Brunch & Learn Podcast

About Maura: Maura Duggan is the founder and CEO of Fancypants, a delicious crispy cookie brand using high-quality ingredients with an elevated twist. She originally started Fancypants as a decorative cookie company in Massachusetts in 2004, along with creating her own manufacturing facility to ensure quality control and scale the business. Maura ​​evolved the company with her husband and COO Justin Housman into a premium CPG cookie brand in December 2023. Maura was inspired by the homemade cookies she made with her grandmother after school, creating a range of classic, approachable, and innovative flavors with a special fancy touch. With sustainability top of mind for Maura, she's proud that Fancypants is a zero-waste, upcycled cookie brand.Before becoming a full-time baking entrepreneur, Maura had a career in neuropsychology education including working at The Perkins School for the Blind. She valued her time at the school teaching students with varying degrees of vision and hearing and other health and cognitive issues, as she learned to see the world differently and gain perspective on what is truly important in life. When she wasn't with students, she was tied to a desk and daydreaming of baking, which led her to pursue an entrepreneurship path. She earned a Masters from Harvard University in Mind, Brain, and Education and a Bachelors in Neuroscience from Northeastern University. Maura currently lives in the Boston area with her husband, two young children, and puppy Hazel, working at the Fancypants facility and offices in Walpole, Massachusetts.Fancypants WebsiteInstagramSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Valentina:Valentina Mussi is a cookbook author, pastry chef, and lifelong foodie who has turned her passion for the culinary arts into her social media platform, @sweetportfolio. Valentina's love for food and its ability to create community has become an essential part of her content. Her Italian-Colombian roots help guide her videos, through their ability to share special moments with her family and about her ancestry.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetportfolioTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sweetportfolioWhat You'll Learn in Today's Episode:What did pastry school teach her and what made her want to pursue pastryValentina's favorite things to bakeHow has she viewed community when it comes to content and how she continues to nurture her community.How she approaches content creation when it comes to creativity and trying new ideas or videos.Current social media trends she's loving.How she has handled burnout as a content creator.Support the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Lauryn Bodden:Lauryn is a freelance recipe developer, private chef, culinary producer, and food editor. She won Netflix's newest cooking competition Snack vs Chef, which pushed her to launch her very own snack brand: S'NOODS.InstagramLinkedInWebsiteWhat You'll Learn in Today's Episode:What Lauryn has enjoyed most in her culinary career so far. What advice she would give to someone starting out in food media.What made her want to get into the CPG world with the launch of S'NOODS.A day in the life as a private chef at sea.Favorite local bites and spots in NYC.Changes she's made to S'NOODS since her initial launch and new launches.Support the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Gabrielle Chappel:Gabrielle is a seasonal chef and educator currently based in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate from the Institute of Culinary Education's Health Supportive Culinary Arts program. She works in culinary education, recipe development, catering, and private cheffing. She is a guest on hit Epicurious's YouTube series “4 Levels” and “Pro vs. Novice.” Her goal is to provide practical, engaging, and nourishing cooking tips that focus on utilizing what produce is available to us year round. She was just announced as the Season 3 Winner of Next Level Chef and will continue her story on Bite's new series-Gab's Next Course.InstagramYoutube SeriesWhat You'll Learn in this Episode:Summer seasonal produce. What's in season and what she's cooking up now. Favorite local farms and what are some key components of a farm-to-table system.Gardening tips and what she's growing right now.Experience in winning Season 3 of Next Level Chef. What has she learned so far when it comes to mentorship. Gabrielle's new Bite Originals series on Youtube.Support the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Lauren Chew:Lauren Chew dubs herself an 'accidental entrepreneur'. In 2018, she went completely vegan and had to rethink her whole diet - including her beloved sweet treats. In 2019, Lauren turned her side hustle into a full-fledged business when she crafted the first iteration of Love+Chew cookies in her tiny San Francisco apartment. The result: a delicious plant-based treat using minimal, wholesome ingredients. Today, Love+Chew cookies are on the shelves of over 2,000 stores, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, select Costco locations, and Amazon.What's most remarkable about Love+Chew is that since day one, Lauren has bootstrapped her business with zero outside funding or VC help. Coming from a business development and tech background working at companies like Tesla and Stem, Lauren manages all aspects of the Love+Chew business — from product development and marketing to sales and operations. In 2023, she managed to scale her business from 1M to 3M and is on track to bring in 5-6M this year.WebsiteInstagramSupport the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Alexis deBoschnek: Alexis deBoschnek is a cookbook author, recipe developer, and food writer based in the Catskills. Her second cookbook, Nights & Weekends, will be published in August 2025.Alexis' WebsiteInstagramNewsletter: Side DishCookbook: To The Last BiteIn this week's episode you'll learn:The state of Food Media & what she has enjoyed most in her culinary career so far The Catskills - What are Alexis' favorite restaurants/chefs and local businessesOona Wines and becoming a Founding Partner thereCookbook writing process and her upcoming second cookbook, coming out in 2025---

Meet Priyanka Naik:Priyanka Naik is a self-taught Indian vegan award-winning chef, Food Network champion, TV Host, Author of THE MODERN TIFFIN, columnist of "Ecokitchen" for The Washington Post, pop-up restaurateur and a TEDx Speaker! An avid traveler who's been to 43 countries, her globally inspired original recipes, with a focus on sustainability, have been featured on her blog Chef Priyanka, her domestic and global pop-ups, on TODAY Table - an NBC Peacock TV Show she co-hosts, are incorporated into her regular speaking appearances. She has garnered attention from 300,000+ followers and has been featured on ABC News Live, Business Insider, VICE, twice on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Forbes, GLAMOUR, one of America's 20 best chef's according to TODAY Show alongside Bobby Flay, Marcus Samuelson, Martha Stuart and more, 6X TODAY Show featured chef in Studio 1A, Bon Appétit Mini Series, CNN, GQ, The Beet, Well + Good, Medium, and more. Priyanka was the only vegan & South Asian chef among the 15 best creators in the food industry for FoodieCon at SOBE WFF! She is the first vegan & sustainable guest chef for the W Maldives in a one-of-a-kind "Go W-egan" activation. Priyanka has partnered with hundreds of brands globally, including TOYOTA, JUST Egg, Planet Oat, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Walmart and Spotify for brand campaigns. She is first-generation, Indian American, raised on Staten Island, New York, and has two elder sisters. Her Indian heritage is very important to her cooking style and lifestyle, so much so that she even learned her native language of Kannada before English and weaves in Indian elements throughout all of her original vegan cooking. She attributes her devotion to her Indian roots and passion for Indian food to her loving and supportive parents. WebsiteInstagramTikTokThe Modern Tiffin CookbookYoutubeSupport the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Jennie Lennick & Jenny Lemons:Jennie Lennick is the founder and creative director of Jenny Lemons, a vibrant San Francisco-based accessories and lifestyle brand. After earning her BFA in Studio Art and an MFA in painting, Jennie launched Jenny Lemons in 2014, featuring food-themed and nostalgia-inducing products like hair accessories and craft kits. Her work has been recognized in publications such as Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, and Architectural Digest.In 2017, Jennie opened a brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco's Mission District, hosting DIY workshops and supporting local artists for over six years. Jennie continues to carve her mark in the creative landscape, blending her artistic prowess with entrepreneurial spirit. She has collaborated with prominent brands like Ban.do, Urban Outfitters, and Aerie, and is thrilled to have her products available in over 450 retailers worldwide.In this episode you'll learn:How Jennie's art background lead to product design especially food themed products and starting her own businessWhat does her creative process look like when it comes to design and testing new ideas.What has been some of the best entrepreneurship advice she's received.What has been her approach to marketing for her business.Brand collaborations and what makes for a great collaboration.What are some of their best selling products.Balancing motherhood and running a business.Links: Jenny Lemons WebsiteInstagramTikTokPinterestSupport the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Junea Rocha & Brazi Bites:Junea Rocha is the Co-Founder and CMO of Brazi Bites, a leader in the frozen better-for-you, Latin-inspired food category. Rocha co-founded the brand in 2010, along with her husband, Cameron MacMullin. In a few short years Brazi Bites grew into a nationally distributed brand with a cult-like following after appearing on ABC's Shark Tank and being included twice on the Inc. 5000 list of “America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies.” Bringing a cherished Brazilian household staple, “Pão de Queijo,” AKA cheese bread, to the U.S. market without any experience in the food industry, Rocha grew Brazi Bites' annual revenue from zero to millions with distribution in over 17,000+ stores. Today, Rocha remains just as passionate and more excited than ever to continue Brazi Bites' growth, making its products a household staple in North America. She hopes to continue creating joyful moments for families everywhere by producing delicious, easy-to-make, naturally gluten-free foods that also guarantee to spread smiles.In this episode we cover:What's the origin of cheese bread in Brazil? Thoughts on the emerging CPG brand categories - the wave of cultural cuisine/products and the better-for-you category. Where is the category heading.The challenges with scaling, growing a company, and creating a category from scratch.Brand's desire to listen to its community in order to help guide innovation and inspire change. The Latino Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, and Junea's  dedication to supporting minority entrepreneurs through the LEAP program.Links: Brazi Bites WebsiteBrazi Bites InstagramBrazi Bites TikTokLEAP ProgramSupport the Show.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Bringing you a solo episode today, why? Here's my background.I'm the founder of Women Who Brunch and Host of the Brunch & Learn Podcast, but have also spent the past 13 years of my career in event management, marketing, sponsorships/partnerships, and lead management. The past 7 years of my career were specifically in trade show management. I'm combining my experience of both understanding from an exhibitor side to my press/content creator side in covering food events and trade shows such as ExpoEast, Specialty Food Association's Summer Fancy Food Show, New York City Wine Food Festival, and Hudson Valley Restaurant Week to many food tours, pop-ups, and experiential food events. In this Episode We'll Cover: Why you shouldn't sleep on a Press Release or your Event Announcements.Offering Press, Buyers, Retailers, Inventors & High Quality Leads a special gift or offerUnderstanding how you're going to qualify leads Post-Show Follow Up Strategy Tapping into your membership, awards, accolades, pitch contents, webinars for further reach, education, and exposureLink to FULL Blog Post - This is updated yearly to include a Show Calendar of food events for the year + new tips and exhibit samples I come across.Support the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Dominek Tubbs:Dominek is a digital creator based in New York City specializing in food and travel content. With a passion for culinary adventures and storytelling, she has become a trusted resource in the city's gastronomic landscape and beyond. Her talents have allowed her to work with brands such as Amtrak, Eventbrite, OpenTable, and more.Follow Dominek here: https://www.instagram.com/domnthecityhttps://www.threads.net/@domnthecityhttps://twitter.com/domnthecitywww.domnthecity.comWhat You'll Learn in this Episode:How Dom prioritizes and balances a full time job and content creation.How to approach storytelling. What makes for a good storyteller when it comes to food and travel content creation.Content creator tips for someone starting out. (Rates, negotiation, deliverables, pitching, technology/skill sets, relationship development with brands)Tips/resources for getting into food photography.Favorite BIPOC-owned and women-owned businesses.Favorite food products, kitchen gadgets, brands, cookbooks, restaurants.Support the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Sharelle Klaus:As the visionary behind DRY, Sharelle Klaus has always had a passion for the culinary world and celebrating each part of a meal – including the beverages. After having four children and not being able to enjoy wine or cocktails with her meals, Klaus recognized the need for a refreshing, elevated, non-alcoholic option in the market that was worthy of pairing with a great meal. In 2005, Klaus crafted the first batches of DRY Soda in her home kitchen and officially launched DRY. For the last 19 years, Klaus has made it her mission to establish a culture of social drinking for everyone.Klaus brings nearly three decades of entrepreneurial, financial, and technology industry experience to her role as CEO at DRY. As an advocate for advancing the sober curious movement, she also spearheaded DRY's investment stake in Austin-based sober bar, Sans Bar, and co-authored a, “The Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails,” in November 2020.InstagramDRY InstagramDRY WebsiteShow Notes: NEW Women Who Brunch (International Women's Day) Events - Tickets on Sale Here: https://womenwhobrunch.com/wwbeventcalendarSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Sally: Sally Ekus is a Senior Literary Agent at JVNLA. She leads The Ekus Group, a boutique culinary and lifestyle division that in January 2024 merged with JVNLA after a long history between the two literary agencies. Sally represents a wide range of culinary, health, wellness, and lifestyle talent, from first-time cookbook authors to seasoned chefs, RDs, professional food writers and bloggers, and internet and YouTube personalities. From concept to contract, she has brokered over 300 book deals with top publishers including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, and numerous indie publishers. To honor The Ekus Group's 40th anniversary in April 2022, she launched a self-paced online course called How to Write a Cookbook. Its bite-sized curriculum distills 4 decades of cookbook publishing knowledge into less than 3 hours.Show Notes & Mentions: Proposal Guidelines: https://ekusgroup.com/cookbookacademyHow to Write a Cookbook course (with 20% off code for listeners!)How to be a cookbook author FB groupOther Mentions on the Show:Publishers MarketplaceMama Teav's Hot Garlic Chili Crisp  Cookbooks:First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American HomePraisesong for the Kitchen GhostsWicked HealthyMeatheadSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Alexandria:Alexandria Drzazgowski is the food blogger behind The Foreign Fork, a project where she is cooking a meal from every country in the world. After backpacking to 15 countries in Europe and taking cooking classes in each one, Alexandria decided to take her project of cooking-around-the-world home with her. She started her blog in 2018, and to date has cooked over 450 recipes from over 90 countries. The Foreign Fork has been featured in Buzzfeed, The Detroit News, and Elite Daily and is the recipient of the Saveur Blog Award for Most Groundbreaking Voice. Most importantly, Alexandria is proud to have helped over 8.5 million readers across the world Put Some Culture in their Kitchen. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforeignforkTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@theforeignforkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theforeignforkYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theforeignforkWhat You'll Learn in this Episode: Process in developing and creating recipes from around the world.What this project taught her both personally and about different cultures.Some of Alex's favorite recipes to make.How she started and made a career out of food blogging.Tips on getting started, SEO, monetization, content development, photography.Her cookbook and what was that process like in creating a cookbookSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Flourish Foods:Flourish Foods is a meal delivery company that delivers fully-prepared, high-protein meal plans throughout NYC to those wanting to optimize their egg health prior to egg freezing/IVF or trying to conceive. Founder, Lizzy Cooper:Lizzy Cooper is a New York City-based private chef. Before she started cooking professionally, she earned her Masters in Social Welfare from UCLA and worked for many years in Los Angeles as a social worker. But then in 2017 Lizzy started LA's first-ever avocado toast stand --AvocaToast by Lizzy--and very soon after was able to quit her full-time job to dedicate herself entirely to the company's growth. She started catering parties, influencer events, music and food festivals, and had farmer's market stand all across Los Angeles, and eventually started private cheffing. For the last several years Lizzy has cooked for celebrity clientele in Los Angeles and New York, and has also dabbled in freelance food styling and recipe development. After freezing her eggs last year and realizing after the fact that no doctor along the way ever mentioned the impact of nutrition on fertility, Lizzy thought up Flourish Foods-- a meal delivery company that delivers fully-prepared, high-protein meal plans throughout NYC to those wanting to optimize their egg health prior to egg freezing/IVF or trying to conceive. As part of her team, she has the amazing fertility-focused nutritionist Dara Godfrey of Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, who approves the menus she creates and whose expertise is invaluable.Registered Dietician, Dara Godfrey:Dara Godfrey is a registered dietitian in private practice in Manhattan. At Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) of New York Dara supports patients' nutritional goals at every stage of infertility treatment and pregnancy, including pre-treatment health and weight loss, prenatal nutrition, and pregnancy nutrition during each trimester.Dara, a native of Toronto, graduated with a BS in Food & Nutrition at the University of Western Ontario and obtained her RD and Masters in Nutrition at NYU.Dara is a blog contributor for Body By Simone and RMA of New York, and has been featured in videos on such sites as Fertility Authority and CafeMom. She has also contributed to articles in The Daily News, Self Magazine, Cosmopolitan, HERS, and blogs such as Fitness NYC and The Sweat LifeFlourish Foods WebsiteFlourish Foods InstagramSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Kim Yorio:Kim Yorio is a storyteller. For as long as she can remember, she's been crafting messages for media, thought leaders, and consumers. She's worked top culinary brands and talent throughout her tenure running YC Media including Calphalon, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, Ippodo Tea, Sea Tales, and Food Network magazine as well as Jamie Oliver, Michael Symon, Curtis Stone, and Carla Hall. Her results range from frequent placements on national television to features in top national magazines and newspapers. Kim has spoken at women's and culinary conferences across the country and is the co-author of four bestselling business books for women.What you'll learn in this weeks episode: How Kim got started in Food Media and CommunicationsWhat does a "typical" work week look like for her in food communications.The state of media today.What is the planning like to arrange and develop a book tour.What are her favorite food brands, cookbooks, and hosting tips are right now. Follow Kim InstagramSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Leah Guadagnoli:Fancy Feast Supper Club is a creative dinner series organized by artist, chef, and homesteader Leah Guadagnoli. She brings people together through homegrown, globally inspired vegetarian meals prepared from her garden with passion, love, and a genuine curiosity for the overlapping flavors and techniques our expansive universe has to offer. Through extensive research and an ethically conscious appreciation of other cultures through food, her goal is to celebrate our commonalities and unique differences to form connections and better understand the world we share.Today's Episode You'll Learn:What is Fancy Feast Supper Club?Leah's background in art and as a self trained chef.How she incorporates art and food. Process in creating and planning these events/dinners.Her most memorable dinner.Leah's cookbook - recipe zine.Supper club dinners coming up.FFSC WebsiteInstagramSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Emily Heintz:Emily launched Sèchey, in 2021, after her own journey discovering sophisticated alternatives to alcohol. A nod to the French word for dry, Sèchey is a modern bottle shop fueled by the societal shift in the way we celebrate without alcohol.An early ecommerce entrepreneur, Emily founded her first company in 2004. Since that transformative experience, Emily held a variety of roles as a merchant, store manager and retail sales executive. After a decade of helping global retailers respond to changing consumer behavior with technology, she decided to leverage her extensive experience in retail and ecommerce on her own concept.Website InstagramToday's Episode You'll Learn: The different categories in the non-alcoholic beverage space. Common function. beverage types and health benefits.Emily's favorite non-alcoholic beverage brands + functional products.Planning for guests that don't drink. Incorporating alcohol free + functional beverages into your home or bar cart.--How to Vote for me & Women Who Brunch for the Best of Hudson Valley 2024:Step 1: Visit Website at: https://bestof.hvmag.comStep 2: Sign In & RegisterStep 3: Start VotingStep 4: CategoriesPEOPLE: “Social Media Influencer”: Nicole Dillon (Women Who Brunch)“Entrepreneur”: Nicole Dillon (Women Who Brunch) BONUS CATEGORY: ARTS & LEISURE“LOCAL PODCAST”:  BRUNCH & LEARN PODCAST Support the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About our Guests: Ren Rossini is the Culinary Partnerships and Communications Manager at Burlap & Barrel. She joined the company in 2020 after moving away from a career in butchering and salumi-making. She lives in Joshua Tree, California, with her partner and their dog, as well as a desert tortoise named Sporty Spice.Bayley Freeman is the Operations & Communications Manager at Burlap & Barrel. She joined the company in 2020 from a career in magazine copyediting and child-raising. She lives in San Clemente, California, with her husband, two kids, dog and cat.Burlap & Barrel: A single origin spice company for professional kitchens and home pantries, partnering  directly with farmers.Burlap & Barrel WebsiteInstagramSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Rachel Kishore: Rachel Kishore has a background in finance, technology, food, and nutrition. After earning her undergraduate degree in Food & Nutritional Sciences, she began work at a nutrition BioTech startup before transitioning into FinTech.Over the last 5 years, Rachel's work in finance has focused on women's advocacy. In recognition of her leadership and engagement, she was honored as a Yahoo Finance HERoes Top 100 Women Future Leaders and featured on the Nasdaq Tower on International Women's Day.Outside of work, Rachel is passionate about engaging in women's entrepreneurship and CPG organizations. She is the Founder of Empowered Economy, a community for female food founders, leaders, and innovators.Connect with Rachel & Empowered Economy here: Website: https://empoweredrachel.com/empowered-economy/aboutLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-economyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/empoweredeconomy/Twitter: https://twitter.com/empowerdeconomySlack Community: tinyurl.com/join-the-empowered-economyResources mentioned in this episode: New Year, New SKU event: https://tinyurl.com/new-year-new-SKUThingTesting: https://thingtesting.com/PopUpGrocer: https://popupgrocer.com/GoodsMart: https://www.thegoodsmart.com/Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/GroundUp Nut Butter: https://grounduppdx.com/Sixteen Mill: https://www.sixteenmill.com/Anjali's Cup: https://www.anjaliscup.com/Knead Love Bakery: https://kneadlovebakerynyc.com/Seed & Mill: https://www.seedandmill.com/Matchaful: https://www.matchaful.com/Nu Market: https://numarket.co/Startup Field Guide: http://startupfieldguide.comSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Tina Martinez:Tina has been professionally cooking since 2007 starting her career at restaurants in California and Washington DC before teaching culinary classes in Brooklyn. Then went on to assist some of the top food stylist in New York before beginning a 7 year stint at the Today Show where she styled food for the morning show. She now does recipe development, test and create video content for the Hearst Lifestyle Group, which includes Good Housekeeping, Women's Health, Woman's Day and Prevention. When she's not at work cooking, you can find me at the local brewery, hiking in a National Park or enjoying an afternoon at the beach.Website: https://www.tinadegraff.comInstagram:  https://www.instagram.com/the_saltgypsySupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

2024 Women Who Brunch Event Planning is Here! Here's some opportunities we're looking for:2024 Podcast Guests - Apply to this form to be considered as an upcoming guest: https://womenwhobrunch.com/brunch-and-learn-podcastWomen Who Brunch Event Sponsors, Collaborations, & Podcast Advertisers: Find out more about how to work with us here, or reach out via email: info@womenwhobrunch.com----About Today's Guest: Tara Pate:Tara Pate is the founder of Daysie, the first line of certified organic simple syrups designed for coffee and occasions.Tara earned her undergraduate degree in advertising from the University of South Florida and a masters degree in integrated marketing from West Virginia University. She also has a graduate certificate in executive leadership in nonprofits from the University of Florida.Originally from Sarasota, Florida, Tara married her high school sweetheart and lived in several places throughout the US while he served as an officer in the Navy. It was while living in San Francisco that she became fascinated with marketing for consumer- packaged goods, entrepreneurship and building brands. Tara worked in brand marketing for two multi-million dollar e-commerce food and beverage brands (NatureBox and DripDrop Hydration) during her time in the Bay Area.In 2020, Tara moved back to the East Coast, planting roots in Charleston, SC andtaking on the marketing role at acclaimed hospitality group, The Daily and Butcher &Bee. The idea for Daysie was born in the early days of the pandemic when Tara was working from home and longed for her daily latte from her favorite local coffee shop. Try as she might, she could not find an organic, high-quality simple syrup to sweeten her coffee drinks at home and realized she could fill the hole in the market. She officially launched Daysie in 2022.Tara is a 2016 recipient of a Charleston Forty Under 40 Award, the co-founder and current board member of Pay it Forward Charleston, and a member of the Charleston Junior League. On nights and weekends, you'll find her listening to podcasts about business, exploring new restaurants, walking the beach with their golden retriever Captain Waffles or working extra hours to take Daysie to new horizons.Website: https://enjoydaysie.comTiktok & Instagram: @enjoydaysieSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Today's solo episode is brought to you by me, your host Nicole Dillon. It is officially fall which is arguably the best time of the year. There's something about all the fall festivals, apple picking, hot coffee with a warm apple cider donut, fall flannel and foliage vibes are everything. Not to mention I'm a true Libra. If you didn't know this about me, I'm also wildly passionate about the Hudson Valley. I've been an event planning for over a decade and there's nothing I love more than planning, attending, and sharing events. On the podcast we'll cover, some top events and activities to do this fall in September & October, including: Lyndhurst MansionThe Great Pumpkin BlazeTarrytown / Sleepy Hollow events, historical sites, and TaSH Farmers MarketBethel Woods - The Big Sip & Peace, Love, and Pumpkins Annual Halloween Parade in Nyack, NYField & Supply - Fall Market Caramoor's  - Día de los MuertosCatskill Mountain Pumpkin Express Train Foliage RidesNY Cider Week Apple Picking Spots & Apple FestHappy Exploring! Tell me your favorite fall events over at WomenWhoBrunch on IG. Support us:Rate & Review this Podcast - on Apple Podcast Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter for upcoming events & food news!Support the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Sajani & Kola Goodies:Sajani Amarasiri , an immigrant female founder is on a mission to create a more culturally representative and equitable wellness industry, bringing together the best of her roots in Sri Lanka and life in America. Sajani was born and raised in Sri Lanka and came to the US at 18 for college, then worked in building tech supply chains at Microsoft and Amazon. She leveraged that experience with her unique insights to her culture to create the first wellness company to directly source from, and give back to the communities today's trendy ingredients and rituals originate from. Kola Goodies creates wellness goodies made of potent botanicals, directly sourced from small farmer collectives in South Asia, to meet today's wellness needs. Their tea lattes have recently won awards for their delicious taste and texture, while providing long-lasting, jitter-free energy - a great alternative to coffee!Website: https://www.kolagoodies.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolagoodiesSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

 About Dam Good™ English Muffins:Dam Good™ English Muffins is a woman-owned, family-operated, mission-driven wholesale bakery that has been in business since 2017 - we  make 4 varieties of all natural, preservative-free, vegan sourdough English muffins: “Original White,” “Multigrain,” “Cinnamon Swirl,” and “Whole Wheat.” We started with a New York State home processing license, and were baking out of our home in Croton. We have since moved our business to Peekskill, NY.Website: https://www.damgoodenglishmuffins.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/damgoodenglishmuffinsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/damgoodenglishmuffinsSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Jen:Jen Toth is a digital illustrator and fashion model with a big heart for local haunts.Like many, Jen spent most of the 2020 quarantine looking for ways to get out of her head. Inspired by the comradery in her community of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, she began scribbling local landmarks, bringing brick and mortar buildings to life through a mixture of watercolor and digital technology. Through clean lines and seductive curves awash in saturated hues, her whimsical illustrations capture the beating heart of each New York City borough. Though she took an interest in sketching as a young girl, it was sartorial design sketches she witnessed on the job that made her fall in love with form. Today the self-taught artist is driven to explore other cities, and with this new medium, Jen hopes to embrace new communities and look for ways to give back.In this Episode: What she loves most about NYC and being a New Yorker.What makes for a good community member.How she started to lean into a career that you didn't have formal training in.What does her creative process look like.What tools and advice she has for someone just getting started in illustration.Favorite pieces of her own work. Website: https://www.jenscribblesny.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenscribblesnySupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Lindsay:As the CEO of Simek's, Lindsey Hickey is on a mission to make mealtime a better time for all.Hickey joined Simek's in 2008 and became Co-Owner & President in 2010 to firmly established the company as a second-generation family-owned and certified women- owned organization.Under Lindsey's leadership, Simek's has grown from a local frozen food company to the fastest growing frozen lasagna brand and meatball brand in the US, while helping millions of people along the way. Lindsey has fortified strategic partnerships with key retail industry leaders, launched innovative new items, expanded distribution into new markets, donated millions of meals, and removed ocean-bound plastic from the environment. Her mission is to create a guilt-free mealtime with convenient foods that are crafted with quality ingredients and homemade taste, that also make an impact in our community, country and world. With her passionate expertise, Lindsey led the Simek's team to increase sales by 148% in 2022 as compared to 2021.Lindsey believes in using business as a force of good and proudly led the organization through their B Corporation certification in 2022, making Simek's the only women-owned frozen food brand in the US with this certification. She also led the launch of impact partnerships with Feeding America® and RePurpose, where every product purchased donates a meal locally and removes the same amount of plastic from the environment as used in the packaging and shipping of that product. In 2022, Simek's donated over 2.8 million meals and removed the equivalent of 26.3 million plastic bags from the environment, furthering their mission to provide great food for the greater good.Lindsey has been recognized for her outstanding leadership numerous times. In 2018, she was a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal 40 under 40 recipient. Lindsey was recognized in 2023 with the Frozen & Refrigerated Women Achieving Remarkable Distinction (FORWARD) Award. She has also been featured in many national news articles, including Forbes.com and Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer, as well as local News channel's TV segments and articles, for her achievements at Simek's.Website: https://simeks.comInstagram: instagram.com/simeksFacebook: facebook.com/simeksfoodsSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Laura Sorkin is a farmer, writer and sugar maker who lives in northwest Vermont with her husband and two children. She has a BA from McGill University and a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke. She also graduated from the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Institute) in New York City and worked for several restaurants there. She is the author of Vegetables: The Ultimate Guide, and is currently working on a book about gardening for beginners. She is the co-owner of Runamok which produces maple and honey products and works with the marketing team there.In this Episode: The Maple syrup process and what the different grades mean.Runamok product line and the partners they work with in regards to maple and honey producers.View on agriculture changing or effecting farms or producers.What does the R&D process look like when creating new flavors or product lines.Website: https://runamokmaple.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runamokmapleSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a food community and event series for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH! We're solving the problem of making adult friendships while doing cool stuff in the Hudson Vally, NY.Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews, and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Cindy Greenstein is a mother of three young adults and a credit-card points expert who loves to travel for free.During her more than 20 years of marriage, she has used credit card points to travel the world while rarely paying for airline flights and hotel rooms. Cindy—an attorney and former certified public accountant—founded The Points Mom to share her credit card rewards-program expertise with family friends and small business owners who don't have the time to learn how to maximize their points.In this Episode:How we all can get started on maximizing credit card and miles points. What are some easy things anyone can start doing now.Cindy's favorite credit cards that you use, or what  people should be looking for with credit cards and/or sign up bonuses.Some of the myths she sees about points/milesWhat's the best approach to getting the best trip or bang for your buck.Most popular Tuesday Travel Tips from her IG.Instagram- thepointsmom_Website - www.thepointsmom.comSupport the showAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Speciality Food Association: The not-for-profit Specialty Food Association (SFA) is the leading membership trade association about the specialty food industry. SFA owns and operates the Fancy Food Shows—which are the largest specialty food industry events in North America—as well as the sofi™ Awards.  SFA produces the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions, the Spill & Dish podcast, year-round educational programming, and SFA Feed.Connect with SFA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.In this Episode:New pavilions at Summer Fancy FoodThe Opening Night Reception, Pitch Slam and sofi Awards.Who the Keynote speaker will be this yearSFA Membership benefitsTrends to expect this yearAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Rachel: Rachel is a creative entrepreneur with a passion for ushering in a "revival" in the foodspace, starting with better-for-you nut butters that actually taste good, with no added sugars, preservatives, or palm oil. When she's not deep in the throes of building this almond butter business, she's busy being Mom to her three kids (ages 3, 4.5, and 6.5) alongside her husband (who is also an entrepreneur!). Rachel and her family live in Indianapolis, IN and love to travel, learn new things, and have a lot of fun while they're at it!Website: https://revivalfoodco.com Instagram: @revivalfoodco on IG and TikTok Personal IG: @rayyyyyych What you'll learn in this episode:Unexpected learnings of being on the inside of a CPG brandBest advice she's received as an entrepreneur & Scaling her businessNeed for a "revival" in grocery and how consumer trends are going in this directionFlavors and sustainability in her ingredientsAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Allison:Alli Ball is the founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz, Inc. and the creator of Retail Ready®, an online course and strategic support community for producers of packaged products in the food industry. As a former grocery buyer-turned-wholesale consultant, Alli has helped thousands of emerging brands understand what it takes to get on the shelf and have high sales once they're there. Find her on her website here or weekly on the Food Biz Wiz® Podcast, her weekly podcast about wholesale strategy.What You'll Learn in this Episode: I have a great idea for a food business. What comes next?What are the different places where people can sell their products, and how do you choose? (wholesale, direct-to-consumer, food service...)What does a grocery buyer do/ what role do they play in the world of retail.Didn't e-commerce grow exponentially during the pandemic? Is wholesale still relevant? Can a brand be successful at only having one place to sell their products?Important things businesses should think about when trying to grow their wholesale accounts.Important tips for getting onto store shelves.Advice All has  for small product-based businesses that want to grow their company to the next levelWebsite: www.foodbizwiz.comInstagram: @itsalliballFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllisonBallConsulting/Food Biz Wiz Podcast: www.alliball.com/foodbizwizAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Jeanne: Jeanne Muchnick is a longtime journalist currently covering the food and dining scene in the Lower Hudson Valley for The Journal News/lohud.com. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she's a crabcake snob who's also a lobster lover, a coffee aficionado and a big fan of Brussels Sprouts. She's also big into doing what she can to promote local Westchester and Rockland County businesses.Instagram: @jeannemuchnick &  @lohud_foodWhat You'll Learn in this Episode: Geography lesson on what is considered Lower Hudson Valley, for any city folk that think anything above the Bronx is "upstate" NY. More about Westchester and Rockland Counties, and a few popular towns.What does a typical work week look like as a reporter. How she does research for stories.Top recommendations in Lohud for restaurants, drinks, things to do, food events, historic sites, and of course brunch spots. New spots coming to Westchester & Rockland.Building your own personal brand outside of her  journalist brand and personal branding tips.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Ali: Ali Bonar is CEO and co-founder of Oat Haus, a food company on a mission to bring fun & play back to food. Their flagship product, Granola Butter, is the world's first oat-based spread and was born out of Ali's eating disorder recovery. Oat Haus is available at over 1,200 stores, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Harris Teeter, The Fresh Market & more. Ali lives in Philadelphia with her partner Eric and their dog, Squishy.Website: https://oat.hausOat Haus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oat.hausAli Bronar: https://www.instagram.com/alibonarWhat You'll Learn in this Episode: Oat Haus was born out of Ali's eating disorder recovery. Ali shares with us her eating disorder recovery and journey.Where and how does someone get started in building a CPG company.Great branding and storytelling on social media, what branding tips and advice.Starting a business with your partner. How to work together and prioritize business vs. relationship?Ali's egg freezing journey.Stepping into your power and people pleasing.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Marissa: Marissa kickstarted her professional career in 2012 gaining invaluable sales and marketing experience within a large corporation. She enjoyed the structure that corporate-life offered, but ultimately made the decision to transition over to a small agency focused in event design and production and immediately felt at home. After spending close to 5 years managing and growing teams, nurturing existing relationships, fostering new partnerships, and overseeing executive level operations the pandemic brought the industry that she loved to an immediate standstill. She wasn't ready to give up on the industry that fed her passion for creativity and connection. After a year of event cancellations her partner asked her “Well, what do you really want to do?”. She simply responded with “I just want to do cool sh*t and have a good time". And with that, Marissa launched Good Time Creative in January of 2021.Good Time Creative is a female-owned creative design and production agency. GTC is operated by fearless creatives who have a specialized expertise in the live event industry. We thrive on creativity and push the boundaries of experiential development.Website:  https://www.goodtimecreative.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodtimecreativecoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodTimeCreativeCoTwitter: https://twitter.com/goodtmcreativePinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/goodtimecreative_coWhat You'll Learn in this Episode:Best event planning or time management tips especially when it comes to staying organized and getting everything done with trade shows.Some things she's seen whether it's clients she works with or on the trade show floor to get the most out of ExpoWest, Specialty Food Association - Fancy Food Shows, Sweets & Snacks Expo, or any food trade showsWhat you can expect from some of her 11 clients exhibiting at ExpoWest this year. What makes a good event strategy and ROI tips.Planning/goals/tips for a brand to focus on pre-show, during, post showBrand activations, pop-ups come back post-pandemic.How she nurtures professional and self development; either with new skill sets or keeping up the event industry trends.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Leesa: Leesa works as a commercial photographer and creative thought partner for natural food brands, hospitality groups, and wellness publications.Website:  https://leesarenae.comInstagram: instagram.com/itsleesa__ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/leesarenaeWhat You'll Learn in this Episode:How her background and studies in nutrition play a role in what she's doing now with photography.What advice she has for finding or creating an alternate career path.How she has built and made an impact in the natural foods industry.How  someone can get started if interested in food photography and videography. What tips she has - resources, books, equipment/set up.About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Megan: Megan O'Brien is the Founder & CEO of Arch Insights, a market research company helping startups and small businesses better understand their consumer bases. Prior to Arch, Megan attended Harvard Business school, was the Business Operations & Strategy Lead for Flamingo (Harry's Inc.), and was a consultant at Bain & Company.Website: https://www.archinsights.coInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arch_insightsWhat You'll Learn in this Episode:What interested her the most about consumer insights and getting into this industry. Some interesting consumer data, trends, or insights she's come across recently.How she approaches concept, messaging, branding, and package testing with a client and more about that process.Stories, case studies, or client wins in taking consumer insights and turning it into result based solutions for their business.Chicago brunch recommendations!About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Jamie: Jamie's Farm is an award-winning granola company based in New York, crafting creative flavors baked with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. I initially started the business in college as a passion project in 2017, then turned it into a full-time business. Prior to that, I worked in the hospitality industry interning at a 3 Michelin star restaurant as a high school student. I've always enjoyed cooking and bringing people together at the table, and found that granola was a great way to connect with more people through food.What You'll Learn In This Episode:Jamie's growth journey and building the company from a hobby to full-time business.What she learned out of her experience in a Michelin star restaurant out of high school.Working as a solopreneur and how she's bootstrapped the business. How she approaches partnerships with some of granola flavors like Dona and Truffleist.Creative culinary process in creating new flavors or sourcing ingredients.Defining what success means and how she's balancing work and life, and taking care of herself.Small Batch Club!Website: https://www.jamies-farm.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiesfarmnewyorkAbout Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Brooke:Brooke Shapiro is a 15-year CPG marketing veteran who has worked on parent targeted brands such as Band-Aid, Johnson Baby, Coca-Cola and Glad, Hidden Valley, Kingsford and Clorox. Her visionary and trend spotting expertise allow her to help brands launch with the right channels to the right people. She has the innate ability to lead and bring people together in fun creative ways, and is on a mission to help launch CPG startups. She enjoys ice cream and provides ice cream reviews on Instagram (@sundaes.mom) and on her ice cream stories podcast, “Let's Spoon”.What You'll Learn in this Episode:Backstory behind this focus on parents, parent-targeted CPG products and this niche target audience of community and clients.Common challenge that she sees her clients facing in their businesses.Marketing tactics that CPG startups can start implementing in their businesses.Community - How do she builds and strengthens her community and the relationship with community members.More about her ice cream podcast - guests, favorite ice cream spots!Website: sprinklesparentsconsulting.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pandemicworkingparenthttps://www.instagram.com/sprinklesparentshttps://www.instagram.com/letspoon_podcast----About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Visit our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Meet Ashley:Ashley is a mom on a mission! A momtrepreneur! Her mission is the same as the brand she created. To bring families together in the kitchen making mealtime more nutritious, convenient and fun!About Happy Grub:Happy Grub is the only Squeezable Instant Pancake Mix, made of natural and organic ingredients. Designed for the whole family, our mix comes in four great flavors: Buttermilk, Whole Wheat, Yummy Banana, and Apple Cinnamon. Happy Grub is so easy and so much fun. Just pick your flavor, pour water into the bottle, shake it up, and squeeze onto a hot surface.  Our kid friendly squeeze top bottles allow for easy pancake (or waffle) making, without all the mess. And less mess, means more fun! People of all skill levels can "draw" shapes, letters, numbers and all types of designs right onto the pan. What You'll Learn in this Episode:More about Happy Grub current line up of flavors , where it's currently sold and the ingredients. + The Monster Characters. Some of the best advice and/or worst advice you've received throughout her founder entrepreneurship journey so far.Who were the people who have been the most helpful in getting her to where she is   today.Where she sees the future of food and hospitality going.Website: https://eathappygrub.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eathappygrub/ ----About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

About Eileen: Sunday Night® Foods was founded by Eileen Gannon, a former corporate executive and award-winning baker who turned her passion into a profession when she launched the company's first products in 2021. The specialty food company offers luxurious, shelf-stable, premium chocolate ganache crafted in small batches with only the finest pure ingredients. In its first year, Sunday Night won a prestigious sofi™ Award for New Product for Dessert Toppings from the Specialty Food Association. The company donates 1 percent of sales to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and is located in Des Moines, Iowa.Eileen has more than 35 years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, finance and investing. Before founding Sunday Night Foods, Eileen was a SVP for Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Workiva, a publicly traded software company. She has won 15 awards for corporate communications, public relations and investor relations, including being named a Top Woman in PR from PR News and a Finalist for a Platinum PR Award for Best Financial and Investor Relations for the Workiva IPO. Even though she loved working in corporate America, her passion was always in baking. So in 2020, she was finally brave enough to launch Sunday Night Foods.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How Eileen's passion for baking started.More about your recent sofi award win and baking competitions. Sunday Night Food's  focus on the National Alliance on Mental Illness.Her past corporate experience and how that has played a role in SNF's branding and marketing. Say Hi to Sunday Night Foods: Twitter: https://twitter.com/sundayfoodsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sundaynightfoodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundaynightfoods----About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWebsite: https://womenwhobrunch.com

Allison is the founder of Cortland Consulting, a brand strategy and marketing studio that specializes in building strong, resonant CPG brands and helping them scale both in stores and online. She founded Cortland nearly 4 years ago after helping to grow Sir Kensington's to and through Unilever acquisition. Since then, she and her team have worked on brands including Belgian Boys, Hu Kitchen, AKUA, Haven's Kitchen, and more.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Non-linear career paths and how to know when to take a chance and take the leap.Overcoming imposter syndrome and anxiety while growing your business.Work/life balance - Advice to listeners out there, as you've been able to grow a business while raising a baby.What has brought her joy in mentorship . How can others incorporate the same teachings/pay it forward and do more of it in our day to day.Allison's favorite food products/brands right now.Say Hi:LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-marchesani-ackerman/---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!

Meet Anna Vocino: Anna is a voice over talent and stand up comic who also happens to be a Celiac who writes cookbooks. She co-hosts the “Fitness Confidential” podcast with Vinnie Tortorich. She has voiced thousands of commercials, cartoons, movies, promos, radio stations, and video games, which is a super cool day job to support her passion of food blogging and cookbook authoring. Her bestselling cookbooks Eat Happy and Eat Happy Too have 320+ easy to make low carb recipes that are all delicious comfort food free from processed sugars and grains. She recently launched an organic, farm-to-table CPG company called Eat Happy Kitchen with five flavors of tomato sauce and three spice blends. Anna hails from Santa Ynez, CA, raised a picky eater-turned-foodie, and cooks for a husband and a tiny dog.Where to find Anna  & Eat Happy Kitchen: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnnaVocinoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/annavocino/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/anna_vocino/_created/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnaVocinoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1023159487790374What you'll learn in this episode:  The increasing number of food allergy diagnosis, and why cooking for them isn't as hard as it may seem.Anna's newly launched line of Eat Happy Kitchen Spice Blends and cookbooks. Why the specialty food market is growing so quickly. What's been some of the best advice and/or worst advice Anna has received throughout her entrepreneurship journey.---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Anouck: Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, is on a mission to turn up the happy - one sweet moment at a time. Launched in 2015, BelgianBoys is in the business of fun, offering a delicious assortment of breakfast, sweet treats, and desserts available in 5000 stores and online. She leads a passionate team dedicated to growing more than just a revenue-driven business - creating joy for customers and spreading sweetness in people's lives.Where to find Anouck & Belgian Boys:Instagram: @anouckgotlib // @belgianboysWebsite: https://www.belgianboys.com What you'll learn in this episode:  Anouck's founder story and how Belgian Boys started.Business insights on how she grew the business. What the early bootstrapping days were like. How she started to raise funding, and what that process was like. Work / life balance - Best tips / advice for working productively with your spouse and family.Defining work/life balance - How to make time for professional development and networking while running a business and raising a family.---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Erika: Erika Ferszt is the founder of Moodally, providing mood management solutions for the workplace; improving employee well-being & performance. After having suffered a stress-related vision loss burnout incident in 2015 that forced her to leave her role as Global Advertising, Media & Digital Director at Ray-Ban, Erika returned to school to study the effects of stress on the mind, body & brain. She completed a Post-Graduate program in the Neuroscience of Mental Health and an MSc in Organizational Psychology. Combining her corporate experience and state of the art education, she created Moodally with the mission of creating better workplaces, one mood at a time. Moodally's solutions for organizations includes keynote sessions, group training, 1:1 executive coaching, a proprietary mood-moving app and white-labeled well-being & performance content to improve morale, productivity, and performance in your workplace.In this episode we learn:Erika's entrepreneurship journey and how she started Moodally + Her fabulous life living in Italy!The science behind moods and how it affects our day to day.How  we can build better habits around stress, especially workplace stress. What is toxic productivity? And what things we could be doing to improve our productivity and moods.Find more info on Moodally here:Instagram: instagram.com/moodally.wellnessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikaferszt/Website: www.moodally.comNew Wellbeing Solution: https://www.moodally.com/white-label-wellbeing-content---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunchWWB Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/womenwhobrunchWWB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nycwomenwhobrunch

Meet Maame Boakye:Dine Diaspora co-founders Maame Boakye and Nina Oduro launched their Black-women owned and operated agency steeped in culinary, community and commerce in Washington DC to connect people and brands to African diaspora food culture. “There is no food system without Black women. This is why we center their contributions in the global food system by honoring and supporting them as well as connecting them to networks and resources they need to thrive. In our 5th year, we are more inspired than ever by past and current honorees. It is their will to navigate an imperfect sector with their gifts that fuels this initiative and makes it necessary” explains Nina Oduro, Co-Founder, Dine Diaspora.Dine Diaspora is also celebrating their 7th anniversary this year and has successfully provided digital marketing, immersive culinary experience design and production, influencer engagement, and food business resource development with emerging and established chefs and culinary creatives including: Restaurateur Alexander Smalls, Chef Kwame Onwauchi, Vallery Lomas, Chef Eric Adjepong, Chef Sicily Johnson, Hawa Hassan, and many others.  Dine Diaspora partnerships include: Facebook, Forbes, WorldRemit, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, and Cabot Cheese.  “Black women are critical to our food system, not only in the US but globally. It has always been important for us to amplify their contributions, celebrate their accomplishments, and support their advancement with access to opportunities and resources. As much as this is a celebratory initiative, acknowledging Black Women in Food is also a call to direct more capital and resources into Black women-led initiatives that are at the front lines of creating a more equitable and sustainable food system for all of us,” says Maame Boakye, Co-Founder, Dine Diaspora.Former Black Women in Food honorees include: Carla Hall,  Restaurateur, Author, and Chef, Paola Velez, Co-founder of Bakers Against Racism, Elle Simone Scott, Founder of SheChef Inc., Executive Editor at America's Test Kitchen, and Host of The Walk-In Podcast and many others.Dine Diaspora will highlight each 2022 honorees each day on their website (https://www.blackwomeninfood.org) and across their social media platforms.---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Marla:Marla Isackson is the founder and CEO of Ossa, the industry's only Indie women's podcast network and two-sided marketplace connecting over 1300 women-hosted podcasts with women-focused brands, reaching over 12MM monthly. She helps womxn podcaster micro-influencers monetize their content with brands interested in connecting with hyper-targeted audiences.She spent over 25 years in the corporate world, working for American Express, Citibank, and Barnes & Noble, before deciding to take the leap into entrepreneurship, where she founded Like a Boss Girls, an empowerment and content platform for women. In Q1 of 2019, OSSA was created in response to a problem Marla encountered as a podcaster- how to market, produce, and monetize content.After years of working in competitive environments as a senior female executive, Marla believes that women's voices must be heard, amplified, and rewarded. She is passionately committed to advancing women's initiatives and considers podcasting as a powerful communication platform with the power to elevate underrepresented voices on a global scale.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ossacollective/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ossacollective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ossacollectivenetworkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ossa-collective/---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Julie:Julie Schechter is the co-founder and CEO of Small Packages (Techstars '21), a relationship-building company working to end the loneliness epidemic.Her work centers on helping busy people find personal connection and maintain their friendships despite the pressures of physical distance.Julie's work on millennial friendship has been featured by The Everygirl and Elite Daily, and she was awarded a Visionary Women Grant by Shark Tank's Barbara Corcoran. She is an executive and wellness coach, and a former attorney and graduate of Harvard Law School.What You'll Learn In This Episode: Julie's founder journey and career pivot -- from working as an attorney to social impact entrepreneurship.Networking and connections, especially how she cultivated remote business connections .Hustle culture and its role in burnout and disconnection from our loved ones. Power of gift giving in both moments of celebration and struggle; how you can show up for friends through all of life's moments.Website: Small PackagesInstagram: @smallpackagesTwitter: @julie_schechter---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

About Jenny:Jenny Blake is an author, podcaster, and keynote speaker who loves helping people move from friction to flow through smarter systems, powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams. Her third book, Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business (Ideapress, March 2022) will help free your mind, time, and team for more of your best work. Jenny's previous book, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One (Portfolio/Penguin Random House, 2016), won the Axiom award for best business book in the careers category. Celebrating a decade of running her own business after five years at Google, Jenny is an international keynote speaker, and licenses her Pivot Programs to clients like Google and CHANEL.Jenny hosts two podcasts with over one million downloads combined: Free Time for Heart-Based Business owners, and Pivot with Jenny Blake to help others navigate change. After working at a Silicon Valley startup, then at Google for five years in coaching and career development, Jenny moved to New York City in 2011 to launch her own business. Jenny loves yoga and buys too many books. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and angel-in-fur-coat German shepherd. Learn more and take the Free Time quiz at ItsFreeTime.com.What You'll Learn In This Episode:What was the inspiration behind Free Time.Some of the things she's  seen businesses and entrepreneurs get stuck on or caught up in the most.Three principles from the book - align, design, and assign.How she plays around with her time boundaries.Elements streamlined in your business and building back your time, how to not get stuck in trying to fill that time with more projects and things to do.Time management tips.Website: https://itsfreetime.comFree Time Book: https://itsfreetime.com/bookInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyblakenyc---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Lindsay:Lindsay MacMillan is a writer, TEDx speaker, and hopelessly hopeful romantic. After growing up in Michigan in the land of cows, cornfields, and kindness, she graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College. She was formerly a vice president at Goldman Sachs and has worked in both New York City and London. The Heart of the Deal is her first published novel, and she shares unfiltered poetry and prose on Instagram (@lindsaymacwriting).What You'll Learn in this Episode:Lindsay's 10 year journey to writing, publishing, and becoming an author.What ‘authopreneurship' is and how you are approaching writing like a founder, and how other authors can benefit from this mindset.Pursuing a side hustle while working a full-time job.How modern dating has turned into dealmaking.More about her 1st book - Heart of the Deal - which comes out June 7th, 2022.Website: https://lindsaymacmillanwriting.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaymacwritingOrder The Heart of the Deal Here: https://booksaremagic.net/item/f2sk6vqOmR9BXicpLq73Ww---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch

Meet Melissa:Melissa Tavss started Tipsy Scoop in 2014. Melissa's background is in Marketing and Public Relations, specializing in the wine and spirits industry. She worked for 5 years at at agency doing Marketing for various wine and spirits clients. She received a Bachelors Degree at the University of Richmond, and later went on to get a graduate degree at NYU in a Masters in Integrated Marketing. Tavss has been quoted in various publications such as Forbes, CNBC, NY Business Journal, and Food and Wine. She has appeared on several TV shows such as Fox Business, ABC New York, Fox NY, and NBC New York. Melissa has been honored by The James Beard Foundation and the Speciality Food Association for her unique offerings as The Founder and CEO of Tipsy Scoop ice cream.What You'll Learn in This Episode: Story behind Tipsy Scoop - Some of Melissa's favorite or most popular flavors.Recent partnerships with Buxom, the Tipsy Scoop cookbook, upcoming collaborations.Best advice and worst advice she's  received throughout her founder entrepreneurship journey.Pivoting her business product or service during Covid.Where does she sees the future of food and hospitality headed.Her top social media tip - hint: conversations & connection first. Website: https://tipsyscoop.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsyscoop---About Us - Women Who Brunch:Women Who Brunch is a community for  women who love connecting, networking, and learning from each other over the most important meal of the week...BRUNCH!Check out our website for updates on events, recipes, brunch spots, product reviews and more or say hi on Instagram!WWB Website: https://womenwhobrunch.comWWB Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenwhobrunch