Food Biz Wiz

The opportunity to sell our products in a franchise seems like a no-brainer. Right? Well, there is usually more to consider: distribution, our production capacity, and more! That’s why we’re so excited to share this “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode where Charlie and Natalia, the founder and owner of Curious Cat Bakery, discuss just this. As Natalia thinks through whether she should start selling her frozen vegan croissants to a local franchise, you’ll hear more about… The main questions she wants to answer before saying yes How she can ease into an agreement that will allow more organic growthAnd what her next steps after the conversation are! We know plenty of you have likely wondered this same question, so we can't wait to hear which part of this episode you needed to hear most. Let us know by sending us a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn. Find our links and more about Natalia and Curious Cat Bakery at our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and then you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources today!

We know. When someone tells you what not to do, it’s easy to tune them out. Maybe they aren’t in your position or they don’t have experience with your challenges. But it’s quite the opposite in today’s episode. Charlie Berkinshaw, the founder and CEO of Element Shrub and our VP of Student Success here at Retail Ready®, joins Alli to discuss the top 3 mistakes he sees food founders make. Charlie has been running Element Shrub for over 9 years as a solopreneur, which means that he knows firsthand the challenges of this industry. You’ll hear… How running a business based on what other folks are doing can be costlyWhat you can do to avoid running into unexpected costs when you don’t account for your laborAnd why you need to be eyes wide open on what a distributor might cost Charlie’s sharing all this and more so that you can save yourself time and effort. If you’d like to learn more about Element Shrub and Charlie’s work here at Food Biz Wiz, then check out our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! Similar to how Charlie shares his “insider” knowledge in this episode, we want to share Alli’s buyer expertise so that you know what it takes to get ON the retail shelf - be it a physical or digital shelf - AND have high sales once you're there! Find our free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here so that you’re planning for each next step NOW!

Online, on TV, and from your next door neighbor, you’ll hear tons of financial advice for your business. “Avoid debt at all costs.” “You need to spend money to make money.” “Advisors from Fortune 500 companies will always know better than you.” It can be confusing to say the least! In this episode, Sarah Delevan, the Founder & CEO of Sarah Delevan Consulting & The Good Food CFO, joins us to shed light on some of the most common financial challenges food businesses face, debunk some misconceptions, AND share how brands can navigate those challenges. In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’ll hear more about…. Why higher sales don’t automatically solve a cash flow problemHow critical it is to know all of your product marginsWhat you can do to take a holistic approach to your cash flow and marginReframing how we see debt and why it’s not inherently bad to have debt Wizes, we can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation! If you want to check out all the useful episodes mentioned, as well as more about Sarah, check out our full show notes here. You’ll also find our Instagram and LinkedIn links there as well! This episode is sponsored by OUR MASTERCLASS! As Sarah and Alli discussed, you need to find out where your product’s right channels are. This is just one of the many things we discuss in our Masterclass, which includes tons of actionable tips for growing your CPG food business, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our free Masterclass!

We can all agree: it’s TOO easy to dust off a box of Girl Scout cookies. So when Girl Scout cookie season rolls around, I try to avoid buying their cookies at all costs. But this season, as a savvy young Girl Scout in my neighborhood used her bag of sales tricks on me, it got me thinking about what sales tactics work and don’t work in the CPG world. In this brief episode, you’lll hear… The 3 easy sales tactics that you can borrow from this young seller for YOUR CPG salesOne of the missed opportunities for increased sales that you can capturePlus more about my freebie to use with these tactics! We want to see you share this episode with your fellow food founders. Make sure to tag us on Instagram and LinkedIn, which you can find in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our freebie workbook outlining 100 Buyer No’s. This workbook will walk you through prepping for any possible wholesale buyer objection and guide you in crafting a response that lets buyers know you are READY to get ON and sell OFF their shelf. It’s the perfect tool to have as you prepare for all your pitches. Find the free download here!

Hearing "your SKU is underperforming" from a retailer can easily put brands into a panic. It's natural. We don't want to be on the chopping block when category reviews come around. That's why we're thrilled to share this "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode. In it, Mary Bentdahl, the Co-Founder, CMO, and Director of Sales for ShroomEats, joins Charlie to discuss how she was able to react and to adjust when she heard from a retailer that one of their SKUs was underperforming. You'll hear their conversation on... The importance of keeping cool when you learn of a SKU's underperformanceHow staying proactive in your retailer communication can support your SKU successWhat harnessing consumer feedback can do for course correcting sales We're thrilled for you to listen into this episode and want to know which piece of Mary's experience resonated most with you. DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn, which are linked in our full show notes here. You can also find more about Mary and ShroomEats at our full show notes! This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! As Mary mentioned, it’s valuable to have a list of go-to actions for selling off the shelf. This checklist can help you be more likely to sell off those shelves and receive reorders. You can find our simplified version at the link here OR, if you’re a Retail Ready® student, you can find the longform version and training directly within our course platform!

The Portland Good Food Mercantile is coming up soon and we know that tons of tasty food brands will be attending. As you prepare for this trade show and other trade shows, you might wonder…what do I really need to BE prepared for these shows? That’s why we’re revisiting this episode with Joyce Attar. Joyce is the Director of Operations and member of the family that owns and operates Barbur World Foods, World Foods, and Ya Hala in Portland, Oregon. She’s also a member of the Good Food Merchant Alliance! She joins Alli to discuss… Where you can find a list of retailers that are values-alignedWhat BUYERS do to prepare for trade showsWhy knowing your end customer and store audience is criticalWhat piece of information not to miss in your buyer followup email We can’t wait to hear which piece of Joyce’s advice that you’ll implement first in your next trade show. DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn to let us know, and check out our full show notes here to find more information on The Good Food Foundation and their work, as well as more on Joyce! This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®. Another quarter is beginning…do YOU have a strategy for starting and maintaining growth in your biz? If not, sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass! As we begin Q2, we want to make sure that you have an actionable retail strategy for how to increase YOUR sales. Check out our Masterclass for these tips, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

Have you heard these myths about creating memorable brand names? Myth 1: All the good names are taken. Myth 2: It's too late to change your name. Myth 3: A name isn't that important. Well in this week's Food Biz Wiz episode, Alexandra Watkins, the Chief Executive Boss Lady of Eat My Words and a leading & outspoken authority on brand names, joins us to debunk these myths! In this episode, you'll hear all about... What Alexandra's “SMILE & SCRATCH Test” is for creating namesWhy it's not too late to re-brand and re-name your biz!How you can even use this process for product or line namesAnd how you can enter the giveaway to win Alexandra's book, Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick Wizes, we are thrilled to share Alexandra’s actionable advice with you! Listen in and check out our full show notes here for all the details on Alexandra and how to enter our giveaway, plus how to receive a discount on Alexandra’s course! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. (We promise that it’ll take less than 2 minutes!) You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business and your business superpower - so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources

We are back this week with part II of last week’s episode 237 with Kai Nortey! In this episode 238 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’ll continue to hear Kai and Alli discuss more about Kai’s transparent, no sugarcoat experiences as a CPG founder. If you missed part I in last week’s episode, we recommend that you check out that episode first! Kai Nortey is the CEO & Co-Founder of kubé, PBC (Public Benefit Corporation). Kubé is a Black woman-owned artisanal, premium, and luxurious full-fat coconut ice cream womanfacturer and social enterprise, based in Oakland, California. They make their own clean, full-fat coconut cream from mature coconuts, then blend it with organic plant-based food ingredients. Specifically, you’ll hear more about… How Kai has arrived at her non-negotiables in their businessWhat the costs of taking VC from investors who aren’t aligned could beWhy it’s worth exploring all your options and pivoting when necessaryAnd what you can do to empower yourself before investment conversations! Wizes, you can find all the resources mentioned in this episode, plus more about Kai and kubé in our full show notes here! As always, we want to hear: what perspective or wisdom did you need to hear most from Kai today? DM us via LinkedIn or Instagram and let us know! Didn’t have a chance to join my LIVE Wholesale Success System training this week on Tuesday or Thursday? Then come sign up for a time to watch my Masterclass! As we put Q1 behind us, we want to make sure that YOUR Q2 is armed with actionable strategy on how to increase YOUR sales. Check out our Masterclass for these tips, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

The CPG industry remains OPAQUE in many ways. It can feel hard to enter it prepared. That's why we're thrilled to have Kai Nortey, the CEO & Co-Founder of kubé, PBC (Public Benefit Corporation) join us to bring a transparent look at how she has built her business to work for her. kubé is a Black woman-owned artisanal, premium, and luxurious full-fat coconut ice cream womanfacturer and social enterprise, based in Oakland, California. They make their own clean, full-fat coconut cream from mature coconuts, then blend it with organic plant-based food ingredients. You'll hear all about: Wizes, part II of this episode will be in episode 238 next week. Before then, we want to hear from you in our Instagram or LinkedIn DMs: was there something in this episode that surprised you or that you needed to hear? Find Kai's & kubé's information, as well as our social links, in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by my LIVE Wholesale Success System training on March 26th and 28th! Do you often feel like you’re constantly winging your sales strategy? Like you never actually know if you’re saying the right things in a pitch or if you’re on the right track? If you answered yes to any of these, then come learn my Wholesale Success System. I'm teaching this system on Tuesday, March 26th and again on Thursday, March 28th. Pick the date that works for you, and register for free here!

We are thrilled to continue celebrating female founders' businesses and their CPG wisdom during this Women’s History Month. In this week’s episode of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, we’re sharing our conversation with Tonia Farman, CEO and Co-Founder of Queen of Hearts, which makes the world’s first sustainable salad dressing, made with hemp seeds. Tonia’s business is rooted in creating a positive impact for our food system. She has navigated multiple challenges and wins in her biz, so you’ll hear about… Actually leveraging YOUR strengths and how to find themKnowing what the signs of burnout from hustle culture are and when you should pauseUsing your data to guide what to focus on next and what to cut outAnd saying no as a means of guiding your growth thoughtfully and strategically Wizes, we’d LOVE to hear what takeaways you needed to hear from Tonia in this episode or what you’re going to implement next. DM us or tag us over on Instagram or LinkedIn and be sure to check out Tonia’s podcast. Find all those links, plus the resources that Tonia mentioned, in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! In line with finding the right tactics that work for YOUR business, this checklist is a list of ways to onboard a new retailer so that you’re more likely to sell off those shelves and receive reorders. You can find our simplified version at the link here OR, if you’re a Retail Ready® student, you can find the longform version and training directly within our course platform!

Busy caregivers, busy founders, busy people have at least ONE thing in common. They all deserve healthy AND delicious snacks to fuel them! This is part of what propels B.T.R. NATION. In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, I’m sitting down with Ashley Nickelsen, the Founder, CEO, and Chief Snack Officer of B.T.R. NATION. They are on a mission to help fix our broken food system one snack at a time! I am thrilled for Ashley to share her story and how she has built B.T.R NATION (plus recently tripled their doors in the span of 2 months!). You’ll hear more about… Why determining your non-negotiables NOW can help support your strategyHow staying rooted in your original “why” supports your authenticityThe importance of finding the right partners at the right timeAnd what a more genuine approach to working with influencers looks like Wizes, as we mentioned in the episode, we want to hear what YOUR non-negotiables are after listening to this episode. Come DM us or tag us in your stories over on Instagram and on LinkedIn, which are both linked in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. (We promise that it’ll take less than 2 minutes!) You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business and your business superpower - so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources today!

Today's guest on the Food Biz Wiz podcast is Skyler Mapes, the Cofounder and CEO of EXAU, a high-quality Italian olive oil brand. Skyler has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 and has grown EXAU by 6x over the past 6 years. Still, Skyler says "no" to constant growth and expansion. In this episode, we are thrilled to share our conversation on her journey to this point and the lessons that she has learned, including... Why the "slowness" of the food industry is relative and how you can use it to encourage thoughtful decision makingThree words you need to hear to grow YOUR comfort zoneThe importance of doing self-healing work to root into your values more clearlyAnd how their passion for olive oil helped land them a book deal! Wizes, as Skyler and I mentioned in this episode, we'd LOVE it if you scroll wayyyy back in our social media profiles and tag us on our early content! You'll see that being a brand online is a constant work in progress and see Skyler's three key words in action. Find both the Food Biz Wiz and EXAU social media links in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our freebie workbook outlining 100 Buyer No’s. This workbook will walk you through prepping for any possible wholesale buyer objection and guide you in crafting a response that lets buyers know you are READY to get ON and sell OFF their shelf. It’s the perfect tool to have as you prepare for all your pitches. Find the free download here!

Most people don't believe me when I say this, but here’s a secret of mine: I am actually an introvert. I often dread the small talk of industry events and how draining these events can sometimes feel. But over years of attending industry events, I've come up with a game plan that has made attending events both more fun AND more valuable. In this episode, I'll share my tried and true game plan with you, including... The THREE steps that I take to ensure a more mindful and impactful time at eventsHow knowing and sharing your goals with others helps your brandAnd why you need to build in time to rest after events! As I mentioned in the episode, I want to know what YOUR goal for your next event is, so feel free to tag us in your stories OR DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn so that we can cheer you on! Find our Instagram and LinkedIn via our full show notes here! Have you been considering Retail Ready®? We never put Retail Ready® on sale but are offering a HUGE deal for Leap Day! The first 29 people who join Retail Ready® on Thursday, February 29th will receive two never-seen-before deals: a $250 cash rebate for you to invest back in your own business AND our Leap Day Bonus Bundle, worth over $1700 of pre and post trade show cheat sheets, our Food Biz Wiz Money Maker list, which has our favorite pitch slams, accelerators, grants, and money making opportunities for the year ahead, and a whole lot more! This promotion is available ONLY on Thursday, February 29th - and is open to the first 29 brands who join us that day - or until 11:59 PM, PST - whichever comes first. Click through to the full show notes for details and to get a “save the date” directly on your calendar!

In business, we often feel that we might have to compromise on our values to see our brands grow. But on the Food Biz Wiz podcast, we want to highlight how you can still grow your brand AND center your values. That’s why in today’s Original Recipe episode, we are excitedly revisiting our episode with Ibraheem Basir, the CEO and founder of A Dozen Cousins. A Dozen Cousins produces delicious packaged beans, rices, and sauces inspired by Black and Latino recipes from throughout the Americas. Ibraheem shares how he continues to emphasize being a values-centered company AND growing A Dozen Cousins into a national, retail-first brand. Tune in to hear him and Alli discuss… Why retail was where he focused first, instead of D2CWhat values A Dozen Cousins stands for and how they weave them into their workTheir process for hiring diverse, values-aligned team members and building team culture As Alli has mentioned, we want to connect further with you, our Food Biz Wiz listeners! We want to know: which piece of Ibraheem’s experience or wisdom inspired you the most for your brand? DM us on Instagram or on LinkedIn, which you can find linked in our full show notes. You’ll also find more information on Ibraheem, A Dozen Cousins, and all the resources mentioned linked there as well. This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! In line with growing your brand through multiple tactics, this checklist is a list of ways to onboard a new retailer so that you’re more likely to sell off those shelves and receive reorders. You can find our simplified version at the link here OR, if you’re a Retail Ready® student, you can find the longform version and training directly within our course platform!

We often get into this trap of thinking: we've put hours of work in, so the sales will automatically follow. Right? The truth is that it's not always a 1:1 relationship, especially in e-commerce. That's why we're thrilled to have Maureen Mwangi, the Founder of Startward Consulting, e-commerce expert and brand strategist behind many of America's most beloved brands, join us on the Food Biz Wiz Podcast today! In today's episode, she shares multiple ways that you can architect your SKUs, seasonality, and branding to increase sales, even when you think that you’ve hit a plateau. In this episode, you'll hear Alli and Maureen discuss... How having specific uses for each of your products benefits your brandThe importance of using data to know your consumersHow using data to inform your decisions makes your work more efficientWhat authentic branding can do to reach the right audiences You can find out more about Maureen, Startward Consulting, and their Sales Maximizer training in our full show notes here! There were so many gems in this episode so we want to hear from you: which will you incorporate first? Connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn (both in our full show notes) to share more with us! This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! We want to share Alli’s buyer expertise so that you know what it takes to get ON the retail shelf - be it a physical or digital shelf - AND have high sales once you're there. Find our free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here so that you’re planning for each next step NOW!

As we enter February and celebrate Black History Month with our Food Biz Wiz community, we are excited to revisit this episode with CPG industry veteran Sheryl O’Loughlin on how we can cultivate an inclusive CPG industry that supports Black futures and represents all of us! Sheryl is the co-founder of the JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) Collaborative, the Women on Boards Project, former CEO of REBBL and Clif Bar and Company, and co-founder and former CEO Plum Organics. In this episode, you’ll hear Sheryl and Alli discuss… Why prioritizing just, equitable, and inclusive practices is critical to our industry What brands might be able to expect in their journey to becoming a brand that supports anti-racism, equity, and inclusivityHow Jedi Collaborative's work can support YOUR brand’s particular JEDI journeyAnd why these journeys are STILL important for brands who have small teams! This episode is packed with important insights and we’d love to hear your takeaways. Connect with us through our Instagram or LinkedIn, which are both linked in our full show notes here. You can also find all the links mentioned in the episode there, too! This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass! As we put the first month of 2024 behind us, we want to make sure that the rest of your Q1 is armed with actionable tips from Alli on how to increase YOUR sales. Check out our Masterclass for these tips, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

We are back with our first “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode of 2024, with Karen Hetz. Karen is the Chief Happiness Officer of Kids’ Cake Boxes and she joins Charlie to discuss how she can decide what’s next for her business on the heels of her business’ third anniversary. Tune in to hear more about… What questions we can ask ourselves to orient how we move forwardWhy looking back at our original “why” can inform our futureHow we can rethink what it means to be successful in business and why pivoting and “failure” isn’t an inherently negative thing! We’d love to hear what resonated most with you from this episode, wizes! Connect with us via Instagram or LinkedIn at the links in our full show notes HERE. You can also check out more on Karen and Kids’ Cake Boxes. This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass! If you listened into this episode and wanted to be part of a supportive CPG community AND have Charlie’s insights on your biz challenges, then Retail Ready® is the perfect place for you. Check out our Masterclass for our actionable tips to increase YOUR sales in Q1, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

Welcome to our first episode of season 20 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, wizes! As promised, we are kicking off this season with Sarah Davidson. Sarah is the Executive Vice President of ECRM, which connects producers with retail buyers through hybrid and in-person buyer meeting events. In her role at ECRM, Sarah has seen 1000s of buyer pitches. In this episode, you’ll hear… How ECRM connects the right buyers and the right suppliers through their eventsCommon traits of the most successful buyer pitches and what NOT to doThe importance of timing with resets and category reviews in mind As I mentioned in our episode, one of my 2024 goals is to feel more connected to our listeners. Please find the links to our Instagram and LinkedIn (as well as the Sarilla article mentioned, Sarah’s contact information, and our past episode) in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! Just as Alli and Sarah share their “insider” knowledge in this episode, receiving “insider” knowledge can make a world of difference for an emerging brand. We want to share Alli’s buyer expertise so that you know what it takes to get ON the retail shelf - be it a physical or digital shelf - AND have high sales once you're there! Find our free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here so that you’re planning for each next step NOW!

In this brief first Food Biz Wiz episode of 2024, I want to share the game-changing business belief that I tried on over the past 2 years. Honestly, this belief has surprised me! It contradicts some of my typical business guidance, but for good reason. Press play to hear this specific belief and… How trying on this belief can help get you closer to your visionA reminder of why you might have started your business in the first placeAnd one more way that you can get closer to your business vision Wizes, I want to hear what YOUR response to this belief is. Be sure to DM me on Instagram or on LinkedIn and let me know. You can find both links in our full show notes here! If you listened in and heard me mention Wholesale Week, then you’re in the right place! From Monday, January 8th - Friday, January 12th - we're talking all about e-commerce, increasing wholesale accounts, perfecting your sales pitch, and connecting with wholesale Buyers in five days of mini-lessons that only take 10 minutes per day. We’ve designed these mini-lessons to get you going in the right direction. Plus, by participating daily, you’ll be entered to win amazing prizes, like a free 1:1 session with me and more! I'll send you all the details on the how, what, and when once you register and save your spot in Wholesale Week HERE.

Joe Tarnowski, the VP of Content & Global Media at ECRM, joins me today on the Food Biz Wiz podcast to join forces in sharing our 2024 CPG predictions. ECRM works to connect suppliers and buyers in our industry and Joe brings 10+ years of CPG industry experience to inform his upcoming predictions. We can't wait to share more with you, so tune in to hear more about... The years-long trend that will continue into 2024Challenges that suppliers will continue to face from a buyer perspectiveHow brands will adapt into non-traditional channels that support their way of bizIncreased consumer know-how & education in their product choicesAnd room for indulgent brands that aren't health or wellness focused! Joe and I would LOVE to know which trends might have surprised you or which ones you wanted to hear. Come let us know by tagging us on social media or sending us a DM on IG or LinkedIn -- you’ll find our links and information in our full show notes, as usual! One more thing here…if you’ve been on the fence about joining Retail Ready®, our program for CPG brands who want to land on more shelves and increase their sales, then NOW is the time to join! Savvy brands have a solid pitch and sales plan READY come January…but we know that they also want time to take a break during the holidays without feeling the guilt. That’s why we’re giving brands who join before year end extended access through March 31st. Give yourself the gift of ease and confidence by joining Retail Ready® today!