For a Good Food Business there are many paths to success, and for some that path may include outside investment.   But today’s Venture Capital landscape can be difficult to navigate, with high expectations for returns, investors that don’t quite understand your business, and the overall slow down of venture funding in the last year.   In this episode, Sarah is joined by Melissa Facchina, Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner of Siddhi Capital. Growing up in the food industry and working in...

Ever encountered challenges with syncing apps to accounting software or using online-only banks?   You are not alone!    In this episode, I’m sharing the financial "never do's"  - things that founders should be wary of, and the cautionary tales from my experience as a CFO consultant that I believe are crucial for any business owner to heed.    Chelsea and I discussed: The problems with syncing apps and e-commerce sites to accounting software Why you shouldn’t be using new...

Inclusivity isn't just a buzzword – it's a strategic imperative. Our population is growing more diverse by the day, and businesses must evolve to meet the changing demographics.   In this episode, Sarah is joined by brand strategist Kathy Guzmán Galloway. Kathy shows us  that success doesn't necessarily mean creating a product for every niche, but rather making strategic decisions informed by a deep understanding of consumer behavior and preferences.   With 20 years of CPG experience,...

You’ve probably heard The Good Food CFO say “50% is not good for your food business!” Well today, we’re diving into what that really means. In this episode, Sarah walks Chelsea through the nuances of profit margin, specifically challenging the commonly accepted 50% target in the food industry. She shows that this one-size-fits-all approach doesn't suit every business and can lead to cash flow struggles and increased reliance on debt.    We look at some examples, and demonstrate how 3...

Errol Schweizer has over 25 years of experience in the food industry and was V.P. of Grocery for Whole Foods from 2009-2016. His team grew sales to over US$5 Billion by supporting the launch and commercialization of thousands of new products, many of which are now household names. He has developed plant-based, Organic, Non-GMO and regenerative supply chains and product standards for decades. He was awarded a NOSH Top 50 grocery industry award in 2023 and was recognized with a Retail...

In this episode, The Good Food CFO, Sarah Delevan breaks down the concept of cost of goods sold (COGS) and its importance in understanding the financial health of your business.    We explore the differences between accrual-based accounting and cash-based accounting, and how each method affects the calculation of COGS. We also clarify the distinction between unit COGS and business COGS, and the significance of knowing both.    Then Sarah shares the industry “rules” that she breaks, like...

Most Good Food Businesses start out selling their products at the local farmers’ market. Many continue to utilize markets as a consistent sales channel for their business as they grow. But at the end of the day, transporting your goods, setting up your tent or booth, and working all day, just to break it all down and load out can be a lot for any one person. Not to mention the cost!   What if there was an easier way? That was the question Peter Henry asked himself when he created Ten by Ten...

Every business needs to understand their cash flow, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a lot of cash on hand, or a 12 week cash runway.   You won’t find the answers looking at your P+L statement. That shows the operational profitability of your business and it's looking at your business in the past. A cash flow projection is looking to the future.    In this episode, Sarah is breaking down 3 methods for projecting and managing your Cash Flow, so that you can understand how cash is flowing...

When you are running your own business, it's never a question of if burnout will come, but when. Every founder has been there, and there are some telltale signs you might be going through it right now.   But what if you could slow down, take a pause, and reflect on what is really important to you, in business, and in life? That’s what our guests, Elizabeth and Maggie, want to help you accomplish with their Slow Business Retreat.   In this episode, they join Sarah to have a discussion...

A million dollar deal can be a game changer for most small businesses, but it could also be a financial burden, and not a benefit at all if the product pricing and the deal aren't structured correctly.    In this episode, Sarah is sharing the role she played in the negotiations between her client and a distributor that could result in $1 Million in the first year alone! She walks us through everything the founder has done to ensure the deal will be successful, beneficial and profitable.  ...

Are you getting ready to launch a new business? Or maybe you're preparing to launch a new product, or considering launching into a new sales channel? You don’t want to miss this episode!    Jason McAlpin is the Founder and CEO of daio – a better sparkling water that combines incredible flavor with functional ingredients. The brand is set to launch in 2024. As a former college basketball player for the University of Maryland, Jason quickly learned the vital role of proper nutrition.  After...

We’re back with another selection for The Good Food CFO Book Club!    The Great Game of Business written by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham, is a documentation and story telling of how SRC Holdings Corporation was approaching business differently.   SRC wasn’t run in the traditional top-down way most other companies are. They practiced what Jack calls “Open Book Management” and found success playing “The Great Game of Business”. The result was that they built a repeatable system that enabled...

In this episode we are celebrating the life of a hugely influential member of the food industry, Bryce Fluellen. Sarah had the honor of sitting down with Bryce at the end of 2023. Unfortunately, the world lost Bryce in early 2024. We hope that this interview tells his story and preserves his legacy as a Servant leader for so many in this industry, as he fought for food justice and social equity in every role he served.   Bryce Fluellen developed and implemented strategic programs at...

Scaling promises to bring not just more revenue, but more profit, more cash flow, and a sense of ease in doing business. And it seems every business owner is eager to get there.   In this season opener, we are answering the #1 question we get asked inside The Good Food CFO Community - “How do I scale my business?”   You’ll hear Sarah breakdown: The difference between growth and scale If it’s even possible to scale a food business The steps you can take to create a financially...

Profitability is the goal of every business. But at times it can feel like you are doing everything right, everything traditional business media says that you should be, and yet your business is still running out of cash.   In this episode, Sarah breaks down a different way of thinking about your finances and improving your cash flow and profitability. She takes us step by step through the same process she uses with founders everyday to understand what is keeping them from profitability,...

Nikki McNeil is a Co-Founder at Vividly, a trade spend management software which aims to deliver clear value through efficiencies when analyzing trade spend dollars.   Whether you’re a founder managing trade spend for one partner or hundreds, having the right system in place can ensure you stay on budget and receive proper payment from all of your distributors and retailers.    In this episode, Sarah got to sit down with Nikki to discuss managing trade spend, and what kind of systems you...

Sourcing the best ingredients for your good food product has many implications for your business. Eran Mizrahi co-founded Ingredient Brothers to support founders in this process.   Eran grew up watching his father grow a successful import business that was built on integrity and customer service. A South African transplant, Eran started his career at Deloitte, giving him a strong background in finance. He was an early employee at Plated, where he focused on building planning and sourcing...

Traditional business media celebrates big revenue, new accounts, and most of all growth and scale. Cutting revenue in the short term, letting go of accounts and scaling back are the exact opposite of that. So of course right-sizing your business can make you feel bad, and like you’re moving in the wrong direction.    We need to look at the benefits of doing things differently, the benefits of doing what is right for YOUR business, rather than what is generally celebrated in the public eye...

In 2022, Francesca Pittaluga launched Ciao Pappy, drawing from her 14-year career in luxury fashion. Her inspiration came from a passion for high-quality food, a love for the California and Italian coastal lifestyles, and a dedication to her Italian father's culinary traditions.   In this episode, Francesca joins Sarah to talk about her transition to the Food Industry and the lessons she’s learned along the way. You’ll also hear about her approach to giving back, as well as her mindset...

Retail is a complex and, at times, difficult sales channel to navigate for Good Food Founders.   In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea discuss two articles that put the Brand/Retail relationship at the forefront.   First, in the news segment, Sarah shares a Civil Eats article that highlights why mid-size farms and brands are disappearing from retail shelves. Then in the main episode, Sarah and Chelsea discuss an article that has been on Sarah’s mind since January 2023.   Read the Grub...

Emily Dyer-Schiefer traded her chef's knife for a business blueprint, and she hasn't looked back since. Tired of the conflicting advice and clichés saturating the food business landscape, Emily founded two platforms designed to streamline success. Whether through bite-sized lessons at Food Biz School or a dive into strategy at The Kitchen Think, she's committed to helping foodpreneurs build strong, thoughtful businesses that defy the status quo.  In this episode, Sarah gets to connect with...

Sarah Delevan is an avid reader, committed to reading at least one book a month. Those around her know when the current read is a good one, because she won’t stop talking about it! This inspired us to create The Good Food CFO Book Club.   In this episode, Sarah and Chelsea share all the details on the Book Club, and announce the very first book, Stolen Focus by Johann Hari.    You’ll hear: How the Book Club will work Why Sarah chose Stolen Focus as the first book Key takeaways...

When it comes to building a business, it can be tempting to skip to the tactical work that feels like action, but we really need to make sure we get a few foundational pieces of strategy in place first to get all those tactical decisions optimized and working together as part of an integrated plan so have the ability to be proactive and cohesive vs feeling like things are disjointed.   In this episode, we are taking a step back and doing just that. Sarah is joined by Katie Mleziva, a Food...

We are kicking off Season 8 of the podcast with a run down of the changes that are happening this season. You’ll meet our show producer, Chelsea Stier, as she and Sarah share all that we have in store for you.   Then, you’ll hear the conversation that has been on Sarah’s mind since August. It all started on a birthday road trip, while overhearing many frank conversations about money. Sarah asks the questions that came up for her after noticing an interesting pattern.   Sarah and Chelsea...