Fell Into Food Podcast

Jeff Fell
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The Fell Into Food Podcast, where culinary craft meets the evolving world of kitchen innovation. Hosted by Chef Jeff Fell, each episode pulls back the curtain on the tools, technology, business strategies, and human stories shaping how modern kitchens actually work. If you’re a chef, operator, manufacturer, educator, or anyone obsessed with where food and technology intersect, this podcast gives you the conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. Real talk. Real expertise. Real innovation—served with the curiosity and candor. It’s the future of the kitchen, one conversation at a time.

  1. RON CARDWELL: RTI / THE GREAT SEED OIL DEBATE

    6D AGO

    RON CARDWELL: RTI / THE GREAT SEED OIL DEBATE

    Ron Cardwell, Director of Commodity Strategy at Restaurant Technologies (RTI), runs point on cooking oil for the company that pioneered automated oil management — the closed-loop system that delivers fresh oil and pulls used oil out of more than 40,000 restaurants. We get into the seed oil debate, allergen myths, beef tallow's comeback, and what actually happens to the used oil in your fryer. Ron's nickname is "The Oil Nerd." He earned it. He started in soybean processing out of college, fell in love with how oil touches every corner of food and energy, and has been deep in commodity strategy ever since. RTI moves more than 700 million pounds of fresh oil into restaurants every year and pulls hundreds of millions of pounds of used oil back out — and almost all of it ends up as renewable diesel, biodiesel, or sustainable aviation fuel. We dig into how operators should actually think about oil — flavor, function, and price, in that order, not the other way around. Why "buy the cheapest" is a trap that costs you more in turnover and bad food. The seed oil vs. beef tallow debate — what's signal and what's noise, what the real trade-offs are on flavor, supply, and price when you switch. The allergen question that comes up at every front-of-house every week — and why a fully refined and deodorized oil doesn't carry the allergen at all (Ron settles this one on tape). What pourable beef tallow actually is and why it exists. Why high-oleic crop breeding is changing what "stable frying oil" even means. The full-circle history — beef tallow → saturated fat fear → trans fats → seed oil blends → consumers asking for tallow back. And the part of Ron's job he loves most: turning used fryer oil into renewable diesel at roughly 20% the carbon intensity of conventional diesel. Socials and Links: Website: www.rti-inc.com RTI 2025 Impact Report: https://www.rti-inc.com/blog/restaurant-technologies-recycled-more-than-390-million-lbs-of-uco-in-2025/ Ron Cardwell Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-cardwell-21a7531a6/ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Intro and welcome: Ron Cardwell, Director of Commodity Strategy at Restaurant Technologies 01:31 — How Ron earned the nickname "The Oil Nerd" 02:44 — Why oil is one of three core nutrition components — and the most functional 03:49 — What "Director of Commodity Strategy" actually means day-to-day 05:09 — Quick recap of RTI's closed-loop oil system (referencing Ep 17 with Diana) 05:24 — The most dangerous job in a kitchen — and why bulk delivery eliminates it 07:12 — Jeff's experience as a former RTI customer 08:32 — RTI's 2025 Impact Report — released Earth Day, recycling stats 09:36 — Choosing oil: the three variables operators actually need to weigh 11:24 — The trap of buying the cheapest oil 12:13 — Flavor profiles by oil type — neutral vs. flavored oils 14:39 — The allergen question — settled on tape 16:15 — How operators (and customers) can verify allergen status — the supplier statement 18:32 — The seed oil vs. beef tallow debate — what's signal, what's noise 21:03 — Switching to tallow — flavor, supply, and price reality 24:58 — Why beef tallow is a byproduct, not a planned crop — supply ceiling 27:13 — Beef tallow handling — the solid block, the cleanup, the pourable version 29:23 — Glass vs. plastic and why dark storage matters more than the bottle 30:30 — Sustainability: where the used oil actually goes 32:58 — Where the oil category goes next — high-oleic, crop breeding, consumer demand 35:59 — The full circle: tallow → saturated fat fear → trans fats → blends → tallow comeback 37:20 — The one thing every operator should change Monday morning 37:55 — How to actually monitor oil quality day-to-day — smell, taste, look 38:55 — Where to find Ron and RTI — NRA Show, rti-inc.com 39:35 — Wrap up Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    40 min
  2. MADDIE HAMANN: PACHA / BURNING MAN TO BUCKWHEAT

    APR 27

    MADDIE HAMANN: PACHA / BURNING MAN TO BUCKWHEAT

    Maddie Hamann left classified Navy submarine research and a PhD in oceanography to co-found PACHA — a regenerative, gluten-free sprouted buckwheat bread now on shelves at Whole Foods. This is how that happened. There's a version of this story where Maddie finishes the PhD, takes the nine-to-five, and spends the next forty years in academia. She was already living it. Instead, she blurted one sentence in her kitchen — "I want to work on the bread" — and walked away to build PACHA with her boyfriend of one year, Adam. PACHA is a two-ingredient sprouted buckwheat bread. Buckwheat and sea salt. That's it. Wild-yeast fermented on whole groats (flour doesn't work — we get into why), packaged in 100% home compostable materials, and sourced from farms transitioning to regenerative agriculture. The brand started in a 300 square foot test kitchen, pivoted into direct-to-consumer e-commerce during COVID, hit a peak of $220K a month on Shopify, and went straight to global distribution at Whole Foods. Not because of the bread. Because of the compostable packaging. In this one we dig into why "regenerative" is at risk of becoming the next greenwashed buzzword and what has to happen to protect it. Wild-yeast fermentation — why it works on whole buckwheat groats and dies in flour. The COVID pivot that took PACHA from a couple thousand dollars a month on Shopify to $220K. What running a CPG business with your spouse actually looks like. The calendar trick that finally broke Maddie's mental-load cycle. And where PACHA is headed — including the just-launched buckwheat tortillas (buckwheat, sea salt, psyllium husk) that hit West Coast Target last week. Fun fact on something I didn't see coming: PACHA means "everything that exists" in the Incan language, and it also means "to digest" in Sanskrit. Nobody planned that. Where to find PACHA: • Target: Select locations nationwide (primarily stocking Sourdough Tortillas and Original Loaves). • Whole Foods Market: Availability varies by region, typically found in the frozen bread section. • Sprouts Farmers Market: Reliable stockist for the full loaf lineup and English muffins. • Jewel-Osco: Extensive availability across the Midwest (Chicagoland). • Safeway / Albertsons: Stocked in many "Natural" frozen sets across the West and East Coasts. • Mother’s Market & Jimbo's: Key specialty grocers (California/West Coast). Website: livepacha.com   Instagram: @maddie.hamann   PACHA Instagram: @livepacha Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Intro and welcome: Maddie Hamann, PACHA co-founder00:43 — The common thread: civil engineering, oceanography, Burning Man, bread02:23 — Leaving academia — the nine-to-five version of herself she had to let go04:00 — How self-worth shifts when you step off the "safe" path04:54 — Hiding parts of herself in grad school and how entrepreneurship changed that06:24 — The moment halfway through the PhD she knew academia wasn't it07:59 — Starting PACHA with her then-boyfriend Adam after only a year together08:19 — The bread that changed her life — the only bread she could eat10:16 — "I want to work on the bread" — the kitchen moment11:22 — What PACHA means — the Incan name for "everything that exists"12:50 — The Sanskrit coincidence — PACHA also means "to digest"13:46 — Why the recipe simplified down to two ingredients: buckwheat and sea salt14:42 — Wild yeast, whole groats, and why fermentation doesn't work with flour17:05 — Jeff's reaction to the texture — not what you'd expect from two ingredients18:39 — 100% home compostable packaging — the tray, the clip, the film20:27 — The COVID pivot: from retail-bound to e-commerce overnight23:18 — From a couple thousand dollars a month to a peak of $220K/month on Shopify23:44 — Getting into Whole Foods — but NOT for the bread26:44 — The margin trade-off: why PACHA took the packaging hit other brands won't29:03 — Is "regenerative" about to become the next greenwashed buzzword?31:39 — Pesticides and "regenerative" — where consumer trust will break34:02 — Whole Foods as a gatekeeper for regenerative language on-pack35:00 — Jeff on Fischer Farms, red kelp in cattle diets, and real accountability37:50 — Co-founding with your spouse — the rules that actually work41:08 — The one thing that broke Maddie's mental-load cycle: calendaring her to-do list43:16 — How to handle it when the plan blows up (because it will)44:03 — Staying undistracted — phone on Do Not Disturb, always46:35 — What Maddie is most afraid of getting wrong47:45 — Where PACHA is headed: deeper in natural, then conventional48:47 — The food world needs to hear this: most of what's wrong with your body is your diet50:35 — Your body can heal itself — if you put the right things in50:45 — PACHA tortillas just landed in West Coast Target — buckwheat, sea salt, psyllium husk52:21 — Where to find PACHA online• • 52:41 — Wrap up Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    53 min
  3. NICHOLE BAJKO: SOH / THE HOSPITALITY MATCH MAKER / THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY IN THE SMALLEST WORLD

    APR 20

    NICHOLE BAJKO: SOH / THE HOSPITALITY MATCH MAKER / THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY IN THE SMALLEST WORLD

    Everybody calls them headhunters. Nichole calls herself a matchmaker — and after this conversation, you'll understand why that one word change says everything about how recruiting in hospitality is supposed to work. Nichole Bajko started in an Italian deli at 15, went to NIU for hospitality (mostly for the kegs and eggs, her words), did seven years with Marriott including opening The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas at 25, ran a restaurant and brewery in South Barrington, and is now about to start her fifth year at Source One Hospitality — a grassroots, referral-driven recruiting agency that doesn't use ads or AI to find people. Just conversations, a real network, and the belief that this industry is the biggest industry in the smallest world. We get into why Chicago is pretentious about outside talent, why the job you see on Indeed has 500 applicants AND is still open, the salary compression happening right now in the city, what actually gets someone from cook to sous chef (hint: it's not a better resume), and the impossible balance of being a mom in restaurant operations. She also drops her three Chicago picks and the story about meeting José Andrés in an elevator at 25. If you've ever felt stuck in your career, burned by a bad hire, or wondered whether working with a recruiter is even worth it — well call Nichole! Find Nichole: Instagram: @findyournicheLinkedIn: Nicole BajkoAgency: sourceonehospitality.comNewsletter: twice-monthly jobs + content: https://mailchi.mp/sourceonehospitality/social?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio CHAPTERS: 00:00 Welcome + is "headhunter" a dirty word? 02:27 From an Italian deli at 15 to Marriott 04:16 Networking: the biggest industry in the smallest world 10:07 Resumes, AI, and what a recruiter actually costs you 17:15 Why Chicago won't hire outside talent 22:39 Tenure, salary compression, and the state of the industry 30:37 Mental health, moms in ops, and the "always on" problem 38:54 The real path from cook to management 48:46 What the industry gets wrong about leaders and training 54:16 Year five, The Cosmopolitan, and meeting José Andrés 01:02:14 Where to find Nichole + three Chicago picks Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast.  YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie  Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4  Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood  Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food  Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood  FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 7m
  4. FURQAN MEERZA: FUGITIVE CHEFS / HEAD OF KETCHUP FOR THE WORLD / CHEF IDENTITY CRISIS

    APR 13

    FURQAN MEERZA: FUGITIVE CHEFS / HEAD OF KETCHUP FOR THE WORLD / CHEF IDENTITY CRISIS

    There's a version of being a chef that nobody teaches you in culinary school. No white coat. No ticket rail. No guest feedback at the end of the night. Just you, your palate, and the future of what a billion people are going to eat. Furquan has lived that version. He interned at Noma in 2022 — got offered a contract by week two — and ended up leaving not because of the controversy that's since gone viral, but because of a visa limbo triggered by the Ukraine war. Noma paid him two months' salary on the way out. He landed in Spain, found his way to the Basque Culinary Center's R&D arm, spent four years tracking spicy food across Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, India, and Nigeria — and is now the Senior Innovation Chef at Kraft Heinz, head of ketchup for every market outside North America. He also runs the Fugitive Chefs podcast, a platform and community built for chefs who are done with the linear path — restaurant to restaurant to restaurant — and want to know what else is out there. In this conversation, we get into his personal account of Noma and why the controversy is more complicated than the Instagram posts make it look. We talk about growing up in India, going through hotel management with zero formal culinary training, figuring out ADHD in a pastry kitchen, and why chaos is actually a competitive advantage in R&D. We dig into the real mental block chefs face when they try to leave the kitchen, why culinary schools are selling a dream they're not delivering on, and the 8-hour punch-in punch-out law quietly reshaping restaurant labor in Europe. And we close on something that stuck with me: always choose the option you'd regret NOT choosing. Don't let somebody else drive the car. Socials Fugitive Chefs Podcast: fugitivechefs.com Fugitive Chefs on Apple Podcasts Fugitive Chefs on Spotify Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fugitivechefspodcast/ CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------- 00:00 Furqan's personal account of Noma — was it really that bad? 01:07 Interning at Noma, getting offered a contract by week two 03:27 The Ukraine war, Danish visa freeze, and how he left Noma 05:08 Jeff's take: there are always three sides to every story 06:39 Growing up in India, hotel management, zero formal culinary training 07:39 Why he left pastry — ADHD, chaos, and precision being the wrong fit 09:47 R&D seeming counterintuitive for someone who thrives on chaos 10:16 What a Senior Innovation Chef at Kraft Heinz actually does 13:42 How his definition of "being a chef" has changed 16:20 Why food companies don't hire chefs — and why they should 17:45 Jeff's own path through contract management and the "chef" identity 19:23 Real-world skills that got him the job without a food science degree 22:31 Why he started the Fugitive Chefs podcast 26:53 The biggest mental block chefs face when leaving the kitchen 29:20 The gap between what culinary schools sell and what they deliver 31:32 Advice for someone starting from zero — no kitchen, no degree, no experience 36:10 Why NOT following the classic path is actually how you stand out 36:37 Europe's 8-hour punch-in punch-out law and what it's doing to restaurants 40:19 Long hours in the kitchen: necessary grind or just normalized abuse? 43:53 Food company profit margins vs. who always eats the cost 46:46 Tech in the kitchen: what's actually moving the needle 50:58 Will AI replace chefs? (Short answer: we'll be the last ones) 53:39 Biggest untapped opportunities for transitioning chefs in the next 5 years 56:53 The one move that gets you inside a food company with no connections 57:17 Final advice: be sincere with yourself and pick what you'd regret NOT doing 01:00:38 Enjoying the journey vs. just grinding toward the goal 01:01:31 The North Star: always choose the option you'd regret not taking 01:02:57 Wrap up + Fugitive Chefs plug LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS --------------------------------------------- YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora: https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ   --------------------------------------------- FOLLOW FELL INTO FOOD --------------------------------------------- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood Website: https://FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 4m
  5. MATTHEW BEAUDIN: I ALMOST DIED TELLING THIS STORY / THE POWER OF ONE / STORIES FROM THE FIELD

    APR 6

    MATTHEW BEAUDIN: I ALMOST DIED TELLING THIS STORY / THE POWER OF ONE / STORIES FROM THE FIELD

    Most people talk about sustainability from a conference stage. Chef Matthew Beaudin talks about it from a trash beach in Ghana where someone just threatened to stab him. Matthew is a VP of Culinary for Higher Education, and he's spent the last decade logging 250 to 280 days a year on the road — Vietnam, Ghana, the Mekong Delta, a barbecue joint in Texas where he got the last two sandwiches because he happened to be wearing his chef coat. He didn't set out to become a food journalist or a culinary advocate. He set out to see it for himself. And somewhere between going blind in a hotel room in Vietnam, coughing up blood, and making a connecting flight through South Korea while running a full-body infection — he decided that's exactly where he belongs. This conversation goes everywhere. We talk about why he went all-in on higher ed dining, what a room full of CIA chef students taught him about Gen Z, and why sustainability isn't expensive — your restaurant is just greedy. We also get into the Cocoa Research Institute in Ghana, the first one ever built, and what it means that a group of scientists are racing to preserve the integrity of cocoa before we engineer it into something unrecognizable — the same way we did with corn and tomatoes. Two small-town kids who had the same itch to get out. This one goes deep. Socials Matthew Beaudin Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-beaudin-83424b14/ Time Stamps 0:00 — Intro: Why Matthew Beaudin's Work Hits Different 0:47 — Two Small Town Kids: Kansas, IL and Lincoln, NH 2:52 — VP Culinary Higher Ed — Why Now 7:10 — The CIA Speech He Thought Was Bombing (It Wasn't) 10:05 — Why Gen Z Actually Wants to Make a Difference 13:35 — How to Inject Real Change Through Contract Management 16:53 — Surge, Red Dye #40, and What We Actually Ate Growing Up 18:47 — The Last Brisket Sandwich in Texas 19:35 — LinkedIn and the Art of Sharing Real Moments 22:42 — AI Saturation and Betting on Being Real 24:31 — The Mekong Delta Boat That Almost Capsized 26:43 — Going Blind and Coughing Blood in a Vietnam Hotel at 3AM 28:12 — The Trash Beach in Ghana and Nearly Getting Stabbed 32:08 — Why He Uses His Platform for Voices That Can't Get Out 32:42 — "There's Something Broken in Me" 37:29 — Inside Ghana's Cocoa Research Institute with Cho Chocolate 42:09 — Sustainability Isn't Expensive — Your Restaurant Is Just Greedy 43:10 — Jeff's University Beef Program: What Actually Worked 45:32 — How Do You Actually Tell the Story to Diners? 48:15 — Fear of Doing Nothing 50:42 — What Matthew Eats When No One's Watching 52:40 — Advice for the Next Generation: Believe in the Power of One 54:19 — Where to Find Chef Matthew Beaudin Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    55 min
  6. CHRIS GILMORE: AMPLIO / AI SLOP IS A SKILL PROBLEM / THE 15K VIDEO RESHOOT

    MAR 30

    CHRIS GILMORE: AMPLIO / AI SLOP IS A SKILL PROBLEM / THE 15K VIDEO RESHOOT

    What if a mom and pop restaurant could have the same marketing firepower as a brand that dropped millions on a Super Bowl ad — without shutting down the kitchen for a day or blowing through their whole year's budget? Chris Gilmore spent years in the trenches of food service — from delivering pizzas at Pizza Ranch to running eight Noodles & Company locations across Kansas City, to learning the culture-first operating philosophy at Raising Cane's. Then he started Amplio AI, and everything he knew about building brands, training teams, and understanding operators got pointed at a new problem: how do small and mid-sized companies compete in a world where video content is everything, but production costs are brutal? Amplio takes AI-generated video clips, stitches them together, and builds professional marketing and training content for brands that couldn't afford a traditional production crew. Chris sat down in the IDM Content Kitchen to walk through the full process — from storyboarding with Imagen Pro to iterating video in Kling 3.0, building music in Suno, and why the resolution of a clip matters more than which model you used. He also broke down how Amplio went from unknown to trending on LinkedIn after a hundred "anti-AI Andys" dogpiled a six-second clip — without any of them reading the post. This one's for the operator who's too busy running the restaurant to think about marketing. And the chef who's shot amazing content but couldn't find a good angle on one ingredient. And anyone who still thinks AI video is just someone typing a prompt and calling it done. It's not. And this episode proves it. **Connect with Chris:** Website: http://amplioai.net Email: chris@amplio-ai.net LinkedIn: Chris Gilmore CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome — Chef Jeff in the IDM Content Kitchen 00:47 What is Amplio AI? 02:44 How the process works: from consultation to campaign 05:53 Tackling "AI slop" — why it exists and how to get rid of it 07:58 The models Jeff is watching: Seedance, Cdream 5.0, Kling, Gemini 08:44 Chris's food service background: Pizza Ranch → Noodles & Company → Raising Cane's 10:15 The Raising Cane's culture lesson and the "one love" philosophy 14:18 AI vs. creativity — is it killing the art? The CGI argument 16:26 Why slop is a knowledge problem, not a technology problem 20:00 The democratization of ideas: AI and the next Star Wars 22:21 Big brands using AI — Coca-Cola, Super Bowl ads, and all press is brand press 26:55 How do you keep up when the models change every two weeks? 28:15 Specialization strategy: stay in your lane and build a partner network 32:42 NotebookLM breakdown — upload a book, get a podcast back 35:41 The full production workflow: storyboarding → images → video → music (Suno) → edit 39:37 Which model for what: Kling vs. Runway vs. VO vs. Seedance 45:03 Stitching clips from different models: resolution is the key 49:05 Changing one ingredient in a training video — 10 minutes vs. a full reshoot 54:14 Organic content strategy: find what works, then put money behind it 57:22 Why AI changes the math for small businesses with one shot at a marketing budget 01:00:17 Where to find Chris and Amplio AI 01:01:08 Real-world use for chefs: menus, food photography, animated menu boards, training videos Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    1h 6m
  7. HEATHER JOHNSON & AL SCHUSTER: SAMPLE FINDER / LETS PLAY A GAME / IS RETAIL ACTUALLY DYING

    MAR 23

    HEATHER JOHNSON & AL SCHUSTER: SAMPLE FINDER / LETS PLAY A GAME / IS RETAIL ACTUALLY DYING

    The food and beverage industry has a massive blind spot — and it's hiding in plain sight. Brands spend thousands flying reps across the country to do in-store demos, while 90% of shoppers walk right past them without ever knowing the event was happening. There's no centralized place to find where samples are. Until now. This week I sit down with Al Schuster, founder and president of Polaris Brand Promotions, and Heather Johnson, the agency's marketing director and co-founder of a brand new app called Sample Finder. Al has been running one of the country's leading experiential marketing and promo staffing agencies for nearly nine years, with over 9,600 brand ambassadors in their nationwide database. Heather brings 15+ years as a brand ambassador and a background in graphic design — and as Al puts it, "I just came up with the idea. Everything else you see? That's Heather." The conversation covers how promotional staffing actually works (and why almost nobody knows this industry exists), the frustrating DC grocery store demo that sparked the idea for Sample Finder, how the app bridges the gap between brands and consumers through gamification, rewards, and real feedback — and why they built it nothing like Yelp. We also get into the grocery delivery vs. in-store debate, the pay-to-play problem killing small brand visibility on delivery apps, and some wild brand ambassador horror stories from the field. Sample Finder is targeting a public launch in April 2026. Get on the list now at samplefinder.com. Follow Al & Heather: Sample Finder: samplefinder.com | @samplefinderapp Polaris Brand Promotions: polarisbrandpromotions.com Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    50 min
  8. MIKE MESSEROFF: EMBRACING YOUR SELF-HOSPITALITY

    MAR 16

    MIKE MESSEROFF: EMBRACING YOUR SELF-HOSPITALITY

    In the demanding world of the food industry, many professionals struggle with mental health and self-care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out, you’re not alone. The food industry is known for its high stress and long hours, often leading to burnout among professionals. This week I welcome back Mike Messerroff. Mike is a 30-year hospitality industry veteran turned Personal Freedom Coach and mindfulness advocate. After a high-octane career that saw him go from being JetBlue’s first-ever intern to bartending across the globe—from the Caribbean to New Zealand—Mike reached a breaking point. Despite a life that "looked perfect on Facebook," he hit a wall of deep burnout and depression while living in Breckenridge, Colorado. That "rock bottom" became the foundation for his current mission. Mike realized that the hospitality industry is expert at taking care of everyone except its own people. He now helps high-achieving leaders, chefs, and operators "unwind from the grind" and rediscover presence, clarity, and joy. Check out Episode 35 to hear all about Mikes full story. The conversation dives deep into how leaders and young culinarians can set boundaries, overcome the "burnout as a badge of honor" stigma, and use simple mindfulness practices—like 10-minute meditations—to shift from being reactive to being present. Mike also shares a powerful story about how a lost bag at an airport became a lesson in the real-world power of remaining calm and kind under pressure. This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt the weight of perfection, the pressure to push through, or the fear of opening up. Your mental health isn’t a luxury — it’s the foundation. Lead with authenticity, set boundaries, and learn the art of self-care. The change starts now. 🔗 Mike’s Website: mikemesseroff.com 📖 Join Now: The Self-Hospitality Collective 📲 Follow Mike: @MikeMesseroff, Linkedin Resources Mentioned Headspace Meditation App The Way App Chapters 00:00 The Launch of the Self-Hospitality Collective 02:48 Keynote Insights on Leadership and Vulnerability 05:45 Breaking the Stigma: Vulnerability in the Food Industry 08:27 Setting Boundaries in High-Pressure Environments 11:14 Finding a Healthy Work Environment 14:13 Practical Steps to Self-Love and Mental Health 16:45 Cultivating Non-Reactivity in High-Stress Situations 19:28 Leadership Through Vulnerability and Accountability 21:30 The Power of Non-Reactivity 21:52 Meditation: A Path to Presence 24:10 Practical Mindfulness for Busy Chefs 25:33 Preparing for Chaos: Personal Pre-Shift Rituals 28:35 Embracing the Journey in the Hospitality Industry 30:26 Addiction to Intensity: Finding Balance 32:08 Self-Care and Mental Health in Hospitality 35:09 The Ripple Effect of Kindness 41:22 Building a Community of Self-Hospitality Listen to the full episode and more! It would mean the world to me if you could leave a 5 star review on your listening platform to help grow and expand the Podcast. YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gQM3S5mr  Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g_5kFXie Apple Podcast - https://apple.co/41RoTm4 Pandora - https://lnkd.in/gS-wu_YJ YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FellIntoFood Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/fell-into-food Instagram: http://instagram.com/fell_into_food Facebook: https://facebook.com/fellintofood FellintoFood.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

    47 min
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About

The Fell Into Food Podcast, where culinary craft meets the evolving world of kitchen innovation. Hosted by Chef Jeff Fell, each episode pulls back the curtain on the tools, technology, business strategies, and human stories shaping how modern kitchens actually work. If you’re a chef, operator, manufacturer, educator, or anyone obsessed with where food and technology intersect, this podcast gives you the conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. Real talk. Real expertise. Real innovation—served with the curiosity and candor. It’s the future of the kitchen, one conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Fell
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    79
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jeff Fell
  • Show Website
    Fell Into Food Podcast

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