Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

Imagine a consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s integrity in what they’re buying and they experience innovative, sustainable products. In this weekly podcast, hosted by founder, award-winning coach, consultant & small business advocate, Chelsea Ford, you'll hear interviews with incredible founders and hard-to-reach industry specialists as well as practical and actionable content that directly supports your CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive. Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .

Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is a business podcast hosted by Chelsea Ford, with 169 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Chelsea Ford hosts Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, a business show with 169 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #170

  #170 The 4 Things You Can't F*ck Up to Scale and Exit Your Business

  Aug 18, 202659 minS18

  Send us Fan Mail There are four things you cannot get wrong if you want to scale and exit a beverage or wider CPG business. Get one wrong, and it doesn't matter how good the rest of your business looks; you're leaking value somewhere you probably can't see yet. In episode 170 of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I talk to James "JP" Purcell, founder of Drinks 101, a commercial advisory for beverage founders. James breaks down exactly what those four things are, where they usually go missing, and the one part of the puzzle most founders neglect without realising it. Listen and learn: the 4 things you cannot afford to get wrong if you want to scale and exit, and why most founders only find out the hard way an analogy that will change how you think about where value quietly leaks out of a growing business what actually changes on either side of the $2 million revenue mark, and why the metrics that matter shift how knowing exactly where your product belongs on shelf, grocery, specialty, liquor, even a florist, shapes who you choose as a sales and distribution partner the one part of the framework founders neglect more than any other a live, unnamed client example, and the disagreement at the centre of it If you've ever wondered whether you're building a brand or building a business, this one's for you. Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC, a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods like nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more for emerging food and beverage brands. LINKS & RESOURCES: James "JP" Purcell LinkedIn Drinks 101 Method Listen to Scott Mendelsohn on What It’s Taken to Get to $100 Million Listen to Ollie Puddick of Innerbloom on Sales Is the Lifeblood: Bootstrapping a Beverage Brand NFTC website NFTC LinkedIn page BlueRock website Your Free Pitch Plan Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter Season 18 with NFTC Season 18, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

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  Episode #169

  #169 Scott Mendelsohn, Natural Raw C: What It's Taken to Get to $100 Million

  Aug 11, 202655 minS18

  Send us Fan Mail How do you build a consumer packaged goods business that's breaking through $100 million in gross sales, entirely bootstrapped, with no outside investment? My guest today is Scott Mendelsohn, founder of Raw C, Australia's leading coconut brand. I first interviewed Scott back in October 2023 (link in show notes), and this is the follow up so many of you have been asking for, what does the business actually look like now, a few years on. The numbers are staggering. Coconut water as a category is up 99 per cent in supermarkets in two years. Household penetration has gone from around 13 per cent to 34 per cent. Raw C has doubled in that time. But Scott doesn't just talk top line, he gets real about what that kind of growth actually costs behind the scenes, and the moments he's wanted to throw it all in. You'll hear: What Scott admits he still feels, even at this level of success How Scott decides which brand collabs to say yes to, and which to walk away from The story behind the Woolworths pistachio collab launch, the biggest first week of any coconut product in Australian retail history What's really happening with private label in the coconut category, and whether it's a genuine threat or a distraction The cost of Natural Raw C's first ever TVC campaign What's next for Natural Raw C, including a US Target launch If you want a real look at what it takes to build a category leading, independently owned brand in a genuinely tough market, this episode is for you. Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC, a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods like nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more for emerging food and beverage brands. LINKS & RESOURCES: Natural Raw C website Natural Raw C Instagram Scott Mendelsohn LinkedIn #84 Natural Raw C: Behind the Scenes of What it Really Takes to Scale NFTC website NFTC LinkedIn page BlueRock website Your Free Pitch Plan Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter Season 18 with NFTC Season 18, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

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  Episode #168

  #168 Distributors: How to Make the First 90 Days Count

  Aug 4, 20261 hourS18

  Send us Fan Mail If you treat distributors like a sales opportunity to be won - like a grocery store, cafe, pharmacy, or speciality retailer - you'll go far. Unfortunately, most brand owners think landing a distributor is the finish line, a "set and forget." That's not how they work, no matter what level of distributor you're working with. Bronwyn Manolas runs Devine Food Wholesalers, a distribution business built around beautiful, high-quality products kept out of the major supermarkets, and a door-to-door, relationship-first sales model most brand owners never see from the inside - the door-knocking, the tastings, the relationship-building that happens long before an order shows up in your inbox. In episode 168 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Bronwyn opens the door and invites you in on what a distribution business actually looks like day-to-day - so you know how you need to fit in. If you have a distributor and the relationship isn't working, or you don't have one but want one, do not miss this episode - you'll learn: What margin you need, and how to think about pricing before you approach one What Bronwyn looks for before she'll even consider sampling a new product What's more important - tastings or discounts, and why When you need to take action for Christmas listings Payment terms to plan your cash flow around If you've ever wondered what a distributor is really thinking when your product lands on their desk, this episode answers it. Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC, a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods like nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more for emerging food and beverage brands. LINKS & RESOURCES: Devine Food Wholesalers website Devine Food Wholesalers Instagram Loco Love website Enriche Foods website Sorry Nonna website Tummy Gummies website Your Free Pitch Plan Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter Season 18 with NFTC Season 18, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #167

  #167 How Nicky Jackson got her functional snack brand, Lioness, listed in 1900 Target US stores

  Jul 27, 202653 minS18

  Send us Fan Mail Nicky Jackson has been a CPG brand owner before, so she knew the ropes. When she first talked to Target US, she didn't ask for a trial, she asked for 700 doors. What came next was a surprise even to Nicky. Target came back with an offer of over 1,900. Nicky is the founder of Lioness, a daily functional snack range built around what women actually want throughout their day. Before Lioness, Nicky spent years at Kellogg Company and Pepsi Co, then built RangeMe, the platform that changed how brands and retailers find each other. In episode 167 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Nicky and I get into why she built a product the category didn't have, and what it actually cost her to get there. Don't miss this episode, you'll learn: How Nicky decided what type of product to create The funding required just to cover a first Target order ️ Why you need insurance, and how far in advance What most founders don't realise about broker relationships The thinking behind three products for three moments If you're chasing your first major retail listing, wanting to get into Target US, or you just want a grounded, numbers-informed look at what that journey really costs, this episode is essential listening. Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC, a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods like nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and more for emerging food and beverage brands. LINKS & RESOURCES: Lioness website Lioness Instagram Lioness TikTok Nicky Jackson LinkedIn Your Free Pitch Plan Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter Season 18 with NFTC Season 18, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #166

  #166 How to Find the Right Audience and Be Confident About Where to Spend Your Promotional Dollars

  Jul 20, 202652 minS18

  Send us Fan Mail Food and drink brands that stand for nothing fall for everything. And that doesn't work. In episode 166 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, my guest is Janice Williams from Universal Media Co, a digital marketing and publishing company working with food and wellbeing brands. Janice makes the case for finding the right audience, not just a bigger one. We get into why behavioural data beats demographics every time, and why borrowing trust from a brand that already has it can do more for a new product than any ad spend. The opportunity you now have is finding which brand is best for you to borrow from. Listen to learn how and: How to distil years of product development into one or two lines that land; Why media should be treated as an influencer, not just a channel; and What retailers actually want to see before they'll back you. If you've ever felt like you're shouting into the void on social media, wondering why sales still aren't moving, this episode will change how you think about where your marketing effort goes. Season 18 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase — scaling up, landing your first major retailer, or figuring out procurement — NFTC is worth knowing about. LINKS & RESOURCES: Universal Media Co. website NFTC website NFTC LinkedIn page BlueRock website Your Free Pitch Plan Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter Season 18 with NFTC Season 18, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

  ListenShow Notes

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