Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

Chelsea Ford
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  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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

  1. 5D AGO

    #152 Getting a Buyer to Say Yes (According to an Actual Buyer!)

    Send a text What actually makes a buyer say yes? And more importantly… how do you avoid becoming the bottom 5% in your category and getting delisted? In this powerhouse conversation, I sit down with Stuart O’Reilly from LaManna, one of Australia’s largest independent supermarkets, to unpack what founders rarely get told about retail. This episode was so good we had to restart the recording due to tech hiccups - and honestly, I’m glad we did. What followed was a candid, generous and deeply practical conversation about brand building, demand creation and what it truly means to partner with a retailer. In this episode, we unpack: 🔥 Real examples of brands who executed brilliantly - layering activations, in-store demos, social buzz, collaboration and display strategy to drive serious uplift 🛒 What buyers actually look for when you approach them - from tone of communication to brand story, shelf presence and category gaps 📈 Why demand creation matters more than product alone (and how smart brands prime momentum before they ever hit shelf) 📦 Supply chain realities founders often underestimate - and how poor replenishment can quietly derail early success 💡 The difference between “ranging” and true partnership - what backing your brand in-store really looks like ⚖️ The delicate balance of margin, price promotion, and protecting your brand value 🚨 What puts a product on the delist watchlist - and how to stay off it This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported.  LINKS & RESOURCES: LaManna websiteLaManna InstagramStuart O’Reilly LinkedInYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    49 min

  2. FEB 11

    #151 How to Stop Leaving Money On the Table Once You're On Shelf

    Send a text Getting on shelf is a milestone, but (close your ears if you're faint hearted), it's just the starting line. In episode 151 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I sit down with Rebecca Brook, founder of Rise Growth Lab, a food and beverage accelerator. This conversation is for brand owners already on shelf. If you want to finish 2026 with more accounts, more reorders and more money in your pocket - and stop leaving it on the table - this is your episode. Grab your pen and tune in to hear: 🛒 How to improve your rate of sale 🎯 Best practice for selecting the right channel partners 💰 The difference between COGS-plus-guesswork and what consumers will actually pay 📊 What a 30, 60, 90 day promotional plan looks like without a big budget 🔄 What you need to do to get reorders 📦 The cost of goods levers most founders haven't pulled yet This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported. Rebecca will be there speaking on the Dream Lab stage. Make sure you drop into her talk and say hi to her in the Festival Fairground! LINKS & RESOURCES: Rise Growth Lab websiteRise Growth Lab InstagramRebecca Brook LinkedInProduct on More Shelves ChecklistRise Food & Beverage AcceleratorYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    45 min

  3. FEB 4

    #150 Behind Pistachio Papi and LaManna: What Ensures Profitable Brands Stay Profitable

    Send a text Your brand is killing it on social media. Sales are growing. But are you actually making money? In episode 150 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast - the first episode of Season 16, Planning Season - I sit down with Jason Stockton, founder of ERP system, Supply'd, and Patrick LaManna, CEO of LaManna Supermarket and Director of social media sensation Pistachio Papi. Here's the thing: even wildly successful brands with a multitude of followers need tight operational systems. They still need to nail forecasting, manage cashflow, and understand true costs. Jason's Supply'd helps food businesses do exactly that - streamlining inventory, production, and financial planning so you're not bleeding money as you scale. This conversation is a reality check for every brand owner who thinks growth solves operational problems. It doesn't. It exposes them. Grab your pen and tune in to hear: 💰 What you need to understand your true costs 🏭 How to manage unpredictable ordering patterns 📦 Managing your cashflow when you have multiple sales channels all with different lead times ⏱️ How to prevent overproduction, stockouts, and missed orders 🎯 The forecasting shift that protects your margins when wholesale customers are expecting their order and you can't just sell them something else This is the first episode of Season 16 - Planning Season, brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported. Jason will be there delivering his workshop, “What's Eating Your Margin? Uncovering Your Hidden Operational Costs.” for brands at the scale stage of their journey. Make sure you drop into his session or say hi to him in the Festival Fairground! LINKS & RESOURCES: Supply’d websiteLaManna InstagramPistachio Papi InstagramPatrick LaManna LinkedInJason Stockton LinkedInEpisode #134 Industry Insights from Foodpreneurs Festival 2025Your Free Pitch PlanBecome A FoodpreneursSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    1h 18m

  4. 12/19/2025

    #149 How to Avoid Being Delisted (Explained by an Actual Retailer)

    Send us a text You're on shelf. Now what? In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with Sonia Martinez, a retail expert from AUR Foodworks who works with both retailers and brands to improve in-store ranging, product positioning, and merchandising. Sonia is clear: retailers provide real estate, they won't do the selling for you. And if your product isn't moving, you're at risk of getting delisted. Grab your pen and paper and take notes. If you're driving for velocity, tune in to hear: 🛒 The one thing brands in Whole Foods did every week for six months that kept them on shelf 📸 What to photograph in-store that reveals exactly where your opportunity is 🤝 The partnership tool that makes retailers less risk-averse about keeping your product 🍯 When to propose "off-location" displays (and what that actually means) 📦 Why repositioning your product in a different category could save it from delisting 🚫 The biggest mistake founders make once they're on shelf Sonia shares what separates brands who stay on shelf from those who get delisted and why every stockist should be treated like an active campaign, not a done deal. This is the eighth and final episode of Season 15 - Marketing Season. If your product isn't moving the way you hoped, this conversation gives you the playbook to turn it around. Season 15 is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival, a year's worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof. Sonia will be there on the Buyer Tasting Panel and delivering workshops for start-ups and scaling brands. Say hi to her! LINKS & RESOURCES: Sonia’s LinkedIn Your Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. websiteSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    1h 3m

  5. 12/17/2025

    #148 Marketing System for Food Brands: Clear, Consistent, Low Maintenance

    Send us a text Your product is great. People love it. But you're still struggling to sell it. Sound familiar? In episode 148 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I chat with Jayne Gallagher, CEO and co-founder of Honey & Fox, a marketing consultancy that helps good food brands turn provenance into sales. Jayne and her business partner Helen work specifically with food and drink businesses to cut through the marketing overwhelm and create systems that actually drive revenue - without needing a four-year marketing degree to do it. Tune in to hear Jayne share her provenance-powered marketing system:  📖 The five elements that create compelling brand stories 🤝 Why over 60% of consumers don't trust what they see, hear, or read 🦀 A case study about a Queensland crab fishing business that saved tens of thousands in packaging costs by getting their brand strategy right before pressing go 🎯 Why most food brands start in the wrong place with social media 💰 How to set a realistic marketing budget ✅ The three things every buyer wants Jayne breaks down why marketing isn't just social media, why proof is now one of your most precious commodities, and how to avoid the overwhelm of 50-100 conflicting pieces of marketing advice by following a simple system designed specifically for food and drink. This episode is part of Season 15 - marketing season and is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year's worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof.  Honey & Fox will be hosting a 'Brand Story Studio' at the Festival in May, 2026. LINKS & RESOURCES: Honey & Fox websiteProvenance Powered MarketingFood Marketing AcademyFraser Isle Spanner Crabjayne@honeyandfox.com.auhelen@honeyandfox.com.au'Brand Story Studio' at Foodpreneurs FestivalEdelman Trust BarometerYour Free Pitch PlanBecome ASeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    57 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    #147 Sales Is the Lifeblood: Bootstrapping a Beverage Brand

    Send us a text How do you build a beverage brand when the margins are slim and you have no outside funding and growth depends on you? You make sales your North Star. Every single day. In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with Ollie Puddick, founder of Innerbloom, a functional beverage brand that's gone from farmers' markets to over 300 retail doors across Australia and New Zealand in just a few years. Ollie quit his job as a professional firefighter at the end of last year to go all-in on Innerbloom. No safety net. No investors. Just relentless focus on the one thing that keeps the lights on: sales. And he's brutally honest about the mistakes he made along the way. You'll hear: 💰 The one word Ollie writes at the top of his weekly plan every Monday (and why it changes everything) 📈 Why Ollie believes he can hit $1 million in online revenue in 12 months - and how online sales solved a cashflow crisis that retail created 🍫 The difficult decision he's making about SKUs right now (hint: less is more) 🏪 How Ollie lost retail stockists without even knowing it - and what he learned about chasing doors vs. servicing accounts 🛒 The meeting filter that keeps him focused on what actually drives sales 📦 How he's built a team without hiring full-time staff (and why this works for a lean beverage business) 🎯 What a $10K trip taught him about being laser-focused on the right goals Ollie is proof that you don't need a big team, outside funding, or perfect timing to build a successful food or beverage brand. If you're bootstrapping, wearing all the hats, and trying to figure out where to focus your limited time and money - this conversation will give you clarity. Season 15 is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year's worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof. LINKS & RESOURCES: Inner Bloom CoffeeInner Bloom Coffee on InstagramYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. websiteSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    57 min

  7. 12/03/2025

    #146 How to Make Your Packaging Sell When You're Not There

    Send us a text Your product is great but is your packaging selling it when you're not there? Packaging is your silent salesperson so you need to make it work. In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with Gwen Blake, founding director of Boxer & Co, a packaging design agency specialising in fast moving consumer goods. Here's the reality: we make 95% of our decisions by instinct. Colour, shape, and typography trigger autopilot purchases - green signals healthy and handwritten fonts signal crafted and your packaging has three seconds to trigger the right instinct - or your product stays on the shelf. In this episode, you'll hear: 📦 Why packaging is a decision-making tool, not just pretty pictures 🧠 The biggest myth founders hold onto (it has to do with the front of your pack) 🌿 If you’re a health brand, what you must ditch to get cut-through with consumers ✅ What to include in your brief to designers (and what restrictions kill creativity) Gwen breaks down how to make packaging work within retail realities. This episode is for brand owners who struggle to translate product quality into packaging that drives sales. Season 15 is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year's worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof. LINKS & RESOURCES: Boxer & CoGwen Blake on LinkedInBoxer & Co on InstagramNimbusDilectioCoco and LucasGrove JuiceYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. websiteSeason 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    43 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    #145 Collabs, Community Building & Why It's a Crime to Be Boring. Six-Eyed Scorpion's Brand Playbook.

    Send us a text You've got a great product. You're posting on social media. But are you actually building a community - or just racking up likes? In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I chat with Sandra and Jordana from Six-Eyed Scorpion, the award-winning crispy chili oil brand that's absolutely nailing brand building in a crowded condiment category. Sandra is a chef by trade and founder. Jordana is the head of marketing and brand (and a graphic designer). Together, they've built a premium brand that stands out in a sea of red, bold competitors by going blue, sophisticated, and unapologetically fun. You'll hear: 🌶️ How they used a competitive matrix to find the gap in a saturated chili oil market - and why they chose blue branding in a category dominated by red 🤝 What community actually means beyond the buzzword (hint: it's not just posting "thank you" on Instagram) 🎨 Their approach to brand collaborations - from pitching Baker Blue to landing Broadsheet coverage 📧 Why people actually reply to their email campaigns and Instagram comments (and what happens when brands just "like" comments instead) 🏆 How having awards, like a BiteBack Award, makes such a difference Sandra and Jordana break down their philosophy: it's a crime to be boring. They show up at events face-to-face, they share behind-the-scenes content people actually want to watch, and they approach collaborations with ideas (not just asks). This episode is for brand owners who know their product is good but struggle to build the kind of community and brand affinity that drives repeat purchases and word-of-mouth referrals. Season 15 is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year's worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof. LINKS & RESOURCES: Six Eyed Scorpion WebsiteSix Eyed Scorpion on InstagramHill MartinDelbociaBaker BleuSandra Seah on LinkedIn#131 From Kitchen to Retail: How Six-Eyed Scorpion Crispy Chilli Oil is Winning Shelf Space Season 16 Season 16, out now, is 'Planning Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival - a must-attend event dedicated to bringing consumer packaged goods food, drink (alc and non-alc), pet and supplements brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors together under one roof. Here’s why you should be there: Thousands of stockists looking for new products for their shelves. A chance to pitch for funding + mentorship to scale your brand. Workshops tailored to where you’re at - whether you’re just starting or scaling big (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Brand Story Studio’ - 1:1 help with your messaging strategy - you'll leave with your founder story dialled in (THIS IS NEW!) ‘Distributor Lunch & Learn’ opportunity to speak directly with distributors about how they work and what they need you to do to work successfully with them. Opportunities to get recognised and get your brand in front of brand owners, buyers, media, industry specialists, distributors and investors. If you’re an Industry Specialist, tap into a highly engaged, niche audience. And much, much more. Schedule May 21-22 in your diary and click this link to see how you can be part of it.

    53 min
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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Chelsea Ford
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
  • Show Website
    Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

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