Just found the Food Biz Wiz podcast? Welcome, wiz! My name is Alli and I’m a former wholesale buyer turned wholesale consultant and the creator of Retail Ready®. We help CPG (consumer packaged goods) brands with how to land on more shelves and have high sales once you’re there. You can expect to hear tons of honest, industry insider information, tough love, and advice for building a business that works for you! Check out our Listener Guide HERE to find the most relevant content for your business RIGHT NOW and be sure to connect with us over on Instagram. I can’t wait for you to get into our content, so click play on a full episode below!

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.

Hearing "your SKU is underperforming" from a retailer can easily put brands into a panic. It's natural. We don't want to be on the chopping block when category reviews come around.

That's why we're thrilled to share this "Is It Worth It, Charlie?" episode. In it, Mary Bentdahl, the Co-Founder, CMO, and Director of Sales for ShroomEats, joins Charlie to discuss how she was able to react and to adjust when she heard from a retailer that one of their SKUs was underperforming. You'll hear their conversation on...

• The importance of keeping cool when you learn of a SKU's underperformance
• How staying proactive in your retailer communication can support your SKU success
• What harnessing consumer feedback can do for course correcting sales

We're thrilled for you to listen into this episode and want to know which piece of Mary's experience resonated most with you. DM us on Instagram or LinkedIn, which are linked in our full show notes here. You can also find more about Mary and ShroomEats at our full show notes!

This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! As Mary mentioned, it’s valuable to have a list of go-to actions for selling off the shelf. This checklist can help you be more likely to sell off those shelves and receive reorders. You can find our simplified version at the link here OR, if you’re a Retail Ready® student, you can find the longform version and training directly within our course platform!

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, Charlie brings us another episode of the “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” series. In it, Charlie e-meets with Annabel Kalmar, director of Tea Rebellion, to discuss if she should continue to work with a distributor. Working with a distributor is perhaps one of the most critical things you’ll think through when trying to expand into more retailers. In this episode, Charlie and Annabel consider the following:

• What benefits Tea Rebellion has experienced from working with a distributor
• What challenges arise
• How Tea Rebellion’s mission, values, and logistics fit with working with a distributor

After talking through all these considerations, Annabel has a clearer understanding of her next steps! 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. Click over to our full show notes here so that you can see more of our resources and can check out more about Tea Rebellion.

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 well-crafted story can make the difference between apathy and commitment. Join my discussion with Adam Force, the founder of Change Creator, to hear more about how to leverage storytelling to drive sales for your food or beverage business.

In the episode, Adam shares:

• What does storytelling have to do with your business
• Why storytelling works to land sales over other hard marketing tactics
• How to tell if you’re already using storytelling in your business, and what to do if you’re not
• Why storytelling is a learned skill that we have to practice and hone, and how to do so

If you’ve ever wondered how to warm up those wholesale buyers and turn your online followers into raving fans - this episode will dive into that! Check out our full notes as well for Adam’s resources and how to check out Change Creator.

This episode is sponsored by our 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!

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.

If you’re in the CPG space and pursue wholesale channels, you’ve probably asked yourself some variant of “WHAT is going on with this buyer?!” You’ve sent them multiple emails and your sales materials…and then radio silence.

In today’s episode of the Food Biz Wiz® Podcast, I’ll share…

• WHY buyers go quiet on you
• WHAT it means when that happens
• Then, HOW to rekindle the conversation after silence or if they’ve never responded in the first place

I can’t wait to share these necessary pieces of buyer intel with you. Listen in to catch them all!

Click on over to our full show notes, where you’ll find even more information and can group our podcasts by theme!

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 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.

We’re back this week with another juicy episode of our “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” series. In these episodes, Charlie typically works through a pivotal business decision with a Retail Ready® student. This week though, Charlie dives into the THREE topics he considers essential to think through when weighing whether a decision is worth it:

• Money: COGS, pricing, ROI, and more
• The resources available to your business
• Reflection on this decision’s impact

Whether you’re an emerging brand or have been in business for years, these topics are key when thinking through pivotal decisions. Tune in to hear what they’re all about! Follow along here to our full show notes, where you’ll find even more information and can access podcasts relevant for CPG entrepreneurs like yourself!

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, using this framework in our private Retail Ready® student community and on our bi-weekly coaching calls. 

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 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.

As founders, we often have to strike a difficult balance between completing the nitty-gritty, day-to-day tasks in our business and the tasks that actually work on our overall business.    

In today’s show, we’ll focus on what the difference between working ON your business is versus working IN your business. We’ll also cover:

• How to know if you’re working ON vs IN your business
• My secret to making time to work ON your business
• How our team here at Food Biz Wiz® can support you in working ON your business

This is the fourth episode of our Original Recipe series, where our student success coordinator Gabby hand-picks timely episodes to re-share. We originally aired this episode in the 4th quarter and its message is still relevant to intentionally setting yourself up for success.

Listen in for all my thoughts on how to get out of that rut and empower your business now!

For the full show notes and to learn even more about how we can support you in choosing to invest in your business and yourself, 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 find yourself nodding along, YOU are the right fit for Retail Ready®. We invite you to skip the line to sign up right here and 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.

As business founders, we have ALL been in a space of overwhelm; of feeling like we have just too many tasks to complete and not enough energy or mental space to do it. That’s why I’m so excited for this week’s episode with Charlotte Smith. Charlotte is a marketing expert who specializes in marketing for agricultural professionals AND mindset coaching to move your business forward and reduce overwhelm and anxiety.

Some of the questions we discuss include:

• What even is mindset and what should we understand about it?
• What questions can we start asking to shift our mindset?
• How can we empower our productive thoughts and recognize our negative thoughts?
• Plus even more!

If you’d like to see more about the resources mentioned or how to connect with Charlotte, check out 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.

There’s one quote that shot straight to my heart when I read it. It’s a simple quote from James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, and I can’t wait to share it with you in this episode.

I’ll share what that piece of wisdom means for CPG brands AND tell you more about Food Biz Wiz’s Wholesale Week. It’s 5 days of free, actionable, mini lessons for emerging food, bev and taxable grocery brands, designed to help you land on more shelves, and get into more shopping baskets.

Listen along for more details and check out our full show notes at this link, where we’ll have all the resources mentioned.

This episode is sponsored by Wholesale Week, the FREE 5 days of actionable mini lessons for emerging food, bev and taxable grocery brands like yours. We have designed Wholesale Week to help you put your wholesale strategy in place for your next steps in 2022 and put that quote’s wisdom into practice. Click here to sign up!

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 have another episode of our “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” series. In it, Charlie talks with Patricia Beets, co-founder of Dell Cove Spices & More Co., about whether or not it’s worth it to attend a trade show!

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. Listen along to hear Patricia and Charlie talk through the questions that so many food founders consider when deciding whether to attend a trade show, such as:

• How do I quantify the ROI for a trade show?
• What is a realistic timeline for the potential payoff from a trade show?
• Which samples do I bring? How do I hire help for staffing the show?
• Plus more!

By the end, Patricia has a clear idea of her next steps forward! Check out our full show notes here, with all of the resources they mentioned in the episode, and to connect with Dell Cove Spices & More Co.

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!

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.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion, or “DEI” is something that’s on many of our minds. But what even is its impact on brands and how do we start implementing it into our practices?

If you were wondering that, then you’re in luck! Today, we are revisiting episode 102 as the third episode of the Original Recipe series, where we use your top questions to hand-pick previously aired episodes, all presented with fresh insights from our Student Success Coordinator, Gabby.

In this episode, DEI consultant Jennifer Yepez-Blundell (formerly of Hella Social Impact) and I discussed

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

To find out more about Hella Social Impact and how they work with clients, see the full show notes by clicking here.

If you finished listening by wondering how you can find a community of supporters around your food biz questions, you’ve got to join us in Retail Ready®, my 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, or choose the quickstart option on the waitlist confirmation page if you’re ready to join immediately! 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Co-packer horror stories: we’ve all heard them! Finding the right co-packer for your food or beverage brand can be daunting, confusing, and downright scary (not to mention expensive!). 

This is the second episode of the Original Recipe series, where we use your top questions to hand-pick previously aired episodes, all presented with fresh insights from our Student Success Coordinator, Gabby. In today’s show, we turn back to co-packing.

In this show, I’m joined by Ashley Sutterfield, the CEO of Metzger & Roth, a consultant who helps CPG brands navigate the daunting world of co-packers. We’ll revisit:

• How to prepare for working with co-packers, and what you’ve got to nail down before you even consider moving to a co-man.
• How to find the right partner for your brand, and how to evaluate potential partners as you start to do you research
• How to execute your first trial runs, and what happens next…

Plus a whole lot more!

Find the full show notes, all of the resources that we mentioned on the show, and Ashley’s contact information by clicking here. 

If you found value in today’s show, you’ve got to join us in Retail Ready®, my 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, or choose the quickstart option on the waitlist confirmation page if you’re ready to join immediately! 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.

Stepping outside the traditional ways of doing things is one of the ways that CPG brands can stand out. Whether on physical grocery shelves or elsewhere, Emily Schildt of Pop Up Grocer joins me today to talk about how the physical retail industry is changing, plus how food founders can keep up.

Listen in to learn how to shift your mindset and start using industry changes to your advantage.

Find out where Pop Up Grocer is heading next and how you can get involved 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.

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.

At first glance, selling your packaged food product online seems easy. But using eCommerce to fuel a profitable CPG business is more involved than you may think. In this episode, we’ll explore 3 different channels to sell your packaged product online, and what you need to know about each of them before getting started.

Check out the full show notes here! And 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.

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.

Welcome to the first ever episode of the Original Recipe series, where we use your top questions to hand-pick previously aired episodes, all presented with fresh insights from our Student Success Coordinator, Gabby. If you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and that you have a never-ending to-do list: this episode is for you. In today’s show, I teach you how to say “no” in your business, and why it’s so important. 

Listen in to learn:

• 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

PLUS, get something new from this Original Recipe by listening for 1) what you gain by saying ‘no,’ and 2) which tools you can start TODAY to be more effective in your business. Check out the full show note 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.

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.

Have you heard these myths about creating memorable brand names? Myth 1: All the good names are taken. Myth 2: It's too late to change your name. Myth 3: A name isn't that important. Well in this week's Food Biz Wiz episode, Alexandra Watkins, the Chief Executive Boss Lady of Eat My Words and a leading & outspoken authority on brand names, joins us to debunk these myths! In this episode, you'll hear all about...

• What Alexandra's “SMILE & SCRATCH Test” is for creating names
• Why it's not too late to re-brand and re-name your biz!
• How you can even use this process for product or line names
• And how you can enter the giveaway to win Alexandra's book, Hello, My Name is Awesome: How to Create Brand Names That Stick

Wizes, we are thrilled to share Alexandra’s actionable advice with you! Listen in and check out our full show notes here for all the details on Alexandra and how to enter our giveaway, plus how to receive a discount on Alexandra’s course!

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.

Maybe you’ve heard of category reviews, but how do they even work? And what should you know about them to get your product on more retail shelves?

In this episode, we’re diving into what category reviews are, the types of stores that do them, and what that means for you (spoiler alert! I think they’re a little BS). I also build on the lessons in Episode 129, so be sure to give that a listen next.

Check out the full show notes, and then be sure to continue the conversation in our Food Biz Wiz® Facebook group. 

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.

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.

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.

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’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.

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.

You’ve set your goals, figured out which tactics you’ll implement first and then…. The doubt sets in. 

“How can I possibly set sales goals? I’ve never sold in this channel before!”

“I don’t know the first thing about hiring! I’m stuck!”

“I have NO IDEA what a placement deal is, or what I should offer.” 

Does that sound familiar? In today’s show, I’m sharing my business superpower that helps me move forward, despite the feelings of overwhelm, being stuck, or having no idea how to navigate a new business challenge that comes up. 

If you’re plagued by imposter syndrome, analysis paralysis, or plain ol’ fear of failure - you’ll want to tune in today! Click here for the first three episodes of our 2022 Goal Setting Mini-Series, and for the full show notes. 

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.

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.

Episode 2 of our 5 part 2022 Goal Setting Mini-Series is here! In today’s show, we’ll cover my process of reverse engineering your goals, and how to start from the end, and work your way back to the beginning.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have your 2022 First Quarter goals outlined, and will be ready to tune in to episode three of our mini series, where we outline my Lever Framework for determining the tactics that will help you hit those goals.

For the full 2022 Goal Setting mini series and episode show notes, click here.

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.

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.

We are back this week with part II of last week’s episode 237 with Kai Nortey! In this episode 238 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast, you’ll continue to hear Kai and Alli discuss more about Kai’s transparent, no sugarcoat experiences as a CPG founder.

If you missed part I in last week’s episode, we recommend that you check out that episode first! Kai Nortey is the CEO & Co-Founder of kubé, PBC (Public Benefit Corporation). Kubé is a Black woman-owned artisanal, premium, and luxurious full-fat coconut ice cream womanfacturer and social enterprise, based in Oakland, California. They make their own clean, full-fat coconut cream from mature coconuts, then blend it with organic plant-based food ingredients. 

Specifically, you’ll hear more about…

• How Kai has arrived at her non-negotiables in their business
• What the costs of taking VC from investors who aren’t aligned could be
• Why it’s worth exploring all your options and pivoting when necessary
• And what you can do to empower yourself before investment conversations!

Wizes, you can find all the resources mentioned in this episode, plus more about Kai and kubé in our full show notes here! As always, we want to hear: what perspective or wisdom did you need to hear most from Kai today? DM us via LinkedIn or Instagram and let us know!

Sign up for a time to watch my Masterclass! As we put Q1 behind us, we want to make sure that YOUR Q2 is armed with an actionable strategy on how to increase YOUR sales. Check out our Masterclass for these tips, plus hear more about joining us in Retail Ready®. Click here to sign up for a time to watch our Masterclass!

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 11 of the Food Biz Wiz® podcast, we’re doing another rapid-fire episode! In this show, we’ll cover:

• 3 things to consider before hiring a PR Strategist
• What to think through when hiring a social media or marketing agency
• What minimum margins you’ll need in your food business
• How to design an introductory promotion for wholesale
• What to do to set up for success in 2022

Tune in to hear quick, off-the-cuff answers to our Food Biz Wiz® listener-submitted questions! Click here for the full show notes, and to join us in our private Facebook group, or to connect with Alli on Instagram.

From there, don’t forget: our Fourth Quarter Cohort of Retail Ready® is now enrolling, before we raise prices in January! Click here for the full course outline 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.

We all know it’s “important” to be consistent on social media, but how can food & beverage founders prioritize that when you’re so busy running the day-to-day of your business?

In this episode, I’m joined by communications consultant Delaney Vetter, and we discuss:

• Delaney’s best tips for getting off the cycle of overwhelm in content creation, and how you can create a system for executing with ease
• How can brands decide where to focus your energy, and whether or not you should be active on every platform? 
• Whether or not you should outsource your social content and email marketing, and what to think about when you’re ready to bring on a pro

It’s time to take the overwhelm out of digital content creation!

Click here for the full show notes, all of the tools that Delaney recommends, and to keep in touch with her. 

Truth talk: your time is running out to get organized before January, when Buyers start considering new products for their shelves again. You don’t want to wake up on January 1 and start winging your sales strategy: you want to join us inside Retail Ready® and get access to our course, coaching and community that will set you up for success in the new year. Click here to enroll in Retail Ready® directly. No waitlist, no sales calls, no back and forth emails: just straight to our enrollment page. See you inside 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.

Today’s show welcomes supply chain and ops expert, Elena Guberman. We’re discussing: 

• Where do you start when you think about supply chain optimization in your emerging business?
• How do you move forward with limited capital?
• Elena’s top 3 tips for creating a strong supply chain

You’ll also hear us rant about the food industry, give our tips for asking for feedback as you grow your brand, and drop a whole bunch of helpful resources for your business. Click here for the full show notes, all of our resources, and to keep in touch with Elena. 

Truth talk: your time is running out to get organized before January, when Buyers start considering new products for their shelves again. You don’t want to wake up on January 1 and start winging your sales strategy: you want to join us inside Retail Ready® and get access to our course, coaching and community that will set you up for success in the new year. Click here to enroll in Retail Ready® directly. No waitlist, no sales calls, no back and forth emails: just straight to our enrollment page. See you inside 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.

This is the year for price increases: almost every food, beverage or taxable grocery brand that we’ve encountered this year has been challenged by increased packaging, ingredient, and freight costs. 

In this episode, we’re walking you through executing a price increase that is stress-free, and keeps you in good graces with your wholesale accounts. 

Take a deep breath: you’ve got this.

Click here for the full show notes and your invite to our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group, and to connect with me on Instagram!

Truth talk: your time is running out to get organized before January, when Buyers start considering new products for their shelves again. You don’t want to wake up on January 1 and start winging your sales strategy: you want to join us inside Retail Ready® and get access to our course, coaching and community that will set you up for success in the new year. Click here to enroll in Retail Ready® directly. No waitlist, no sales calls, no back and forth emails: just straight to our enrollment page. See you inside 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.

This episode welcomes Lev Berlin, the founder of ReciPal: a simple software for nutritional labels, costing and inventory management. In today’s show, we’ll cover:

• How Lev’s background launching SlantShack jerky lead him to start ReciPal
• The regulations around nutritional facts panels, and whether or not you need them for your packaged product business
• The different methods you can use to source nutrition facts panels for your products
• The risks & responsibilities to consider as you label your packaged product

For the full show notes, including the blog posts and resources that we mention in today’s episode, 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.

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.

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.

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.

In the third episode of our Fourth Quarter Focus Series, we're talking about nurturing your existing accounts. During the holiday season, it's crucial to ensure you're getting all of the sales that you can out of the shelves you're already on. In this week's show, I'll discuss:

• The importance of nurturing your relationships to set up for sales success in the fourth quarter. 
• The two audiences you'll focus on and how to nurture them.  
• Why nurturing your accounts is a multipronged strategy. 

Click here for the full show notes and links to the two previous episodes in our mini-series. Are you enjoying this mini-series? I'd love to know your feedback, so send me a DM on Instagram @foodbizwiz, and let me know if you like this style where we take a larger topic and break it down into a series of shorter episodes.

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! Learn more about 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.

Are you hoping to land a few more wholesale accounts this year? You can't miss today's episode! 

In episode two of our Fourth Quarter Focus mini-series, we're talking about your last chance pitch. In this week's show, I give you four things to focus on as you craft your last pitches of the year. 

We'll discuss your:

• Product
• Pricing
• Promotion
• Pitch Script

Click here for the full show notes, a link to episode one, and an invite to our Food Biz Wiz Facebook group.

Feeling stuck after listening to this episode? Send me a DM on Instagram @itsalliball and let me know what areas you're stuck in. 

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.

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.

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.

We are ending Season 9 of the Food Biz Wiz podcast with a rapid-fire Q&A!

In today's show, I'm answering your questions on:

• Pitching during the holiday season.
• Connecting with buyers if you didn't go to tradeshows this year.
• Establishing a minimum accepted retail price or MAP.

And more!

Have a question for a future rapid-fire episode? Shoot me a DM on Instagram, and I'll add it to the queue.

For the full show notes and all of the resources mentioned on today's show, 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.

This week's Food Biz Wiz Podcast guest is Jessica Thomas, the founder and CEO of Curate360. Curate360 fills the gap between Diverse Suppliers that want to get on the shelves and Retailers that support Supplier Diversity. 

In this week's episode, we talk through: 

• What Curate360 does 
• Five things minority-owned businesses should take advantage of to grow and scale
• How we can help diversify the CPG industry
• Some great resources that will help you get your business off the ground!

Click here for the full show notes, all of the resources mentioned on today's show, plus a discount code for a Curate360 membership.

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!