Podcasts about unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 58:46

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff chats with Heidi Traore, Supplier Relationship Development Manager, and Jeanette Bloss, Category Manager, from NCG (National Co+op Grocers). Together, they provide an in-depth look at NCG's role as a powerful partner for natural channel brands and co-op grocery stores.Heidi breaks down what NCG is and how it functions as a secondary cooperative, helping hundreds of co-ops across the country thrive through centralized procurement, retail services, and retail development. Meanwhile, Jeanette offers invaluable insights into the world of category management, including how brands can position themselves for success during NCG's formal category reviews, the importance of data, and identifying opportunities that align with emerging trends.From navigating distributor relationships with UNFI, to understanding the power of promotions like co-op deals and coupons, to the booming interest in dumplings, mocktails, and mushroom-based products. Heidi and Jeanette also share what they look for in brands, tips on smart outreach, and how NCG fosters true partnerships to drive long-term success.Ready to take your brand to the next level? Tune now!Listen in as they share about:NCG (National Co+op Grocers) OverviewOpportunities for Brands at NCGThe Process for Brands to Partner with NCGTrends and Category InsightsWhat NCG Looks for in BrandsEpisode Links:Website: https://www.ncg.coop/ Jeanette's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanette-bloss-aa2814149/ Heidi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heiditraore/ Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

spotify food partner entrepreneurship startups brands buyers coop beverage cpg 20k transistor grocers comepisode bloss category manager national co unfi ncg

NewsWare's Trade Talk: Tuesday, December 10

NewsWare‘s Trade Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2024 20:50

S&P Futures are displaying positive action in the pre-market. Economic calendar is light today and markets are looking ahead to tomorrow's inflation report (CPI). Microsoft is having a shareholder meeting today where a vote will be held on adding Bitcoin to its balance sheet. Speculation about a tie up between MDLZ & HSY would be challenging as a buyout of Hershey would require approval from the Hersheys Trust. AI, MTN & UNFI are higher after earnings. After the bell today PLAY and GME will be releasing. Macy's announced late yesterday that they now intend to release earnings tomorrow morning. President Biden is scheduled to speak today at 12:15 on his economic playbook. VP Harris on Tuesday said the Commerce Dept finalized the grant, which will fuel up to $125 billion in planned investments by Micron in New York and Idaho over two decades. In Europe stocks trading mostly lower in a reaction to weak economic data out of China. Oil prices are slightly lower this morning.

new york europe ai china joe biden microsoft bitcoin harris economic idaho oil speculation cpi hershey trade talk micron gme mtn talk tuesday unfi hsy

Andy Gellert – President of Gellert Global Group

Forktales

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 30:47

Andy is president of Gellert Global Group. The company imports more than 5,500 unique food items from more than 60 countries and is one of the largest food importers in the world. Gellert Global Group is home to 12 companies, led by Atalanta, the largest privately-held food importer in the U.S.Gellert Global is a third-generation family-run business. The Gellert Global Group comprises many of the leading North American food-importing companies and has been importing food products for over 100 years. The combined revenues of the Group exceed $1.7 billion.The Gellert Global family includes Andy's sister, brother and cousin. Andy's father and uncle are also part of the company. Andy's father, George, was recently inducted into the New Jersey business hall of fame. Gellert Global's goal is to be a part of every food and beverage experience. Andy and his team use a variety of factors to determine which products and brands to partner with, including trends and the needs of customers. QUOTES “Some of these family businesses and you hear about fighting and people not getting along. I think we're successful because we keep growing and there's enough things for everyone to do and for everyone to bring value.” (Andy) “You want (joining the family business) to happen organically. It's a fun business. There's opportunities for (family) to join if they want. There's no obligation to come in. We'd like them to come in, but we don't want to make a rule that they have to come in.” (Andy) “Network is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. Being a part of YPO (Young President's Organization), I love leveraging my network. I like investing in early-stage CPG's and helping and leading them to other opportunities.” (Andy) “We don't want to lose direction. We're very big and we're happy where we are but we're not in a rush to get to two billion. We're going to get there smart. If it means pairing down and doing SKU rationalization to be more profitable, all the better.” (Andy) “It's really all about efficiency. As you get bigger you can be more efficient, but you have to be diligent.” (Andy) “We're an importer of products so our products are expensive already. We're always looking for ways to (save). You always have to turn over rocks to look for more opportunities.” (Andy) “I love eating. I love food experiences. I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and saying ‘Just surprise me. Just give me what you do best.'” (Andy) TRANSCRIPT 00:00.45Andy GellertBye. 00:01.87vigorbrandingHey there, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m ah Michael Pavone, and I’m happy to really get a chance to talk to a good friend of mine. ah Today we have Andy Gellert here. He’s a good friend I’ve known for and respected for a long, long time. Andy’s the president of Gellert Global Group, one of the largest food importers in the world. ah They import more than 2,500 product lines from more than 60 countries. Andy, thank you so much for being here. 00:27.05Andy GellertMike, always a pleasure, always great seeing you, and nice seeing your smiling face, and I love hanging out with you. We’re always having a lot of fun together. 00:34.39vigorbrandingYeah, absolutely. You know, if they if they have music for this in the beginning, you know, I was going to, I was going to change up our, our forktails music and have a little. 00:41.11Andy GellertListen, I don’t like to brag about my my my my my my my my my beautiful voice. where You saw me on stage with Welcome Pepper a long time ago. I hung that up a long time ago. 00:52.98Andy GellertI got straight into the food business, Mike. I can’t cant just think my life away, you know? 00:54.81vigorbrandingYeah. The little salt and pepper in the beginning of this thing i gets us off on everything and everything. The thing is, Andy, I have known you for a long time, but I love doing these interviews because I always learn more. so it’s like I might have seen you over the years at these shows and get to hang out and you know have a drink together, but you know when you’re digging a little deeper about the family business and about the food industry and and all of that, it’s just I’m always blown away. and your Your company and your family, which is the company, is absolutely amazing. 01:21.57vigorbrandingSo tell us a little bit about Gellert Global Group and know what they do. 01:24.57Andy Gellertbut i mean like Next year we’ll celebrate our 80th birthday and we’re very excited. and As I said, you know I’m third generation and I live i live food. It’s a passion of mine. I love all aspects of the food industry. and you know like My grandfather started this in 1945. 01:46.38Andy Gellertimporting meats from Eastern Europe and seafood. We’ve grown and got other lines of businesses in. We’re selling food service, retail, manufacturing, cruise line. 01:57.56Andy GellertWe’re now involved in, you know thanks to YPO, I’m i’m involved in the franchise business. By the end of the year, we’ll have 55 guys. Thanks to our good friend Dan Rowe. 02:05.09vigorbrandingWow. Yeah. 02:07.17Andy GellertWe’re introducing their first one. And you know we invest in food businesses and it’s just, ah We’re all about food. I tell everyone I hit my belly, it’s this is R and&D. 02:17.29Andy GellertThis is R and&D. I mean, 02:20.68vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic. Now, you know, I know family owned, super important. I know you treat everyone like family because I’ve seen you around ah customers, employees, the whole thing, but your dad, he is an older gentleman, but still very much involved in the business. Is that correct? 02:35.09Andy Gellert86. I went to his house to play tennis at 6 o’clock in the morning today. We play with people from our company. He loves it like he’s, my mom goes away for the summer. 02:45.63Andy GellertHe’s having, ah lot this summer is incredible. He’s 86. Every, twice a week, he has people from the company come over and have dinner and just different groups of people. 02:52.74vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 02:53.86Andy GellertAnd and he loves what he does. It’s it’s it’s really it’s really an honor to to to work with him and and watch him. he loves He loves his suppliers. 03:04.49Andy GellertWe love our bankers. We love our employees. It’s all about, you know, yeah he’s all, he’s all about people. And it’s really great. 03:11.81vigorbrandingYeah. 03:12.97Andy GellertI said this summer at the fancy food show, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award. And it’s such a good honor to see him up there and enjoying all the success of the role we’ve done together. 03:22.47vigorbrandingWell, it’s so well deserved. He deserved that honor. The company’s amazing. But you should give him a break. I mean, I think you you put sneakers on him. 03:28.24Andy GellertHe loves, 03:28.57vigorbrandingi had He had sneakers on in the booth to run around. I mean, you know. 03:32.00Andy Gellertyou know, listen, like I said, he works out before we play tennis in the morning and He’s all about the next activity and what we’re doing next. So, you know. 03:39.84vigorbrandingThat’s it’s fantastic. how many So how many members of the family are currently working in the company? 03:45.07Andy GellertSo today we have my sister, my brother, and my cousin in my generation. And my cousin who, my other cousin who runs the Five Guide business. And then I have my father and my uncle. 03:56.25Andy GellertSo there’s, you know, three, six of us, you know. 03:58.55vigorbrandingthat’s great 03:59.47Andy GellertAnd we’re getting ready for the third generation. 03:59.41vigorbrandingand look 04:01.81Andy GellertHopefully, you know, there are nine kids in the next generation. Hopefully one of them or two of them will come in and we’re we’re excited. It’s all about, you know, we love what we do and there’s a lot to do. 04:12.31Andy GellertAnd, you know, some of these family businesses, you know, the family, you hear about them and they’re fighting and they’re not getting a along. 04:18.50vigorbrandingThat’s 04:19.38Andy GellertI think we’re being successful because we keep growing and there’s enough things that everyone can do and everyone brings value that no one’s stepping each other’s toes. 04:25.06vigorbrandinggreat. 04:27.57Andy GellertWe’re all different, we but we appreciate each other’s opinion and listening to each other. We argue, but, you know, we all, we we get her off our chest and we move forward. You know? 04:36.10vigorbrandingWould you go out and play tennis, right, and solve it over the own tennis court? 04:37.88Andy GellertExactly. We stopped it on the court. We stopped it on the court. 04:40.98vigorbrandingSo you the kids, are are they are they interested? are they old not I don’t know how old they are. Are they old enough to be getting close? 04:47.10Andy GellertSo I think um my daughter my daughter is a social worker therapist. I don’t think she’s going to come in, you know. But my, you know, my other two ah potentially will come in. 04:57.29Andy Gellertone One probably more likely than the other. 04:57.44vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 04:59.68Andy GellertOther is in the real estate industry. And then my sister’s kids potentially were there and my brother’s kids were a little bit younger. So I definitely think at least three or four will come in for the next generation. But in the meantime, we keep growing and getting bigger and and looking at opportunities and we have fun. Why why are we doing it? 05:17.12vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. Well, so in in your situation, I mean, we’re we’re of a generation, you and I, I’ll say that, like, did you, did you have a choice or did you always know that this is what I’m going to do or I want to do it? Or did you, did dad put a little pressure on you and say, Hey, look, you know, you got to do your thing. 05:32.22Andy GellertI did everything wrong in the family business. youre They all that go out and get the outside experience. And I came right in. 05:38.08vigorbrandingyeahh Yeah. 05:38.43Andy GellertAnd it was difficult. I’m not going to say it was a piece of cake. And my brother was a lot. 05:41.30vigorbrandingYeah. 05:44.06Andy Gellertyou know He went to business school. He went to law school. He worked in private banking. And then he came in. So it it made a lot of sense. And my sister, the same thing. yeah I did everything wrong but it’s good to know, it’s good to do it because then you know you’re not going to repeat it. 05:57.78Andy GellertSo you know my son who who definitely looks forward to maybe joining one day says he want he wants to spend three or four years you know the outside and coming in. 05:58.16vigorbrandingYeah. 06:05.42vigorbrandingyeah 06:08.26Andy GellertHe says he doesn’t like his boss I’m like that’s good get used to it. you Get used to it better than me you know. 06:12.52vigorbrandingGet used to it, right? 06:17.21vigorbrandingWell, you know, that’s I had the same rule with my girls. I mean, I don’t know that they’ll ever want to come into it. Why would anyone would go to an advertising agency or come into a marketing firm? But if they would, I said they had to work somewhere for two years and get one promotion. 06:28.93vigorbrandingAnd thankfully, they’ve both been doing that. 06:29.31Andy GellertYeah. 06:31.08vigorbrandingIn fact, they’ve been doing it for a while now, so maybe they’re not interested. So ah they may have dodged the bullet or maybe I have. But I just think our generation was one of those things where, you know, yeah, go do what you want to do, but you’re coming into the company kind of thing, you know. 06:43.02vigorbrandingI started my own business, I didn’t go to my dad’s company but I mean it was one of those things where I just think a lot of folks, it was just I guess different. ah Now I think with, I’ll say with my daughters and probably your kids like go out and do your thing and if you’re interested talk to me, don’t you know, don’t don’t not talk to me about it but you know, no pressure, that kind of thing. 07:00.05vigorbrandingYou know, it’s just a little different. 07:01.20Andy GellertYeah you want it to happen organically and you know listen he he comes around a lot of the meals and the family all gets together and a lot of time is talking about work so he’s interested and you know he spends weekends he came to the fancy food show they all came I can see what’s going on and it’s it’s a fun business so I think there’s opportunities for them in the future if they want but there’s no pressure we’re growing we we have a lot of we’ve done a great job of hiring a lot of outside ah you know ah 07:03.16vigorbrandingYeah. 07:19.45vigorbrandingYeah. 07:30.22Andy Gellertah you know professionals to help us run the business and they don’t have to come. re We’re doing well and you know they’re all going to enjoy the from the fruitfuls of the business as as it as it gets bigger but there’s no obligation for them to come in. We like them to come in but we don’t want to make a rule if they have to come in. 07:48.07vigorbrandingYeah, but on that note, and we’ll jump in more about the business, but on the family side, you mentioned earlier that we’re both in YPO. And we both know that a lot of YPO businesses are family owned businesses. And there’s there are challenges, right, with being family owned and led. I mean, you know, what, you know, can you talk a little bit about that? 08:05.93Andy GellertListen, it’s hard, but thank God for YPO. To me, it’s one of the best opportunities of my life. I really enjoyed all the people like yourself and getting involved in the Food Network and my New Jersey Forum. 08:23.49Andy GellertThese guys are my board of directors and my own personal board of directors. 08:26.70vigorbrandingyou 08:28.15Andy GellertThey really helped me grow. where you know where I was i was being stubborn, they told me to relax, where I was not being aggressive enough, they pushed me. And it’s just been a great environment for me to to prosper as a leader because of YPL. 08:43.66vigorbrandingThat’s great. When I know your food and beverage form or that group and boy, you know, I can’t believe you learned anything from them. So ah you guys have a group of, you guys have ah ah a group of, uh, of, uh, cherished individuals, yeah characters. 08:49.65Andy GellertThank you. 08:56.99Andy GellertWe’ve got a great group and we’ve been together for over, you know, some of us back almost 16, 18 years and it’s great. 08:58.20vigorbrandingYes, you do. 09:03.87Andy GellertI love seeing the guys and we don we try not to miss meetings and and we’re supportive of each other. 09:06.99vigorbrandingYeah, it’s cool. Yeah, I’ve had a couple of them one here, so it’s ah it’s been great. They’re they’re they’re like the characters, that’s for sure. So yeah and you mentioned your father got an award at Fancy Food. I was there at Fancy Food this year, and what it’s a great honor. He’s also a member of the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame. 09:24.61Andy GellertYeah, please listen, though we it’s not easy. I think we’re the 11th largest privately held business in New Jersey. We’re very proud of that. and we you know it’s We work hard and he deserves to be honored for what what what he’s accomplished. 09:39.11vigorbrandingYeah. i mean so As I was saying earlier, you know I get to meet folks and we get to see you know different folks at different shows. and i had i i mean I knew you ran a great, important company. I had no idea the size and scale. so you know on Your vision is to be a part of every food experience. and you know Well, I will say that sounds like a really you know audacious goal, right? But with your company, you kind of are. i mean you have you have you have You have a franchise, you have you import your frozen food, you have CPG, you have a private, I mean, it’s it’s incredible. 10:13.44vigorbrandingCan you talk a little bit about the breadth and the different companies within your organization? 10:15.87Andy GellertI mean, it’s exciting and I think we’ve grown over the years through acquisitions. I think the last 18 months we made three acquisitions. We’re probably closing on one the next month and have two on the table that we’re looking at. So growth is, you know, we’re always looking at mergers and acquisitions. And we like to say, listen, private equity, if you’re a family business, you want to stay apart, you know, how enjoy the ride, take some money off the table and join our family instead of private equity where they 10:44.81vigorbrandingYeah. 10:45.10Andy Gellertchange your business up and listen if you want to cash out you can always cash out but if you want to enjoy the ride a little bit longer and take some money off the table we’ve been very successful about people wanting to join a family business and ours is that we’re like a large very large family business so we get to a lot of opportunities to look at business deals. 11:05.69vigorbrandingYeah, and you know, ah your your ah passion for the business and your your love of people, it sort of precedes you. Like I’ve always seen that about you, your energy and i it’s not, it’s not, it’s not artificial. 11:18.40vigorbrandingYou do that. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen you at the booth when I’m standing walking the shows and stuff. And it’s, ah it’s really kind of ah really cool. And I’m sure that’s a compliment to your father and and I’m sure your whole family’s like that. But you do treat everybody like family. 11:29.62vigorbrandingAnd I think that’s ah admirable. 11:30.12Andy Gellertbut You know, network is always um is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. And being part of YPO, I love leveraging my network and not for myself, but helping people. 11:39.05vigorbrandingYeah. Yeah. 11:41.20Andy GellertI like investing in early stage CPGs and helping these young people and watching their passion and, you know, leading them to other opportunities. I love putting two people together and let let them prosper. 11:53.58Andy GellertIt’s it’s really a ah pleasure of mine, you know, watching that happen. 11:58.17vigorbrandingYeah, well, and that’s, that leads to success, right? 12:00.84Andy GellertIt’s really pure joy. 12:00.82vigorbrandingYou know, you help people out. 12:01.68Andy Gellertat You’re 100%. 12:01.74vigorbrandingYeah, absolutely. So, and I will say, ah you know, I’ve been informed with you and you were a treasure and valuables all get out. And the amount of people you know, and and the connections you have are second to none. 12:14.02Andy GellertWell, 12:14.00vigorbrandingAnd you know, 12:14.46Andy Gellertwe do have a good friend in LA who like to compare. 12:16.32vigorbrandingokay 12:17.18Andy GellertMy good friend, our good friend Clara, who probably knows one more than I do. 12:20.44vigorbrandingyeah hey 12:22.30Andy Gellertjob 12:23.31vigorbrandingheard I would always keep score when we’d be talking, like who knew who or who knew the other person better or whatever else, but I will say, yeah I’m excited for you to be on here because I know my podcast now will be, I’ll rival the the football games, you know the upcoming football games for for for viewership because because of you. 12:34.55Andy GellertYeah. 12:38.34vigorbrandingSo I just, I appreciate that. So, but but back when companies, though you have frozen, you have CPG. can you Can you talk a little bit about the different types of of ah products? 12:46.45Andy GellertYeah, so we’re in the frozen fruits, frozen vegetables. You know, we just actually, a few years ago, we invested in a company called Cafe Spice. I made him join YPO and they make ethnic meals. um I just, you know, we did ah the Bloomberg of Food, the Food Institute, 13:04.37Andy GellertWe made a minority investment in there. 13:04.43vigorbrandingYep. 13:06.90Andy Gellertwere you know We do a lot of different retail, private label, manufacturing. We’re just trying to leverage all the everything on a plate. look at you know we’re We’re looking at an olive business, a rice business. There’s so many opportunities out there. We just want to add on to our great team here. We’ve got great people. 13:27.64Andy Gellertah We have great sales people, great buyers, and you know, finance. And we just, we can do some more. So we’re looking for more opportunities. 13:33.69vigorbrandingMm hmm. That’s great. Do you need an ad agency? I’m just kidding. 13:37.95Andy GellertWe’ve said, a lot of us not our own brand. We do have some brands that we, that are ours. 13:43.18vigorbrandingYeah. 13:43.84Andy GellertAnd we bought, we bought two brands from, from UNFI, Mountain Vicos that was owned by UNFI and Sonoma Cheese. 13:48.53vigorbrandingMm hmm. 13:52.16Andy GellertSo we do, we do work on our brand. So we, you know, we and um we have a marketing department. 13:54.60vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 13:56.46Andy GellertWe got a, get you more engaged, Micah. 13:58.46vigorbrandingThere you go. 13:58.78Andy GellertI’ll get to that. 13:59.35vigorbrandingHey, I’m always here for that. That’s awesome. 14:01.26Andy GellertFor even your Philly cheesesteak, we’ll have a meeting, you know, that’s all I need. 14:03.59vigorbrandingYou got it. Hey, that’s done. No no no problem there. So when you’re when you’re building and you’re always looking for these new new products or companies, ah yeah what when you want to import them, what what factors are you looking at? 14:15.50vigorbrandinglike I mean, obviously you you go to need a lot of things, there but you’re in so many different places. What what is it that you’re you’re kind of like, what’s on your checklist at the top of the checklist? 14:23.65Andy GellertSo we want to look at something that makes sense. so if you know We love the the old math, one plus one equals four. So we want to find efficiencies. Maybe they’re doing the same thing we are, but they have a big they have a big finance team that we don’t really need going forward. 14:38.14Andy GellertOr maybe they’re in one segment of the business where we’re not in. 14:42.04vigorbrandingUh-huh. 14:42.16Andy GellertSo we try to really identify where we can do the math where one plus one equals four and five. 14:47.91vigorbrandingRight. 14:48.70Andy Gellertyou know we don’t want to doesn’t that A copycat doesn’t really help sometimes, but if they have a you know a big ah big staff on the some redundancy there, then it could make sense. 14:54.08vigorbrandingUh-huh. 14:58.10Andy GellertOtherwise, it could be a whole new field that we can add to our already you know deep bench of of products that we do. So we don’t have a playlist of what we’re looking for. We just look at different opportunities and see if they make sense. 15:11.27Andy Gellerti mean like Just like building a network, we love looking at decks and looking at opportunities or 15:16.32vigorbrandingMm hmm. 15:16.75Andy GellertWhy are companies for sale? Why aren’t they aren’t? And a lot of times, i likeck listen, this is going to go to private equity. We’re not going to need a bit because we know we’ll be blown out of the water. 15:25.59vigorbrandingright Yeah. Yeah. that makes That makes a lot of sense. So, I mean, obviously, and you know, I kind of had this philosophy as well in the business. It’s like, you’re opportunistic. You know, you’re not saying I’m looking for this exact thing. 15:36.91vigorbrandingIt has to be this big, that, you know, that that category doing that thing. It’s sort of like, Oh, here’s an opportunity. Hmm. This fits or no, it doesn’t fit. Or, Hey, this can enhance that. 15:43.96Andy GellertYeah. 15:44.95vigorbrandingAnd if we do this, maybe we can go here. And so I’ve always looked at that. It’s kind of fun to do it that way. I kind of always. 15:50.32Andy GellertIt’s not a good idea. You’re looking under the rug and see what’s there and putting that puzzle together because like I said, a big company that’s competitive in mind, it’s going to go for a lot more for private equity. 15:51.60vigorbrandingYeah. 15:54.65vigorbrandingYeah. 16:03.40Andy GellertI don’t even want to play in there. I don’t have private equity money where I could afford to strike out. 16:05.38vigorbrandingRight. 16:10.74Andy GellertI want to make sure these are successful acquisitions and they fit in them all. 16:15.96vigorbrandingYeah, and you make a really good point because we’ve seen, you know, I’ll say, and um I know you’ve seen for sure, but in my business with CPG and in the restaurant side, private equity will come in and they, I’m not gonna say they don’t care if they fail, but they they know it’s a numbers game. 16:31.27vigorbrandingThey know that all aren’t gonna pan out. So they make these investments and then they they do their, they they they they apply their playbook and then, you know, if it’s like baseball. if they They hit three out of, ah if they hit three out of 10, they feel like they’ve done something and and you probably have financially, but 16:40.88Andy Gellertyeah 16:44.73vigorbrandingThe other seven are just left to the wayside. 16:46.68Andy GellertExactly. And and they’ve, you know, they can afford to do that. We really don’t want to do that. 16:49.73vigorbrandingYeah. Yeah. 16:51.36Andy GellertAnd we don’t want to, we don’t want to lose direction. 16:51.34vigorbrandingNo. 16:53.42Andy GellertI mean, listen, and we like, you know, we’re very big and we’re happy wherever you are, but we’re not in a goal to rush to get to 2 billion. 17:00.89vigorbrandingRight. 17:01.14Andy GellertWouldn’t get there smart. And if it means paring down and skew rationalization to be more profitable, all the better. 17:06.88vigorbrandingMm hmm. Do you find yourself doing that a lot? Do you do you have to go in there and and do skew rationalization or? 17:12.64Andy Gellertall the time, all the time, we really, you know, skew rash, customer rationalization, and we’ll bundle a bunch of customers and give them to a bigger customer just to make sure our warehouse is more efficient. 17:13.21vigorbrandingYeah. 17:16.68vigorbrandingYeah. 17:21.11vigorbrandingYeah. 17:23.25Andy GellertIt’s really all about efficiency. I mean, as you get bigger, you could be more efficient. 17:24.87vigorbrandingYeah. 17:27.21Andy GellertAnd, but you have to be diligent and skew rationalization, customer rationalization, people rationalization, you know, rationalization as well. 17:32.84vigorbrandingYep. 17:35.97Andy GellertYou know, it’s important. 17:37.23vigorbrandingYeah. And that’s that’s such ah’ such an interesting point because I think, you know, and I’ll say i’ll say in my own experience, you know, i in our holding company, we have several different marketing companies and I’m always afraid to let customers go. 17:48.21vigorbrandingLike, oh, though no, that we can do it for them. Sometimes it’s not good business, right? And sometimes you have to make those tough decisions and, you know, it’s it’s hard to let employees go, but it’s it’s hard for you to let, or I’ll say for me, to let a piece of business go, a paying customer. 17:52.67Andy GellertYeah. 18:00.83Andy GellertYeah, ah it’s, you know, you don’t like the same thing. But, but you got to look at it like, you know, you still have another 300 other employees out there that you want to do for the better the of the group. 18:07.78vigorbrandingRight. 18:10.14vigorbrandingRight. 18:10.45Andy GellertSo it makes sense to let someone go or let a customer go in order to be more efficient for everyone else. 18:10.42vigorbrandingThat’s right. 18:17.54Andy GellertSo it’s hard. 18:17.83vigorbrandingyeah 18:19.55Andy GellertAnd initially, it’s hard. But over time, you realize It’s a better decision and to be you know to be more efficient and just try. 18:27.95vigorbrandingAbsolutely. So I mean, one of the things that, you you know, we have the two agencies, we have quench, we have, ah which is CPG food and beverage, we have a vart of Vigor, which is ah ah restaurant marketing. and you you You cover them all because you’re in franchise with five guys, you’re in, you know, in the CPG world. um You know, it’s it’s sort of like, it’s hard to keep track of everything. How do you manage it all? I mean, I know you have different folks, but you’re sitting up there, are you just pulling up a different P and&L for each of these business units every two days? or 18:56.16Andy GellertI mean, we’re on ah basically a lot of these Zoom calls and just listening in and we just had one a few minutes ago, you know, we do a lot of nut and dry fruit business and we’re working on getting bigger in the bakery in the in the supermarket. 19:09.09Andy GellertSo how could we be, you know, and and we sat down today and we talked about all of our items and they all fit in the bakery. bill We’re selling very little of the bakery. So it’s an untapped market and it gets everyone excited. 19:21.02Andy GellertAnd we sit down and f throw things at the wall and see what sticks. 19:24.19vigorbrandingThat’s great. 19:24.58Andy GellertAnd we’re kind of fun. like we just said hey You know, we do this item, this will be good for, and I just, I love sitting in these meetings and just, you know, throwing out ideas. 19:32.21vigorbrandingThat’s great. That’s great. Very cool. Well, I know at Quench, you know, the CPG side, we would do to learn, to understand the industry. You know, we started the agency in food and beverage. 19:43.65vigorbrandingIt’s like, you can’t just say you do advertising and marketing food and beverage. You have to have an expertise. We’re going to hire people from the CPG world. But then what we did was we created a food and beverage trench to learn what was going on. 19:54.01vigorbrandingRight. And the first year we’ve done them for 15 years. You know, you’ve probably seen me speak on them at different events. 20:00.02Andy GellertYeah, are you do a great job. I love hearing your updates on the YPO conferences and you really got a pulse of what’s going on in the industry. 20:07.49vigorbrandingYeah. would So we we would do that. just We did it actually just for our own edification, just to learn. And then when we did it, we said, well, let’s let’s just give these away. So we do them every year. We give them away, fast companies written about them and all that. Do you use trends ah for your business to for like that next big thing? 20:21.92vigorbrandingOr is it more of truly just looking at the pieces and moving things around on the board? 20:26.18Andy GellertWe look at trends, we look at pieces, you know, we lot of our a lot of our suppli customers say, we like this item, can you go out and find it for us? And we got people or, you know, and in some cases we do a lot of business, some of our our customers say, here’s an item, you know here’s the supplier, you know, you’re you’re a great importer, we want you to import it for us. So it just, because we’re a trusted supplier, we’re good at logistics, they actually given us business to to handle. 20:53.89Andy GellertAnd it’s it’s exciting. And then we take that business and look at other opportunities as well. 20:59.70vigorbrandingHow is there anything are you doing anything in the beverage side is it mostly all just food? 21:01.22Andy Gellerte 21:04.27Andy GellertNo, I mean, we the beverage side we have, so we, Cipriani, you know, the so we we handle all their CPG items. 21:09.46vigorbrandingMm-hmm Okay Mm-hmm 21:13.80Andy GellertSo they make a the bulini mix, non-alcoholic bulini. So we’re slowly getting it. That’s our beverage and, you know, we’ll see where that takes us. but That’s new space for us. 21:24.96Andy GellertAnd we’re doing it on the retail side. Now we’re looking to try to listen to all the beverage distributors we don’t really touch on. So we’re getting a ah handle on that business as well. 21:31.95vigorbrandingMm-hmm. Yeah. 21:34.96Andy GellertSo that’s the only part of beverage. know I’m an investor in a few CPG, like Ollie Pop and Lemon Perfect, a few others. 21:40.57vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 21:43.06Andy GellertBut but not I think that’s a tough space. But I think we’re we’re getting our feet wet with this Trippiani land. 21:48.39vigorbrandingSee, that’s interesting. 21:48.67Andy GellertWe’re very excited. 21:50.05vigorbrandingYou’re 11 perfect. We just took over their space in Atlanta. They’re headquartered in Atlanta, yeah. 21:53.76Andy GellertOh, 21:54.76vigorbrandingAnd we just took over their space. They went ah they went all virtual, so yeah. 21:58.07Andy Gellertyeah. Yani went to Cornell with me. 22:00.32vigorbrandingYeah. Oh, is that right? 22:00.83Andy GellertYeah, yeah he’s a you should get him on your podcast. 22:03.45vigorbrandingWell, I’ve met him, he’s a great guy. 22:05.26Andy GellertI he’s Mr. Energy. It was his birthday this week. 22:06.69vigorbrandingOh my gosh. 22:07.72Andy GellertSo I just I love that guy. 22:08.28vigorbrandingIs that right? I will reach out to him. Yeah, i we you you can you can appreciate this, Andy, you know me pretty well. 22:11.20Andy GellertHe 22:15.37vigorbrandingSo i’m goingnna I was gonna sublease his his office, right? So you know it’s a real estate deal. I’m gonna sublease it, we’re gonna move from one ah ah one office to this other office. So I talked to him and he was like, he was going 180 miles an hour and it was great and all that. 22:29.28vigorbrandingAnd I was like, I really like this guy. And I’m like, 22:31.92Andy GellertHe’s an infectious personality. 22:32.86vigorbrandingYeah. 22:33.53Andy Gellertyou 22:33.75vigorbrandingAnd I’m like, you know, johnny i said hey if you want, I mean, I’ll, I’ll do the deal here with you, but if you want to stay, like, you know, I mean your energy and what you’re, you’re in the beverage, that’s what we do. 22:44.21vigorbrandingI mean, you can stay, you know, like if you have meetings here and like your, if your people come in, like it’s a big enough space for all of us, I’m not asking for anything on the other side. 22:46.07Andy GellertYeah. 22:51.86vigorbrandingah You can stay. I mean, I just i thought energy, you know, creates more energy. So, and we talked about that, but then he was like, you know, isn’t that crazy? 22:57.60Andy GellertThat’s so funny to know that guy. I met him at Expo West. And he had a small little table. 23:03.20vigorbrandingYep. 23:03.40Andy GellertAnd I’m like, wow, this guy’s this guy has a firecracker. 23:07.14vigorbrandingYeah. 23:07.31Andy GellertAnd I’m like, um’m I’m supporting you. 23:09.42vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 23:09.51Andy GellertAnd it’s a great story. 23:11.92vigorbrandingThat’s very cool. That’s the end goes to show you know everybody that’s amazing to me amazing. That’s funny. 23:17.14Andy GellertTake that, Clara. 23:21.03vigorbrandingI’ll make sure we tell her that. 23:22.87Andy Gellertbut 23:22.95vigorbrandingSo, all right, now I’m gonna bring up something, I guess negative or whatever, but inflation. Inflation is, ah you know, is it affects every industry, especially food. 23:28.56Andy GellertIt’s tough. its you know 23:30.55vigorbrandingYeah. how How much of an impact has that had on you guys? 23:32.99Andy GellertThat’s a very important product. 23:33.03vigorbrandingand 23:34.29Andy GellertSo our product are expensive already. And so it’s tough. We have to find you know so you know find other opportunities. That’s why we invested in this cafe spice that makes meals. 23:44.93Andy GellertSo maybe we make things more efficient for more of our customers and look at other opportunities. Maybe so source something that’s coming from Europe, getting it from South America. And and we’re always looking for ways to skin. 23:59.19Andy GellertWe started importing French fries from Belgium. to the East Coast because it’s it’s more effective and looking at opportunities like that. and Now we’re looking at opportunities in India. You always have to turn over rocks, look for more opportunities. It’s scary. 24:14.30Andy Gellertand it’s it’s you know the It’s all the news, the the price inflation. So we’re always looking for newer opportunities to try to make things better for our customers. 24:25.43vigorbrandingAnd being a global you know accessing globally with conflict and things like that, I mean obviously that’s affecting everything. i mean are you having are you ah is there um Is there ever a chance where one area of the business is sort of shut down or hey we can’t get this from there? 24:40.46Andy GellertYeah, things happen all the time. I mean, you know, when the Ukraine war first started, you know, it was it was a big factor because happened old Europe was tough. 24:42.39vigorbrandingIt’s crazy. 24:51.28Andy GellertAnd then when there was a ah big problem of freight from the from from Asia, supply chain issues from COVID. I mean, we’ve we’ve seen them all, Mike. 25:00.35vigorbrandingcrazy 25:01.71Andy GellertAnd now ah there’s an impending dock strike that’s going to come. So that’s going to affect from Maine all the way to Texas. 25:07.59vigorbrandinghear about that? 25:09.05Andy Gellertand 25:09.51vigorbrandingYeah. 25:09.86Andy GellertThat’s really making us very nervous and our customers nervous. 25:11.55vigorbrandingOh yeah. 25:12.86Andy GellertSo, but we, you know, we do the best we can and we keep fighting every day, you know, get up, get up and play some tennis, you know. 25:13.80vigorbrandingWow. 25:18.34vigorbrandingYes, I was gonna say, you get played tennis and smile and have a positive attitude and that’s the secret sauce. 25:23.15Andy GellertYou just got to, you know. 25:25.04vigorbrandingYou know, and I do love because every time I’m talking, I think, I think you always say, yeah, I played tennis with my dad this morning and you know, family businesses, there’s so many family businesses that end up like not talking to each other and you hear all the the generational strife or the the falling apart. 25:37.72vigorbrandingThe fact that you you still hang with your dad, my dad was my best friend. So that’s just so near and dear to me. It’s incredible. I think that’s so awesome. 25:43.18Andy GellertWell, today is a little, today is a little flat with him. I showed up at his house at 10 to 6, pouring rain, and the the match was canceled. So I had to wake up for nothing, and I’m a little annoyed. 25:50.67vigorbrandingah Oh boy. 25:53.10Andy GellertBut that doesn’t matter at all. 25:55.76vigorbrandingI hope you don’t ever let him win. 25:57.56Andy GellertWell, i I’m his partner. He doesn’t move very well, and people, no one was allowed to drop shot him, you know? 25:59.16vigorbrandingOkay. 26:04.11Andy Gellertget Everyone starts booing, whoever dropped off him. 26:06.88vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 26:07.02Andy GellertBut it was an accident. They’re like, no, you know? He’s got a bunch of rules, you know? 26:11.16vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. It’s his own tennis game, right? It’s his own. 26:13.99Andy Gellerttheel game is his ze tennis game 26:16.17vigorbrandingThat’s fantastic. So, if I if i may ask, and I know if there’s something you can’t say, that’s fine, but what’s what’s next for Gellert Global? I mean, what is anything new on the horizon, anything exciting you could talk about? 26:23.54Andy Gellerti We’re looking at more opportunities. you know we will be like We have such a great team. We have such great suppliers, such great employees, such great customers. We just want to keep doing what we’re doing and look for more opportunities. And if it makes sense to to make an acquisition, we’re going to do it. 26:40.44Andy Gellertand uh, it’s, it’s fun. You know, I mean, you know, just look at my cousin and the five guys, we were like 12, five guys. Now this year, by the end of the year, we’ll have a hundred. I mean, it’s just, uh, opportunistic and good people and growth to move forward. 26:50.43vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 26:57.42vigorbrandingYeah. And, and Dan Rowe, as you mentioned, he’s a king of a guy and he, he was actually on the podcast and he, he’s, he’s fantastic. 27:00.10Andy GellertYeah. 27:03.17vigorbrandingSo that’s good company right there. 27:05.70Andy GellertYeah. Yeah. We were at a YPL event and he’s like, and we’ we’re looking My cousin at the time had a bunch of cinnabons and we’re looking for our second concept and we’re at a YPO in DC. 27:11.89vigorbrandingUh-huh. 27:15.43Andy GellertHe’s like, Andy, come try this concept. And I took a bite of the five guy burger. I’m like, this is like a, like the, when you taste a cinnabon for the first time, it’s wow factor. 27:23.93vigorbrandingRight. Yeah. 27:25.78Andy GellertI called my cousin and the next thing we know, we you know we’re down there signing the deal. So it was, it’s been a great journey. 27:30.70vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. Yeah. Fantastic. Very cool. All right. So now I asked this question. I have one last question, right? And this probably, well, I don’t know if it’ll be easy for you, but it’s not like you have to say, you can’t say five guys. 27:41.96vigorbrandingSo I have to fill it out there. So, but if you have one final meal, what would you eat and why, and I’m going to say this too. 27:48.70Andy GellertLike, that’s the hardest thing because I love. 27:48.90vigorbrandingAnd and and who with, I want to know who with. 27:52.53Andy GellertThat’s like the hardest question anyone can ever ask me. I love like, it’s like, we I think I told you was before we started out that you was open with my son and my wife and there’s so much food options. 28:00.19vigorbrandingYeah. 28:04.26Andy GellertI had a headache. I couldn’t find what to get. Would I get to the Korean bowl or the palette for the steak sandwich? or or the fancy chicken with truffles, the dumplings. 28:15.10Andy Gellertyou know i’m like I almost get a headache, I can’t even decide. 28:15.19vigorbrandingyeah 28:19.04Andy Gellertso back It’s impossible. I just i love eating, I love food experiences, I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and say, just surprise me. 28:29.38Andy Gellertonly even Just give me what you you you do best and let me try it. 28:29.31vigorbrandingYeah. 28:33.30Andy Gellertand and you know it’s really i can’t i There’s not one meal that I have to have. i 28:39.23vigorbrandingYeah. 28:40.25Andy GellertI love a good sandwich. I love a good burger. I got a good steak. I like Italian, French, Spanish food, everything. 28:45.72vigorbrandingYep. ah You know, it’s funny. i I’m the same way. I’m lucky. I can eat anything. Like I don’t get nothing. I don’t have any allergies. I don’t get sicker. But you know, if I have a go to at a certain thing at a certain place, i will I’ll have a go at my go to. 28:56.26vigorbrandingBut nine out of 10 times when I go to a restaurant, like whatever the chef wants to make, because I figured he’s gonna put his heart and soul on it. 28:56.44Andy Gellerte 29:00.90Andy GellertYeah. 29:02.21vigorbrandingRight. If it’s, if I’m asking him his opinion. 29:02.59Andy Gellertbut i agree yeah if if if If they put it on the menu and then they’re behind it, I would take their recognition and set something I really want. 29:05.89vigorbrandingYeah. 29:09.81Andy Gellertso My father, yeah. 29:10.21vigorbrandingRight. That’s right. That’s right. You nailed it. And I love the fact that you mentioned the U.S. Open and there was somebody there at the U.S. Open that had better seats than you, which was your. Of course, yeah. 29:21.87vigorbrandingAndy, you know, I love being with you. I love talking to you and I appreciate your time. ah Just thank you so much for being on Fork Tales. 29:28.25Andy Gellertah mike First of all, congratulations to you and the organization you built and you’ve always been You’re always smiling, too. i mean actually That’s why we like each other so much. 29:36.16vigorbrandingYeah. 29:36.89Andy GellertWe’re always smiling. Have a good time. And your trends are amazing. And I really enjoyed seeing you and doing this with yourself. 29:43.81vigorbrandingfantastic well thank you so much 29:45.78Andy GellertAll right? 29:46.39vigorbrandingtake care 29:46.78Andy GellertTake care. Bye. 29:47.78vigorbrandingright 30:07.41vigorbrandingFantastic. 30:11.01vigorbrandingWell, thank you so much. Take care.

UNFI, new listeria outbreak, NACS President and CEO resigns

outbreak resigns listeria nacs unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 6:12

UNFI lays off 277 workers in Phoenix. Another 10 million pounds of meat is recalled in a new listeria outbreak. And NACS President and CEO Henry Armour will resign in 2025.

#164- UNFI UpNext Program: Aaron May

strategy trade shows expo west unfi stuff we love rangeme

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 53:32

In this episode of Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff sits down with Aaron May, the manager of UNFI's UpNext program, UNFI's major program that helps helps emerging and diverse brands thrive in the retail space. Aaron shares insights into how UpNext supports small brands by offering guidance, networking opportunities, and access to UNFI's trade shows, all while helping them navigate the challenges of distribution. They discuss key strategies for building strong relationships with UNFI account managers, unlocking regional distribution centers, and scaling through partnerships with major retailers.Aaron also covers practical advice for brands looking to succeed in retail, from managing promotion funding to understanding the nuances of the retail process. Throughout the conversation, they provide actionable tips on managing fees, running promotions, and maximizing trade show opportunities, while stressing the value of positive human interactions in business.Learn how to leverage the UpNext program for success, and don't miss Aaron's valuable advice for emerging brands. Tune in now!Retail Sales Tracker:Listen in as they share about:UNFI's EvolutionUNFI UpNext ProgramExperience with Up Next and Trade ShowRole of Account ManagersFinding the Right ContactsApplication Process for “Up Next”Funding and GrowthStage of the CompanyAdvice for Launching a CPG ProductCriteria for Working with BrandsManaging Deductions and FeesROI from Programming and Trade ShowsResources and SupportEpisode Links: UNFI UpNext WebsiteAaron May LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

spotify food entrepreneurship startups launching programming beverage cpg 20k up next transistor comepisode unfi aaron may

Episode 136 - Trade Show Strategy in 2025 / More Stuff We Love

Friday Vibes

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 61:36

We are coming at ya this week with recommendations and strategy for your trade show schedule in 2025 including Expo West, Newtopia Now, Fancy Foods, UNFI, Kehe, and many others worth attending. Back by popular demand, we will continue our 'Stuff We Love' segment and share more brands and products we love that are in Alex's or Wade's pantries and fridges. This episode is sponsored by Revival Tea and they are currently raising an online crowdfunding round at https://lnkd.in/gFXbgQ5r and are approaching $400k raised! Our on-going sponsors are My Way 3PL and RangeMe. See you there!

Labor Day Picnic 2024 NE Indiana Part 1 MLR 9 8 2024

My Labor Radio's Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2024 54:59

This episode we talk with elected and soon to be elected leaders in audio clips from the 2024 Organized Labor Annual Picnic in NE Indiana. Held each year, on Labor Day, this picnic is held at Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne. Wayne Township Trustee Austin Knox did a nice write up prior to the picnic in the Waynedale News. This episode we hear from Indiana HD 80 Representative Phil GiaQuinta. Followed by a quick interview with Indiana HD 82 Representative Kyle Miller. We talk with Allen County Council at Large candidate Nena Bailey. We talk with Fort Wayne City Council District 5 Representative Geoff Paddock. While talking with Geoff, Mayor Sharon Tucker drops in for a minute, before going back out to visit and talk with constituants. We wrap up this episode with a conversation with picnic committiee Co-Chair Andy McKeeman member of SMART-TD Local 1202. He is the Co-Chair with USW Local Herb Anderson. Local Unions from NE Indiana who supported in donations and volunteers are listed here. (Not a Complete List) USW Local 903 Sprinkler Fitters UA Local 669 RWDSU NALC Letter Carriers Summit City Branch IBEW 305 IBEW 1393 IBEW 723 UA Plumber Steamfitters Local 166 Teamsters Local 414 American Federation of Musicians Local 58 NEIN Building Trades Smart-TD Local 1202 UAW 2209 IronWorkers Local 147 Bricklayers Local 4 Indiana & Kentucky USW 12775 Laborers Local 213 LIUNA FW Firefighters Local 124 SMART Local 20 Cement Masons Local 692 IUOE Local 399 We also need to thank the local businesses who stepped up to donate to this years event. (Not a Complete List) Victory Trucking, UNFI, Speedway, G&L Corp. Special THANK YOU to CWA the Communications Workers of America for their support of My Labor Radio. When you are ready to organize your workplace, talk with a CWA Organizer by following this link. Special THANK YOU to UAW Local 2209 for their support of this show. IndianaVoters.IN.gov BallotPedia.org Thanks for listening. Find us on all the socials by using our Link Tree Link here.

america indiana large labor day geoff co chair picnic fort wayne uaw speedway american federation cwa special thank you ibew ballotpedia teamsters local communications workers uaw local unfi smart local

Building for People Who Need You

In the Sauce

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 51:02

Steven Singer is the founder and CEO of FODY Food and a 25-year CPG veteran. On this episode of ITS, Steven and Ali talk about the pros and cons of a building a niche product, how social media has truly changed the game in CPG, and how founders can protect themselves and their companies in this new era.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support In The Sauce by becoming a member!In The Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

ceo social media marketing sales startups powered whole foods gluten free cpg simplecast heritage radio network unfi fody

Big CPG Vs. Emerging Brands. Why The Pendulum Is Swinging.

Taste Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 26:11

A recent Linkedin post penned by an executive of online distribution platform Pod Foods ignited a passionate discussion about the limited routes to market for emerging brands and whether things might be changing for the better… or worse. Taste Radio's hosts have their say on the matter. Show notes: 0:35: JacquIC. Mayor Melissa. Peter's Post. Call Her Sir. Church Beer. Hydrate, Then Hike. – Jacqui takes over primary hosting duties while Ray is OOO, and does a damn good job of it. Melissa has a new moniker, and it fits her well. Community Call is, in a sense, casting – email to learn more. The hosts all weigh in on Peter Gialansis's scribe, why UNFI and competing brands may be unfairly cast as the villains and the upside to a long and arduous road. They also share their two cents on Queen B's latest opus and talk about upcoming industry events in San Diego before John presents his spicy mashed potatoes. Melissa then shows a patriotic side and Jacqui explains how she's preparing for a very steep journey. Brands in this episode: Soom Foods, Hotpot Queen, SirDavis, Idahoan, Tapatio, Fly By Jing, Pistakio, United Sodas, Misfit, Only Hydration, Liquid IV

How AI and Real-Time Data are Revolutionising Retail and CPG Supply Chains

The Digital Supply Chain podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 37:14 Transcription Available

Send me a messageIn this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain Podcast, I'm joined by Barry Bradley, Global Supply Chain Leader at Crisp. We dive into how Crisp's data collaboration platform is revolutionising the retail and CPG industries by optimising supply chain decisions through seamless data flow.Barry shares his journey from inventory planning at Target to joining Crisp, driven by a passion for addressing inefficiencies in supply chains. We discuss Crisp's ambitious mission to create zero-waste supply chains and the pivotal role of data sharing in achieving this goal. Barry explains how real-time data insights help companies reduce food waste, manage inventory more effectively, and improve overall supply chain efficiency.One of the standout case studies Barry mentions involves UNFI, where Crisp's platform significantly enhanced inventory management and reduced spoilage risk. We also touch on the common myth that sustainability is costly, with Barry providing a nuanced view on how data visibility can drive cost savings and business growth.Moreover, Barry provides insights into how AI and advanced analytics are being utilised at Crisp to improve forecasting, assortment planning, and overall supply chain management. We round off with a discussion on the future trends in supply chains, highlighting the importance of collaboration, change management, and strategic planning.For those keen on leveraging data for supply chain sustainability, you'll love this episode. You can find more about Crisp and their innovative solutions on their website, gocrisp.com, or follow them on LinkedIn and/or Elevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain' podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the Show.Podcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

ai influence target act retail elevate supply chains cpg zero waste crisp revolutionising inventory management advanced analytics real time data retail innovation unfi

#147 - Rising Star: Simon Solis, Huxley

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2024 72:34

In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff leads an engaging conversation with Simon Solis-Cohen, the founder of Huxley, launched in March 2024 which has roared on the scene with a lot of early success and accolades. Drawing inspiration from nature and national parks, Huxley's branding resonates with a wide audience, including Gen Z, baby boomers, and 'Diet Coke moms.'Learn about the strategic milestones, from Expo West debut to partnerships with UNFI, Lululemon, and Misfits Market. Follow Huxley's slow growth approach, navigating challenges and celebrating success, including a top-three finish at the Beverage Forum x Startup CPG pitch competition.Tune in for insights into entrepreneurship, innovation, and conscious consumerism, and be inspired to embark on your own startup journey!Listen in as Simon shares about:Launch and Success of HuxleyChallenges and Strategies in Expo WestIngredients and FormulationDesign and Development ProcessImportance of Labels and BrandingTaste and Flavor DevelopmentBrand InspirationSustainability and Social ResponsibilityTarget Audience and Market StrategyIndustry Events and NetworkingLinkedIn Outreach and CRM IntegrationFinancial InvestmentExecution Strategy and Future PlansEpisode Links:Huxley's WebsiteSimon Solis-Cohen's LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

spotify success strategy food entrepreneurship startups drawing launch gen z labels rising stars lululemon beverage cpg solis transistor 15k comepisode expo west unfi

#145 Distributor Trade Shows with Samuel Jacobson, Hop WTR

spotify success food entrepreneurship startups senior director beverage cpg jacobson trade shows transistor distributor 15k comepisode key accounts expo west unfi hop wtr

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 75:37

Join Daniel Scharff in this episode of the Startup CPG podcast as he delves into the intricacies of exhibiting at distributor shows within the food and beverage industry with Samuel Jacobson, Senior Director of Key Accounts and Alternate Channels at Hop WTR. They explore the distinct dynamics of UNFI and KeHE shows, contrasting them with larger shows like Expo West.From buyer prep and negotiation tactics to booth management and cost-saving strategies, Daniel and Samuel offer valuable insights for optimizing trade show participation. Whether you're a vendor seeking to drive business growth or a buyer looking for new products, this episode provides essential tips.Tune in now!Listen in to hear about:Purpose of Distributor ShowsStrategies for Success at Distributor ShowsCost-Saving TipsBuyer BehaviorBooth Management and PresentationInteractions at Trade ShowsUnderstanding Buyer DynamicsTrade Spend GuidelinesDeal Negotiation and Logistics During Trade ShowsPreparation and Booth SetupNetworking and OpportunitiesDeal Structures and Show StrategiesMarketing Option and Negotiation TacticsFollow-up and Inventory PlanningEpisode Links:Hop WTR's WebsiteHop WTR's InstagramSamuel Jacobson's LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

Wayfair's Opens Its Largest Store Ever, GameStop's Stock Sale, UNFI's Retail Media Network

Retail Daily Minute

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 5:03

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Ownit AI and Mirakl. Ownit AI helps brands and retailers win Google search by answering their shopper's questions online. Learn more at ownit.co. Mirakl is the global leader in platform business innovation for eCommerce. Companies like Macy's, Nordstrom, and Kroger use Mirakl to build disruptive growth and profitability through marketplace, dropship, and retail media. For more, visit mirakl.comHere are today's top headlines:Wayfair has entered the brick-and-mortar retail space with the opening of its first large-format store in Wilmette, Illinois. GameStop has raised $933.4 million from a stock sale, achieving its goal of selling up to 45 million shares through an at-the-market offering. United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI) has partnered with Swiftly to introduce the UNFI Media Network (UMN), a retail media platform designed to support independent and regional grocers in the United States.Stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights. Be careful out there!

united states google illinois companies sale retail ecommerce stock opens gamestop largest kroger nordstrom wayfair swiftly media network unfi

How to Expand from DTC to Retail Profitably

The Free to Grow CFO Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2024 53:54

This episode of the 'Free to Grow CFO' podcast, hosted by Jon Blair, features an in-depth conversation with Adam Siskin, co-founder and partner of The Platform CPG, on the intricacies of expanding a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand into the retail space. The discussion covers important considerations for DTC brands looking to venture into retail, highlighting the differences in finance, operations, sales, and marketing challenges between DTC and retail. Adam Siskin shares his extensive background in the CPG world, emphasizing the importance of understanding margin profiles, the impact of trade spend and chargebacks, and strategies for contract negotiations with distributors like Kehe and UNFI. Moreover, the episode touches on the crucial elements of debt financing for covering the cash conversion cycle gap in wholesale and offers personal insights into balancing an entrepreneurial career with family life.~~~~~~00:00 Welcome and Introductions00:39 Adam's Entrepreneurial Journey and Transition into CPG08:27 Expanding DTC into Retail: Strategies and Considerations21:28 Understanding Trade Spend in Retail Expansion24:55 Diving Deeper into Chargebacks and Cash Planning25:50 Challenges and Strategies for DTC Brands Entering Wholesale34:27 Navigating Contract Negotiations and Distribution Challenges40:53 Financing Strategies for Wholesale vs. DTC Channels48:50 Balancing Entrepreneurship with Family Life52:51 Final Thoughts

strategy challenges transition retail expand final thoughts wholesale cpg entrepreneurial journey dtc diving deeper profitably chargebacks unfi jon blair

Episode 179: George Milton On The UNFI SSA Controversy

The Checkout

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2024 42:00

controversy milton unfi

Exploring Digital Transformation and Ancient Wisdom | Rameshwar Balanagu | Chief Enterprise Architect, UNFI

The Brand Called You

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 24:30

In a rapidly evolving world driven by technological advancements, the convergence of digital transformation and ancient wisdom offers a unique perspective on navigating the complexities of modern society. In this enlightening conversation with Rameshwar Balanagu, Chief Enterprise Architect at UNFI, we delve into the realm of digital transformation, sustainability, and the integration of cultural values in leadership and innovation. Join us as we explore how embracing both cutting-edge technology and timeless wisdom can shape a brighter future for individuals and societies alike. [00:39] - About Rameshwar Balanagu Mr. Balanagu is a Chief Enterprise Architect of UNFI. He is a growth-focused IT executive and a digital transformation leader. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

chief architects digital transformation ancient wisdom enterprise architect unfi

#136: Growing Jaju Pierogi with Social Media Pro Vanessa White

Earnings Calls: Rawdog edition

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 70:35

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Vanessa White, CEO of Jaju Pierogi. Together, they trace the remarkable journey of Jaju Pierogi, from crafting handcrafted delicacies to securing shelf space in 2000 stores nationwide.Vanessa shares insights into the challenges of competing with established brands while maintaining authenticity and unveils their ingenious marketing approach focused on engaging content and community connection. Learn about navigating distribution partnerships, from regional distributors to national giants like UNFI and KeHE, and discover Jaju Pierogi's commitment to supporting women in education through the Polish American Women's Scholarship program.From influencer collaborations to strategic social media strategies and distribution partnerships, Vanessa offers valuable lessons for navigating the competitive CPG landscape.Hungry for more insights? Tune in now!Listen in as Vanessa shares about:The Secret Sauce for Going Viral of Vanesa's Pierogi VideosCompetition and Market PositioningOrigin Story of Jaju PierogiSocial Media and BrandingProduct Demos and Customer AssociationsRetailer Relationships and Product PlacementTransition from Handmade to ManufacturingThe Importance of Personal Branding and Business IdentityDealing with online haters and trollsBalancing authenticity with marketing goalsEpisode Links:Website Jaju PierogiVanessa's LinkedInDon't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.Show Links:Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics

Episode 101 - No Script, Just Chat!

Friday Vibes

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2024 58:50

After coming off a high from our 100th Episode extravaganza last week, we are back for Episode 101. We plan to discuss the recent lawsuit against UNFI for chargebacks, we will recap Fancy Food Show Winter 2024, and more! This week's episode is sponsored by HALVA and our on-going sponsor VDriven. Co-Hosts Alex Bayer (Genius Juice) and Wade Yenny with a combined experience in the CPG space of 35 years, chat about all things food and beverage in the market and share what's going on in their lives and any current events. They also do shout-outs and answer questions live from viewers & listeners during their show.

cpg halva noscript unfi

United Natural Foods Inc 2024/Q1 Earnings Call [$UNFI]

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 41:19

United Natural Foods Inc's Q1 2024 earnings call, unedited

natural foods earnings call q1 earnings unfi

7-Eleven Mexico, UNFI Q1 financials

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2023 5:43

7-Eleven Mexico goes the SaaS route for category management, United Natural Foods turns in a disappointing Q1 performance, and a menthol cigarette ban is in the offing.

mexico eleven saas financials unfi

UNFI, NACS, Goodwill

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 6:16

UNFI has ousted its president. NACS is underway in Atlanta. And Goodwill–yes, that Goodwill–appears to be getting into the grocery business.

goodwill nacs unfi

¿Sabes como ANALIZAR negocios de PLATAFORMA? Caso DOCUSIGN ✍️

Los Locos de Wall Street

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 91:47

¿Sabes cómo analizar negocios de Plataforma como Docusign? Edgar te lo explica precisamente analizando los resultados de Docusign. Hoy, en nuestro programa de resumen semanal hemos hablado de muchas cuestiones tales como: - Situación del oil - Management del sector del shipping - Actualización de Global Atomic - Análisis de empresas de plataforma como Dosign - Q&A donde ha habido preguntas de muchas acciones como ASPS, Unfi, Bimbo, GEO, cobre, etc 00:00 Introducción 04:04 ¿Qué pasará con el oil? Gráfico de @HectorChamizo 15:48 La importancia del magagement 23:15 Update de Global Atomic $GLO 29:15 Ejemplo de cómo entendemos las OPCIONES: Scorpio Tankers $STNG 32:02 El rincón de Locos de Wall Street 35:36 Mercados Financieros: DOCUSIGN 58:42 q&a ¿TE GUSTARÍA PERTENECER A NUESTRA COMUNIDAD GRATUITA? Discord: https://discord.gg/y6pVwHYFf9 Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/0MhWHiW4EQgzZDY0 ¿TE GUSTARÍA ESCUCHARNOS EN CUALQUIER LUGAR? Ivoox: https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-locos-wall-street_sq_f11368192_1.html Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6kWkLnitQPqp5YfP5SE9p2?si=8637165e46d24f8e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1587942949?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=lt_p SÍGUENOS en: https://linktr.ee/locosdewallstreet (Todos nuestros enlaces en un solo sitio) ✅ Youtube ➡️https://www.youtube.com/c/LoslocosdeWallStreet?sub_confirmation=1 ✅ Discord ➡️ https://discord.gg/y6pVwHYFf9 ✅ WEB ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com ✅ Twitch ➡️ https://www.twitch.tv/locosdewallstreet ✅ Twitter ➡️ https://twitter.com/LocosWallStreet @LocosWallStreet ✅ Telegram ➡️ https://t.me/joinchat/0MhWHiW4EQgzZDY0 ✅ Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/locosdewall... ✅ Linkedin ➡️ https://linkedin.com/company/82410497 ✅ Facebook ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/loslocosdewallstreet/ ✅ Tiktok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@locoswallstreet ✅ Ivoox ➡️ https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-locos-wall-street_sq_f11368192_1.html ✅ Spotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/6kWkLnitQPqp5YfP5SE9p2?si=8637165e46d24f8e ✅ Apple Podcasts ➡️https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1587942949?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=lt_p FÓRMATE con LWS en: CURSO DE VALORACIÓN Y MODELIZACIÓN DE EMPRESAS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/modelizacion-de-empresas/ CURSO DE ANÁLISIS DE ESTADOS FINANCIEROS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/analisis-de-estados-financieros/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") ⛏️CURSO DE INVERSIÓN EN MATERIAS PRIMAS Y ENERGÍA ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/inversion-en-materias-primas/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") CURSO DE INVERTIR CON OPCIONES FINANCIERAS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/opciones-financieras/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") INTRODUCCIÓN A LA INVERSIÓN EN SHIPPING ⬇️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/product... ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") Locos de Wall Street. Locos por la EDUCACIÓN FINANCIERA #bolsadevalores #bolsa #inversión #finanzas #dinero #mercadosfinancieros #valueinvesting #bolsadevalores #estrategiasfinancieras #EstabilidadFinanciera #inversioninteligente #ganardineroenbolsa #exitofinanciero #EstrategiasDeInversión #PlanificaciónFinanciera #Invertirenbolsa #FinanzasPersonales #Jubilación #Inversiones #Ahorro #EducaciónFinanciera #Finanzas

I Congreso Locos de Wall Street: ¡Qué pasó en el EVENTO FINANCIERO del año! | + $UNFI

Los Locos de Wall Street

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2023 61:51

APRENDE A VALORAR EMPRESAS ➡️ACTÚA CONTRA LA POSIBLE CAIDA DEL MERCADO Apúntate a lista de Espera de Curso de Valoración y Modelización: https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/programa-analisis-modelizacion/ ¿TE GUSTARÍA PERTENECER A NUESTRA COMUNIDAD GRATUITA? Discord: https://discord.gg/y6pVwHYFf9 Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/0MhWHiW4EQgzZDY0 ¿TE GUSTARÍA ESCUCHARNOS EN CUALQUIER LUGAR? Ivoox: https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-locos-wall-street_sq_f11368192_1.html Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6kWkLnitQPqp5YfP5SE9p2?si=8637165e46d24f8e Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1587942949?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=lt_p SÍGUENOS en: https://linktr.ee/locosdewallstreet (Todos nuestros enlaces en un solo sitio) ✅ Youtube ➡️https://www.youtube.com/c/LoslocosdeWallStreet?sub_confirmation=1 ✅ Discord ➡️ https://discord.gg/y6pVwHYFf9 ✅ WEB ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com ✅ Twitch ➡️ https://www.twitch.tv/locosdewallstreet ✅ Twitter ➡️ https://twitter.com/LocosWallStreet @LocosWallStreet ✅ Telegram ➡️ https://t.me/joinchat/0MhWHiW4EQgzZDY0 ✅ Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/locosdewall... ✅ Linkedin ➡️ https://linkedin.com/company/82410497 ✅ Facebook ➡️ https://www.facebook.com/loslocosdewallstreet/ ✅ Tiktok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@locoswallstreet ✅ Ivoox ➡️ https://www.ivoox.com/podcast-locos-wall-street_sq_f11368192_1.html ✅ Spotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/show/6kWkLnitQPqp5YfP5SE9p2?si=8637165e46d24f8e ✅ Apple Podcasts ➡️https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1587942949?ign-itscg=30200&ign-itsct=lt_p FÓRMATE con LWS en: CURSO DE VALORACIÓN Y MODELIZACIÓN DE EMPRESAS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/modelizacion-de-empresas/ CURSO DE ANÁLISIS DE ESTADOS FINANCIEROS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/analisis-de-estados-financieros/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") ⛏️CURSO DE INVERSIÓN EN MATERIAS PRIMAS Y ENERGÍA ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/inversion-en-materias-primas/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") CURSO DE INVERTIR CON OPCIONES FINANCIERAS ➡️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/producto/opciones-financieras/ ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") INTRODUCCIÓN A LA INVERSIÓN EN SHIPPING ⬇️ https://locosdewallstreet.com/product... ("Actualmente en lista de espera para iniciar una nueva edición. APÚNTATE a la lista de espera. PLAZAS LIMITADAS") LISTAS DEL CANAL que te pueden gustar: Análisis acciones https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqH8haUpumLvgbFv4c_5rvlw1m7OGLDO �� EDGAR analiza ... https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqH8haUpumK3wzvJUfOnQpUVTs_7bYUk Charlando con.... https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqH8haUpumIPcb94q07HRXpZkMPL2b11 Locos por la INVERSIÓN | Aprendiendo desde CERO 0⃣ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqH8haUpumL4SFPbB6EtV7CmmpUDg-OT Píldoras ECONOMÍA https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkqH8haUpumKBKC_4zeMsVi2yC6dJ8RSa Locos ⭐ "FIVE STARS" ⭐ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r462qsKRsnM&list=PLkqH8haUpumINsb-mUHns-PSzXM4QdRvq TOP 10 VÍDEOS MÁS VISTOS ✔ Capitalismo, Ahorro y Trabajo DURO - Charla con Miguel Anxo Bastos https://youtu.be/A4RwoxKCkHs ✔ Inversión en Calidad - Charlando con Emérito Quintana https://youtu.be/cgESmGV23k0 ✔ Lo que debes SABER de la cartera de GABRIEL CASTRO (OIL, GAS, Kistos, Golar,...) https://youtu.be/yOaqTdbAkZs ✔ INFLACIÓN ....¿Es un shock de OFERTA? https://youtu.be/nremCCMjEYY ✔ Aprende a invertir con LWS | Fundamentos de la inversión https://youtu.be/mJll86XS0Iw ✔ La subida del petróleo NO la provocó la invasión de Rusia Edgar Fernández Vidal https://youtu.be/ZXcAEheerbg ✔⛴ ZIM: ¿Gran oportunidad o trampa de valor ? Tatín actualiza el SHIPPING https://youtu.be/yvRB3npyscs ✔ "Geoestrategia y energía nuclear" ☣️ - Charlando con José Gutiérrez Elso https://youtu.be/OECAm-VCyzE ✔⛏ ¿Por qué INVERTIR en ESTAÑO? ⛰ https://youtu.be/eP1BX_4x3rA ✔ ¿Qué es el METAVERSO? Locos por FACEBOOK con EMÉRITO Quintana y Alejandro BAGUENA https://youtu.be/ESscDSJTPXM Locos de Wall Street. Locos por la EDUCACIÓN FINANCIERA

Casey's General Stores, new c-store chain, UNFI earnings

snacks trade shows dtc chubby cease and desist unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2023 6:38

The leader of Casey's General Stores has an expanded role. A new convenience-store chain is debuting in Las Vegas. And distributor UNFI's latest earnings fell short of expectations.

las vegas chain stores earnings new c unfi c store

Taking on Big CPG and How to Deal with a Cease and Desist with Dillon Ceglio from Chubby Snacks

The Omnichannel Marketer

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 27:18

In this episode, we meet Dylan Ceglio CEO of Chubby Snacks. Chubby Snacks is a better-for-you alternative to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Dillon shares how he went from a modest upbringing to a digital agency owner to a healthy snack brand founder. Other topics covered in this episodeTrademark protectionTransitioning from DTC to retail Retail distributionDigital Marketing for retailKey TakeawaysDon't reinvent the wheel with business models that workKeHE and UNFI are key distributor relationships in the retail distribution model Tradeshows are a great way to get in front of retail buyersGeotargeting is key to retail digital marketing campaigns Put 80% of your efforts into 20% of your stores where its key to move the needlePlease let us know your thoughts about the episode!Where to find Dillon Ceglio:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dillon-ceglio/Website: https://www.chubbysnacks.co/Where to find Kait Stephens:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/Website: www.brij.it SUBSCRIBE TO THE OMNICHANNEL MARKETERwww.theomnichannelmarketer.com

Episode 94 - Getting Real About Distribution - w/Gregory Esslinger - Part Two

Startup Confidential

Play Episode Play 22 sec Highlight Listen Later May 15, 2023 11:43

Are you too busy to read your third-party distributor's contract? Too busy or too overwhelmed with pages and pages of the legal doc? Listen in to Part 2 of Getting Real About Distribution, Dr. James Richardson's guest interview with Greg Esslinger, Distribution Expert of Natural Food Ally. Greg shares common mistakes new founders make when working before and during with third-party distributors. (Part 1 was published May 1, 2023 on Startup Confidential podcast.)Greg's experience includes 10 years at the largest natural foods distributor in the country (UNFI) in various positions including, purchasing, sales, and category/supplier management. Five years ago he founded Natural Food Ally, a consulting firm, with a focus on advising brands on the natural channel and how to increase profitability within the constructs of the distributor model. He has taken a keen interest in helping brands to avoid the many distributor deductions that plague the natural food industry.Most recently Greg has joined Floret, a deduction management platform designed to enable brands to manage their deduction work flow more efficiently, clear distributor deductions more quickly, as well as gain key data and insights into their tradespend in real-time. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

llc distribution getting real james richardson unfi floret premium growth solutions james f richardson

Episode 93 - Getting Real About Distribution - w/Gregory Esslinger - Part One

Startup Confidential

Play Episode Play 23 sec Highlight Listen Later May 1, 2023 10:41

Founders new to the food industry often make costly mistakes when they jump in with third-party distributors too soon. Listen to Dr. James Richardson's interview with Greg Esslinger of Natural Food Ally as they discuss the 3 top wrong actions founders take when working with distributors. Part 1 of 2 Parts. (Part 2 will be published on May 15.)Greg's experience includes 10 years at the largest natural foods distributor in the country (UNFI) in various positions including, purchasing, sales, and category/supplier management. Five years ago he founded Natural Food Ally, a consulting firm, with a focus on advising brands on the natural channel and how to increase profitability within the constructs of the distributor model. He has taken a keen interest in helping brands to avoid the many distributor deductions that plague the natural food industry.Most recently Greg has joined Floret, a deduction management platform designed to enable brands to manage their deduction work flow more efficiently, clear distributor deductions more quickly, as well as gain key data and insights into their tradespend in real-time. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

founders llc distribution getting real james richardson unfi floret premium growth solutions james f richardson

Building with a Broker

In the Sauce

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 58:41

Kari Pedriana is Co-Founder and CEO of Green Spoon Sales, the national natural food and beverage sales broker, specializing in emerging CPG brands, including Primal Kitchen, Lesser Evil, Quinn Snacks, Smart Sweets, Chomps and Midday Squares. On this episode of ITS, Kari breaks down the broker role, how to best think of relationships with distributors, selling trade shows vs. marketing trade shows, and why Green Spoon launched its accelerator program, take root.In the Sauce is Powered by Simplecast.

ceo founders marketing co founders sales powered groceries sauce broker retailers cpg whole foods market simplecast primal kitchen chomps lesser evil smart sweets unfi midday squares

UNFI, Green Zebra, ChatGPT

Tip of the Iceberg Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2023 6:58

Wholesaler UNFI is mounting a transformation plan amid lackluster earnings. Hybrid food retailer Green Zebra is shutting down after a decade.

chatgpt hybrid unfi green zebra

UNFI invites this vertical indoor farm at its distribution centers

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2022 30:29

They're calling it co-location, and it means Square Roots lettuces and herbs will be much, much closer to retail customers — significantly shortening the supply chain. To find us: Our websites: com, thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com. Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguide.com LinkedIn: PMG: Produce Market Guide and The Packer Instagram: @packernews and @producemktguide Facebook: @ProduceMktGuide and @PackerNews Twitter: @produceretailer and @thepacker https://www.thepacker.com/news/industry/unfi-co-locate-square-roots-indoor-farms-distribution-centers-nationwide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

farm centers distribution vertical indoor invites square roots unfi

TLC Todd-versations Presents UNFI with Dorn Wenninger

TLC Todd-versations

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 48:26

UNFI by the numbers: Approaching thirty billion annually. Thirty thousand independent rooftops are serviced weekly. Over thirty thousand UNFI associates. Twenty distribution centers to deliver fresh. Todd chats with Dorn Wenninger about UNFI from its humbler days as Mountain People's Warehouse out of Auburn, California to where it sits today. They haven't lost their customer-centric approach, they've just found ways to share it with more people. Listen to this fascinating story about providing access and opportunity to better food for a better future for all.

california twenty thirty auburn warehouses dorn unfi mountain people

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) Stock Sprouts After Earnings

TD Ameritrade Network

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 5:32

Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) is a supermarket chain offering natural and organic food such as fresh produce, meat and seafood, deli, baked goods, and dairy products. George Tsilis discusses SFM as the stock jumped after reporting better-than-expected earnings. He talks about how SFM beat 3Q EPS and revenue estimate. He then compares SFM to KR, WMT, and UNFI. Tune in to find out more about the stock market today.

stock kr earnings farmers markets sprouts wmt sfm unfi

195: Bonus Episode: Sparking Inspiration with Josh Davidson

Homeschool Unrefined

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2022 42:04

Join us as we talk about creative writing and inspiring our children with Josh Davidson. Fall 2022 Season Sponsors We are so grateful to our Fall 2022 Season Sponsors. Use the links below for their special offerings: Blossom & Root and use code HSUnrefined15 for 15% off your purchase Outschool and use code Unrefined for $20 off your first class Night Zookeeper for a 7-day, risk-free trial, as well as 50% off an annual subscription LTWs Maren: Warby Parker Angela: All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung Connect with us! Visit our website Sign up for our newsletter and get our Top 100 Inclusive Book List We are listener supported! Support us on Patreon Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and see video episodes now on Youtube Angela on Instagram: @unrefinedangela | Maren on Instagram: @unrefinedmaren and @alwayslearningwithmaren Email us any questions or feedback at homeschoolunrefined@gmail.com Complete Episode Transcript [00:00:00] [00:00:08] Maren: Hi, we're Maren and Angela of homeschool, unrefined. Over the past 25 years, we've been friends, teachers, homeschool parents and podcasters. Together with our master's degree and 20 years combined homeschooling. We are here to rethink homeschooling, learning, and education with an inclusive and authentic [00:00:26] Angela: lens. [00:00:27] At Homeschool Unrefined, we prioritize things like giving yourselves credit, building strong connections, respectful parenting, interest led playing and learning, learning differences, mental health, self-care, listening to and elevating LGBTQ plus and PAC Voices. [00:00:47] Maren: We are here to encourage and support you. [00:00:51] Whether you're a new homeschooler, a veteran, you love curriculum, you're an unschooler. Whether all of your kids are at home or all of your kids are in [00:01:00] school or somewhere in between. Wherever you are on your journey, we're the voice in your head telling you, you're doing great, and so are your. [00:01:08] Angela: This is episode 1 95, Sparking Inspiration with Josh Davidson. [00:01:14] We are gonna talk about creative writing and inspiring our children, and then we'll end like we always do with our lt. Ws are loving this [00:01:22] Maren: week. Yes. And we wanted to give you a quick reminder that a. Few. We have a few new exciting updates to our podcast this year. Number one, we are including transcripts with all of our episodes. [00:01:35] So if you look at the show notes, you're gonna see transcripts. So you can check through everything we've said and if you wanna go back and get some of the details of what we talked about. Find it [00:01:44] Angela: there. Yes. And those are in your right, in your podcast app. We also have them on our website. [00:01:49] Maren: Yes. Which episode? [00:01:50] Yep. Yep. So that's at homeschool fine.com/episodes. So it'll be right in there. And then also we are also publishing our podcast [00:02:00] episodes. In video this season. And so you can go to YouTube and find our channel homeschool owner, Finded, and we even have a playlist specifically for the fall 2022 season. [00:02:11] And we have our videos. You're gonna see us on screen recording our episodes. [00:02:16] Angela: Yeah. So that's very exciting. If you prefer that method. Yeah, you can get that there. Okay. So we are starting something new this season where we are bringing you three new sponsors for the entire fall season. We were very intentional about who we chose for sponsors. [00:02:29] We appreciate you taking the time to learn about them because we think they're really good companies. Also, they're giving discount codes, so you wanna listen for those. We are so happy to work hard on this podcast, and we appreciate the financial support in making [00:02:42] Maren: it. Here at Homeschool under fine. You know we're all about making your life easier. [00:02:47] That's why we are excited to introduce you to Night Zookeeper. Is your child a reluctant writer? Do they struggle with reading? If your answer to either of these questions is yes, then night [00:03:00] zookeeper may be just what you're looking for. Night Zookeeper is an online learning program for children, ages six to 12 years old that uses a gamified and creative approach to help keep kids engaged and focus on developing awesome reading and writing skills all while having fun at the same time. [00:03:19] Some of the features we love included include the educational games, the personalized feedback on writing from real tutor. And the super safe community pages where children can work with each other and learn together. If Night Zookeeper sounds like the perfect learning program for your child, you can try it for free by clicking on the link in the show notes. [00:03:42] And when you, when you register, you'll get a seven day risk free trial as well as a huge 50% off annual subscription. That's a great deal [00:03:51] Angela: if you ask. I always had the toughest time finding a curriculum that was aligned with our values. Enter Blossom and [00:04:00] Root. Blossom and Root is a nature focused secular homeschool curriculum, focusing on creativity, science, nature, literature, and the arts. [00:04:09] Blossom and Root has been gently encouraging and supporting homeschool families around the globe since 2016. Blossom and Root currently offers curricula for pre-K through fifth grade with new levels being added in the future. Additionally, a three volume inclusive US history curriculum told from a variety of viewpoints is currently in development as of August, 2022. [00:04:32] Volume one is available for purchase, and volume two is available on pre. All profits from this history curriculum. A River of voices will be used to support storytellers and artists from historically excluded communities. You can find samples, scope, and sequences and information about each of their levels online@blossomandwrit.com. [00:04:54] You can also find them on Instagram at Blossom and Root. Blossom. Andre has [00:05:00] created a special discount for our listeners. Use the code Hs. Unrefined 15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase. [00:05:09] Maren: Our kids have taken so many different out school classes over the years, which is why partnering with them was a no brainer. We know that kids love to learn. Kids who love to learn don't just prepare for the future, they create it. That's why Out School has reimagined online learning to empower kids and teens to expand their creativity, wonder and knowledge. [00:05:32] Empathetic, passionate teachers encourage learners ages three to 18 to explore their interests, connect with diverse peers from around the world, and take an active role in leading their learning out. School has created a world filled with endless possibilities for every schooling journey. Explore over 140,000 fun and flexible live online classes to find the right fit for you and your family, and join us as we set [00:06:00] learning. [00:06:01] Sign up today at out schooler.me/homeschool unrefined, and get up to 20% off your first class when you enroll with the code unrefined. [00:06:13] Angela: We are excited for our main topic today, which is sparking inspiration and Creativity with Josh Davidson. Josh Davidson is the creator and managing director of Night Zookeeper, a magical inspirational brand where children discover and create imaginative animals. These animals join an interactive world and can feature in his story books on on Anani animated series on Spy Kids. In a collectible card game and an online learning program that helps children with reading and writing and unlocks their creativity, Josh is a passionate public speaker on games, education, and creativity. He has spoken at many international conferences. Additionally, he has been interviewed across BBC stations in the United Kingdom. [00:06:54] Please enjoy our conversation with Josh. [00:06:58] Maren: I want [00:07:00] to invite our guest, Josh from the Night Zookeeper here today. Thank you so much for being with us, Josh. [00:07:08] Josh: Oh, thank you so much for having me. [00:07:10] Maren: I'm wondering if you could just tell us, just start out by telling us a little bit about yourself and just your background. [00:07:17] Josh: Absolutely. So, yes. So I'm Josh. [00:07:19] I'm the author of the Night Zookeeper Storybook series and the creator of night zookeeper.com, which is a website based on the the theme, if you like, of the night zookeeper stories but is an interactive website. Children are inspired to fall in love with writing and get lots of reading practice. [00:07:42] And we also help with grammar and spelling, et cetera, to sort of really convert the most reluctant. You know, there's a few of them out there, the most reluctant of young readers and writers into the authors of tomorrow. I just made up that line, but it sounds good. The authors of, of tomorrow. [00:07:57] Maren: I really love that. I really love that, and [00:08:00] I love that you have that vision. We'll talk more about that in just a little bit, but at first I wanna ask you like, how did you come up with this idea of the night zookeeper? It just, it sounds like the ideal thing for a reluctant reader or writer, and I'm wondering what, what brought you here? [00:08:16] What, what made you create. [00:08:18] Josh: Sure. So I mean, obviously with all things in life there's a, there's an element of serendipity I heard. So during my studies I traveled to Australia. So as you say, I'm based in the uk but I did an exchange in Australia, in Melbourne, and I heard whilst I was there that their zoo was open at night. [00:08:39] And obviously I, now, I think zoos, you know, across the world, some of zoos often open, like there's a night zoo in Singapore and London Zoo late, so there's a, this is a thing. Oh wow. But at the time I didn't know anything about it. Right. And being a strange young man hearing about a night zoo I so immediately was. [00:08:56] My head was filled with time traveling elephants and [00:09:00] buying giraffes that could turn invisible. And Oh, cool. I had a little notebook and I started to write my story about this strange zoo and the sort of things that you would encounter there. Right, right. But I finished my, I was doing my, my fine art degree at the time. [00:09:14] I then did a Master's in Digital Art, and one of the modules that I was studying was called Collaborative Practices. And it was about using the internet to collaborate with others. So, you know, kind of like we're, we're doing now, right? Talking over the, the, the magical power of the internet. And it was different things that you could use the internet for to collaborate. [00:09:34] Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. anyway. In trying to work out what I was going to do as part of my studies into that module, I was flicking through my notepad of ideas and I came across my short story that I'd written about the night suit, and I realized that although my story was okay, what was really lovely about the story was that it was a. [00:09:59] [00:10:00] Fundamentally of what magical animals could exist in a zoo at nighttime. Right. And not only was I as an author, you know, or a writer or whatever, I was inspired to write something, but I was pretty sure that other people would be just to tell them, you know, that that power of the night, Right. It's kind of, it always been. [00:10:18] My childhood. I think it's a very human thing that things can exist in nighttime. All the way back to the teddy bear picnic, the thing teddy bear picnic. Oh yes. No. Yeah. But the thing is gonna happen. And so yeah, I I turned this short story into a collaborative project, which was based around a website where anybody could log on and create new magical animals that would live in my fictional night suit. [00:10:41] And my best friend Paul, Hudson, who is my co-founder in Night Sweet Keeper, was a primary school teacher and he said, Josh, I want to do this with my kids in class. Yes. I said, That sounds awesome. Mm-hmm. . So he convinced his head teacher to invite me [00:11:00] in. So I came in as an artist and we ran this project where we, I, you know, I, I lied to children, which I've now made a professional career. [00:11:08] And I told them that I was a night zookeeper in a magical night zoo. And I looked after these spying giraffes and time traveling elephants. But the, The night zoo needed more animals. And we were wondering whether these, you know, these kids wanted to come up with some animals to live in the zoo, and boy did they, they absolutely went for it. [00:11:29] And it simultaneously showed me just how. Uncreative. I am because I created a draft that could turn invisible, whereas they had created a dragon fish crossed with a ham sandwich. You know, like they, they, they took things to this, this level that, That's amazing. Creativity. That was like, okay, I, I, yeah. [00:11:48] I bow down before the and, and yeah, that's where we are now. Like with that's cool. Website. That's basically that idea. That initial sort of engaging assembly, if you like, where you [00:12:00] tell kids, this is what we're gonna do through, through digital media, and then let them go for it and, you know, Yeah. [00:12:06] It's doing a pretty much a massive disservice to the website to say that that's what it does, because it's huge and, you know, we're throwing everything but the kitchen sink it, Getting kids to fall in love with reading and writing, but at the, at the very heart of. It's that it's this story that, and the power of storytelling and how that can sort of spark an individual child's imagination and how you can then channel that imagination into creative output like writing. [00:12:32] Maren: I love that because I do think when we, when we approach learning as , we, we have to do this, You have to get to this level. Then our kids often. Get to that level and maybe that's it. Maybe that's all they do. Or maybe they even struggle to get to this certain level. But when you come in as a night zookeeper, , and you're like, I want you to think of, imagine these animals, you know, the limit. [00:12:56] There's no limit. They go, they go everywhere with [00:13:00] that. Absolutely. [00:13:00] Josh: You can see the brains, like you can see the sparks flying. Right. And what's wonderful is it's such. A UNFI for all the kids, cuz you've got kids of all different ability levels. Some totally. Some, some engaged in the activities, some not. [00:13:12] Some with, you know, have been spending the morning reading about the how a human eye works and others that have been reading about animals on a farm. Yeah. But you put them together and they've all going to, they're all gonna express themselves. They're all gonna create something. Is using their, their brain in a really interesting way, as I mentioned, that they were destroying me. [00:13:31] But then they can all relate to each other. Of course, they were, they were, yeah. Kids, 12 year old kids talking to six year old kids about their animals. Mm-hmm. Like that's wonder. So, so we see this with siblings in homeschool. So you get the older kid and the younger kids, some of the playing together for, and learning, playing together. [00:13:46] And it's, it's a wonderful way to To, to sort of, to sort of, in a way sort of forget about some of those levels that we try and think about. Yes. And because there's something so hu it's just [00:14:00] human. That's what it is. It's just human. Ultimately it's about being human and using our, you know, the gifts that we've been given and seeing how, where we can take them. [00:14:08] Maren: Exactly. And so that's, you kind of answered this question, which is why do you think creative writing is a good way. To start at such a young age. You're talking about very young kids here. So, I mean, I think you kind of answered that, but if there's anything else you wanna add, why do you think it's good to start creative writing at such a young age? [00:14:27] Josh: Oh, I like, yeah. I mean, I think that like with any anything that's innately human as a skill storytelling is. You know, the to human skill, it's right at the core of what we do and how to survive in this world, and. Yeah. Writing is, is an extension of that. But what the tools that we've built on my zookeeper, you know, of course you, the most common scenario you get with kids is that their, their brains run a million miles ahead of their, their technical ability. [00:14:59] [00:15:00] That is so true. Yes. Tell and imagining and their thinking and, and getting those thoughts and down and sort of structuring them is, is a huge challenge. But it is like zookeeper as a platform. It's built to scaffold that process so, You're not giving kids a blank piece of paper and saying, Tell me everything about this creature you've invented. [00:15:21] The way that it unfolds is, you know, you asked to draw the creature that you're imagining, then you're asked what its name is. Then you are asked, maybe it's where does it live or what does it eat? Or does it have any special abilities? And each question is, you know, almost delivered like a, a chat between yourself and the animals and the animals kind of learning about themselves. [00:15:41] And this. Means that it never feels to the kid like a daunting thing. Absolutely. It never feels like something that they can't do. And, and so from the youngest ages, they're, they're constantly having this interaction with the program, but they're also having it with themselves and anyone that's doing it [00:16:00] with, I mean, that's the other thing about, Yes, this particular experience, like it's a lovely way for a parent to engage with their child or as I mentioned, like an older sibling, to engage with the younger sibling because suddenly, You know, you are drawing each ideas out of each other and you are realizing like, Oh, where, where did you think of that? [00:16:17] Like, where did that idea come from? But like, Oh, maybe you must have heard, you know, grandpa say something about this the other day. So you're bringing that into it and it's like, Oh, this is really interesting. Where, where your mind works. Because that's where, you know, creativity is at the core of how our [00:16:30] Maren: brains work. [00:16:31] I think that is so, you are so right about that, and I love that you're scaffolding it like that, or, and also just making maybe the most challenging parts very small. Like, do this one little thing that's challenging and actually it's so motivating because it's not like, do this one little thing that's challenging and you don't get any reward from it. [00:16:49] No, you do this one little challenging thing and then it, it, it adds to your, you know, You know, this world that you're creating and feels in [00:16:59] Josh: your mind's so good. [00:17:00] Gives you, Yeah. So in terms of that as well, like we do this scaffolding process, not just for the younger kids, but for the older kids as well. [00:17:06] Cause you do absolutely find that you get a lot of older kids who have been turned off writing. They don't like it. Yes. They don't wanna do it. Yeah. And feels hard. It's one of the few subjects actually that we've really struggled. Globally to sort of gamify and make feel like it's fun, but not what Zuki does. [00:17:20] By doing this sort of building up of questions and answers is at the end of that process, if you are an older kid, we show you what you've done. Okay. Show you. Ooh, I like that now. I just wrote all of that without realizing it. Like here's a big, I'm doing it visually. Of course no one can see , but I've got a, [00:17:36] Maren: I see it. [00:17:37] It's really big. [00:17:38] Josh: An elephant sized head of writing. Yes. On the page and the kids. Even though it's just right at the back of their subconscious, they're like, Yeah, yeah, I can do that now. So whenever they're, you know, they, they see other pieces, people's writing, if they've struggled with writing stamina because they, they typically write a couple of sentences and then it's, they just don't want to write anymore. [00:17:58] Right. They're bored, [00:18:00] they're struggling. It's hard, like part of it is like with everything in life as you feel that you can do it once you've. And we are saying, Hey, you know what? You've done this. Here it is. And then the next time they come, they might not need, the older kids might not need that scaffolding approach. [00:18:15] They might wanna jump straight into that work classic kind of word processor setting because they feel like they can do it now. Yeah, you're gonna have that writing stamina. But yeah, we always provide that as a yeah, as a realization for the kids ultimately that they are. [00:18:29] Maren: That is so great because it just builds that self confidence and their identity. [00:18:35] As you know, a lot of times our kids don't even, can't even identify as a writer, even though they certainly have all the ideas, but we just need, you know, maybe just need a few tools and then it can go, you know, wherever. You know, they have freedom to do so many things with just a few things. So Good. It's so hard though. [00:18:56] It, so many of us, especially homeschool parents [00:19:00] are feeling frustrated about reading and writing, to be honest. Right. I mean, it just, it feels like sometimes it feels like we're slogging through things. It feels like we're requiring things more than enjoying things. And so what are your tips for a, for us , for us parents at home who are like feeling frustrated right now? [00:19:20] Josh: Yeah, I mean, it's, it's it's a difficult position to be in because kids can be stubborn and Yeah. You know, once they've made up their mind about a subject or an area that they're like, Okay, no, I, I don't do that. That's not, you know, I don't like that. Or that, you know, even to the point, you know, you have kids crying when they're put in front of a piece of paper, they want to write like it breaking and they've got to that point in their brain where they're like, This is something I can't do. [00:19:44] Yes. And I guess that's the first thing to realize is that ultimately this, this is a, a feeling that's inside them that needs to be, be worked through, needs to be worked out. And of course I would say this, but no, zookeeper's a really good way of doing that because it's yeah, it's a game [00:20:00] and I, you know, whether it's night zookeeper or something else, right. [00:20:02] You need to find a game, which has a different element to it than pure writing. And you need to show the child, the, the writing part, the reading part of the writing part of that game is something that they can do because they're not focused on it. They're not thinking, This is what I'm doing. Right, Right. [00:20:20] I'm writing, they're thinking. Right, right, right. I need. I need to beat my parents at this board game, which involves a bit of writing or reading, or I need to beat my kid, you know, Or I want to create something really beautiful. There's a painting for my, my, my mom's fridge. But I'm, but then mom's asked me to give a title for it and maybe like, just write down a few things so I, she can read, read about what, what's into this castle. [00:20:43] It's just, yeah, they need, they're gonna need a breakthrough moment, I guess. That's what I would say. I don't think. You're gonna have success, you know, looking at the traditional ways of doing this. Right, right. [00:21:00] Classic sort of systems that exist. Yeah. Recognizing, made up mind and adapting the approach. [00:21:07] Maren: I love that. [00:21:08] Yep. That's so true. It seems like a lot of times we, we definitely. Homeschool parents, us, we focus on the semantics and the, the actual like details of the, I don't know, might be punctuation or handwriting or capital, things like that, that we are, I mean, we can really focus on those things and then it gets, it becomes more about that. [00:21:33] Rather than, and what, what I hear you saying is our, the kids, our kids' strengths are often in their ideas, right? In their imagination. And the possibilities in the unreal , you know, this is this whole, they, you know, there can be a whole world. That's where their strengths lie. I feel like. And I feel like with your program, there's so much like we, you build on the strengths [00:22:00] and the other stuff kind of comes along with it. [00:22:04] I think so. But it's not the focus always. It's not like the thing they have to do. [00:22:08] Josh: Exactly right. I think, I think a lot of it is if we're talking about you know, upskilling mm-hmm. or if you have a child that you know, will write but writes terribly Yes. And hates being paroled into doing the kind of the classic practice mm-hmm. [00:22:21] And, and editing and redrafting. Or elements within Zuki that help with that as well. So yes. First of all, we're trying to get 'em to write lots. Then anything that they're writing is part of this game is coming through to a tutor. So this isn't you, this isn't the parent and the child relationship. [00:22:39] If there's stress building up here, then take that stress away, you know, by giving this piece of work to. You know, a face on the screen could be my face, but probably not one of our, our tutoring team. But their tutoring team's face is going to be coming back on that piece of writing that your, your [00:23:00] child has put together. [00:23:01] Okay? And they're gonna know, they're gonna see the strengths in it, but they're also gonna see the weaknesses and they're gonna craft a comment that will nudge. As, as enthusiastically as possible, your child toward better practices with the writing. Wow. So that is the, that is the key because worst all it matters in some, to some children it matters that this is somebody who cares. [00:23:24] That's not. Their parents. This is someone else in the world. Exactly like that can make a massive, just a, a switch of, you know, if you have kids in a traditional school system, even like sometimes it's the teacher and the parent kind of doesn't count anymore, but there's someone else out there who's saying, this is good. [00:23:42] This is good. And you are? Yeah. Yeah. I feel quite good about that. Then I feel quite good that I think it's good. Oh, but they've said I can improve it if I just check that spell for that bit or, or I learn, remember to start using a few more paragraphs. I can do that. Cause I know what a paragraph is. Cause I just watched a video of it on that previous thing that Zuki sent me. [00:23:59] Yeah. And then I'm [00:24:00] gonna, and, and those kind of skill based. You know, real sort of core curriculum points that every young writer has to learn. I mean, it's, it, it comes back to like reading ultimately, like you just need your kids to read, right? Mm-hmm. , I mean, fundamentally. Yep. Kids will learn to read if they're reading, the more they read, the better at reading they're gonna get. [00:24:20] Right. Exactly. Your kid picks up a soccer magazine like, and they're reading great. [00:24:25] Maren: Right. The more they enjoy reading, the more they're going to read, the more they're gonna choose to read. [00:24:30] Josh: Exactly, and it's exactly the same with writing. Exactly. The more they're gonna enjoy writing, the more they're gonna get over any inner turmoil they have about writing, and then they're gonna, all those other things you're worried about, all those other things curriculums, tell you to worry about. [00:24:45] They will. They will come. Yes, they will come. Because you're in the same way that when you read and you read and you read, you pick up the the words and the skills that you need to Yeah. To, to go to new places. [00:24:56] Maren: I love that you mentioned that there's this personal [00:25:00] tutor or a feed, a personal feedback that our, that every child gets when they, when they use night zookeeper, because I do, you're right. [00:25:07] Like it's so good to have somebody else besides your parent or your teacher work with you sometimes, especially in writing, I think because it is so personal and it almost feels a little vulnerable, even if. Even if it is about an animal that doesn't really exist, it's something that's been in your mind. [00:25:24] And you know, and to have your parent maybe give a little criticism of that can really be tough for a child. And so even just a little encouragement from someone else, you know, that's a little bit removed, but also very encouraging. Mm-hmm. is very encouraging. Yes. It seems, it seems like the best. [00:25:43] Situation, . [00:25:45] Josh: One other, There's one other even better scenario that happens on my zookeeper. Ooh. And we encourage the kids to comment on other kids writer. Oh, that's awesome. So they, and we've trained them up, you know, through the system to leave positive book constructive [00:26:00] comments on other kids writing. [00:26:00] And it all goes through the tutors. So everything gets, you know, moderated and checked. And then, then if it's a nice constructive comment, it will appear on your kid writing from another student. Wow. And that, I'm, I'm yet to meet a kid who hasn't loved that actually. Like, there, there, there. You know, there's, and kids the best at being sensitive, like adults. [00:26:21] Like we, we try and be sensitive to our, to kids, right? But kids just kind and get other kids. They kind of know that they're all kind of in it together and Yeah. Yeah. They say it, they phrase it so nicely, like, Oh I laughed this piece. It was amazing. I, I'm gonna dream about this story you wrote tonight. [00:26:37] Of course. Just so you know I think you've missed a full stop at the end of that sentence. Yes, yes. Keep writing. I can't wait to read your next story. I'm your biggest fan and say, Wow, okay. I, I could write that. Like, the kid that receives, that's gonna be like, I'm adding that full stop and I'm writing something to mine and [00:26:53] Maren: I'm gonna keep my mind, Yeah. [00:26:54] I'm gonna keep writing because that is so powerful. That is so [00:27:00] powerful. And you don't get that normally. You just don't get that experience. At such a young age. I mean, a lot of people don't get that unless you're in a creative writing program. Like you probably went through and had, you know, some kind of a group, a writing group or whatever. [00:27:14] But this is amazing and kids deserve to hear and feel that about their own ideas and writing. [00:27:21] Josh: Absolutely. And you know, that's where you get those transformations. That's where you get a kid. You know, where we hear from parents who would scream and cry and hate, hate the idea of writing and they start using nights of Cuba cuz they've been told it's a game And Right. [00:27:35] Do see around it and before you know it, they're not They're not even worried about the, the game aspects. So n Uber has a sort of a gamified curriculum and some of them, we call them challenges and they're the closest to kind of like your, your kind of classic interactive challenge where you're like dragging and dropping work. [00:27:54] Or you are learning new pieces of vocabulary. All, all that stuff is, is there and, and it [00:28:00] follows you know, the classic, like in the, in the UK that's the called the National Curriculum And America, you know, you have your Common Core and there's the International Baccalaureate, you know, the, the interactive challenges and games on nights. [00:28:11] So you keep the, the sort of, as I say, you kind of expect from digital products. Now they're all. And kids when they first join, they kinda wanna play those. They want to be in the bit, which kind looks more gamey. Sure. But the kids. All kind of reach this point where they realize the real fun of Nisu Keep is taking all the stuff that they've been learning in those games and producing the writing, and then getting those comments and feeling like they've got a no idea, a new idea for a story that they really want to tell. [00:28:43] And they want people to be able to read that story. So they're gonna write it on my to keep, Yes. They're gonna write that idea that they've had for a story, and that's where you get the That's where when I said that thing about like the authors of tomorrow, like that is. What's happening that literally tells what's happening. [00:28:58] Maren: And it sounds like they're authors of [00:29:00] today too, because they're getting Well, absolutely. Basically, essentially published if they want to. Right? Well, [00:29:05] Josh: they're, they're, they're published. Well, and it's another little segue actually. Nice one that so I still write the night, so keeper books and I write them with the community. [00:29:13] So I come up with. Sort of general themes of the stories and I have a plot and I kind of know where I want the stories to go. Yeah. But then I come up with a whole bunch of questions and I put them onto the website. So kids come up with characters, they come up with jokes. Mm-hmm. , plot points, locations, and they write these. [00:29:28] Again, it's a reason to write, They write this stuff onto the website. Yes. And, and the best ideas, you know, we credit the credit the kids in the books. I've even done book signings where I've been set next to kids who have contributed towards the, the story. So Awesome. Yeah, they can, Not only can they get themselves published, but they can be published. [00:29:45] Published if they can . Yeah. [00:29:46] Maren: Yes. Exactly. Exactly. That's so awesome. I was just gonna ask too, so you mentioned you, so you have these books and this, that was really the inspiration for the, this whole program. Is it important for. The [00:30:00] families to get the books as well and make sure they read those before they start the program. [00:30:04] I mean, [00:30:04] Josh: I, I'm, I'm obviously very biased to the, to the books, but No, no, you absolutely don't. The, the story is baked into the website. You know, you're gonna meet the characters, you're gonna go on an adventure. Yeah, Yeah. But it's all very self-contained. But if you've got a kid that struggles with reading and writing mm-hmm. [00:30:21] and of course I'm a, I'm, I'm a big book person as my overcrowded shelves at home will attest. You know, I think there's something very magical about a kid holding a book. Absolutely. And I that it's, it is a great way to compliment the learning. So yeah. Members of people who sign up tonight, Cuba get a pretty decent discount as well on, on getting. [00:30:40] Maren: And that's awesome. It is. You're right. There is something cool about having a physical book these days. You know, especially on a, with a digital, there's, everything's digital including this program. So it's kind of cool to make it tangible for them. There are some kids, especially younger kids, who really, that makes it feel [00:30:54] Josh: real. [00:30:55] I, I agree. And I, I think that it's, it's yours, you know, when there's a [00:31:00] physical book Yeah. Take that extra care. There's something, you know, and this is something that I think that the world will, will find its balance between mm-hmm. , what digital enables and what the physical is so natural to us as physical beings. [00:31:15] And I feel like Zuki is a great example of where I think we're adding value. To traditional offline play where, you know, the kid can sit and paint a picture of an animal and then take onto the website if they want. They can write on Absolutely. If we produce monthly resources where, you know, you can print out, print them out, and write offline and practice your handwriting. [00:31:35] And all of these aspects are very important in developing writing. And again, that's all, all part of the experience because I think that digital is incredible. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . But sometimes it puts us in slightly. Alien positions, right. Human beings. I mean, I still think it's, it's hilarious that the, the kids playroom for the last 20 years has been their dad's study or [00:32:00] Wednesday , you know, that kind of like, go and sit in a dark room in front of a screen like that. [00:32:04] They should be out. Right. And we'll get, we'll get there again, like, I'm pretty confident that these kind of hybridized tools that, and, you know, augmented reality and all this kind of stuff is going to mm-hmm. , reenable us to play away from. You know, screen pure, screen based situations and Yeah. But in the meantime, I think it's about balance and it's about having mm-hmm. [00:32:25] if you can sit and read a physical book, brilliant. If you can print out these resources and use phy, you know, physical resources to practice handwriting and do drawings and things on and, and aspects of the program offline, then great. But then, It. Yeah. We're in a situation where it's silly not to use all the benefits of technology as well. [00:32:42] Maren: Absolutely. And I think the best, the best programs, the best online programs, I think inspire you to do things offline too. And I think that's what your program definitely does. Like, you could, you, you would easily be inspired to go paint a picture or go just do some creative playing. Right. Role playing. [00:32:58] I mean, you know, all that [00:33:00] kinda stuff can, can be inspired from your program, so that is really [00:33:03] Josh: awesome. Actually. I think that was one of the reasons why I ended up. Starting the business and taking it as far as I did. We were saying but I think before we started recording, but like how started with a, my co-founder was a primary school teacher working in schools, and he invited me into his school to run the first night Zuki project. [00:33:21] And at lunchtime, having me, you know, lied to the children and saying, I'm a night zookeeper and I look after magic animals. We went out into the playground at lunchtime and all the kids were running around pretending to be night zookeepers and all match animals and playing. And it was, it was such a moving and compelling experience for me that I was sort of convinced at that point that more kids in the world needed to, to have this. [00:33:46] Maren: Absolutely. I, yeah, I'm so excited for everyone who gets this program and can you just let us know how we can find you and how we can sign. [00:33:55] Josh: So it's night zookeeper.com as in nighttime and [00:34:00] zookeeper. And you know, from there there's a, there's a parent page. That's your effect effectively, that's the homeschool page where you, you go through and Yeah, yeah. [00:34:08] Sign up to the service. There's a free seven day trial to give it a go and see what your kids think. Yeah. [00:34:12] Maren: So we have a very special link that you need to use and it'll be in our show notes that you can you can use and it'll give you a huge 50% off an annual subscription, which is awesome. And you still get the seven day trial too. [00:34:25] So Wonderful. It seems like a win, win, win, win for, for everyone. So, Absolutely. Thank you so much, Josh. We really appreciate that you joined us. [00:34:34] Josh: Well, thank you so much for having me. It was really nice to speak to you and yeah, hopefully speak again soon. Definitely. [00:34:40] Maren: Let's move on to our loving this week. L t Ws. Yes. All right. Angela, do you wanna get [00:34:49] Angela: started? I would love to. All right, Go for it. I have a book to share. Yeah. Yeah. It's a memoir, which Nice. My favorite genre. Yes. This is called All You Can [00:35:00] Ever Know by Rebecca Chung. Ooh. Rebecca is an adoptee and she is Korean, and she was adopted by a white family. [00:35:09] Mm. And so she tells the story of her childhood in that context, and she grew up in a small town and so she kind of always wonder. About herself and her identity, and she was very curious about her birth family. And so she tells about her curiosity. About that and just how that affected her growing up. [00:35:32] And then as she became ad an adult, she decided to try and find her birth family. And so she tells that story. It is so well written. She's a writer. So it's super well written, super inspiring. I think if you If adoption has affected your family. Mm-hmm. , especially transracial adoption. I think you would probably love to read this book. [00:35:52] But I think even for anybody like Yeah, it does, it has not affected my family, but I really, really learned a lot [00:36:00] and, well, I enjoyed reading this book. It was captivating. I listened on audio. Wow. And I listened in two days. I mean, I blew through it. What? I was just, I wanted to find out what would happen. [00:36:10] Yeah. Like, is she gonna find her birth family? What's gonna happen? Cuz I kind of figured that was coming and so it like, kept me interested the whole way through. So I think I think you should definitely read it if this is like, if this peaks your interest at all, I [00:36:23] Maren: think you would love it. The fact that you read it in two days or listen to in two days makes me think it was definitely well written, obviously. [00:36:31] Oh yeah. Yeah. And then also the story was just deriving and then the fact, fact that it's just real. This has really happened and it really happened. Yep. Yeah. That's like a magical trio there, so for sure. That's awesome. Yes. Thank you. [00:36:43] Angela: What are, yeah, what are you loving, Marin? [00:36:46] Maren: Okay. I'm loving some, I'm loving something that is not brand new to probably anybody, but it's an i glass store online store. [00:36:54] It's a, and it's called Warby Parker. I'm sure you have, have heard of it. And [00:37:00] maybe you all have glasses from Warby Parker already. I don't know, but I kind of I never thought I really wanted to try war Beer Parker. Number one. We've done online glasses before and I'm like, well, if we're gonna do online glasses, we're gonna go, They're really cheap route, which, you know, there's like zny or whatever. [00:37:16] So we've done that before. And or we're just gonna get glasses in our real life eyeglass store so we can actually try things on and get the actual fit that we really need. And, you know, I'm sure they're much higher quality. That's what I always thought. Enter whereby Parker , you know, like it's, it has been a journey finding glasses for my whole family over the years. [00:37:39] Mm-hmm. and we've tried so many things, but whereby Parker just kind of happened upon us. Because they actually have a physical store in our nearby mall Now They do. Yeah. Which was awesome. So we just walked past it one day and we're like, Well, let's try these on. And they're all the frames. I [00:38:00] mean, not kidding you, in the whole store I fell in love with, I couldn't decide which ones I wanted, number one, number. [00:38:07] They're so cheap. I mean, I don't wanna say cheap, like Inex. I didn't, What I'm saying is cheap, Inexpensive. Yeah. They're actually very high quality and they're awesome. And I just couldn't believe it. They're even for us out of network for our insurance. Uh, But because we can get reimbursed some of the way we, you know, I just, we paid and then sent in receipts and got paid back right away from our insurance, which was, which was awesome. [00:38:31] It ended up being cheaper than getting full coverage at another eyeglass store. Any other, like we, I think I looked at three or four other eyeglass stores in the, in the area. And even with like full insurance coverage whereby Parker was so much cheaper. So much cheaper. Wow, that's amazing. And their customer service is unbeatable. [00:38:54] They're so amazing at customer service. Everybody in the store was like, [00:39:00] became our friends right away. . They just loved us and we loved them and I don't know, we just all connected. We all have this vibe. They just have this vibe and it's just great. And they gave us great feedback on what. What we should look for in glasses for our, you know, for our face shape and things like that. [00:39:16] And so it was just fun. It was actually just like a fun experience, which I have not had before with my [00:39:21] Angela: family and fighting eyeglasses. That's awesome. That is so awesome. Yes. Yeah. So would you, would you only recommend it going into the store or now that you've done it? That's a good question. Do it online. [00:39:34] Maren: Well, and I know that when you do it online, they do send you like, Pairs of glasses that you can actually try on. Yeah. And then, so, which is great. I think that's also a viable option for sure. Yeah, for sure. You can totally do that. And I would say the other thing is that they make the glasses and send them to you so quickly too. [00:39:53] So if you need glasses quickly, they're, they never, I, I think they don't like maybe Guarantee that they'll come really fast, [00:40:00] but ours came really fast. And then also they have like lots of different lenses that often are super expensive when you upgrade lenses. Especially with like the blue blocking material that protects your eyes from the screens and stuff like that. [00:40:13] Like that can be hundreds of dollars other places and it's. Just so affordable, so affordable at where we park. I just can't believe it. Like, [00:40:21] Angela: I, I can't believe that either. I, Yeah, I feel like I hit the jackpot. I'm just so, so excited. Well, I'm really glad to have a real world what's the word? [00:40:29] Maren: Endorsement. I don't Endorsement. [00:40:31] Angela: Yes. A real world endorsement because I have of course heard of them on, on pockets, but those are like ads. So you just, you [00:40:38] Maren: know. This is an A by the way, this is not an ad. [00:40:41] Angela: I'm just telling you. It's true. I always, I always I've stayed away from Warby Parker because I thought it would be more expensive, so I'm glad to hear it. [00:40:48] It's actually not, it's [00:40:49] Maren: actually really not. Really not. And Okay. Yeah. Yep. So I'm super excited to even get more now, . That's great. [00:40:56] Angela: Yeah. That's great. Thanks for sharing. Yeah. All [00:41:00] right, so thank you everybody for listening, and we wanna say a special thank you to our three sponsors, Blossom and Root Out School and Knight Zoo Zookeeper. [00:41:08] Be sure to check out all their links and coupon codes and stuff in our show. Show notes. [00:41:13] Maren: This podcast is created and hosted by Angela Sizer and Maren Goerss. We are listener supported. To get extra content and the Back to School summit free with your membership, go to patreon.com/homeschool unrefined. [00:41:27] Subscribe to our newsletter and get our free top 100 inclusive book list. Add homeschool unrefined.com/newsletter. You can find Maren on Instagram at Unrefined Maren and at Always Learning With Maren. Find Angela at unrefined Angela. [00:41:47] [00:42:00]

children australia kids starting uk master school fall writing inspiration lgbtq creativity explore united kingdom situation bbc uber human fall in love alien melbourne singapore cuba root korean sort classic published globally mm guarantee homeschool hs blossom endorsement empathetic sparking ws pairs digital art warby parker common core spy kids inexpensive international baccalaureate london zoo anani unrefined unfi so awesome zuki josh yeah josh davidson josh you inex josh one josh well josh oh josh so night zookeeper

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 1

ceo founders las vegas natural nourish las vegas show unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 10:17

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On this episode, the team sits down Sarah Ann Lesslie, CEO and Founder of Chocolita to learn more about botanical infused chocolate as a potential health solution.

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 2

ceo las vegas co founders natural nourish las vegas show unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 10:09

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On this episode, the team sits back down Edouard Freda, CEO and Co-Founder of Talia to hear how his company has grown since we first met with Talia at the UNFI Orlando show in February.

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 3

las vegas natural latin nourish las vegas show unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 6:49

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On this episode, the team sits down Adam and Lizzia with Brazi Bites, a better for you, Latin inspired food company to learn more about gluten-free trends and the snack food category.

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 4

president las vegas natural nourish chief customer officers las vegas show unfi

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 7:17

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On this episode, the team sits down Steve Dietz, Chief Customer Officer at UNFI, and Elliot Stone, President of Mollie Stones Markets to hear what retailers need more from UNFI, and the importance of emerging suppliers and their presence at events.

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 5

las vegas natural equipment nourish sarah phillips las vegas show unfi store design

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 9:04

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On this episode, the team sits down Sarah Phillips, senior manager of design with UNFI's Store Design and Equipment team to learn what retailers should think about when considering a store remodel, the overall process, and ways the Store Design and Equipment team can help through it all.

Live from the UNFI Natural Winter Las Vegas Show- Episode 6

Build a Business Success Secrets

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 13:42

The Nourish with UNFI podcast is live from the UNFI Natural Winter Show in Las Vegas. On our final episode from the show, the team sits down with Ryan Brothers and Hassan Safieddine, co-founders of Greenhouse Foods as they discuss their journey from professional sports to investment banking and finally to creating plant-based doughnuts. A fun story of passion and perseverance, you won't want to miss it!

las vegas natural nourish las vegas show unfi ryan brothers

Thoughtful Snacking Can Change the World with Betty Lu CEO of Confetti Snacks | Ep. 394

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2022 81:15

Betty shares her story how she was traveling around the world on a planned nine year trip with her Mother when she cut it short because of an unexpected a-ha moment she had at the top of a moutain with her healthy homemade snacks. Betty shares how she went from an idea, how she raised venture capital money for the idea and is turning that idea into a world wide healthy snack company. About Betty Lu Betty is the founder and CEO of venture backed Confetti Snacks based in Singapore and New York City. Confetti crafts award-winning tasty gourmet snacks made from nutrient dense vegetables in exotic flavors inspired by scrumptious world favours that celebrate diversity and inclusion. The scrumptious plant-based snacks are colorful, vibrant and made from real sliced veggies and fruit. The snacks are tasty, an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, gently upcycled from imperfect produce or crop surplus to alleviate food waste. Confetti elevates rescued colorful produce to tasty nutritious snacks with a longer shelf life to protect food security. Top line growth is pegged to ending global hunger with partners like UNICEF, Red Cross, and UN's World Food Program, homeless shelters, orphanages, and the Ukraine refugee crisis to provide emergency food aid to communities facing severe malnutrition due to poverty, war, refugee crisis, drought, famine, or natural disasters. Confetti Snacks is currently distributed in leading supermarket chains, convenience, specialty stores, food service, schools, universities, healthcare, vending machines, luxury hotel mini bars, and office pantries of MNCs. Channels include 7-11, Shell, Mandarin Oriental, Hilton, Cold Storage, Jasons Marketplace, Selected NTUC Fairprice and Xtra Hypermarkets, Ryan's Grocery, Taste Gourmet Market, Everyday Vegan, Panda Mart and Red Mart. Corporate clients include Google Campus, Visa, UPS, Bloomberg, Lazada, Enterprise Singapore, DBS bank, UOB. In America, Confetti is listed in the largest food distributors of UNFI, US Foods, Gordon Food Service, Pod Foods, and seeing strong traction and growth in grocery channels and specialty stores across the states of New York, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Colorado, Pacific Northwest, and California. These include Central Market HEB, The Goods Mart, Village Market, and specialty stores across USA. Betty is a guest lecturer, panelist, and juror for case competitions in leading universities of Nanyang Business School NTU, ESSEC, and the Singapore Institute of Management. Confetti Snacks has been used as a case study in global leading business universities as part of the business curriculum for on topics of marketing, branding and entrepreneurship studies. She is a branding expert with a global strategic outlook. Berry is an avid scuba diver, paraglider pilot, and world traveler. CONNECT WITH US Sign up for our NewsletterOver 17,200 listeners and countinghttps://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6 EPISODE LINKS: Confetti Snackshttps://www.confettisnacks.com HELPFUL FREE RESOURCES: How to Write a Business Plan in 13 easy to Build Slides. FREE 30+ page ebook https://www.buildabusiness.io/guide-to-building-the-perfect-business-plan1600276207655 EDGE PODCAST INFO: Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edge/id1522407349 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7a3WcnSn9PlvwwF5hn4p4S YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabV9Rcw4MohWvTGr3OTzFw Website https://MyEDGEPodcast.com RSS Feed https://buildabusinesssuccesssecrets.libsyn.com/rss SUPPORT & CONNECT EDGE NEWSLETTEROver 17,200 listeners and countinghttps://edge.ck.page/bea5b3fda6 EDGE Podcast. A top podcast for entrepreneurs! https://myedgepodcast.com

Live From the UNFI Conventional Expo, Episode 4