The CPG Guys are joined in this  episode by Mike Wysong, CEO of CARE Pharmacies, Inc., a growing pharmacy network having served communities like your own for more than 64 years. CARE Pharmacies combines the quality of a trusted local pharmacy with the growth and stability of a national organization. With over 130 pharmacies nationwide and growing, CARE understands its patients, their special needs, prescriptions, local community health concerns, and the importance of personalized CARE - the building blocks to a healthy family and a strong local community.Follow Mike on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wysong-a01626b/Follow CARE online at: https://www.carepharmacies.com/Mike answers these questions:What is the biggest lesson from those early days carrying the bag that you still lean on today as a CEO? What was that first fundamental structural or cultural shift you had to make to change that trajectory? How do you get independent owners to genuinely align on shared procurement, brand messages, and technology without stripping away that local entrepreneurship that makes them special? How does a cooperative structure create the necessary scale to let local community pharmacies win on price? From your seat, how can consumer product groups (CPGs) and OTC manufacturers better bridge those gaps to collaborate with a regional pharmacy layout like CARE? What are the top criteria or data-backed insights an emerging brand needs to bring to you today to earn shelf space over a legacy CPG giant? For emerging wellness or OTC brands listening to this show, what's your advice on the sales function—should they try to go it alone, or do they need to hire a specialized broker who truly understands regional drug chains? How are you helping independent pharmacies roll out complex tech, health informatics, and AI tools without eroding the high-touch, hyper-local intimacy that defines community pharmacy? As baby boomers choose to remain in their homes longer, how does the role of the community pharmacy transform from a simple script dispensary into an essential connector of the home health ecosystem? How critical is having a real-time view of inventory and fulfillment data to protecting your owners' bottom lines? As a board member and past chair of the NACDS, what is the most urgent story the industry needs to keep telling to protect its clinical and commercial relevance? What is the single biggest blind spot that corporate CPG executives have when they try to partner with independent, community-based retail networks? CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.comFMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.comSheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.comLara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incid