Lars Miller
@larsmillermedia.bsky.social
I write about cannabis, functional beverages, coffee, CPG branding, marketing, and content.
Subscribe to my newsletters
THC Bevs - https://herbal.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Coffee - https://retired-barista.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Subscribe to my newsletters
THC Bevs - https://herbal.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Coffee - https://retired-barista.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Pinned
Lars Miller
@larsmillermedia.bsky.social
· Jan 12
Don’t just show up. Stand out.
Your personal brand deserves a story that inspires and connects.
Check out my tips for planning a personal brand photoshoot that works:
https://buff.ly/4fQldXc
Your personal brand deserves a story that inspires and connects.
Check out my tips for planning a personal brand photoshoot that works:
https://buff.ly/4fQldXc
December is one of the strangest months in CPG hiring.
Thanksgiving slows everything down…
Then the first 10–14 days of December explode with candidate activity.
Year-end reflection + holiday headspace = real conversations.
If you’re a hiring manager, this window matters more than people think.
Thanksgiving slows everything down…
Then the first 10–14 days of December explode with candidate activity.
Year-end reflection + holiday headspace = real conversations.
If you’re a hiring manager, this window matters more than people think.
December 7, 2025 at 8:15 PM
December is one of the strangest months in CPG hiring.
Thanksgiving slows everything down…
Then the first 10–14 days of December explode with candidate activity.
Year-end reflection + holiday headspace = real conversations.
If you’re a hiring manager, this window matters more than people think.
Thanksgiving slows everything down…
Then the first 10–14 days of December explode with candidate activity.
Year-end reflection + holiday headspace = real conversations.
If you’re a hiring manager, this window matters more than people think.
Words matter in a job description.
“Manage distributors” = accountability.
“Interact with distributors” = collaboration.
Mix those up and you’ll confuse candidates, misalign expectations, and slow hiring.
Every bullet in a JD should be precise. Clarity on paper saves pain later.
#HempBeverages
“Manage distributors” = accountability.
“Interact with distributors” = collaboration.
Mix those up and you’ll confuse candidates, misalign expectations, and slow hiring.
Every bullet in a JD should be precise. Clarity on paper saves pain later.
#HempBeverages
December 7, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Words matter in a job description.
“Manage distributors” = accountability.
“Interact with distributors” = collaboration.
Mix those up and you’ll confuse candidates, misalign expectations, and slow hiring.
Every bullet in a JD should be precise. Clarity on paper saves pain later.
#HempBeverages
“Manage distributors” = accountability.
“Interact with distributors” = collaboration.
Mix those up and you’ll confuse candidates, misalign expectations, and slow hiring.
Every bullet in a JD should be precise. Clarity on paper saves pain later.
#HempBeverages
The Free Spirits Podcast now has over 140 subscribers, averaging a 70% listen rate per episode—30+ minutes of attention each time.
People in this space want conversations that go further than surface-level hype.
Subscribe and rate it - open.spotify.com/show/6j2jLsG...
People in this space want conversations that go further than surface-level hype.
Subscribe and rate it - open.spotify.com/show/6j2jLsG...
Free Spirits: Insights on Functional Beverages
Podcast · Lars Miller & David Gonzalez | Beverage Industry Experts & Functional Beverages · Join David Gonzalez and Lars Miller as we explore the beverage industry and functional beverages. The Free…
open.spotify.com
December 7, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The Free Spirits Podcast now has over 140 subscribers, averaging a 70% listen rate per episode—30+ minutes of attention each time.
People in this space want conversations that go further than surface-level hype.
Subscribe and rate it - open.spotify.com/show/6j2jLsG...
People in this space want conversations that go further than surface-level hype.
Subscribe and rate it - open.spotify.com/show/6j2jLsG...
Herbal Profiles now sits at 3,200+ active subscribers!
This category is exploding with interest. Operators want sharper analysis, real-time regulatory insight, and nuance beyond headlines.
Join 3k+ others getting the latest delivered once a week - herbalprofiles.com/subscribe
#cpg #thcdrinks
This category is exploding with interest. Operators want sharper analysis, real-time regulatory insight, and nuance beyond headlines.
Join 3k+ others getting the latest delivered once a week - herbalprofiles.com/subscribe
#cpg #thcdrinks
Herbal's Newsletter
Your go-to newsletter for cannabis beverages
herbalprofiles.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Herbal Profiles now sits at 3,200+ active subscribers!
This category is exploding with interest. Operators want sharper analysis, real-time regulatory insight, and nuance beyond headlines.
Join 3k+ others getting the latest delivered once a week - herbalprofiles.com/subscribe
#cpg #thcdrinks
This category is exploding with interest. Operators want sharper analysis, real-time regulatory insight, and nuance beyond headlines.
Join 3k+ others getting the latest delivered once a week - herbalprofiles.com/subscribe
#cpg #thcdrinks
How do you build a $60M cannabis beverage brand?
Levia did it with timing, clarity, and simplicity.
→ First to shelf in MA
→ Zero sugar, zero carbs
→ Clean, approachable branding
That combo drove $1M/month in sales and a massive exit.
Sometimes, execution matters more than novelty.
Levia did it with timing, clarity, and simplicity.
→ First to shelf in MA
→ Zero sugar, zero carbs
→ Clean, approachable branding
That combo drove $1M/month in sales and a massive exit.
Sometimes, execution matters more than novelty.
December 7, 2025 at 12:58 PM
How do you build a $60M cannabis beverage brand?
Levia did it with timing, clarity, and simplicity.
→ First to shelf in MA
→ Zero sugar, zero carbs
→ Clean, approachable branding
That combo drove $1M/month in sales and a massive exit.
Sometimes, execution matters more than novelty.
Levia did it with timing, clarity, and simplicity.
→ First to shelf in MA
→ Zero sugar, zero carbs
→ Clean, approachable branding
That combo drove $1M/month in sales and a massive exit.
Sometimes, execution matters more than novelty.
Micah Hyde’s “first 15” for beverage strategy:
💧 Hydration from sparkling refreshment
💪 Recovery from CBD + CBG
🌙 Relaxation from low-dose THC
A playbook rooted in health, wellness, and balance.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
💧 Hydration from sparkling refreshment
💪 Recovery from CBD + CBG
🌙 Relaxation from low-dose THC
A playbook rooted in health, wellness, and balance.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
December 7, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Micah Hyde’s “first 15” for beverage strategy:
💧 Hydration from sparkling refreshment
💪 Recovery from CBD + CBG
🌙 Relaxation from low-dose THC
A playbook rooted in health, wellness, and balance.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
💧 Hydration from sparkling refreshment
💪 Recovery from CBD + CBG
🌙 Relaxation from low-dose THC
A playbook rooted in health, wellness, and balance.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
The most premium experience is clarity. Tell me when to reach for it, and I’ll tell you where it fits in my life.
#cpg #thcdrinks
#cpg #thcdrinks
December 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The most premium experience is clarity. Tell me when to reach for it, and I’ll tell you where it fits in my life.
#cpg #thcdrinks
#cpg #thcdrinks
Does anyone else in CPG battle the desire to eat exclusively whole foods but also love CPG products and wants to try all of them?
#cpg #wholefoods
#cpg #wholefoods
December 6, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Does anyone else in CPG battle the desire to eat exclusively whole foods but also love CPG products and wants to try all of them?
#cpg #wholefoods
#cpg #wholefoods
Something has been weighing on my thoughts recently.
The world is too optimized and taking the joy out of things.
There's cultural flattening of the world. Everything is either monetized, optimized, or templated to death.
#efficiency #optimizationculture
The world is too optimized and taking the joy out of things.
There's cultural flattening of the world. Everything is either monetized, optimized, or templated to death.
#efficiency #optimizationculture
December 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Something has been weighing on my thoughts recently.
The world is too optimized and taking the joy out of things.
There's cultural flattening of the world. Everything is either monetized, optimized, or templated to death.
#efficiency #optimizationculture
The world is too optimized and taking the joy out of things.
There's cultural flattening of the world. Everything is either monetized, optimized, or templated to death.
#efficiency #optimizationculture
Scaling one beverage brand is hard.
Scaling 7? Even harder.
On the latest Free Spirits Podcast, Evan Eneman breaks down:
⚡ Multi-brand strategy with Iconic Tonics
⚡ Retail vs. DTC vs. on-premise
⚡ Lessons from building with Snoop Dogg
🎧 Full episode: open.spotify.com/episode/6gdX...
#THCDrinks
Scaling 7? Even harder.
On the latest Free Spirits Podcast, Evan Eneman breaks down:
⚡ Multi-brand strategy with Iconic Tonics
⚡ Retail vs. DTC vs. on-premise
⚡ Lessons from building with Snoop Dogg
🎧 Full episode: open.spotify.com/episode/6gdX...
#THCDrinks
December 6, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Scaling one beverage brand is hard.
Scaling 7? Even harder.
On the latest Free Spirits Podcast, Evan Eneman breaks down:
⚡ Multi-brand strategy with Iconic Tonics
⚡ Retail vs. DTC vs. on-premise
⚡ Lessons from building with Snoop Dogg
🎧 Full episode: open.spotify.com/episode/6gdX...
#THCDrinks
Scaling 7? Even harder.
On the latest Free Spirits Podcast, Evan Eneman breaks down:
⚡ Multi-brand strategy with Iconic Tonics
⚡ Retail vs. DTC vs. on-premise
⚡ Lessons from building with Snoop Dogg
🎧 Full episode: open.spotify.com/episode/6gdX...
#THCDrinks
There’s building a beverage brand, and then there’s getting product to shelves.
Benjamin from Fable Libations didn’t expect the toughest challenges to come from the operational side of the business. But things like shifting temperatures, state regulations, and transport logistics?
Benjamin from Fable Libations didn’t expect the toughest challenges to come from the operational side of the business. But things like shifting temperatures, state regulations, and transport logistics?
December 6, 2025 at 2:18 AM
There’s building a beverage brand, and then there’s getting product to shelves.
Benjamin from Fable Libations didn’t expect the toughest challenges to come from the operational side of the business. But things like shifting temperatures, state regulations, and transport logistics?
Benjamin from Fable Libations didn’t expect the toughest challenges to come from the operational side of the business. But things like shifting temperatures, state regulations, and transport logistics?
In new beverage categories, clarity wins.
Consumers ask:
☀️ What does this replace in my day?
🌙 When should I drink it?
You’ve got 3–5 seconds on shelf. Occasion-based labeling (“morning” vs “evening”) beats complex formulations every time.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/2YCg...
Consumers ask:
☀️ What does this replace in my day?
🌙 When should I drink it?
You’ve got 3–5 seconds on shelf. Occasion-based labeling (“morning” vs “evening”) beats complex formulations every time.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/2YCg...
December 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
In new beverage categories, clarity wins.
Consumers ask:
☀️ What does this replace in my day?
🌙 When should I drink it?
You’ve got 3–5 seconds on shelf. Occasion-based labeling (“morning” vs “evening”) beats complex formulations every time.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/2YCg...
Consumers ask:
☀️ What does this replace in my day?
🌙 When should I drink it?
You’ve got 3–5 seconds on shelf. Occasion-based labeling (“morning” vs “evening”) beats complex formulations every time.
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/2YCg...
98% of internal meetings don't need to happen. I will die on this hill.
December 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
98% of internal meetings don't need to happen. I will die on this hill.
NFL still drug tests for THC.
Micah Hyde knows the risks of attaching his name to a cannabis brand. But silence? That’d be cowardly.
His why:
👊 Athletes who could benefit
👨👩👧 Fathers who need balance
💡 People who deserve options
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
Micah Hyde knows the risks of attaching his name to a cannabis brand. But silence? That’d be cowardly.
His why:
👊 Athletes who could benefit
👨👩👧 Fathers who need balance
💡 People who deserve options
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
December 5, 2025 at 7:10 PM
NFL still drug tests for THC.
Micah Hyde knows the risks of attaching his name to a cannabis brand. But silence? That’d be cowardly.
His why:
👊 Athletes who could benefit
👨👩👧 Fathers who need balance
💡 People who deserve options
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
Micah Hyde knows the risks of attaching his name to a cannabis brand. But silence? That’d be cowardly.
His why:
👊 Athletes who could benefit
👨👩👧 Fathers who need balance
💡 People who deserve options
🎧 open.spotify.com/episode/1DY2...
An interesting piece of consumer psychology I was reading this morning is that excitement now outranks stress as the top BFCM emotion.
Which in today's world is really intriguing piece of data.
If your copy still sounds desperate, you’ll lose to brands selling joy.
#ConsumerPsychology
Which in today's world is really intriguing piece of data.
If your copy still sounds desperate, you’ll lose to brands selling joy.
#ConsumerPsychology
December 5, 2025 at 6:19 PM
An interesting piece of consumer psychology I was reading this morning is that excitement now outranks stress as the top BFCM emotion.
Which in today's world is really intriguing piece of data.
If your copy still sounds desperate, you’ll lose to brands selling joy.
#ConsumerPsychology
Which in today's world is really intriguing piece of data.
If your copy still sounds desperate, you’ll lose to brands selling joy.
#ConsumerPsychology
THC drinks aren't killing alcohol - they're expanding your fridge! 🍻✨
The data just dropped and it's wild: THC beverage drinkers actually drink MORE alcohol than the average person (55.7% vs 42%) 📊
This isn't replacement culture, it's addition culture 💫
The data just dropped and it's wild: THC beverage drinkers actually drink MORE alcohol than the average person (55.7% vs 42%) 📊
This isn't replacement culture, it's addition culture 💫
December 5, 2025 at 4:45 PM
THC drinks aren't killing alcohol - they're expanding your fridge! 🍻✨
The data just dropped and it's wild: THC beverage drinkers actually drink MORE alcohol than the average person (55.7% vs 42%) 📊
This isn't replacement culture, it's addition culture 💫
The data just dropped and it's wild: THC beverage drinkers actually drink MORE alcohol than the average person (55.7% vs 42%) 📊
This isn't replacement culture, it's addition culture 💫
Something I hear from founders a lot:
Big-company pedigrees are impressive… until the pace becomes the problem.
If you’ve only operated inside rigid systems, the question becomes:
Can you handle ambiguity?
Can you build without a playbook?
In emerging CPG, agility > prestige.
#CareerAdvice
Big-company pedigrees are impressive… until the pace becomes the problem.
If you’ve only operated inside rigid systems, the question becomes:
Can you handle ambiguity?
Can you build without a playbook?
In emerging CPG, agility > prestige.
#CareerAdvice
December 5, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Something I hear from founders a lot:
Big-company pedigrees are impressive… until the pace becomes the problem.
If you’ve only operated inside rigid systems, the question becomes:
Can you handle ambiguity?
Can you build without a playbook?
In emerging CPG, agility > prestige.
#CareerAdvice
Big-company pedigrees are impressive… until the pace becomes the problem.
If you’ve only operated inside rigid systems, the question becomes:
Can you handle ambiguity?
Can you build without a playbook?
In emerging CPG, agility > prestige.
#CareerAdvice
Formulating a protein bar and commercializing a protein bar are two different careers.
Hiring managers look for people who understand:
• protein variability
• mixing + curing times
• texture management
• how a formula behaves in a real plant
The “science” is only half the job
#FoodScience
Hiring managers look for people who understand:
• protein variability
• mixing + curing times
• texture management
• how a formula behaves in a real plant
The “science” is only half the job
#FoodScience
December 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Formulating a protein bar and commercializing a protein bar are two different careers.
Hiring managers look for people who understand:
• protein variability
• mixing + curing times
• texture management
• how a formula behaves in a real plant
The “science” is only half the job
#FoodScience
Hiring managers look for people who understand:
• protein variability
• mixing + curing times
• texture management
• how a formula behaves in a real plant
The “science” is only half the job
#FoodScience
Filter coffee wants uniformity.
Espresso wants controlled chaos.
One extracts slowly and evenly.
The other needs a messy mix to pull flavor in under 30 seconds.
Same beans, totally different physics.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#HomeBarista
Espresso wants controlled chaos.
One extracts slowly and evenly.
The other needs a messy mix to pull flavor in under 30 seconds.
Same beans, totally different physics.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#HomeBarista
Retired Barista
☕ Expert Recommendations: The best beans, brews, and tools for your next favorite cup. 📖 Fascinating Coffee Stories: Learn the history and culture behind your morning ritual. 🔬 Brewing Science Made…
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Filter coffee wants uniformity.
Espresso wants controlled chaos.
One extracts slowly and evenly.
The other needs a messy mix to pull flavor in under 30 seconds.
Same beans, totally different physics.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#HomeBarista
Espresso wants controlled chaos.
One extracts slowly and evenly.
The other needs a messy mix to pull flavor in under 30 seconds.
Same beans, totally different physics.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#HomeBarista
Hard water is overconfident.
Soft water is timid.
Great water sits in the middle‚ just enough minerals to pull flavor, not enough to choke it.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#BrewBetter
Soft water is timid.
Great water sits in the middle‚ just enough minerals to pull flavor, not enough to choke it.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#BrewBetter
Retired Barista
☕ Expert Recommendations: The best beans, brews, and tools for your next favorite cup. 📖 Fascinating Coffee Stories: Learn the history and culture behind your morning ritual. 🔬 Brewing Science Made…
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
December 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Hard water is overconfident.
Soft water is timid.
Great water sits in the middle‚ just enough minerals to pull flavor, not enough to choke it.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#BrewBetter
Soft water is timid.
Great water sits in the middle‚ just enough minerals to pull flavor, not enough to choke it.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#BrewBetter
Companies don’t just want formulators they want people who can take a product from lab to line.
It’s not enough to develop a great product
You need to know how to scale it, run it, troubleshoot it, and keep the line moving at 2 batches/hour.
Ops fluency = career rocket fuel.
#CPG #Hiring
It’s not enough to develop a great product
You need to know how to scale it, run it, troubleshoot it, and keep the line moving at 2 batches/hour.
Ops fluency = career rocket fuel.
#CPG #Hiring
December 4, 2025 at 4:45 PM
My podcast popped off this year — and I’m still processing it.
⬆️ 879% audience growth
⬆️ 999% listening time
🔥 Top 20% of ALL Spotify video podcasts
🏆 2025 Rising Star + Most Shared + Most Talked About
Huge thanks to everyone building in this space!
Watch the latest → youtu.be/6AD3RdawlAY
⬆️ 879% audience growth
⬆️ 999% listening time
🔥 Top 20% of ALL Spotify video podcasts
🏆 2025 Rising Star + Most Shared + Most Talked About
Huge thanks to everyone building in this space!
Watch the latest → youtu.be/6AD3RdawlAY
December 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM
My podcast popped off this year — and I’m still processing it.
⬆️ 879% audience growth
⬆️ 999% listening time
🔥 Top 20% of ALL Spotify video podcasts
🏆 2025 Rising Star + Most Shared + Most Talked About
Huge thanks to everyone building in this space!
Watch the latest → youtu.be/6AD3RdawlAY
⬆️ 879% audience growth
⬆️ 999% listening time
🔥 Top 20% of ALL Spotify video podcasts
🏆 2025 Rising Star + Most Shared + Most Talked About
Huge thanks to everyone building in this space!
Watch the latest → youtu.be/6AD3RdawlAY
I have spent some time contemplating the nature of the internet these days. And I hate that websites have gone away and apps have taken over. But that's the world we live in these days.
Mobile browser shopping dropped from 57% → 45%.
Desktop from 51% → 44%.
#EcommerceGrowth
Mobile browser shopping dropped from 57% → 45%.
Desktop from 51% → 44%.
#EcommerceGrowth
December 4, 2025 at 12:32 PM
I have spent some time contemplating the nature of the internet these days. And I hate that websites have gone away and apps have taken over. But that's the world we live in these days.
Mobile browser shopping dropped from 57% → 45%.
Desktop from 51% → 44%.
#EcommerceGrowth
Mobile browser shopping dropped from 57% → 45%.
Desktop from 51% → 44%.
#EcommerceGrowth
Got gifted a La Marzocco Micra this month. Incredible machine.
But the truth is: the grinder and the puck prep still decide 90% of the story.
Gear matters ‚ a ritual matters more.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#CoffeeCulture
But the truth is: the grinder and the puck prep still decide 90% of the story.
Gear matters ‚ a ritual matters more.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#CoffeeCulture
Retired Barista
☕ Expert Recommendations: The best beans, brews, and tools for your next favorite cup. 📖 Fascinating Coffee Stories: Learn the history and culture behind your morning ritual. 🔬 Brewing Science Made…
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Got gifted a La Marzocco Micra this month. Incredible machine.
But the truth is: the grinder and the puck prep still decide 90% of the story.
Gear matters ‚ a ritual matters more.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#CoffeeCulture
But the truth is: the grinder and the puck prep still decide 90% of the story.
Gear matters ‚ a ritual matters more.
retired-barista.beehiiv.com
#CoffeeCulture
Some of the highlights of 2025:
iii Points with Cann
High Spirits brand refresh
CannaDataCon
Ghostwriting for founders
Sponsors for my newsletters
Not bad for a side project.
#CreatorLife
iii Points with Cann
High Spirits brand refresh
CannaDataCon
Ghostwriting for founders
Sponsors for my newsletters
Not bad for a side project.
#CreatorLife
December 3, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Some of the highlights of 2025:
iii Points with Cann
High Spirits brand refresh
CannaDataCon
Ghostwriting for founders
Sponsors for my newsletters
Not bad for a side project.
#CreatorLife
iii Points with Cann
High Spirits brand refresh
CannaDataCon
Ghostwriting for founders
Sponsors for my newsletters
Not bad for a side project.
#CreatorLife