Food Biz Wiz

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. Wizes, we have some BIG news that we’ve been sitting on: episode 250 will be the last new episode of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast. We were a little bit nervous about how you would receive this news, but we want to tell you the 3 reasons why we’re stopping here, AND how our decision-making process can help you with your next big business decision. So here’s what we’ll cover in today’s episode: Why and how we’re celebrating this HUGE milestone of 250 episodes of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast (and how you can join us!) The 3 reasons why we’re not publishing new podcast episodes after next week, despite the huge successes of the podcast What this big change means for you as our listeners, and how we can continue growing together! We appreciate your listenership deeply and hope that you’ll join us as we explain the process behind why we’re taking this next step. You can find our full show notes 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. Retail Ready is OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT!  Wizes – yes, we’re talking to you! – if you listen to this podcast and it’s exactly the information you need…then imagine what it’d be like to get expert CPG biz advice, tailored to YOUR situation, directly from me, Charlie, and our team inside of Retail Ready. Imagine what it’s like to be in a supportive community of other founders – and not alone – when a biz challenge or question comes up. Today’s episode is for those of you who have been on the fence about Retail Ready®. In this episode, we welcome 10 women who are past and current Retail Ready® students, to hear how their business has grown since joining our program. Then, I walk you through the behind-the-scenes of Retail Ready®, telling you ALLLL about what you get when you join our program. We don’t want you to miss out, so JOIN US TODAY 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. Even though Alli hosts guests on the Food Biz Wiz podcast frequently, she is rarely the one being interviewed. This episode, we turn the tables on Alli and ask her to share the story behind how she got her buyer perspective. You’ll hear about… The challenges Alli navigated going from a consumer to a buyer in the thick of retail What the difference is between markup and margin and how easy they are to mix up! And why you need to save some bandwidth for after you get on the shelf! As always, we want to connect further with you: which tidbit from this episode impacted you the most? Let us know via our Instagram or LinkedIn DMs, which are both linked in our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! 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. 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. The opportunity to sell our products in a franchise seems like a no-brainer. Right? Well, there is usually more to consider: distribution, our production capacity, and more! That’s why we’re so excited to share this “Is It Worth It, Charlie?” episode where Charlie and Natalia, the founder and owner of Curious Cat Bakery, discuss just this. As Natalia thinks through whether she should start selling her frozen vegan croissants to a local franchise, you’ll hear more about… The main questions she wants to answer before saying yes  How she can ease into an agreement that will allow more organic growth And what her next steps after the conversation are! We know plenty of you have likely wondered this same question, so we can't wait to hear which part of this episode you needed to hear most. Let us know by sending us a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn. Find our links and more about Natalia and Curious Cat Bakery at our full show notes here! This episode is sponsored by our Secret Sauce Quiz! Do you want to know what’s working in YOUR biz? Then make sure to take our Secret Sauce Quiz! You’ll answer 10 quick questions on yourself and your biz, and then you’ll learn your brand's current strength & how you can leverage that this year. You’ll receive a curated list of free resources for your exact stage of business so that you can do MORE of what’s working. Click here to take the quiz and receive your results and resources today!

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

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

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

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. Busy caregivers, busy founders, busy people have at least ONE thing in common. They all deserve healthy AND delicious snacks to fuel them! This is part of what propels B.T.R. NATION. In this episode of the Food Biz Wiz Podcast, I’m sitting down with Ashley Nickelsen, the Founder, CEO, and Chief Snack Officer of B.T.R. NATION. They are on a mission to help fix our broken food system one snack at a time! I am thrilled for Ashley to share her story and how she has built B.T.R NATION (plus recently tripled their doors in the span of 2 months!). You’ll hear more about… Why determining your non-negotiables NOW can help support your strategy How staying rooted in your original “why” supports your authenticity The importance of finding the right partners at the right time And what a more genuine approach to working with influencers looks like Wizes, as we mentioned in the episode, we want to hear what YOUR non-negotiables are after listening to this episode. Come DM us or tag us in your stories over on Instagram and on LinkedIn, which are both linked in our full show notes here!

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

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.   In business, we often feel that we might have to compromise on our values to see our brands grow. But on the Food Biz Wiz podcast, we want to highlight how you can still grow your brand AND center your values. That’s why in today’s Original Recipe episode, we are excitedly revisiting our episode with Ibraheem Basir, the CEO and founder of A Dozen Cousins. A Dozen Cousins produces delicious packaged beans, rices, and sauces inspired by Black and Latino recipes from throughout the Americas.   Ibraheem shares how he continues to emphasize being a values-centered company AND growing A Dozen Cousins into a national, retail-first brand. Tune in to hear him and Alli discuss…   Why retail was where he focused first, instead of D2C 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   As Alli has mentioned, we want to connect further with you, our Food Biz Wiz listeners! We want to know: which piece of Ibraheem’s experience or wisdom inspired you the most for your brand? DM us on Instagram or on LinkedIn, which you can find linked in our full show notes. You’ll also find more information on Ibraheem, A Dozen Cousins, and all the resources mentioned linked there as well.   This episode is sponsored by our mini Reorder Checklist! In line with growing your brand through multiple tactics, this checklist is a list of ways to onboard a new retailer so that you’re more likely to sell off those shelves and receive reorders. You can find our simplified version at the link here OR, if you’re a Retail Ready® student, you can find the longform version and training directly within our course platform!