Weathering tariff risks: Richie Mashiko’s framework for lean, resilient CPG brands
Tue May 20 2025
Host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, sits down with Richie Mashiko, Fractional CFO, to unpack the financial complexities of running high-growth e-commerce and CPG brands. From measuring the right things to navigating ad spend, pricing strategies, and fragile supply chains amidst tariffs, Richie offers a unique operator’s perspective on what it takes to drive sustainable growth in today’s market.
Key quotes
“There are 4 things I look at in an e-commerce business: cost of goods, operating expenses, advertising spend, and profit” “A lot of e-commerce businesses are dependent on the performance and efficiency of ads on Meta, Google, or Tik Tok”“It's cheaper to have a website than it is to have a physical retail location. But what ends up happening is over time, it can end up costing way more to run a website because you have 50 different software providers. Most people don't even touch all the software that they're using.”“I see a lot of brands in business for a long time who don’t increase their prices. Don’t be afraid to do price testing.” Time Stamps
(00:51) Richie's background and early ventures(05:04) Basic e-commerce business strategies(08:18) Impact of tariffs on e-commerce(19:23) Managing margins and operational costs(25:55) Capital structure and financing challenges(31:11) Future outlook for e-commerce brands(34:55) Finance leaders are fun too! Links
Connect with RichieVisit She’s BirdieConnect with ErikVisit Brex
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Host Erik Zhou, CAO at Brex, sits down with Richie Mashiko, Fractional CFO, to unpack the financial complexities of running high-growth e-commerce and CPG brands. From measuring the right things to navigating ad spend, pricing strategies, and fragile supply chains amidst tariffs, Richie offers a unique operator’s perspective on what it takes to drive sustainable growth in today’s market. Key quotes “There are 4 things I look at in an e-commerce business: cost of goods, operating expenses, advertising spend, and profit” “A lot of e-commerce businesses are dependent on the performance and efficiency of ads on Meta, Google, or Tik Tok”“It's cheaper to have a website than it is to have a physical retail location. But what ends up happening is over time, it can end up costing way more to run a website because you have 50 different software providers. Most people don't even touch all the software that they're using.”“I see a lot of brands in business for a long time who don’t increase their prices. Don’t be afraid to do price testing.” Time Stamps (00:51) Richie's background and early ventures(05:04) Basic e-commerce business strategies(08:18) Impact of tariffs on e-commerce(19:23) Managing margins and operational costs(25:55) Capital structure and financing challenges(31:11) Future outlook for e-commerce brands(34:55) Finance leaders are fun too! Links Connect with RichieVisit She’s BirdieConnect with ErikVisit Brex