Premium Isn't About Price — It's About Positioning

We turned this conversation into a playbook — every retail formula, hiring question, and brand strategy in one PDF. Download free.

In this episode of Open Residency, we sit down with Ross Mackay, the founder and CEO of Cadence — the brand redefining what "premium" means in a $200B beverage category.

Ross breaks down how you turn a $2 drink into luxury through positioning, packaging, retail strategy, and relentless attention to detail — and why building "premium at scale" is the ultimate unlock.

From obsessing over shelf velocity to rebranding three times in under a year, this is a masterclass in how modern CPG brands actually win.

We go deep on:

• Retail economics (margins, trade spend, distribution vs. DSD), how to pitch Walmart and Target, and what most founders get wrong
  
  
• Why most founders misunderstand influencers, and the discipline required to scale without losing brand equity
  
  
• Lessons from raising capital from top-tier investors, why speed is the only real advantage early on, and how Cadence plans to go head-to-head with Gatorade — not in theory, but on shelf
  
  
• The hiring philosophy at Cadence and the one question Ross always asks before hiring
  
  
• Why working with world class athletes might actually damage your brand

Enjoy the conversation!