My Food Job Rocks!

This is a special episode where I’ve had the opportunity for some students to ask me some questions. I’ve had many, but I chose these two episodes as great examples of the advice I give to students. So first up is Weslie Khoo, a PhD student who wants to know more about Product Developemnt and stuff like that. I do my best answering them and talk about my experience, but also name dropping a lot of companies that I found If you guys have any problems with the audio, let me know. Weslie’s audio is a bit hard to listen to, and if it bothers you, let me know through podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com or linkedin. I’ll have a replacement episode with my audio switched out. Sponsor - FoodGrads If you are even just a little bit interested in a career in food & beverage, you should join FoodGrads.  It’s an interactive platform where you can hear about different careers, hear from your peers, have a voice and share your story as well as ask specific questions and get feedback from industry experts across the sector. You can create a profile, add your resume and search for co-op, internships and full time opportunities just for Food Grads. Employers can find you too, they can recruit you for jobs and projects they need help with to give you the relevant industry experience you need. Join FoodGrads today! Just go to Foodgrads.com Sponsor - ICON Foods Big announcement from our friends at Stevivia. They now go by ICON Foods and you’re seeing a rebranding in action which I find really exciting. Their vision is brighter, their strategy is stronger and their all-natural, clean-label product portfolio is ever growing. So why are they doing this? Even though stevia is an amazing product, there are just so many sweeteners coming up and it’s becoming a bit overwhelming. Monkfruit, Allulose, Agave, you name it. This is what ICON Foods is here for: to help you find sweetener solutions so you can focus on other challenges in the product development process. For more information, visit ICON foods at ICONfoods.com Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Questions Asked After you test flavors, do you launch all at once or one at a time? How startups can collect market research When am I sharing too much information before launch? Why would you go with a copacker? How to find copackers? Why do grocery stores private label? Do you argue a lot with copackers? Is there anything between a copacker and a incubator? What is a Pilot? How to get Packaging What startup resources do you like? How do you get a product out there? Question Summary Just collect data for sensory. More data the better How do you know a product is good? Seth Godin: If ten people tell ten friends about your product, it’s a good product Am I sharing too much information before launch?: You should be as transparent as possible, because people want transparency. If you put in more effort, then most people won’t copy you until you get big Legal disputes can be important regarding how products work Why would you go with a copacker?: Upfront cost of manufacturing is huge When do you engage with a co-packer?: When you validate your product will work. One example is getting Whole Foods to demand your product, then you need to get product fast Cottage Industry Permit How to find copackers?: Word of Mouth, Google, some websites do this, Copacker websites suck, go to trade shows, Private Label Manufacturer Association, also friends with someone who sells a lot of things, any book that talks about making your own product Why do grocery stores private label?: It gives higher margins Do you argue a lot with copackers?: Yes, but you have to be competent Is there anything between a copacker and a incubator?: Commercial kitchen or your basement How to get Packaging: Ask the copacker to see what they recommend. Also go to Pac Expo How do you get a product out there?: You have to go there and talk to people. Who you’re targeting, why, what they really want Give away your product for free Taste wins, having it healthy is better You can have a bad tasting product, and be healthy, and it will sell, but you won’t be the best The best Food Scientist have a mix of science or art, and it’s the consumer opinion that matters What startup resources do you like?: Good Food, Great Buisnesses, Conferences, Fancy Food Show Other Links Examples of strategic market launches Halo Top Taco Bell The first "health" bar Hershey Chocolate Bar Examples of Target Marketing Niching – Super specifying your target market Paleo bar – I should only focus on paleo people, nothing else matters Keto bar Quest Bars Soylent Hampton Creek Beyond Meat Airbnb Examples of startup research Susie Wyshak – Good Food Great Buisness Fancy Food Show The Lean Startup by Eric Ries Who Private Labels? Private Label vs Contract Manufacturing Costco Safeway Target CVS   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m a big fan of talking to product developers because the more and more I talk to them, I realize they have the same problems I do! Sure maybe it’s rice, or gummies, or jerky, but once you realize the common thread of dealing with people, it makes it a lot easier to ask for advice. And that’s kind of the commonality in this episode. I exchange with Brian all sorts of helpful product development tips such as who to ask for help when you can’t figure out something out, or advice on how to get internships. By the way, you’ll also find out in the interview, that I totally forgot that Hershey bought out Krave. We even get into a good discussion on eating protein and the beauty of bone marrow. About Brian Brian Gouldsbury is a Senior Food Scientist for Krave Pure Foods, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company. Brian’s role is to develop new jerky flavors and meat snacks for Krave, in addition to identifying margin expansion opportunities for the brand. Brian has an associates degree in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute of America, and a bachelors in food science from Cornell University. While working for Hershey, he also obtained his MBA from Penn State University, and most recently an advanced certificate in management and leadership from MIT Sloan. In his spare time, Brian is an avid bodybuilder, and has competed in several state level competitions. He is also a life learner, and is currently attempting to teach himself Mandarin when he is not chasing his two year old son around the house.  Key Takeaways Adam didn’t know Krave was bought by Hershey How acquisitions work with Hershey Can you run all meats on the same line? Yes How Brian and I found food science Brian’s theory on gaining muscle Would vegetarians eat meat? Question Summary What do you do: My job is to make X or Y First Job: Margin Expansion. Using cheaper products with no drawbacks from the consumer ends Krave ideation to commercialization: 9 months to commercialize Hershey ideation to commercialization: 1 to 2 years Hershey and Krave can move launch dates. Isagenix can’t Best thing about Krave: It’s the people. It’s small and interactive and in California. I love interacting with all sorts of people Steps in Brian’s career: Culinary Institute after highschool, Chef life was brutal for Brian and he wanted a work life balance, found out what a food scientist was, Cornell University BS, hired on for Hershey, moved to Krave Certifed Research Chefs What is the most important skill that you need for your job?: When it’s ok to ask for help How do you ask for help?: Internal subject matter experts and the secret mad scientist in Hershey How Adam does it: talk to copacker technologists; think of your production staff My Food Job Rocks: I love working with people and I love protein Brian’s philosophy on protein: eat a lot of protein. Some people eat 5 grams of protein Dream Job Title: VP of R+D or Supply Chain What do you look for most in a job?: If you don’t like what you do, it becomes a chore. Also, companies who give back Food Trends and Technology: Synthetic meat production and bug protein Who inspired you to get into food?: My mother, I accidentally snorted cayenne pepper as a kid Favorite Book: Financial Accounting for Internal Decision Making I’m teaching myself Mandarin Chinese Article about someone overloading on protein Kitchen item: the chef knife Best thing I ever ate: Roasted Bone Marrow: Blue Ribbon Brassiere. It’s delicious Best piece of advice in the food industry: Internships, internships, internships. Define what niche you fit in, best way you can get this is internships How do you recommend people getting their first internship: Walk into a career fair and get ready to go. Dress to impress Brian’s first internship: it was actually Hershey! Adam’s first internship: A slaughterhouse What would you tell yourself the first day of your job?:  Just have fun. Don’t take yourself so seriously How do you want people to contact you?: Linkedin. Brian Goldsbury Other Links Article about someone overloading on protein and dying CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility Project Peanutbutter EXO Bitty foods Brandy and Bone Marrow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to know ALL ABOUT CROWDFUNDING, you must listen to this episode. Let me introduce you to Cheryl Clements, one of the most delightful people I’ve ever interviewed. She owns the startup, Pie Shell, which helps food startups raise capital using crowdfunding. What makes Pieshell a unique crowdfunding platform is that it is super focused on food. All they fund is food companies but more importantly, they help food companies prepare to get ready for the crowdfunding journey. So this episode is jam packed with so many tips on how to name a company, how to ask for help, and how to most importantly, raise money to achieve your dream. Pieshell is currently in a crowdfunding stage itself and here's how you can be part of the pie. How to invest into the early stages of Pieshell. All you have to do is go to https://www.seedinvest.com/pieshell/seed and invest at minimum, $500 dollars. After I edited the interview, I hopped on and invested and this is not because they are my friends or anything, but it’s because I really believe in pieshell’s mission, and I hope after this episode, you do too. Crowd Funding Statistics Why 75% of food startups fail Why it takes 3-4 months to prepare for a crowdfunding campaign and how PieShell prepares for this and gives you tools for success 1 spelling mistake can reduce funding by 13% Venture Capitalist will only work with Food companies that make 1 million to 3 million 85% of people in Expo West will not be there next year Question Summary When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you tell them?: I help make people’s dream come true. We are building a community of food entrepreneurs and businessmen How did PieShell get its name?: It was actually my mom’s company. People loved it. What the best thing about your job?: Working with all of the projects How PieShell gets founders: People find us all over the internet. We also have over 60 community partnerships who send us people. How did you learn about crowdfunding?: I did a lot of homework. And then I crowdfunded to start pieshell. I made $13,000 dollars from that crowdfunding campaign The steps to get to where you are today: I’ve been in a family who loves food. I spent a lot of time installing SAP to businesses, Cheryl understands process and can translate it to many fields. How did you reach out to mentors?: You have to be brave. You have to be open to building relationships, Charming robot web design – met through an internship One tip on networking: Talk to everyone. Don’t be shy. You need to be talking about yourself all the time. You never know who will show up. Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: I do what I love everyday. I love helping people. Food Trends and Technology: People really want to know where things are coming from. Transparency in the market place. What companies are being transparent?: A lot of smaller companies. However, the bigger companies are doing wonders like Unilever and Chobani What’s one of the biggest challenge the food industry needs to face?: People don’t understand how much money and time goes into food. It takes 3 to 5 years for a food company to get established. Other Links Foodgrads Barnraising Kelp Jerky Fund-a-feast Ripe.io - Blockchain Technology SAP Adam Simon – Head of innovative brands in Clorox Austin’s Underdogs  - Pieshell New Equity Crowdfunding Law Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  I think this might actually be our first quality manager on our podcast and I am very excited that it’s Bryan. He’s had over 25 years working as a Quality expert in the dairy industry. Bryan is also offering his new book: The New Manager Mindset to our viewers and all you have to do is go to fsmaexpert.com and just pay for shipping. I read this book, as I’m thinking of management, and it really gave me some great tips and resources to not only understand people, but to build systems. We go pretty in depth on food safety, quality, leadership and management so if you are interested in this pathway, pay close attention to this interview. My favorite part of this interview is about 20 minutes in where Bryan explains how to have everyone agree on how to deal with warm milk. Sponsor - FoodGrads If you are even just a little bit interested in a career in food & beverage, you should join FoodGrads.  It’s an interactive platform where you can hear about different careers, hear from your peers, have a voice and share your story as well as ask specific questions and get feedback from industry experts across the sector. You can create a profile, add your resume and search for co-op, internships and full time opportunities just for Food Grads. Employers can find you too, they can recruit you for jobs and projects they need help with to give you the relevant industry experience you need. Join FoodGrads today! Just go to Foodgrads.com Sponsor - ICON Foods Big announcement from our friends at Stevivia. They now go by ICON Foods and you’re seeing a rebranding in action which I find really exciting. Their vision is brighter, their strategy is stronger and their all-natural, clean-label product portfolio is ever growing. So why are they doing this? Even though stevia is an amazing product, there are just so many sweeteners coming up and it’s becoming a bit overwhelming. Monkfruit, Allulose, Agave, you name it. This is what ICON Foods is here for: to help you find sweetener solutions so you can focus on other challenges in the product development process. For more information, visit ICON foods at ICONfoods.com Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs How mentorship brought Bryan to success Why hiring a consultant is a good idea (especially in growth phase), and when to focus on it A really good example of how quality and production can work together (20:00) How to use personality subsets to work together How the FDA works and how to take advantage of it Question Summary How do you introduce yourself: I make sure your food is up to standard (Quality) and make it safe (Food Safety) Quality is making things consistent, Food Safety needs to be in place What do you do?: I’m a quality consultant What’s the best thing about your job?: I love working with different companies Steps it took to get to where you are today: Planned to go to medical school, ended up working in cheese, had to decide between contributor to manager If you want to make a bigger impact, you might need to be a manager A quality manager’s job: to find out why stuff is happening, not fix things right away How to create a great quality system - Examine a process - Talk to the worker - Determine the key attributes - Develop a buffer (red light, yellow light, green light) that production can understand - Make smart decisison on a yellow light situation Best skill you can have in quality: Technical competency and the ability to talk to people How do you do better at talking to people?: See if you can find a person’s philosophy and how they view things. Then communicate in a way they relate to it. Managing versus Leadership: You need both, but leadership is a focus on creating new leaders and trusting people to do their job Exciting Food Technology: Blockchain as a tracking mechanism for food Biggest Issue: FDA will eventually target corporate headquarters. Most corporate HQs don’t have systems in place What’s one thing you’d like to know about?: To keep updated on food safety How do you keep up to date?: GMA through Smart Brief, Bill Marler Food Safety News Report, take the info and cut and paste Favorite Kitchen Item: My mom’s ice cream scoop Best thing you’ve ever eaten: a 7 course meal in Copenhagen, Denmark. Michelien Restaurant Advice for people in the quality realm?: Gather up your technical skillset and find things that really exciting If you were to teach something to a class in college, what would you teach?: How to understand the consumer. (found in his book). You shouldn’t base your opinion on CEO feedback, but fanatic customer feedback. Food Leadership Group.com Bryan’s Book is available for free. FSMAexpert.com. Book a 30 minute convo Other Links Marajuana business in Colorado Boulder Colorado Naturally Boulder Leprino Foods Class 1 FDA sample ENTP ISTJ Darin Detwiler Frank Yannis at Walmart -Walmart is partnering with IBM to blockchain CRISPR Whole Genome Technology Gary Danko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the title says, this is another Food Safety Fanatic that I just loved talking to! Still young in his career, Ben Chapman does so many things in his field such as being a professor, writing on a blog, and of course, co-hosting a podcast with our previous guest, Don Schaffner. Ben’s focus on food safety is on the food service side as a lot of his work deal with how to have chefs and other people in the food service industry work with food safety, that not only includes teaching, but he also gives people the tools, whether gaget-like or not to mitigate the complex world of food microorganisms. Other than that you’ll get a lot of great food safety resources, a great discussion of how food safety is portrayed in the media, and where Ben takes his kids when they grocery shops. Sponsor - FoodGrads If you are even just a little bit interested in a career in food & beverage, you should join FoodGrads.  It’s an interactive platform where you can hear about different careers, hear from your peers, have a voice and share your story as well as ask specific questions and get feedback from industry experts across the sector. You can create a profile, add your resume and search for co-op, internships and full time opportunities just for Food Grads. Employers can find you too, they can recruit you for jobs and projects they need help with to give you the relevant industry experience you need. Join FoodGrads today! Just go to Foodgrads.com Sponsor - Steviva Ingredients Has marketing ever asked you to pull a rabbit out of a hat? I know they have with me. They want clean-label sugar reduction because that’s the trend. And in addition to clean label, we need to follow the ever-changing FDA laws, meet low cost parameters AND create a product that tastes EXCELLENT – with no aftertaste issues. They want us to make magic happen. Who do they think we are - Houdini? Let me tell you who the real magicians are. Steviva Ingredients. Steviva has more than two decades of experience in R&D and clean-label sugar reduction in a variety of applications: beverage, baked goods, fillings, frostings, condiments. Give em a call. They’ll create a solution for you. If they can help me, they can help you. Go check them out at stevivaingredients.com. Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs How I got my butt kicked my freshman year in college The hidden benefits of podcasting when you’re in conferences How I read Ben’s article before I even knew about it What do you do?: I spend time making people less sick. I give people tools for people to not get sick What do you do if I know a little about the food industry?: Give resources to food production or consumer;s homes to help them find food borne illnesses. 4 reasons why people get sick: Handwashing and poor personal hygiene Cross contamination Temperature – improper cooking Storage temperature These are generally poor decisions. We help track them What’s the best thing you do for your job?: We have the opportunity to make a difference. If it stops people from getting sick, it’s worth it. How did you get to where you are?: In high school, I was super interested in microbiology and diseases. Got a summer job in food safety. Masters degree on keeping salmonella off of tomato’s. PhD thesis:  How much handwashing it takes to get rid of bacteria. Applied to NC State. Been there for 9 years. What do you teach students?: I mentor graduate students, give them the skills to ask food safety questions What type of skillset or personality do you need to be good at your job?: Being inquisitive and critical. Critical of others work and your own work. In science, we have peer review and we have to be critical How did food safety talks start?: I was a graduate school student and I met Don. I got Don to speak at a freshman class and I had to have him stay at my house. Don and Ben signed up for Storycore to talk about Food Safety, and Don kept on inviting Ben to be a panelist and then decided to make a podcast. How do you make your podcast enticing to viewers?: We’ve noticed the least prepared you are, the better your episode might be What makes a Good Podcast: Excellent Story-tellers, they can paint a picture of what’s going on, and harmony between guests. The best podcasts is where we’re sitting on a bar, drinking a beer What kind of Podcasts do you listen to?: Bill Simmons Podcast (BS report). 5x5 podcasts. Back to work - Dan Benjamin. John Roderick - Roderick on the line. Pod Save America. I recommend: Stuff you should know Barfblog: Most memorable article. Michael Jordan Flu game was linked to bad pizza. Barfblog used to be a forum for people to talk about food poisoning. When we launched, nobody did it, so we did it. Since you have kids, where do you shop?: Everywhere. My kid loves to shop and we go pretty much everywhere. Ben knows a lot of people in the grocery industry and can text them to see what’s up. What type of food trends and technology are really interesting you right now?: Chefs are becoming more aware and appreciative of people in Food Safety Why are food safety outbreaks showing up more? Is it just me?: Media now has more space because it’s online now. Foodborne outbreaks makes great stories. More conversations about food safety are good. Chipotle Outbreak analysis: Foodborne outbreaks are scars for life. Chipotle hasn’t done a good job sharing information BBC’s article: 2 years ago. We actually get norovirus outbreaks every day What’s one thing about the food industry you’d like to know more about?: the food industry does a really good job when saying food safety is a priority. However, I’d like to know more about the process for food safety and how people make decisions day in and day out. We don’t do a  good job saying things aren’t perfect. Favorite book?: Vivian Howard, North Carolina Chef Deep Run Roots: My Favorite Recipes from the South. TV show: A chef’s life Favorite Kitchen Items: Thermometer. Cobart PDP 300 Digital Instaread thermometer. Only $20 dollars Any advice for anyone going into the food industry: Don’t do anything unless you’re passionate about i. There are a lot of jobs in the food industry, and it’s growing in food safety Find Ben at: Barfblog, Food Safety Talk,  Twitter: @benjaminchapman, Instagram: @barfblogben Links International Association for Food Protection Collard Greens Norovirus Bluebell Outbreak Chipotle Outbreak Peanut Butter Outbreak Peanut butter Outbreak in Australia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Don Schaffner is an amazing food safety scientist who’s the best in class. In fact, let me name youa  few of his amazing awards: You can read his amazing biography here What’s also super cool, is that Don and his co-host Ben do a whole lot of extracurricular activities to promote food safety and one of their favorite things to do is podcasting. For over 4 years, they’re been doing discussions of food safety and post them online for everyone to enjoy and they do have quite a following. If you are in food safety or are considering food safety, you have to listen to this interview. Don gives you valuable advice on how to really be a star player in food safety and some amazing resources such as Barfblog, Food Safety News, and the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports About Don Dr. Donald W. Schaffner is Extension Specialist in Food Science and Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and educated thousands of Food Industry professionals through short courses and workshops in the United States and around the world. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists and the American Academy of Microbiology. He has served as an Editor for the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology since 2005.  Dr. Schaffner was the president of the International Association for Food Protection in 2013-2014. In his spare time he co-hosts a food safety podcast at foodsafetytalk.com. Sponsor - FoodGrads This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion--there's something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it. Join FoodGrads for support, mentorship and guidance to start your career. Just go to foodgrads.com Sponsor - Steviva Ingredients Has marketing ever asked you to pull a rabbit out of a hat? I know they have with me. They want clean-label sugar reduction because that’s the trend. And in addition to clean label, we need to follow the ever-changing FDA laws, meet low cost parameters AND create a product that tastes EXCELLENT – with no aftertaste issues. They want us to make magic happen. Who do they think we are - Houdini? Let me tell you who the real magicians are. Steviva Ingredients. Steviva has more than two decades of experience in R&D and clean-label sugar reduction in a variety of applications: beverage, baked goods, fillings, frostings, condiments. Give em a call. They’ll create a solution for you. If they can help me, they can help you. Go check them out at stevivaingredients.com. Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs What is an extension specialist? What are extensions? If you want a career in food science, think about Food Science and Quality because boy we have a lot to do How Don met Darin Detwiler Official Job title: Distinguished Professor – Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist How long have you worked in Rutgers?: Over 25 years! Extension course: they’ve always existed, but not widely visible What’s the best skill can you have in Food Safety and Quality: You need to keep learning. The knowledge you have today will be outdated by next year Don’t think what you know today is going to necessarily be known tomorrow. You always have to keep up with new outbreaks and keep on changing your mind What resources do you use to keep you up to date?: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports published by the CDC Barfblog: Doug Powell and Ben Chapman. What’s making people barf! Food Safety News by Bill Marler Food Safety Talk with Ben Chapman. 2 PhDs in Food Safety talk about food safety. A director’s commentary of what’s in the food safety news How did Food Safety Talks start?: Howard Stern Terrestrial Radio 100th anniversary of IAFP. NPR people came over and Don met Ben and then they talked and then they made a podcast Dan Benjamin: 5 by 5. How to do podcasting articles How long has Food Safety Talks been on?: 5 years! Why Does Your Food Job Rocks?: I love everything about my job. (Literally everything) What advice can you give a 24 year old on having the achievements that you have?: Give it time, You don’t get ahead on focusing on regrets on the past. It’s just not relevant Don’t focus on the past, focus on the present. Don’t let setbacks set you back. Food Technology: Whole Genome Technology. The radar the CDC is using is getting more sensitive. Also, mimicking norovirus What do you think the biggest challenge the food industry has to face?: Integration of FSMA What’s one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: Why people aren’t complying to rules Favorite Quote: Prediction is very difficult especially about the future. Favorite Book: DiscWorld by Terry Prachett Favorite Kitchen Item: Digital Scale What kind of advice would you give a fresh graduate?: Do the right thing. Life is too short that don’t take food safety and quality seriously. Where can we find you?: Food Safety Talk podcast. Don Schaffner from Rutgers. Bug Counter on twitter. Emails (don’t do emails) Other Links Penn State Ice Cream Course Texas A and M Extrusion Course Better Process Control Course Cyclospora Norovirus Preventative Controls Rule: a training is required Produce Safety Rule Supplier Verification Programs Irrigation of Water Provisions of the fresh produce rule Foreign Supplier Training University of Georgia American Greed: Peanut Corporation Story Core (never launched, but we have them at Food Safety Talks) Dr. Darin Detwiler FSMA webinars Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a bit different, and it acts more of a conversation, but it’s a darn good conversation. I met Ronald talking on Shapr, a swipy-like app for business people and just to let you know, I get a lot more meetings on Shapr than the other ones and they’re productive as well. Ronald has been on TEDEx, he was an ex-magician, has done several media expenditures, web design work, and has a huge passion and curiosity in food So we talk a lot of cool stuff about food, but also take this as just a casual talk with two very creative people. We try and understand each other, and we do quite well I’d say. Think of this episode a bit differently, not just about the job Ronald has, but also his mindset, or his ability to create, pivot, and entertain. I’m excited for what Ronald has in stock for us and I hope after your interview, you do too. About Ronald Food tech entrepreneur. Online Marketing and Launch Event Specialist & Amateur Magician. ;) Former Creative Marketing Strategist for The Red Group, LLC. In my consulting efforts I helped build brands online. More specifically, I consulted companies and coached experts on how to get started in creating their following online through education based marketing. Some past projects include TEDxCalicoCanyon, MagicMez, The Last Formula, and most recently The Foodbox. I've been given the opportunity to work with some amazing people over the years. If you'd like to contact me, please don't hesitate to reach out. Sponsor - FoodGrads This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion--there's something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it. Join FoodGrads for support, mentorship and guidance to start your career. Just go to foodgrads.com Sponsor - Steviva Ingredients Has marketing ever asked you to pull a rabbit out of a hat? I know they have with me. They want clean-label sugar reduction because that’s the trend. And in addition to clean label, we need to follow the ever-changing FDA laws, meet low cost parameters AND create a product that tastes EXCELLENT – with no aftertaste issues. They want us to make magic happen. Who do they think we are - Houdini? Let me tell you who the real magicians are. Steviva Ingredients. Steviva has more than two decades of experience in R&D and clean-label sugar reduction in a variety of applications: beverage, baked goods, fillings, frostings, condiments. Give em a call. They’ll create a solution for you. If they can help me, they can help you. Go check them out at stevivaingredients.com. Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs Ronald and Adam’s connection to San Luis Obispo Two tribes in the world of eating: Live to eat, and eat to live The twists and turns for Foodbox Why food farmers are switching to growing more "special" crops Question Summary What is Foodbox.tv: We took a pivot and will be focusing on telling the stories and technologies of local food TEDex: Ronald presented at TedEx: Calico Canyon the Human Connection What has magic taught you?: Magic taught me to learn fast. Magic shows a raw emotion that we don’t see often. Magic violates a preconceived notion Favorite Quote: Pain of regret weighs ton, while the pain of discipline weighs ounces Do you have any advice for people who want to do what you do?: You have to love what you do, but you have to be strategic Where can we find you?: fdbx.tv Other Links TEDEx Runa Free Conference Call Shapr University Las Vegas San Luis Obispo Cal Poly The Restaurant Coach Blue Apron Plated Soylent Meal Replacement Ketosis Diet 1000 True Fans Articles Book: Sapiens Book: Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation The Magician’s Code – Kindle book Vegan Wrestler makes vegan stuff in Arizona Singh Farms and Meadows Sous Vide Marajuana Herb Water Growth Mindset Luck + Preparedness = Success   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anton found me randomly through linkedin, found my website, and scheduled an interview all in a span in 2 weeks. Oh, did I mention he’s from Israel? It was absolutely amazing talking to someone my age from across the country and learning about the differences and similarities between how the food industry works. You’ll learn a little bit about the pros and cons of the Israeli university system, a lot about the daily life of a food engineer, and why Israeli's love guacamole. About Anton Anton Slavkin is a cheese product development engineer in the Israeli company Strauss Group. He has worked as a krill oil extraction process engineer in the nutraceuticals company Enzymotec Ltd and as a chocolate and cereal snacks product development engineer in Unilever Israel. He earned his B.Sc. in Biotechnology and Food Engineering from IIT (Israel Institute of Technology – The Technion). In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar, inventing new homemade recipes (a.k.a cooking) and hiking. Anton is passionate about making our world a better place by promoting environmental awareness and using current research data for the development of better products. About Strauss Group Strauss Group is an international Food & Beverage company that strives to improve people's lives, headquartered in Israel, where we are the largest food company. The company's portfolio includes four businesses: Strauss Coffee B.V., Strauss Israel, Strauss Water, and PepsiCo – Strauss Fresh Dips & Spreads International aligned with two global consumer trends: Health & Wellness and Fun & Indulgence. Strauss Group is active in 20 countries worldwide in our diverse fields of activity through partnerships with multinationals. The company brings its know-how in Coffee, Water, Chocolate, Dips & Spreads to diverse markets and cultures, making them accessible to people just the way they like them, adapted to local tastes and habits. Sponsor - FoodGrads This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion--there's something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it. Join FoodGrads for support, mentorship and guidance to start your career. Just go to foodgrads.com Sponsor - Steviva Ingredients Has marketing ever asked you to pull a rabbit out of a hat? I know they have with me. They want clean-label sugar reduction because that’s the trend. And in addition to clean label, we need to follow the ever-changing FDA laws, meet low cost parameters AND create a product that tastes EXCELLENT – with no aftertaste issues. They want us to make magic happen. Who do they think we are - Houdini? Let me tell you who the real magicians are. Steviva Ingredients. Steviva has more than two decades of experience in R&D and clean-label sugar reduction in a variety of applications: beverage, baked goods, fillings, frostings, condiments. Give em a call. They’ll create a solution for you. If they can help me, they can help you. Go check them out at stevivaingredients.com. Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs Clean Label and communication all over the world A discussion about food science and perspective and engineering The difference between US and Israel food education Will clean meat be kosher? Well, religion is not science, right? What the heck is red label? What do you tell people what you do?: I develop new cheese product. I don’t usually use the word Food Engineer unless someone knows what a food engineer is What is a food engineer?: A food scientist who understands engineering and processing concepts Strauss Group: Milk products, cheese products, cold filled dips Do you think people think food scientists get a lot of negative press?: Yes, even in Israel. Steps to be a food scientist in Isreal: All people in Israel must serve in the military. Anton served in the navy. Then studied food engineering in IIT Israel Institute of Technology. Product Developer in Unilever, Food Engineer at Enzymotec (Krill and fish oil) but the company was too small, couldn’t advance. What’s the most important skill you need in your job?: Flexibility. Try to see the bigger picture When you entered your first job, did you feel prepared?: Absolutely not. 90% of the things, you don’t know how to do. You just know a little bit more. What would have been better?: Faculty should be more involved in industry. But it might depend on the institute, or even country. My Food Job Rocks: I can eat, I can eat new things, I can be proud of what I can make What would be your dream job title?: CEO. You get to set the direction of the products Do you have any CEO’s you look up to?: Richard Brandson of Virgin. Steve Jobs of Apple (duh) What do you look for most in a job?: A sense of mission. How do I make the world a better place? Kosher Food Trends and Technology: Lab Grown Meat Clean Meat Biggest Challenge the Food Industry has to face: Negative image of the food industry Are there any companies that are doing a good job at improving food image?: Strauss does a bit Favorite Quote: Hippocratus- Let Food be Thy Medicine and let Medicine be thy food Favorite Food: Avacado – I’m making Guacamole weekly. You can actually grow Avocado in Israel. Any advice for anyone to go into the food industry: Don’t be afraid of following your dreams If you were to tell your freshman self something, what would it be?: Take more engineering classes. Not just food, but more complex chemistry. Why do other disciplines synergize with food engineers?: If you understand both sides, it’s great Anton asks me a question: How did you do this? Other Links Frutarom IFF Givaudan Symrise Quark Clean Label and Cost Reduction CE 300 – Ascorbic Acid Job Hopping Red Label – Implemented in Chilie, Israel, USDA Added Sugars delay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everyone! This is a bonus episode! It's also really long. Kim from Peas on Moss and I recorded this a long time ago, but I figured I would post this since we've been talking about careers a lot on the podcast/blog. So I talk a bit less modest in this episode, and maybe I'm a bit too honest this episode. Whether you agree with me on the points I make, I hope you find value in them. If you disagree, then challenge them and tell me what you think. We talk a lot on all sorts of subjects such as job hopping, resume, the purpose of life, preparedness in a degree, podcasting life, all stuff of that nature. No sponsors this episode. This one is a freebie. (warning: we do say "you know" way too much in this interview. Enjoy!) Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge Bombs How long should you stay at your job and how does that matter? Adam’s track record Storytelling is the best skill ever Discussing ethnic background CV’s and resumes Passion versus Skill How to be prepared for your first job Master’s versus Work Experience Risk versus Failure: Different roles have different values of risk How to answer questions in your job Who to talk to when you don’t know the answer How to deal with greedy people and how to deal with them How to find and identify A players and C players Extroversion versus Introversion How Adam stopped being Shy How people can take advantage of teaching niche jobs Catalysts of Change What We Talk About Twin Screw Extrusion Andrea Zeng Leadpage My Department Head’s CV Xennial Millenials ruin everything Little Bets Fiona Salim Impostor Syndrome Myer’s Briggs Kim is an ENTJ Adam is an ENTP Crematory Association How Podcasting Changed My Life Michael Kalanty James Altucher Derek Sivers – Bronze Medalist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can I describe Michael McDonnell? He is transparent, technical, and full of energy. Not bad for a 25 year old running his own recruitment company. His job is to reach out and find what food companies are looking for and I have some good news for those of you listening, these people are looking for experts. I grill Michael on all sorts of crazy questions that I felt like when I looked for a job and Michael answered these like, really well. And I ask questions such as how companies look for rockstars, the benefits of using a recruiter, what an ATS system is and why does everyone use it, and my personal question: how long should someone be in their job? Michael answers all of these with short and direct honesty and I just learned so much from this interview. So sit back and relax as we look into how recruiting works and how that will benefit you. Sponsor - FoodGrads This episode is sponsored by FoodGrads, an interactive platform for the Food & Beverage Industry, which focuses on closing the gap between students and employers with a broader mission to attract and retain people to a meaningful career in food. From Food Scientists to Farmers, Chefs to Plant Managers, QA Technicians to Dieticians, or Marketing and Sales, no matter what your passion--there's something for everyone in Food—and they will help you find it. Join FoodGrads for support, mentorship and guidance to start your career. Just go to foodgrads.com Sponsor - Steviva Ingredients Has marketing ever asked you to pull a rabbit out of a hat? I know they have with me. They want clean-label sugar reduction because that’s the trend. And in addition to clean label, we need to follow the ever-changing FDA laws, meet low cost parameters AND create a product that tastes EXCELLENT – with no aftertaste issues. They want us to make magic happen.  Who do they think we are - Houdini? Let me tell you who the real magicians are. Steviva Ingredients. Steviva has more than two decades of experience in R&D and clean-label sugar reduction in a variety of applications: beverage, baked goods, fillings, frostings, condiments. Give em a call. They’ll create a solution for you. If they can help me, they can help you. Go check them out at stevivaingredients.com. Housekeeping If you like what you heard, like us on facebook or write a review on itunes. It helps wonders. I am also inviting you to sign up on our email list at myfoodjobrocks.com. I am doing this new thing called the 5 course meal where I send you 5 pieces of hand picked content and deliver it every Friday morning. Like a meal kit… If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve the podcast, don’t be afraid to email me at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com Knowledge bombs How job hopping is disrupting all the industries How to squeeze things out of people and get really valuable information (through kindness) Mike’s opinion on Whole foods and Amazon Adam’s special gift: getting free food What do you tell people about you?: I partner with organizations or I make things. I build partnerships and deals. We really work with the company What do you consider a finalist for a search?: Whatever the company specifically wants, but also questioning their initial requirements. We want to exceed those expectations How do you find clients in the food and beverage industry and how do you communicate with them?: It starts with being on the phone. It requires a lot of cold calling. Maybe 100 phone calls to connect with another company. Who do you contact when you cold call?: Our best way is to connect with the Hiring Manager so we can find the right service to find the right people Does everyone want a Rockstar or do they not want a rock star?: Depends. Sales people want a Rockstar. For QA or data based, you might not want someone super extraverted. Job search tips Usually, people want the best of the best. Job boards might actually show the best of the worst “It’s better to be employed than not employed” most people think this but sometimes good people get in unfortunate circumstances A recruiter has a genuine conversation with a hiring manager and really focuses on getting the best fit and exploring options ATS system- automatic tracking system which is a vetting system that looks for 5 key words. Your resume might not even be looked at another person Cultural fit is absolutely critical for job success It takes seconds for people to look at your resume Job hopping: It’s so easy now and you can increase your salary faster. We don’t know what will happen 10 years from now, but now it’s 2 years. How long should you stay at your job?: I’d say 5 years. How did you get you to get to you where you are today?: I’m 24, I’m the youngest owner in my recruiting network. Worked for ConAgra brands (Territory Sales), Shanghai university of finance and economics, military active orders, disctrict manager in training for truck stops. Mentor told me to open a recruiting firm. Basically I had conversations with the right individuals. I have always wanted a job in CPG and in the food industry. What is the most important skill you can have in the food industry?: Flexibility and adaptability. Things are moving so fast that you’ll be left in the dust Common themes between excellent candidates: People who strategically plan their future. This might be through their resume or by just talking to him. My Food Job Rocks: I get to speak with amazing, unique individuals What’s the most interesting conversation you have?: I cold called a famous TV person and gave value. Food Trends and Technology: Adaptable Experts and not so much specialized experts Biggest Problem in the Food Industry: Lots of “foo-foo” going on un terms of claims. Consumer needs to educate themselves. There’s a lot of documents that involve claims What is one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: I’d ask a question: where is the largest need? I’d ask this to 100 people and gather the responses. Favorite Quote: Help enough people to get what they want and the world will give you what they want There are no problems we can solve together and very few problems we can solve ourselves I listen to hour motivationial quotes on youtube Favorite kitchen item: knife. You can change things around and it’s dangerous Favorite book: The Maxwell Daily Reader Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to go into the food industry?: Ask questions. You can open so many doors by asking questions to people. Ask people why do they eat what they eat. What do you eat?: I eat it all. I research a lot on diets but then I eat a lot sometimes. I eat a lot of protein.  What are the common myths about job searching you’d like to dispel?: “There’s no jobs”. As of now, there are tons of jobs. “I’m over qualified” It’s pretty easy to downgrade Where can we find you?: Linkedin McDonnellm2 GRN Columbia.com Other Links 5 Whys ask Why 5 times Sweets and Snack Expo   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices