My Food Job Rocks!

Adam Yee
  • 4.9 (83)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

My Food Job Rocks is a podcast created by serial entrepreneur and food scientist Adam Yee where he interviews an expert in the food industry every week on their career path or a specific hot topic going on in the world today. He connects the dots in the complex world of food. From farmers to ingredient manufacturers, to entrepreneurs and global players join Adam as he explores all angles in the food industry and tackles it with engaging conversations and impactful insights. It’s all interesting and it’s all complicated. This podcast is a wealth of knowledge to anyone who’s interested in food and we are fortunate to be partnering with the Spoon Network to amplify our reach and impact. Message us any time at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com to get in touch.

  1. Building a Food Business in North Carolina with Becca Wright, Founder and CEO of Piedmont Pennies

    1D AGO

    Building a Food Business in North Carolina with Becca Wright, Founder and CEO of Piedmont Pennies

    Becca Wright, founder of Piedmont Pennies, joins the show to share how a grandmother’s cheese cracker recipe became a Southern specialty brand sold in 450+ stores across 47 states. She breaks down why specialty retail is the smartest launchpad for new food brands, how demoing reveals truths your spreadsheet never will, and the mindset shift that keeps founders steady through the highs and lows. We also dig into the North Carolina food ecosystem, Eastern vs. Western barbecue, and what “community over competition” really looks like in CPG. A masterclass in scrappy, intentional brand building from the heart of the Carolinas. Promo Code Use code FOODROCKS20 for 20% off at PiedmontPennies.com Key Links for Show Notes •   Piedmont Pennies website: piedmontpennies.com •   Social: @PiedmontPennies (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook) •   NC IDEA grant program •   NC State Food Lab •   Startup CPG community •   Weaver Street Market (Raleigh/Carrboro/Hillsborough/Southern Village) •   Reed’s Fine Foods (Charlotte) •   Fresh Market, Lowe’s Foods (NC local sections) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min
  2. Dig In: Stories About Finance in Food with Abby June Richards, Fractional CFO at the CPG CFO

    MAY 12

    Dig In: Stories About Finance in Food with Abby June Richards, Fractional CFO at the CPG CFO

    What does it really take to understand the numbers behind your CPG brand? This week, Adam sits down with Abby June Richards, founder and fractional CFO of The CPG CFO, to demystify the financial side of the consumer packaged goods world. Abby shares how she went from 20+ years in public accounting to building a thriving fractional CFO practice serving emerging CPG founders and why she'll never go back to traditional accounting. In this episode, you'll learn the difference between finance and accounting, why most financial models sit unused on a shelf, and how the simple 4:1 cost-to-retail ratio can be a cheat code for pricing your product. Abby breaks down why retention is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) levers in your business, why raising prices is often the bravest and smartest move a founder can make, and how collaboration between finance, sales, and operations is where the magic really happens. She also shares the now-famous Lupini pizza story — where an accidental $25 price tag still moved units and proved that special brands can charge what they're worth. Whether you're pre-revenue, scaling into retail, or just trying to figure out if your business actually has margin, this conversation will give you the clarity (and courage) to look at your numbers with new eyes. Because as Abby says: if you don't have margin, you don't have a business. Find Abby: Website: thecpgcfo.com LinkedIn: Abby June Richards Free resources: Cash Fight Framework, Cash Flow Forecasting Tool, and Know Your Numbers handout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    47 min
  3. What Does It Take to Become Department Head? with Job Ubbink, Food Science Professor and Department Head at University of Minnesota

    MAY 7

    What Does It Take to Become Department Head? with Job Ubbink, Food Science Professor and Department Head at University of Minnesota

    Dr. Job Ubbink is a professor and the head of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, with a career spanning Givaudan, Nestlé, his own consultancy, and Cal Poly before landing in the Twin Cities. In this episode, we trace his unconventional path from chemistry and a Michelin-starred restaurant kitchen in the Netherlands to global R&D leadership and academia. Job shares his vision for food science as a broader, people-centered discipline, one that integrates physical chemistry, community, culture, and the realities of small artisanal producers. We also get into industry-academia collaboration, the ultra-processed foods debate, and what young food scientists need to do to become decision-makers, not just technical resources. LinkedIn account under: linkedin.com/in/job-ubbink-11204b7 and lab website at: ubbinklab.cfans.umn.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m
  4. Dig In: How The Heck Do I Use Claude? (And Other Useful AI Tools) with Grace Uvezian, VP of Marketing at Appetronix

    APR 30

    Dig In: How The Heck Do I Use Claude? (And Other Useful AI Tools) with Grace Uvezian, VP of Marketing at Appetronix

    Grace Uvezian is VP of Marketing at Appetronix, the company building fully autonomous robotic kitchens deployed in airports, universities, and stadiums including a live location at Columbus International Airport. In this episode, we go deep on how Grace uses Claude, MCPs, and AI automation to run her marketing function, including how she generated $5M in PR value at Spice using Zapier, the exact way she structures prompts with voice tools like Whisper Flow, and her philosophy on getting comfortable giving AI access to your data. Whether you're AI-curious or AI-skeptical, Grace breaks down what these tools can and cannot do in practical, food-tech-relevant terms. A must-listen for anyone in CPG or food service trying to figure out where AI actually fits into their workflow. Find Grace: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-uvezian/Substack: https://substack.com/@graceu    My episode about AI: https://wolfingdownfoodscience.buzzsprout.com/1609819/episodes/19070967-are-you-an-apocaloptimist-review-of-the-ai-doc-with-adam-yee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min
  5. A New and Cool Way To Market Apples With Tenley Fitzgerald, VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Yes! Apples®

    APR 23

    A New and Cool Way To Market Apples With Tenley Fitzgerald, VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Yes! Apples®

    Tenley Fitzgerald, VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Yes! Apples®, joins the show to talk about turning a 100-year-old apple operation into a consumer-facing brand. From launching FreshDirect's social media to partnering with Bob's Burgers at Blue Apron, Tenley shares how brand collaborations unlock new audiences and why the apple category is ripe for disruption. We dig into the challenges of branding a commodity in a private-label world, using D2C data to make smarter marketing decisions, and what it takes to build something from the ground up with sheer force of will. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    54 min
  6. Dig In: Suing the United States Government with Ori Zohar, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Burlap and Barrel

    APR 16

    Dig In: Suing the United States Government with Ori Zohar, Co-CEO and Co-founder of Burlap and Barrel

    Ori Zohar, co-founder of Burlap & Barrel, returns to discuss how his 10-year-old bootstrapped spice company is taking the U.S. government to court over tariffs they believe are illegal. Ori shares the real financial impact tariffs have on small food businesses, why big food companies stay silent, and how Burlap & Barrel is channeling brand activism to fight for smallholder farmers worldwide. They also dive into the bootstrapping vs. venture capital debate and why small businesses are the true backbone of the American food economy Find out more: www.burlapandbarrel.com or on Instagram at @burlapandbarrel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
  7. Lessons on a Sustainable Business and a Sustainable Life with Adam Hiner, Co-founder and CEO of Pacha

    APR 9

    Lessons on a Sustainable Business and a Sustainable Life with Adam Hiner, Co-founder and CEO of Pacha

    Adam Heiner, CEO and cofounder of Pacha, a sprouted buckwheat brand, shares his journey from the mortgage industry to founding the first hard kombucha brand (Boochcraft) and now running a sprouted buckwheat bakery with just two ingredients. We dive into contract farming with regenerative farmers, the hard lessons of scaling a beverage startup, and how to build an assembly-line mindset on the production floor. Adam also opens up about living in an intentional community and why integrating your values into your work is the only way he knows how to do it.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    55 min
  8. Podcast Swap: Introducing R&D Radio on the Startup CPG Podcast Episodes with Daniel Scharff and Rachel Zemser

    APR 2

    Podcast Swap: Introducing R&D Radio on the Startup CPG Podcast Episodes with Daniel Scharff and Rachel Zemser

    Adam Yee has a new podcast! Introducing R&D Radio, a segment where he interviews food scientists and how they help food brands on the Startup CPG podcast. In this episode, we'll be sharing two episodes: one with Danile Scharff interviewing Adam and Adam interviewing Rachel Zemser along with some insights on podcasting in general. Expect two podcast episodes every month and a newsletter. There's also a ton of content that Startup CPG supplies to young food brands. It's the best. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
83 Ratings

About

My Food Job Rocks is a podcast created by serial entrepreneur and food scientist Adam Yee where he interviews an expert in the food industry every week on their career path or a specific hot topic going on in the world today. He connects the dots in the complex world of food. From farmers to ingredient manufacturers, to entrepreneurs and global players join Adam as he explores all angles in the food industry and tackles it with engaging conversations and impactful insights. It’s all interesting and it’s all complicated. This podcast is a wealth of knowledge to anyone who’s interested in food and we are fortunate to be partnering with the Spoon Network to amplify our reach and impact. Message us any time at podcast@myfoodjobrocks.com to get in touch.

Information

  • Creator
    Adam Yee
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    377
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 MyFoodJobRocks & The Spoon
  • Show Website
    My Food Job Rocks!

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