The Good Food CFO podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Technical and general information from the podcast's RSS feed.

The Good Food CFO podcast

Sarah Delevan

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/11d. Total Eps: 153

Join Food Industry Finance Expert Sarah Delevan as she breaks down the need-to-know financial concepts for running a profitable food business, shares case studies and lessons from around the food industry, and highlights the many different ways to build a successful food business on your own terms through conversations with founders and industry experts.

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🇨🇦 Canada - entrepreneurship
31/05/2025
#68

Spotify

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Shared links between episodes and podcasts

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https://www.thegoodfoodcfo.com/join
72 shares
https://profitablefoodbusinesscommunity.mn.co/
64 shares
https://sarahdelevan.com/
38 shares

https://www.instagram.com/thegoodfoodcfo
97 shares
https://www.instagram.com/sarah.delevan.consulting
46 shares
https://www.instagram.com/realfoodbrands
5 shares

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-delevan/
24 shares
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-delevan-b3330b43/
15 shares
https://www.linkedin.com/in/capergirl/
4 shares

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RSS feed quality

Good

Score global : 72%

Publication history

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100 Apply, 2 Get In: Expert Advice on How to Beat the Co-Manufacturer Odds and Create a Bidding War

Season 14 · Episode 149

Monday, May 26, 2025 • Duration 48:29

Ever wondered why finding a co-manufacturer feels impossibly difficult? Sarah sits down with Julia Megson, CEO of ReScale, who reveals the shocking reality that co-manufacturers receive about 100 inquiries monthly but only work with one to two brands from that entire pool.

Julia's unique background – from auditing over 100 contract manufacturers at Trader Joe's to founding a tech platform specifically for emerging food brands – gives her unparalleled insight into what actually works in co-manufacturing partnerships. She breaks down why this process is more like sales than shopping, and how treating it as a relationship-building exercise can save you up to 30% on production costs.

The episode uncovers game-changing strategies most founders never hear: why you should delay your co-manufacturing search as long as possible to strengthen your negotiating position, how to use simple email templates that achieve a 65% response rate (compared to the typical 10%), and why creating competition between manufacturers can dramatically reduce your costs.

Julia also tackles the controversial topic of minimum order quantities, revealing they're often negotiable barriers rather than hard equipment limitations. For founders currently overwhelmed by demand but hesitant to make the manufacturing leap, she provides a clear framework for knowing when you're ready and how to present yourself as the kind of partner co-manufacturers actually want to work with.

This episode delivers the insider knowledge that could transform your approach to scaling production and building the manufacturing relationships that will fuel your growth.

Learn more about ReScale:
Website: tryrescale.com
Read the Blog

Join The Good Food CFO Community:

Connect on LinkedIn: @sarahdelevan

Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Become a Member: BABOYOT

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KeHE Uncovered: Real Case Study of a Food Brand's First Payout

Season 14 · Episode 148

Monday, May 19, 2025 • Duration 40:44

In this eye-opening episode, Sarah breaks down the harsh food distributor chargeback reality that many founders don't discover until it's too late. Using a real-world example of a brand that invoiced KeHE for $68,267 but received only $13,345 (just 19.5%), she dissects exactly where that money went.

From the surprising "initial PO" payment policy that can delay your first check for 3-6 months, to the specific chargebacks that consumed 80% of a brand's revenue, Sarah provides the financial transparency food entrepreneurs desperately need before signing distribution agreements.

The episode explores several chargeback categories including intro allowances, free fills, spoilage allowances, and promotional fees – revealing how these can quickly transform an exciting distribution opportunity into a significant cash flow challenge.

Sarah shares practical strategies for surviving the distribution onboarding process, emphasizing the importance of “velocity over doors” and suggesting regional distributors as potentially more transparent alternatives to national giants.

Tune in for an essential financial reality check that could save your food business from a costly distribution mistake or help you prepare properly for sustainable growth through distribution channels.

For content like this delivered straight to your inbox, join our mailing list!

Join The Good Food CFO Community:

Connect on LinkedIn: @sarahdelevan

Watch on YouTube: @thegoodfoodcfo

Breaking the Monopoly: How Founders Can Navigate a Consolidated Market

Season 13 · Episode 139

Monday, March 10, 2025 • Duration 47:58

In this eye-opening episode of the Good Food CFO podcast, Sarah Delevan talks with Stacy Mitchell, co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, about the myths of market consolidation and how food founders can fight back against corporate monopolies.

Stacy Mitchell is a writer, strategist, and policy advocate whose work focuses on dismantling concentrated corporate power and building thriving local economies. As co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, she has played a leading role in today's growing anti-monopoly movement and has authored influential works including "Big Box Swindle" and "Amazon's Stranglehold."

You’ll hear:

The Invisible Rules: How corporations have made market rules invisible, positioning us as consumers rather than citizens with power to change policies
Myth-Busting: Hard evidence disproving the "bigger is better" narrative, including the North Dakota pharmacy model that outperforms corporate chains
Food System Consolidation: How the suspension of the Robinson-Patman Act in 1980 allowed big retailers to demand preferential treatment, squeezing independent grocers
Beyond Consumer Power: Why "voting with your dollars" is important but insufficient for creating systemic change
Paths Forward: Practical actions for founders to engage with local policymakers and join the growing movement to enforce antitrust laws
Signs of Hope: Recent shifts in policy approach showing how the tide is turning against unchecked consolidation

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How to Make the Most of Your Google Ad Spend with Andy Janaitis

Season 5 · Episode 52

Monday, September 12, 2022 • Duration 33:11

If building a business on your own terms includes selling your products via your brand’s own website, and you want to drive traffic to your site, this is the episode for you!

Today, Sarah is joined by Andy Janaitis, the founder and chief strategist of PPC Pitbulls, to discuss the digital marketing space, and how to determine if Google Ads is the right fit for your business.

Andy has over 10 years of agency experience in the digital space, across several industries and now focuses on creating custom digital marketing strategies and driving measurable results for his craft food, beverage and clothing brand clients - for whom they now manages over $1M in annual ad spend

For anyone that is new to the digital marketing space, Andy is helping us understand:

Everything Google Ads and optimization tools can do
The three things you should have in place before you are ready to use Google Ads
The important role your margins and shipping costs play in determining if Google Ads are the right fit for your business
The return on investment that you can expect
And so much more

Andy and PPC Pitbulls are also offering our listeners a free download of their Digital Marketing Maturity Model. And don’t forget about our DIY Profit Assessment Course. This is THE tool that we offer to help you understand your margins and how to move forward in your business profitably.

Connect with Andy Janaitis:

Website: PPC Pitbulls
LinkedIn: PPC Pitbulls

LinkedIn: Andy Janaitis

Building a Business on Your Own Terms with Brady DeLong

Season 5 · Episode 51

Monday, August 29, 2022 • Duration 58:14

Today on the podcast, Sarah is joined by Brady DeLong. He is an 8-year veteran of the Natural CPG space, building Hen of the Woods as their COO and National Sales Director. Brady is sharing some key lessons he and his team have learned over the last 8 years.

His story includes:

The company’s early growth strategy, and how it evolved
How they recovered from inequitable deals
What they learned from navigating distribution and sales channels
How they currently analyze every opportunity and determine if it’s a yes or a no-go.

Brady has never been one to do things just because “that’s the way it’s always been done”, and his story is proof that you don’t have to either. You can Build a Business on Your Own Terms.

Connect with Brady DeLong:

Website: www.henofthewoodsotr.com

Instagram: @Henofthewoodssnacks
Facebook: @Henofthewoodssnacks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-delong/

Special Offer for Our Listeners:

Use Code GoodFood15 to build your own snack box from Hen of The Woods

Email the show: JoinTheConvo@TheGoodFoodCFO.com

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

us in the Profitable Food Business Community

Welcome to the Revolution

Season 5 · Episode 50

Monday, August 15, 2022 • Duration 13:16

Where do we go from here?

We ended Season 4 of the Podcast calling for change in the Food Industry, and you answered that call. From posting on social media, flooding our inbox, and even joining our first ever Good Food CFO Fireside Chat; you let your voice be heard. The Good Food Revolution has arrived.

As we begin a new season, the biggest questions are: What now? How do we continue to disrupt? How do we create REAL CHANGE? And how do we move this revolution forward together? These are the questions Sarah ponders on today’s episode. She doesn’t have all the answers yet, but she does have a pretty good idea about where to start, and that is with YOU.

The Good Food CFO is creating spaces to continue this two-way conversation. You can join in by participating in our Good Food Revolution Survey, or by reaching out to us directly at JoinTheConvo@TheGoodFoodCFO.com and telling us what you would like to hear on upcoming episodes.

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community

Tune in to learn more, and visit sarahdelevan.com or here to learn about our new + updated services.

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I Can No Longer Stay Quiet

Season 4 · Episode 49

Monday, August 1, 2022 • Duration 28:43

The Food Industry is broken. Good Food Founders have the power to change that.

Today on the Podcast Sarah speaks straight from the heart; discussing the truth about the current state of the Food Industry, and how it is rigged against small, mission driven food businesses. But she doesn’t stop there; she provides insight into how to create meaningful and equitable systemic change. This is the Good Food Revolution.

If you have felt the effects of this broken system on your business, and wondered what options you have to take a stand against inequity, this is the episode for you! Tune in, stand up, and speak out.

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community

Tune in to learn more, and visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services.

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Sarah's 3-Step Financial Decision Making Process

Season 4 · Episode 48

Monday, July 11, 2022 • Duration 14:53

Owning and operating a good food business comes with an endless number of decisions that need to be made each day. Among them, big financial decisions cause the most stress, and the most regret if things don’t pan out how you hoped.

Whether you’re in the midst of making a big financial decision, or want to prepare for the next one that will inevitably come your way, we’ve got you covered!

Today on the podcast, Sarah is sharing her three step financial decision making process:

Remember Your Business Objectives
Determine if the investment will move you closer to your business objectives
Consider the 2nd Order Consequences of Your Decision

If your goal is to create a sustainable business that minimizes risk and grows profitably, and you're considering a big purchase, a long term investment or expense, taking on debt or maybe opening a line of credit, this three step process is designed for you!

Follow along on Instagram: @sarah.delevan.consulting

Join us in the Profitable Food Business Community

Tune in to learn more, and visit sarahdelevan.com or the to learn about our new + updated services.

*Mentions

Good Food CFO Blog

Building a Successful Business on Your Own Terms with Katie Mleziva: Ep. 23

Benefits of Brand Strategy Beyond Revenue Growth with Asha Mody

Season 4 · Episode 47

Monday, June 27, 2022 • Duration 58:43

In this episode Sarah is joined by Asha Mody, a certified brand strategist, award-winning designer and the founder and Chief Brand Officer of Mindsy.

Asha sheds light on how your brand strategy not only serves to reach customers and boost revenue, but also creates clarity, alignment and a clear direction for your business internally- from the CEO, to the CFO, and to customer facing teams - increasing your ROI and profitability.

Asha also shares four reasons for building a strong brand and how creating a mindful roadmap will help you achieve:

Customer Growth
Customer Loyalty
Increased revenue
Increasing profit margins

Asha explains Brand Strategy and its internal and external benefits in such an approachable way, and presents so many financial benefits!

If you think you’ve heard all there is to hear about the importance of brand strategy I encourage you to listen in!

About Asha

Asha Mody, a certified brand strategist & award-winning designer who specializes in building brands, and whose visual identity connects mindfully & seamlessly to the story that needs to be told. Asha has worked for over 15 years in the design industry, both in the U.S. and India. She draws on her authentic roots and international experience in her approach to clean, mindful design. Asha has designed for an INC 500 company, and her work has been featured in World Packaging Design and Awarded in GDUSA. Her work consistently elevates her client's brands and products to the top of their markets, resulting in a loyal and engaged audience that drives profits.

Connect with Asha:

https://www.mindsy.design/

https://www.instagram.com/mindsydesign/

The Good Food CFO podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

The Good Food CFO podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

Instagram57

LinkedIn49

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

Instagram57

LinkedIn49