You Went Viral. Now What?

Webinar Recording

In this session, Tia Ellis, the pitch coach behind $200M+ in retail sales, breaks down what to do when your brand goes viral and a retail buyer comes knocking. You’ll learn how buyers actually make decisions, how to turn your viral moment into retail-ready proof, and how to fund a big purchase order before the payment terms catch up with you. Then we go hands-on with a live walkthrough of Alibaba’s CoCreate Pitch 2026 application, a non-dilutive funding opportunity that closes July 25, using Accio Work to build your answers on the spot.

Welcome to the Recap!

Whether you missed it live or just want to watch again, this recording shares helpful insights and steps you can take to move forward.

The happy problem: you went viral, now what?

Sales through the roof, perpetually sold out, and a retail buyer just slid into your DMs. It’s the best problem you’ve ever had, and this session is about what to do next.

The three pitches every product founder faces

The customer, the investor, and the retail buyer. Virality means you already won the first one. This section breaks down the other two, including the one most founders have never been taught.

The golden retail rule (and what virality breaks)

The strategic path is DTC to local to regional to national, because every stage builds the proof you need for the next. Going viral skips steps, which leaves you with demand proof but no retail proof. Here’s how you win anyway.

How retail buyers think, and how to pitch one

Buyers are category owners with their own KPIs, drowning in pitches that all sound the same. They’re weighing their own risk on every yes. Stop pitching what you want and start showing them how you hit their numbers, whether they came to you or you’re opening the door yourself.

The part nobody warns you about: funding the PO

Retailers pay on terms, anywhere from 1 to 6 months. Meanwhile you front production, packaging, and freight. A big PO is a cash flow gap you have to survive before the payoff, and this section covers where the money comes from: investors, crowdfunding, grants, and pitch competitions.

Inside CoCreate Pitch 2026

Non-dilutive funding for CPG brands. Every finalist gets $10,000 guaranteed, and the top 3 win $200K, $100K, or $50K, split 50% cash and 50% Alibaba.com credits. It’s a 90-second pitch, no PowerPoint, and applications close July 25.

Workshop mode: build your application live

This is where the session goes hands-on. Prompts drop in the chat, you plug in your brand, and Accio Work runs real research to build your application answers on the spot. Download Accio before you watch so you leave with your application materially started.

Inside you'll find

Want to take the next step?

If this sparked something for you and you’re ready to get more clarity on your path into retail, we’d love to support you.

Even if you’re catching the replay, we’re offering a free 1:1 Starter Session to help you identify what’s next and where your biggest opportunities might be.

This was originally just for live attendees, but if you’re here now, the timing is right. Let’s explore what’s possible.