TLC Todd-versations

"It’s not over when you lose. It’s over when you quit." 

Listen as Todd-versations chats with Austin Kirtley, Founding Partner of KESI Management. Talk about optimizing making lemonade from lemons. This chat rocks because it spotlights another company doing good and helping their clients win the day. 

You might think talking about operational workflow, supply chain integration, and trickle-down scalability is a snore-fest, but you would be wrong. Perhaps it is the way we discussed the positive cost of food, symbiotic relationships, and people and process that caught our attention and will garner yours too! Or maybe, it is the answer to the question, "Who or what will be making our food in the future". Find out today.

What happens when a legacy brand joins forces with tech startup? Success for the company, the consumer, and the planet. As Brian shared, Pete’s and Pete’s Living merged with Local Bounti in what one employee described as a zipper coming together with all the teeth fitting in place. 

Listen as Todd-versations chats with Brian Cook, president of Local Bounti about their commitment to doing good, transforming the definition of local, and their efforts to be transparent with everyone along the supply chain. Regenerative is at the core of what they do.

They seamlessly incorporate their stack and flow technology to maximize their growing footprint while maintaining the same size greenhouse. They focus on transforming their local communities, their workforce, and the environment. Kudos to you Local Bounti!

Cause marketing, a healthier food world, impacting future generations, and doing well by doing good, what organization comes to mind? If you said Healthy Family Project, ding, ding, ding- you got it in one.

Listen as Todd chats with Amanda Keefer, managing director of Healthy Family Projec on a myriad of subjects about everything from her stint at NASA, finding ways to connect families with their food, lifestyle choices, and why wouldn’t you, Elon Musk.

The brainchild of John Shuman, a visionary and example of how to live your life with purpose, Healthy Family Project- originally named Produce for Kids, grew from his concern and care for his fellow men, women, and children. At its heart, HFP is all about making a difference for the planet and the people that steward its future with information, education, and better-for-you food brands.

Do you know the story behind the Vidalia onion? Do you know it is a state and federally protected brand? One could say it is the “champagne” of onions, due to tight controls and a limited growing region.

Listen as Todd-versations chats with John Williams of LG Herndon Jr. Farms about this, leaps of faith, and their ability to invest in good people and causes like the Gary Sinise Foundation with their Memorial Day and July 4th Onion Promotion. Learn more at http://vidaliasfinest.com  

Todd-versations is delighted to introduce you to a family that finds opportunities in challenges. Listen as Todd chats with Jennifer Wiese about how her family rallied around an autism diagnosis, creating a runway for her son Auggie to thrive and live life on his terms. 

BeeFree gluten and dairy-free treats are the result of converting beloved family recipes with the help of Jennifer’s mom, aka Queen Bee, and running them by teenage taste testers. 

Jennifer says her tribe and the generosity of people who took a chance on her led to the BeeFree Warrior Mix you see on store shelves today. Listen as she shares how family favorites incorporated into the product line reflect their enthusiasm for life and ability to make magic happen every day.

Todd-versations is excited to introduce you to AYO almond yogurt. AYO yogurt is the brainchild of the Billings family, fourth-generation California almond farmers. As Todd heard from Phil Gruska, seeking ways to expand market penetration of their exceptional organic almonds, AYO was born as part of their forward-thinking, farm-to-spoon, good-for-you vertically integrated company. 80% of the world’s almond supply comes from California, but the Billings family wanted a vehicle to showcase their love and care for their almonds. Their AYO yogurt is pure goodness, makes you smile when you eat it, and obviously, return for more.

The only way we will change the issues facing us today is to recognize "We're the ones we're waiting for." Listen to Todd-versations' friend Stephen Ritz, founder of Green Bronx Machine, discuss what gets him up in the morning. Filled with passion, purpose, and hope, we believe his infectious attitude will inspire you too. Todd has told Stephen on more than one occasion, “I’m glad to be on this planet with you.” 

He's a master of the jam, a wordsmith extraordinaire, and a builder of relationships using his two eyes and five fingers to connect with people every day. 

His challenge to all of us: be an advocate, help others find their voice. Words to live by: be nimble, be impactful, and work to develop partnerships with the lives we touch.

Join Todd-versations as we salute the front-line workers who made sure we could have food and flowers on our tables over the last few years. We had the opportunity to give this shout-out at Fresh Produce and Floral Council’s 2022 Expo, “Salute to Fresh."

The produce industry has been handed an opportunity amidst the resurgence of eating at home the last few years have given us. We challenge you to discover unique ways to speak to your base about the benefits gained from eating fresh fruit and vegetables, how to incorporate them into meal plans, and ways to select, store, and prepare them.

Listen in to discover what you missed!

Meet Raina Nelson, president, and CEO of Westfalia Fruit USA. She learned a lot growing up on a Florida citrus operation, don’t cut corners, the value of hard work, and understanding the concepts of people, planet, and profit. Raina learned even more, watching her mom demonstrate selflessness, empathy, and service. She grew up practicing what she learned and seamlessly blended it to become a great servant leader, working to drive engagement, empower others, and listen to understand.

Join us and learn about Westfalia Fruit. Their values mirror Raina's as they strive for excellence in quality, innovation, inclusivity, integrity, and health and safety.

"Flashfood is feeding people more affordably while reducing the environmental impact of food waste." They are one of Todd-versations "Cool Companies" for 2022.

CEO Josh Domingues shares they are already making a difference with 33 million pounds of food diverted from landfills and $100 million in savings consumers are putting back into already stretched food budgets. Listen as they talk with Todd about their expansion plans, some eye-opening statistics, and the pledge to continue the win-win value proposition to stakeholders on both sides of the equation.