The Good Food CFO podcast

By Sarah Delevan

What's The Good Food CFO podcast about?

Sarah Delevan hosts The Good Food CFO Podcast | Building Financial Confidence. Redefining Equitability. Leading The Good Food Revolution. You'll hear stories from Food Founders, Disruptors, and Industry Experts as we discuss building a business on your own terms. New episodes weekly.

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The Good Food CFO podcast episodes:

06.10.2024
BABOYOT with Lauren Montgomery of Monty’s: A Story of Recalibration, Patience and Growth
Trusting in the process can be the hardest and most rewarding thing you can do for your Good Food business. In this episode, Sarah is joined by Lauren Montgomery, the founder of Monty’s, to discuss the intricacies of building...
06.03.2024
Ask The Good Food CFO: How to Establish a Marketing Budget, Tips for Increasing Margin, and Clarifying Debt vs. Equity Funding
You’ve got questions The Good Food CFO has answers! In this episode, Sarah Delevan, The Good Food CFO is answering financial and business questions submitted by our BABOYOT members, and offering live coaching to member Chris Gilmour, Co-Founder...
05.27.2024
Real Talk with Peter Gialantzis from Pod Foods: The Boomerang Effect of Transparent Distribution
Navigating the distribution maze is no small feat for emerging brands. Join us in peeling back the layers of this complex process, examining the limitations when partnering with large distributors and the dire need for alternatives. In this episode,...
05.20.2024
Stop Losing Money on Online Marketing: Advice for Finding the Right Partner and Strategy with Ali Cox
There is a lot to consider when it comes to online marketing: Are you confident in choosing the right platforms to reach your consumer base? How do you incorporate consumer preferences into your marketing strategies? How can you...
05.13.2024
The Rise and Fall of Foxtrot: Lessons on Funding, Expansion and Cash Management
Ever wondered how a promising startup can suddenly falter? Sometimes, growth isn't just about expanding - it's about evolving. In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea delve into the story of Foxtrot - the convenience store delivery business that...
05.06.2024
BABOYOT with Jeff Wiguna of Kuju Coffee: How a Clear Vision, Consistency & Patience Lead to Success
This is a testament to the power of building a business on your own terms. When you focus on YOUR vision, the health of your business and brand loyalty, and have the patience to see those seeds blossom, there...
04.29.2024
The Realities of Investment and Good Food Business: A Candid Conversation with Melissa Facchina About Finding the Right Investor and Navigating Expectations
For a Good Food Business there are many paths to success, and for some that path may include outside investment. But today’s Venture Capital landscape can be difficult to navigate, with high expectations for returns, investors that don’t quite...
04.22.2024
3 Things Food Founders Should Never Do: Advice for Avoiding Banking Issues, Preventing Bookkeeping Headaches, and Ensuring Accurate Financials
Ever encountered challenges with syncing apps to accounting software or using online-only banks? You are not alone! In this episode, I’m sharing the financial "never do's" - things that founders should be wary of, and the cautionary tales...
04.15.2024
Holistic Brand Strategy: The Exponential Value of Understanding and Addressing Diverse Consumer Needs with Kathy Guzmán Galloway
Inclusivity isn't just a buzzword – it's a strategic imperative. Our population is growing more diverse by the day, and businesses must evolve to meet the changing demographics. In this episode, Sarah is joined by brand strategist Kathy Guzmán...
04.08.2024
Exploring Product Margins: An In-Depth Examination of how 3 Different Margins Impact Your Need to Take on Debt
You’ve probably heard The Good Food CFO say “50% is not good for your food business!” Well today, we’re diving into what that really means. In this episode, Sarah walks Chelsea through the nuances of profit margin, specifically challenging...
03.11.2024
Errol Schweizer: An Insider Look at the Grocery Industry, the Policies and Profits Moving it in the Wrong Direction, and the Financial Impacts on Good Food Brands
Errol Schweizer has over 25 years of experience in the food industry and was V.P. of Grocery for Whole Foods from 2009-2016. His team grew sales to over US$5 Billion by supporting the launch and commercialization of thousands of new...
03.04.2024
Clarifying COGS: The Only Calculation You Need, the Industry “Rules” to Break, and the Financial Impact They Create
In this episode, The Good Food CFO, Sarah Delevan breaks down the concept of cost of goods sold (COGS) and its importance in understanding the financial health of your business. We explore the differences between accrual-based accounting and cash-based...
02.26.2024
Improving the Profitability of Farmers’ Markets with Peter Henry
Most Good Food Businesses start out selling their products at the local farmers’ market. Many continue to utilize markets as a consistent sales channel for their business as they grow. But at the end of the day, transporting your goods,...
02.19.2024
3 Methods for Managing Your Cash Flow
Every business needs to understand their cash flow, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a lot of cash on hand, or a 12 week cash runway. You won’t find the answers looking at your P+L statement. That shows the operational...
02.12.2024
Burnout. Could building a business on your own terms be the solution?
When you are running your own business, it's never a question of if burnout will come, but when. Every founder has been there, and there are some telltale signs you might be going through it right now. But what...
02.05.2024
Negotiating a Million Dollar Deal
A million dollar deal can be a game changer for most small businesses, but it could also be a financial burden, and not a benefit at all if the product pricing and the deal aren't structured correctly. In this...
01.29.2024
Launching with Confidence with Jason McAlpin
Are you getting ready to launch a new business? Or maybe you're preparing to launch a new product, or considering launching into a new sales channel? You don’t want to miss this episode! Jason McAlpin is the Founder and...
01.22.2024
The Great Game of Business
We’re back with another selection for The Good Food CFO Book Club! The Great Game of Business written by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham, is a documentation and story telling of how SRC Holdings Corporation was approaching business differently....
01.15.2024
Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Bryce Fluellen
In this episode we are celebrating the life of a hugely influential member of the food industry, Bryce Fluellen. Sarah had the honor of sitting down with Bryce at the end of 2023. Unfortunately, the world lost Bryce in early...
01.08.2024
You Can’t Scale Your Food Business Like a Tech Company
Scaling promises to bring not just more revenue, but more profit, more cash flow, and a sense of ease in doing business. And it seems every business owner is eager to get there. In this season opener, we are...
12.18.2023
Breaking Down the Price vs Margin Conundrum
Profitability is the goal of every business. But at times it can feel like you are doing everything right, everything traditional business media says that you should be, and yet your business is still running out of cash. In...
12.11.2023
Managing Trade Spend at Any Size with Nikki McNeil
Nikki McNeil is a Co-Founder at Vividly, a trade spend management software which aims to deliver clear value through efficiencies when analyzing trade spend dollars. Whether you’re a founder managing trade spend for one partner or hundreds, having the...
12.04.2023
The Strategy to Sourcing Ingredients with Ingredient Brothers CEO Eran Mizrahi
Sourcing the best ingredients for your good food product has many implications for your business. Eran Mizrahi co-founded Ingredient Brothers to support founders in this process. Eran grew up watching his father grow a successful import business that was...
11.27.2023
Pulling Out of Retail
Traditional business media celebrates big revenue, new accounts, and most of all growth and scale. Cutting revenue in the short term, letting go of accounts and scaling back are the exact opposite of that. So of course right-sizing your business...
11.20.2023
Pasta Sauce with a Purpose with Francesca Pittaluga
In 2022, Francesca Pittaluga launched Ciao Pappy, drawing from her 14-year career in luxury fashion. Her inspiration came from a passion for high-quality food, a love for the California and Italian coastal lifestyles, and a dedication to her Italian father's...
11.13.2023
What Grub Street Got Wrong About The Shoppy Shop
Retail is a complex and, at times, difficult sales channel to navigate for Good Food Founders. In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea discuss two articles that put the Brand/Retail relationship at the forefront. First, in the news segment,...
11.06.2023
Emily Dyer-Schiefer is the Marie Kondo of Operations
Emily Dyer-Schiefer traded her chef's knife for a business blueprint, and she hasn't looked back since. Tired of the conflicting advice and clichés saturating the food business landscape, Emily founded two platforms designed to streamline success. Whether through bite-sized lessons...
10.30.2023
The Good Food CFO Book Club
Sarah Delevan is an avid reader, committed to reading at least one book a month. Those around her know when the current read is a good one, because she won’t stop talking about it! This inspired us to create The...
10.23.2023
But First, Know Thyself with Katie Mleziva
When it comes to building a business, it can be tempting to skip to the tactical work that feels like action, but we really need to make sure we get a few foundational pieces of strategy in place first to...
10.16.2023
We Need to Talk About Money
We are kicking off Season 8 of the podcast with a run down of the changes that are happening this season. You’ll meet our show producer, Chelsea Stier, as she and Sarah share all that we have in store for...
10.02.2023
The Path to Prophitability with Percy Swint
As a Food Founder, knowing your costs is the first and most important step you can take toward profitability. Having a tool that helps guide that work will make your life easier, and give you the confidence that you are...
09.18.2023
Planning for Your Most Profitable Q4 Yet!
Q4 and the Holiday season bring with them HUGE opportunities for sales and top line revenue. But without the proper planning, sales don’t always translate to profits. Q4 planning includes having a strategy for not only your sales, but also...
09.04.2023
Putting Yourself First with Bree & Michaela Fuller
In this Building a Business on Your Own Terms episode, Sarah is joined by Bree & Michaela Fuller. Bree and Michaela are Seattle natives who have been paving their career paths with a mission to lead a purpose-driven and passion-filled...
08.21.2023
How to Build an Effective Broker Partnership with Paul Christian
When you are ready to grow your food business beyond your backyard, you may seek the support of a broker. And how you build that relationship can make or break your business. In this episode, Sarah is joined by...
08.07.2023
The True Cost of Food
The conversation about the true cost of food is one of layers, complexity, and nuance. As good food founders, and those in the industry who support and work daily to create a food system that is based on fair...
07.24.2023
Popcorn and the Power of Letting Go with Chauniqua Major
In this Building a Business on Your Own Terms episode, Sarah is joined by Chauniqua Major, affectionately known as Major. Major is a dynamic creative based in Orlando, Florida. Her unwavering commitment to doing good work powers her to achieve...
07.10.2023
Disrupting Transportation with Cat Turner
In this episode, Sarah is joined by Cat Turner, Founder of CZero. Cat is an entrepreneur, software engineer, and scientist who is passionate about using technology to empower people and solve hard problems. CZero is a company that’s providing a...
06.26.2023
How to Structure Your Team for Success
Whether your business already has a team of employees, or you are getting ready to hire and expand, clarity in your organization matters! In this episode, Sarah is sharing how role clarity affects every aspect of your business and...
06.12.2023
B2B and Beyond with Mable Founder Arik Keller
B2B E-Commerce sites can be a great channel to expand your business beyond your backyard. And a platform like Mable can serve as a bridge to growing into national distribution on your own terms. In this episode, Sarah is...
05.29.2023
Three Checks for Profitability
Getting clear on where you are, so that you can decide where you are going Like many founders, you may be asking yourself, “how can I make my business financially sustainable?”. Maybe you have big ideas for how to...
05.15.2023
Networking with Intention with Felice Thorpe
Networking is so important for personal and professional success, but you told us that it can feel scary, uncomfortable, too salesy, and aimless. In our first ever live recording of The Good Food CFO Podcast, Sarah is joined by...
05.01.2023
Disrupting Grocery with Vincent Finazzo
What started as a way to sell some extra pumpkins out of a garage, Vincent Finazzo has turned Riverwards Produce Market into a community staple that is creating a better experience for his shoppers, his team, and the food industry...
04.17.2023
The Cost of Doing Business with Tyler Dawley
Tyler Dawley is a guy who has lived in one spot his entire life. That spot is Big Bluff Ranch, the family ranch. Since he was a kid, driving the ranch truck looking through (not over) the steering wheel,...
04.03.2023
Standing Your Ground with Gwen Richardson
Saying "no" to opportunities for growth can be a difficult thing to do. Saying "yes" to the wrong customers can cost you your business. In this episode, Sarah welcomes Gwen Richardson to the podcast. Gwen is the Sales...
03.20.2023
Efficient Steps to Scaling Production with Charlotte Walter
Are you ready to expand your production, but are unsure where to begin? Maybe you’re just starting to produce your product, and want to put the right systems in place now to ensure efficiency when you are ready to move...
03.06.2023
Laying Foundations for Long-Term Success with Martha Bourlakas & Ashley Sutterfield
Martha Bourlakas launched Storied Goods, a celebration business that creates infused Sugar Cubes for cocktails, coffee, and tea, in 2018. However, Martha considers 2022 the true start of her business. 2022 was the year Martha focused on foundational internal goals...
02.20.2023
Contracts, Communication & Reclaiming Your Agency with Modest Coffee
Jenni Trilik and Marcus Contaldo, Founders of Modest Coffee shared their costly experience with a national distributor on their blog that caught the eye of the good food industry, its supporters, and many more. In response to their story, more...
02.06.2023
Creating Wealth for Businesses and Communities with Jackie Chan
Have you been looking for a way to access funding for your business that doesn’t include giving up your equity, doesn’t involve traditional bank loans, and doesn’t come with huge interest rates? In this episode, Sarah is joined by...
01.23.2023
Navigating B2B E-Commerce with Brady DeLong
Have you been considering opening a B2B E-Commerce channel in your Food Business? Have you already joined a platform like Faire or Mable, and are still trying to figure it out? In this episode, Sarah welcomes Brady DeLong back...
01.09.2023
Small Giants
When faced with the decision of how to grow your business, it can be hard to believe in YOUR unique vision and dream for your business if everyone around you and every success story you hear is all the same. ...

What's The Good Food CFO podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Good Food CFO podcast episodes:

BABOYOT with Lauren Montgomery of Monty’s: A Story of Recalibration, Patience and Growth

Ask The Good Food CFO: How to Establish a Marketing Budget, Tips for Increasing Margin, and Clarifying Debt vs. Equity Funding

Real Talk with Peter Gialantzis from Pod Foods: The Boomerang Effect of Transparent Distribution

Stop Losing Money on Online Marketing: Advice for Finding the Right Partner and Strategy with Ali Cox

The Rise and Fall of Foxtrot: Lessons on Funding, Expansion and Cash Management

BABOYOT with Jeff Wiguna of Kuju Coffee: How a Clear Vision, Consistency & Patience Lead to Success

The Realities of Investment and Good Food Business: A Candid Conversation with Melissa Facchina About Finding the Right Investor and Navigating Expectations

3 Things Food Founders Should Never Do: Advice for Avoiding Banking Issues, Preventing Bookkeeping Headaches, and Ensuring Accurate Financials

Holistic Brand Strategy: The Exponential Value of Understanding and Addressing Diverse Consumer Needs with Kathy Guzmán Galloway

Exploring Product Margins: An In-Depth Examination of how 3 Different Margins Impact Your Need to Take on Debt

Errol Schweizer: An Insider Look at the Grocery Industry, the Policies and Profits Moving it in the Wrong Direction, and the Financial Impacts on Good Food Brands

Clarifying COGS: The Only Calculation You Need, the Industry “Rules” to Break, and the Financial Impact They Create

Improving the Profitability of Farmers’ Markets with Peter Henry

3 Methods for Managing Your Cash Flow

Burnout. Could building a business on your own terms be the solution?

Negotiating a Million Dollar Deal

Launching with Confidence with Jason McAlpin

The Great Game of Business

Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Bryce Fluellen

You Can’t Scale Your Food Business Like a Tech Company

Breaking Down the Price vs Margin Conundrum

Managing Trade Spend at Any Size with Nikki McNeil

The Strategy to Sourcing Ingredients with Ingredient Brothers CEO Eran Mizrahi

Pulling Out of Retail

Pasta Sauce with a Purpose with Francesca Pittaluga

What Grub Street Got Wrong About The Shoppy Shop

Emily Dyer-Schiefer is the Marie Kondo of Operations

The Good Food CFO Book Club

But First, Know Thyself with Katie Mleziva

We Need to Talk About Money

The Path to Prophitability with Percy Swint

Planning for Your Most Profitable Q4 Yet!

Putting Yourself First with Bree & Michaela Fuller

How to Build an Effective Broker Partnership with Paul Christian

The True Cost of Food

Popcorn and the Power of Letting Go with Chauniqua Major

Disrupting Transportation with Cat Turner

How to Structure Your Team for Success

B2B and Beyond with Mable Founder Arik Keller

Three Checks for Profitability

Networking with Intention with Felice Thorpe

Disrupting Grocery with Vincent Finazzo

The Cost of Doing Business with Tyler Dawley

Standing Your Ground with Gwen Richardson

Efficient Steps to Scaling Production with Charlotte Walter

Laying Foundations for Long-Term Success with Martha Bourlakas & Ashley Sutterfield

Contracts, Communication & Reclaiming Your Agency with Modest Coffee

Creating Wealth for Businesses and Communities with Jackie Chan

Navigating B2B E-Commerce with Brady DeLong

Small Giants