Roberta Townes, host of Shelf Talks Podcast is redefining retail success for Female Founders. With over 15 years of experience as a retail buyer for national chains, Roberta Townes witnessed firsthand how emerging and indie brands struggled to succeed in retail—not because their products weren’t great, but because they lacked the right tools to navigate the industry. Determined to bridge this gap, she launched her book, Shelf Talk in 2020 offering actionable steps for landing on shelves with success. Wanting to amplify her impact even further, she created the Shelf Talks podcast in 2024—shining a spotlight on female founders who have successfully broken into retail. Through their stories, aspiring entrepreneurs gain valuable insights, strategies, and real-world advice to overcome hurdles and build a winning retail strategy.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. We’d love to hear more about your inspiring story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Roberta Townes, I have been in retail for over 20 years and in buying for over 15 of those years. One of my favorite things in my role is finding new brands, connecting and working with them to bring their brand to Shelf; Especially new brands that are innovative, have a great story, and provide added value to consumers. Over my years in this position working with big national brands as well as new indie brands I have seen a wide gap in learning between the two. Indie brands have challenges identifying how to connect with retail buyers, what retail buyers make sense for their brand, and once able to connect how to pitch to get that yes to be on Shelf.
Once on the shelf, indie brands seek guidance on how to be successful on the shelf and gain the required sales to stay on the shelf. I felt a strong calling in 2019 to help indie brands know up front what it takes to be successful in stores and so I started (with no writing experience) writing what was to become my first book Shelf Talk and self-published on Amazon in 2020. My mission with the book was to show indie brands from a buyer’s perspective how to win in retail. After the book was published, I received emails asking for deeper conversation and connection on various points and counseled some brands with my knowledge. With those various conversations I thought about how I can not only amplify the information but also inspire and show that there are a number of ways to enter retail and shine on the shelf. I really felt motivated and internally pushed to provide more impact in the world.
In 2024, after being a guest on a podcast and receiving so much positive feedback regarding the information I was sharing, I thought podcasting would be a great platform for me to be able to create this greater atmosphere of learning as well as highlighting those female founders that have made it to the shelf. I spent the summer of 2024 planning out my vision for the show and in October 2024 released my first episodes! These 4 months have been so rewarding meeting inspiring women who have started amazing brands and hearing their stories that I get to share with a larger community.
Find Shelf Talk on Amazon
How did you market your business when it was brand new?
Once I determined my vision and plan for the podcast, I started looking on social platforms including Instagram and LinkedIn to find brands that are in retail with female founders that have interesting stories. I did a lot of googling and going down entire brand feeds to really understand the brand and the founder. During those weeks I made a list of all the founders that I wanted to have on my show and started finding out ways to get in contact (DMs, LinkedIn messaging, email). Surprisingly I had 4 female founders who said yes before even my first episode was live – amazing support.
Once the podcast did launch in October I marketed and still do on my podcasts Instagram @shelftalkspodcast, my personal LinkedIn as well as the podcast brand page LinkedIn. The amazing founders that come on the show also help amplify their episodes on their social channels and email lists. I also actively look for press opportunities to help drive awareness and amplify and received my first press article in January 2025!
What is a typical day like for you?
I do still have a full-time job, so I allocate time after work for recordings, social media planning, and reaching out to guests as well as formats like magazines, radio, and TV to help amplify my story.
What are the three most important habits to be a successful entrepreneur? patience, perseverance, and consistency.
Patience – you have to know that everything takes time and there is no such thing as an overnight success. I love this quote “Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety”. It helps calm and level me as I push forward in growing my brand.
Perseverance – Even when I do not get a response back from founders or they decline coming on the podcast I know that 10 no’s could next time be a yes and maybe for them it’s just not the right time but the work I’m doing still need to move forward.
Consistency – making sure that every day I’m doing something to push my goals forward.
Every entrepreneur has a goal and problem they’re trying to solve.
What was the inspiration that started your journey? My goal is to help more indie brands get on retail store shelves and do it successfully and profitably. There is a learning gap between new indie brands and national brands when it comes to success in retail and I want to make that gap smaller by providing valuable information to those new and emerging brand founders.
How do you prioritize self-care and well-being while managing the demands of your business?
When I need to rest I do not beat myself up about it. With me creating and growing Shelf Talks Podcast alongside a full-time job, I know that there are times that I have to slow down. The goal for me is just that I don’t stop, but if I need to take an evening and just rest that is OK and will make me stronger and better for the following days.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishment and why?
My biggest accomplishment so far with Shelf Talks Podcast is to have interviewed 15 super powerful female founders so far and have been able to share their stories with the world. Also to have been featured on the cover of my local newspaper’s business section spotlighting me and Shelf Talks. It makes me know and feel that what I’m doing is good work. My future goals for the podcast this year are to share more inspiring stories, gain more listeners looking for this valuable master-class style information, and ultimately get more female-led brands on the shelf!
We all face challenges. Looking back, what have been some of the biggest challenges and obstacles you’ve had to navigate?
Believing in myself and knowing that I can make an impact in this world. I think a lot of women have an idea or vision but do not take the steps to action because they do not believe that they can or that their idea is of value. After actually starting my podcast I realize that the scariest part is really just getting started and hitting go with my idea and knowing that there is space in the world for it.
What initiatives or actions do you believe are crucial for fostering a more supportive and inclusive business environment for women?
Having women in leadership roles, allowing diverse communities in business, and listening to the needs of women. Our needs to feel supported are different than our male counterparts and we need to feel comfortable in expressing that.
What advice would you give to a new business owner? Or to your younger self? Just start – even if you do not have it all together because you never will. The pieces start to come together when you start taking the steps toward your goals.
How do you set your business apart from others in your industry?
My podcast is unique as it’s not just telling brand stories but we dive into how those brands entered retail and successfully landed on shelves. Also the fact that I am a buyer so I am able to chime in with insight and knowledge from what I see as well. So many of my guests boast about how a platform like this is needed and how they wish they had it when they started their brand. Another validation that this space that I’ve created was lacking and I’m grateful to be able to fill it.
What social media platform is the best for business growth and why?
Depends on the business you are growing, but for me, LinkedIn has been a valuable place to find a community of founders looking for the information I am providing on my podcast.
What are three websites or podcasts you can’t imagine your day without? Why those three?
LinkedIn- a great place for me to source new female founders for my podcast
Instagram – an important platform to promote my podcast and see what indie brands are doing to grow their brands as well as a place to gain inspiration
I’m going to actually add a show for the 3rd: Shark Tank – I love anything when it comes to hearing how someone has a vision and pushes forward to bring it to the world. Shark Tank is a reminder that anything is possible and your ideas matter.
Which female leader do you admire, and why?
Emma Grede – I admire her because not only is she an outstanding businesswoman and entrepreneur but she supports and helps female founders with informational guidance, funding, and amplifying on her platform the importance of women founders in business. Plus, she does it all while balancing a growing family affirming to female founders that we can do it all. I love her show Side Hustlers on Roku in which she helps female founders level up their brand so that they can go from side hustle to full time pursuing their dreams. What I love most about her is her passion for pulling women up alongside her growth.
Do you have a favorite quote or motto that inspires you? What’s for you is for you and will never miss you.
Quotes that get me through every day in building my business:
“Do it scared.”
“The fulfillment is in the journey.”
“I was born complete.”
Why do you think amplifying female founder-led stories of getting on retail shelves is important?
Sharing the stories of female founders and their journey into retail provides other female entrepreneurs with valuable insights and actionable steps to build a confident, well-informed retail strategy. It’s also for the dreamers to believe that they can build a brand and see it on retail store shelves!
What is your podcast about?
Shelf Talks is a podcast with a mission to amplify female founder-led brands that have successfully launched on the shelf. Their stories in turn allow for other female founders looking to do the same to hear what it takes to be prepared and ready to not only get on the shelf but to stay there successfully and profitably. The makeup is of female founders from all different categories and retail store formats so that it shows the diversity of retail and the many categories that women show up. Primarily my guests have had success in the United States, but I have had a couple of founders that have had the opportunity to show up in retail on a global scale.
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Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?