#201 - Sales Operations 101 with So Good So You and SPS Commerce

Jun 17, 2025

Alicia Nelson, Sales and Customer Operations Manager at So Good So You, and Emily Curran from SPS Commerce, delve into Sales Operations’ pivotal role in scaling growing brands. They share insights on managing logistics and the importance of effective communication for timely order fulfillment. Alicia recounts the evolution of So Good So You from café to juice shot maker, while Emily highlights best practices in EDI integration. Together, they showcase how automation and collaboration can streamline processes and support sustainable growth in the health food sector.

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INSIGHT

Sales Operations Drive Growth

Sales operations are the crucial cog ensuring orders get to customers on time and in full.
Delivering orders correctly strengthens customer relationships and drives business growth.

ANECDOTE

Morning Crisis Management Routine

Alicia's team starts the day by monitoring Slack for urgent order and logistics issues.
They coordinate closely with 3PLs and customers to ensure orders are fulfilled and delivery appointments confirmed.

ADVICE

Start Sales Ops Early

Establish a sales operations function early as growth accelerates to manage order execution effectively.
A strong sales ops team is vital to delivering orders accurately and scaling customer relationships.

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In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Alicia Nelson, Sales and Customer Operations Manager at So Good So You, and Emily Curran of SPS Commerce to explore the essential role of Sales Operations in driving operational efficiency and scalability for growing CPG brands.

Alicia provides a detailed look into how her team manages day-to-day execution—coordinating orders, logistics, and customer communications—and how cross-functional collaboration is critical to delivering products on time and in full. She also discusses the evolution of her role as the company scaled, the systems that support their operations (including Fishbowl and EDI solutions from SPS Commerce), and the strategic importance of effective communication across teams and partners.

Emily shares additional perspective from her work with brands of all sizes, highlighting best practices in implementing EDI, the value of automation, and how to build scalable processes that adapt to increasing complexity.

This episode offers valuable insights for founders, operators, and sales teams looking to establish or refine their sales operations infrastructure as they grow.

🎧 Listen now to learn how to build a resilient and responsive Sales Ops function that supports sustainable growth.

Listen in as they share about:

Sales Operations Role & Importance
Daily Responsibilities of Sales Ops
Importance of EDI and Systems
When to Establish Sales Ops
Skills Needed in Sales Ops
KPIs and Success Metrics
Balancing Automation with Human Expertise

Episode Links:
Website: https://www.spscommerce.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-curran-05170825/
Website: https://sogoodsoyou.com/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-nelson-278b1ba

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

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Episode music by Super Fantastics