In this live and spontaneous episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael sits down live at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal with Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls and retail futurist Carl Boutet for a wide-ranging discussion on brand-building, retail media, AI, and the future of consumer attention. From turning crisis into product innovation to building authentic customer relationships at scale, this episode explores why human energy, storytelling, and standing out may matter more than ever in modern retail.
In this high-energy live episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael welcomes two dynamic voices shaping the future of retail and consumer brands: Jake Karls and Carl Boutet.
Recorded live on location, this spontaneous conversation delivers powerful insights into what it takes to build a modern consumer brand in an increasingly crowded, algorithm-driven marketplace.
Jake Karls shares the remarkable growth story behind Mid-Day Squares—from launching the company in Montreal with his sister and brother-in-law to building a vertically integrated manufacturing business producing more than 150,000 bars per day across North America. But this isn’t just a product story. Jake explains how Mid-Day Squares intentionally built a media company mindset from day one, hiring content creators before traditional food scientists, documenting their journey, and turning storytelling into one of their most valuable growth engines.
Listeners will hear how a major cocoa pricing crisis nearly disrupted the business—and how that challenge sparked one of their biggest innovations: their breakout “No Bread PB&J” product line. Jake reveals how combining product innovation with viral content, emotional storytelling, and fearless authenticity helped the brand secure retailer support and create consumer demand at scale.
Carl Boutet brings his trademark strategic lens to the conversation, unpacking why brands must “take back agency” in an era increasingly dominated by AI-generated content and algorithmic sameness. Drawing from themes in his upcoming book, Carl argues that AI is quickly becoming table stakes—not differentiation—and that the brands that win will be those that create genuine emotional connection, distinctiveness, and memorability.
The conversation also explores the evolving role of retail media, the power of founder-led storytelling, startup innovation in CPG, and why in a world of automation, human energy may be the ultimate competitive advantage.
For retailers, brand builders, entrepreneurs, and marketers trying to understand what cuts through in today’s attention economy, this episode delivers practical insights, inspiration, and plenty of laughs.