lean into the value of that time.” — Adam Peek

In this episode of The People of Packaging, host Adam Peek sits down with Lauren Miller, co-founder of Wims!, to discuss their innovative approach to beverage packaging and the cannabis industry. Lauren shares the fascinating story of Wims!, from its family roots in North Carolina to its unique portable packaging solution.

One note, they discuss an amazing Dry January advent calendar since this was recorded in November…it’s not too late to get one! www.wims.world

Inside the Episode:

• The Origins of Wims!: Wims! is a family-owned business co-founded by Lauren and her father, Ken. The journey began in 2016 with a passion for CBD and industrial hemp farming in rural North Carolina.

• The Shift to THC Beverages: During the pandemic, Lauren discovered the appeal of low-dose THC seltzers as an alternative to alcohol, which offered relaxation without the morning-after hangover.

• A Portable Solution: Recognizing the inconvenience of traditional canned beverages for on-the-go social situations, Lauren and her father developed a hyper-portable THC liquid concentrate.

• Innovative Packaging: Wims! features a unique “Snap, Squeeze, Stir” packet. This single-use, pre-portioned concentrate can be easily snapped and mixed into any drink, providing a seamless and discreet way to enjoy low-dose THC.

• The Wims! Experience: The product’s design focuses on user experience and social acceptability, offering a consistent and manageable dosage that complements existing drinking habits.

• Sustainability and Future Outlook: Lauren discusses the industry’s shift toward more sustainable practices, such as reducing the environmental impact of shipping liquid-heavy beverages.

Connect with Wims!:

Visit their website at wims.world to learn more and explore their current product offerings, including variety packs and their festive advent-style calendar for dry January!

Sabrina Clebnik isn’t just baking brownies; she’s re-engineering the entire consumer experience in the cannabis space. In this episode, we dive into how she turned a college pivot into Clebby’s, a brand that’s solving the two biggest headaches in edibles: predictability and shelf-life.

🛠 The “A-Ha” Moment: The Kit Strategy

Sabrina realized that shipping fresh-baked edibles is a logistical nightmare (mold, staleness, regulations—oh my!). Her solution? Don’t ship the brownie; ship the kit.

• The Secret Sauce: By separating the non-infused mix from the infused oil, Clebby’s bypasses the “shelf-stable edible” taste problem.

📦 Packaging Nerd-Out: High Intention, High Style

We spend a lot of time on the look because Sabrina didn’t just grab stock bottles and slap a label on them.

• Modern Retro: The design is inspired by 1950s neon diners. Note the “three light” lines that carry through from the bottle neck to the box.

• The Square Bottle: Chosen intentionally for premium shelf presence and to make applying compliance labels easier for her team. (Flat surfaces = happy production lines!)

• The “Glue Flap” Innovation: Sabrina showed off a custom corrugated insert with a built-in “arm” that locks the glass bottle into place, ensuring it survives the USPS “kick test.”

🎓 Educating the “Canna-Curious”

Packaging isn’t just a container; it’s a teacher.

• Clebby’s uses QR codes prominently to link users to a Dosage Calculator.

• Transparency over everything: Sabrina advocates for over-compliance, providing more warnings and lab-test access than required to build trust with a skeptical consumer.

Buy my book, please!

We’re diving deep into the massive “chasm” that exists between legacy packaging manufacturers and the modern brands who need them. If you’ve ever felt like procurement is a slow-moving dinosaur, this episode is for you. Jamie is building a platform that doesn’t just match brands with suppliers—it uses AI to fix the broken behaviors that have been holding our industry back for decades.

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:

• The Procurement Pain Point: Why traditional sourcing (think: trade show handshakes and “Contact Us” forms) is high-risk and slow.

• The “Digital Mindset”: It’s not just about buying a digital press; it’s about mirroring the B2C buying habits we use in our everyday lives.

• Forced Innovation: How government regulations (EPR, tariffs, etc.) and consumer inflation are creating a “perfect storm” that forces brands to diversify their supply chains.

• Laibl in Action: A live demo of how AI matches brands with over 4,000 pre-vetted North American suppliers in minutes, not months.

• Outcome as a Service: Why Jamie’s model of only getting paid when a transaction happens is a game-changer for building trust in the packaging community.

🔗 Connect with Jamie and Laibl:

• Website: laibl.co

• LinkedIn: Jamie Lo

🚀 Join the Community:

If you’re a brand looking for the fastest way to source packaging, or a supplier ready to prove your excellence, go check out Laibl. And as always, let’s keep that same energy—packaging is the front line of your brand, so let’s treat it that way!

🤖 AI, “Augmented Intuition,” and the Future of Packaging w/ Xavier Joseph

Hello everybody! Welcome to another episode of the People of Packaging Podcast, coming to you live from the Label Kingdom! 🦆👑

Today, we are doing something a little different. Instead of just talking shop, we are tackling the Top Questions Asked on Google about AI and Packaging.

To help me answer these, I’m joined by a true heavyweight in the industry: Xavier Joseph, the VP of Global Marketing, Innovation, and Business Development at Aptar Beauty. Xavier joins us from just outside of Paris, bringing over 25 years of experience from giants like L’Oréal and Beiersdorf (Nivea).

We dive deep into how Artificial Intelligence is shifting the industry from a “world of constraints” to a “world of possibilities.” Plus, we discuss why my Duolingo French lessons failed miserably.

🎧 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Sustainability via Simulation: How AI is simulating raw material interactions to save time, reduce physical waste, and predict mechanical properties before a single mold is cast.

• “Augmented Intuition”: Xavier’s brilliant concept of balancing AI’s generative power with human sensitivity and creativity. AI should be part of the brainstorming team, not the leader of it.

• The Engine vs. The Shell: How Aptar standardizes the “engine” (the pump mechanics) while using generative AI to endlessly customize the “shell” (the outer aesthetics) for brands.

• The Risks of AI: Why “Garbage In, Garbage Out” applies to packaging data, and the massive risk of IP leakage when using public AI models for confidential product launches.

• De-Risking the Launch: How Aptar uses AI models to predict pump and formula compatibility (viscosity, rheology) to cut down physical testing from 10 pumps to 2.

💡 Quotable Moments:

• “I wish I would have known that packaging is a world of possibilities instead of a world of constraints.” — Xavier Joseph

• “Make AI agents part of the brainstorming team, but don’t let them take control of the whole consumer experience.” — Xavier Joseph

• “Imagine 3D printing a bottle based on the contour of a user’s face... that’s where AI meets customization.” — Adam Peek

🔗 Connect & Learn More:

• Connect with Xavier on LinkedIn: Xavier Joseph

• Check out Aptar Beauty: www.aptar.com

• Connect with Adam (The Label King): www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• Follow me on TikTok: @thelabelking

If you enjoyed this episode, please hit subscribe and leave us a review! And remember to keep your AI protected and your intuition augmented!

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how this book actually came to be. I’m a verbal processor (you guys know I talk better than I type), so I’m sharing the unique process I used to get these thoughts out of my head and onto paper involving 14 years of LinkedIn content, voice memos during my commute to Label King, and training an AI ghostwriter to help structure my “pastor brain” for a sales world.

We’re talking about building your sales strategy (and life!) on a foundation of observable, objective truth, not lies. Whether you’re in packaging, printing, or just trying to navigate life and parenting, this process of Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, and Application is for you.

Grab a copy, leave a review, and let’s get real about sales.

Key Topics & Takeaways:

• What is Exegesis? Breaking down the sermon-prep process I used as a pastor and how it applies perfectly to modern sales (and even parenting!).

• Truth Over Hype: Why we need to stop lying to ourselves and our prospects, and start operating from a foundation of observable facts.

• The “AI Ghostwriter” Method: How I used voice memos during my 30-minute commute and decades of social content to write a book without sitting at a keyboard for months.

• The Cover Story: The hidden meaning behind the Vanilla Ice (”Ice-egesis”) vs. DMX (”X-egesis”) graphics on the cover.

• Who is this for? It’s not just a sales manual; it’s a tangible guide for anyone looking to build credibility and solve problems authentically.

Mentioned Resources:

• Book: Sales Exegesis: A Pastor’s Journey into Packaging Sales (Available on Amazon in Kindle & Print!)

• Company: Label King

Connect with Adam:

• LinkedIn: Adam Peek

• TikTok: @thelabelking

• Podcast: People of Packaging

If you pick up a copy, it would mean the world to me if you left a review. Let me know what you think!

If you’re in the packaging space, this is the kind of game-changing innovation you need to be paying attention to. It hits the trifecta: Performance, Planet, and Policy.

Here’s a breakdown of what we discussed and why Lactips is a company to watch:

🎙️ Episode Highlight: Raging Against the Microplastic Machine with Lactips

Clara and Benoît joined us from the Southeast of France to dive into their mission to clean up the packaging industry. They’re not just creating a ‘better’ plastic—they’re offering a natural, protein-based alternative that completely dissolves and leaves behind zero microplastics.

🥛 The Science Behind the Solution

• The Origin Story: Lactips was founded by Frédéric Prochazka, a researcher who investigated the potential of bio-based materials. He discovered that Casein, one of the main milk proteins, was an ideal base.

• The Raw Material: They produce a raw material (pellets) that manufacturers can use to create films, coatings, and small injection-molded parts.

• The Key Differentiator: Water-Solubility. This isn’t just “biodegradable” in a perfect industrial composter. Their material is fully biodegradable in all environments and, crucially, is water-soluble.

♻️ Solving Real Packaging Problems

• Food Contact: This material is food-contact safe, providing both grease barrier and sealability to paper products.

• The Cookie Box Problem: Think about that plastic film on a typical cookie box—or worse, a box where the fat seeps right through! Lactips offers a plastic-free barrier solution for dry and fatty products (like those beloved cookies, cereal bars, or even teabags).

• Improving Recycling: Since the material dissolves during the re-pulping phase of paper recycling, it acts as a recycling facilitator, leading to significantly higher fiber recovery compared to traditional polyethylenes (PE). This makes the end product fully recyclable in the paper stream.

🌍 The Global Push for Sustainable Materials

• Regulations are Driving Change: We discussed how regulations like the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive and the upcoming PPWR in the EU are creating an economic incentive for brands to seek alternatives to plastic.

• Cost & Competition: While Lactips might be a higher-cost material than traditional plastics initially, new taxes and mandates (like the UK Plastics Tax or various EPR laws) will increasingly create a cost-competitive delta, making advanced solutions like Lactips the smart business choice.

• Collective Awareness: Consumer and industry knowledge about microplastic pollution is at an all-time high, pushing brands toward visibly and verifiably sustainable solutions.

💡 Actionable Takeaways for the #PeopleOfPackaging

1. Stop Fighting the Fat, Start Dissolving the Plastic: If you’re designing packaging for dry/fatty food products and are struggling with plastic barriers for grease/seal, look into water-soluble protein-based solutions like Lactips.

2. Follow the Regulations: What starts in the EU often comes to the US. Proactively investing in non-plastic alternatives now will help you future-proof your product against incoming EPR mandates and plastics taxes, potentially turning a regulatory cost into a competitive marketing advantage.

3. Connect with the Innovators: The Lactips team is ready to talk about your specific challenges.

🔗 How to Connect with Lactips

• Website: Head over to www.lactips.com and hit the “Contact” form—they are a small team and promise a quick response!

• LinkedIn: Search for Lactips and give them a follow. You can also connect directly with Clara and Benoît.

Thanks again to Clara and Benoît for sharing their incredible vision and technology. Let’s keep working to make the packaging world cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable!

I’m Adam Peek, and you’ve been listening to the People of Packaging Podcast.

In this must-listen episode, The Label King, Adam Peek, welcomes Tom Stone, Senior Packaging Development Controller at Bakkavor, one of the world’s largest fresh prepared food manufacturers.

The conversation pivots from the emotional narrative of sustainability to the objective data required for real-world change. Tom shares insights from the UK, which is ahead of the curve on legislation like the Plastics Tax and EPR, and explains how global businesses are navigating the challenges of food waste, material science, and future-proofing their brands against constantly changing regulations.

This is critical listening for anyone in the CPG, fresh food, or packaging development industries, especially those who need to understand how UK/EU lessons apply to the evolving US market.

🔑 Key Takeaways You Will Learn

• The Big Picture on Food Waste: Why food spoilage is arguably a greater environmental problem than many packaging choices, and how the industry must balance consumer demands with the reality of shelf-life extension.

• UK’s Legislative Head Start: A breakdown of the impact of the UK’s Plastic Tax and the upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, and how this is forcing a methodological, data-driven approach to packaging development.

• The Future-Proofing Strategy: How Bakkavor uses a holistic assessment process—analyzing material, production, transit, and disposal—to create packaging formats that are aesthetically pleasing without compromising recyclability or increasing food waste.

• Data Over Dogma: Why packaging developers must be brutally honest and transparent about the pros and cons of any material switch to ensure the business makes a decision based on objective data, not just public opinion.

• US Market Application: How global learning can be applied to the US market, where EPR is taking hold state-by-state, and why this is an opportunity to elevate the aesthetics of US retail packaging.

🔗 Connect With Our Guest

Tom Stone

• LinkedIn: Link

👑 Connect With Your Host

Adam Peek

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adampeek

• TikTok: @thelabelking

DEAL: If you’re looking for custom socks for your company, event, or sports team, go to hippyfeet.com, fill out the custom inquiry form, and mention the LABEL KING podcast. Michael will give you 15% OFF your first custom order! www.hippyfeet.com

🎙️ From a Traumatic Brain Injury to a Brand That Changes Lives: The Hippy Feet Story with Michael Mader

I am SO fired up for this episode. This is why I do this podcast.

I’m talking to Michael Mader, the founder of Hippy Feet. I first connected with Michael when I needed custom socks for the Label King grand opening, and his team absolutely crushed it. He, the founder, jumped on a call with me personally to make it happen.

But the story behind why this company exists... man, it’s on another level.

This isn’t just some slick marketing. Michael’s “why” is 100% real. We get into the whole thing, from his life-changing accident to the sourcing struggles of finding American-made manufacturers, and why a “buy one, give one” model wasn’t enough.

Find the Brand:

• Website: hippyfeet.com

• The Custom Sock Form: hippyfeet.com/pages/custom-socks-and-knitwear

💥 The “Why”: A Support System in Sock Form

This is the core of the whole conversation. This is not a brand built to just sell socks; it’s a brand built to be the support system that so many people lack.

• The Accident: During his senior year of college, Michael suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a skateboarding accident. He fractured his orbital bone and his skull, leaving him bedridden for a month.

• The Support System: His friends and family rallied. They paid his rent, bought his groceries, and literally got him back on his feet.

• The “Aha!” Moment: Michael realized that without that support system, homelessness would have been his “most likely outcome”. He felt this was incredibly unfair and wanted to build a business that could act as that support system for others.

📈 The Mission & The Pivot (This is so smart)

I love this part. Michael didn’t just stick with an easy, marketable mission. He listened and adapted to make a real-world difference.

• Phase 1 (2016): The company launched with a “buy one, give one” sock donation model, similar to Toms or Bombas.

• The Problem: While doing street outreach, Michael realized he was giving socks to the same people every week. He was treating a symptom, not the underlying cause. As he says, “You can give somebody... millions of pairs of socks, and unfortunately, they are not going to be able to use that as a tool to get out of homelessness.”

• Phase 2 (2018): They pivoted to an employment program. They hired homeless youth (ages 16-24) to run their entire warehouse—fulfillment, packaging, screen printing, embroidery, all of it.

• Phase 3 (2022): They analyzed the program and found that less than 7% of the youth were finding self-sufficiency. Why? Because they were bouncing between 5-6 different nonprofits to get all their needs met (a job here, housing there, mental health counseling somewhere else).

• The Current Mission: Today, Hippy Feet donates 50% of its profits to “one-stop-shop” charities that provide all those services—housing, healthcare, education, and employment—under one roof.

• The Impact: They’ve generated over $200,000 in total impact (through wages and donations) since 2016. Let’s go!

📦 The Product & Packaging Angle

We get into the fact that you can have the greatest mission in the world, but if your product sucks, you’re not going to be in business long.

• “Buy Once, Cry Once”: Michael lives by this. He’s passionate about making high-quality products that are meant to last, not cheap junk that ends up in a landfill.

• Real Sustainability: It’s not just about the process; it’s about the lifespan. A product that falls apart in a year isn’t sustainable, no matter what it’s made of.

• American-Made Sourcing: This was a non-negotiable. Michael tells a wild story about trying to find a US manufacturer. The industry is built for massive accounts (think Walmart or the US Military) that don’t want to stop production for a college kid with a startup.

• The Banging-on-the-Door Strategy: After getting hung up on 30+ times, he bought a plane ticket, flew to North Carolina, showed up at a mill, and basically said, “I am not leaving until you make my socks.” And it worked. That’s passion.

🔥 DON’T MISS THIS!

Michael is incredibly stoked about their new line of 100% ultrafine Merino wool sweaters sourced from Italy, dropping in November. He’s also (rightfully) obsessed with his Merino wool hiking socks.

And he gave us a deal. This is unreal.

DEAL: If you’re looking for custom socks for your company, event, or sports team, go to hippyfeet.com, fill out the custom inquiry form, and mention the LABEL KING podcast. Michael will give you 15% OFF your first custom order!

Seriously, go support this brand. This is what it’s all about.

Man, I am SO stoked for this episode. This is why I do this podcast.

I’m talking with the amazing Gina Ho, who co-founded Hawaiian Soda Co. with her husband, Caesar. And let me tell you, this isn’t just another craft soda. The story behind this brand is incredible.

They’re on a mission to bring back the real history of soda in Hawai’i—back when it was made with real fruit juice and natural cane sugar, not the high-fructose “dirty word” we think of today. Their “why” runs deep in the family, and it’s led to this amazing product that is exploding.

We get into the whole journey, from a kitchen idea in 2020 to scaling to the mainland, and OF COURSE, we do a deep dive on the packaging.

Find the Brand:

• Website: hawaiiansodaco.com

• Instagram: @HawaiianSodaCo

• Where to Buy: Check their site, find them at World Market, or get it shipped from HouseofManaUp.com!

🌴 Key Takeaways:

• The “Dirty Word”: We talked about how “soda” has become a negative term. But Hawaiian Soda Co. is flipping that by going back to the roots—like Gina’s husband’s family, who used to mix fresh juice with soda water.

• Real Ingredients (No, Really): This isn’t “hint of fruit.” We’re talking 40-50% real fruit juice in every can. There’s NO added sugar, and it’s all-natural and caffeine-free.

• The Mission: “Paradise in every sip.” They are 100% delivering on this promise.

• INSANE Growth: This is wild. They went from that kitchen idea in 2020 to launching with a major retailer in July 2023. In just over two years, they’ve scaled to over 1,500 doors and 6,000 points of distribution. That is serious speed.

• The Pronunciation: Big takeaway for me! I finally learned how to say it correctly: Hah-vy-ee. (Gina was super gracious about my “Aloha” intro... 😅)

📦 Packaging Deep Dive: The Sleek Can Strategy

You know this is my favorite part. I am obsessed with their packaging strategy.

• The 12oz Sleek Can: This was 100% intentional. Gina said when they looked at the local market, everyone was using the same standard can.

• Differentiation > Operation: They chose to make it operationally harder on themselves (they have to bring the sleek cans in from out-of-state) just so they would look completely different on the shelf. That’s how you win.

• Sleeves to Print: They started with shrink sleeves (the classic startup move!) and are now big enough to be transitioning to direct-print cans. We love to see that CPG journey.

🔄 The Role Reversal: Gina Interviews Me!

This was awesome. Gina flipped the script and asked me a killer packaging question.

• Her Question: “We’re thinking about 4-packs and variety packs. What are the things we need to consider for retail?”

• My Take:

  1. Start with your Co-Man: Don’t design something in a vacuum. Find out what your contract manufacturer can actually run. Paper rings? Auto-bottom boxes? That’s your starting point.

  2. The Power of the Box: I’m a huge fan of the rigid 4-pack folding carton. It gives you massive brand real estate.

  3. Stop the Spin!: Most importantly, a box stops the cans from spinning on the shelf. You control the branding, so the customer always sees your logo, not the nutrition panel.

We even brainstormed a wild 4-can-across concept. You’ll have to listen for that!

This was such a fun conversation. Go check out hawaiiansodaco.com, give them a follow, and go try this soda.

Let’s goooo!