The Good Food CFO podcast

Feb 03 2025 138 ep. 45 mins 6
The Good Food CFO podcast artwork

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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Values over Volume: Why Big Spoon Roasters is Breaking up with Big Grocery

Feb 03 2025 28 mins  
After a decade of national growth, Big Spoon Roasters made a decision that has the CPG industry talking: they're walking away from Whole Foods, UNFI, and other national grocery chains. But this isn't a story about failure – it's about what happens when a good food brand chooses values over volume. In this episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, we dive into the pivot that has fou

Revolutionizing Local Food: The Story of Argus Farm Stop

Jan 27 2025 54 mins  
When Bill Brinkerhoff and his wife stumbled upon a unique store model during a college drop-off trip, they had no idea it would lead them to transform an abandoned gas station into a revolutionary market that's paid out over $22 million to local farms. In this episode, discover how Argus Farm Stop flipped the traditional retail model on its head, giving farmers 70% of sales and c

6 Strategic Questions to Drive Personal & Business Growth

Jan 20 2025 50 mins  
Ready to dig into some questions that could transform the way you think about your business? In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea share six questions that every founder should ask themselves. They tackle everything from "If we close 100 more deals like this, will we be happy?" to "What's one thing I'm afraid to ask my team, but probably should?" Through real world examples and thei

The $20,000 Mistake: What CPG Founders Need to Know About Branding & Trademarks

Jan 13 2025 55 mins  
What’s worse? A $20,000+ legal battle, or having to completely rebrand your CPG company in 30 days? In this eye-opening episode, trademark attorney Nicole Swartz shares how losing her own brand to trademark issues led her to protect over 1,200 brands with a 99.8% success rate. Together with CPG brand strategist Kelly Bennett, they reveal their unique approach combining legal pro

BABOYOT with Sarah Nathan of Nooish: How an Industry Veteran Created a Buzz-Worthy and Profitable Product

Jan 06 2025 52 mins  
Meet Sarah Nathan, founder of Nooish, who transformed traditional Jewish matzo ball soup into an instant comfort food sensation. On this episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, Nathan shares how her decade of experience in CPG and deep roots in Jewish culinary culture led her to invent freeze-dried matzo balls - a culinary breakthrough that turns an hours-long cooking process into

Grateful & Growing: Saying Goodbye to Where This All Began

Dec 16 2024 13 mins  
In this special bonus episode of the Good Food CFO podcast, Sarah Delavan shares a deeply personal moment as she prepares to leave the home office where her consulting business was born seven years ago. From an unexpected job loss that led to her first consulting gig, to launching a podcast that's grown into a thriving community, Sarah reflects on how this single room has witnessed

A Fresh Take on Planning for the New Year: Why Looking Back is the Secret to Moving Forward

Dec 09 2024 47 mins  
In this must-listen season finale, Sarah Delevan flips the script on typical year-end planning by exploring why looking back is crucial before looking ahead. Inspired by an Office Hours member's approach to evaluating progress, Sarah reveals how understanding your past performance in context can transform your decision-making. She challenges the "bigger is better" mindset, explaini

BABOYOT with Sydney Karmes-Wainer of French Squirrel: Lessons in Pricing, Negotiations and Sustainable Growth

Dec 02 2024 67 mins  
From accidental entrepreneur to confident business owner: Sydney, founder of French Squirrel, reveals how she transformed her healthy snack company by confronting hard truths about pricing and profitability. After years of underpricing her premium date-based treats and struggling with razor-thin margins, Sydney shares the pivotal mindset shifts that helped her raise prices, say

Answering Listener Questions: Customer Profitability Analysis, Cash Flow Management, and Bubble Goods

Nov 18 2024 49 mins  
In this value-packed episode of The Good Food CFO podcast, we tackle three critical business questions asked by our BABOYOT Members. First, we reveal why your cash flow tools might not be delivering results (hint: it's probably not the tool's fault!). Then, we dive into a step-by-step guide for analyzing customer profitability – essential knowledge for any business owner wonderin

Breaking Free from the Food Industry Playbook: How to Stop Comparing and Start Customizing

Nov 11 2024 42 mins  
This week on The Good Food CFO podcast, we explore financial benchmarks for CPG brands, emphasizing that many common questions about business finances often lead to the answer 'it depends.' Sarah discusses the importance of understanding individual business contexts rather than relying solely on industry standards, challenges prevalent beliefs in the food industry such as the no