Virginia Lee

Honored to share my perspective in @owentuckersmith’s latest @WSJ story on how Amazon is reshaping Whole Foods Market through new grocery experiments like the Amazon Grocery pilot in Chicago. “Why let all those food dollars go out the door? We already have these people in the building—let’s try to grab the dollars for these less healthy purchases.” A fascinating look at the evolving grocery landscape. 🔗 wsj.com/business/retai…

@NDominator Thank you Brandon for a fantastic workshop where we learned how to create custom AI tools!

If you missed out on the Info2AI workshop this afternoon you can still get the recording and workshop materials: info2ai.beerycoaching.com You'll learn how to feed your frameworks, documents, and SOPs and create your own custom AI Tools in less than 20 minutes. Here were some of the wins on the day: @janegrismer learned how to take a picture of a page of her journal, turn that into a checklist, and then have Gemini make a list of possible AI tools she could use for her publishing company(I'm personally stealing the Launch Project Manager for my next workshop prep...) ​ @VirginiaALee started to build her own army of Health focused GPTs: The Personal Nutritionist, The Home Fitness Specialist, The Medical Advocate, and the Recipe Planner. It's not generic Googled advice, it's Virginia's specific Four-Tool Health System tailored to her needs and preferences. ​ We also talked through the SOP Library and a Career Insurance Case Study. ​ Sometimes you do things 5-7 times and you just can't quite remember how you did it. (Like migrating websites, filling out paper work, or handling annual tasks like home insurance and taxes.) Or you've created something powerful, but don't realize how to make that become the standard in your school, your company, or your industry. Like @infopyles transforming her Micromindfulness ebooks into custom tailored GPTs and journal prompts. The best part? Not a single line of code was written today. Not a single workshop participant had to do anything other than be curious, have a conversation, and say if something was right, wrong, good, or bad + attach a document. If you want to learn this process for yourself. Get the recording: info2ai.beerycoaching.com I had a blast! Thank you to everyone who stopped by.

@NDominator @OneJKMolina I've signed up for the waitlist and can't wait to take my friend Brandon's workshop on How To Turn Info Into AI Tools In 20 Minutes! He taught me how to use NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered research and study assistant.

I taught a workshop last Monday on turning Info into AI tools in 20 minutes in @OneJKMolina community. The biggest problem no matter what model you use with AI is context and memory. #1. How do you get a tool to sound and work like you? #2. How do you get the output to be consistent without hallucinating, generating slop, or forgetting it's place all the time? If you can get over these two hurdles, even non technical folks can make many, many tools to save them hours of work a week. These tools are also easy to share and sell to others. I'm running this workshop again for the public (minus the moustache. My face has had a trim...) If you want first dibs: link to the waitlist is in the next tweet.

Amazon is shutting down Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go and refocusing on Whole Foods. I visited an Amazon Fresh store last fall, and in hindsight the challenges were already visible: big, clean stores, but unclear positioning and light foot traffic. It felt caught between premium and price. This reset fits a broader Amazon pattern: experiment in physical retail, then quickly exit formats that don’t deliver. Whole Foods’ strong brand trust and consistent traffic make it the clearer bet as Amazon doubles down on grocery + same-day delivery. #AmazonFresh #WholeFoods #RetailTrends

🎁 Chicago Foodie Holiday Gift Ideas 🎄✨ Shopping for friends, coworkers, or anyone who misses Chicago? These homegrown treats are always a hit 👇 🍿 Garrett Popcorn — CaramelCrisp® forever 🍫 Vosges Haut-Chocolat — bold flavors + beautiful packaging ✨ Carolyn’s Krisps — 100% plant-based with the look of a cookie & crisp crunch of a cracker 🎁 Here Here Market x The Hatchery Chicago — indie makers to love Perfect for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, teachers, neighbors, care packages — and anyone who loves Chicago flavors. #Chicago #ShopLocal #ChicagoFood

Holiday kitchen gift ideas 🎁🍽️ Three of these stood out to me at the 2025 edition of The Inspired Home Show @TIH_Show (#TIHS25), with one notable recent launch: ☕ Jura Z10 — luxury at-home coffee with hot & cold specialties (new model) ☕ xBloom Studio — pour-over precision meets smart design 🇰🇷 KimchiMama — a slim kimchi refrigerator built for fermentation 🎨 Dash x Peanuts — collectible small appliances celebrating Peanuts’ 75th anniversary Together, they show how kitchen innovation today spans specialty coffee, cultural appliances, and pop-culture gifting.

Gut health went big at the 2025 #PLMA Show — driven by metabolic health, digestive wellness & the Poppi/Olipop effect 🥤✨ Standouts on the @PLMA_USA show floor: 1️⃣ FedUp Foods – 6g fiber, 1B CFU probiotics, 5g sugar 2️⃣ Live Organic Soda – a tri-biotic blend of pre + pro + postbiotics 3️⃣ Chef Seasons – Fiber Boost Crunch (chia, flax, psyllium, seeds) 4️⃣ Taste of Nature – savory nut-based snack balls with 2–3g sugar Gut health is now mainstream — spanning beverages, snacks & pantry staples — and a major private-label opportunity heading into 2026. Full PLMA Show recap for @FoodInstitute ⬇️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta… #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #GutHealth #FoodTrends

Tasting @Torani’s new Forest Pine, 2026 Flavor of the Year was a fun sensory flight. 🌲✨ I tested it in: 🍵 matcha ☕ cold brew 🔥 hot instant coffee 🍋 pine lemonade 🍋+☕ pine lemonade topped with cold brew Each drink pulled out something different—bright citrusy notes in lemonade, softness in matcha, and woodsy aromatics in cold brew.

Thank you @MidwestIRC for sharing my post on Protein Plus at the PLMA Show!

Protein was everywhere at the 2025 PLMA Show — but the story wasn’t just high protein. It was Protein Plus: protein + collagen, fiber, and creatine for satiety, beauty-from-within, muscle recovery & metabolic health. My standout picks: 1️⃣ HealthVerve – Collagen Protein Latte (18g protein + 7,500 mg collagen) 2️⃣ Evive – Protein Smoothie Cubes (15g protein, 7g fiber) 3️⃣ JiMMYBAR – Creatine Protein Bars (20g protein + 5g creatine) 4️⃣ Countree – Protein + collagen + HA jelly pouch 5️⃣ Protein-forward comfort foods: French toast sticks, overnight oats, PB&J Crustoffs, protein pretzels/chips, brownies, mug cakes, protein pasta, protein cauliflower pizza crust Why this matters: ✔ GLP-1 rise ✔ need for nutrient-dense convenience ✔ aging & longevity focus ✔ cultural momentum (Dr. Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman) Protein isn’t a fad — it’s a foundation. Full PLMA recap for @FoodInstitute ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta… #PLMA2025 #StoreBrands #FoodTrends #Protein

Having fun watching @BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown Finals! Watch the livestream today (Dec. 9) at: bevnet.com/livestream/bev… #bevnetlive

@PhoenixBeanTofu @JennysTofu Here is a link to Melissa Griffiths’s Best Chicken Tacos recipe that inspired me to create the Tofu Tacos with @PhoenixBeanTofu Fried Tofu Pouches and Tia Lupita Foods Cranberry Mexican Chili Crisp.: blessthismessplease.com/chicken-tacos/

A highlight of my two days at the 2025 PLMA Show was seeing Jenny Yang (@PhoenixBeanTofu / @JennysTofu). Jenny’s passion for clean-label, Chicago-made tofu is unmatched — and she surprised me with the sweetest tofu goody bag: • Asian Smoke Tofu with Chili Salad • Thai (Green) Peanuts Tofu Salad • Fried Tofu Pouches I felt so cared for. 💛 Her tofu even inspired me to make Tofu Tacos after the show (fried tofu pouches + taco seasoning + sautéed veggies + Tia Lupita Cranberry Chili Crisp = so good). Full PLMA (@PLMA_USA) Show recap for @FoodInstitute ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta… #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #ChicagoFood #Tofu

@PhoenixBeanTofu @JennysTofu If you want to learn more about the PLMA Show, check out my @PLMA_USA Show recap for @FoodInstitute : foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta…

NOSH Live delivered 🔥 last week. Monica Watrous of @noshdotcom led one of the best “how to scale fast-growth brands” panels I’ve seen. Featuring: ✨Eugene Kang (Archer Snacks) ✨Hailey Swartz (Actual Veggies) ✨ Laurel Orley (Daily Crunch) Congrats to Archer, a 2025 NOSH Rising Star! 🎉 I keep spotting them everywhere — Costco, Target, NACS Show… even a bus wrap outside the PLMA Show. If you’re in non-alcoholic beverages: 👉 Watch BevNET Live livestream FREE today & tomorrow: bevnet.com/livestream/bev… Speakers from Poppi, Celsius, Spindrift, Suja, Health-Ade & more. Don’t miss it. #BevNETLive #NoshLive

@janegrismer @PLMA_USA Thank you so much Jane!

@VirginiaALee @PLMA_USA All the amazing things that you are!

Grateful for community 💛 Moments from the 2025 #PLMA Show Trade shows are busy, but it’s the people who make them meaningful. A few highlights from my two days at @PLMA_USA's “Store Brands Marketplace” in Rosemont: ✨ Chatting with PLMA President Peggy Davies — her warmth + leadership set the tone for the show. ✨ Quick catch-up with Ron Dulin — always great to talk shop and life. ✨ Seeing Jenny Yang from Phoenix Bean/Jenny’s Tofu — and she surprised me with an amazing tofu goody bag. ✨ A fun stop at Talerico Bakery (yes, I absolutely posed with a donut 🍩). These small moments — the conversations between sessions, the unexpected run-ins, the shared laughs — are what make long show days (and long walks!) worth it. If we crossed paths at the PLMA Show and didn’t get a photo, let’s fix that next time. 💛 #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #ChicagoFood

@janegrismer @PLMA_USA Jane, The PLMA Show was a wonderful combination of community, learning, and product discovery!

@VirginiaALee @PLMA_USA 🙌🏻

Dubai-style chocolate was everywhere at @PLMA_USA's Annual Private Label Trade Show 🍫✨ Think: pistachio cream + chocolate + crispy kadaifi — the viral flavor/texture combo that took TikTok by storm. Exhibitors stretched the trend far beyond bars: 🍨 GS Gelato Dubai-style chocolate gelato with pistachio gelato, chocolate gelato, a pistachio ribbon & kataifi bark. 🍧 Eurekah Food / Khladoprom Sp. z o.o. Chewy mochi + pistachio ice cream + chocolate notes — a cultural crossover hit. 🍬 Chocolatier Vandenbulcke Mini Belgian seashells filled with pistachio cream & crispy kadaifi. 🌯 Emilia Foods Srl Soft chocolate crepes filled with pistachio cream + crispy kadayif — plus Dubai-Style Bon Bons (pistachio gelato, pistachio cream, dark chocolate, crispy kadayif). 🍿 Big Dipper Food Co. Pistachio chocolate popcorn bringing Dubai-inspired indulgence to snacking. 🍦 EverGreen USA LLC “Just the Fun Part” mini cones with velvety pistachio cream, milk chocolate & roasted kadaifi. Why it matters: ✔ global flavor recognition ✔ multi-texture indulgence ✔ social-media-ready ✔ fits frozen, confectionery & snacking ✔ premium but accessible Full PLMA Show recap for @FoodInstitute ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #Chocolate #FoodTrends #GlobalFlavors #Confectionery

What are the 3 shopper mindsets shaping food and beverage purchases? At @PLMA_USA's Annual Private Label Trade Show, Hunter Thurman (Alpha-Diver + fellow @FoodInstitute contributor) broke it down: 1️⃣ Simplifier Wants clarity + speed. Responds to clean, consistent packaging cues. “They don’t want to read unit prices and build a spreadsheet.” 2️⃣ Explorer Seeks novelty + discovery. Over-indexes among Gen Z + Hispanic shoppers. A great example: switching rounded → triangular shapes on a promo display increased sales 10% because sharp shapes signal “this is new.” 3️⃣ Harmonizer Wants social reassurance: “Will my household like this?” Leans on trust cues—ratings, guarantees, staff picks. 🧠 Why it matters: Private label’s next wave won’t be price-led. It will be psychology-led — shaped by how shoppers feel when they reach for store brands. Full PLMA Show recap in my @FoodInstitute article ⬇️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-key-ta… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #ConsumerInsights #RetailTrends #BehavioralScience