break into retail
Want shelf space? Here's what buyers need to see first.
Most founders pitch with passion. SMART ones pitch with buyer psychology. Get the 3C Framework that retail buyers secretly use to greenlight brands.
Get Retail Ready for FREE
A killer product means nothing if you can’t sell it to a retail buyer.
After 15+ years as a Fortune 50 retail buyer, I can tell you this → most founders miss out on million-dollar deals because they show up with a great product, but a lackluster sales pitch.
They focus on packaging, ingredients, and aesthetics — all important, but not enough.
Retail buyers need more.
They want to see that your brand fits. That it has a clear lane, solves a gap in their assortment, and speaks to their customer.
- and they need to see all of that FAST.
That’s exactly what this mini course teaches you to do.
Inside Get Retail Ready, I’m revealing the EXACT storytelling formula I’ve used behind the scenes with private clients who went on to land dream shelf space at Ulta, Target, and other Fortune 50 companies.
Whether you’re gearing up for a pitch or just laying the foundation now — this is the strategic edge you need to confidently build a brand buyers say yes to.
You may have *thought* you know brand-building, but...
Branding for RETAIL is a whole different game
Selling to customers and selling to retail buyers are 2 completely different skill sets. And if your strategy starts and ends with DTC, you’re missing what actually matters to buyers.
- You may have built a brand that sells on Instagram — but buyers are evaluating shelf strategy, not aesthetic.
- You talk about your “why” — but buyers want to hear your “where do we fit” and “how do we scale.”
- You lead with your product — but buyers are sold on your category insight, customer data, and brand roadmap.
- You’ve nailed your voice for your customer — but retail buyers need a different language: the one of sell-through, margins, and demand.
- You think your unique story is enough — but buyers need proof it solves a gap in their assortment.
Get ready bc:
You’ll walk away with a brand story that makes buyers say: “She gets it.”
If your brand story isn’t built for their lens, you’ll get passed over
(no matter how green + gorgeous your packaging is)
That’s why this mini course exists — to help you bridge the gap between consumer appeal and retail readiness.
make your brand make sense to buyers
Get Retail Ready Mini Course
Use my signature 3C Framework to craft a brand narrative that stops scrolls, sparks curiosity, and speaks the exact language retail buyers want to hear — even if they’ve never heard of you (yet).
Insider Information
I’m pulling back the curtain on the storytelling framework I used again and again as a Fortune 50 beauty buyer to decide which brands were a yes and which ones were a pass.
My Signature 3C Formula
This is how you're going to position yourself as a REAL player who is MADE to me on the shelves of companies like Target, Ulta, Sephora, Nordstroms, and more!
Direct Implementation
You're not just getting a theory or idea of how this works. You're getting tangible resources that will help you design, audit, and refine your brand story to be 100% pitch worthy for retail
This is how you stop getting overlooked
Everything you need to apply the formula buyers actually say yes to
Module 1
10-Minute Strategic Training Video
I’m pulling back the curtain on the storytelling framework I used again and again as a Fortune 50 beauty buyer to decide which brands were a yes and which ones were a pass.
You’ll learn:
-
The difference between a cute brand story and a conversion-driven narrative
-
The key messaging checkpoints buyers subconsciously scan for in every pitch
-
What you need to highlight — and what to leave out — to build trust fast
Module 2
The Shelf-Ready Storytelling Formula
Think of this as your storytelling GPS.
This downloadable guide walks you step-by-step through building a narrative that:
-
Connects with both consumers and retail buyers
-
Positions your brand as a strategic category fit (not just another pretty product)
-
Proves you’ve got the vision — and business savvy — to scale
Module 3
Brand Story Audit Worksheet
Buyers are busy.
This worksheet helps you pressure-test your current messaging against the real-life criteria buyers use to decide what hits their shelves.
You’ll walk away knowing:
-
If your story is helping or hurting your chances of getting stocked
-
What to tweak to make your pitch more magnetic
-
How to align your brand values with the retailer’s goals — without selling out
How does this sound?
Let’s paint the post-course picture...
No more “hope they like us” energy. You're showing up with a brand built for shelf space — and you’ve got the framework to back it.
- You can confidently assess if (and when) you’re ready for retail — no more relying on vibes or “hope they like us” pitches.
-
Your brand messaging speaks buyer language — think margin clarity, market fit, and merchandising strategy, not just mission and mood boards
- You’ve identified your retail gaps — and you know how to fix them before you ever get on a buyer call.
- You feel like the CEO of a real retail brand — not just a founder hoping someone says yes.
You’ll walk away with clarity, confidence, and a strategic edge — the kind that turns “cool brand” energy into “stocked on shelves” reality.
This is for you if:
- You’re building or growing a beauty brand and want to be on retail shelves someday
- You’re serious about making strategic moves now to avoid costly mistakes later
- You want to understand what actually matters to buyers at places like Sephora, Ulta, Target, and more
This isn't for you if:
- You’re not interested in retail and plan to stay strictly DTC or wholesale
- You want a step-by-step pitching script (this course focuses on readiness, not outreach)
- You’re looking for a long, multi-module course — this is a power-packed mini course designed for quick impact
This is NOT amateur hour
I Was the Buyer. Now I’m Showing You How to Be the Brand That Gets Picked
I’m Kristin Engen, former Fortune 50 retail buyer with 15+ years of experience evaluating and choosing the brands that landed on shelves at major retailers.
I’ve sat behind the buyer’s desk at the world’s biggest retailers, analyzing hundreds of pitches and deciding which beauty brands made it into stores — and which didn’t.
Now, I help emerging beauty founders like you understand exactly what buyers look for, so you can stop spinning your wheels and start making decisions rooted in retail strategy.
The truth is: most beauty founders wait until they’re “ready” to pitch before thinking about retail.
But by then it’s often too late. The brand, the positioning, the foundation — it’s already been built without the buyer in mind.
This mini course gives you the same proven framework I teach my private clients — the same ones who’ve gone on to pitch (and land) retail deals with major players like Sephora and Ulta.
If you’re dreaming of retail shelves, the time to prepare is now — not when the opportunity is already knocking.
Let’s build your brand like it belongs in retail.
