My Food Job Rocks!

Zachary Lones started working as a cashier at Sam’s Club (which I didn’t know was owned by WalMart) and rose through the ranks from a business associate to multiple levels of managers and landed in the director’s seat 8 years later. I saw his story on LinkedIn and I thought, Zachary would be a great podcast guest. A lot of people want to get promoted, especially in a large company and Zach has done it so many times and I wanted to distill the method on how he did it. This is great episode about climbing up the ranks, but I think the heart of this episode is what Zachary’s mission in life is, and how being promoted allows him to accomplish it. He empowers and showcases people through media the people at Walmart who love their jobs. From the cashier to the janitor. About Zachary 11 years ago I began as a cashier at Sam’s club, climbed the store ladder til I was running stores at Walmart, today I am the Local Social & Walmart World Director. My aim is to use my job to do work that makes the world a better place. My current role let’s me connect the dots of our past with our future in a way that helps Associates grow as individuals. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Salt of the Earth. During IFT, I went to their booth. They were serving vegetarian meatballs and mac and cheese using Mediterranean umami. I would say, it was probably the best meatball made of pea protein I’ve tasted. Mediterranean Umami brings a rich, savory component while being clean label and reduces sodium and made with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, sea salt, seaweed, and mushrooms. Ask my friend David for a bottle of Mediterranean Umami any time by emailing  info@salt.co.il Show Notes When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you tell them?: I’m trying to improve the world one customer, one associate, one person at a time. What is your official title?: Director of local social media and associate magazine I started as a Cashier at Sam’s Club (owned by Walmart) then I was a business associate department manager assistant manager co-manager store manager Director Any advice on climbing the ladder?: If you’re doing a good job and working hard and someone’s asking you to do more, you should do it and say yes. Why did you decide to go into management?: I could impact more people being a manager How does structure work?: Hourly positions, then there’s different levels of management. Supervisors, managers, support managers, assistant managers, co-managers What was the story from switching from Manager to Director?: Every Walmart has its own Facebook page. I took charge of their facebook page and it was one of the best. The CMO noticed this and challenged me to teach other people to do social media Zachary Lones post about social media Social media has a tremendous amount of reach for my area and can let them know about the people who work there. It boosts moral for the associates and they can serve more customers Servant Leadership Comic: If you go to school, you’ll never have to end like that guy: If you go to school, you’ll make a better place for that guy What’s wrong with the guy cleaning up the road? What’s the value of a magazine?: to showcase amazing people and improves the company culture It’s plain ordinary folk that change the world If the company doesn’t celebrate the people and the culture, the people might be looking into other stories and Why does your job rock?: You can be anyone in the world and there is a job for you in this company and you can give people real opportunity to change the world What kind of cool technology is happening right now?: There’s services where you can text someone to find a perfect gift for a customer. How do we digitally serve the customer and give the same WalMart experience? What have you noticed in terms of buying things in different generations? We purchase things through Instagram We have Walmart groceries delivered to our house We do go to the store but mainly to get out of the house and have our daughters be immersed outside We don’t shop because we have to, but because it’s the experience Retail might be more experience focused now Bruce Willis Surrogates We might be living in a world where we stay in our home forever Favorite Quote: Tupac Shakur – I may not change the world but I guarantee I may spark the brain that will change the world. Favorite Book: I commit to read about 25 pages a day. I like books because I can write in it. I went to college for Jewish Studies and read the Bible a lot A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger The Book of Beautiful Questions by Warren Berger My Book List for Creative People The Coaching Habit Any advice for anyone who wants to climb the career ladder?: There’s an entrepreneur culture of running off and live your passion and whatnot. You can also do this as an Intraprenuer. I can have a purpose in a company as long as I change my mindset My Personal Mission Statement: How do I change the world one person at a time? Into The Spiderverse Where can we find you for advice?: I’m on instagram@zacharyelones and LinkedIn: Zachary P Lones or Zacharyplones@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have Roger Berkowitz, CEO and President of Legal Sea Foods on the show. A Third generation family business that not only does fish processing, but has a fish restaurant, and a fish grocery store. All of my fans in the East love this restaurant. I interview Roger on the complexities of the fish farming industry and there was some things I didn’t know about, one, Roger talks about how the rising temperature of the water is affecting fish yields, and two, the complexities of fish farming. You will also learn some tips Roger has learned in his life of leadership. And also, learn about Roger’s other food love. It’s not fish, it’s actually….coffee! About Roger Roger started working in the family fish market in Inman Square, Cambridge at the age of 10 and held a variety of roles prior to becoming President and CEO in 1992.  Since taking the helm, he’s led the company’s growth and diversification.  He now oversees restaurant, retail and mail order divisions and steers the course for 4,000 employees. Roger is a member of the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Regional Selection Panel for the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships and NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.  He is a member of the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Advisory Committee and a member and past President of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. In addition, Roger serves on many non-profit Boards including: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, UNICEF, the Environmental League of Massachusetts and the Blue Frontier Campaign.  He is a member of the Board of Overseers for Brandeis International Business School and serves on the leadership council at the Harvard School of Public Health. Roger graduated from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and attended executive education programs at Harvard Business School, University of London School of Business and Stanford Graduate School of Business.  He holds an honorary master’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America and honorary doctorates from Johnson & Wales University, Newbury College, Salem State University and Nichols College. Among numerous awards and recognitions, Roger was named a James Beard Award winner in 2017, inducted into the “Menu Masters Hall of Fame” by Nation’s Restaurant News and received the “Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Meritorious Service” by The Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission.  He was also the recipient of the George Arents Award, which recognizes Syracuse University alumni for their extraordinary achievements. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Salt of the Earth. During IFT, I went to their booth. They were serving vegetarian meatballs and mac and cheese using Mediterranean umami. I would say, it was probably the best meatball made of pea protein I’ve tasted. Mediterranean Umami brings a rich, savory component while being clean label and reduces sodium and made with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, sea salt, seaweed, and mushrooms. Ask my friend David for a bottle of Mediterranean Umami any time by emailing  info@salt.co.il Show Notes What advice would you give a CEO?: The best experience you can get as a CEO is to get on the front lines and interact with people What do you tell people in a sentence or less?: I’m a fishmonger What is Legal Seafood?: We’re a restaurant, and a grocery store, and getting into ecommerce but all-in-all, we’re a food business We’re a 3rd generation seafood business. Every generation adds a new part of the business. We have to recognize our DNA to make great decisions What have you observed throughout your years in the food industry?: There are people who have traveled more, or experience more and we have to broaden our scope. How do you get your fish?: We usually go through an auction, however, we’ve realized that ocean is heating up and we’re looking into fish farming NOAA – Green fisheries and advisory committee What is fish farming?: Anything we should know about fish farming: We test every single fish for fecal coliforms and vibrio, and also mercury Vibrio Vulnificus Oysters must be fresh water and not break temperature Describe the steps it took to get to where you are today?: After I went to college with a  degree in journalism, I worked in the restaurant business. I learned it was hard to communicate with the public about fish crises so I took that with me to improve the company. I met James Beard: One of our customers early on was Julia Child and she introduced me to “Jimmy” Beard What food trends are exciting you right now?: Coffee! I bought a coffee plantation and I’m creating a crop in Kona. I not only want to make coffee, but the best coffee ice cream Do people order coffee in a fish restaurant?: We run through 30,000 lbs of coffee a year. How much coffee do you drink?: 1 to 2 great cups of coffee Netherlands: They want 7, but Netherlands coffee cups are very small What is the biggest challenge the food industry has to face?: Cost of labor for restaurants is a big challenge so people in the industry has to change their model. What has Legal been doing to improve the model?: Actually working with Toyota to install lean processing. It’s helped us a ton with handling fish. I can produce a better fish Favorite Book: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari How do you make a small fortune in the restaurant business?: Start out with a large one Any advice for anyone who wants to go into the food industry?: If you want to be in the business, immerse yourself in the business How about advice for starting a new industry?: I’ve been working into coffee for 10 years and it’s an ongoing pursuit. I’m going to continue the pursuit All beans have their particular nuances Rogerb@legalseafoods.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Pierce analyzes hot trends, consumer behavior, and innovative breakthroughs and collects this data to help natural product industries strategically innovate. If you guys don’t know, the New Hope Network is at the forefront of the food industry as they are the ones in charge of Expo West, Supply Side East, and many more industry conferences throughout the world. I was fortunate enough to meet Eric during my shift at the Better Meat Co in Expo West. I was so excited to see him because I’ve listened to Eric speak a few times, especially on podcasts such as Alex Oesterle’s Food Marketing Nerds. The way Eric talks about trends and breakthroughs is insightful and digestible. So this is the basis of this interview. I ask Eric how can we understand trends, such as Turmeric, CBD and plant-based foods. Is there a deeper context when trends emerge and does knowing this, create better products? Well, you’ll learn a ton about just how deep, the rabbit hole goes. We talk about macro forces and trend hierarchies in this episode. If you’d like to learn more about this, the data is not yet available, and I was fortunate to get a beta version of it before the interview. However, you can learn more about it by reaching out on New Hope’s Contact page www.whatsnextinnatural.com/contact/ About Eric Eric J. Pierce is a strategic marketing and market research professional who brings business management experience and consumer behavior perspectives to his work. Specializing in helping businesses develop strategy and identify and prioritize opportunities; Eric is sought after as a speaker at industry events and for corporate training. Eric' s passions lie in the intersection of consumer behavior and business strategy within the Natural Products industry. These passions are focused on helping companies navigate the dynamic and changingfood system, helping to re-imagine brands, inspire product innovation, and focus business investments with an eye towards meeting the needs of the food-forward consumer.  At the New Hope Network Eric and his colleagues on the NEXT Data & Insights Team and sit at theforefront of the Natural Products industry, well positioned to identify the cultural forces and trends creating opportunity in this exciting and evolving marketplace. Together we help companies large and small identify, prioritize and take advantage of opportunities in the evolving food economy. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Salt of the Earth. During IFT, I went to their booth. They were serving vegetarian meatballs and mac and cheese using Mediterranean umami. I would say, it was probably the best meatball made of pea protein I’ve tasted. Mediterranean Umami brings a rich, savory component while being clean label and reduces sodium and made with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, sea salt, seaweed, and mushrooms. Ask my friend David for a bottle of Mediterranean Umami any time by emailing  info@salt.co.il Show Notes Alex Oesterle: Eric Pierce interviews In a sentence or less: Use data and marketplace intelligence to impact food and have food companies make better decisions Official Job Title: Vice President of Business Insights with the Next data and insights team New Hope Network Our trade shows: Natural products east, west, NBJ summit, Supply-side east and west Expo West Expo West Stats: 35-3700 exhibitors 90,000 pre-registrations during the show We basically build a city in a week How do you handle Expo West?: Wear great shoes. But seriously, it’s very hard. You might have to go multiple times New Hope was founded in 1975 Turmeric: For innovators, look at the broader context. Articles about throwing trending ingredients into products Suggestions for innovation: take the time to understand why hot things are relevant. Does this hot product CBD: Irrational Exuberance? There’s a lot of hype and excitement. We’re going to see a huge amount of time and money go into this Cauliflower as a grain replacement What are the catalysts to make more meaningful trends?: I see the momentum to see a more sustainable trend How do we know what trends (like plant-based meat) will take off?: Look at the series of things that are happening, but it is extremely difficult to find the tipping point. There are so many things surrounding a solution in hindsight. Look for products that are solving a lot of problems Better Meat Co How many “and’s” can you count and if there’s a lot, there’s a bigger chance it will work What got you into what you do?: Goudy’s farmer’s market: When I changed the banana prices from 0.29 cents to 0.19 cents and I was perplexed how people reacted to it I got a degree in marketing at the University of Wisconsin. I found out about market research through college What is something in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: Agriculture The Wizard and the Prophet The Road to Survival Kiss the Ground – Josh Tickell What advice would you give to people entering the industry?: Find yourself in it, give yourself to it Where can we find you for advice? whatsnextinnatural.com newhope.com Eric J. Pierce at New Hope Linkedin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is with Scott and Jon Demers, two brothers who founded a frozen meal company that specializes in healthy seafood. They’ve recently rebranded, so you might know their previous brand, Cheating Gourmet but now they’ve gotten a bit more personal and call it simply, Scott and Jon’s. Maybe you’ve seen that small little refrigerator right next to the fresh fillet of salmon. If you’ve ever peeked inside of it, you might have found something from Scott and Jon’s. From their deep fried seafood appetizers to their new shrimp noodle dishes, these brothers are innovating the frozen seafood section. Learn about the humble origins of how the brothers thought of the idea to enter this category and what it felt like to experience the amazing growth they went through. About Scott and Jons Scott and Jon Demers are co-founders of Cheating Gourmet premium frozen seafood. The brother’s passion for providing consumers with healthy, convenient food is at the core of their business and shines through in their mission to deliver the best seafood products to families nationwide. For them, building a brand is about quality and integrity. A study conducted in recent years by the USDA found that 80-90% of Americans are not consuming the recommended amount of seafood in their diet. As a great source of protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals, making seafood more accessible was important to Scott and Jon. That, combined with the increasing demand for on-the-go lunches made with premium seafood, inspired the launch of their Shrimp Rice Bowls. The brothers wanted to create an easy, everyday rice bowl with high quality shrimp and fresh ingredients. Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Salt of the Earth. During IFT, I went to their booth. They were serving vegetarian meatballs and mac and cheese using Mediterranean umami. I would say, it was probably the best meatball made of pea protein I’ve tasted. Mediterranean Umami brings a rich, savory component while being clean label and reduces sodium and made with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, sea salt, seaweed, and mushrooms. Ask my friend David for a bottle of Mediterranean Umami any time by emailing  info@salt.co.il Shownotes Why did you start a business?: We wanted to start our own business. We grew up with a family of entrepreneurs. Where did you find your first mentor?: The third broker we called decided to become our mentor Who was your first hire?: My mother Cheating Gourmet Scott and Jon's Why did you rebrand?: We wanted to feel more connected to the consumer, a family-to-family dynamic My Food Job Rocks: Seeing your baby grow is an amazing experience IQF/Flash Frozen What type of trends and technologies are exciting you right now?: Frozen foods What’s the biggest challenge the food industry needs to face?: Cleaner and cleaner labels What is something you’d like to know more about?: Forecasting trends. Where are we headed? Expo West Boston Seafood Show – We had the shrimp ramen there. We were chosen as a finalist Grapefruit Smoked Salmon Favorite Quote: Arnold Schwarzenegger – You can’t climb a mountain with your hands in your pockets Favorite Book: Let my people go surfing – written by the founder of Patagonia Quote from the book: A Perfect product is when you can’t take anything out of it Any advice for anyone who wants to start a food business?: Don’t quit, be innovative What made you not quit?: Have a good cofounder Whwere can we find you?: scott@demersfoods.com Scottandjons.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you recall, a year or two ago, we did one of these and had a pretty good response so we’ve decided to do one again to catch up. The issues we discuss in this episode aren’t really well talked about, so I view this as a very transparent heart to heart. It helped Kim Schaub, perhaps it might help you. Things like communication, impostor syndrome, prioritizing your life versus your work life all come up in this episode so if you’re dealing with issues like these, this one is a good listen. No ads this time, this one is a freebie Show Notes Ohio State - Citation Needed and NCSU Gabriel Keith Harris American Food Innovate Summit La Terra Fina Dear Ambitious Students So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport Anyway You Want Derek Sivers Paul Shapiro Episode 102 Better Meat Co. Gratitude Katie Jones Podcast with Kim Schaub Impostor Syndrome Type-A People Black Swan Decision making capital Phil Saneski Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Richardson has a PhD in anthropology and has worked for the Hartman Group for a little less than 15 years. During that time, he’s done work for a whole variety of different companies. From small companies to legacy brands. With a tone similar to Anthony Bourdain’s view of the restaurant interview, James brings a realistic yet refreshing viewpoint on the food industry and throughout the interview, brings a ton of tangible tips on how to grow, especially if you’re in the beginning stage of starting up. Questions like if your time is valued in trade shows, or what year food companies are typically profitable, or how you can navigate through different selling channels are all topics that we talk about. So get ready for a jam-packed interview on the inner workings of what really goes into growing a food business By the way, James has some awesome stuff in the pipeline. Not only does he have a podcast called Startup Confidential, but he also will be launching the book, Ramping Your Brand, at the end of the year. Enjoy the show! About James I am a strategy consultant for emerging food and beverage brands, with a professional background in consulting, market research and social science. I have studied natural/organic consumers and brands for my entire career, beginning with proprietary work for Whole Foods Market in 2003. I have advised well over 75 food and beverage brands on specific aspects of growth strategy (i.e. marketing, innovation, channel placement and pricing), from large legacy brands such as Triscuit to small, early stage food companies. Based on years of Nielsen and SPINS analysis of real world performance, I have developed proprietary IP to guide product design/innovation and go-to-market strategy for early stage natural/organic brands. My work in the natural/organic marketplace is based on understanding category nuances that affect success for emerging brands. All my work involves a holistic, competitive analysis of your brand and its prospects for growth based on understanding category nuances in modern food culture. Past Clients: My understanding of the food and beverage marketplace and growth strategy is built on 15 years of work for leading manufacturers and retailers across the sector: Pepsi-Cola, Coke VEB, McCormick, Campbell's, ConAgra Brands, General Mills, Nestle USA and Nestle SA, Kraft Foods, The T. Marzetti Company, Rich Products Co., Hershey's, Whole Foods, Target, Wal-Mart, and Kroger. I have also worked with over a dozen early-stage food brands in various capacities including Corazona's, Bobby Sue's Nuts, Wellgen, Snack It Forward, LLC, Nibmor, Mother Kombucha, Zaca, and others Finally, I have also performed confidential due diligence evaluations for VC firms such as Prairie Capital and Colfax Creek Capital. For more info and client testimonials, please see my website: www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Salt of the Earth. During IFT, I went to their booth. They were serving vegetarian meatballs and mac and cheese using Mediterranean umami. I would say, it was probably the best meatball made of pea protein I’ve tasted. Mediterranean Umami brings a rich, savory component while being clean label and reduces sodium and made with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, sea salt, seaweed, and mushrooms. Ask my friend David for a bottle of Mediterranean Umami any time by emailing  info@salt.co.il Show Notes Why did you decide to make a podcast?: Podcasting is a powerful form of content marketing What do you do?: I do strategic planning for early-stage premium CPG planning What stage of the process do people contact you?: First 3 to 5 year and the journey to half a million in gross sales If you want to grow into a flat-lined $10-20 million business, you need to shove all of your money into growth How do you prepare to “weather the storm”? – Line your angels, get a house lone, make sure everyone close to you is ok with this E-locks Cara Golden – The Passion has to be obsessive. The Scaling is not particularly glamorous Have a competitive streak. You want to win Good Crisps What is the fastest way to grow a food business?: Get on e-commerce and get to 20-30 thousand dollars in revenue. Foodservice onboard people faster. Ultramarathoners: James Richardson Linkedin post You’re running a marketing experiment: set realistic revenue practices Anthropology: It’s a bookworm’s paradise and your friends don’t get it I went to India, almost died 3 times but lived there for 3 years When I got home, I took a job at market research and did nationwide research in whole foods Hartman Group Power Bar Clif Bar Skinny Pop Popcorn My unique set of knowledge is a ton of case studies that help you get to scale The market changes faster than you realize and I learn fast as a consultant UPC mix – Universal Product Attributes Mix trend slowness is about 7-10 years Any advice for anyone who wants to be in the industry?: If you want to master CPG, you should join a fast growing food company (2-5% 15-20million dollars) There are 100 companies to choose from Examples: Spindrift A big company, you won’t learn much Website: premiumgrowthsolutions.com Startup Confidential podcast Learn more about your ad choices. 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Pete Brennan is the Co-Founder of Soñar! Foods. A mission-driven company that sells plant powered tortilla chips. Pete might have started his own food business, but he is a veteran in the food industry. With experience from E&J Gallo Winery, Kelloggs, Foster Farms, and Zola, Pete’s specialty is marketing big brands. He teamed up with the best person he knew to start Soñar! Foods, his wife, Maria. Pete and I met at the Fancy Food Show, and again at the Alt Protein show. Pete’s a go-getter and cares about his community and every time I’m on LinkedIn, I see pallets of his chips get delivered to the nearest community market. The best part about this family business is that they really do care about doing good in the world, as 1% of their annual sales goes to helping the Latino community. Learn more about the amazing origin of this on-fire startup, its mission, and the shoulders it stood on, to be successful, and perhaps the content of this interview allows you to explore what good you can do in your world Sponsor: Salt of the Earth I'm happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient,  Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave.  Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you're interested now, feel free to email them at info@salt.co.il Show Notes Fancy Food Show Lauren Joyner Alt Protein Show Will Holsworth What do you tell people?: I’m a food entrepreneur who wants to make a better world What do you make?: We’re on a mission to feed a nation of dreamers 1% of annual sales is to advance the mission Latino Community Foundation Gary Hirshberg Stonyfield farms -1% for the planet What was your first food job?: Sales and management trainee at E&J Gallo Maria and I met at E&J Gallo Kelloggs How did Gallo help you with Sonar?: Their training program is phenomenal Gallo Wine Jug: Our best marketing campaign was shifting consumer perceptions on drinking wine from a jug. Branding has the ability to persuade What is the difference between launching a Sonar campaign vs a big brand campaign?: Scale. Hershberg Institute June 2018 Gary Hirshberg book The power of one Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: I get to make an impact with the people I love and the community I love What is the biggest challenge the food industry needs to face right now?: There’s a lot. Each of us can and should use our brands to build a more socially and environmentally powered society What is the one thing in the food industry you’d like to know about?: Everything. Since launching the startup, that one thing is just everything Did you originally want to go into the food industry?: I definitively wanted to go into food because I wanted to work for a great brand. Most great brands came from food. Do you have any advice for people who want to just into entrepreneurship?: DO it with a commitment of doing good. Reach out at Pete@sonarorganics.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Crowell has had quite an amazing culinary journey with a lot of risks and a lot of reward. First he tells me how he found out about cooking, by staging at a restaurant in Europe, and brought that love back to the United States and worked hard enough to open his own restaurant. But opening up a restaurant was really hard, and he struggled. Eventually, he became an R+D Director at both Olive Garden and Starbucks. Eventually, Mark threw it all away and started consulting. He again struggled at first but then he started to build. Now CuliNex is a thriving clean label consulting company in Washington. He has a dozen members on his team, people with whom I’ve met personally! I think the best part of the episode is the stories Mark gives about the struggles of creating businesses. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. As long as you have some faith. Sponsor: Salt of the Earth I'm happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient,  Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave.  Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you're interested now, feel free to email them at info@salt.co.il Show Notes When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you tell them?: We’re in the clean label development business What does CuliNex stand for: My wife made the name 15 years ago, it’s Culinary and Next It wasn’t until 2011 that clean label started to buble up Clean Label definitons: Length of the label, complex wording, nutrition label Lo Han -Monkfruit for bakery application. A client came to us right after it was approved Describe the Steps it took to get to where you are today?: Talked my way into a national hotel kitchen, practiced for a year, then worked 5 years as a line cook. Applied to the Culinary Institute of America Took 2 years to get accepted. At the time, it was a while before I heard back Continental Cuisine: Not a specific type of cuisine Florida International University: Hotel Management I was in the restaurant business: manager, district manager, coffee shops, dinner houses, discotheques Why did you decide to start your business Other example: Kenny Lao Made a Mediterranean restaurant. Huge restaurant Didn’t go so well, got a job referral for Olive Garden TUFTS Analysis Darden Restaurants Season 52 Howard Schultz running for president Howard Schultz’ book Pumpkin Scone Pumpkin Spice Latte NRA Show Consulting was hard the 1st year, but I ended up building it until 6 years later, had a sustainable business but then I got bored and started to build up a company Emily Munday was my first employee The E-myth Revisited What is some advice for things that are hard?: You gotta do what you are passionate about. It will see you through the tough times. You also gotta have faith. I’ve learned the word over the past 25 years. You’re up on the high wire, but you gotta trust your people My Food Job Rocks: I get to work on amazing projects with amazing people Phil Saneski Food Trends and Technology: Upcycling movement, Cultured Meat The biggest challenge the food industry has to face: diet misinformation Favorite Kitchen Item: Stainless Steel Bowls Advice for starting something scary: Entrepreneurs are weird. They are different. Are you different? Research Chef Association; Why Donate?: Education is really important and community is really important Where can we find you?: mark@culinex.biz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremy Smith, founder of LaunchPad has impacted iconic brands such as Apple, Chobani, Bob’s Red Mills, Urban Remedy and Kumana. This episode has prime examples on how Jeremy has worked with these company's and how these companies went to the next level. A lot of great takeaways for food entrepreneurs and marketers including how to recognize superflourous trends versus trends that stick, with also amazing advice on how to make your brand everlasting. You’ll get so many great examples from iconic brands in this episode that will blow you away. Jeremy is not shy to say what’s on his mind, but he backs it up with some pretty compelling feats. If you’re a starting brand or even an experienced product developer, you’ll learn something from this episode that might help you on your next project. Sponsor: Salt of the Earth I'm happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient,  Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave.  Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you're interested now, feel free to email them at info@salt.co.il Show Notes Food Startups Podcast What do you do for a living?: We turn an entrepreneur’s visions into reality. How did you start launchpad?: I started in the brokerage business. I used to work with Steve Jobs in designing projects with him. Level 1 Marketing Chobani Kumana Food Brokers: Either strategic people or powerpoint pushers. A Brokerage’s job is supposed to be to set up a movement Expo West CBD Presence Marketing Urban Remedy Bitcoin Tommy Burgers Mattson Eric Ree at Market Brand and DAB Albertsons-Safeway Steve Jobs: He looked at every experience and improved on it Bullet Cans Air Pods How do you get people to take you seriously?: You have to develop a sense of fearlessness (it took me 30 years). It’s a two-way street though. Companies must also accept negative feedback well Popchips Good Crisps Paul Clement at Urban Remedy Ultra Fresh – 3 to 5 day shelf-life How do you convince grocery stores to take a risk on you?: We would find a region that has a heavy concentration of buyers. You have to convince them that you have to be crazy enough to believe in them. What helps is to convince the grocer that people are not going to X store because they re buying the product from Y store. John Wisgran Some groceries have different ways of buying Do you have any advice on starting a food business?: Lots of people are going to tell you no. But you have to believe more than anyone. Ray Kroc: His determination outweighed the doubt from everyone. Great ideas fail, bad ideas succeed and visa versa LinkedIn: Jeremy Smith Jeremy@launchpadgroupusa.com Cell: 650-576-8803 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sally Squires is a food communicator who works with really cool companies crafting messages. She spent her early years at the Washington Post, and now works for Weber Shadwick, as their SVP-Management Supervisor & Director, Food, Nutrition and Wellness Communications A funny story about this interview is that you might recall I had the opportunity to go to The Ohio State University to talk about podcasting and they dropped me off in a room with Sally Squires. After a brief talk about some interesting topics, I took out my podcasting gear and did an interview there on the spot! During Sally’s 24 years at the Washington Post, she built out the nutrition section of the organization. She started with small column where people would send her questions and this launched her career from working with the USDA, to collaborate with cool food tech startups to improve their messaging. So get ready to learn about how to be a critical thinker, to have the ability to sort fact from fiction as you’ll look into the mind a trained journalist, an expert at critical thinking. Or rather, be like a scientist when it comes to reading the news. About Sally Sally Squires, MS, MS, wears many professional hats. She is a senior vice president at Powell Tate, the Washington, DC division of Weber Shandwick, a weekly contributor to the leading all-news radio station in Washington, DC and an adjunct professor at the Tufts Friedman School. She spent 24 years as an award-winning health writer at the Washington Post, where she also created the Lean Plate Club, a nationally syndicated nutrition column and online community that now resides at her website, www.leanplateclub.com. Ms. Squires is an author, keynote speaker, documentary filmmaker and has written for a wide range of publications, including Parade and Reader’s Digest.  She holds two master’s degrees from Columbia University; one in nutrition, the other in journalism. She is a member of the American Society for Nutrition, the American Public Health Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Institute of Food Technologists, among others, and serves on the editorial boards of Nutrition Today and the Nation’s Health, published by the American Public Health Association Sponsor: Salt of the Earth I'm happy to introduce our newest sponsor: Salt of the Earth and their new ingredient,  Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural and clean-label flavor enhancer and sodium reduction ingredient that works amazingly on meats, veggie-meats, soups and sauces and ready-meals. My friend, David gave me a bottle and I use it on my pasta sauces, or rice porridge to give it the satisfying umami depth I crave.  Find the 2017 IFT Innovation Award Winner at IFT19 at booth number 2112 where they will be showcasing fresh food prepared with Mediterranean Umami. If you're interested now, feel free to email them at info@salt.co.il Show Notes Citation Needed American Society for Nutrition Graduate Degree Columbia University Powell Tate – public affairs Weber Shadwick Nutrition 2018 Glassdoor Clean Plate Club Lean Plate Club Senator Ted Kennedy How do you network in Washington DC?: Our office has tons of interns who ask this question. You have to get yourself out there and meet people. You’d be surprised who you can meet by just reaching out and talking Washington Post Malcolm Gladwell Michael Spector What did you find valuable about the column?: The digital age allowed people to participate in more real time and builds community faster USDA Food Database Supertracker – case study curriculum for low income students Slaughter-Free meat Sustainably Grown How do companies talk about innovative technologies?: Transparency is key Good Food Institute Botulism Refrigeration Clean Meat – Paul Shapiro Artificial Ice The Lean Plate Club Adjunct Professor at Tufts Society of children’s book writers Youtube Knitting Cook’s Illustrated Vertical Farming Ring Nest What advice would you give for communicating science?: Be a good writer. Convey what you’re trying to get across in clear language Potpourri Grammarly How do you write better?: reading aloud. Does what you read make sense? Curiousity. Keep asking questions. Be curious. A good book: A more Beautiful Question Julie Yip-Williams – Unwinding the Miracle Favorite kitchen item: Deyhydrator. I’m trying to make dog treats Favorite cookbook: Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten Where can we find you?: Sallysquires.com; sally@sallysquires.com LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices