"Every inch of shelf space is rent. And that rent is paid in velocity."

Kara Rubin spent a decade at Whole Foods overseeing grocery for the entire Northeast region before moving to the brand side as VP at Just Water, where she helped take the company from the brink of bankruptcy to $25m in revenue. She now runs a consultancy with her business partner Ira, helping brands based outside the US navigate their entry into the American market.

In this episode, the first in our mini-series on cracking the US, Kara gives UK brands a clear-eyed look at what they're actually walking into:

• Why the US is not one market, and what that means for logistics, distribution and channel strategy
• What a buyer at Whole Foods is actually evaluating — and why velocity is the only currency that matters
• The real timeline from f ...