Food Biz Wiz (Allison Ball)

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Being an entrepreneur can feel like navigating a land with no maps. That’s why I’m thrilled to share this episode with Shulamit Ber Levtov, MA, RSW, CCTP. Known as The Entrepreneur’s Therapist, Shulamit joins us to take an honest look behind the CEO door at what mental health challenges female entrepreneurs face and how we can equip ourselves with the right tools for the journey.

Shulamit and I delve into the following topics:

• The 7 main mental health challenges that entrepreneurs uniquely experience
• How practicing self compassion instead of self esteem can benefit us
• What plans you need to be making for you and your brand’s health

This episode was a refreshingly real unpacking of the challenges that we face as entrepreneurs, and a necessary reminder of the tools we can use to care for ourselves. After listening in, I know you’ll be ready to make a plan to take care of your most important asset: you!

Check out our full show notes here so that you can find Shulamit’s full resources and a link to our episode on the benefits of saying no. We can’t wait to share information on Shulamit’s book in the future!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today’s Food Biz Wiz guest is Good Food CFO and founder of Sarah Delevan Consulting, Sarah Delevan. Sarah and her team at Sarah Delevan Consulting help good food businesses across the country achieve financial sustainability and profitability.

In this show, we’ll talk through:

• What Profit First is.
• How Sarah became the only Food Business Consultant Certified in Profit First.
• Why Profit First implementation is different for CPG brands

And more! For the full show notes and all of the resources mentioned on today’s show, click here.

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide 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 events
• How knowing and sharing your goals with others helps your brand
• And 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Food Founders often jump straight into the tactics of growing your business without setting goals or putting strategy in place. In today’s episode, we talk through narrowing down which tactics you’ll use to achieve your 2022 business goals, and how I use the “lever framework” to assess where to focus for business growth.

This episode is #3 of our five-part 2022 Goal Setting Mini-Series! To listen to the first two episodes and to find all of the resources outlined in today’s show, click here for the full episode notes.

From there, don’t forget: our Fourth Quarter Cohort of Retail Ready® is now enrolling, before we raise prices in January! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business (even during this holiday season!) and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our Fourth Quarter cohort!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this 10-minute episode, I’ll share my BEST tip on tweaking your sales emails so that Wholesale Buyers ACTUALLY respond. Tune in to hear how changing only one sentence in your retail pitch can make or break your new account.

Once you tune in, claim your official seat in Brand Camp, our free, five-day online workshop for emerging brands who want to increase their retail success. Through a 10-minute daily prompt, you’ll get clear on what YOU need to do next to grow your packaged product business. Sign up for free at www.takebrandcamp.com! 

For the full show notes & to find me on Facebook and Instagram, click here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

I’m honored to be joined by food industry veteran Elliot Begoun on today’s show, as we talk about the state of the industry, sixty days after the outbreak of COVID19 in the US. In today’s podcast, we discuss:

• How the industry is changing, and what we can expect moving forward
• What the “valley of death” is, and how Elliot & TIG helps brands move through that.
• Whether or not investors are still investing in at this moment, and what to do if you’re looking to raise money in the food industry right now
• What brands SHOULD and SHOULD NOT be doing right now to plan for future success

Whether you’ve been having high sales these past few weeks, or are frustrated with your financials, tune in to this episode to hear some good news, some tough love, and some inspiration for moving forward.

Find the full show notes, grab that free cash flow projection resource and find Elliot’s contact information by clicking here. 

This episode is sponsored by WeStock. WeStock streamlines the request process providing your brand with consistent retail leads and giving you the insights needed to grow your business. Learn more at WeStock.io and use promo code FoodBizWiz for 25% off your first year.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today’s Food Biz Wiz guest is Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consultant Jennifer Yepez-Blundell from Hella Social Impact.

In this show, we’ll cover:

• Why should CPG brands care about DEI? 
• Do consumers care about DEI? 
• How working on DEI impacts your sales and customer base.
• Information on the upcoming The Hella Impact Cohort for CPG brands, and how you can use their “Notice, Name, Dismantle” framework to create a strategy around being a more inclusive, just CPG business.

To keep in touch with Jennifer, find out more about Hella Social Impact and their upcoming Hella Impact Cohort, and see the full show notes, click here. 

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It’s more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

On today’s episode, I welcome fellow food business consultant and podcaster, Katie Mleziva, to share her three steps for building your brand strategy. In this episode, she shares what a brand strategy is, why it’s important for emerging food businesses to prioritize this work, and how to know if you’re doing it successfully. 

From there, she talks us through her three step process for building your brand strategy, based on her extensive experience working at Kraft, and her six years of consulting with emerging food brands. 

After you listen, click here for the full episode notes, including more details on Katie’s steps, as well as links to her podcast, website, and free brand checkup workbook. 

Finally, if this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to grab my retail roadmap, which outlines my nine steps to growing a brand that FLIES off the retail shelf. Click here to download it! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

This week's show is the final episode of our Fourth Quarter Focus Series!

Today’s episode is about what to do now that we’re officially in the fourth quarter - and where to focus your business-building efforts for the remainder of the year.

I'll outline exactly what you should focus on for the next few months to ensure you're ready when January 1 gets here. 

I'll discuss: 

1. Your Sales Scripts
2. Your Sales Materials
3. Your Sales Strategy

This is the perfect time to make sure you know exactly how to craft a pitch that gets that Buyer to say "Yes!"

Click here for the full show notes and links to the previous episodes in our mini-series.

If you enjoyed this mini-series send me a DM on Instagram @itsalliball! Let me know what you’re excited about for the end of the year. 

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass. Find a time that works for you, and join us soon! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Now that we're IN Q4, time is ticking. Are you thinking about pitching your product before the year ends? If so, I want you to listen into this episode FIRST. I'll share more about what you need to know about pitching before the year ends, including...

• Whether you should pitch your product in Q4 at all
• What points your pitch needs if you are pitching your product in Q4
• What you can do instead of pitching if your product isn't a Q4 fit
• And strategies that you can use to entice retail buyers in this season!

Alright wizes, once you've listened in, I want to know where you're struggling. Send me a DM on Instagram, which you can find in our full show notes here, along with the link to our previous episode!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Traditional views of mentorship have us believe that only mentors have something valuable to offer mentees. In this episode, we sit down with Kathleen Casanova, the director of Project Potluck, and Cynthia Billops, the VP of Operations, Membership and Belonging at One Step Closer (OSC), to consider how we can shift mentorship for the better. We discuss…

• How mentorship can be rewarding for mentees AND mentors
• Why mentorship is critical for BIPOC founders in our industry
• Where you can find mentorship
• Plus, they share about their Mentor to Champion Skills Training for improving mentorship skills!

To connect directly with Project Potluck and OSC and for the sign up link for their Mentor to Champion Skills Training, check out our full show notes here. You’ll also find our episode on the J.E.D.I. Collaborative and the link to our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group there!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! As Kathleen and Cynthia mention, having someone share their insider knowledge can make a world of difference to an emerging brand. I want to share my 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 my 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this week’s Original Recipe episode, we revisit episode 49. NOW is the time to prepare and plan for the 4th quarter so that you’re ready to maximize sales!

Alli details her four KEY steps to planning a strong holiday season: decide, pitch, schedule, and nurture. You’ll ensure that you know exactly what you’re selling, who you’re selling it to, and how to land in those valuable holiday guides and on consumers’ minds.

To continue the conversation and find more resources to prepare you for the fourth quarter, check out our full show notes by clicking here.

This episode is sponsored by our Masterclass on growing your food business! If you found yourself wondering exactly what strategies you’ll be planning or how to better nurture buyer relationships, then Retail Ready® is the place for you. Click here to watch our Masterclass and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our third quarter cohort before the fourth quarter!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today’s episode 190 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast visits an age-old CPG question: should I add new products to my product line or not? We hear Charlie Berkinshaw, the founder & CEO of Element Shrub and VP of Student Success here at Retail Ready®, and Priya Osuri, the founder & CEO of Anar Gourmet Foods, discuss whether she should add a line of frozen, ready to eat meals to her current line of dry spice blends.

When you listen in, you’ll catch…

• How Priya has determined what the financial AND opportunity costs of this project are
• Why Priya is exploring this new product line NOW
• And what metrics she’s using to determine if it’s a success!

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a solid example of how YOU can think through whether a new product line opportunity is right for your brand. Click here to our full show notes so that you can find more on Anar Gourmet Foods and connect with us in our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group!

This episode is sponsored by our freebie workbook outlining 100 Buyer No’s. This workbook will walk you through preparing for any possible wholesale buyer objection and guide you in crafting a rebuttal 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

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-aligned
• What BUYERS do to prepare for trade shows
• Why knowing your end customer and store audience is critical
• What 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 OUR . 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Food founders, have you been considering an influencer marketing campaign? Today’s episode 179 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast revisits an episode with guest and Food Biz Wiz friend, Elle Defreitas. Elle is the co-founder of Wonderkind.Co, a design and marketing agency for food and beverage brands. She and Alli discuss the scoop on influencer marketing.

If you want to feel more confident about how to approach influencer marketing, listen in to hear…

• How you can find and contact influencers that are right for your brand
• Elle’s best tips for success with influencer marketing
• Pros and cons of affiliate marketing
• Plus, how influencer marketing can benefit your brand!

Make sure to share your thoughts on this episode with us by sending Alli a DM at her Instagram and joining our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, which are both linked in our full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! We made an information & enrollment page for food founders who learn about Retail Ready® and enroll today! Find the Retail Ready® link HERE!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We all want more time in our days, especially in the food industry, right? In this episode, I’m talking about the difference between working ON vs IN your business, and why it’s so important this time of year.

In today’s episode, we’ll discuss:

• How to know if you’re working ON vs IN your business
• My secret to making time to work ON your business
• Why it’s important to focus on that in the 4th quarter
• How you can do that with me & my team at Food Biz Wiz.

Tune in to get more time back in your day, and work on the RIGHT things in your business in the fourth quarter!

For the full show notes, click here. 

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass. Find a time that works for you, and join us soon!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join me in conversation with Michael Movitz of The Movitz Group & Brandjectory as we talk about the ins and outs of connecting with investors and raising money for your packaged food or beverage business. In today’s show we cover:

• What you need to put in place before you raise capital
• Different types of lending & investment options for different stage brands
• What an investor looks for as they assess brands, products and Founders
• How to find investors for your food or beverage business
• The challenges that Founders face while raising capital, and how Brandjectory helps you overcome them 

For the full show notes, financial resources, and Michael’s contact information, click here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Is selling direct-to-consumer cheaper, faster, and easier than selling wholesale? And, if so, what’s going to happen to the future of wholesale? 

In today’s episode, I talk through whether or not wholesale is dying in 2022, and what questions to think about as you decide whether you’ll sell through traditional wholesale accounts, eCommerce channels, or direct-to-consumer. 

For the full show notes and invite to the Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group, click here.

Don't forget: we’re raising the price of Retail Ready® - our course, coaching & community for wholesale success- at the EOD on Tuesday, January 18th. Join us now to save $500 before we turn on our 2022 pricing! Skip the sales call, the educational masterclass, and the waitlist by clicking through to the enrollment page, linked directly here. See you soon in Retail Ready®!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We have recently shared some of the mistakes that we see founders make in retail…now what about good starting points? In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, Alli focuses on THREE of her most important retail rules. These rules are applicable for all brands, but especially ones who are self-funded and building a brand that works for them! You’ll hear…

• How you can ensure that you’re getting into the right channels for success
• Why not to rely on that paid list of buyer contacts
• And what role brokers and distributors can truly play in your business

As usual, we want to know WHICH rule resonates most? DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn to let us know. Find the links to our Instagram and LinkedIn as well as all the valuable resources mentioned in our full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Roadmap! 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

• Why it’s important to say “no” in your business
• What you’re risking if you don’t incorporate this into your business vocabulary
• Four strategies for saying “no” even when it feels hard

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

I hear the same questions over and over again: “How do I connect with wholesale buyers? Do I need to use a broker? How do I know when I’m ready for distribution? Why won’t the buyer call me back?”

Today we’re addressing all of your concerns about landing on the retail shelf, and increasing sales once you’re there with Cameron McCarthy of WeStock. 

Cameron brings seven years of national sales experience, and over $40M of sales revenue for emerging brands, to our podcast today. Join me in conversation as we talk about perfecting your wholesale pitch, how to grow your brand through brokers & distributors, and what makes that wholesale buyer actually say “yes!” to carrying your product. 

Find the full show notes, WeStock & Cameron’s contact information, and our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group by clicking here. 

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Are you heading to the Good Food Awards and Mercantile in Portland this coming April? In this week’s episode 189 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, I chat with Joyce Attar. Joyce is the Director of Operations at World Foods Portland and is a member of the Good Food Foundation.

You won’t want to miss our conversation, where she shares key information for trade shows… including the Good Food Mercantile! After listening in, you’ll know:

• Where you can find a list of retailers that are values-aligned
• What BUYERS do to prepare for trade shows
• Why knowing your end customer and store audience is critical
• What piece of information not to miss in your buyer followup email

Get all this and more in this episode! As I mentioned, you can find out more about Joyce, World Foods Portland, the Good Food Foundation and Mercantile, my Instagram, and our Food Biz Wiz Facebook, all in our full show notes linked here!

This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! This checklist is the one I mention in this episode: it’s 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

• How to know when you’re ready to hire a copywriter, and what to expect from that relationship (hint: don’t waste your money too early!)
• How brands can use creative copy to create a cohesive experience for their consumers - and why that’s key to brand loyalty
• How bootstrapped brands can write successful copy themselves using Celsea’s best copywriting tips
• How to ensure your copy actually leads to sales

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Captivating product photography is key to selling your food or beverage products online, creating engaging sell sheets, having a professional website, and more - but it can be expensive, time consuming, and frustrating if you’re not a photographer! Join me in conversation with professional photographer and the creator of the Flat Lay Play online course, Kimberly Murray, as she educates us on how to successfully create your product shots. In this show, we’ll cover:

• How to prepare for your photoshoots
• When to DIY your photography, and when to hire a professional
• What 3 key pieces of equipment to use when you decide to DIY
• How to make your images stand out online

For the full show notes, including Kimberly’s Flat Lay checklist and contact information, click here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join one of my favorite fellow food industry consultants, Sari Kimbell, in today’s episode where we’re discussing the common question of, “how do I start a food business?” 

In this episode, we discuss:

• The typical path for early-stage food businesses
• Key markers that set apart food businesses who succeed and food businesses who fail (hint: it’s not about your product!)
• Sari’s top three mistakes that she sees early-stage food business owners make, time and time again

This episode is supported by Sari’s course, the Farmers Market Jumpstarter Course! This course gives you all of the tools that you need to launch into farmers markets quickly and profitably. From getting the right permitting in place, to correctly pricing your products so you actually make money, to understanding how to drive sales at your booth - this course covers it all. Click here to learn more, and don’t forget to use the promo code “FOODBIZWIZ” for $50 off your course price!

For full show notes, a link to Sari’s free class on finding profit at Farmers markets, and her full contact information, click here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

For the 100th episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I’m outlining one hundred wholesale buyer’s possible “No's” and teaching you how to turn them into “Heck Yes’s!” instead! This show will help you land on more shelves, and craft a pitch that gets those first orders from your dream accounts.

In today’s show, I’ll talk through:

• Why a Buyer says No
• What to think through when you hear any Buyer’s objection
• How to respond and change the conversation

As a bonus for today’s show, I’ve created a freebie workbook outlining those 100 Buyer No’s, which will walk you through preparing for any possible objection, and guide you in crafting that rebuttal. Find the free download and the full show notes by clicking here. 

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass. Find a time that works for you, and join us soon! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join Charlie Berkinshaw on the Food Biz Wiz podcast as he sits down with Giulietta Octavio, the founder and CEO of Ceybon, to discuss whether adding a ready-to-drink product line to her existing lineup is worth it. Ceybon currently produces mood, brain, and sleep enhancing mushroom elixirs. With asks coming from both wholesale accounts and customers, Giulietta is considering all the intricacies of creating a new product line.

In this episode, you'll hear Charlie and Giulietta discuss...

• The consumer education necessary for her current product line
• Pros and cons of developing this new RTD line
• How she can approach cost-effectiveness, co-packing partnerships, cash flow management, higher volume sales expectations, and more
• And what assumptions may or may not hold true for crossing into a new line

If you're considering a product crossover or adding a new line, you won't want to miss this conversation. Join us in this discussion to determine if developing this RTD sparkling line is “worth it!” As always, find more information on Giulietta and Ceybon, as well as the links to our Instagram, LinkedIn, and Food Biz Wiz Facebook group in our full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you listened in and KNOW that you’d benefit from Charlie’s expertise on your questions & your CPG challenges, then Retail Ready® IS the perfect place for you! Retail Ready® is our online course and community for producers who are looking to have a solid retail strategy and increase their sales with less guesswork. Click here for our enrollment so that you can learn more and get started TODAY!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

If you've been listening into this fourth quarter focus mini-series, then you'll know that for most brands, Q4 is not the time to pitch to buyers. So...what next, then? In this episode, I'm sharing the top THREE things that you can work on before Q4 ends to prepare for the new year, when buyers come out of the chaos of the holidays. You'll hear more about...

• What THREE things you need to work on
• Why it's essential to use this pitching "downtime" before Q1 rolls around
• And how you can be confident in this prep work before the new year!

I’d love to hear how you liked this style of mini-series and episodes. Let me know by DMing me on Instagram and on LinkedIn. You can find the links to my Instagram, LinkedIn, and also find all the episodes in this mini-series, linked in our full show notes here.

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass for growing YOUR food business! Check out our Masterclass for our actionable tips to increase your sales now and in Q1, plus an invite to join us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We’re back this week to revisit the 2nd part of our 4 part mini-series focusing on the 4th quarter! Wondering how to ace your last pitches for the quarter (unless, of course, you produce a seasonal product)?

In this episode, we're talking about what you need to have nailed down as you make those final pitches. We'll discuss the 4 P’s: product, pricing, promotion, and pitch script. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a checklist of what your pitch needs to appeal to busy buyers.

To access our full show notes, check out the previous episode of this series, and join our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, click here to our full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass on growing your food business! If you found yourself wondering exactly what strategies you’ll need to perfect your pitch, then Retail Ready® is THE place for you. Click here to watch our Masterclass and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our third quarter cohort before the fourth quarter!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

I WISH that Faire existed back when I was a buyer. If you're not familiar with Faire, Faire is an online B2B marketplace allowing independent retailers to find and to connect with brands like YOURS. In today's episode, Colin Ainsworth and Andy Bluestein from the Faire team join the podcast to share…

• How Faire works, both from a brand and retailer perspective
• Ways that brands can optimize their profiles for retailer discovery
• The perks that retailers and brands receive for using Faire
• And mistakes to avoid as a new or existing brand on the platform

Wizes, I want to know if you'll be updating your existing Faire profile soon, or even better, if you're finally going to join Faire after this episode! Snap a photo and tag me and the Faire team. Find the links to our Instagram, LinkedIn, and socials in our full show notes here.

This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! To support this episode’s theme, 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Q4 is nearly upon us. Before your holiday D2C sales start ramping up, there's one, one hour task that can increase your holiday sales: implementing an abandoned cart automation. Even if you already have an abandoned cart automation set up, this episode will confirm best practices for you.

This episode will share...

• Reasons why your consumers might abandon a cart
• Resources to help determine where consumers are leaving in YOUR checkout process
• The step-by-step procedure for establishing an efficient abandoned cart email sequence, spread over five days
• WHAT each email should say
• And Alli's #1 tip for getting this task done!

Check out our full show notes for all the resources mentioned, including Alli’s Instagram and LinkedIn links. Let us know if it’s on your list to create or re-visit your abandoned cart automation before the holidays set in!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you’re a Food Biz Wiz listener, then you are a savvy CPG founder. You’re here to refine your strategies and gain insight to become an even savvier founder. In short, you’re the perfect fit for Retail Ready®. Retail Ready® is our online program for producers who are looking to have a solid retail strategy and increase their sales with less guesswork. Click here for our enrollment page so that you can learn more and get your Q4 momentum started now!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today, we bring you the final re-air of our Fourth Quarter Focus Series from last year! As we’re nearly in the fourth quarter, this episode is dedicated to what you should actually be doing IN the fourth quarter and how to focus your business-building efforts for the remainder of the year.

We'll outline exactly what you should focus on in the 4th quarter to ensure you're ready when the new year arrives. Alli discusses your sales scripts, your sales materials, your sales strategy, and what updates she has since last year.

Click here to check out our full show notes, links to the previous episodes in our mini-series, and to join our Food Biz Wiz® Student Facebook group!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass on growing your food business! Our Masterclass covers Alli’s framework for how to increase your sales. If you find yourself wondering precisely what strategy (or strategies) you actually need, then Retail Ready® is THE place for you. Click here to watch our Masterclass and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join before the fourth quarter begins!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing my best tips for surviving your newfound reality of working from home, based on my past six years of experience doing just that - in a 700 square foot apartment with my husband and my dog.

Tune in to hear: 

• The importance of mimicking a normal workday, plus how to STOP working at the end of the day
• The mindset shift that you have to make when you work from home
• My #1 tip for productivity while working in a distracting environment

From there, find the full show notes, and all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode by clicking here.

Welcome to the 250th episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, wizes! We are thrilled to have published 250 episodes of valuable, hard-to-access information from the packaged food and beverage industry.

As it’s our last episode, this episode is a bit different. It’s a short welcome episode for those just discovering the Food Biz Wiz Podcast Library for the first time. You’ll hear me share more about...

• How you can navigate our hundreds of podcast episodes with our BRAND NEW listener guide
• Ways to make the best use out of our content
• And how you can help us celebrate this milestone: leaving ratings and sharing our social media posts!

Did you miss our announcement on why we made this decision? Check out episode 249 just below this one. Click here to grab our listener guide so that you can access the most useful episodes NOW and find our full show notes here!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

You want to land on more shelves. So, you stop by your retail target and leave samples...but you might be doing more harm than good for your brand. In this week's episode of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, I'm debunking myths about sharing samples with wholesale buyers and what you need to do to make sure you get it right.

You’ll hear all about…

• The #1 mistake I see eager brands make when sharing their samples
• What happens when you make this mistake
• How you can be savvy about sharing your samples so that you don't waste time, effort, and money
• And why sharing samples isn't JUST about your product's taste!

Make sure to connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn and let us know what you’ll be doing differently the next time you share samples with a buyer. Find our Instagram and LinkedIn links, as well as other relevant podcast episodes, at our full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you listened in and want a place to ask specifics about best practices for sharing your samples and crafting a compelling pitch, then you are the perfect fit for Retail Ready®. Retail Ready® is our online course and community for producers who are looking to have a solid retail strategy and increase their sales with less guesswork. Click here for our enrollment so that you can learn more and get started TODAY!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide 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 2024
• Challenges that suppliers will continue to face from a buyer perspective
• How brands will adapt into non-traditional channels that support their way of biz
• Increased consumer know-how & education in their product choices
• And 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this third re-air of our Fourth Quarter Focus Series from last year, we’re zeroing in on what you need to do to nurture your existing accounts. If you joined us for the past weeks’ episodes, you’ll know that many buyers are about to be heads down in the busiest grocery season of the year, so it’s all the more critical to be ahead of the game.

In this week's episode, we'll discuss:

• The two audiences you'll focus on and how to nurture them
• Why nurturing those relationships sets your brand up for success in the fourth quarter
• How to nurture your accounts with a multifaceted strategy
• Plus, Alli’s updates on what’s changed since last year!

To check out our previous episodes from this series, see our show notes, and access even more useful resources, click here for the full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by the Retail Ready® waitlist! If you’re listening and wondering what other strategies you can be implementing for short and long-term success, then we KNOW Retail Ready® is the perfect place for you. Retail Ready® is our online course, coaching, and community for producers who are looking to increase their sales THIS year! Jump on our Retail Ready® waitlist to be the first to know when we open enrollment again. Click here to save your spot! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today’s episode is all about launching and executing successful crowdsourcing campaigns. Join my guest, Courtney Boyd Myers (CMB) as she shares her secrets on her most recent successful Kickstarter for her kelp jerky brand, Akua. In today’s show, CMB covers:

• How to determine whether or not crowdsourcing is right for your brand
• Her steps to planning & launching your campaign
• Why the first 24 hours of your campaign are the most important
• The most common mistakes she sees food businesses make as they wrap up their crowdfunding

For the complete show notes, including all of the resources that CBM mentions on today’s show, click here. This episode is supported by Canva, a free design software used by (and loved!) by both Alli & CBM. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join me in conversation with Daniel Morrison, the Director of Distributor Relations at Green Spoon Sales, as we spill the dirt on working with brokers & distributors to grow your packaged food or beverage business. In today’s episode, we’ll cover:

• How, when and why you’d bring on a distributor for your brand
• How you work with a broker to get your product on the retail shelf 
• How that delicate broker/distributor relationship works, and how you can leverage it for more sales
• Which distributor programs, vehicles, and strategies are available to help ensure success for earlier stage brands

Plus we get into finding the RIGHT broker for your brand, the most common things that brands do incorrectly as they start working with brokers and distributors, and more. 

Find the full show notes, Daniel’s contact information, and our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group linked here!

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

If you're wondering how other brands' journeys with co-packers or co-manufacturers are going, then this is the episode for you! In this "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode, Charlie checks back in with Kathrin Henon, the CEO and Founder of Planet Bake, around how her search for a co-packer has gone over the past year. Charlie and Kathrin first discussed whether co-packing was "worth it" for her in the August of 2022, in episode 158 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast.

Planet Bake makes vegan, gluten-free, better-for-you donuts. In this episode, you'll hear more about...

• What challenges Kathrin faced along her co-packer search
• Why your co-packer or co-manufacturer journey isn’t always linear
• How she pivoted to find what works for her biz
• And the lessons she learned in moving forward and what she recommends!

Be sure to check out our full show notes here with the link to the previous episode 158, Planet Bake's site, the resource Kathrin mentioned, and our Instagram and LinkedIn!

This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! 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. If you’re thinking about how you can ensure that your sales in existing doors increase, then this is the perfect resource for you. 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

As entrepreneurs, it’s par for the course for us to navigate and decide between many business choices. In this episode, Charlie and Rebecca Styn consider a potential pivot for her brand and operations. Rebecca is the founder and owner of Room 33, a speakeasy bar located in Erie, PA, AND Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails, her non-alcoholic RTD cocktail brand.

Don’t miss this episode’s conversations on…

• The differences between Rebecca’s current strategy and her potential new strategy
• How her option to franchise her bar could support her CPG brand’s growth
• Which business processes and resources she’s using to help her decision

Listen in for all these considerations, plus more! Find out more about Room 33, Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails, Rebecca Styn, Charlie Berkinshaw, and more through our full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Quarterly Planning Workshop! If you’re a RR student who KNOWS how important it is to do quarterly planning but need to commit to a time and process - I want you to join us in our live, online quarterly planning workshop on March 22nd. Check your email inbox and our private Retail Ready® Facebook group for more information on how to join us! Not in RR yet? Even better. When you join us inside of RR between NOW and March 22nd you’ll get a free ticket to this event! Check out more on joining us in Retail Ready® HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

• The two main reasons why you should still consider retail & traditional wholesale accounts for your food business
• That 17 million square feet of physical grocery stores were added in the US in 2018, and what that means for you
• The typical conversion rates from Shopify on your own website, and how that influences your online sales
• The number one thing to remember as you launch into e-commerce

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

• Three questions to ask yourself to boost your food business’s Instagram
• Examples of two CPG brands who are really getting it right, and one who misses the mark
• How you should spend at least ten minutes per day, without fail.
• Why you should send me a DM on Instagram, and what sort of response you’ll receive back.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Welcome to a new style of episode on the Food Biz Wiz® podcast: our “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” series! In today’s show, Charlie helps Karine, the founder of My Guiltless Treats, decide whether or not it’s worth it to change her packaging size.

Charlie Berkinshaw is our VP of Student Success here at Food Biz Wiz, as well as the Founder of Element Shrub, a RTD and concentrate beverage line, and a Founding Partner of The Fountain Inn, a spirits tasting room in Washington, D.C. Charlie supports our students day in and day out, answering questions just like this in our private Retail Ready® student community and on our bi-weekly coaching calls. 

Tune in to hear them talk through the questions that any founder needs to be able to answer as you consider changing your packaging, size, product assortment, flavors, or other offerings to your wholesale accounts and direct-consumers.

At the end of this show, you’ll hear Karine exclaim that she is “mind-blown!” as she gains clarity during her conversation with Charlie. 

Click here for the full show notes, all of the resources mentioned in today’s show, and to learn more about My Guiltless Treats!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®, our online course, coaching & community for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, WISHING you could get Charlie’s advice for your brand, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass. Find a time that works for you, and join us soon! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this first episode of Food Biz Wiz™ you'll learn more about me (Alli!), my history as a Grocery Buyer, Head of Grocery,  and Retail Store Manager in the food industry, and what you can expect from future episodes of this podcast with me. I’m so excited that you’re here, and I can’t wait to get to know you and your food business.

Click here for the detailed show notes. See you there! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Founders, managers, and CPG operators alike – we’re just about one month away from Q2. In this episode, Charlie and I dive into quarterly planning. We hear from so many founders that it’s something they know they should do, but yet…they don’t. We’re out to make sure you’re ready to plan your next quarter.

In this episode, we run through…

• The most common reasons we hear for not planning your quarters
• Why planning can be a form of self care for you and your business
• An overview of our own quarterly planning process at Food Biz Wiz

• Plus, how you can learn our in-depth quarterly planning process during our LIVE workshop!

Hear all this and more in this episode. To connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn, or find our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, click here to our full show notes!

Plus, check out more on joining us in Retail Ready® HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

It can be so intimidating - yet crucial! - for CPG brands to keep up an online presence that captures attention from their audience. But how can you create consistently beautiful content - WITHOUT a professional photographer or videographer on demand at all times?

Food photographer and course creator, Rupa Nagamootoo, joins me in today’s episode to answer that very question, with some real tips on how to put your brand in the spotlight using just your phone and some savvy video marketing. 

Learn more about how to sync up with Rupa and her Viral Recipe Video Workshop in the full show notes here!

This episode was supported by Canva, my favorite, EASY design tool for creating branded images, graphics, and GIFs that will make your social media stories & feeds look SUPER PRO. If you’re looking for easy-to-use online software, you’ll want to check Canva out. You’ll be hooked! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Ibraheem Basir, the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, joins us for episode 193 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast! If you haven’t heard about A Dozen Cousins, then you’re in for a special episode. A Dozen Cousins is the national bean, rice, and sauce company bringing Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American flavors to consumers in easy-to-cook meals.

You won’t want to miss hearing about…

• Why he focused on launching in retail first
• How he leveraged his food passion and industry experiences
• What values A Dozen Cousins stands for and how they weave them into their work
• Their process for hiring diverse, values-aligned team members and building team culture

Ibraheem’s wisdom in navigating the CPG scene is invaluable. Learn even more about his brand and send us a DM on Instagram, LinkedIn, or the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group by following this link to our full show notes. You can also find the links to the other episode and resources mentioned there, too!

This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In our Original Recipe episode this week, we’re revisiting an episode with marketing expert Ryan Pintado-Vertner. Ryan is the founder and CEO of Smoketown, a brand consultancy that focuses on fractional CMO services and strategy practice to help mission-driven consumer brands maximize their growth and build more traction.

Alli and Ryan discuss:

• HOW using the “Jobs To Be Done” mindset can help you hone in on your target audience
• WHERE you ACTUALLY should focus your marketing efforts, as based on Ryan’s strategy
• Plus, what three marketing tactics that you can use are!

To check out Smoketown and our conversations on this episode in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, click here to our full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by our 4th Quarter Masterclass for growing your food biz! If you listened in and want to ask CPG questions to experts like Ryan, Alli, and Charlie, then Retail Ready® is the perfect place for you! Check out our Masterclass for actionable tips to increase your sales NOW, plus an invite to join us in Retail Ready®. Click here to watch our Masterclass and learn those tips, plus all that we cover inside our course, coaching & community!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Expo West is coming! In today’s episode, I sit down with Lacey Gautier, New Hope’s VP of Events to get all the insider knowledge you need to be successful at this year’s Expo West.

Listen in to learn how to get the most out of the show, with tips on what to prepare and the kinds of connections that even introverted CPG founders can make during the event. (Spoiler alert - there are some BIG retail buyers attending this year!)

Learn where to find Lacey and grab links to everything you need for 2022’s Expo West in the full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by my 100 Wholesale Buyer "No's" Workbook, where I walk you through 100 different ways the Buyer might turn down your product. Using this resource, you can prepare yourself to be READY to respond to these No's and turn them into Yes's! Get the free download here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Will Ahearn, the President of Dirty Hands, manages over 100 brands in 1,000 retail accounts with the help of about 125 employees - or, as he likes to call them, “brothers & sisters.” On today’s episode, he’s sharing how your emerging food or beverage brand can support your sales on-shelf, develop key relationships in retail, and grow your brand through empathetic partnerships. Tune in to hear us discuss:

• Why it’s important to support your brand after you get on the shelf
• How you can continue to champion your product line from afar as you grow nationally
• HOW to show up, physically, to your accounts right now, and who to talk to once you do
• What you should avoid - at all costs - when you’re nurturing your brick & mortar retail accounts

Will drops SO much practical information on today’s show, and you’re going to love hearing his advice just as much as I loved speaking to him about brick & mortar grocery sales. Find the full show notes & Dirty Hand’s contact information by clicking here.

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

After working with over 500 food & beverage brands in Retail Ready®, I’ve seen many brands succeed, and others struggle to grow and sustain their business. What’s the secret to success? 

In today’s episode, I’m joined by fellow food industry consultants Sarah Delevan of The Good Food CFO and Katie Mleziva of Real Food Brands as we talk through the three pillars of a successful food business. In this show, we’ll discuss how the most stable brands focus on brand strategy, financial strategy, and sales strategy - at the same time - to build a foundationally strong packaged food or beverage brand.

For the full show notes, including information on how to enter our giveaway, and how to keep in touch with Sarah and Katie, click here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

This week we are re-visiting a 4-part mini-series on where your focus should be in the 4th quarter! This week's 1st episode is all about the Wholesale Buyer's Perspective.

I'll discuss:

• A breakdown of the Buyer's Perspective from October to December
• Why Buyers may be ignoring your emails 
• What has or hasn’t changed since last year!

To check out our full show notes here and to join our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group, click here!

This episode is sponsored by the Retail Ready® waitlist! If you’ve found value in the bits of expertise I share on the Food Biz Wiz® podcast, then you’re going to be blown away by Retail Ready®, our online course, coaching & community for producers who are looking to increase their sales THIS year! Jump on our Retail Ready® waitlist to be the first to know when we open enrollment again. Click here to save your spot! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Don't let this mistake ruin your chances with wholesale buyers. Discover the common pitching mistake food founders make AND how to avoid it in this quick re-air of episode 108 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast.

After tuning in, you'll be able to…

• Identify the mistake and know how to avoid it
• Know crucial insights on a wholesale buyer's mindset that'll take you miles ahead
• Tailor more of your pitch to the buyer
• AND learn how you can hear more of my buyer insights!

Make sure to connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, linked in our full show notes here. We want to hear which step you’re taking next in your pitch!

This episode is sponsored by my Wholesale Success System Workshop! This FREE training is for all my listeners who know that they want to take control of their sales, land on more shelves, and have higher sales once they’re there. I’ll outline my simple sales system so that you can repeat this process in your biz. Follow this link to save your spot and join us!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

You land in your dream retail account, deliver your first order and then…. nothing happens. You don’t hear back from the Buyer, and it slowly dawns on you that they don’t need a reorder because your product just isn’t selling. 

We’ve all been there.In today’s episode, I share what food and beverage founders can do when you have slow sales. Tune in to hear my best advice on increasing your velocity when sales and reorders aren’t happening as quickly as you’d like!

For the full show notes, click here. 

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Feel like something is missing from your wholesale buyer pitches, and like you can't seal the deal with wholesale accounts? Today's episode is for you!

In this week's Food Biz Wiz podcast, I share the #1 mistake I see food founders make in their wholesale pitches and what to do instead. 

I promise you that if you make this small switch, you'll start getting more calls back and more YES's to carrying your products.

For the full show notes and all of the resources mentioned on today’s show, click here.

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who want to land on more retail shelves, and have high sales once you do. If you listen to this episode and nod along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready. Find out all about our program, how we work with brands, and our three step process for growing food businesses by watching this free masterclass. Find a time that works for you, and join us soon! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

To kick off Season Two of the podcast, I’m answering YOUR questions on-air! 

Join me as I answer my listener submitted questions on finding a co-packer, testing for shelf life, selling online, selling in-store, managing production, connecting with Buyers, using Instagram to grow your business and increase your sales, and more! 

For a recap of the show, links to all of the resources mentioned on today’s episode, and detailed show notes, please click here.

Finally - don’t forget to grab my Retail Roadmap - my free PDF on my nine steps to building a brand that flies off the shelf. If you’re looking to expand your wholesale accounts, you’re going to love it. Click here to grab my PDF and start increasing your sales today. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We’re 20 weeks away from Thanksgiving, and NOW is the time to get organized for the Fourth Quarter. In today’s episode, you’ll learn my four steps to planning for a strong holiday season, ensuring that you know exactly what you’re selling, who you’re selling it to, and how to land in those valuable holiday guides. 

Grab your notebook and tune in to today’s episode to make sure you’re thinking in advance and primed to capture sales during the busiest time of the year for food & beverage brands! Click here for the full show notes and the resources that I talk about on today’s show.

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

A successful wholesale pitch depends on multiple factors. But one thing is certain: without these 5 P's, you are all the less likely to nail your pitch. In this episode, I share these 5 key topics that you need to have prepared for buyers.

In this episode, you will be able to...

• Recognize the 5 P's in a successful wholesale pitch: product, placement, pricing, promotion, and purchasing
• Understand the nuances of each "P" & how you can BE prepared for pitching
• Know where you might have holes in your pitch
• And have next steps for what to do if you don't have these 5 P's nailed down!

Wizes, I’d love to hear from you! DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn and let me know which of the 5 P’s you need to get down next. You can find my Instagram and LinkedIn links in our full show notes here.

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you listened in and know that you need support with YOUR 5 P’s, then you are the perfect fit for Retail Ready®. Retail Ready® is our online program for producers who are looking to have a solid retail strategy and increase their sales with less guesswork. Click here for our enrollment so that you can learn more and get your Q4 momentum started now!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We’re kicking off 2022 with my predictions of three industry trends that we’ll see around emerging food, beverage and taxable grocery brands this coming year. Tune in to hear me talk through each trend, what it is, and the impact that it will have on your business. 

For this episode’s full show notes, more information on the resources I talked about today, including the complementary digital swag bag worth over $1,500 from our Brand Camp sponsors, click here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Knowing just how to approach celebrities or influencers for brand collaborations is hard. That’s why we’re so excited to share this episode with you! Today, we chat with Carolyn Cesario and Julie Sullivan, the co-founders of Ground Up PDX. Ground Up PDX is a nut butter company that has a social mission to provide job training to women in the Portland area. They have just launched a new nut butter flavor with health and wellness expert, Liz Moody.

In this episode, you’ll hear more on…

• How Julie and Carolyn approach co-branded celebrity collaborations
• What tips they have for success in co-branded collabs
• Ground Up PDX’s new flavor with Liz Moody, their Strawberry Black Pepper
• How they balance their social mission with their day-to-day logistics and strategy
• And more!

As always, find more info on Ground Up PDX, Liz Moody, our Food Biz Wiz Facebook link, my Instagram handle, and more in our full show notes linked here!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready® Right Now! If you listened in and were wondering how YOU can have Alli’s buyer support on your CPG questions, then Retail Ready® IS the perfect place for you! Retail Ready® is our online course and support community for producers who are looking to increase their sales THIS year. Click here for our quickstart enrollment so that you can learn more and get started TODAY!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Business lessons are always clearer in hindsight, right? In today’s show, I’m outlining three things that I’m grateful for that I’ve done in my own business (because they’ve WORKED!), and am inviting you to share my secrets and apply them to your food or beverage business.

This episode covers the power of community, investing in your success, and setting a theme for your work. Let’s get right to it! Find the full show notes by clicking right here, and find the Retail Ready course outline linked right here! 

This episode is sponsored by WeStock, a platform that we love and recommend to our clients. WeStock modernizes the customer request process, allowing your raving fans to help you get on the retail shelf, and for you to capture their interest to build a wholesale pitch that WORKS. Find out more about WeStock by clicking here, and use code FOODBIZWIZ to save $100 off your subscription. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

This episode kicks off our 2022 Goal Setting Mini Series, where we’ll spend the next five episodes planning, mapping out, and putting systems in place for outlining and progressing on next year’s business goals.

In today’s show, we start with the WHY. Why do most food founders jump straight into the DOING rather than planning, and why is it important to break this habit?

Once you’ve listened and are ready to commit to ending 2021 with intention, click here for the full show notes, and to connect with me over Instagram, and further your learning in our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group.

From there, don’t forget: our Fourth Quarter Cohort of Retail Ready® is now enrolling, before we raise prices in January! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business (even during this holiday season!) and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our Fourth Quarter cohort!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Every week I get the same question about eCommerce. Tune in to today’s show to hear:

• What that question is (and how I answer it!)
• Where shoppers are buying groceries online right now (so you can focus there and gain more sales!)
• What to remember as you build-out your direct-to-consumer eCommerce strategy

For the full show notes and the link to the data that I present in this episode, click here.

Finally, don’t forget to grab my Retail Roadmap! It’s more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

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:

• The lessons that Kai learned directly from founders in the ice cream category
• What building the biz their way has meant for them and their community

• Some of the challenges of taking VC when you are a values and mission-forward brand

• And how important it is to find truly values-aligned partners to support your brand and its mission

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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Being a food or beverage founder is HARD. You’re constantly “on,” solving problems in your business, and navigating the ups and downs of our industry. Far too often, founders burn out, lose your passion, and decide that it’s too much. 

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Leeann Rybakov, the founder of BuckWHAT Foods and a trained Health Coach, about her challenges with balancing her own physical and mental health as she grew her snack food business into Whole Foods and over 100 natural foods markets. 

Join us as we talk about balancing the stress of being a founder with your passion to grow your business, how to prioritize and focus to avoid burnout, learning how to ask for help, and deciding when to walk away. 

For the full show notes and to get in touch with Leeann, click here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Are you a founder balancing multiple hats and self-funding your biz? Then this is the episode for you! Regina Trillo, former Retail Ready® student and the founder of Nemi Snacks, joins me to share her strategies for how she learned to prioritize all the life, work, and biz responsibilities.

In this episode, you'll hear Regina and I talk about...

• Why she actually strives for prioritization instead of “balance”
• The decisions that led her to stay self-funded
• Why checking in with your capacity is crucial for you and your biz's wellbeing
• How saying “no” is a superpower
• Plus, the mindset shifts that encourage you to move forward and learn

Be sure to check out our full show notes for our resources, including more about Nemi Snacks, MyPocketCFO, our LinkedIn and Instagram links, and more! Connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn and share which of Regina's tips you needed to hear most today.

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you’re like Regina and want ways to simplify your work and also be part of a supportive & knowledgeable CPG community that makes being a founder less lonely, then Retail Ready® is THE place for you. Check out our Masterclass for our tips for taking guesswork out of your strategy, plus an invite to join us in Retail Ready®. Click here to watch our Masterclass and learn those tips, plus all that we cover in our course, strategic support & community!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

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 inclusivity
• How Jedi Collaborative's work can support YOUR brand’s particular JEDI journey
• And 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join me for live wholesale coaching with Emily Griffith of Lil Bucks. In this show we discuss:

• How Emily should position her brand after two years in business
• What it would take to change categories for her sprouted buckwheat line
• Alternative demo ideas for product discovery & trial post-COVID in 2020
• How to partner with retailers to market her products and increase sales of her packaged food business

For the full show notes and additional resources that we discussed in today’s episode, click here.

To hear more about the most common mistakes I see brands make (and how to avoid them!) plus learn the exact outline on how I work with brands in Retail Ready®, my online course for producers looking to increase their wholesale accounts, click here. You’ll get a free workbook to take notes, lots of tangible next steps for your brand, and an opportunity to learn more about working together. See you there!

So you’re on RangeMe…but you’re not quite sure about where to go from there. Well this week, I’m so excited for Brandon Leong, the SVP of Marketing and Growth for RangeMe, to join us. In this episode, Brandon and I share some real talk on:

• Why you NEED to be on RangeMe
• How you can shift your thinking to use RangeMe more effectively and stop using hope as a strategy
• The no and low cost way to drive your RangeMe profile’s visibility, plus…
• What some of the biggest recent buyer trends are

This episode was packed FULL of valuable insights for food CPG brands and I know you’ll walk away with actionable next steps. If you want to navigate to RangeMe’s site, check Brandon out, and see our full show notes, click here!

This episode is sponsored by our Masterclass! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join us!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

As a busy foodpreneur, you likely have lots of goals and ideas on how to achieve them. The challenge is figuring out how to prioritize the actions that will get you closer to hitting those goals each time, and figuring out what to focus on, and when, in your business.

In today’s episode, I share my process for reverse engineering my goals so that I hit them - or at least, come close! - every time.

To help you outline your goals and your path forward, download my free, editable workbook to accompany today’s show. It will walk you through this process, ensuring that you know how to make moves forward in your food or beverage business. 

Find the free workbook and all of the show notes by clicking here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We are kicking off season 13 of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast with a new rapid-fire show!

In this episode, I’ll give you my short and sweet thoughts on the following topics:

• Moving from farmer’s markets to wholesale stores
• Hiring VA’s and “do’s” and “don’ts”
• How to find wholesale buyer email addresses
• How to be proactive in your business

Click here for the full show notes and to join us in our private Facebook group, or to connect with me on Instagram.

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It's more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

This week, we’re sharing our episode on planning and achieving a successful crowdfunding campaign! Listen in to this episode with Courtney Boyd Myers (CBM), the founder of kelp jerky brand, Akua. CBM has launched multiple successful crowdfunding campaigns through Kickstarter.

Tune in to hear…

• How to know if a crowdsourcing or Kickstarter campaign is right for you
• What Courtney did to launch and plan for the campaign
• Why the first 24 hours after launch are critical
• Plus, what common mistakes to avoid in your campaign

To check out our conversations on this episode in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group and to connect with Akua, click here to our full show notes!

Plus, click here to watch our Masterclass and learn insider tips, plus all that we cover inside our course, coaching & community, Retail Ready®!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Are you an overwhelmed solopreneur, trying to balance family and business commitments while being told to just manage your time better? In this episode, Charlie Berkinshaw, our Retail Ready® VP of Student Success and the founder and CEO of Element Shrub, and Priya Patil, the founder and CEO of Belov’d Foods, discuss how they work to improve their organization and time management for balancing their family life AND CPG businesses.

Listen in to hear Charlie and Priya's takeaways on...

• Why Charlie embraces a "slow" approach to growth
• Which planning and organizational tactics Priya can use to optimize her time
• How having a CPG community has benefitted Priya's business

Make sure to check out our full show notes here, which have links to Alli's Instagram, LinkedIn, and our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group. The Food Biz Wiz Facebook group is a great way to connect with other food founders and share what YOUR next steps for organization are after listening in.

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready® Right Now! If you listened in and were wondering how YOU can have Charlie’s AND our community’s support on your CPG challenges, then Retail Ready® IS the perfect place for you! Retail Ready® is our online course and community for producers who are looking to increase their sales. Click here for our quickstart enrollment so that you can learn more and get started TODAY!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

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 events
• Common traits of the most successful buyer pitches and what NOT to do
• The 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this final episode of our 5-part 2022 Goal Setting Mini-Series, I’m walking you through my process of tracking progress on your goals, and ensuring that you get in the habit of working towards them, EVEN WHEN things get busy in your business, which they inevitably do. 

Tune in to hear how you can create & stick to a small habit that will create BIG results in your food or beverage business in 2022. Remember, results come from action, and that’s what we’re outlining today.

Click here for the first four episodes of our 2022 Goal Setting Mini-Series, and for the full show notes. 

From there, don’t miss out: our Fourth Quarter Cohort of Retail Ready® is now enrolling, before we raise prices in January! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business (even during this holiday season!) and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our Fourth Quarter cohort and lock in our 2021 pricing, before we increase the cost in January.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We’ve said this phrase 100s of times here on the Food Biz Wiz podcast. It’s literally the name of our signature course, Retail Ready®. So what does it actually mean for your brand and your product line to be “retail ready”? To be ready for retail channels, for a wholesale buyer to say yes enthusiastically to carrying YOUR product line?

Today, I dive into this exact topic to break down what it actually means to be “retail ready.” Listen in to hear…

• How I define what being “retail ready” means, in three parts
• What three steps YOUR brand can take to become “retail ready”
• Why joining us in our course, Retail Ready®, can quickstart your progress

You’ll hear all of this and more in this episode! As I mentioned in the intro, please DM me via Instagram or LinkedIn and connect with me in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group! Find all those links in our full show notes here.

You guessed it. This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass for growing YOUR food business! If you listened in and KNOW that you want access to ALL of my buyer insights, plus to be a part of our supportive, private student community, then Retail Ready® is THE place for you. Check out our Masterclass for my actionable tips to increase your sales now, plus an invite to join us in Retail Ready®. Click here to watch our Masterclass and learn those tips, plus all that we cover with our course, strategic support & community!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

One of the most exciting steps in growing your CPG business is being able to create job opportunities for your local community. In this episode, I sit down with hiring expert Cindy Harvey to give you insights into your next hire.

Listen in to learn how, when, and why to hire - plus we’ll talk about ways that the wrong fit can cost your business. 

Learn about how to connect with Cindy in the full show notes here!

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It's more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join my favorite Amazon expert, Jennifer Kaylo Ruskin, for today’s episode as we talk all about whether or not Amazon is a viable channel for your brand. The food industry is changing rapidly, and with the rise of ecommerce, Amazon seems like a natural channel for most brands. But is it really? On today’s episode, Jennifer talks us through:

1. Validating your brand on Amazon, and how to determine if you should list on their platform
2. Her favorite resources for pulling data from Amazon, so you can make smart business decisions using this powerful channel
3. Determining which of the MANY Amazon channels is right for your brand, and how to decide
4. How to ship your items once you DO list your product on Amazon

Jennifer’s favorite tools that she mentioned on today’s show are: 

• MerchantWords
• JungleScout
• Feedback Genius on Seller Labs

For detailed show notes as well as full contact information for Jennifer, click here. If you loved this episode, please leave me a review on your favorite podcast platform. Leaving a written review is the single most helpful thing that you can do to support this podcast, and I am eternally grateful when you take the time to support this show. Thank you! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Refreshing your branding is a huge undertaking. There are so many considerations involved, from your brand’s story, to your physical packaging, to finding the right partners. That’s why we are thrilled to talk with Diana Jarrar, the founder of MagicBites (and a Retail Ready®student!), and Sam Laubach and Meghan Martin, the co-founders of Here and Now Creative, about the BEAUTIFUL rebrand they launched for MagicDates.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The WHY behind Diana’s decision to rebrand in the first place
• How she found the right design partners
• The steps in the rebranding process
• How Sam and Meghan guided Diana through the process

If you’d like to see our full notes and resources, to join us in our private Facebook group, or to connect with me on Instagram, click here for the full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by my Masterclass! Click here to watch our free masterclass on growing your food business and to understand exactly what we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join our second quarter cohort!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

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 problem
• How critical it is to know all of your product margins
• What you can do to take a holistic approach to your cash flow and margin
• Reframing 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!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Food founders, Expo West 2023 is just around the corner. If you’re going, then you’re in luck! We’re re-sharing an episode on how to finalize your preparations in the last month before the show. Listen to hear Alli’s buyer scoop on…

• What your biggest asset for trade shows is and how you can support your best asset
• How simple samples can save you time, energy, and money
• Why you DON’T need to be the first person to contact buyers after the show

Wizes, DM Alli on Instagram and let us know what tips you’ll be taking with you to those food shows! You can also join our conversations on food shows and more in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group. Find both links at our full show notes here!

As mentioned in this episode, we’re offering a freebie workbook outlining 100 Buyer No’s. This workbook will walk you through preparing for any possible objection and guide you in crafting a rebuttal 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 trade shows and pitches beyond. Find the free download here!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

This past year was TOUGH, but I’m so proud of the way my Retail Ready students handled the ups and downs with their food & beverage businesses. In today’s show, I’m sharing four lessons that my community learned over the past year, and how you can learn from their successes (and mistakes!) to position yourself for stability and success as we move forward.

I’ll address channel strategy, founder mindset, using data to make decisions, connecting with your community, identifying your values, and more. Tune in, and click here for the full show notes.

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It’s more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this episode, I’m joined by guest Daniela Bolzmann, the Founder of Mindful Goods and creator of the BUY NOW Method, a framework used to create show stopping Amazon listings that make your products stand out & SELL. 

I know many of my listeners have gone full-force into ecommerce over the past few months, and I also know that a LOT of you guys are navigating the complicated world of selling on Amazon. 

In today’s episode with Daniela, we’ll cover:

• 3 ways to improve your Amazon listings TODAY.
• Daniela’s BUY NOW method, helping you turn browsers to buyers, AND 
• Daniela’s number one tip for getting feedback on your Amazon page that will lead to more traffic & more sales

Once you listen, click through for the full show notes, the links to the Amazon seller resources that we spoke about on the show (and a 50% off promo code for Pickfu!), and Daniela’s contact information. 

Don’t forget: use code RETAILREADY100 to save $100 and grab your $49 Amazon mini audit, directly from Mindful Goods! In this personalized video, you’ll get insider information on what to do to improve you own Amazon page right now. Click here to find out more about the mini audit.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Wholesale buyers are more likely to work with brands that are easygoing, deliver upon their promises, and seem trustworthy. After all, they have their pick of whom to work with!

In today’s episode, I ask the hard question of “are you a high maintenance vendor,” and outline the top signs that you might be. With this knowledge, you can self-assess and adjust your ways, knowing that with small changes you’ll be a more trustworthy, reliable vendor and land on more shelves. For the full show notes, click here and to continue the conversation in our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group, click here. 

This episode is sponsored by my 100 Wholesale Buyer "No's" Workbook, where I walk you through 100 different ways the Buyer might turn down your product. Using this resource, you can prepare yourself to be READY to respond to these No's and turn them into Yes's! Get the free download by clicking here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We are back with another “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode this week! Charlie and Eileen McGurty, founder of Mountain Meadow Bone Broth, discuss whether she should add new SKUs to her lineup.

Charlie and Eileen consider…

• Where the demand is coming from for the potential new SKUs 
• What the financial and logistical costs of adding new SKUs are
• How to test the potential SKU’s viability with the lowest risk possible
• When she should time a potential rollout with her products’ seasonality

Listen to Eileen gain clarity on how she’ll move forward with the potential SKUs! To join our conversations on this episode in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook group and to learn more about Mountain Meadow Bone Broth, click here to our full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass for growing your food biz! If you wanted to know exactly how Eileen gained confidence in pitching and which systems Eileen is implementing for increased sales, then you’re the perfect fit for Retail Ready®. Click here to watch our Masterclass to understand all we cover inside our course, coaching & community - plus how to join and start learning NOW!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the three most important pieces of putting together a last-minute tradeshow plan (including my favorite FREE resource!) and you’ll immediately feel more at ease going into this season’s shows. 

For the full show notes, click here.

If you’ve found value in the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’re going to be blown away by Retail Ready, our online course, coaching & community for producers who are looking to increase their sales this year! Jump on our Retail Ready® waitlist to be the first to know when we open enrollment again. Click here to save your spot!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In our latest “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode, Charlie weighs in on whether Kirk, founder of Power of the Almond, should change their pricing structure to work with a distributor. Charlie and Kirk consider the following questions:

• Whether Kirk should include rent in COGs as they have a brick and mortar store
• How different channels can affect his overhead
• Whether expected grocery margins can support working with a distributor

By the end of the episode, Kirk has a clearer picture of how he’ll move forward! To see find more on Power of the Almond and to join our student community, click here to our full show notes! 

Our Retail Ready® September Sales Sprint sponsors this episode! There’s so much out there on cutting costs for a recession, but what about increasing your revenue? In September, we're doing just that through 4 LIVE bonus calls for Retail Ready® students. Find our full course outline here to check out all that we cover, and watch our intro Masterclass at the link here. If you’re ready to jumpstart your revenue now, sign up now at this link!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Today's Food Biz Wiz Podcast guest is Asha Mody, the Founder & Chief Creative Officer and educator at Mindsy Design Studio. Asha joins us with a wealth of knowledge and insider information on what packaging stands out on the shelf and why you need to prioritize this to grow your sales. In today's show, we talk through Asha's five packaging secrets that will help increase your sales!

We’ll cover:

• Telling your brand's story through your packaging.
• How to make sure your packaging is easy to understand. 
• How to make the most of the space you have.
• How to create positive tactile experiences for consumers with the right material.
• How to achieve packaging that is both practical and functional for your product.

All of these steps are essential to achieving the level of success that powerful and effective packaging promises! Click here for the full show notes, a link to a packaging design course with Mindsy Design Studio!

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It's more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Each week, I receive questions in my DMs around how brands can improve their D2C sales from their websites. I’ll often hear brands talk about how their sales aren’t where they want them to be or how they feel like they’ve put in so much effort and dollars to improve their sales – with little actual improvement.

Frustrating, right? In this episode, I’m taking a moment to discuss just why e-commerce sales can be so difficult. Listen in to hear…

• Why your D2C sales might have improved during the pandemic then dipped again
• What the reality of online sales is, so that you don’t have to beat yourself up!
• Where to start if your D2C sales aren’t where you want them to be

Make sure to check out our full show notes to connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and we’ll walk through doing the math on your conversion rates.

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Masterclass for growing YOUR food business! Click here to watch our Masterclass and learn those tips, plus all that we cover with our course, strategic support & community!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

In today’s episode, I outline the five most common mistakes I see early-stage CPG brands make as they try to grow their packaged food businesses. I’ve worked with hundreds of brands in Retail Ready®, and see the same mishaps over and over again: from financials, to marketing, to systems - it’s easy to stumble as you build your brand. 

Tune in to hear the top five things you should ensure you have figured out before you scale. For the full show notes and resources I mentioned on today’s episode, click here.

From here, watch my free masterclass on my three steps to growing a packaged food business! I present the other most common errors that I see founders make as they grow, and outline immediate action steps to take instead. Click here to find a time that works for you to watch.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Oftentimes when we set goals, we don’t give ourselves a roadmap to get where we need to go. This episode 175 brings part 3 of 5 of our mini-series on goal setting and focuses on how to determine the tactics that you’ll use to achieve your 2023 business goals.

Listen in to hear:

• How to use the “lever framework” to brainstorm tactics resourcefully
• What criteria you should use when picking tactics
• Why it’s helpful to limit the number of tactics you pick

Make sure to check out our full notes to listen to our previous episodes in the series, join our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, and follow us on Instagram!

This episode is sponsored by Retail Ready®! If you want this type of support around your goals and accountability for YOUR CPG biz, then Retail Ready® is the place for you. Find out more here about how to join us in Retail Ready®!

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Join me in conversation with Jordan Buckner, the founder of Foodbevy.com, an online resource for emerging food & beverage brands, and the cofounder of TeaSquares, a line of superfood energy bars designed to help people stay focused and alert so they can achieve their passions. 

In today’s show, Jordan talks about his experience being a Black male in the food industry, and how he’s building upon his experience to create opportunities for BIPOC and women CPG founders through his work at Foodbevy. BIPOC and women founders are less likely to receive investment, be taken seriously at the table (or get invited to the table in the first place!), and receive connections that come more easily to white and male founders, and Jordan is on a mission to change that. 

While it may seem that Jordan and I are competing in the same space with Foodbevy and Retail Ready, as we both assist emerging brands, we believe in collaboration over competition. We have dozens of brands who choose to invest in both Foodbevy and Retail Ready, recognizing that our services complement one another. Together, we help you be more prepared in your challenging founder journey.

Tune in today to hear more about the typical barriers that founders have to overcome as you launch & grow your brand, and the resources that can support you along the way.

Click here for the full show notes and to stay in touch with Jordan.

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It’s more important than ever to 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 my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here. 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

We are officially kicking off Season 10 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast. To start the 10th season, I am doing a four-part mini-series of things to focus on in the 4th quarter! This week's episode is all about the Wholesale Buyer's Perspective. What are they thinking throughout the fourth quarter, and how should that impact the actions you take as a food business founder?

I'll discuss:

• A breakdown of the Buyer's Perspective from October to December.
• Why Buyers may be ignoring your emails. 
• The importance of understanding the rhythm of retail. 

For the full show notes, click here. If you’ve found value in the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’re going to be blown away by Retail Ready, my online course for producers who are looking to increase their sales this year! Jump on our Retail Ready® waitlist to be the first to know when we open enrollment again. Click here to save your spot! 

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

If you’re not using Google’s free tools to drive business to your brand, you’re leaving money on the table. Join my guest today, Micala Wright, a content strategist and published author, as we talk through:

• WHY all food businesses - regardless of size - should be on Google
• The four ways to increase your SEO to gain better ranking in online search results
• How to claim and optimize your “My Business Page” on Google to gain higher sales
• The importance of using Google Analytics (it’s free!) and the key step in setting it up for your food business

Plus a whole lot more on the immense power of Google, and the ways that your consumers are using it to find and purchase your products. For the full show notes and Macala’s information, click here.

This episode is sponsored by my Retail Roadmap! It’s more important than ever to know what it takes to get ON the retail shelf, and have high sales once you’re there. Find my free, nine-step guide to building a brand that flies off the shelf by clicking here.

Download the Food Biz Wiz Listener Guide and make the most out of our 250 episode library! Get our curated playlists of top episodes on sales pitches, wholesale buyers, founder mindset, marketing, and more. Fast track your learning by downloading our free Listener Guide HERE.

Episode 173 brings part 2 of our 5 part mini-series on Goal Setting from last year! Alli shares her process of reverse engineering your goals by starting with your end goals and working backwards.

She zeroes in on:

• Why it’s so important to use specific numbers with our goals
• How to ask the right questions about your goals
• What timeline you should be using for your goals

Once you’ve listened in, we encourage you to set aside 30 dedicated minutes to work on these goals. Share what goals you’re setting  with us in the Food Biz Wiz Facebook, linked in our full show notes here! You can also find our last episode linked there, as well as Alli’s Instagram.

This episode is sponsored by our Retail Ready® Right Now page! We heard from enough of you that you didn’t have time to watch our masterclass, BUT you KNEW that Retail Ready® was the perfect tool to help you navigate the retail world. We made an information & enrollment page for food founders who want to skip the masterclass, forgo a sales conversation, and enroll in minutes. We’re increasing the price of Retail Ready® by $400 in January 2023, so join us now to lock in your 2022 pricing & lifetime access to our course, our strategic support, and our community. Find the Retail Ready® Right Now link HERE!