Hey, CPG Fast Track!

Quick one this week:

• AI Office Hours this Friday
• New members: 3 quick intros
• NYC meetup?
• Shipping rates question
• AI creative tools

Here we go…

Office Hours this Friday: Let’s talk AI

​Friday at 11am ET.

Topic: AI (how people are actually using it inside their brands). We’ve got members leveraging AI at very different levels — from simple prompts to full workflows.

So we’ll open it up:

• What’s working
• What’s overhyped
• Where it’s actually saving time (or money)

​RSVP here to get the meeting invite. Or just listen.

Say hello to new members!

Three new founders joined — go say hi:

​Lacey Boyett — Club 13​

Wellness mixer that blends functional ingredients (gut + liver support) with cocktail culture. Launching 3 flavors later this year.

​Samantha Sherman — The Hampton Grocer​

Started as a COVID grocery delivery → turned into a granola brand. Now in retail across the Northeast + Amazon + distributors. Built one farmers market at a time.

​Satya Thummalapalli — ILIKA​

Former IT leader building a personal care brand focused on reducing plastic waste in packaging.

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NYC meetup?

Lisa kicked off a thread to organize an IRL gathering. If you’re in (or near) NYC, jump in here.

Shipping rates: App or keep it simple?

Andrea from Hapsy asks:

If you’re using a 3PL or negotiated rates…

• Do you pass exact shipping costs via an app?
• Or use flat rates and let averages work out?
• Any Shopify apps people actually like?

Good thread to weigh in here.

🎨 AI for creative (worth testing)

Matthew dropped a few solid tools and resources for generating product images without a photoshoot.

If you’re trying to reduce photoshoots or move faster on creative — worth a look here.

See you Friday.

Jason + the CPG FT team