Every successful journey needs experienced guides who know the terrain. We’ve spent decades navigating the retail wilderness – now we’re here to guide you to success.
We guide CPG brands through the challenges of retail success, providing expert category advisory services that turn complexity into clear pathways forward.
Whether you’re taking your first steps into Walmart, expanding to new channels, or optimizing existing business, we act as an extension of your team – bringing insider knowledge, strategic guidance, and hands-on execution to every engagement.
We're not learning on your dime. With extensive supplier-side experience and former Walmart merchant expertise, we've walked the trail from both sides - and we know where the obstacles are.
Your success is our success. We're not just advisors watching from the sidelines - we're climbing the mountain with you, fully invested in reaching the summit together.
We work to fit seamlessly into your operations, adapting to your needs rather than forcing you into our boxes. Think of us as a flexible extension of your team, scaling with your business as it grows.
We make strategic decisions backed by Walmart's systems and comprehensive retail data. For clients utilizing our Category Advisorship services, we provide an additional competitive advantage - powered by DiCon Analytics for deeper category insights that none of our competitors offer. You'll always know where you stand and what to do next.
We protect your margins and reputation as if they were our own. Direct communication, transparent operations, and aligned incentives define every relationship.
Blake brings over 23 years of supplier-side experience navigating Walmart and Sam’s Club across diverse categories including personal care, beauty, home goods, toys, electronics, pet, health and wellness, frozen foods, and more. He’s held Director and Senior Account positions with P&L responsibility for brands including Dr. Squatch, SodaStream-PepsiCo, LeapFrog Enterprises, BIC Corporation, Panasonic Consumer Electronics, Triad Retail Media, and Sterilite Corporation – earning Walmart’s “Supplier of the Year” award along the way.
Throughout his career, Blake has spent over 18 years managing teams, led countless line reviews and Top-to-Top meetings, and navigated everything from new item launches to complex supply chain challenges. He holds an MBA from William Woods University and has built his reputation on straight talk and consistent follow-through.
His hands-on approach and direct communication style ensure clients always know where they stand. Before co-founding Compass Advisory with Travis, Blake spent over two decades learning what actually moves the needle in retail – and what’s just noise.
Travis brings more than 16 years of experience in the financial realm, coupled with a deep understanding of how retail decisions are truly made. As a former Walmart Buyer, he spent five years managing multiple categories, gaining firsthand insight into merchant priorities, pressures, and decision-making frameworks. His time on the merchant side means he speaks the retailer’s language fluently and can anticipate what buyers need long before they ask.
Having sat across the table from countless suppliers, Travis understands what resonates with merchants and what quickly erodes credibility. This blend of analytical expertise and real-world retail experience allows him to help clients position their products, pitches, and strategies in ways that align with how buyers actually think.
Travis founded Creed Consulting to support suppliers seeking clearer, more strategic guidance in navigating retail. Later, he partnered with Blake to create Compass Advisory, merging complementary strengths to offer clients an unrivaled combination of supplier-side experience and merchant-side insight. Together, they provide end-to-end retail advisory services designed to help brands grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
These principles guide every decision we make and every client relationship we build:
We protect your margins, data, and reputation as if they were our own. You'll get direct, honest communication - even when the news isn't what you want to hear. Our word is our bond.
Extensive supplier-side experience combined with former Walmart merchant knowledge means you're working with guides who've navigated this terrain from both directions. We don't guess - we know.
Your success is our success. We're fully invested in your growth at every step of the journey, working alongside you as true partners, not just service providers.
Retail moves fast - buyers change, priorities shift, opportunities appear and vanish. We move faster, keeping you ahead of changes rather than reacting to them after the fact.
Every recommendation we make is backed by comprehensive retail data from Walmart's systems and analytical rigor. For our Category Advisorship services, we provide an additional advantage - powered by DiCon Analytics for deeper category insights. We combine data with retail intuition to chart the best path forward.
(our specialty and primary focus)
C-Stores, clubs, and additional retail channels
We’re category agnostic, having successfully guided brands across: